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(CNN) -- Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate redefined how vice-presidential candidates influence a campaign. Unfortunately for McCain, the Alaska governor hurt his presidential bid more than she helped. Palin, at McCain's concession Tuesday night, boosted the GOP ticket at first but ultimately became a drag on it. Palin had been unfamiliar to most Americans, aside from some conservative writers and bloggers, who had admired her since she upended Alaska's Republican establishment by knocking off incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2006. That all changed on August 29 -- the morning after Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention -- when Palin was introduced by McCain. It wasn't just reporters who were stunned. Even McCain staffers at the event itself were shocked. Many assumed McCain would tap a GOP heavyweight like Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty. The most daring option, many thought, would be Joe Lieberman, a former Democrat. See Palin's path to the ticket » . But Palin's debut instantly energized the Republican base, which had long been cool to McCain, and the GOP ticket surged in the polls. McCain took a shine to Palin's anti-establishment streak and her familiarity with energy issues. His advisers believed her "average hockey mom" persona would attract women. The party grass roots admired her devotion to family and her conservative positions on social issues. Watch Palin as McCain concedes the election » . But because the Alaska governor was largely unknown, her record and background were immediately under scrutiny. Journalists descended on her hometown of Wasilla to examine her record as mayor and governor, though Palin was still sheltered from questioners. The craving for knowledge spread outside the media and paid huge dividends at the Republican National Convention, when Palin took the biggest stage of her life and assuredly presented herself as both a small-town mother of five and a pit bull who could smile her way through a sharp political attack. The speech garnered mammoth television ratings and rave reviews. McCain came out of the convention with a healthy bounce -- leading Obama by a 10-point margin. Palin's ratings were also riding high, with nearly 50 percent of Americans viewing her in a positive light. She got bigger crowds than McCain, an unusual phenomenon that underscored her newfound political clout. But a series of missteps began to harm her image and McCain's standing. Palin was still kept away from the media, even friendly conservative talk radio shows, in a strategy that campaign aides later acknowledged was flawed. Advisers chose to grant interviews only to two networks. When Palin stumbled over foreign policy questions, she undercut the foundation of McCain's experience argument. Her sometimes-rambling answers in the highly-scrutinized appearances formed the basis for Tina Fey's "Saturday Night Live" caricature. Palin held her own on economic and energy issues in the first half of her debate with Joe Biden -- the highest rated of the presidential and vice-presidential debates. But when questioning turned to national security, she seemed to resort to talking points. Back on the stump, Palin began to attack Obama, accusing him of "palling around with terrorists," being a socialist and not as patriotic as herself and McCain. Her offensives were often scattershot, appearing at one rally and disappearing at the next. And while Republicans enjoyed the aggression, Democrats and independents were turned off. Over a month, poll numbers shifted and Palin became more of a polarizing figure. Liberals called her the most divisive politician since Richard Nixon or George Wallace, and some former Hillary Clinton supporters said McCain's selection of Palin was a cynical gambit that wouldn't help him sway female voters. Palin kept up her rigorous campaign schedule but the problems continued. A long-running ethics investigation in Alaska determined she abused her power in firing the state's public safety commissioner, though she broke no laws. News broke that the Republican National Committee had spent $150,000 on her wardrobe, angering her and prompting her to deviate from the campaign's game plan. iReport.com: What's next for Palin? Aides insisted Palin wanted to speak to reporters but had been reined in. That changed in mid-October when she ditched her staff and launched an impromptu press conference in which she criticized the use of robocalls, even as they were being used for her boss. Later she ad-libbed a diatribe on the wardrobe fiasco, stressing a preference for consignment-store clothing and flashing her $35 wedding ring. McCain aides refused to go on the record about it, but they groused anonymously that Palin was "going rogue," that she was a "diva" and "difficult" to work with. In the final two weeks, Palin was at last given a chance to make in-depth speeches on substantive issues like energy and special-needs children. But the tide had long turned. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in October showed she had become a bigger drag on McCain than President Bush, with voters citing her qualifications as their primary concern. A CNN poll released last weekend showed Palin's unfavorable ratings were twice as high as when McCain picked her, and 57 percent of Americans believed she didn't have the personal qualities a president needed. As for the future, the poll indicated that only four in 10 voters would support Palin if she chooses to run for president in 2012. But Palin's fortunes have changed before.

The Sarah Palin pick redefined how running mates can influence a campaign . Little-known before late summer, she soon seized headlines and attention . She brought energy, popularity but ultimately became a drag on McCain .

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(CNN) -- Christine Levinson went to the United Nations on Monday to ask questions about her husband, Bob, a former FBI agent who vanished in Iran last year. Christine Levinson has sought help from Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Levinson flew to New York with three of her seven children in hopes of meeting the one man she hoped could really get things moving -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is at the United Nations for a speech he is scheduled to deliver Tuesday afternoon. Ahmadinejad declined to meet with her. "I'm disappointed," she says. Levinson did meet, however, with the Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. "He said he would do whatever he could to help me," she told CNN. Levinson went to the United Nations with her children -- Susan, 31, Sarah, 28, and Douglas, 14. Her husband disappeared in March 2007 while on a business trip to the Iranian island of Kish. Bob Levinson is a retired FBI agent from Coral Springs, Florida. After leaving the agency, his wife says, he worked as a security consultant specializing in cigarette smuggling. Over the last year and half, Levinson says she has done everything she can to draw attention to her husband's disappearance. She has given interviews, met with U.S. State Department officials, set up a Web site -- www.helpboblevinson.com -- and staged a rally. She even has offered a $5,000 reward, aimed primarily at Iranians who might have information about her husband. Has it yielded any tips? "No," Christine Levinson says. "Nothing." Last year, she traveled to Iran to try to retrace her husband's steps. Back then, Iranian officials told her they would investigate and report back to her. She says she hasn't heard a word. "They told me when they have some information, they will let me know and in the meantime will continue to search for Bob," Levinson told CNN. She has denied that her husband was doing business for the US government when he went missing -- she says she didn't believe so because he's a private citizen. And the State Department and FBI have denied he was working for government. The State Department has demanded Iran free Levinson -- if it is holding him. Levinson says her husband suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. She insists she is confident her husband is all right because "I haven't heard anything bad." At times, she listens to his voicemail message, just to hear his voice. "I still firmly believe he is alive," she says. "Every day, I tell my children to take things one day at a time. "I just want him to know I'm still looking for him. I'll never stop looking for him."

Former FBI agent Bob Levinson disappeared in Iran in March 2007 . His wife says she has done everything to draw attention to Levinson's disappearance . A $5,000 reward has been offered, but no tips have come in .

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(CNN) -- Caroline Kennedy, who spent most of her life looking to steer clear of the spotlight, is capping off a year of unusually public -- and political -- activity with interest in the Senate seat that would be vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton. Caroline Kennedy could join her uncle Edward in the United States Senate. And her interest in that seat could mean the continuation of a Kennedy legacy in the Senate that began 56 years ago with the election of her father, John F. Kennedy, as the junior senator from Massachusetts. Her uncle Edward has represented Massachusetts in the Senate for more than four decades. Her uncle Robert served as junior senator from New York from 1965 until he was assassinated in 1968. "Remember, [Clinton's] seat in the Senate was once held by Robert Kennedy," CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider said Saturday. "Her other uncle, Ted Kennedy, is ill right now. If [New York Gov. David] Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy to the Senate, it means there could be a Kennedy staying in the Senate for quite a long time." And a Senate appointment for Caroline Kennedy would mark a change for the woman who has rarely run into the glare of political attention. "Apparently, she has acquired a taste for politics, having endorsed Barack Obama early this year," Schneider said. "She wants to be part of this new regime in America, clearly playing a key role in the Senate if she gets that appointment." Watch CNN's Bill Schnieder discuss Caroline Kennedy's prospects » . Widely described as extraordinarily shy, self-deprecating and down-to-earth, Kennedy has tended to limit her forays into the public sphere to nonpartisan activity, penning books on civil liberties and serving as the de facto guardian of her father's legacy. But in January, she backed a political candidate for the first time, announcing her endorsement of Obama during the Democratic primary season with an opinion piece in the New York Times that drew days of the kind of media attention she has spent her life avoiding. "I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them," she wrote. "But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president -- not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans." Kennedy willingly lingered in the spotlight, serving on Obama's vice presidential search team, speaking at the Democratic National Convention and stumping for him through the primary and general election seasons. In a campaign ad that featured video images of her father followed by images of Obama, Kennedy said, "People always tell me how my father inspired them. I feel that same excitement now." There are a slew of high-profile candidates for Clinton's Senate seat -- including Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, whose last name carries some star power of its own in the Empire State -- but their odds grew just a bit steeper when stacked against the wattage of a storied Democratic dynasty. Robert Kennedy was elected to the Senate with few ties to his adopted home state, but his niece's New York roots run deep. Jacqueline Kennedy relocated to New York City after her husband's assassination in 1963, with children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr. Caroline Kennedy has spent most of her life in the city, working there after graduating from Harvard, meeting her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, on the job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attending Columbia Law School there. Her most prominent public roles to date involved overseeing her father's presidential library and presenting the annual Profiles in Courage Award. She's also edited several books, from a volume of children's poetry and an updated edition of her father's book "Profiles in Courage" to a collection of patriotic verse ("A Patriot's Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories, and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love.") Most of her leadership positions have been based in the arts: hosting the annual nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors in Washington and serving as the honorary chairwoman of the American Ballet Theatre, as her mother had. Still, in late spring and early summer, she was whispered as a possible vice presidential candidate -- and more recently as a contender for secretary of education in an Obama Cabinet -- but elected office would mark a major shift for Kennedy. Her history of avoiding partisan efforts, her limited policy track record and the lingering legacy of her father's presidency translated into a far less brutal Republican criticism than that experienced by the other members of Obama's vice presidential search committee, and there was a widespread continuing sense that she would not want to put herself in line for the tough criticism aimed at elected officials. "I don't think she'd go that far," Kennedy White House speechwriter Theodore Sorenson told USA Today this summer after being asked whether he thought Kennedy wanted to hold office herself. In his memoir, "Counselor," he quoted Jacqueline Kennedy saying her daughter had "gotten her horror of the press from me" and said the younger Caroline Kennedy used to hide her face when she spotted a cameraman. But in a 2002 Time magazine interview promoting the updated "Profiles in Courage," Kennedy would not rule out the possibility of a run for public office. "I don't have any plans to do that right now," she said. "I don't plan ahead. My kids are young, and I'm really happy to be able to be around. But I do care about issues, and I'm interested in them. So I don't see that now, but you know, I have a long life ahead of me." The 51-year-old mother of three has still not spoken publicly about her interest in the job -- or whether, after months of campaign-trail conditioning, she might be comfortable with the idea of seeking election in her own right when Clinton's term ends. CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Monte Plott contributed to this story.

Late president's daughter has expressed interest in Hillary Clinton's office . Move would put Kennedy in seat once filled by her uncle Robert . Kennedy has a history of avoiding partisanship and spotlight . She said this year she was inspired by Barack Obama .

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southern Kyrgyzstan late Sunday night killing an estimated 70 people and destroying more than 120 buildings, the government reported Monday. The earthquake occurred near Kyrgyzstan's border with China. Gulshat Kadirova, an official from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations, told CNN that casualty figures were preliminary and could rise as rescue efforts progress. The weekend quake, measured by the U.S. Geological Survey Report, rattled all of Central Asia; however destruction is concentrated in the remote village of Nura on Kyrgyzstan's border with China. "The remoteness of the villages hit by the earthquake, the absence of means of communications and the destruction of roads are hindering assistance to the injured," the Kyrgyz Health Ministry press service told Interfax. The Health Ministry of Kyrgyzstan has set-up a crisis center in the region, however rescue efforts remain difficult, according to a ministry official. The Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Ministry also sent humanitarian aid to the region. "Four helicopters have just left taking food and blankets to the people affected in the area," a ministry representative told CNN by phone. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent a letter of condolence to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, according to the Kremlin's Web site. Medvedev noted Russia's readiness to offer assistance. Bakiyev is scheduled to visit the destroyed region of Nura this week to monitor the search-and-rescue operations, Kadirova told CNN. Temblors continued in Central Asia on Monday with two strong earthquakes striking part of Tibet within 15 minutes of each other.

Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes southern Kyrgyzstan Sunday night . Around 70 estimated killed, 120 buildings destroyed, government says . Quake rattled large area of Central Asia; damage concentrated near China border . Kyrgyz Health Ministry has sets up crisis center to coordinate rescue effort .

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(CNN) -- Former England cricket star Chris Lewis was remanded in custody by a British court Tuesday, charged with attempting to smuggle drugs through an airport. Chris Lewis joined Surrey to play in Twenty20 matches for the 2008 season. The 40-year-old all-rounder, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals for England in the 1990s, was arrested Monday when border officials at London's Gatwick Airport found cocaine hidden in luggage that had arrived on a flight from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Four kilograms of cocaine with a street value of around $350,000 was seized by the UK Border Agency, the UK's Press Association said. The drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins, officials said. Lewis and basketball player Chad Kirnon, 26, both from London, were held and questioned by Customs officials and later charged. British Revenue & Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger told PA: "This was an excellent detection by UK Border Agency officers. "HMRC, together with UKBA, play a vital role in the fight to prevent illegal drugs from entering the UK and in protecting our communities from the violence and corruption that always accompany this hideous trade." The two men made a brief appearance at Crawley Magistrates' Court in West Sussex on Tuesday afternoon, where Lewis had a bail application refused, PA reported. They were remanded in custody to appear via video link in court next Wednesday.

Four kilos of cocaine worth $350,000 seized at Gatwick Airport . Officials: Drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins in luggage . Chris Lewis played cricket for England during the 1990s .

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(CNN) -- Caroline Kennedy, who spent most of her life looking to steer clear of the spotlight, is capping off a year of unusually public -- and political -- activity with interest in the Senate seat that would be vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton. Caroline Kennedy could join her uncle Edward in the U.S. Senate. And her interest in that seat could mean the continuation of a Kennedy legacy in the Senate that began 56 years ago with the election of her father, John F. Kennedy, as the junior senator from Massachusetts. Her uncle Edward has represented Massachusetts in the Senate for more than four decades. Her uncle Robert served as junior senator from New York from 1965 until he was assassinated in 1968. "Remember, [Clinton's] seat in the Senate was once held by Robert Kennedy," CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider said Saturday. "Her other uncle, Ted Kennedy, is ill right now. If [New York Gov. David] Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy to the Senate, it means there could be a Kennedy staying in the Senate for quite a long time." Paterson confirmed to CNN Saturday that Caroline Kennedy called and "asked a few questions" but did not express interest in the seat. "I am sure if she's interested, she'll call back, but I'm not going to rate any of the candidates or talk about prospective candidates. It just adds speculation to the speculation," Paterson said. But one Democratic source close to the Kennedy family said Caroline Kennedy "is interested to say the least" about discussing the Senate vacancy. The source said Kennedy has asked a tight circle of family friends and political advisers for advice. A second source, who has knowledge of Kennedy's conversation with Paterson, tells CNN that Kennedy reached out to inquire about the responsibilities and impact such a move would have if she were selected by the governor to fill the position. A Senate appointment for Caroline Kennedy would mark a change for the woman who has rarely run into the glare of political attention. "Apparently, she has acquired a taste for politics, having endorsed Barack Obama early this year," Schneider said. "She wants to be part of this new regime in America, clearly playing a key role in the Senate if she gets that appointment." Watch CNN's Bill Schneider discuss Caroline Kennedy's prospects » . Widely described as extraordinarily shy, self-deprecating and down-to-earth, Kennedy has tended to limit her forays into the public sphere to nonpartisan activity, penning books on civil liberties and serving as the de facto guardian of her father's legacy. But in January, she backed a political candidate for the first time, announcing her endorsement of Obama during the Democratic primary season with an opinion piece in the New York Times that drew days of the kind of media attention she has spent her life avoiding. "I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them," she wrote. "But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president -- not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans." Kennedy willingly lingered in the spotlight, serving on Obama's vice presidential search team, speaking at the Democratic National Convention and stumping for him through the primary and general election seasons. In a campaign ad that featured video images of her father followed by images of Obama, Kennedy said, "People always tell me how my father inspired them. I feel that same excitement now." There are a slew of high-profile candidates for Clinton's Senate seat -- including Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, whose last name carries some star power of its own in the Empire State -- but their odds grew just a bit steeper when stacked against the wattage of a storied Democratic dynasty. Robert Kennedy was elected to the Senate with few ties to his adopted home state, but his niece's New York roots run deep. Jacqueline Kennedy relocated to New York City after her husband's assassination in 1963, with children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr. Caroline Kennedy has spent most of her life in the city, working there after graduating from Harvard, meeting her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, on the job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attending Columbia Law School there. Her most prominent public roles to date involved overseeing her father's presidential library and presenting the annual Profiles in Courage Award. She's also edited several books, from a volume of children's poetry and an updated edition of her father's book "Profiles in Courage" to a collection of patriotic verse ("A Patriot's Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories, and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love.") Most of her leadership positions have been based in the arts: hosting the annual nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors in Washington and serving as the honorary chairwoman of the American Ballet Theatre, as her mother had. Still, in late spring and early summer, she was whispered as a possible vice presidential candidate -- and more recently as a contender for secretary of education in an Obama Cabinet -- but elected office would mark a major shift for Kennedy. Her history of avoiding partisan efforts, her limited policy track record and the lingering legacy of her father's presidency translated into a far less brutal Republican criticism than that experienced by the other members of Obama's vice presidential search committee, and there was a widespread continuing sense that she would not want to put herself in line for the tough criticism aimed at elected officials. "I don't think she'd go that far," Kennedy White House speechwriter Theodore Sorenson told USA Today this summer after being asked whether he thought Kennedy wanted to hold office herself. In his memoir, "Counselor," he quoted Jacqueline Kennedy saying her daughter had "gotten her horror of the press from me" and said the younger Caroline Kennedy used to hide her face when she spotted a cameraman. But in a 2002 Time magazine interview promoting the updated "Profiles in Courage," Kennedy would not rule out the possibility of a run for public office. "I don't have any plans to do that right now," she said. "I don't plan ahead. My kids are young, and I'm really happy to be able to be around. But I do care about issues, and I'm interested in them. So I don't see that now, but you know, I have a long life ahead of me." The 51-year-old mother of three has still not spoken publicly about her interest in the job -- or whether, after months of campaign-trail conditioning, she might be comfortable with the idea of seeking election in her own right when Clinton's term ends. CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Monte Plott contributed to this story.

Late president's daughter has expressed interest in Hillary Clinton's office . Move would put Kennedy in seat once filled by her uncle Robert . Kennedy has a history of avoiding partisanship and spotlight . She said this year she was inspired by Barack Obama .

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(CNN) -- Adventurer and TV show host Bear Grylls injured his shoulder in Antarctica during an expedition to raise money for an international charity, the Discovery Channel said Sunday. Bear Grylls, host of "Man vs. Wild," was injured in Antarctica during an expedition to raise money for charity. Grylls was injured Friday night after falling during the expedition, which was not for the Discovery Channel, according to the network's statement. The statement said that Grylls is returning to the UK to receive medical attention. "Once he sees a doctor, we will have a better sense of the level of seriousness of his shoulder injury and the recovery time needed to get him back to his full physical activity," according to the statement. Grylls, 34, is the host of Discovery's "Man vs. Wild" in which he demonstrates extreme measures -- including eating snakes and insects -- used to survive in harsh environmental conditions. In his blog, Grylls said the aim of his expedition in Antarctica -- sponsored by Ethanol Venture -- is "to promote alternative energies and their potential." "We will be using lots of different forms of alternative power, including wind-powered kite-skiing, part bio-ethanol powered jetskis and inflatable boats, electric-powered paragliders, solar- and wind-powered base camps -- and good old foot work," Grylls wrote in a November 14 entry. Grylls is a former member of the British Special Forces and has broken his back in several places during his service. In his blog, he said he and his wife Shara are expecting their third child in January.

Adventurer and TV show host Bear Grylls injured his shoulder . Grylls was in Antarctica on an expedition for charity . Host going to UK for treatment, Discovery Channel says .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The recent arrest and sentencing of a British disc jockey in Dubai highlights the need for foreign travelers to pay close attention to the United Arab Emirates' strict rules on prohibited substances, a legal charity said Wednesday. Western tourists oblivious to the severe drugs laws in the UAE often end up in jail after arriving in the conservative Muslim country with tiny amounts of narcotics. DJ Grooverider, whose real name is Raymond Bingham, was jailed Tuesday for four years in Dubai for possession of cannabis, said a spokesman for BBC Radio 1, where the he presented a weekly drum 'n bass show. He was arrested November 23 after being caught with 2.16 grams of the drug at the airport, the BBC spokesman said. "It's another incident of exactly the sort of case we've seen occurring with increased frequency," said Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials International. The charity issued a warning to travelers earlier this month, urging them to read up on Dubai's restrictions and make sure they are free of any substances. The warning followed a series of cases in which Dubai authorities arrested travelers with trace amounts of banned substances or seemingly innocuous items. Fair Trials highlighted the case of a Swiss man jailed for having three poppy seeds on his shirt which apparently came from a sandwich he had eaten at the airport before departure. UAE customs officials said the man was stopped after arriving in Dubai from Zurich on January 18, though it provided no other details on his case. The U.S. State Department warns that poppy seeds are on the UAE's list of controlled substances. An official at the UAE's police labs who declined to be named said the Emirates only ban raw poppy seeds -- not baked -- because raw seeds could be planted for drug use. The British and U.S. governments have warnings in place for travelers to the UAE, alerting them to the severe penalties for being found with drugs, and the types of drugs which are illegal in the country. "The possession and/or import of even the smallest amount of drugs can result in a minimum prison sentence of four years," states the advice from Britain's Foreign Office. "The presence of drugs in the system is counted as possession." Some prescribed medications -- such as Valium or those used for hormone replacement therapy -- are forbidden even with a prescription, Fair Trials said. Codeine, which is available over the counter in Britain, is allowed only with a doctor's prescription, the Foreign Office states. Fair Trials mentioned the case of an unnamed 20-year-old who was traveling back to England from Pakistan. The charity said he was arrested after customs officers allegedly found 0.02 grams of cannabis in his pocket. UAE customs officials told CNN the 20-year-old was arrested January 16 and actually was found with 0.67 grams of cannabis. "Travelers must be aware about and understand the laws of any country they visit," said a customs official, who also declined to be named. The BBC spokesman said Grooverider, who went to Dubai to work at a club, claimed he forgot the drugs were in the pocket of a pair of trousers. "Grooverider is paying a very high price for a serious mistake," the Radio 1 spokesman said. Fair Trials' Wolthuizen said one thing is clear: Travelers to the UAE must be careful. "The Emirates are quite happy to be known as having an unusually strict approach to enforcing their drug laws," Wolthuizen said. "They are going to extraordinary lengths to enforce them." E-mail to a friend .

Grooverider sentence highlights UAE's strict drug rules . The DJ was jailed for four years in Dubai on Tuesday for possession of cannabis . He was arrested November 23 after being caught with 2.16 grams of the drug . The Emirates have an unusually strict approach to enforcing their drug laws .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Cash-strapped Zimbabwe revealed plans Saturday to circulate $200 million notes, just days after introducing a $100 million bill, Finance Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi said. Zimbabwe central bank governor Gideon Gono shows a new $50 million note Thursday. After the $100 million note began circulating on Thursday, the price of a loaf of bread soared from 2 million to 35 million Zimbabwean dollars. Amid allegations of illegal foreign currency trading, the government also fired top executives at four major banks Thursday, according to The Herald, a state-owned newspaper. Many anxious residents of the nation's capital, Harare, have been sleeping outside banks, waiting for them to open so they can make withdrawals before the institutions run out of cash. Watch how Zimbabwe's children are suffering » . The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had capped maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars: about 25 U.S. cents, or about a quarter of Thursday's price of a loaf of bread. Last week, restrictions on cash withdrawals -- due to severe money shortages -- triggered riots. Sixteen soldiers now face possible court-martial due to alleged looting and assaults on civilians and police during the unrest, police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena told The Herald on Saturday. "We are still investigating the case," he said. "But we expect the soldiers to appear before a court-martial once investigations are completed." After spending several days waiting in bank lines, soldiers rampaged through downtown Harare, destroying shops and attacking riot police sent to disperse the protesters. Cash shortages are not the only crisis plaguing Zimbabwe. The United Nations has said that more than half of Zimbabwe's population is in dire need of food and clean water. Watch how a cholera epidemic is affecting Zimbabweans » . Acute shortages of essentials such as fuel, electricity, medicines and food are key indicators of a failed economy, according to economic observers. "The [Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe] is failing to deliver the demands of market, prices are doubling daily, and that demands more cash," Zimbabwean economist John Robertson said. "The huge price increases are resulting from severe shortages of most goods." The once-prosperous African nation is facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since attaining independence from Great Britain in 1980. Zimbabwe's official rate of inflation is 231 million percent, the world's highest. Critics of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe link hyperinflation to his policies on land distribution and unbudgeted payments to war veterans. Zimbabwe has had no Cabinet since the March presidential election. Its political troubles have aggravated its humanitarian and economic crisis, including a cholera outbreak that has killed close to 600 people since August. A CNN journalist in Harare contributed to this report.

Price of a loaf of bread jumps to 35 million Zimbabwean dollars . Government accuses bank executives of illegal currency trading . Zimbabwe also faces widespread cholera outbreak; food, power shortages . President Robert Mugabe's policies blamed for economic collapse .

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(CNN) -- Call it a self-fulfilling prophecy: An estimated three-fourths of gas stations in the Nashville, Tennessee, area ran dry Friday, victim of an apparent rumor that the city was running out of gas. "Everybody has just gone nuts," said Mike Williams, executive director of the Tennessee Petroleum Council. He said he has no idea about the origin of a rumor that there was going to be no gas in Nashville. One reporter called him, saying she had heard that Nashville would be without gas within the hour, he said. Hearing the rumor, drivers rushed to fill their cars and trucks. CNN called 13 Nashville gas stations at random. Only two reported having gas, and one said it was almost out. The stations said they were being told they would not get more until Monday or Tuesday. iReport.com: Nashville residents desperate for fuel . Katie Givens Kime, visiting from Atlanta, Georgia, was trying to fill up her tank for the trip home when she ran into trouble -- when she was already low on gas. "We panicked and looked online," she said. "And holy cow, there is no gas in the city. ... It has definitely gripped the city, for sure." One store clerk told her there was no way she could get gas to go back home, she said. Williams said some drivers were following gas trucks to see where they were headed, and lines at some stations were a mile long. Fuel was continuing to enter the city, however, as pipelines were working and barges were coming in. He likened it to Southerners rushing out to stock up on bread and milk when they hear it might snow. As stations began running low, the situation snowballed, he said. One station reported selling as much gas Friday as it usually does in a weekend, Williams said. The phenomenon seemed to be isolated to the Nashville area, he said. iReport.com: Is there a gas panic in your area? Givens Kime said she found a station online that still had gas and waited more than an hour to pump it. "People were freaked out," she said. A "renegade bunch" of men helped direct traffic to and from the pumps, even taking drivers' cash inside for them. She described people filling cans and other containers as well as cars. She said that the station was not engaging in price gouging but that "emotions were running very high" among drivers. CNN's Gary Bender contributed to this report.

Nobody knows origin of rumor that Nashville was running out of gas . Of 13 Nashville gas stations called at random, only two said they had gas . Residents panicked and hit gas stations to fuel up . People were filling up containers, cans, with some waiting an hour for gas .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- After spending nearly 28 years in an irreversible coma, heiress and socialite Martha "Sunny" von Bulow died Saturday in a New York nursing home, according to a family statement. She was 76. Sunny von Bulow is pictured during her 1957 wedding to Prince Alfred von Auersperg. Von Bulow was subject of one of the nation's most sensational criminal cases during the 1980s. Her husband, Claus, was accused of trying to kill her with an overdose of insulin, which prosecutors alleged sent her into the coma. He was convicted of making two attempts on her life, but the conviction was overturned on appeal. He was acquitted in a second trial. His retrial in 1985 received national attention. "We were blessed to have an extraordinarily loving and caring mother," said the statement from Von Bulow's three children -- Annie Laurie "Ala" Isham, Alexander von Auersperg and Cosima Pavoncelli -- released by a spokeswoman. "She was especially devoted to her many friends and family members." Martha von Bulow was born Martha Sharp Crawford into a wealthy family. She inherited a fortune conservatively estimated at $75 million, according to an article on the von Bulow case posted on truTV.com's Crime Library Web site. In her early years, she drew comparisons to actress Grace Kelly. She became known as Princess von Auersperg with her first marriage, to Prince Alfred von Auersperg of Austria. That marriage produced two children: Alexander and Annie Laurie. The von Bulows married in 1966 and had a daughter, Cosima. On the morning of December 22, 1980, family members found Martha von Bulow unconscious in the bathroom of the family's posh Newport, Rhode Island, home. She never regained consciousness. She had been hospitalized a year earlier after lapsing into a coma but recovered, according to the Crime Library site. Doctors had diagnosed her with hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Prosecutors accused Claus von Bulow of twice attempting to kill his wife by injecting her with insulin. The case also led to a major motion picture, "Reversal of Fortune." Actor Jeremy Irons won an Oscar for his portrayal of Claus von Bulow. Famed defense attorney Alan Dershowitz, who won Claus von Bulow a new trial on appeal after his conviction, said in a statement Saturday that Martha von Bulow's death is "a sad ending to a sad tragedy that some members of her family tried to turn into a crime. We proved overwhelming[ly] that there was no crime and that the coma was self-induced. We saved his life, but could not save hers." Claus von Bulow's defense team maintained that Martha von Bulow's alcohol use, among other factors, caused her coma. Dershowitz said he had spoken with Claus von Bulow, who now lives in London, England. Claus von Bulow was saddened by his former wife's passing, Dershowitz said. The family statement said Martha von Bulow is survived by her children, their spouses and nine grandchildren. Alexander von Auersperg and Ala von Auersperg Isham, who had sided with prosecutors against Claus von Bulow, filed a civil suit against their stepfather after his acquittal. The case was settled out of court in 1987, according to a 2007 article in the Providence Journal newspaper in Rhode Island. Claus von Bulow had agreed to waive his claim to his wife's money and to a divorce in exchange for the suit being dropped. The von Bulows' daughter, Cosima, sided with her father. Vanity Fair writer Dominick Dunne, who covered the von Bulow case, told the New York Daily News in 2007 that Sunny von Bulow was moved from Columbia Presbyterian hospital to a private nursing home in 1998. Watch Dunne recall case » . Ala von Auersperg Isham served for a time as president of the Sunny von Bulow Coma and Head Trauma Research Foundation, according to the Providence Journal. An offshoot of that organization, the Brain Trauma Foundation, still operates in New York, the newspaper said. The family statement notes that Martha von Bulow actively supported the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Opera and the J.P. Morgan Library in New York and the Preservation Society of Newport, Rhode Island. A private memorial service will be held for family and friends in New York in the coming days, the family statement said Saturday, along with a private burial. CNN's Julian Cummings contributed to this report.

Husband Claus von Bulow was accused of trying to kill her with insulin overdose . Conviction overturned on appeal; he was acquitted in second trial . Claus von Bulow, living in England, is saddened by former wife's death, lawyer says . She is survived by three children and nine grandchildren .

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Editor's note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. ET Wednesday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist, Martin has said he will vote for Barack Obama in November. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Visit his Web site for more information. Roland Martin says Howard Dean bucked other leaders and insisted on a 50-state Democratic strategy. (CNN) -- If Sen. Barack Obama is able to prevail over Sen. John McCain on Tuesday, all of those Democrats who ripped Howard Dean's 50-state strategy over the last four years should call the head of the Democratic National Committee and offer a heartfelt apology. First in line should be New York Sen. Charles Schumer, Chicago, Illinois, Rep. Rahm Emanuel and my CNN colleague, political strategist James Carville. When Democrats were in the final stages of winning back Congress in 2006, those three were at odds with Dean, saying he should forget about his pie-in-the-sky plan to have the Democratic Party competitive in all 50 states. They reasoned that money spent on get-out-the vote efforts in non-congressional elections was futile, and all the effort should be on reclaiming Congress. But Dean resisted their suggestions, weathering repeated calls for him to resign after that election. Dean's insistence on having a Democratic Party that existed in the heartland, and not just California, New York and Massachusetts, was brilliant in that it made clear that the party recognized the rest of America. iReport.com: What would you ask Obama? The Democratic Party earned its liberal label because it ignored the moderate and conservative voices that paved the way for the Reagan revolution to win three consecutive elections. Yet the decisive wins weren't just on the national level. Texas is a prime example. What used to be a blue dog Democratic state now has Republicans holding every statewide office. But things are looking up. In Dallas County, all of the county positions except for a handful were in the hands of the GOP, especially the judges. That changed four years ago, and now the party could solidify itself this time around. The same thing in Harris County. The state's most populous county saw Republicans take everything in sight. This time around, Democrats are poised to take back Houston and surrounding cities. Texas Democratic leaders used to cry the blues when an election was near, but after seeing the massive turnout during the primary, they have been able to build their voter database and cultivate a new generation of politicians to run for office. Will the state go red? Sure. But with a rock solid black vote, the ability to attract more Hispanic voters and a growing appeal to whites, Democrats may soon make Texas a competitive two-party state. If Democrats are going to achieve success on the national level, they must have significant enthusiasm on the local level. It's hard to get your supporters ginned up for a national campaign if they see no infrastructure, especially local get-out-the-vote operations. When Obama announced that he was implementing a 50-state strategy, he was laughed at. But here we are with six days left in the campaign and the Republicans are having to spend precious dollars on ads in Montana, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada, GOP locks in past elections. Obama deserves a lot of the credit for this because his "change" campaign theme, along with the horrible leadership of Republicans nationwide, is helping his candidacy. But changing the attitude among the nation's Democrats was also vital, and that's where Dean played a role. The former governor of Vermont saw firsthand the sorry shape of the party when he ran for president in 2004. Republicans, led by Karl Rove, perfected their voter registration efforts, targeting voters down to the neighborhood, block and household. They knew that to win they needed a well-oiled machine that wasn't activated every four years; it needed to be active all year round and in every election cycle. So Dean put the people and resources behind substantial voter efforts in a number of states, and they went about rebuilding a crippled party that had no central voter registration effort, an outdated database of supporters, a fundraising arm that heavily relied on trial attorneys and Hollywood types, and a message that changed depending on the day. In addition to seeing how Obama performs on Tuesday, we will also watch and see if Democrats are able to increase the number of governorships and legislatures they control. That will be critical in 2010, because that's when the electoral map will be gerrymandered, redrawing the borders of congressional districts, and the party that rules the general assemblies, legislatures and governor's mansions will write the rules to the game. Old pols always said that all politics is local, and the only way for a revitalized Democratic Party to expand its reach nationally is by re-branding the party on the home front. That takes time, money and leadership, and Howard Dean was willing to put his money where his mouth is. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin.

Roland Martin: DNC chair Howard Dean stuck to his 50-state strategy . If Obama wins, other top Dems should apologize to Dean, he says . Martin says the party needed to rebuild its local infrastructure . Dean's strategy is creating a year-round base for Democratic efforts, he says .

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(CNN) -- A Dutch-operated container ship outran pirates off the coast of Tanzania this weekend, an official with the International Maritime Bureau said Sunday. French soldiers, who have joined British, Indian, Russian and American patrols off Somalia, during an exercise. The incident took place "very far out to sea," showing that Somali-based pirates are extending their reach further and further, Noel Choong of the IMB's Piracy Reporting Center told CNN. "Earlier attacks were on ships off the coast of Somalia, then off the coast of Kenya, and now this was 450 nautical miles off Dar es Salaam," he said, tracing the southward expansion of the pirates' area of operations. The ship, which Choong declined to name, came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades, starting a fire on board, he said. The crew was able to put out the fire and escape by increasing speed. The ship and crew are now out of danger, he said, following the incident at 11:42 GMT Saturday. Piracy has become increasingly common in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean this year. So far, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the center. Watch how NATO is combating piracy » . Those hijacked vessels include an enormous oil tanker, a chemical tanker, and a ship laden with Soviet-era arms including tanks. The pirates normally hold the ships for ransom. A luxury cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 passengers and crew successfully outran pirates off the coast of Yemen last weekend. The IMB has tracked at least 11 incidents of actual or attempted piracy near the Tanzanian coast this year. A multinational fleet, including vessels from the U.S., NATO member states, Russia and India, has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters near the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. Around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year. Watch anti-piracy vessels patrol the region. » . In a recent interview provided to CNN, a pirate leader claimed attacks on shipping would continue as long as life in Somalia remained desperate. "The pirates are living between life and death," said the pirate leader, identified by only one name, Boyah. "Who can stop them? Americans and British all put together cannot do anything."

Piracy has become increasingly common in the Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean . Experts have tracked 11-plus incidents of actual or attempted piracy near Tanzania . Around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels use the route annually . A multinational fleet has been patrolling the Indian Ocean and nearby waters .

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(CNN) -- "Shh ... shh get back," the man with the walkie-talkie said. "We're filming." Contadora, one of Panama's Pearl Islands, draws visitors with beautiful beaches and excellent snorkeling. We had stumbled onto the set of a "Survivor"-like television show. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First let me tell you how we stumbled onto the Pearl Islands in Panama, and then I'll tell you how we came upon the Orange Tribe on the island of Mogo Mogo. Every year, my husband and I take my niece on a summer vacation. This year, we decided to go to Panama. Besides the canal, Panama has a lot to offer: There are mountains, beaches, colonial cities and rain forests. After we found a $158 round trip flight from Miami, Florida, the decision was made. My only fear was the weather; it was rainy season in Central America. After weeks of research, I was torn. We had enough time to visit one set of islands, and there were two island chains that I was having a hard time choosing between. The San Blas Islands are off the northeast coast of Panama in the Caribbean. They're also known as Kuna Yala and are home to the Kuna Indians. It would be a chance to see the Kunas up close, living as they have for centuries in grass huts along the water's edge. The other option was the Pearl Islands. The Archipiélago de las Perlas, less well-known than the San Blas, is off the southern Pacific coast of Panama. After an agonizing week of self-debate, I decided that our summer vacation would include a trip to the Pearl Islands. The flight was only 20 minutes from Panama City, but more importantly, I was told it didn't rain as much on the Pacific side. The sales pitch to my niece: "We are going to where the 2003 edition of 'Survivor' and 'Survivor: All-Stars' were filmed." I was referring to the popular American reality TV show, and I didn't realize that dozens of other countries had their own versions. I admit my destination choice was not as educational as a few days with the Kuna Indians, but I thought it would be better than being rained in with a bored teenager. After a short flight from Panama City in a puddle jumper, we were on the island of Contadora, one of hundreds that make up the Pearl Islands and one of three that can be reached by commercial flight. It's a tiny island with a handful of places to stay and even fewer places to get a meal. Golf carts, the primary mode of transportation, can be rented upon arrival. All of Contadora's entertainment is provided by the sea. It's a beach bum's paradise. If you are a beach bum and a reality TV fan, you can sit on the sand and watch props being built for the contestants' challenges. It's probably the best set shop in the world, or at least the one with the nicest view. But the Pearl Islands offer more than just an exotic TV set. For $30 an hour, you can go snorkeling and island hopping in a small but comfortable wooden fishing boat. We found Niño, our boat captain and guide, on Playa Larga, the beach in front of the Contadora Beach Resort. We did some of the best snorkeling I've ever done anywhere in the world. After a morning of fantastic snorkeling, I asked Niño where "Survivor" was filmed. "Close by. I will take you there," he said. Niño took us to Mogo Mogo, one of many uninhabited islands just off the shore of Contadora. As the island's white sandy beaches came into sight, we noticed a clearing where people were putting finishing touches on what looked like a game for contestants. Our boat captain told us it was for "Desafío" ("Challenge"), a Colombian version of the popular reality show. The word on Contadora was that a few countries (Bulgaria, Serbia and Israel, to name a few) were either finishing filming "Survivor"-type shows or starting new seasons. A representative for the Panamanian Institute of Tourism told me the government had limited information on the filming and could not confirm the word on the street. We jumped out of the boat, waded through the clear, warm blue water and onto Mogo Mogo, unacknowledged as work continued on the wooden set. Noticing a well-worn path, we decided to check out the rest of the island. We thought we were alone when we reached the beach on the other side. But as we walked down what we thought was a deserted beach, we spotted an orange flag in the sand. We knew the American "Survivor" was filmed on this island, but we did not expect to be standing in front of contestants in orange buffs, sitting on a log in the shade. This is when the man with the walkie-talkie shushed us because they were filming. The locals talk about the shows and the many countries they hail from, but they don't seem to capitalize on the "Survivor" fame. Contadora locals certainly make money off the film staff, medics and contestants, but evidently they haven't printed the T-shirts yet. The only shirts we saw were on the backs of others that identified them as "Survivor Crew." Perhaps a true fan could purchase a shirt directly off someone's back. The island is only so big, and you are bound to run into a crew from some country. One night, we were the only non-reality show customers in Gerald's restaurant, a popular place for beer and pizza. After our innocent but failed attempt at a guest appearance on "Desafío," we returned to the basic comforts on Contadora. That night, as we relaxed in a restaurant -- cold drinks in hand, a warm hearty meal just ordered -- darkness fell. The rain, as it often does in the tropics, started coming down in sheets. I leaned back and thought to myself, "If I was a contestant, tonight I would vote myself off of Mogo Mogo."

"Survivor" and similar shows have been filmed on Panama's Pearl Islands . The island of Contadora is a 20-minute flight from Panama City . Beaches and marine exploration are the main sources of entertainment .

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(CNN) -- California voters on Tuesday appear to have approved Proposition 8, a measure banning same-sex marriage in the state. CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin says the U.S. Supreme Court may have to rule on the issue of same-sex marriage. California's secretary of state late Tuesday released semi-official results showing Proposition 8 had passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent. CNN has not officially called the result one way or the other. On Wednesday protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles to voice their opposition to the potential ban. And there are at least three legal challenges to it now pending in court. Kiran Chetry of CNN's "American Morning" spoke Thursday with the program's legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, about the issue. Chetry: California's attorney general says that the constitutional amendment is not retroactive, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom says he will continue to marry people until someone sues him to stop. So what does Prop 8 mean first of all to people who want to get married in the state of California? Hostin: Well, we already know in Los Angeles they are no longer issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. So in Los Angeles, it's a no go. In San Francisco, as you mentioned, the mayor is saying, "We're still going to be doing it." So for people that aren't married yet, it's really legal limbo. Chetry: All right. And what about people who from the time that they allowed same-sex marriage, this was in May until November, some 18,000 couples decided they were going to do it. What happens to them? Is their marriage still valid? Hostin: It's still valid right now. But really they are also in a legal limbo. The bottom line it's all over the place. The law is really unclear here. Last night, I was poring over these legal papers. I was also discussing this with a lot of law professors, a lot of different lawyers, and everyone is all over the place. Some folks said, you know, the bottom line is when you look at the language of Proposition 8, it is very clear that it was meant to be retroactive and that means that all the marriages will be invalidated. Then another law professor that I spoke to said that is absolutely fundamentally ridiculous. The bottom line is this is a fundamental right that was given to couples and this is a right that is not going to be given away. I think we're going to see a lot of litigation here, Kiran, and the bottom line is everyone is in a legal, legal limbo. Chetry: It's very interesting the grounds for which they are challenging. At least in one of these lawsuits they said that it was a constitutional revision rather than an amendment. And that means it would need two-thirds approval of the House in the legislature. So do we think it could go to the state house in California as well as being fought in the courts? Hostin: I really think this is going to be a legal issue. I think this is going to go before the California Supreme Court. And we already know as you mentioned that there are three cases pending before the California Supreme Court. And what is interesting to note is that it's the very same court that allowed these marriages in the first place. And so, my guess is that that court is going to weigh in, probably reinstitute the right to marry for same-sex couples and then that's going to be likely based on the U.S. Constitution and our Supreme Court is going to weigh in. What is I think extremely interesting here is that we now know that we have a president-elect, Obama. He's going to get the opportunity likely to appoint Supreme Court justices. So we don't even know which type of court or the makeup of the court that will hear this. But I think the Supreme Court will likely weigh in on this issue. Chetry: This was such a hot button issue in the state. More spending on either side, $35 million, $37 million on both sides. Hostin: Yes. Chetry: It was the highest funded campaign on any state ballot. Hostin: That's right. Chetry: They say it trumped every other campaign except the presidential. Hostin: People care about this issue. I mean, they're talking about discrimination, equal protection. It's an issue that's a hotbed issue. We also know, Kiran, that in Arizona and Florida that this ban was implemented. And so, you know, it's all over the place. People care about this issue, and this is an issue that is really present. And I think that it's something that, we, of course, have to watch because we're talking about equal protection, we're talking about discrimination. People care about these issues. Chetry: Sunny Hostin, great to see you. Thank you. Hostin: Thanks. iReport.com: Did you vote on a same-sex measure?

California voters appear to have approved a ban on same-sex marriage . At least three court challenges have been filed against ban . CNN legal analyst says opinions on ban's legality are "all over the place" Analyst says U.S. Supreme Court will likely be called upon to decide issue .

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Editor's Note: Drew Westen, Ph.D., is professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, founder of Westen Strategies, and author of "The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation." He has been a consultant or adviser to several candidates and organizations, including the AFL-CIO, and has informally advised the Obama campaign. Drew Westen says Democrats realized you need more than position papers to sway the voters. ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A single factor never produces a complex event like the historic election of Barack Obama. But when the final post-mortem on the election of 2008 is someday written, it will no doubt include at least three. First, John McCain started with three strikes against him. Those strikes happen to be the three strongest predictors that enter into the equations used by political scientists to predict who will win an election: an unpopular incumbent president (in this case, the most unpopular in the history of polling), an economic downturn (in this case an understatement), and an unpopular war. In some ways, McCain lost the presidency twice to George W. Bush. In the 2000 South Carolina primary, McCain was defeated by what have been generously referred to as "dirty tricks;" and in the two-year run-up to the 2008 election, he allied himself with Bush and his policies to win his party's nomination (even referring to Bush as "one of our greatest presidents"), which was his undoing with independent voters in the general election. Second, whether McCain rues the day he chose Sarah Palin (who moved from the asset to the liability column around the same time Lehman Brothers did), Palin no doubt rues the day she chose to become a small-town mayor instead of a community organizer. It was precisely the extraordinary capacity to organize people that allowed Obama and his chief advisers to bring such unprecedented numbers of people to the polls. Not only was this the first election in recent memory in which Democrats outgunned Republicans with their get-out-the-vote efforts, but it was the first time since Eisenhower recognized the potential value of television as a medium for advertising over 50 years ago that Democrats have led Republicans in technology. From the moment I met Obama's media wizard, Scott Goodstein, 18 months ago, I realized Obama would have a tremendous advantage on that front, but I didn't realize by how much. But then there's that other major factor: For the first time since Bill Clinton, the Democrats chose a candidate with both the general intelligence to govern and the emotional and political intelligence to win. And they finally abandoned the approach to campaigning that has been their downfall for generations: peppering voters with facts, figures, and policy positions and assuming they will see what a rational choice the candidate is. We don't choose any of the important people in our lives that way, whether spouses or presidents. Obama beat McCain the same way he beat Hillary Clinton: by out-inspiring them, boxing them into the role of the candidate against hope, and defining himself as the candidate who represents change. And in the last few weeks of the campaign, Obama finally began to control the four stories that matter in an election: . 1. the story you tell about your yourself (that he was the candidate of change, fleshing out what he meant by change); . 2. the story you tell about your opponent (that McCain was four more years of Bush); . 3. the story the other candidate is telling about himself (McCain the maverick, which Obama countered by citing McCain's proud proclamation that he had voted with Bush over 90 percent of the time and parrying, "That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick"); and . 4. the story McCain was telling about Obama (that he lacked the experience and judgment to lead, which Obama countered with his steadiness in the face of the Wall Street meltdown and his strong, steady performances in the debates). Elections are won by candidates who control those four stories and in so doing inspire the electorate and channel their fears (in this case, fears about the economy trumping all else). Going forward, Obama needs to find his way as a leader between the excesses of the "permanent campaign," in which a president remains in campaign mode throughout his presidency -- taken to its extreme under George W. Bush, who allowed his political strategist, Karl Rove, an inordinate role in crafting policies rather than just figuring out how to talk with the public about them -- and Obama's more natural predilection to talk like a law professor. What Democrats learned from this election is that if their candidate thinks like a professor but inspires like a preacher, they can have their cake and eat it, too. President-elect Obama faces enormous mountains to climb that will require enormous public support. He will no doubt pursue the policies he considers best for digging our nation out of some deep ditches, both domestically and internationally. But the best policies don't sell themselves, whether the date is November 3 or January 21, and the style that led him to the White House -- a calm, thoughtful, steady approach to policy combined with an extraordinary capacity to inspire -- is the same style that will make him an extraordinary leader. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Drew Westen.

Drew Westen: McCain was burdened by bad economy, Bush unpopularity . Democrats had technological edge for first time in decades, Westen says . Westen says Democrats learned you can't win with position papers, statistics . They dealt with people's fears, mostly about the economy, Westen says .

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LAKE LANIER, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a water supply emergency in north Georgia on Saturday as its water resources dwindled to a dangerously low level after months of drought. But an Army Corps of Engineers official denied there is a water crisis. Perdue, who signed an executive order Saturday, asked for President Bush's help in easing regulations that require the state to send water downstream to Alabama and Florida. He also asked the president to declare 85 counties as federal disaster areas. Perdue blasted what he called the "silly rules" governing the water supplies, noting that even if the state got replenishing rains, it could not by law conserve those, but must release 3.2 billion gallons a day downstream. "The actions of the Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Service are not only irresponsible, I believe they're downright dangerous and Georgia cannot stand for this negligence," Perdue said. The Army Corps of Engineers, however, presented a different assessment. If there were nine months without rain, water supplies still would be adequate, said Maj. Daren Payne, the Army Corps' deputy commander for the Mobile, Alabama, District. The corps sent a letter to Perdue assessing the situation and pointing out that they are "not going to run out [of water] any time soon," Payne said. The corps -- under an agreement reached in the 1980s with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state and downstream users -- releases 5,000 feet of water per second from the dam between Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River. The figure was based on a Florida hydroelectric power plant's needs, as well as concern for endangered species in the river, including mussels and sturgeon. On Friday, Georgia filed a motion seeking to require the Army Corps of Engineers to restrict water flows from the lake and other north Georgia reservoirs. Watch Gov. Perdue blast a "disaster of federal bureaucracy" » . The corps said it needs 120 days to review its water policies, according to Perdue. The Bush administration has been in contact with the Georgia congressional delegation on the matter, the White House said Saturday afternoon . "We have already begun drafting interim rules to ... address the endangered species requirements, and the Army Corps has started the process of revising the operations manual for the river basin," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. Months of drought . Rainfall in north Georgia, which includes the Atlanta metropolitan area, is far below normal for this time of year. That was evident as Perdue addressed reporters on packed red clay on the shore of Lake Lanier -- the main water source for the Atlanta area's 5 million residents. Normally, he'd be standing in water, but levels have dropped to historically low levels. The drought is hurting businesses and scaring away tourists. Efforts are under way to try to reduce the flow from Lake Lanier by looking into requirements for endangered species and demands downstream for power plants and industries, Payne said. A new biological review of endangered species needs will end in November and will be examined by officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to see if water requirements can be reduced, he added. "The corps is not opposed to reducing the flow, if it can do it legally," Payne said. Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been wrangling over how to allocate water from the Chattahoochee watershed for years as metro Atlanta's population has doubled since 1980. "No one is sacrificing, no one is sharing the pain like the people in north Georgia are," Perdue said, noting there are no water restrictions in Florida or southern Alabama. Georgia has imposed a mandatory ban on outdoor water use by homeowners in the region, but Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle warned this is a situation "we cannot conserve our way out of." Meanwhile, individual counties are monitoring illegal water use. In Douglas County, violators will have their water supply turned off and may have to pay up to $1,000 to get it turned back on. Cobb County, just north of Atlanta, is doling out fines of up to $500 for repeat offenders. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rusty Dornin and Tristan Smith contributed to this report.

Governor asks president to declare North Georgia a disaster area . Army Corps official denies there is a Lake Lanier water crisis . Army Corps releases millions of gallons daily from the lake . Georgia will seek injunction to stop water releases from reservoir .

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(CNN) -- The European Union will launch its first naval operation Tuesday, protecting vessels from pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, EU policy chief Javier Solana announced Monday. A French army helicopter taking off from French frigate Nivose, on patrol in the Gulf of Aden. EU foreign ministers approved the mission during their regular meeting in Brussels on Monday. Solana said the operation is "very important" because EU vessels will be operating "in a place in the world that everybody's looking at because of the new problems related to piracy." "It's very important that we have taken that decision to launch it tomorrow," he added. The EU naval force will take over the role of escorting United Nations World Food Program vessels carrying food and relief supplies to war-torn Somalia, an EU news release said. Its mandate, which is spelled out in several U.N. Security Council resolutions, also will include "the protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast, and the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast," the news release stated. The deployment follows a decision by the European Council in September that established a coordination cell that supported surveillance and protection operations by several member states off the Somali coast. Piracy has become increasingly common in that area this year, particularly in the Gulf of Aden. So far, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Those hijacked vessels include an enormous oil tanker, a chemical tanker, and a ship laden with Soviet-era arms, including tanks. The pirates normally hold the ships for ransom. The Somali-based pirates have extended their reach beyond Somalia's coastline. On Saturday, a Dutch-operated container ship outran pirates off the coast of Tanzania, an IMB official told CNN. A luxury cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 passengers and crew successfully outran pirates off the coast of Yemen last weekend. A multinational fleet -- including vessels from the United States, NATO member states, Russia and India -- has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters near the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. Around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year. In a recent interview provided to CNN, a pirate leader claimed attacks on shipping would continue so long as life in Somalia remained desperate. "The pirates are living between life and death," said the pirate leader, identified by only one name, Boyah. "Who can stop them? Americans and British all put together cannot do anything."

EU force will take over the role of escorting U.N. World Food Program vessels . Role includes "protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast" Pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast this year . Warships from U.S., India, Russia and Malaysia also patrol region .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- After spending nearly 28 years in an irreversible coma, heiress and socialite Martha "Sunny" von Bulow died Saturday in a New York nursing home, according to a family statement. She was 76. Sunny von Bulow is pictured during her 1957 wedding to Prince Alfred von Auersperg. Von Bulow was subject of one of the nation's most sensational criminal cases during the 1980s. Her husband, Claus, was accused of trying to kill her with an overdose of insulin, which prosecutors alleged sent her into the coma. He was convicted of making two attempts on her life, but the conviction was overturned on appeal. He was acquitted in a second trial. His retrial in 1985 received national attention. "We were blessed to have an extraordinarily loving and caring mother," said the statement from Von Bulow's three children -- Annie Laurie "Ala" Isham, Alexander von Auersperg and Cosima Pavoncelli -- released by a spokeswoman. "She was especially devoted to her many friends and family members." Martha von Bulow was born Martha Sharp Crawford into a wealthy family. She inherited a fortune conservatively estimated at $75 million, according to an article on the von Bulow case posted on truTV.com's Crime Library Web site. In her early years, she drew comparisons to actress Grace Kelly. She became known as Princess von Auersperg with her first marriage, to Prince Alfred von Auersperg of Austria. That marriage produced two children: Alexander and Annie Laurie. The von Bulows married in 1966 and had a daughter, Cosima. On the morning of December 22, 1980, family members found Martha von Bulow unconscious in the bathroom of the family's posh Newport, Rhode Island, home. She never regained consciousness. She had been hospitalized a year earlier after lapsing into a coma but recovered, according to the Crime Library site. Doctors had diagnosed her with hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Prosecutors accused Claus von Bulow of twice attempting to kill his wife by injecting her with insulin. The case also led to a major motion picture, "Reversal of Fortune." Actor Jeremy Irons won an Oscar for his portrayal of Claus von Bulow. Famed defense attorney Alan Dershowitz, who won Claus von Bulow a new trial on appeal after his conviction, said in a statement Saturday that Martha von Bulow's death is "a sad ending to a sad tragedy that some members of her family tried to turn into a crime. We proved overwhelming[ly] that there was no crime and that the coma was self-induced. We saved his life, but could not save hers." Claus von Bulow's defense team maintained that Martha von Bulow's alcohol use, among other factors, caused her coma. Dershowitz said he had spoken with Claus von Bulow, who now lives in London, England. Claus von Bulow was saddened by his former wife's passing, Dershowitz said. The family statement said Martha von Bulow is survived by her children, their spouses and nine grandchildren. Alexander von Auersperg and Ala von Auersperg Isham, who had sided with prosecutors against Claus von Bulow, filed a civil suit against their stepfather after his acquittal. The case was settled out of court in 1987, according to a 2007 article in the Providence Journal newspaper in Rhode Island. Claus von Bulow had agreed to waive his claim to his wife's money and to a divorce in exchange for the suit being dropped. The von Bulows' daughter, Cosima, sided with her father. Vanity Fair writer Dominick Dunne, who covered the von Bulow case, told the New York Daily News in 2007 that Sunny von Bulow was moved from Columbia Presbyterian hospital to a private nursing home in 1998. Watch Dunne recall case » . Ala von Auersperg Isham served for a time as president of the Sunny von Bulow Coma and Head Trauma Research Foundation, according to the Providence Journal. An offshoot of that organization, the Brain Trauma Foundation, still operates in New York, the newspaper said. The family statement notes that Martha von Bulow actively supported the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Opera and the J.P. Morgan Library in New York and the Preservation Society of Newport, Rhode Island. A private memorial service will be held for family and friends in New York in the coming days, the family statement said Saturday, along with a private burial. CNN's Julian Cummings contributed to this report.

Husband Claus von Bulow was accused of trying to kill her with insulin overdose . Conviction overturned on appeal; he was acquitted in second trial . Claus von Bulow, living in England, is saddened by former wife's death, lawyer says . She is survived by three children and nine grandchildren .

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(CNN) -- A Washington woman who hid a sedated monkey under her blouse on a flight from Thailand was convicted of violating wildlife laws for smuggling the monkey into the United States, prosecutors said Tuesday. Authorities rescued the monkey from Gypsy Lawson's fake womb. Gypsy Lawson, 28, and her mother, Fran Ogren, 56, were convicted of smuggling and conspiracy to smuggle the monkey in violation of the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws. Lawson hid the young rhesus macaque monkey under a loose-fitting blouse on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand, to Los Angeles, California, International Airport, pretending she was pregnant, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Washington said. Permits are required to possess rhesus monkeys and many other species of animals. Such permits are granted for research, enhancement and conservation purposes. Additionally, transporting such species into the United States requires a customs declaration. Lawson and Ogren had neither. "These defendants purposely undertook a course of action which could well have endangered many citizens, as well as the life of the animal in question," said U.S. Attorney James McDevitt. Rhesus monkeys are known to carry viruses and parasites that can be transmitted to humans, said Paul Chang, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent. "This particular animal tested negative," he said. Chang said the monkey has been placed with a rescue center for abandoned primates, "but it could have been living out its life with its family in its native habitat." Authorities found journals and handwritten notes describing the mother and daughter's attempts to find a monkey small enough to smuggle back to the United States. The journal also described the pair's "acquisition of a small monkey and their experimenting with different medicines to sedate the monkey for their journey home," McDevitt's office said. Authorities also found photographs of Lawson at two airports and on an airplane in which she is wearing loose-fitting clothing and appears to be pregnant. "The journal confirms that she and her mother smuggled the monkey into the United States by hiding it under her shirt, pretending she was pregnant in order to get past authorities," the statement from McDevitt's office said. Co-defendant James Edward Pratt, 34, already has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of possession and transportation of prohibited wildlife. He will be sentenced in January. Sentencing for Lawson and Ogren is scheduled for March 3, 2009. The smuggling conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of court supervision after release. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of court supervision after release. Flight itineraries show the pair flew from Spokane, Washington, to Bangkok on November 4-5, 2007, with stops in Seattle, Washington, and Inchon, South Korea. They returned on a direct flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles, California, on November 28, 2007.

Gypsy Lawson, 28, faked pregnancy to hide sedated monkey under her blouse . Lawson, mother convicted of conspiracy, smuggling for taking monkey from Thailand . Prosecutors say they found notes between women planning the smuggling . Smuggling conviction carries maximum 20-year sentence .

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(CNN) -- Two airmen were found dead in the Pacific Ocean and rescuers were trying to find four others after a U.S. Air Force B-52 crashed off the island of Guam on Monday, the Air Force said. The B-52H Stratofortress, like this one, was in Guam as part of a four-month rotation. Rescuers found the bodies about 30 miles northwest of Guam, not far from where the bomber was believed to have crashed at about 9:45 a.m. local time, the Air Force said. One of the dead airmen was identified, but the identity was withheld pending family notification, the Air Force said. Search crews have found no survivors, but they are still looking, said Lt. Elizabeth Buendia, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Coast Guard in Guam, which is a U.S. territory. The B-52H Stratofortress had six airmen aboard and was on a training mission when it crashed, the Air Force said. It was scheduled to fly over crowds celebrating Liberation Day, which commemorates the U.S. capture of Guam from Japan in 1944, the Air Force said. The bomber was based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana but was at Guam's Andersen Air Force Base as part of a four-month rotation, said Capt. Joel Stark, an Andersen Air Force Base spokesman. No weapons or munitions were aboard the aircraft and information on what led to the crash wasn't available, the Air Force said. In February, a B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base. Two crew members ejected and were in good condition afterward.

NEW: Bodies of two airmen found in Pacific Ocean; four other airmen sought . A U.S. Air Force B-52 with six airmen crashed off the island of Guam . Rescuers search a point in the Pacific about 30 miles northwest of Guam . The B-52H Stratofortress was based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A new space race is officially under way, and this one should have the sci-fi geeks salivating. Lift to space: This is a NASA interpretation of what a space elevator may look like. The project is a "space elevator," and some experts now believe that the concept is well within the bounds of possibility -- maybe even within our lifetimes. A conference discussing developments in space elevator concepts is being held in Japan in November, and hundreds of engineers and scientists from Asia, Europe and the Americas are working to design the only lift that will take you directly to the one hundred-thousandth floor. Despite these developments, you could be excused for thinking it all sounds a little far-fetched. Indeed, if successfully built, the space elevator would be an unprecedented feat of human engineering. A cable anchored to the Earth's surface, reaching tens of thousands of kilometers into space, balanced with a counterweight attached at the other end is the basic design for the elevator. It is thought that inertia -- the physics theory stating that matter retains its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force -- will cause the cable to stay stretched taut, allowing the elevator to sit in geostationary orbit. The cable would extend into the sky, eventually reaching a satellite docking station orbiting in space. Engineers hope the elevator will transport people and objects into space, and there have even been suggestions that it could be used to dispose of nuclear waste. Another proposed idea is to use the elevator to place solar panels in space to provide power for homes on Earth. If it sounds like the stuff of fiction, maybe that's because it once was. In 1979, Arthur C. Clarke's novel "The Fountains of Paradise" brought the idea of a space elevator to a mass audience. Charles Sheffield's "The Web Between the Worlds" also featured the building of a space elevator. But, jump out of the storybooks and fast-forward nearly three decades, and Japanese scientists at the Japan Space Elevator Association are working seriously on the space-elevator project. Association spokesman Akira Tsuchida said his organization was working with U.S.-based Spaceward Foundation and a European organization based in Luxembourg to develop an elevator design. The Liftport Group in the U.S. is also working on developing a design, and in total it's believed that more than 300 scientists and engineers are engaged in such work around the globe. NASA is holding a $4 million Space Elevator Challenge to encourage designs for a successful space elevator. Tsuchida said the technology driving the race to build the first space elevator is the quickly developing material carbon nanotube. It is lightweight and has a tensile strength 180 times stronger than that of a steel cable. Currently, it is the only material with the potential to be strong enough to use to manufacture elevator cable, according to Tsuchida. "At present we have a tether which is made of carbon nanotube, and has one-third or one-quarter of the strength required to make a space elevator. We expect that we will have strong enough cable in the 2020s or 2030s," Tsuchida said. He said the most likely method of powering the elevator would be through the carbon nanotube cable. So, what are the major logistical issues keeping the space elevator from being anything more than a dream at present? Massachusetts Institute of Technology aeronautics and astronautics Professor Jeff Hoffman said that designing the carbon nanotube appeared to be the biggest obstacle. "We are now on the verge of having material that has the strength to span the 30,000 km ... but we don't have the ability to make long cable out of the carbon nanotubes at the moment." he said. "Although I'm confident that within a reasonable amount of time we will be able to do this." Tsuchida said that one of the biggest challenges will be acquiring funding to move the projects forward. At present, there is no financial backing for the space elevator project, and all of the Japanese group's 100-plus members maintain other jobs to earn a living. "Because we don't have a material which has enough strength to construct space elevator yet, it is difficult to change people's mind so they believe that it can be real," he said. Hoffman feels that international dialogue needs to be encouaraged on the issue. He said a number of legal considerations also would have to be taken into account. "This is not something one nation or one company can do. There needs to be a worldwide approach," he said. Other difficulties for space-elevator projects include how to build the base for the elevator, how to design it and where to set up the operation. Tsuchida said some possible locations for an elevator include the South China Sea, western Australia and the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. He said all of those locations usually avoided typhoons, which could pose a threat to the safety of an elevator. "As the base of space elevator will be located on geosynchronous orbit, [the] space elevator ground station should be located near the equator," he said. Although the Japanese association has set a time frame of the 2030s to get a space elevator under construction -- and developments are moving quickly -- Hoffman acknowledges that it could be a little further away than that. "I don't know if it's going to be in our lifetime or if it's 100 or 200 years away, but it's near enough that we can contemplate how it will work." Building a space elevator is a matter of when, not if, said Hoffman, who believes that it will herald a major new period in human history. "It will be revolutionary for human technology, and not just for space travel. That's why so many people are pursuing it," he said. "This is what it will take to turn humans into a space-bearing species."

Japan group has more than 100 engineers trying to design a space elevator . Carbon nanotube would be used as a wire to lift the elevator into space . Western Australia and the Galapagos Islands are potential locations for base station . Group sets the 2030s as a target to begin construction, although it could be later .

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(CNN Student News) -- Record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Busted! Mortgage Meltdown when it airs commercial-free on Monday, October 6, 2008, from approximately 4:10-- 5:00 a.m. ET on CNN. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program.) Program Overview . Home loans gone bad are wrecking the U.S. economy. CNN teams up with Fortune Magazine's Andy Serwer to investigate how the housing boom went bust. The fallout begins on Wall Street, where billions of dollars in American mortgages were bought, bundled and sold around the world. CNN takes the high-stakes mortgage game to Delmonico's, a Wall Street institution since 1837, where the likes of J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie once wheeled and dealed. Host Andy Serwer plays dealer and invites a few experts to face off on the mortgage crisis. Guest players include New York Times columnist and Princeton economist Paul Krugman, CNN's Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis, securities guru Janet Tavakoli, investment strategist Peter Dunay and mortgage broker Jon Shibley. Grade Levels: 11-12, College . Subject Areas: Business, Economics, Finance, Social Studies, Life Skills . Objectives: . The CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Busted! Mortgage Meltdown and its corresponding discussion questions and activity challenge students to: . Curriculum Connections . Economics America National Standards . Standard 10 : Role of Economic Institutions . Students will understand that: Institutions evolve in market economies to help individuals and groups accomplish their goals. Banks, labor unions, corporations, legal systems, and not-for-profit organizations are examples of important institutions. A different kind of institution, clearly defined and enforced property rights, is essential to a market economy. Standard 16 : Role of Government . Students will understand that: There is an economic role for government in a market economy whenever the benefits of a government policy outweigh its costs. Governments often provide for national defense, address environmental concerns, define and protect property rights, and attempt to make markets more competitive. Most government policies also redistribute income. The Economics America National Standards (http://www.ncee.net/ea/standards/) are published by the National Council on Economic Education (http://www.ncee.net/). Social Studies . Standard V. Individuals, Groups and Institutions: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions. Standard VI. Power, Authority, and Governance: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands/) are published by the National Council for Social Studies (http://ncss.org/). Discussion Questions . Suggested Activity . Point out to students that one of the best ways for them to prepare for homeownership is to arm themselves with knowledge, and that the purpose of this activity is to help them obtain this information. Group students and instruct each group to prepare a PowerPoint presentation on the top ten things that first-time homebuyers should know before they shop for a mortgage. Groups may want to include information that addresses these points: . Have groups deliver their presentations to the class. If possible, invite a realtor or mortgage broker to attend the presentations and discuss the guidelines that are used to determine whether or not a homebuyer can afford a home. Extension . Following the presentations, direct students to print and online resources to identify homes that are for sale in their community, as well as the current interest rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage, a 15-year fixed mortgage and a 5/1 ARM. Next, have each student select a house and use an online amortization schedule calculator to determine what the monthly payment (principle + interest) would be for each type of loan, assuming that the loan was for 80% of the purchase price of the home. Instruct students to identify the potential benefits and drawbacks of each type of loan, and to select the loan type that they feel would be the best choice for the homebuyer. Then, have each student determine the salary that he or she thinks a person would need to earn to afford the monthly mortgage payments. After students share their research, ask: . Keywords . mortgage, subprime, foreclosure, economy, interest rates, credit risk, housing prices, homeowner, real estate, mortgage broker, reverse redlining, Wall Street, Federal Reserve, securities, regulation, predatory lending, housing bubble, capitalism, recession, depression .

Learn about the different types of home loans that are available to consumers . Examine the current mortgage crisis in the U.S. Identify the economic and social ripple effects of this crisis . Determine ten things homebuyers should know before they shop for a mortgage .

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Editor's Note: Barry Eichengreen is George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of "Golden Fetters: the Gold Standard and the Great Depression, 1919-1939." Barry Eichengreen says strong action should be taken to stop the financial crisis from getting worse. BERKELEY, California (CNN) -- Every time the economy and stock market turn down, financial historians get predictable calls from reporters. Could this be the start of another Great Depression? Could "it" possibly happen again? My stock answer has always been no. The Great Depression resulted from a series of economic and financial shocks -- the end of a housing bubble in 1926 and the end of a high-tech bubble in 1929 -- but also from truly breathtaking neglect and incompetence on the part of policymakers. It couldn't happen again precisely because policymakers know this history. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is a student of the Great Depression. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson remembers the mistakes of Andrew Mellon, Herbert Hoover's treasury secretary. We can be confident, I always answered, that there will not be another Great Depression because policymakers have read financial histories like mine. At least that was my line until recently. Now I have stopped taking reporters' calls. The first thing that made the Great Depression great, of course, was the Fed's failure to act. It basically stood by as the banking system and the economy collapsed around it. This time, in contrast, the Fed can hardly be criticized for inaction. Not only has it cut rates, but it has rolled out one new unprecedented initiative after another. Unfortunately, it has reacted more than acted. First, it provided funds to the commercial banks. Then, it targeted broker-dealers. Now, it is desperately propping up the commercial paper market. All the while however, the problem has been infecting new parts of the financial system. One thing that restrained the Fed in the 1930s was the fear that rate cuts might cause capital to flee to other countries and the dollar to crash. The danger was that the same liquidity that the Fed poured in through the top of the bucket might just leak back out through these holes in the bottom. There was a solution: coordinated rate cuts here and in Europe. Unfortunately, central bankers couldn't agree on what was needed. The result was further instability. That central banks have learned this lesson of history and now see the need for coordinated action is at least one ground for hope. The problem is that they have already used their bullets. iReport.com: What lessons have your family passed down from the Great Depression? U.S. Treasury bill rates have essentially fallen to zero, and the Fed's policy interest rates are only slightly above that level. Central banks are out of ammunition. This is no longer a problem they can solve by themselves. What is needed now is Treasury action to address what has morphed into a global banking crisis. Between 1930 and 1933, not just the U.S. but also Europe and Latin America experienced rolling banking crises. When Austria took desperate measures to prop up its banking system, its banking crisis only shifted to Germany. When Germany did the same, the crisis spread to the United States. This was beggar-thy-neighbor policy at its worst. We have seen some disturbing evidence of the same in recent weeks, as when Ireland unilaterally guaranteed all bank deposits and thereby sucked funds out of the British banking system. G7 leaders, when they meet in Washington at the end of this week, need to explain exactly how they will address this aspect of the problem. They need to commit money to recapitalizing their banking systems -- now, and not next week. The U.K., which has just announced a $50 billion plan for bank recapitalization, has shown how this can be done in a matter of days. But a coordinated initiative will require the U.S. to put up a considerably larger sum. My recommendation would be to abandon the idea of reverse auctions for toxic assets and instead use the $700 billion of the recently passed rescue plan for bank recapitalization. Although the Great Depression started in 1929, it took until 1933 for American leaders to grasp this nettle and recapitalize the banks. We can't afford to wait for years this time around. A final thing that made the Great Depression such a catastrophe was that some of the worst shocks occurred right before the 1932 presidential election. There then followed an extended interregnum between the election and inauguration of the new president when no one was in charge. The outgoing president, Hoover, asked his successor designate, Franklin Roosevelt, to cooperate with him on joint statements and policies, but FDR refused to do so. Meanwhile, the banking crisis deepened. Corporations failed. The economy was allowed to spiral downward. It was this disaster that led us to amend the constitution to shorten the time between presidential election and inauguration from 4 to 2½ months. The implication is clear. The two presidential candidates should be assembling their financial SWAT teams now. Paulson should promise that they will be invited into his office on November 5. This problem cannot wait until Inauguration Day. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Eichengreen: Serious mistakes were made by policy makers in Depression . Today's leaders know the lessons of the Depression, he says . Still, events are rapidly overtaking the resources of the central banks, he says . Eichengreen: The problem can't wait until Inauguration Day to be solved .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- China has canceled or postponed several military exchanges with the U.S. in reaction to last week's announcement that the U.S. is selling weapons to Taiwan, a Defense Department spokesman said Monday. Apache attack helicopters are part of the $6.4 billion weapons deal between the U.S. and Taiwan. Officials announced last week an intention to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan, though the deal still needs to be approved by Congress. Maj. Stewart Upton said the sale does not violate the Taiwan Relations Act, which allows the United States to provide Taiwan with items for self-defense . Taiwan split from the Chinese mainland in 1949 and the United States has vowed to support them if China initiates an unprovoked attack. The arms deal comes at a time when the United States needs China in negotiations over Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programs. "The Chinese reaction is unfortunate and results in missed opportunities," Upton said. "We feel that the global security environment calls for U.S. and [Chinese] officials to maintain close relations to address common security challenges." The "bilateral events" China called off or postponed involve "senior level visits and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief exchanges" scheduled to happen by the end of November, he said. The Chinese ambassador was said to be on his way to the State Department Monday afternoon to protest the proposed weapons sale to Taiwan. One U.S. official said the tension with China will not affect the role China is playing in negotiations with Iran or North Korea over its nuclear program. The official declined to speak for attribution because of the sensitive diplomacy involved. The arms deal package includes a variety of U.S.-made weapons systems, including Patriot III anti-missile system, Apache attack helicopters, Harpoon missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles.

China protesting U.S. deal to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan . Deal comes when the U.S. needs China in negotiations over Iran and N. Korea . Chinese ambassador expected to protest sale to the State Department . U.S. defended deal, saying it does not violate international agreement .

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(CNN) -- On Tuesday, America elected its first black president, Barack Obama. But what does Obama's sweeping victory mean for the United States? Bill Maher is the host of "Real Time with Bill Maher," which airs on Friday nights on HBO. Bill Maher has the answer to that, and other questions -- including why he wants President George W. Bush to stay at home for the next 76 days. Maher, the host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" and the star of the current film "Religulous," was a guest on Wednesday's "Larry King Live." He talked with CNN's King about Sarah Palin's future, George W. Bush's past and the impact of GOP adviser Karl Rove. The following is an edited version of that interview. Larry King: Were you ever -- I don't want to use the word scared -- were you ever worried last night? Bill Maher: Why? What happened? (LAUGHTER) I think, you know, we all had this paranoid feeling like we're Charlie Brown and they're going to snatch the football away again. So, you know, until about when he won Pennsylvania, that's when it started to look pretty good for the people who were for him. King: What does this election say to you, Bill? Maher: I think that the lesson of the election is that the old America that Sarah Palin was saying was the real America, the small town, "Joe the Plumber," white America, that's still out there. But the other America, the more diverse, liberal America, has edged it out. And maybe that's the real America now. Watch King and Maher talk about the election » . King: Is Karl Rovism dead? Maher: Never. Negative campaigning, mudslinging, tearing people down -- that will always be in vogue. McCain did make a classy speech last night. But, you know, they all make a classy speech when they lose. What else can you do? And it does ring a little less true when only a day before you're calling the guy a socialist, a communist, a terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American. Oh, we lost? He's a great guy. Forget what I said yesterday. Let's all get behind the guy I just said was a communist. Please. King: Did the McCain campaign -- I know you admired him in the past -- did it disappoint you? Maher: Terribly. I think it even disappointed the people who were voting for him. I sensed something in conservatives reacting to the election yesterday. Even the ones who voted for McCain, they sort of were relieved. I sensed that. It was like, yes, I guess I kind of had to pull the lever for McCain, but secretly a part of me knew that this country needed a breath of fresh air, needed a new kind of president, a new kind of politics, a new face, a smart guy, a flexible guy, a supple leader. King: Is Gov. Palin the new star of the Republican Party? Maher: If they're not very bright, she is. I mean, that's going to be the gut check for the Republicans ... what direction are they going to go in now? Now, I think politicians are usually led by the idea that they want to win elections. And Sarah Palin was a bit of an Alaskan albatross around John McCain's neck -- not that he would have won anyway. King: You said you don't want President Bush meeting with any more foreign leaders between now and the inauguration. Why? Maher:: Because I don't trust him. He's got 76 days left to pull off one more giant screw-up and I don't think it's beyond him. I mean, the man does have a track record, Larry. You know, I keep saying it, but I don't think this man will be happy until he leaves the White House smoldering behind him as he walks back to Texas. King: You recently issued one of your new rules decreeing that Obama must give comedians something to work with. Any suggestions? Maher: No. It's very difficult. We have been spoiled, first with Bill Clinton and then George Bush. And here's a president now who -- he's not stupid. He's not angry. He's not a phony. He's not fat. He's not cheating on his wife. Who needs a jerk like that around for the next four years? Come on. (LAUGHTER) But look, he's going to be the president and we're going to have to get over our nervousness about making fun of a black person. He's not a black person. He's the president. King: So then you must want Gov. Palin to stay around, comedically. Maher: I do and she will. I think what people did not understand about Gov. Palin was that she campaigned for that job. She wanted it. She lobbied for it. She's a very ambitious person. And, of course, she's a super religious person. So she believes that God chose her for this job. I guess -- I guess God had a bad night yesterday, because she didn't get it. But, you know, the Lord works mysterious ways, as we know. So maybe he's saving her for next election or the next after that. She's only 44 years old. I mean she could be on the public stage for the next 30 years.

Bill Maher says he thinks the liberal, diverse America may now be the real America . Maher on Obama: "He's not a phony. He's not fat. He's not cheating on his wife" Maher says he wants Gov. Sarah Palin to stick around for comedic reasons . I was disappointed in the McCain campaign, Maher tells Larry King .

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Ten South African ministers and the deputy president have resigned as President Thabo Mbeki prepares to leave office. South African President Thabo Mbeki announced his resignation in a televised address Sunday. His replacement, African National Congress Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, will be sworn in as South Africa's president Thursday. Mbeki announced he was resigning on Sunday, prompting threats from several Cabinet members to follow suit -- but the outgoing president urged them to stay in office, government sources said. The resignations, which include Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, will take effect Thursday when Mbeki steps down, a government statement said. "All the ministers have expressed their availability to assist the incoming administration in the hand-over process and any other assistance that might be sought from them," the statement said. The finance minister's assistant told CNN that Manuel is willing to serve in the new government, if needed. Three deputy ministers have also tendered their resignations, a government statement said. A spokesman for South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, confirmed that it has named Motlanthe as its choice to succeed Mbeki. Motlanthe will stay in office until elections in the spring of next year, which ANC President Jacob Zuma is widely expected to win. Earlier this month, the ANC asked Mbeki to step down after a judge threw out the corruption, fraud and racketeering case against Zuma -- Mbeki's political arch rival. The judge called the case invalid and accused Mbeki's government of political interference. Mbeki -- who has been South Africa's president for nearly 10 years -- spoke of some of his achievements when he formally announced his resignation on Sunday during a televised address. Watch the significance of Mbeki "falling on the sword" » . "I depart this office knowing that many men and woman in South Africa have worked to achieve better lives for all," Mbeki said. Under his leadership the country has had the longest period of sustained economic growth in the South Africa's history and has reached out to indigent people in an unprecedented way, Mbeki said. Mbeki said the country still has economic, corruption and crime challenges to face in the future. And he gave his vote of confidence to the country's next leader without naming who that leader would be. Gwede Mantashe, secretary-general of the African National Congress, announced Saturday that the party -- which Mbeki has been involved with since his teens -- had asked him to leave before his term was up. Mbeki agreed to do so, he said. Mantashe said the ANC made the decision "for the citizens of South Africa, so there could be stability within the country" and so the ANC movement could remain "stable and unified." The case against Zuma -- who replaced Mbeki as ANC president last year -- was thrown out in September 2006, but the National Prosecuting Authority recharged him. Judge Chris Nicholson made no ruling on Zuma's guilt or innocence, and he could be recharged. Political observers doubted that would happen because of Zuma's popularity, particularly with the Communist Party and trade unions. Zuma has denied the charges. He said the case was politically motivated, and harmed his chances to become the ANC's presidential nominee. He could have faced at least 15 years in jail if convicted of accepting bribes from a company that got a contract in a multibillion-dollar arms deal. He also faced charges of having a corrupt relationship with his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, who is serving a 15-year sentence for soliciting bribes for Zuma and using Zuma's political influence to benefit his businesses. Mbeki, 66, succeeded Nelson Mandela as South Africa's president in June 1999. Critics alleged he pushed for the corruption charges against Zuma. Mbeki recently brokered a power-sharing deal between Zimbabwe's political rivals, who signed the agreement on Monday in an effort to put aside the violent past and end the crisis that has paralyzed Zimbabwe since disputed national elections in March. Under it, longtime Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe remains president, while his perennial rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, has become prime minister and the coordinator of government affairs.

10 S. African ministers, deputy president resign with President Thabo Mbeki . Replacement, ANC Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, sworn in Thursday . Mbeki quit after court case collapsed against longtime rival Jacob Zuma .

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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will undergo a routine medical examination at a hospital in the Indian capital on Tuesday, his spokesman Tenzin Taklha told CNN Sunday. The Dalai Lama with French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on a recent visit to France. The check-up in New Delhi is likely to take several hours, but the Dalai Lama will not be admitted to the hospital, the spokesman said. The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala, will travel to the Indian capital on Monday. The 73-year-old Tibetan leader was hospitalized in Mumbai in August for abdominal discomfort. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will undergo a routine medical examination at a hospital in the Indian capital on Tuesday.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will undergo a medical exam this week . Dalai Lama was recently admitted for tests after suffering abdominal discomfort . The check-up in New Delhi is likely to take several hours .

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ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Authorities vowed to re-impose order after demonstrators rose up across Greece Monday in a third day of rioting over Saturday's killing of a 15-year-old boy that has left dozens injured and scores of properties destroyed. An undated photo of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, whose death has sparked riots across Greece. "Under no circumstances will the government accept what is occurring," said Greek Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos. "We will do what is necessary." It was unclear what would be necessary to placate the demonstrators. "We've just lost count of how many demonstrations are taking place now," a police spokesman in Athens told CNN. Police said 34 civilians and 16 police officers were injured Monday in rioting that spread into new municipalities, including Trikala, Larissam and Veria. Riots broke out Saturday in Thessaloniki and Athens, where police killed the teen. Watch the latest report on the rioting » . Demonstrators had torched three government buildings and three offices of the ruling conservative political party in downtown Athens, a National Fire Brigade spokesman told Greek state television. Watch as iReporter witnesses the clashes . Thirty-five cars and 160 trash containers also had been set ablaze, he said. See images of anarchy on Greek streets » . Demonstrators Monday barricaded streets in Athens and Thessaloniki and hurled gasoline bombs as they battled with police. Clouds of tear gas hung over the capital city as riot police continued to battle the hundreds of young self-styled anarchists rioting over the boy's death. "Rage is what I feel for what has happened, rage, and that this cop who did it must see what it is to kill a kid and to destroy a life," a student in Athens told reporters Monday. Watch protesters clash with police » . In a nationally televised address broadcast on state television, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis condemned the violence and promised to punish those responsible for Saturday's shooting. He also announced a decision to drop plans to reimburse business owners affected by the rioting. The police officer who fired the fatal shot has been charged with "manslaughter with intent" and suspended from duty, police said, adding that a second police officer was arrested Saturday on criminal accessory charges. Government officials have condemned the shooting. "An investigation is under way and those found responsible will be punished," said Pavlopoulos. "Measures will also be taken to avoid such incidents again in the future." iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video of rioting . On Monday, authorities conducted an autopsy on the teenage boy in an effort to answer questions about the circumstances of the shooting, but the boy's family has called in their own investigators to verify state findings, the Athens coroner told CNN. The U.S. and British embassies issued warnings to employees and tourists on Sunday, instructing them to avoid downtown Athens and other major cities until rioting subsides. Tourists in central Athens hotels were advised by hotel staff not to leave their rooms as police fanned out across the city. "There are lots of burning bins and debris in the street and a huge amount of tear gas in the air, which we got choked with on the way back to our hotel," according to Joel Brown, a CNN senior press officer visiting Athens on Sunday. A police statement about the teenage boy's death said the incident started when six young protesters pelted a police patrol car with stones. The teen was shot as he tried to throw a petrol bomb at the officers, police said. Other angry teens converged on the site almost immediately. Fighting between youths and police erupted elsewhere, including Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city. Hundreds of young people took to the streets of the sprawling port city, finally barricading themselves behind the gates of a state university. Authorities have been barred from entering university grounds since tanks crushed a 1973 student uprising protesting the ruling military junta. It was not clear what authorities would do about the demonstrators still holed up at the university. No deaths have been reported since Saturday. Police said Monday that 20 protesters had been rounded up for questioning. Journalist Anthee Carassava in Athens contributed to this report.

NEW: Authorities vow to re-impose order as rioting enters third day . NEW: Police say 34 civilians, 16 police officers injured Monday in rioting . Protests exploded after police shoot dead a teenage boy in Athens . Government says investigation into shooting is under way .

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(CNN) -- Federal immigration agents arrested about 300 workers Tuesday in a raid at a poultry processing plant in Greenville, South Carolina, the Department of Justice said. The agents executed a criminal search warrant at 9 a.m. at the Columbia Farms poultry processing plant, capping a 10-month investigation into the plant's employment practices, said Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. About 58 of those arrested were allowed to return to their homes to take care of their children or for other humanitarian reasons, she said. The others were to be held in an ICE detention facility in the area. "They are all illegals," Gonzalez said. "We have charged them with being in violation of U.S. immigration laws." The investigation has already resulted in criminal charges being filed against 11 supervisors and a human resources manager, she said. Maria Juan, 22, was one of about 50 relatives and friends of workers who huddled at the edge of the plant after the raid, some weeping and others talking frantically on cell phones, The Associated Press reported. She was seeking information about her 68-year-old grandmother, a legal immigrant from Guatemala who went to work without identification papers but was later released, the AP reported. "Families are going to be broken apart," Juan told the AP. "There will be kids and babies left behind. Why are they doing this? Why? They didn't do anything. They only wanted to work." No one from Columbia Farms or from its parent company, House of Raeford Farms in Raeford, North Carolina, responded immediately to telephone messages. The Charlotte Observer newspaper first reported in February that plant workers were in the country illegally and company managers knew it, the AP reported. The raid "is a drop in the bucket" that is unlikely to persuade anyone in the United States illegally to go home, said Dan Kowalski, an Austin, Texas-based lawyer specializing in immigration law. He questioned the conclusion by Gonzalez and ICE that all of those arrested are indeed illegal immigrants. "A judge has to say that, they can't just say that," he said.

Federal immigration agents conduct raid at plant in Greenville, South Carolina . About 58 allowed to return to their homes to take care of their children . No response from Columbia Farms or parent company, House of Raeford Farms .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Blake Mycoskie is the founder and "chief shoe giver" of TOMS Shoes, a company that matches every pair of shoes it sells with a free pair to an impoverished child. Blake Mycoskie started TOMS Shoes in 2006. The company is committed to giving free shoes to poor children around the world. CNN caught up with the 32-year-old entrepreneur to talk about the inspiration behind his revolutionary business and what he has planned next. CNN: Tell us about the TOMS model. Mycoskie: The TOMS initiative is very simple: For every pair of shoes we sell, we give a pair away. When we know that say, we're going to sell 10,000 pairs this spring, we make another 10,000 to be given away. CNN: Where did you get the idea to start TOMS? Mycoskie: I decided to go back to some of the places that my sister and I had visited on "The Amazing Race." [Mycoskie and his sister participated in the reality TV show in 2002.] . I found myself going on to Argentina. I went to some of the villages and it was one of the defining moments of my life when I saw these kids not wearing shoes. That's where I kind of had this 'ah ha' moment. I started thinking, what if I started a business where every time I sold a pair of shoes, I would guarantee that customer that I would give another pair to someone who does not have shoes? CNN: How did you pursue your vision? Did you have any experience as a designer or shoemaker? Mycoskie: I had absolutely no experience in shoes or fashion so I approached the business how I have done everything in my life, and that's with reckless ambition. There were a lot of really cool styles of shoes in Argentina that we did not have in the United States so I picked one of them, the alpargata, and I started figuring out how to make shoes. CNN: Did you expect the company to be a big success when you launched? Mycoskie: I was not really looking to make any money on the deal. I wanted to be able to sell the shoes for enough money to give away another pair and to hire one or two people to administer it and keep it going once I went back to work. But what I found was that not only did people find this concept just very intriguing - from a fashion perspective, people loved these shoes. All of a sudden I started selling in the top boutiques. CNN: When did you realize that TOMS was going to be much more than a small project? Mycoskie: I think the crowning moment was when Vogue magazine called and that was a few months after we started. That was when I was really like, 'Wow, this is not just some small little shoe philanthropy that I have created.' This could be a real business and it could be a real player in the fashion industry and it could really set a tone for how fashion companies could give back. CNN: Has philanthropy always been a priority for you? Mycoskie: I always thought that I would spend the first half of my life making money so I can spend the second half of my life giving it all away. And one of the defining moments of my life was when I realized that I could do both at the same time with TOMS. CNN: What are some of your proudest achievements? Mycoskie: One thing that is most unique about TOMS and I think that I'm most proud of is that every single pair [of shoes] is hand placed onto a child's foot. CNN: How has TOMS evolved since you started it in 2006? Mycoskie: A big part of our business that has changed over the past year is that now we also have a travel organization that takes volunteers all over the world on these trips and [they] get the experience of giving away the shoes. CNN: Tell us about the process of producing TOMS. Mycoskie: A very big passion of mine and that of the people that run our production is finding factories that have fair labor practices and treating them more like partners in our family than people just who are going to produce for us. One of the things we have always done with all of our factories is I personally visit them and we actually show our documentary film about what we do. When you connect with the factory like that, everything goes much better. CNN: You've called yourself a serial entrepreneur. Do you have another business in the pipeline? Mycoskie: I can honestly say that TOMS is my future. I mean I have no desire to start any other company for as long as I live because this is the perfect blend of business and philanthropy to me. CNN: What's next for TOMS? Mycoskie: The future of TOMS is really creating a whole new business model of this one-for-one giving and expanding the TOMS model from shoes into other products as well. So while we are not committed to doing anything else right now, we are looking for partners out there who have great products and that want to find a way to incorporate giving back.

Blake Mycoskie talks about his innovative business, TOMS Shoes . He wants to provide children in need with shoes in a sustainable way . Mycoskie wants other firms to incorporate the idea of "one-for-one" giving .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has indefinitely blocked travel for convoys, carrying food and military supplies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, through a key mountain pass. Armed militants pose next to a captured armored vehicle near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. But in a statement, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said, "We do not expect any impact on ISAF's ability to carry out operations." The decision to suspend travel through the Khyber Pass in northwest Pakistan was taken due to security concerns, said Gula Jan, a security official in Khyber Agency, on Sunday. The mountain pass links Pakistan to its neighbor, Afghanistan. It is in the Khyber Agency, one of seven semiautonomous tribal agencies along the Afghan border. Because Afghanistan is landlocked, many supplies for NATO-led troops fighting Islamic militants there have to be trucked in from Pakistan. Officials said militants aligned with the Taliban and al Qaeda have carried several attacks there. The Pakistani central government has little control in the area, and the area is believed to be a haven for militants. On Tuesday, as many as 60 to 70 armed militants launched back-to-back assaults on convoys. The militants seized 13 trucks -- 12 carrying wheat into Afghanistan as part of a World Food Programme convoy, and one transporting Humvees to the U.S.-led coalition, Khyber Agency officials said. Jan said the decision to suspend travel came after local leaders met with representatives of some of the shipping firms. He said trucks will be allowed through the pass once the security situation improves, but did not specify a date. Dozens of trucks idled by the side of roads Sunday in the Khyber Agency and in Peshawar waiting for the green light. In its statement, ISAF said it has "multiple, robust and complementary lines of support." It added that for security and geographical reasons, "the movements of civilian convoys destined for ISAF are coordinated with Pakistani authorities and border crossing points. The current temporary adjustments in convoy movements are as a result of this coordination." CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report.

NEW: NATO force expects no impact on ability to carry out operations . Pakistan suspends convoys into Afghanistan through key mountain pass . Route was used to carry food and military supplies to U.S. troops . Militants seized U.S. humvees, food aid in ambush earlier this week .

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(CNN) -- The Louisiana man who Saturday became the first Vietnamese-American elected to the House says he hopes his win will push more young people to become politically active. Anh "Joseph" Cao says his win shows that "really anything can happen." "I am very honored and at this point, somewhat speechless to be the first Vietnamese-American congressman," Anh "Joseph" Cao told CNN on Sunday. "But I also hope that many of our young people will consider being more politically active and being move involved in the community. Because as you can see, really anything can happen." The Republican defeated nine-term Democratic Rep. William Jefferson in the mostly African-American and heavily Democratic New Orleans-area district. Jefferson had been expected to win a 10th term despite battling scandals and a federal indictment for the past three years. The contest, which drew a light turnout, was delayed until Saturday after Hurricane Gustav swept through southern Louisiana in late August. Had the vote been held during the November 4 general election, Jefferson -- who is black -- may have benefited from the heavy African-American voter turnout for Barack Obama. Cao conceded that low voter turnout aided his victory. "We were hoping for a low turnout because it would provide us with the greater chance of winning," said Cao, a lawyer and community activist. "Based on the demographics of the district, a high voter turnout would have gone to our disadvantage." Cao also may have been helped by the scandal that has plagued Jefferson. Jefferson, who pleaded not guilty to 16 criminal counts of racketeering, bribery, money laundering and obstruction of justice, denies any wrongdoing. In 2005, Jefferson's private homes in Washington and New Orleans were raided, and FBI agents say they found $90,000 in cash stashed in one of his freezers. Officials say the money was part of a payment in marked bills from an FBI informant in a transaction captured on videotape. Jefferson also is accused of soliciting and receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes for himself and his family in exchange for promoting their products and services to countries in Africa. Cao said he came to the United States at the age of 8 after his family fled Vietnam as it fell to communists. "When I [was] 9 years old, I received a letter from my father while he was in the re-education camp," Cao said. "He told me to study hard, to work hard and to give back to your country and to your community. So I hope to do that in Congress."

Anh "Joseph" Cao is first Vietnamese-American elected to the U.S. House . Cao, of Louisiana, defeated Rep. William Jefferson, who was battling scandal . Cao says he hopes win will encourage young people to become politically active .

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(CNN) -- The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is asking for assistance in locating two missing American journalists who were on vacation in Lebanon and have not been heard from since they left the Lebanese capital last week. Holli Chmela, 27, was last heard from when she and a fellow journalist left Beirut, Lebanon, on October 1. Holli Chmela, 27, and her male companion, Taylor Luck, 23, arrived in Lebanon on September 29 from Amman, Jordan, the embassy said. They left Beirut on October 1, telling friends they were headed for the northern Lebanese cities of Byblos and Tripoli that day. No one has reported any contact with them since then, the embassy said. "They were then to cross by land to Syria before returning to Jordan," the embassy said. "Chmela and Luck were due to report to work in Jordan on October 4." Luck is an editor with The Jordan Times in Amman, and Chmela had been working as a freelancer for the newspaper, said Sameer Barhoum, the paper's editor. After flying into Beirut last week, the two planned to travel by land to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo before returning to Jordan -- also by land -- by Saturday, Barhoum said. Luck's mother called Barhoum on Sunday after not hearing from her son in three days, he said. She also said the last time Luck used his credit card was October 1 in Lebanon. "We are hoping that both are safe and looking forward to see them with us soon," Barhoum said. Abdul Wahab Zugaylat, the head of Jordan's press association, said, "We are waiting to hear officially from the U.S. Embassy that they did not depart the Lebanese borders." The U.S. Embassy said it is working with the Lebanese Internal Security Force to investigate the whereabouts of the pair. "In addition, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut is coordinating efforts with the U.S. embassies in Amman and Damascus [Syria] as well as with the Department of State in Washington," the embassy said. In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said he had no details about the missing Americans. CNN's Caroline Faraj in Dubai contributed to this report.

NEW: Mom called newspaper after she hadn't heard from son in three days . Two on vacation in Lebanon and haven't been heard from since a week ago . They reportedly were headed for northern Lebanese cities of Byblos and Tripoli .

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SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- The California Supreme Court has cleared the way for Californians to vote in November on whether to ban same-sex marriages in the state. A gay couple is married in California in June. Voters could void same-sex marriages in the state in November. The court on Wednesday denied a petition to remove the initiative from the state's general election ballots. The unanimous decision was handed down without elaboration. Hundreds of marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples since mid-June, a month after the court overturned the state's laws against such unions. However, on June 2, opponents of same-sex marriage filed for a ballot initiative that would ban such marriages in the state's constitution. Such a ban would overturn the court's May ruling. Equality California, a Sacramento-based activist group, filed a petition against the initiative -- Proposition 8 -- arguing that it involves a constitutional revision that can't be adopted through a ballot vote. The group also contended that petitions circulated to qualify the proposition for the ballot contained material that misled readers about the measure's effects. Jennifer Kerns, a spokeswoman for the proposition, called Wednesday's decision "a huge victory." "We believe it deals a strong blow to our opponents and sends a strong message that they won't be able to keep the ballot initiative away from the people of California," she said. Calls Wednesday to Equality California were not immediately returned. If the proposition is approved, it would be the second time same-sex marriages have been voided in California. In February 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom -- who is considering a run for governor -- challenged the state's laws against same-sex marriage, ordering city officials to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Those unions were voided by the California Supreme Court, though the justices sidestepped the issue of whether banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, allowing legal cases to work their way through the lower courts. Several gay and lesbian couples -- along with the city of San Francisco and gay-rights groups -- sued, saying they were victims of unlawful discrimination. A lower court ruled San Francisco had acted unlawfully in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, the state Supreme Court's ruling in May struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. That decision made California the nation's second state, after Massachusetts, to legalize same-sex marriage. Four other states allow civil unions.

California Supreme Court declines to block November vote . State residents to vote on whether to ban same-sex marriages . Activist group had sought to block ballot initiative . Same-sex marriages were legalized in state earlier this year .

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TBLISI, Georgia (CNN) -- As Georgian troops launched a major military offensive Friday to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia, the former Soviet republic's president accused Russia of bombing its territory. Georgian troops fire rockets at seperatist South Ossetian troops from an unnamed location not far from Tskhinvali. According to the Associated Press, Mikhail Saakashvili said in a televised statement that Russian aircraft bombed several Georgian villages and other civilian facilities. He said there were injuries and damage to the buildings. "A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia," he said in a televised statement. A Georgian official said seven people were hurt in the attack, AP reported. Saakashvili urged Russia to immediately stop bombing Georgian territory. "Georgia will not yield its territory or renounce its freedom," he said. Meanwhile, AP reported that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, speaking in televised remarks Friday during his trip to the opening of the Beijing Olympics, blamed Georgia for launching the effort to take control over South Ossetia and warned it would cause an unspecified retaliatory action. Watch more about the increased violence in Georgia » . The bombing charge came about an hour after Russia's ambassador to the United Nations brushed off a question about whether Russia would intervene militarily in a conflict between Georgia and its breakaway territory. Violence in the former Soviet republic prompted an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council that lasted into Friday morning. The security council failed to issue a statement on the dramatic escalation of violence in a breakaway territory of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Meanwhile, Georgia's president also announced that his government will be calling up reservists as fighting continued to rage in South Ossetia's capital. Georgian forces launched fresh attacks into region late Thursday after a top government official said a unilateral cease-fire offer was met with artillery fire. About 2,000 Georgian troops attempted to storm the breakaway territory's capital overnight and were regrouping south of the city, Tskhinvali, according to Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency. Georgia's ambassador to the United Nations, Irakli Alasania, said that "Russia has become a party to the conflict." He said Russia has supported separatists in South Ossetia, a charge Russia dismissed. Around 10 a.m. Friday, Georgia said Russian military aircraft violated Georgian airspace and dropped two bombs on Kareli, a part of Georgia that is about 50 miles northwest of the capital, Tblisi, and is not in the conflict zone, said Shota Utiashvili, spokesman for the Georgian Ministry of Interior. No casualties were reported, he said. Georgian troops pushed into South Ossetia after separatists attacked Georgian soil, destroying one village and killing several civilians, soldiers and police officers, Alasania said. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, denied allegations that his country planned to intervene militarily. In comments to the Security Council, he decried the "blatant aggressive action of Georgia." The latest developments follow a week of sporadic clashes between the Georgian central government and authorities in South Ossetia, which declared its independence from Georgia in the early 1990s after a bloody ethnic conflict between Georgians and Ossetians. Alexander Lomaia, the secretary of Georgia's National Security Council, said his country had to act. "The objective of the operation is to protect the civilian population, to ensure their security and then convince the separatists that there is not a military solution to this conflict," he said. Lomaia said Georgian troops were responding proportionately to separatist mortar and artillery attacks on two villages -- attacks he said followed a Thursday evening cease-fire and call for negotiations by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. "There were up to 10 people killed, including peacekeepers and the peaceful population, and up to 23 people wounded, including four of them wounded quite badly," Lomaia said. But he said Georgia wants a peaceful solution to the conflict and is leaving the door open to negotiations and has offered the territory "the widest possible autonomy." The official news agency of the South Ossetian government reported heavy shelling in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, that left dozens of buildings ablaze. Lomaia said Georgian troops have no plans to reclaim control over the territory as part of the operation launched Thursday night -- but he said how far they advance "is really dependent on how the situation evolves on the ground." "Obviously, there will be a moment when we will be forced to respond, we will be forced to advance in order to prevent such bombardment," he said. "But at the time being, there is no such aim of the operation." Georgia, located on the Black Sea coast between Russia and Turkey, has been split by Russian-backed separatist movements in South Ossetia and another region, Abkhzia. Neither region's government has international recognition. -- Journalist Elene Gotsadze contributed to this report.

NEW: Georgia said Russian aircraft violated its airspace dropping 2 bombs on Kareli . NEW: Georgia's president: "A full-scale aggression has been launched" Georgia launched military offensive to regain control of South Ossetia . Russian PM warned it will cause an unspecified retaliatory action .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Protests continued Friday in several California cities, including San Francisco, Palm Springs and Long Beach, over the passage of Proposition 8, which outlaws same-sex marriage. The passage of California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriages, has led to a number of protests. The ballot initiative, which passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent Tuesday, overturns a May ruling by the California Supreme Court that struck down a 2000 ban on same-sex unions. In San Francisco, an estimated 2,000 protesters marched down Market Street toward Dolores Park. The march stretched out for at least three city blocks, and the protesters completely blocked Market Street's westbound lanes and the eastbound lanes in places. "I believe that politics and religion should be completely separate," protester Eric Rogers told CNN affiliate KGO-TV. "This has been, actually, one of those lines that has been blurred by that." "It really feels personal. It feels like why would someone not want us to live in love and respect," said protester Jayne Dean-McGilpin. A demonstration in Long Beach stretched out for five or six blocks. "Hate is not hot," read a banner at the front of the marchers. About 2,000 demonstrators marched in a peaceful protest in Long Beach, and a few hundred remained in the streets around 10 p.m. (1 a.m. ET), said Sgt. David Marander of the Long Beach Police Department. Marander said Long Beach officers arrested three people after they tried to persuade others to leave the protest route that was described in a permit that organizers obtained for the march. At one point, demonstrators stopped at a street corner for a few moments to allow traffic to cross. Later, demonstrators congregated for about 20 minutes at the intersection of Broadway and Alameda Street, blocking traffic in all directions. The demonstrators then moved on before stopping at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and First Street, where many of them sat down in the street. After a few minutes, the demonstrators were on the move again. Police kept a watchful eye on the protesters but did not intervene. In Palm Springs, a crowd of several hundred gathered in front of the city hall, chanting "Civil rights" and "Tax the Church." One sign read: "We will not give up." iReport.com: Your thoughts on gay marriage? Several protesters surrounded an elderly looking woman, an apparent Proposition 8 supporter, and shouted at her. No arrests were reported at any of the demonstrations. In Salt Lake City, Utah, about 2,000 demonstrators gathered at Temple Square to protest against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Mormon church strongly supported Proposition 8, which amends California's constitution to define marriage as legal only between one man and one woman. Proposition 8 opponents say the Salt Lake City-based church donated a majority of the money raised in support of the measure. The LDS Church believes it should not be singled out when other groups also supported the proposition. "It is disturbing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election," the church said in a statement Friday. On Thursday, Roman Catholic and Mormon leaders said their efforts did not target any specific group. The coalition of religious communities and citizens who supported Proposition 8 wanted to preserve "the bedrock institution of marriage" between a man and a woman, said Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles. "Proposition 8 is not against any group in our society," Mahoney said in a written statement. About 2,000 protesters picketed Thursday afternoon outside the Los Angeles temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Several groups have petitioned the California Supreme Court to prevent the constitutional revision from taking effect. The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights have filed a lawsuit contending the ballot initiative was "improperly used." According to the three groups, "such radical changes" as outlawing gay marriage cannot be made by ballot initiative, but must, "at a minimum, go through the state legislature first." The groups also argue the measure takes away a "fundamental right" from lesbian and gay Californians. The three organizations filed the legal challenges on behalf of Equality California and six same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday's election, but would like to be able to wed now. The three groups contend that California must honor the marriages of the 18,000 lesbian and gay couples who have already married. Sunny Hostin, a CNN legal analyst, said Thursday it is unclear whether same-sex weddings that took place before Tuesday are still valid. Referring to those couples, she said, "I think they really are in a legal limbo, a legal black hole." Voters in Arizona and Florida also banned same-sex marriages in ballot initiatives Tuesday.

Protests continue over recent passage of same-sex marriage ban in California . Measure overturns May ruling by California Supreme Court allowing gay marriages . Legal status of same-sex weddings that occurred before ban remains unclear .

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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's parliament speaker has criticized U.S. President-elect Barack Obama for saying that Iran's development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has outlined where he thinks U.S. policy needs to change. Ali Larijani said Saturday that Obama should apply his campaign message of change to U.S. dealings with Iran. "Obama must know that the change that he talks about is not simply a superficial changing of colors or tactics," Larijani said in comments carried by the semi-official Mehr News Agency. "What is expected is a change in strategy, not the repetition of objections to Iran's nuclear program, which will be taking a step in the wrong direction." In his first post-election news conference Friday afternoon, Obama reiterated that he believes a nuclear-armed Iran would be "unacceptable." He also said he would help mount an international effort to prevent it from happening. Larijani said that U.S. behavior toward Iran "will not change so simply" but that Obama's election showed internal conditions in the United States have shifted. He added that Iran does not mind if the United States provides other Persian Gulf countries with nuclear technology, but "you should know that you cannot prevent the Islamic Republic [from reaching its goals in the nuclear field]," according to the news agency. Obama cautioned Friday that it had only been a few days since the election and that he was not in office. "Obviously, how we approach and deal with a country like Iran is not something that we should simply do in a knee-jerk fashion. I think we've got to think it through," Obama said. "But I have to reiterate once again that we only have one president at a time. And I want to be very careful that we are sending the right signals to the world as a whole that I am not the president, and I won't be until January 20th." Larijani was speaking two days after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama, the first time an Iranian leader has offered such wishes to a U.S. president-elect since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. One analyst said the welcome was a gesture from the hard-line president that he is open to a more conciliatory relationship with the United States. Ahmadinejad said Tehran "welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies and conducts," according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency on Thursday. Relations between the United States and Iran have historically been chilly and have been further strained in recent years over Iran's nuclear program. Tehran insists that the program exists for peaceful purposes, but the United States and other Western nations are concerned by Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment activities. CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran criticizes Obama for saying nuclear weapon development unacceptable . Parliamentary speaker says Obama should apply campaign message of change . U.S.-Iran tensions high over Tehran's nuclear ambitions .

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(CNN) -- The United States and other Western powers have "exacerbated Somalia's downward spiral" and must revise their policies in the east African country, a Human Rights Watch report has warned. Recent image of Islamist fighters at a camp in the northern outskirts of Mogadishu . The report, released Monday, blames the policies under President George W. Bush for "breeding the very extremism that it is supposed to defeat." "The new administration of U.S. President Barack Obama should urgently review U.S. policy in Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa and break with the failed approach of his predecessor," the report said. It also cites key European governments for failing "to address the human rights dimensions of the crisis, with many officials hoping that somehow unfettered support to abusive TFG (Somali transitional government) forces will improve stability." Somalia's weak transitional government, backed by Ethiopian forces, continues to battle Islamic militias with the fighting concentrated in the capital, Mogadishu. Ethiopian forces have not withdrawn from the country, as required under a recent cease-fire agreement. Ethiopia invaded Somalia two years ago and successfully routed the Islamic militia that seized control of the capital. The HRW report states that the United States "directly backed Ethiopia's intervention." Since the 2006 overthrow of the Islamic Courts Union, Somalia has suffered from "unconstrained warfare and violent rights abuses" by all warring parties. "All sides have used indiscriminate force as a matter of routine, and in 2008 violence has taken on a new dimension with the targeted murders of aid workers and civil society activists," the report states. "The human rights and humanitarian catastrophe facing Somalia today threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of Somalis on a scale not witnessed since the early 1990s." Heavy fighting in Mogadishu and across Somalia has driven more than a million people from their homes. The lawlessness has also spilled onto the seas off the Horn of Africa, where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected Somali pirates who demand large ransoms. Human Rights Watch offers specific recommendations to the Somali and Ethiopian governments, the main militias, and the international community to address the human rights abuses. It calls on the West to "insist upon an end to the impunity that has fueled the worst abuses - and the right place to start is by moving the U.N. Security Council to establish a Commission of Inquiry to document abuses and lay the groundwork for accountability." Journalist Abdinasir Mohamed Guled contributed to this report.

Bush policies blamed for "breeding the very extremism that it is supposed to defeat" Report: European govts failed to address "human rights dimensions of the crisis" Somalia's Ethiopian-backed transitional government battling Islamic militias . Fighting has driven more than a million people from their homes .

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(CNN) -- British-based mining giant Rio Tinto announced plans to cut 14,000 jobs on Wednesday, just weeks after a planned buyout by rival BHP Billiton collapsed. Rio Tinto has nearly $39 billion in corporate debt. Rio Tinto made the announcement as part of a plan to cut its nearly $39 billion in corporate debt by an estimated $10 billion by the end of 2009. The company issued a gloomy forecast in October. "Since that time, demand conditions have worsened further, and as a result the group's priorities have reoriented around conserving cash flow and reducing near-term borrowings," it said in a statement announcing the cuts. The layoffs would include 5,500 direct employees and 8,500 contract jobs, the elimination of which would save about $1.2 billion a year, the company said. The layoffs would cost $400 million in severance packages, however. BHP withdrew from its planned buyout in late November, citing a high level of debt the combined company would be required to service in "difficult" economic conditions and concerns about whether it would be able to sell off units Rio Tinto already had targeted for divestment. Rio Tinto said it would consider selling off other elements of the company in an effort to raise more cash, but disclosed no details.

Rio Tinto announces cuts, citing worsening demand conditions . BHP withdrew from planned buyout last month . Layoffs would save $1.2 billion a year but cost $400 million in severance packages .

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(CNN) -- Pop superstar Madonna reaches a major milestone Saturday. She's turning 50. Becky Oliphant went skydiving two weeks before turning 50. "I'm doing things I've never done before," she said. The singer is showing no signs of slowing down as she reaches 50. She will soon begin a world tour and is still regarded as a beauty and fashion icon by many. In honor of Madonna's big day, we asked iReporters to share their stories about turning 50 and what the milestone means to them. Dr. Becky Oliphant jokes with her marketing students at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, that she and Madonna are just months apart in age. Oliphant turned 50 in May. Oliphant went skydiving with her graduate class weeks before her birthday. The jump was a first for her, one of many exciting things Oliphant hopes to experience now that she's 50. "It's a very liberating feeling," she said. "I'm doing things I've never done before; I'm trying more things. Maybe it's because I feel like I don't have that much time left to do everything that I want to." Oliphant says she works hard to maintain a healthy diet and walks often. She said it's necessary to stay in shape to keep up with her sons, ages 12 and 14. "I have to stay young to keep up with them." John Tackett Jr. celebrated turning 50 by running in a marathon in San Diego, California, followed by two days of hiking in Yosemite National Park. See photos of iReporters who have reached the 50-year mark » . Now 51, Tackett says he's "doing more now than I ever thought I could." After losing 140 pounds in 2004, Tackett has embraced a healthy and active lifestyle. He bikes three times a week to work and runs and swims on a regular basis. He ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes in April. Three weeks later, he clocked in at 6½ hours during a half-Iron Man competition in Panama City Beach, Florida. Watch Tackett describe how he prepared for races » . "As I got older, my eyes opened up," Tackett said. Learning that the human life span is increasing made him realize the importance of staying healthy. In 2006, life expectancy at birth in the United States hit a record high of 78.1 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Life expectancy for white males is 76 years, and white women have a life expectancy of 81 years. The numbers are slightly lower for black men and women, at 70 and 76.9 years, respectively. "If I'm going to live that long, I want to be in the best shape I possibly can be," Tackett said. At 50, Deborah Elston says she's in the best shape of her life. The Chicago, Illinois, resident does yoga and walks at least 15 miles a week. She and her partner regularly walk 13.1-mile half marathons, and Elston recently completed 26-mile marathon walk with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Although she was not athletic in her younger years, Elston works hard to stay active. Her brother died of a heart attack in February 2004 at the age of 39, a tragedy that strengthened her desire to be healthy. "If that isn't a wakeup call to live each day as if it were your last, nothing is," she wrote on iReport.com. Although Elston said the thought of turning 50 initially scared her, she continues to feel "young at heart." iReport.com: See why Elston thinks "50 is the new 30" "I feel great and plan on fighting the aging process every step of the way," she said. Like many iReporters, Carol Herm is embracing 50 with open arms. The mother of three celebrated her 50th in December and said that, since then, "life has taken off." "I feel like I am the best 'me' I have ever been," she wrote on iReport.com. "I am confident and so sure of myself, something that I never enjoyed in my younger years." Herm, who lives in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, said she and her husband love being 50. With three grown children, they spend more time together and less time worrying about the cost of braces, tuition and other expenses. "This is an awesome age," Herm said. "My husband and I are enjoying every minute." Elonda Abrams of Beaverton, Oregon, agrees. "Turning 50 has given me a new awakening and zest for life," she said. Abrams explained that a vigorous lifestyle is achieved physically and mentally. She exercises often, has a healthy diet, surrounds herself with positive friends and regularly attends church. Abrams believes that Madonna is just one example of "the 50, fit and foxy club." "I want to be an example to women all over that age really doesn't matter."

As Madonna celebrates her birthday, iReporters share what it means to be 50 . Becky Oliphant celebrated her 50th by skydiving in Florida . After losing 140 pounds, John Tackett says he's more active than ever . iReport.com: Are you 50 and fabulous? Share your story .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush signed an executive order Friday expanding U.S. sanctions against Zimbabwe, the White House said. About 200 victims of election violence seek safety outside the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe, this month. "The new executive order significantly enhances our ability to designate individuals in and entities connected to the Mugabe regime," Bush said in a written statement that calls the Zimbabwean government under president Robert Mugabe "illegitimate." Just after the announcement, the Treasury Department said it has designated for sanctions 17 entities, including three government-owned or controlled companies used by Mugabe and his government "to illegally siphon revenue and foreign exchange from the Zimbabwean people," as well as one individual. "This action is a direct result of the Mugabe regime's continued politically motivated violence, disregarding calls from the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations to halt the attacks," the White House said. "The regime has also continued its ban against NGO activities that would provide assistance to the suffering and vulnerable people of Zimbabwe. No regime should ignore the will of its own people and calls from the international community without consequences." The U.S. has been pushing for sanctions against Zimbabwe since Mugabe ignored a U.N. Security Council appeal to postpone a presidential runoff election June 27. The vote initially was intended to be a runoff between Mugabe and opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, who did not win the presidency outright in the general election, according to government tallies. But Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change, withdrew just before the vote, saying Mugabe's supporters had orchestrated a campaign of beatings, intimidation and murders against Tsvangirai supporters. Earlier this month, Russia and China vetoed a Security Council resolution pushed by the United States, Britain and France that would have imposed international sanctions on Mugabe and senior members of his government. Bush said last week he was "displeased" at the vetoes, but the Treasury and State Departments were working on potential U.S. action. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer told members of Congress last week that more than 100 people have been murdered, more than 3,000 have been injured by beatings or torture and more than 30,000 have been driven from their homes because of violence that broke out after the general election. Entities designated by the Treasury Department include Minerals Marketing Corp. of Zimbabwe, the company that serves as the sole marketing and export agent for all minerals mined in Zimbabwe except gold and silver; Zimbabwe Mining Development Corp.; and Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Co., among others. The individual named is Thamer Bin Saeed Ahmed al-Shanfari. The Treasury Department said he is an Omani national who has close ties to Mugabe and his top officials and uses his company, Oryx Natural Resources, to "enable Mugabe ... to maintain access to, and derive personal benefit from, various mining ventures in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Under the sanctions, any assets tied to al-Shanfari or to the designated companies that are within U.S. jurisdictions must be frozen, and people living in the United States are prohibited from doing business with them. On Monday, Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed an agreement that paves the way for power-sharing talks to take place in the next few weeks. They will be mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, as a representative of the Southern African Development Community, and Jean Ping, chairman of the African Union Commission. Bush said Friday the United States is ready to provide a "substantial assistance package, development aid and normalization with international financial institutions" should those talks result in a new government "that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people." In the meantime, the president said he is authorizing the use of up to $2.5 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to assist Zimbabwean refugees and those displaced by the violence. In addition, he said the United States will continue efforts to provide food and medical care to Zimbabweans.

U.S. President Bush signs order expanding sanctions against Zimbabwe . In written statement, Bush calls Robert Mugabe's government "illegitimate" Russia, China have vetoed U.N. resolution calling for international sanctions . Mugabe, Tsvangirai have signed agreement paving way for power-sharing talks .

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(The Frisky) -- Despite the tough economic times, you can't just expect to stop lusting after those Frye riding boots you've had your eye on forever, or that your longtime trusted hair stylist is going to suddenly start cutting her prices. From hobbies to bake sales to your own Web site, there are ways to make extra money in your spare time. The fact is no matter how frugally you learn to live, there are still going to be some things you'll want to splurge on, and that's okay. I mean, this is a recession, after all, not a potato famine. You don't have to give up all your luxuries or switch to low-cost everything; you just have to get savvier about making extra money for those treats you enjoy. But I'm not talking about getting a second job or really working that much harder; a true recessionista knows how to make extra cash for little luxuries while leaving plenty of free time to enjoy them, too. After the jump, seven ways to make more money without taking a second job... 1. Become a focus group participant: An old co-worker turned me on to focus groups about 8 years ago and after I made 75 bucks giving my opinion on a series of coffee ads, I immediately went home, opened the phone book (remember those?), and called dozens of market research companies to get my name added to their databases for future groups. Over the years I've made thousands of dollars telling people what I think about ads, product concepts, packaging, services, and the taste of food and beverages. Once, I even made $200 tasting vodka for an hour. Talk about easy money! Check the "Etc." section of Craigslist for current focus groups in your area, or do an online search for market research recruiting companies and then can call and have your name added to their databases. 2. Use your blog: If you have a blog -- and who doesn't these days? -- you're sitting on valuable real estate. Depending on the size of your readership, you could make anywhere from enough money to buy a magazine and a latte to enough to support your entire family (á la Dooce). There are lots of different ways to make money on a blog, from virtual tip jars to product reviews, but the most popular is through running ads. In the past, I've recruited sponsors directly for a niche blog I used to write, but I currently use an advertising program on my personal blog that basically takes care of everything so all I have to do is post regularly and collect my check at the end of the month. Free money for writing about my cats and boyfriend and favorite TV shows! What could be easier? There are a host of ad programs open to anyone, so do your research to find one that's right for you. 3. Sell the stuff you no longer want: When I moved to New York from Chicago a year ago to be with my long-distance boyfriend, I used the opportunity to unload all the crap I no longer wanted or needed. I sold furniture, home goods, clothes, accessories, and my car (no need for one in Manhattan!). In addition to hosting a yard sale where I made about 200 bucks for candles, pots and pans and old Halloween costumes, I used the hell out of Craigslist and eBay, both before my move and after I arrived when I realized I still needed to unload quite a bit to fit into my boyfriend's one-bedroom apartment. I honestly don't miss anything I got rid of (and can't remember what most of it even was), and the money from the sales paid a big chunk of my moving costs. Now that I'm settled in, I like to go through my belongings each season, selling a few items and making room and money for new stuff, like dresses and cute shoes. 4. Make money from your hobbies: From hawking your crafts on Etsy, and selling produce from your garden, to playing piano once a week at a local restaurant, or reading tarot cards at a party, there are innumerable ways to make cash doing the activities you love. The key here is to convince yourself you have a product or skill someone else wants and then search out those people or companies who can pay you for them. 5. Host a bake sale: Remember when we were kids and our parents used to make cookies and brownies and stuff for school bake sales to raise money for a new flagpole or air conditioning in the gym? Well, why not do the same thing now that we're grown-ups and need to raise money for our vacations to Barcelona? I say get a few friends together, bake up a storm, and then sell your goods at a local market, a festival, or even online at a place like Etsy. If you love baking, this is another great way to make money from a hobby...without inhaling all the extra calories eating the goods yourself! 6. Shop and sell: What recessionista doesn't like shopping, right? So instead of giving it up or cutting back, start making money off your great eye and awesome buying skills. Whether you live in an area with fantastic sample sales, or a town with the best thrift and antique stores, chances are you're able to score stuff your recessionista sisters in other parts of the country can't. So make your next shopping spree a moneymaking one and sell your finds for a profit on eBay, or open a vintage shop on Etsy (can you tell I'm a fan of the site?). 7. Pet sit: If you know people with pets, volunteer to watch them -- for a small fee, of course -- the next time they leave town for a few days. Sure, they could kennel them or hire a professional, but most people feel better when they leave their beloved pets (not to mention their house keys) in the hands of someone they know and trust. And, hey, if they have cable and throw in a bottle of wine for your trouble, you'll score a bit of a vacation yourself...and make money for a pedicure, to boot. TM & © 2008 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved .

You don't have to get a second job to make extra money in spare time . Sell the stuff in your home that you no longer use -- try eBay or Craigslist . Sign up to be a focus group participant or become a dog sitter . Set up your own blog and use an advertising service .

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(CNN) -- Armored cars patrolled the streets of Zimbabwe's capital and residents flocked to banks Thursday after limits on cash withdrawals were lifted in the inflation-ravaged African nation. With prices rising even more than once a day, shopping is a mathematical proficiency test for Zimbabweans. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had capped maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars -- about 25 U.S. cents, and about a quarter of the price of a loaf of bread. But faced with mounting chaos in a country already in economic free fall, the bank decided last week to raise that limit to 100 million dollars ($50 U.S.) per week. Soldiers were deployed to all banks in anticipation of throngs of people lining up to withdraw money Thursday, when the increase took effect. Wednesday, police chased depositors away and arrested union leaders who planned to protest the limits. Zimbabwe's inflation rate of 231 million percent is the world's highest. In addition, the country is faced with a growing outbreak of cholera that its government declared a national emergency Thursday. The outbreak has killed at least 565 people and sickened more than 11,000, the U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Office said. Medical professionals blame the resurgence of the water-borne disease on the lack of safe water in many parts of the country. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said 69 people were arrested across the country during Wednesday's demonstrations. Amnesty International has demanded to know the whereabouts of human rights activist Jestina Mukoko, whom it said was abducted at dawn Wednesday by armed men in plainclothes posing as police. And angry, unpaid soldiers clashed with foreign currency exchangers and some civilians Monday, three days after troops who had failed to get cash from their banks looted shops they suspected to be illegally dealing in foreign currency.

Residents flock to banks after limits on cash withdrawals lifted; troops patrol streets . Central bank caps maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars . Bank last week raise that limit to 100 million dollars ($50 U.S.) per week . Zimbabwe's inflation rate of 231 million percent is the world's highest .

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(CNN) -- What do Copernicus and a Britney Spears look-a-like have in common? Despite centuries separating the two, both have inspired greatness in Poland. Maxim named Joanna Crupa, a Polish/American model and actress, 61st in its 2006 Hot 100 list. Here we look at some of Poland's most famous nationals -- from years gone by to the present day. Many have influenced a world far beyond their country's boundary. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) Copernicus was a mathematician, astronomer, physician, classical scholar, translator, Catholic cleric, jurist, governor, military leader, diplomat and economist. He is primarily known, however, for his theory that earth is not the center of the universe. His book, "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), is often regarded as the starting point of modern astronomy and the defining moment that began the Scientific Revolution. Copernicus was born in 1473 in Thorn. Thorn was a city in Prussia, an autonomous region in the old Kingdom of Poland. Frederick Chopin (Fryderyk Chopin) (1810-1849) Born in the village of Zelazowa Wola in Warsaw, to a Polish mother and French father, he was regarded early on as a child-prodigy piano virtuoso. He is generally considered to be Poland's greatest composer, and ranks as one of music's greatest tone poets. Always in fragile health, he died in Paris in 1849 from chronic pulmonary tuberculosis. He was only 39. Mari-Sklodowska (Marie Curie) (1867-1934) Marie Curie, a Polish physicist and chemist, is arguably the most famous female scientist. She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity, the only person honored with Nobel Prizes in two different sciences, and the first female professor at the University of Paris. Her French husband Pierre Curie and both her daughter Irène Joliot-Curie and son-in-law Frederic Joliot-Curie were awarded a Nobel prizes. Marie Curie was born in Warsaw. In 1891 she moved to Paris to further her studies and work on scientific projects. She found the theory of radioactivity and also found two new elements, radium and polonium (the latter being named after her native Poland.) Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) (1920-2005) Karol Józef Wojtyla was born on 18 May, 1920 in the Polish town of Wadowice. At only 58 years of age, he was the youngest pope elected since Pope Pius IX in 1846. He reigned as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. His reign of over 26 years was the second-longest after Pius IX's 32-year reign. He has been the only Polish pope, and was the first non-Italian pope since the Dutch Adrian VI in the 1520s. The pope traveled extensively, visiting over 100 countries, more than any other pope and was fluent in numerous languages: Polish, Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin. He was the victim of several assassination attempts, but later said he forgave the perpetrators. He was chosen twice as person of the year by Time magazine. Andrzej Wajda (1926 - ) Wajda, born in Suwalki, Poland is an award-winning Polish film Director. He received an honorary Oscar in 2000. After the fall of communism in 1989, he was elected as a government senator while he continued his role as artistic director of Warsaw's Teatr Powszechny. His films often raise social awareness and have dealt with a number of subjects including war, communism and murder (based on the murder of his own father by the Soviets in 1940). Wajda married four times. He has one daughter and is currently married to actress Krystyna Zachwatowicz. Roman Raymond Polanski (1933 - ) Polanski is an Academy Award-winning and four-time nominated Polish film director, writer, actor and producer. After beginning his career in Poland, Polanski became a celebrated filmmaker and director of such films as Rosemary's Baby (1968) and Chinatown (1974). Recently Polanski has made acclaimed films such as the Academy Award-winning and Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winning The Pianist (2002), and Oliver Twist (2005). Polanski has a tragic personal history. He lived in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War and was persecuted for being Jewish. He escaped death by hiding in a farmer's cow shed, while his mother was murdered in the infamous Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. After surviving the Holocaust and moving to the United States, Polanski married American actress Sharon Tate. In 1969, Tate, who was pregnant at the time, was murdered by serial killer Charles Manson's sect. In 1978, Polanski pleaded guilty in the United States to "unlawful sexual intercourse" with a 13-year-old girl. The director fled to France before sentencing. He now lives there and has French citizenship. He cannot return to the United States because he is likely to be imprisoned. Lech Walesa (1943 - ) A former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Walesa is often credited with changing the Polish political system. He founded the organization "Solidarity," the country's first independent trade union, which was pivotal in bringing about the fall of the communist regime. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his human rights activism. In 1989, after the fall of the Soviet Union, he persuaded leaders from formerly communist parties to form the first non-communist coalition government. He was president of Poland from 1990 to 1995. In 2000, Walesa once again stood for the presidential election, but received very little support and subsequently announced his retirement. Joanna Krupa (1979 - ) Krupa is a Polish-American model and actress. Born in Warsaw, the daughter of hotelier Steven Krupa, she eventually moved with her family to the United States at the age of five. Krupa has appeared on various magazine covers including FHM, Personal, Inside Sport, Stuff, Steppin' Out, Teeze and Maxim, in which she was named the Sexiest Swimsuit Model in the World. Maxim named her 61st in its 2006 Hot 100 list. She was also voted German Maxim's Model of the Year 2004-2005. She posed nude in the July 2005 issue of Playboy and also did a nude photoshoot for animal rights group PETA. The advertisements all have "I would rather go naked than wear fur" as a motto. Krupa has been quoted as saying, "There is nothing sexy about wearing something that is so obviously tied to senseless pain and killing." Robert Kubica (1984 - ) Born in Krakow, Kubica is the first Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Since 2006 he has driven for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test driver to race driver during the 2006 season. In June 2008, he achieved his maiden F1 victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, becoming the 99th F1 racer to win a Grand Prix. Dorota Rabczewska or "Doda" (1984 - ) Dorota Rabczewska, or Dorota Rabczewska-Majdan, is often nicknamed Doda or Doda Elektroda or "the Polish Britney Spears." She was born in Ciechanow, and is one of the most famous and successful pop singers in Poland. Doda started her career at the age of 14 and became popular after her participation in a reality TV show "Bar." In 2000, at the age of 16, Rabczewska became the vocalist of the Polish rock band Virgin. In December 2005 and October 2007, she posed nude for the Polish edition of Playboy Magazine. She also posed for CKM Magazine several times. Doda received a Superjedynka award on National Festival of Polish Song in Opole in 2006. In 2007, she left her record company, Virgin, to begin a solo career. Her first solo album was released in 2007 and was certified as gold on the day before its official release. In 2008, her album "Diamond Bitch" went double platinum after 60,000 copies of the album had been sold.

Top ten Poles: Marie Curie and her Nobel Prized family . Pope John Paul ll: 27 year-reign, visited over 100 countries, spoke ten languages . Joanna Crupa: Former "Sexiest Swimsuit Model" in the world .

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LONDON, England -- Extra-time goals from Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba gave Chelsea a 3-2 victory over Liverpool to send the London side into a Champions League final showdown against English Premier League rivals Manchester United, 4-3 on aggregate. Didier Drogba (right) and Frank Lampard both found the net as Chelsea secured their final place in Moscow. Lampard, playing his first game since the death of his mother last week, coolly slotted home a 98th-minute penalty and Drogba, who had opened the scoring in the first-half, sent Chelsea to the final in Moscow on May 21 with a timely second goal. Fernando Torres had given Liverpool hope with a second-half equaliser but they failed to finish the job and Chelsea made them pay in a pulsating extra period which also saw Ryan Babel grab a late consolation goal for the visitors. Drogba, who Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had accused of being a 'diver' prior to the match, looked like a man on a mission to ram the Spaniards words down his throat. The Ivory Coast striker forced Jose Reina to turn his skidding 15-meter effort around the post in the fifth minute. Four minutes later, Liverpool put together their only meaningful move of the opening half when a quick Steven Gerrard pass put Fernando Torres in behind the Chelsea defense. However, the Spanish striker's first touch was not deft enough and although he bore down on Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper did well to close down his space and options. The wet conditions hampered both sides but it was Chelsea who mastered them quicker. In the 18th minute, Lampard despatched a delightful pass into the path of Drogba but the striker was a meter wide with his shot. Chelsea were in the ascendancy and their supremacy was underlined by Michael Essien's 20-meter effort which had to be collected by Reina at the foot of his right-hand post. Liverpool were struggling to keep pace with the home side and their worries increased when central defender Martin Skrtel was forced off with a knee injury in the 21st minute to be replaced by Sami Hyypia. Reina was forced to punch clear a long-range effort from Ballack but the goal Chelsea had threatened for most of the half arrived in style in the 33rd minute. The architect was England midfielder Lampard. He cleverly split the Liverpool defense to give Salomon Kalou the chance to run on and fire a shot that Reina could only palm into the path of the onrushing Drogba. The Ivorian does not miss such gifts and he sent a low drive fizzing into the net at the near post to give London side a 2-1 aggregate lead. Drogba, clearly hurt by Benitez's criticism of his 'diving', then ran the length of the half to celebrate his goal in front of the Liverpool manager. Chelsea's domination almost brought them a second four minutes before the interval but Michael Ballack's measured free-kick veered just the wrong side of the post. Dirk Kuyt almost hauled Liverpool back into the tie three minutes after the restart but his shot met the outstretched leg of Cech before Ashley Cole cleared. After Lampard's 53rd-minute volley was well held by Reina, Liverpool finally broke their goalscoring hoodoo when Yossi Benayoun carved out a chance for Torres. The Spaniard collected the ball in his stride just inside the penalty area before sliding it beyond the exposed Cech to make it 2-2 on aggregate -- the 64th-minute effort was Liverpool's first at Stamford Bridge in nine games under Benitez. Both sides sought a winner -- but the 90 minutes ended all-square and the contest went into extra-time. Liverpool almost snatched the lead within minutes of the restart but Hyypia's header fell wide of the post with Cech beaten. Chelsea then thought they had done enough when Essien sent a 15-meter effort into the net -- but it was rightly disallowed for offside. However, in the 98th minute, Ballack was brought down by Hyypia inside the box and referee Roberto Rosetti pointed to the spot. Lampard kept his composure to send Reina the wrong way and was in tears as he celebrated with his teammates near the corner flag. Worse was to come for Liverpool when substitute Nicolas Anelka got free on the right and pulled the ball back for Drogba to fire under Reina. An error from Cech gifted Babel a late goal from longe range but Chelsea held on to reach their first ever Champions League final. "This is something amazing. I am really pleased for the club because we have been looking for this final for too long," said Drogba, who admitted that he was "disappointed" by Benitez's pre-match comments. "Benitez is a fantastic coach and I was a bit disappointed but I think he felt his team was not strong enough and Chelsea were going to beat them. "I am just happy for my team and I don't want to think about others. It's not good for my image. I'm giving my best to put my team at the top and I think it's not fair but it's finished now." Benitez believed his side were in control when they handed Chelsea the initiative in extra-time. The Spaniard said: "I thought we were very close. We played well in the second half but the third goal killed it. We had control of the game but missd two chances in extra-time." Benitez insisted he did not regret his criticism of Drogba, saying: "I don't think so, when you play a semifinal in the Champions League I don't think you think about anything other than that." Chelsea manager Avram Grant admitted he was proud to have succeeded in beating Benitez's Liverpool in the Champions League last four -- something his predecessor Jose Mourinho failed to manage. "There is only one special one," he joked. "But this was special against Liverpool. They are a fantastic team and Rafa played it tactically well. "You need to be clever against him but we did it. We have created history and I am very proud we did it my way -- but I don't like to say 'I' because owner Roman Abramovich created this club. Grant, who has guided his team to a strong end-of-season charge on two fronts, also praised Lampard's efforts in trying times. "Frank played very well and in my opinion was one of our key players today. It is not an easy thing. He gave everything to the team," added Grant. E-mail to a friend .

Chelsea beat Liverpool 3-2 to reach Champions League final 4-3 on aggregate . Didier Drogba scores twice and an emotional Frank Lampard is also on target . Chelsea to face title rivals Manchester United in an all-English final in Moscow .

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(CNN) -- Four Boy Scouts who died Wednesday when a tornado swept through a wilderness camp were remembered for the very qualities that had brought them to the camp in the first place. Clockwise from top left: Sam Thomsen, 13; Josh Fennen, 13; Aaron Eilerts, 14; and Ben Petrzilka, 14. Josh Fennen, 13, Sam Thomsen, 13, Ben Petrzilka, 14 , and Aaron Eilerts, 14, were among 93 Boy Scouts who were chosen by their troop leaders to attend leadership training this week at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch outside Omaha, Nebraska. In addition to the deaths, 48 Scouts and staff members were injured. Friends on Thursday described the fallen Scouts as multitalented, dedicated teens whose enthusiasm for life was matched only by their passion for Scouting. Aaron Eilerts' best friend described him as a "kindhearted" person who took his commitment to Boy Scouts very seriously. "He would do anything that you asked him to do," Colby Gochanour, told CNN's Larry King. "He just helped people." As a member of the Humboldt Boy Scout Troop No. 108 in Eagle Grove, Iowa, Aaron used his own money to make pillowcases for hospital patients, Gochanour said. He tried to donate the pillowcases to hospitals during a family vacation to Memphis, where he visited the home of Elvis, one of his heroes, according to a story that was published in the Eagle Grove Eagle last year. Aaron extended the same dedication to making fleece blankets for the Humane Society, according to the Omaha World-Herald. "He embodied everything Scouting stands for," Dawn Sievertsen, principal of Robert Blue Middle School in Eagle Grove, Iowa, told the newspaper. "He would start these projects to earn badges, but took them very seriously and would continue them long after he earned the badge." People who knew Josh Fennen of Omaha said he used many of the skills he learned in Scouting in everyday life. "We'd go hiking. He was a good hiker. He knew what to do, how to start fires and good with pocketknives," Josh's best friend, Jack Cormaci, told affiliate KETV. "He'd always be there when you needed him, always playing outside." Jeff Alfrey, the principal at Andersen Middle School, where Josh recently finished eighth grade, described Josh as inquisitive and confident, with natural leadership qualities, according to the Omaha World-Herald. "He was a good student, a hard worker, and he was always trying to be creative," Alfrey told the newspaper. Sam Thomsen, who was days away from his 14th birthday, divided his time among the Boy Scouts, sports, home-schooling and the Southwest Church of Christ, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Sam's Facebook page, where he last wrote, "Sam is ready for a week in the great outdoors," lists his interests as Jesus, football, video games and the Roadrunners, a basketball team for home-schooled children, according to the newspaper. "He was always just full-board with everything he did, whether it be church or Boy Scouts or sports," Dr. Jim White, pastor of Southwest Church of Christ, told Larry King. "He always had a wonderful, engaging smile on his face." Ben Petrzilka, who just finished seventh grade at Mary Our Queen Catholic School, was remembered as kind and caring. "He always gave it his best effort. It is a very devastating loss to the school," principal Kayleen Wallace told the newspaper. A candlelight vigil was scheduled for Thursday evening at the Durham Scout Center in Omaha, the Boy Scouts said.

Teens who died in tornado said to embody the values of the Boy Scouts . Two 13-year-olds, two 14-year-olds killed; three from Nebraska, one from Iowa . Friends describe fallen Scouts as enthusiastic, hard-working, dedicated . Candlelight vigil set for Thursday night in Omaha .

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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China has recalled two tainted leukemia drugs tied to "adverse reactions" in patients, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday. The factories involved in the production of the tainted drugs have been closed for investigation. According to Xinhau, the State Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of Health suspended the production, sale and usage of methotrexate and cytarabin hydrochloride, produced by Shanghai Hualian Pharmaceutical Co., on September 5. There is no indication the drugs in question were ever exported outside of China. On Friday, the two agencies issued a notice saying that vincristine sulfate was the culprit -- an anti-cancer medicine which had been mistakenly mixed with the leukemia drugs, causing leg pains and retention of urine -- Xinhua reported. The factories involved have been closed, while the cause is being investigated. Separately, China returned to U.S. and Canadian exporters 42 tons of pork and turkey products after samples of the pork in the shipments showed traces ractopamine, Xinhua reported. Ractopamine is a hormone used to promote lean meat growth in some animals and is banned in many parts of the world, including China and the European Union. E-mail to a friend .

China has recalled two tainted leukemia drugs causing "adverse reactions" Production, sale of drug by Shanghai Hualian Pharmaceutical suspended . China returned to U.S., Canadian exporters 42 tons tainted pork, turkey products .

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNN) -- More than 10,000 charred bone fragments were found buried at the site of a former Argentine government detention center, the first find of its kind at one of the secret centers, Argentine officials said. Bones were unearthed during a seven-month search at an ex-detention post in La Plata, Argentina, officials said. Searchers said they also found a wall with more than 200 bullet holes and an "important quantity" of spent ammunition shells on the ground nearby. In some cases, bullets were still lodged in the wall. The announcement was made Tuesday at a news conference by government officials and representatives of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, better known as EAAF, the initials of its name in Spanish. A team of six professional anthropologists and support crew said it believed the remains were human, but it was unable to determine how many bodies the fragments represented. "I ask the forgiveness of family members, because I can imagine what the mothers and all who are gathered here will feel, but what we are about to show is not to detail the genocide but so that we have proof for the trials that are to come," said Sara Derotier de Cobacho, secretary of human rights for Buenos Aires province. "But let us not forget," she said in a statement, "that behind every clandestine center there were the names of the repressors. ... So it is very important for all citizens to know those names." The detention center was among those used in Argentina during the country's "Dirty War," which started in 1976 when a group of generals staged a coup and started a vicious crackdown against anyone considered a subversive. By the time civilian control of the government resumed in 1983, up to 30,000 Argentines had been abducted and taken to the secret government detention centers, where they were tortured and killed. They are widely called "los desaparecidos," or "the disappeared." Thousands more people were abducted and killed by right-wing dictatorships in other South American countries during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in Chile and Uruguay. The bone fragments in Argentina were unearthed during a seven-month search at the former detention post in the city of La Plata, near Buenos Aires. In 25 years of searching, this was the first time that human remains were found at a former detention center, said Luis Fondebrider, president of the EAAF. "We've worked throughout the country and have always found remains in cemeteries, never outside," Fondebrider said in the release. The conference was called, he said, because of the extraordinary nature of the find. "We usually don't hold press conferences about our work or what we find," Fondebrider said. "But we understand that the magnitude of what we have found where the Clandestine Center of Arana was located merits that sometimes we show partial results." The searchers determined that bodies had been burned inside graves along with tires, combustibles and other material, Fondebrider said. "The possibilities of identifying some of these remains is low because of the state they are in," Fondebrider said. The searchers will start analyzing the remains next year and are working with two prominent forensic genetic laboratories that specialize in working with remains that are in poor condition, he said. Lending an official air to Tuesday's proceedings, Carlos Stornelli, minister of security for the province of Buenos Aires, and Pablo Buruera, mayor of La Plata, also attended the news conference. "We are looking for the truth so we can attain justice and construct, from there, the memory of our 30,000 'desaparecidos,' " Derotier said.

Remains believed to be human; number of bodies unknown, officials say . Detention center among those used in Argentina's 1976-1983 "Dirty War" Tens of thousands said to have been abducted, killed during "Dirty War"

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A few months ago, it seemed liked nothing could stop Iraqi sprinter Dana Hussain from representing her country in the upcoming Summer Olympics. Iraqi sprinter Dana Hussain was devastated to learn she could not participate in the Beijing Summer Olympics. Then, the International Olympic Committee banned Iraq from competing because of what it says is the government's political interference in sports. Hussain cried for hours after hearing the news, which arrived in the form of a letter to Iraqi officials. "She hasn't stopped. It's like finding out that a close relative has died," said her coach, Yousif Abdul Rahman. Abdul Rahman attempted to console Hussain by assuring her that she could compete in the 2012 Olympics. Watch Hussain react to the news » . "In this horrible situation," she said, "who can say I'll even be alive in 2012?" CNN received a copy of the letter sent to Jassim Mohammed Jaffer, Iraqi minister of youth and sports, and Ali Mohsen Ismail, acting secretary general of the Iraqi general secretariat of the Council of Ministers. "We deeply regret this outcome, which severely harms the Iraqi Olympic and Sports Movement and the Iraqi athletes, but which is unfortunately imposed by the circumstances," said the letter, signed by two IOC officials. Watch an official explain the decision » . The move stems from an Iraqi government decision in May to suspend the nation's Olympic Committee and form a temporary committee to handle its duties. The Iraqi government thought the committee had not been operating properly and as a result undermined the sporting movement there. The government said the original committee held meetings without quorums and had officials serving in one-year posts for more than five years. Many of the officials also lived outside Iraq, the government said. iReport.com: See a cartoonist's take on the decision . Emmanuelle Moreau, a spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee, said it suspended Iraq's national Olympic Committee in June after the government removed elected officials and put in people the IOC didn't recognize. She said the IOC proposed to the Iraqi government that officials come to the organization's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, "to discuss possible solutions." But she said they didn't respond. "We're extremely disappointed with the situation. The athletes have been ill-served by the government in Iraq," she said. Moreau said Iraq missed a Wednesday deadline for the entry of athletes to compete in archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting. Watch a historian discuss the Olympics in Iraq under Saddam Hussein » . She said there is a chance that track and field athletes could compete if the original committee is reinstated. The deadline for the track team to register is at the end of the month. The Games begin August 8. A former official from the disbanded Iraq Olympic Committee said the IOC's decision was justified because the government interfered with the national committee by suspending it. The former official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. He said he believed that the government suspended the committee out of "jealousy." The national committee was making great strides, and the government, namely the Ministry of Youth and Sports, wanted control of it, he said. The seven Iraqi athletes who were to travel to China for the Games' start in August are disappointed by the decision, officials said. They include an archer, a weightlifter, a judoka, two rowers and two sprinters, one of whom is Dana Hussain. Her coach called the decision unfair and said he blames "everyone": the Iraqi government and the Iraqi and International Olympic committees. In the end, Abdul Rahman said, the athletes are paying the price. "It's a shame after all the efforts, ambitions, risks and dangers," he said. "I wish from the bottom of my heart they would reconsider this unjust decision for the sake of the athletes." CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.

NEW: Iraqi government interference in Olympic committee attributed to "jealousy" International Olympic Committee accuses Iraqi government of interference in sports . Iraqi government suspended nation's Olympic Committee in May . Seven Iraqi athletes were to compete in Beijing, China .

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNN) -- More than 10,000 charred bone fragments were found buried at the site of a former Argentine government detention center, the first find of its kind at one of the secret centers, Argentine officials said. Bones were unearthed during a seven-month search at an ex-detention post in La Plata, Argentina, officials said. Searchers said they also found a wall with more than 200 bullet holes and an "important quantity" of spent ammunition shells on the ground nearby. In some cases, bullets were still lodged in the wall. The announcement was made Tuesday at a news conference by government officials and representatives of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, better known as EAAF, the initials of its name in Spanish. A team of six professional anthropologists and support crew said it believed the remains were human, but it was unable to determine how many bodies the fragments represented. "I ask the forgiveness of family members, because I can imagine what the mothers and all who are gathered here will feel, but what we are about to show is not to detail the genocide but so that we have proof for the trials that are to come," said Sara Derotier de Cobacho, secretary of human rights for Buenos Aires province. "But let us not forget," she said in a statement, "that behind every clandestine center there were the names of the repressors. ... So it is very important for all citizens to know those names." The detention center was among those used in Argentina during the country's "Dirty War," which started in 1976 when a group of generals staged a coup and started a vicious crackdown against anyone considered a subversive. By the time civilian control of the government resumed in 1983, up to 30,000 Argentines had been abducted and taken to the secret government detention centers, where they were tortured and killed. They are widely called "los desaparecidos," or "the disappeared." Thousands more people were abducted and killed by right-wing dictatorships in other South American countries during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in Chile and Uruguay. The bone fragments in Argentina were unearthed during a seven-month search at the former detention post in the city of La Plata, near Buenos Aires. In 25 years of searching, this was the first time that human remains were found at a former detention center, said Luis Fondebrider, president of the EAAF. "We've worked throughout the country and have always found remains in cemeteries, never outside," Fondebrider said in the release. The conference was called, he said, because of the extraordinary nature of the find. "We usually don't hold press conferences about our work or what we find," Fondebrider said. "But we understand that the magnitude of what we have found where the Clandestine Center of Arana was located merits that sometimes we show partial results." The searchers determined that bodies had been burned inside graves along with tires, combustibles and other material, Fondebrider said. "The possibilities of identifying some of these remains is low because of the state they are in," Fondebrider said. The searchers will start analyzing the remains next year and are working with two prominent forensic genetic laboratories that specialize in working with remains that are in poor condition, he said. Lending an official air to Tuesday's proceedings, Carlos Stornelli, minister of security for the province of Buenos Aires, and Pablo Buruera, mayor of La Plata, also attended the news conference. "We are looking for the truth so we can attain justice and construct, from there, the memory of our 30,000 'desaparecidos,' " Derotier said.

Remains believed to be human; number of bodies unknown, officials say . Detention center among those used in Argentina's 1976-1983 "Dirty War" Tens of thousands said to have been abducted, killed during "Dirty War"

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BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- A German cruise liner said Tuesday it plans to fly its passengers over the Gulf of Aden, instead of sailing them through, out of fear of pirate attacks in the region. U.S. Navy image of pirates operating off coast of Somalia in October this year. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said all 246 passengers and most of the crew aboard the MS Columbus, currently at the start of an around-the-world cruise, will disembark at an undisclosed port, then fly to Dubai to continue their journey. The company called the move a precautionary measure. Pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia have shot up this year, with pirates staging increasingly bolder attacks on ever-bigger targets. So far this year, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Freight and cargo ships, cruise liners, and private yachts have all come under attack. In many hijackings, pirates take the crew and passengers hostage while they demand a ransom. The problem has forced companies like Hapag-Lloyd, that use the Gulf of Aden, to make new plans, including stepping up security or changing their routes. One shipping company announced last month it would bypass the region altogether, sailing instead around the Cape of Good Hope and adding thousands of kilometers to its voyages. Read more about how to solve the pirate problem here. Hapag-Lloyd said a general travel warning for the area, issued by the German Foreign Ministry, played a part in the decision. But the company also said it had asked the German government for naval protection and the request was turned down. Representatives of Hapag-Lloyd and the German Defense Ministry could not immediately be reached for further comment. The passengers on board the Columbus began the first leg of their world cruise November 28 in Genoa, Italy and are due in Dubai on December 17, according to Hapag-Lloyd's Web site. Further stops include Singapore, Bali, Indonesia and Sydney, Australia. Hapag-Lloyd said that after the passengers and most of the crew disembark, the Columbus will sail through the Gulf of Aden with a skeleton staff. The passengers will stay in a five-star hotel in Dubai for three days until the Columbus arrives to take them back onboard, the company said. Both the crew and passengers approve of the safety measure, Hapag-Lloyd said. The U.S. State Department and British Foreign Office advise those traveling near the Somali coast to use extreme caution because of the recent pirate attacks. Last week, the Australian government issued a similar warning about travel to the region. The advice also urged Australian ships "to apply a robust and layered protective security regime" when traveling through the area. -- CNN's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report.

Passengers will fly to Dubai to continue their journey . Hapag-Lloyd: Involves 246 passengers, most of crew aboard MS Columbus . Prompted by travel warning for the area issued by German Foreign Ministry . United States, UK advise those traveling near Somali coast to use extreme caution .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice invited the woman set to replace her as the nation's top diplomat, Sen. Hillary Clinton, to dinner Monday night, a State Department spokesman said. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, and Sen. Hillary Clinton dined together Monday night. The dinner took place at Rice's home in the Watergate complex in downtown Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. The meeting lasted for two hours, he said. "They talked just very generally about policy -- the challenges, the opportunities -- talked a little bit about the job of secretary of state, talked about the 'building,' managing a big operation," McCormack said. The two dined after Clinton met with members of President-elect Barack Obama's State Department transition team on Monday. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday that important information often is exchanged during such dinners between outgoing and incoming secretaries of state. Albright, who was former President Bill Clinton's top diplomat during his second term, said she had a similar dinner with Colin Powell, President Bush's first secretary of state, in 2001. Watch Albright give her advice to Obama » . "I'm sure they had a social part of it, but Secretary Rice told her what the major challenges are, how the department works -- we call it 'the building' -- and, generally, I think they are very nice times," Albright said. "It's just a matter of really turning over the most important job in the world on foreign policy," she added. Albright said Clinton will have to get up to speed on a number of issues, including the status of negotiations the U.S. is engaged in, who will be part of her team and how she will work with other members of Obama's national security team. "I know from talking to her that she has a great sense of excitement and desire to ... reintroduce America to the rest of the world," said Albright, who said she thought that Clinton would be "a very great secretary of state." Earlier, Rice said she was looking forward to meeting her successor and said she believes Clinton will do "a great job." "I talked with her and we're going to sit down, and I'm really looking forward to it. I've known her a long time, and she is someone that I admire," Rice told CNN on Sunday. Despite being from different parties -- and Clinton's tough criticism of Bush's foreign policy while she was a Democratic presidential candidate -- Rice has been effusive in her praise of the former first lady. "President-elect Obama has made his choice, and he's made a terrific choice. Hillary Clinton is somebody of intelligence, and she'll do a great job," Rice told ABC News on Sunday. "She also has what's most important to being secretary of state, and that is that you love this country, and you represent it from a basis of faith in its values. And I know that she will do that," Rice added. Obama's decision to tap Clinton as his top diplomat already has brought about changes. On Tuesday, former President Clinton released the corporate sponsors of a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong, a practice he previously has resisted. The sponsors of last week's meeting included CLSA, Laureate, the Roberson Foundation, Citi, the Li Ka Shing Foundation, The Economist, HP, Ogilvy, Suzlon, Thomson Reuters and CNN. The former president agreed to make it a regular practice to disclose the sponsors of his global initiative as part of a deal with the Obama transition team to allow the nomination of his wife to go forward. He also has agreed to allow State Department officials to review his speeches and other personal activities.

Secretary of state invites Sen. Hillary Clinton to dinner at her Washington home . Such dinners allow for exchange of important information, ex-secretary of state says . Bill Clinton releases names of sponsors of Clinton Global Initiative in Hong Kong .

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(CNN) -- The European Union will launch its first naval operation Tuesday, protecting vessels from pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, EU policy chief Javier Solana announced Monday. A French army helicopter taking off from French frigate Nivose, on patrol in the Gulf of Aden. EU foreign ministers approved the mission during their regular meeting in Brussels on Monday. Solana said the operation is "very important" because EU vessels will be operating "in a place in the world that everybody's looking at because of the new problems related to piracy." "It's very important that we have taken that decision to launch it tomorrow," he added. The EU naval force will take over the role of escorting United Nations World Food Program vessels carrying food and relief supplies to war-torn Somalia, an EU news release said. Its mandate, which is spelled out in several U.N. Security Council resolutions, also will include "the protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast, and the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast," the news release stated. The deployment follows a decision by the European Council in September that established a coordination cell that supported surveillance and protection operations by several member states off the Somali coast. Piracy has become increasingly common in that area this year, particularly in the Gulf of Aden. So far, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Those hijacked vessels include an enormous oil tanker, a chemical tanker, and a ship laden with Soviet-era arms, including tanks. The pirates normally hold the ships for ransom. The Somali-based pirates have extended their reach beyond Somalia's coastline. On Saturday, a Dutch-operated container ship outran pirates off the coast of Tanzania, an IMB official told CNN. A luxury cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 passengers and crew successfully outran pirates off the coast of Yemen last weekend. A multinational fleet -- including vessels from the United States, NATO member states, Russia and India -- has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters near the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. Around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year. In a recent interview provided to CNN, a pirate leader claimed attacks on shipping would continue so long as life in Somalia remained desperate. "The pirates are living between life and death," said the pirate leader, identified by only one name, Boyah. "Who can stop them? Americans and British all put together cannot do anything."

EU force will take over the role of escorting U.N. World Food Program vessels . Role includes "protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast" Pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast this year . Warships from U.S., India, Russia and Malaysia also patrol region .

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(CNN) -- Four of O.J. Simpson's accomplices in the 2007 robbery at a Las Vegas hotel were given suspended sentences Tuesday by Nevada District Judge Jackie Glass. District Court Judge Jackie Glass sentenced four O.J. Simpson codefendants to probation on Tuesday. The four -- Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander -- all turned on Simpson and cooperated in the case against him. Simpson was sentenced last week to at least nine and as many as 33 years in prison in the case. Glass called him "arrogant" and "ignorant." Before announcing the suspended sentences Tuesday, Glass said the actions of Cashmore, Erlich, McClinton and Alexander were "stupid but also criminal" when they accompanied the former football star to the Palace Station Hotel and Casino on September 13, 2007. But she praised them for taking responsibility for their actions and for cooperating with the state's case against Simpson. Should they violate the terms of their probation, the four could face prison time ranging from 12 months to 84 months, depending on the specific charges against them. The four apologized to the state and the victims in the case before their sentences were read in court Tuesday. Simpson, a former Heisman Trophy winner and record-setting NFL running back, had enlisted the help of Cashmore, Erlich, McClinton and Alexander, along with Clarence "C.J." Stewart, in an effort to get sports memorabilia items that Simpson claimed belong to him from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley. The six men confronted the dealers in a hotel room, brandishing weapons but not firing them. Stewart received a sentence similar to Simpson's but will be eligible for parole in 7½ years. Watch how Simpson's conviction came down » . Glass ordered Fromong removed from the courtroom Tuesday after he made a comment during the sentencing of McClinton, who admitted brandishing a gun in the hotel room. Glass still has to decide restitution in the case a schedule a hearing on that for Friday morning. The four men sentenced Tuesday walked meekly from the courtroom to report to law enforcement officials and get details on their probation. On Friday, Simpson was led from the courtroom in shackles. He'll remain jailed while an appeal is pending.

Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton, Walter Alexander in court . Four accompanied Simpson, another man in robbery of memorabilia dealers . If they violate probation, four face prison terms of 12 months to 84 months . Judge must still decide restitution in case .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have arrested two top leaders of the Islamic militant group India blames for the November massacre in Mumbai, Pakistan's prime minister confirmed Wednesday. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Pakistani security forces had rounded up a number of militant figures. The top military officer in the U.S. on Wednesday said he is "encouraged" by Pakistan's recent arrests of "significant players" in the Mumbai attacks. U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said the arrests amount to "first steps" toward determining who plotted the three day siege last month that killed 160 people in Mumbai, India's financial capital. "There are more steps to follow," he noted. He also thanked India for showing restraint against Pakistan, which it has accused of harboring the terrorist groups behind the November massacre. Zarar Shah, a top operational commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, whose arrest had been reported Tuesday, were among the militant figures rounded up in recent days, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters. Gilani would not confirm the detention of Masood Azhar, the leader of another militant group, Jaish-e-Muhammad. But he said his government has launched its own investigation into India's allegations that the gunmen who killed more than 160 people in Mumbai had links to Pakistan. The acknowledgment came three days after Pakistani security forces raided an LeT camp near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, in the first sign of government action against Lashkar-e-Tayyiba since the three-day siege of India's financial capital. Both LeT and Jaish-e-Muhammad were formed to battle Indian rule in the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir, and both were banned after a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that brought the South Asian nuclear rivals to the brink of war. The United States has listed LeT as a terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. According to the U.S. government, Lakhvi, 47, has directed LeT's military operations in southeast Asia, Chechnya, Bosnia and Iraq. Pakistan's Defense Minister Choudhry Mukhtar Ahmed told CNN's sister network in India, CNN-IBN, that Lakhvi and Azhar had been arrested on Monday. Azhar has been in Pakistan since 1999, when he was released from an Indian prison in exchange for hostages aboard a hijacked Indian airliner. Indian authorities say the sole surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks told investigators that he was trained at an LeT camp near Muzaffarabad, along with the nine other attackers who were killed in the three-day siege. A Pakistani security official said the terror raids on banned militant groups are ongoing and have resulted in at least 15 arrests.

NEW: Top U.S. military officer encouraged by terror arrests . Pakistan arrests militant leaders blamed by India for Mumbai terror attacks . Zarar Shah, top commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, among those held . Blamed militant groups were formed to oppose Indian rule in divided Kashmir .

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(CNN) -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has branded the cholera crisis in Zimbabwe "an international emergency" and called on the world community to confront President Robert Mugabe, leader of the central African nation. A shortage of clean drinking water has unleashed a cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe. "This is now an international rather than a national emergency," Brown said in a statement Saturday. "International because disease crosses borders. International because the systems of government in Zimbabwe are now broken. There is no state capable or willing of protecting its people." Earlier this week the government of Zimbabwe, which already suffers from severe economic problems and political instability, declared a national emergency following the outbreak, which has so far killed more than 600 people. Cholera, a water-borne disease, is on the increase in nine of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned. It blamed "poor water and sanitation supply, a collapsed health system and limited government capacity to respond to the emergency." Many of those afflicted with the disease have fled to neighboring countries to seek medical help -- which risks spreading the outbreak still further. Brown called on the international community to tell Mugabe "enough is enough," and suggested that the United Nations Security Council meet to discuss the issue. He added that the most pressing issue was to ensure that testing and rehydration equipment and packs reach the right people, as well as for aid agencies to set up a organizational structure in the state capital Harare to confront the disease. "The people of Zimbabwe voted for a better future. It is our duty to support that aspiration," Brown added. Brown's comments came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the outbreak is the latest sign that Mugabe's rule over the country must end. "It's well past time for Robert Mugabe to leave. I think that's now obvious," Rice said during a visit to Denmark. Washington has long called for Mugabe to leave office, with President George W. Bush calling Zimbabwe's runoff presidential election in June a "sham" and instructing Rice and other U.S. officials to develop additional sanctions against Mugabe's "illegitimate government." "The United States will always do anything and everything that it can to help innocent people who are suffering," Rice said. "And we are not going to deny assistance to people in need because of their government. But if this is not evidence to the international community that it's time to stand up for what is right, I don't know what will be. And frankly, the nations of the region have to lead it." Rice -- who has just about a month left in office before President-elect Barack Obama's administration takes over -- also called on all African nations to speak up. Asked whether the United States and Europe should try to force out Mugabe, Rice responded, "Well, without help in the region, it's very difficult to have the tools that will bring about a just resolution in Zimbabwe. The United States and Europe can't do everything alone. Other states are responsible too. And the southern African states should be the most responsible at this point, because they have the most at risk. And the people of Zimbabwe have suffered long enough." Supporters of Mugabe, who has come under heavy international criticism for several years, were accused of political intimidation following June's presidential runoff vote. For months there have been some efforts to build a power-sharing government between Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party and the opposition movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, to little avail. On Thursday, Mugabe hinted he may form a Cabinet without the opposition and call for early elections. The opposition responded that it would welcome a "genuine election," with international supervision. The 84-year-old Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980 from Great Britain, also suggested he would ignore an international tribunal ruling that declared illegal his government's seizure of farms from white Zimbabweans.

UK PM Gordon Brown calls for more to be done about Zimbabwe cholera crisis . Cholera has killed 600-plus people in nation hit by hyperinflation, political unrest . Condoleezza Rice Friday called on all African nations to "speak up" about crisis . UK, U.S. have led international pressure on Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe .

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(CNN) -- Ghana international Michael Essien has followed goalkeeper Petr Cech in agreeing a new five-year contract with English Premier League side Chelsea. Michael Essien has made a big impression on new Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. The midfielder, who is in China for the start of the club's pre-season tour, is now tied to the London outfit until the summer of 2013. The 25-year-old has made 143 appearances since moving to Stamford Bridge from French club Lyon in a $49 million transfer in August 2005, scoring 14 goals in total and helping Chelsea win the league title that season. Essien's decision to commit his long-term future to the club is a boost for new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, who allowed veteran holding midfielder Claude Makelele to join Paris St Germain on Monday. "I have not been here long but it is clear to me that Michael Essien is one of the best midfield players in the world," Scolari said. "I have always admired him and it is good news for me and for Chelsea that he signs for so long." The Accra-born Essien, who started his career in France with Bastia in 2000 before moving to Lyon three years later, was also pleased with the deal. "I am really pleased to have extended my career with Chelsea," he said. "I am very happy here. We have a great team and fantastic fans who have always made me welcome. "With the addition of the new manager, I am feeling very positive about the season ahead." Chelsea announced on Monday that Czech Republic goalkeeper Cech signed a new five-year deal, while England full-back Wayne Bridge committed himself to four more years last week. Scolari is still seeking to keep England midfielder Frank Lampard, who has ended talks over a new deal and now appears to be resigned to waiting until his contract runs out before joining Inter Milan following the upcoming season. The Brazilian has so far added only Portugal playmaker Deco to his midfield ranks. His first match in charge will be Wednesday's friendly against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, one of the three games the team will play in China. Striker Didier Drogba, who has been linked with moves to AC Milan and Barcelona, is not among the touring squad due to a recurring knee problem. Khalid Boulahrouz, meanwhile, completed his transfer from Chelsea to Stuttgart on a four-year contract with the Bundesliga club. The Netherlands central defender was released Monday by Chelsea and arrived in Stuttgart's training camp in Austria shortly before midnight after passing a medical exam in Stuttgart. The deal between Stuttgart and Chelsea was completed Tuesday. Details were not given. The Dutchman played for Hamburger SV for two seasons before going to Chelsea in 2006. He was loaned to FC Sevilla last season. Boulahrouz's departure came a day after 35-year-old former France international Claude Makelele signed a two-year deal with Paris-Saint Germain after joining from Chelsea on a free transfer.

Ghana international Michael Essien signs new five-year contract with Chelsea . Midfielder follows Petr Cech and Wayne Bridge in agreeing long-term deals . The 25-year-old has made 143 appearances since joining from Lyon in 2005 . Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz leaves Chelsea for Stuttgart on 4-year deal .

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BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- A German cruise liner said Tuesday it plans to fly its passengers over the Gulf of Aden, instead of sailing them through, out of fear of pirate attacks in the region. U.S. Navy image of pirates operating off coast of Somalia in October this year. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said all 246 passengers and most of the crew aboard the MS Columbus, currently at the start of an around-the-world cruise, will disembark at an undisclosed port, then fly to Dubai to continue their journey. The company called the move a precautionary measure. Pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia have shot up this year, with pirates staging increasingly bolder attacks on ever-bigger targets. So far this year, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Freight and cargo ships, cruise liners, and private yachts have all come under attack. In many hijackings, pirates take the crew and passengers hostage while they demand a ransom. The problem has forced companies like Hapag-Lloyd, that use the Gulf of Aden, to make new plans, including stepping up security or changing their routes. One shipping company announced last month it would bypass the region altogether, sailing instead around the Cape of Good Hope and adding thousands of kilometers to its voyages. Read more about how to solve the pirate problem here. Hapag-Lloyd said a general travel warning for the area, issued by the German Foreign Ministry, played a part in the decision. But the company also said it had asked the German government for naval protection and the request was turned down. Representatives of Hapag-Lloyd and the German Defense Ministry could not immediately be reached for further comment. The passengers on board the Columbus began the first leg of their world cruise November 28 in Genoa, Italy and are due in Dubai on December 17, according to Hapag-Lloyd's Web site. Further stops include Singapore, Bali, Indonesia and Sydney, Australia. Hapag-Lloyd said that after the passengers and most of the crew disembark, the Columbus will sail through the Gulf of Aden with a skeleton staff. The passengers will stay in a five-star hotel in Dubai for three days until the Columbus arrives to take them back onboard, the company said. Both the crew and passengers approve of the safety measure, Hapag-Lloyd said. The U.S. State Department and British Foreign Office advise those traveling near the Somali coast to use extreme caution because of the recent pirate attacks. Last week, the Australian government issued a similar warning about travel to the region. The advice also urged Australian ships "to apply a robust and layered protective security regime" when traveling through the area. -- CNN's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report.

Passengers will fly to Dubai to continue their journey . Hapag-Lloyd: Involves 246 passengers, most of crew aboard MS Columbus . Prompted by travel warning for the area issued by German Foreign Ministry . United States, UK advise those traveling near Somali coast to use extreme caution .

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(CNN) -- A Pennsylvania teen has been charged as an adult for allegedly planning to kill classmates he did not like before turning the gun on himself in a high school shooting spree, a Pennsylvania prosecutor said Tuesday. Richard Yanis allegedly stole three handguns from his father and told police he planned to "shoot students in the school and then himself" at Pottstown High School, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said in a press release. Yanis, 15, was charged with attempted murder in adult court because juvenile law in Montgomery County excludes crimes committed with a deadly weapon, Ferman said. The investigation began when the teen's father reported that three handguns were stolen from a secured gun locker in his basement, Ferman said. His son allegedly took a Smith & Wesson .357 caliber revolver, a Smith & Wesson .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Colt .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, Ferman said. Richard Yanis gave the guns and ammunition to an unnamed friend from school and asked him to "hold onto it," the statement said. The friend allegedly showed his stepmother the guns, and the two drove to a nearby creek where they tossed in the weapons. The friend told a teacher at Pottstown High School what happened, and police were called. Yanis told police he planned to attack the school after the New Year, officials said. "He was going to go into the school shooting, shoot everyone he did not like, and then himself," Ferman said. "He was to have the guns loaded and have the additional ammunition inside his backpack," she said. "On the day of the planned shooting, Yanis said he was going to tell his friends to go home from school." John Armato, director of community relations at Pottstown Senior High School, described Yanis "as quiet, relatively introverted." "He did not have a great number of friends or a history of discipline problems," Armato said. "He had no history of aggressive behaviors in school." Yanis' parents had no comment, but family friend Brian Hanlon spoke on their behalf. "I can say that it was definitely out of character, but that his parents are dealing with it as best as possible," Hanlon said. "They want everyone to respect their privacy at this time while dealing with these events." CNN's Chloe Melas contributed to this report.

Richard Yanis charged with attempted murder for alleged high school shooting plot . Yanis, 15, planned to kill people he didn't like and then himself, prosecutor says . Teen is charged as adult because of use of gun in alleged plot, prosecutor says . Teen described as introverted, no history of aggressive behavior .

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(CNN) -- Before middle-aged men started singing "Viva Viagra" in TV ads, before former Sen. Bob Dole appeared in its commercials in the '90s, before the blue pill with a funny name entered the public lexicon, impotence was hush-hush. Viagra entered the market 10 years ago, bringing once taboo subjects like erectile dysfunction out in the open. Now there's no getting away from it. In-boxes are clogged daily with spam mail promising cheap and instant manliness delivered fast and in bulk. Couples exchange amorous, come-hither looks followed by a lengthy recitation of side effects on TV ads. The pill helped more than 25 million men get their groove back and blasted the topic of erectile dysfunction into the open. "It's like the nuclear explosion," said Dr. Irwin Goldstein, director of Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California. "It created sexual medicine. It allowed the taboo to be broken." Since the diamond-shaped blue pill debuted 10 years ago, it has become embedded in the public psyche, late-night television jokes and urologists' offices. "It is one of the revolutionary steps in sexual health," said Dr. Ira Sharlip, spokesman for the American Urological Association. "It ranks with the changes in cultural attitudes about sexuality that were started by [Sigmund] Freud, continued by [William] Masters and [Virginia] Johnson, the two researchers in the '60s, and the work that [Alfred] Kinsey did in the '40s. "These were the huge steps in the development of our understanding of human sexuality and cultural attitudes of sex." Men seldom talked about their bedroom troubles before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra as the first oral medication for erectile dysfunction in 1998. "We lamented the fact that the men had so much shame about erectile dysfunction, how rarely anyone came for medical attention," said Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, an associate clinical professor of urology at Harvard Medical School. Penis injections and vacuum pumps were available, but these treatments weren't appealing. Men with medical conditions such as diabetes, prostate cancer, hyper cholesterol, endocrinological and cardiovascular problems weren't able to enjoy sex, Goldstein said. "People who couldn't enjoy intimacy before have been given a second life...." he said. "We have had a better life because of it." Viagra increases blood flow to the penis, enabling a man to have an erection. The drug does not induce desire and works when the man is sexually aroused, according to Pfizer, the makers of Viagra. Urologists heard from patients who had tried the pill that Viagra made them feel as if they were 20-year-olds again. Anti-impotence drugs Levitra and Cialis have come along since. "Along with the birth control pill in the '60s, this pill really changed people, society and medicine," Goldstein said. "It changed the patient-physician relationship. You can walk in and ask about sexual functions. It was a major taboo at some point." Dr. Gerald Melchiode, a Texas psychiatrist, agreed that the pill has helped men open up about their sexual health, but finds the commercials a bit much. "I've never run across men singing about their impotency," he said. Since Viagra's appearance on the market, the dialogue about sexual dysfunctions has helped doctors identify other health problems in their patients, doctors say. "You always hear someone drops dead,"said Dr. Chris Steidle, a urologist who wrote the book "Sex and the Heart." "It's not sudden death if you couldn't get an erection. It's a symptom of a heart condition. You wouldn't ignore a stroke, but you would ignore erectile dysfunction -- it's a significant symptom." The man's penis is like "the tip of the iceberg" or "the canary in the mines," which serve as an indicator of overall health, Morgentaler said. "There's now good evidence that shows that men with ED who have no other symptoms of anything are at increased risk for heart attacks and strokes," he said. Thousands of studies have been conducted on Viagra. "The pill that thrills" is also being studied to see whether it gives athletes an edge in competition. It's been studied to see whether it helps women with their sexual health. Despite the deluge of attention, Viagra doesn't work for about 25 percent to 35 percent of men with erectile dysfunction. For others, it has revitalized and strained marriages. Experts say Viagra gave a window into the psyche of men and women. Some complain that sex should be spontaneous and that popping a pill ruins the romance. Eating food decreases the potency of Viagra, and some say the pill forces them to go on a schedule. Another complaint: Having to use Viagra makes a spouse or partner feel undesirable. "Sometimes their spouse personalizes it," said Melchiode. "Why does he have to take this pill? Aren't I attractive enough? Aren't I sexy enough for him? That's not unusual for the partner." Even when Viagra is effective, some men realize that it's not the magic bullet that solves their problems with intimacy, doctors said. Only about half refill their prescription. "One has to think beyond just giving a pill to cure sexual problems," Melchiode said. "A typical example is a couple where there's been problems over the years and they can't deal with the problems on a verbal level, so they start withdrawing from one another. They build up a resentment and anger, they have trouble being close to one another and having sex with each other. Just giving them a pill isn't going to touch on all the problems of the resentment and anger." Sex, it turns out, is part of a bigger web of relationship issues. Morgentaler, author of "The Viagra Myth," said: "It's unrealistic that there's a pill that fixes all of these things."

Viagra helped 25 million men with erectile dysfunction and bring awareness . Blue pill considered a huge step in understanding human sexuality, cultural attitudes . ED indicates other health issues and that blood vessels aren't working well . Viagra isn't a cure-all, some sex problems are indicative of relationship problems .

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SODDY-DAISY, Tennessee (CNN) -- Kat Koonce loves her Saturns. She owns three, and has pictures of them on Saturnfans.com, where she is one of almost 2,500 Saturn devotees who've posted photo albums of their vehicles. Saturn owners show off their Sky roadsters after a Christmas parade in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, on Sunday. Judy Pearson shows off a photo album of her Saturn Sky roadster the way a grandmother might show off one of her grandchildren -- pictures of vacations and happy times together. The women are exactly the kind of customers General Motors was looking for when it introduced the Saturn brand two decades ago as "a different kind of car company." The brand's slogan is now one word -- "rethink" -- but its fate may soon be summed up in another -- "done." General Motors has raised the prospect of eliminating the nameplate as it tries to restructure to regain profitability. "I just can't stand the thought of them doing away with Saturn," said Dianne Pollard of Hixson, Tennessee. She created the Sky Club of Chattanooga, dedicated to the sporty two-seater. General Motors hasn't officially announced the end of Saturn, but in a restructuring plan submitted to Congress, the automaker said it would concentrate resources on four core brands -- Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. That leaves Saturn, along with GM's Pontiac, Saab and Hummer brands, with a dim future. See how Saturn owners are devoted to their vehicles » . Pollard drove her black 2008 RedLine (that's Saturn's name for a turbo) Sky in Sunday's Christmas parade in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, northeast of Chattanooga. Fellow Hixson residents and Sky devotees Connie Terrell (red 2007 RedLine) and Pearson (dark blue 2007 standard edition) were there, too. All three have owned other, more sedate Saturns than the Sky, which Edmunds.com praises for "sharp styling, low price and everyday comfort" and Car and Driver.com calls a "mini-Corvette" at around half the price. They were joined by George and Brenda Holloway, who drove their 2007 Sky almost 100 miles from their farm in Centre, Alabama, to join in the parade. "We thoroughly enjoy the Saturn. Our next vehicle, when we buy one, will be a Saturn," Brenda Holloway said. "This is the only car I've ever owned that you can be driving down the interstate and people pull up beside you and take a picture of it," her husband, a retired 20-year Army veteran, said with amusement-tinged pride. But it's not just the cars -- including the original S series sedans and coupes -- that turn people into "Saturnistas"; it's also the pleasant buying experience and over-the-top customer service. "It's a family. It's the Saturn family. And you become part of that family," Pearson said. All three Sky owners from Hixson had stories to tell about a sales consultant who went the extra mile or a service call that exceeded their expectations. Pearson said she has owned many makes of cars, including foreign nameplates, and Saturn's treatment of customers beats them all. "The best experience I've ever had was with Saturn, bar none," she said. Koonce, of Dayton, Ohio, used to feel that way, too. But Koonce now says GM might as well kill off the brand, because that would be preferable to the slow death she sees as inevitable. Saturn sold slightly more than 8,000 cars in November and has delivered about 175,000 this year. That's a far cry from the half a million GM had hoped to sell each year when it introduced Saturn. Koonce said she fell in love with Saturn before she was old enough to drive. She became such a familiar figure at her local Saturn dealer and so knowledgeable about its lineup that she was hired as a sales consultant. She and her husband, Nick, met at a Saturn owners' event, their wedding was a Saturn owners' event, and they have owned six Saturns between them. They have brought numerous relatives and friends "into the Saturn cult," said Nick, whose dream is to own a Saturn dealership. Saturn was conceived in the early 1980s as a separate-standing division of GM, with then-unheard-of features: . • an innovative new plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee; . • a separate agreement with the United Auto Workers that embraced more teamwork between union and management; . • the use of plastics instead of metal for many body parts; . • and a highly personalized consumer experience, including no-haggle buying and "Homecomings," a sort of family reunion for Saturn owners at the Spring Hill campus. The first Saturn came off the Spring Hill assembly line on July 30, 1990. Unfortunately, Kat Koonce said, GM has abandoned what made Saturn different. The cars are now made of metal, and the models all have twins in other GM divisions. Even the original Spring Hill factory has been converted to build Chevrolets instead of Saturns; the Saturn VUE is built in Mexico. So disillusioned was Koonce that she quit her job at the Saturn dealership and went back to college. "It was a success that became a failure," she said. Walter S. McManus, the head of the Automotive Analysis Division of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, says he could see it coming. "Brand loyalty is overrated," McManus stated flatly. "It is costly to do all the fuzzies, and Saturn's example is clear that it doesn't pay off for what is essentially an economy-car company. Women especially appreciated the Saturn way, but Honda sells more cars to women, despite having a less female-friendly approach." Don't tell that to Charlie Eickmeyer, who runs the Saturnfans Web site and has posted a "Save Saturn" petition for the site's 35,000 members to sign. And don't tell the Sky Club of Chattanooga. "I think Saturn really is a different kind of car company, and that is what has brought me back to them," Pearson said.

Owners of vulnerable GM brand rave about quality, service . Four owners of Sky roadsters drive in town's Christmas parade . Disillusioned longtime fan quits as sales consultant . "Brand loyalty is overrated," auto industry researcher says .

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(CNN) -- It's hard to imagine Meryl Streep having second thoughts about tackling any role, but the actress admits that she had doubts about "Doubt," her newest project. The cast of "Doubt," from left: Viola Davis, Amy Adams, Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film -- based on a Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play by the same name -- examines what happens when a strict nun who heads a Catholic school in the Bronx suspects a charismatic priest of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. "I actually didn't think it would ever be a movie," Streep said. "It was so thoroughly realized on stage, and it was so minimal. It was hard to imagine how or why you would make a movie out of it." But Streep, who plays the terrifyingly severe and determined school principal, Sister Aloysius Beauvier, said she changed her mind when she saw the final product. "How did they make the play without any children in it? It is just sort of amazing to me, because to me they are sort of the landscape. They are the lambs of the movie. They are the stakes. They are why everybody is passionate." Her co-stars are passionate about sharing the screen with a Hollywood legend. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays the priest targeted by Streep's character in the film, says he "adores" her. Amy Adams calls Streep "a sweetheart." Viola Davis says she's "just fantastic." Davis' performance in the movie is generating Oscar buzz, with Streep advising the actress to pick out a dress for the Academy Awards. Davis, who plays the mother of the student at the center of the sexual abuse allegations at the school, said she drew on the experiences of her mom and other women she knows to bring the role to life. She expressed awe about any suggestion of an Oscar nomination. "It's surreal. I don't know how to respond to that anymore," Davis said. "All I wanted to do was good work. ... Everything else is just the icing on the cake." The movie is set in 1964, but the play was written by John Patrick Shanley after the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Roman Catholic Church several years ago. Hoffman -- who plays Father Flynn, the priest under fire -- said the lurid headlines about molested children weren't even on his mind when he took on the project. "It is really about something else. If people see it, they will know what I mean about that," Hoffman said. Some have suggested that the play served as a criticism of the Bush administration's dogged belief that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Shanley, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay of "Moonstruck," told Entertainment Weekly that the play did have a political point. "I'm not interested in morality," he told the magazine. "One of my larger premises in doing this play, in what's not said, is that doubt itself is a passionate exercise. I think it's perceived in this culture as something weak or denatured, and that's a huge mistake." Adams said she became "a little obsessed" with the adaptation of the play to the big screen. She plays Sister James, a nun who expresses her suspicions about Father Flynn's relationship with the student to Sister Aloysius. The movie is a departure for Adams, who became famous for sunnier roles in films like "Enchanted" and "Talladega Nights." But she said she doesn't mind being known as an eternally cheerful actress, because that description reflects "75 percent" of her real persona. "There's 25 percent that's probably dark and grumpy and not personable at all, but I keep her at home," Adams said. As for Oscar buzz surrounding her performance, the actress said she's keeping her fingers crossed for Streep and Davis to be nominated for their roles in "Doubt" but has no expectations for herself. "It's always fun ,and I would love to. If it doesn't happen for me, it's all right as well," Adams said. "So, the experience of making the film was my get in this case."

"Doubt" stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis . Film is based on a Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play by the same name . It examines what happens when a nun suspects a priest of abusing a student . Streep advises co-star to pick out a dress for the Academy Awards .

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(CNN) -- One of Zimbabwe's top officials blamed his country's spreading cholera outbreak on what he calls "a genocidal onslaught" by Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler -- Britain. Zimbabwean clinics have been overwhelmed by the cholera epidemic, according to aid organizations. "Cholera is a calculated, racist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power, which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they can invade the country," Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told reporters. Britain ruled the country as a colony until 1965. Ndlovu's claims triggered quick and pointed reaction from Britain and the United States. In Washington, State Department spokesman Rob McInturff called Ndlovu's accusations "patently ridiculous." Referring to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, McInturff said Friday that, "Mugabe is clearly unwilling to take any meaningful action (to stop the cholera outbreak)." On Thursday, Mugabe said "there is no cholera in the country." His spokesman later said that Mugabe was sarcastically ridiculing what he believes are Western designs to invade the country. Britain's Africa minister, Mark Malloch-Brown responded by saying, "I don't know what world he (Mugabe) is living in," according to the British newspaper The Guardian. Malloch-Brown made the comment during a one-day trip to South Africa, where he visited a Johannesburg church housing 1,600 Zimbabweans who have fled their country, the newspaper said. "There is a raging humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe as well as an economic crisis and still there is no representative government able to lead the country out of this disaster," he said, according to The Guardian. Cholera has ravaged Zimbabwe, causing nearly 800 deaths and infecting more than 16,000 people, the World Health Organization says. The outbreak could surpass 60 000 cases, according to an estimate by the Zimbabwe Health Cluster, which is a group coordinated by the World Health Organization. View image gallery of Zimbabwe's cholera crisis » . Cholera, a bacterial waterborne disease that causes diarrhea, dehydration and, if not treated, death in a matter of hours, is widespread in Zimbabwe but help is not. Like the general Zimbabwean economy, the country's health delivery system is strapped, lacking modern drugs and machinery, while doctors and nurses have been striking for over a month. On Friday, the State Department issued a travel warning for U.S. citizens because of the cholera outbreak and violence that has flared as Zimbabwe's economy has deteriorated. "The public health system in Zimbabwe no longer provides even basic services due to a lack of staff, electricity, clean water, and medical supplies," the travel warning said. "Americans who fall ill while in Zimbabwe may find it difficult to find treatment." At the State Department's daily press briefing Friday, spokesman Sean McCormack said the situation in Zimbabwe will be one of the topics Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will discuss when she visits the United Nations next week. "The number of cases of cholera -- statements from Robert Mugabe notwithstanding -- is going up, not down," McCormack said. "The crisis has not ended. People's lives are in danger." Health experts say the Zimbabwean government can win the battle against cholera only if it imports adequate stocks of water-treating chemicals and disposes of refuse and sewerage properly. Watch shocking footage of Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis (Discretion advised) » . A Doctors Without Borders epidemiologist in Zimbabwe said, referring to the capital city, that "the scale and sheer numbers of infection, especially in Harare, is unprecedented." He said the group has treated more than 11,000 patients since August and has 500 international and local staff members treating people in cholera centers across the country. He said the main reasons for the outbreak are poor access to clean water, uncollected garbage in the streets and burst and blocked sewage systems. "The fact that the outbreak has become so large is an indication that the country's health system can't cope," he said. Meanwhile, in his statement Thursday Mugabe said, "I am happy to say our doctors, assisted by others and the World Health Organization, have now arrested cholera. So now that there is no cholera, there is no cause for war anymore. Let's tell them (Britain and the United States) that the cholera cause does not exist anymore, if it was cause for war." The pro-government Herald, quoting presidential spokesman George Charamba, said Mugabe had been sarcastically reacting to "calls for intrusive action" against Zimbabwe from European leaders. Charamba said the country continues to want international assistance to combat the disease and has declared a state of emergency. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which rivals Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, issued statements deploring the Mugabe government's "indifferent and casual approach" to cholera and saying it was "alarmed by Mugabe's irresponsible and false remarks" on Thursday. "The ZANU-PF caretaker government is in a denial mode. The MDC believes that it is such careless and reckless statements that have not helped the situation," MDC said. "We should be honest with ourselves and with the world. The truth is that cholera remains a major disaster in Zimbabwe," the MDC said. In his remarks to reporters in Zimbabwe, Ndlovu -- who said the country's health system is working on the outbreak -- labeled the cholera outbreak "a serious biological, chemical war force, a genocidal onslaught, on the people of Zimbabwe by the British," He also made reference to U.S. President George W. Bush and Rice: "To the outgoing warmongers, please leave in peace and not in pieces." Ndlovu also slammed news outlets including CNN for what he called "gunboat journalism." "They take photos (of) people dying (in) the DRC and Darfur and say these are cholera victims from Zimbabwe," he said, making reference to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Darfur region of Sudan.

Zimbabwe information minister says UK responsible for cholera outbreak . He accuses CNN, BBC, other networks of falsifying news reports . WHO says cholera outbreak has killed almost 800, infected 16,000 .

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(CNN) -- A day before Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was busted by federal investigators on corruption charges, he dared authorities to tape his phone calls if they thought he was guilty of anything. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, shown here in 2003, was known as a tireless campaigner. "If anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead, feel free to do it," Blagojevich said Monday outside a Chicago window factory where workers were protesting their layoffs. His comment came in response to a reporter's question about corruption allegations. Authorities had indeed bugged the governor's campaign office and tapped his home phone, catching him talking about alleged plans to sell the U.S. Senate seat left empty by President-elect Barack Obama. During his political career, Blagojevich made headlines. A native Chicagoan, he was thought of as a charismatic guy who always liked to ingratiate himself to the working man. But he was never considered a natural politician, particularly when he first began exploring a run for the governorship in 2002. His father, Rade Blagojevich, was a Yugoslavian immigrant who came to America after World War II. The elder Blagojevich worked in a steel mill to support his family, which was then living on the city's then-downtrodden northwest side. As a boy, Blagojevich held odd jobs -- shining shoes, delivering pizzas -- and worked in Alaska for two summers in his teens. He used the money to enroll in Northwestern University, a prestigious school in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. He went on to law school at Pepperdine University, then went back to Chicago after graduation to be a lawyer. Blagojevich later joined the State's Attorney Office in Cook County -- the county in which Chicago is located -- and built a reputation for prosecuting domestic violence cases. During his time as a lawyer, where Blagojevich grew to enjoy the increasing public spotlight, he began flirting with the idea of running for office. He met his wife, Patricia Mell, in 1988 at a political fundraiser for her father, well-known Chicago Alderman Richard Mell. Blagojevich started working in the father's office, married Patricia Mell and had a daughter, Amy. They had another daughter a few years later. He served in the Illinois House from 1992 to 1996, representing the North Side Chicago district before moving on to Congress in 1997. During his three terms in Congress, he helped bring $240 million in federal funds to the Chicago Transit Authority and an additional $10 million to help protect Lake Michigan's shoreline. He grabbed headlines in 1999 when he traveled to Yugoslavia with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to negotiate the release of three American soldiers. Blagojevich met with then-President Slobodan Milosevic, who later faced a war crimes tribunal but died of a heart attack before the proceedings were concluded. Blagojevich set his sights on the governorship in 2002 with an aggressive appeal to the workaday Illinoisan. He portrayed himself as a regular guy who wanted to do right by the middle class. Tirelessly campaigning, knocking on doors and running down-home-flavored television ads, Blagojevich jokingly told voters not to worry about pronouncing his last name right. Just call me Rod, he said. At one point, a staunch supporter of his Republican opponent, Michael P. Flanagan, marveled to the Chicago Sun-Times that he was impressed by the number of appearances Blagojevich was making during the campaign. "He is one of the most energetic guys in politics today," Flanagan said in a Sun-Times profile. "If he was an athlete, they would test him for amphetamines. He would come up clean -- but they would test him." Blagojevich was able to leverage a string of endorsements from popular figures like Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. He also got the support of the Service Employees International Union, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. In the 2002 governor's race, Blagojevich rode to victory 7 points ahead of opponent Jim Ryan. Blagojevich commenced his re-election campaign in 2006 by promising not to raise state income or sales taxes during his second term. In May 2008, Blagojevich proposed a $150 million initiative to combat youth violence. In July, he pardoned 19 convicted criminals, including several who had been exonerated, and in August called a special legislative session to consider reducing state construction costs in order to increase money for schools. Earlier this week, Blagojevich was in the news again -- standing beside and supporting the workers suddenly laid off at the Chicago window factory. The employees complained that the layoffs came without the 60 days' notice required by federal law. Speaking to reporters as he stood with the workers, Blagojevich spoke of the need to follow the law. "We are going to do everything possible here in Illinois to side with these workers," he said. "And it isn't just lending them moral support, but it's ... making sure that we have our court system enforce the federal laws so these workers are getting what they're entitled to under the law and under what is the right thing to do."

The son of a Yugoslavian immigrant has working-class roots in Chicago . Blagojevich worked in State's Attorney Office before serving 3 terms in Congress . He became known for his energy, political clout before joining 2002 race for governor . Blagojevich appealed to middle class Illinoisans with ads suggesting "call me Rod"

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Sen. Tom Daschle will be announced Thursday as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a Democratic source said Wednesday. Former Sen. Tom Daschle, shown with his wife, Linda, says he will write Obama's health care plan. CNN has previously reported that the 61-year-old former Senate majority leader from South Dakota would be Obama's choice, but not the announcement date. In November, Daschle said he was excited about the possibility of serving as point person in Obama's effort to change the nation's health care system. Daschle is on the health care advisory group of Obama's transition team and said he plans to write the health care plan that Obama submits to Congress next year. "I hope to have the plan enacted by next year, and then it will take several years to implement," Daschle said last month. Daschle said reforming health care in the United States must be a priority in the current economic climate. "We can't afford not to do it," he said. "If we do nothing, we'll be paying twice as much on health care in 10 years as we do today." Daschle served as Democratic leader in the Senate from 1995 until he lost a re-election bid in 2004. Representing South Dakota, he was first elected as a congressman in 1978 and served in the House until he was elected to the Senate in 1986. He recently wrote a book on health care titled "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis." In the book, he pushed for universal health care coverage to reach 46 million uninsured Americans by expanding the federal employee health benefits program to include private employer plans together with Medicaid and Medicare. Most Republicans oppose any such plan, saying it would give too much power to the government. They've also questioned Daschle's recent work for a Washington lobbying firm. His wife, Linda Daschle, is a registered lobbyist for a firm that includes health care clients. But a source close to Daschle told CNN that Linda Daschle would be leaving the firm at the end of the year to set up her own company focusing on transportation lobbying in order to clear any potential conflicts of interest. CNN's Candy Crowley and Ed Henry contributed to this report.

Ex-Sen. Tom Daschle is a health care adviser on Obama's transition team . The former Senate majority leader says he plans to write Obama's health care plan . Daschle advocates expanding federal employee health benefits to private employers . Linda Daschle, a registered lobbyist, would leave firm to clear potential conflicts .

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ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Authorities cordoned off the home of missing toddler Caylee Anthony's grandparents on Thursday, hours after the remains of a small child were found nearby. Investigators have sealed off the Anthony home, which shows a large Caylee poster. The sheriff's office in Orange County, Florida, said it is seeking a warrant to search the home of George and Cindy Anthony. Sheriff Kevin Beary said the home has been secured "pending more investigation." The house has the "possibility of being more of a crime scene later," he added. A child's skull was found at about 9:30 a.m. by a utility meter reader who alerted authorities, sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said. Investigators, including those from the Anthony case, rushed to the scene, he added. Watch investigators swarm the scene » . CNN affiliate WFTV reported that the meter reader picked up a plastic bag at the site and a skull fell out. The remains have been removed by the medical examiner and will be sent to the FBI lab at Quantico, Virginia, Sheriff Beary said. The agency has told its lab analysts that the case is top priority, Beary added. "If they have to work through the weekend, they'll work through the weekend." "Bottom line, it's real simple, folks," Beary said. "We've recovered this human skull, it appears to be that of a small child, and now the investigation continues. We've got a lot of lab work to do, a lot of DNA work to do, a lot of crime scene work to do. We could be here all night." Watch the sheriff talk about what needs to be done » . Prosecutors have asked police not to disclose many details surrounding the discovery, Beary said. Caylee Anthony, 3, has been missing since June in a case that has received national attention. Casey Anthony, the child's 22-year-old mother, was charged last month with murder and other offenses. She is being held at the Orange County Jail. The area where the remains were found had been searched as part of the investigation into Caylee's disappearance, he said. But the precise spot where a county meter reader found them -- "45, 50, 60 feet back" from the street -- was flooded at the time of the search. No clothes were found with the remains, Beary said. Asked whether the remains could belong to another child, Beary said, "Not that we know of, but that's always a possibility, and that's why we've got a lot of work to do on this case still." Earlier, authorities said the Anthony family had been notified of the discovery. The remains were found "in very close proximity" to the Anthony home, Solomons said. View a map of where the remains were found » . An attorney for Casey Anthony filed legal papers Thursday afternoon seeking a court order to preserve all evidence collected, and to permit the defense to conduct its own forensic testing. A hearing has been scheduled for Friday morning. In a court hearing earlier Thursday, 9th Circuit Judge Stan Strickland postponed Casey Anthony's trial at the request of defense attorney Jose Baez. The attorney said he had not received all the evidence due him from prosecutors and was not ready to proceed with the January 5 trial. Baez asked Strickland whether the trial could be delayed until March. The judge scheduled a hearing January 15 to consider a new trial date as well as a possible change of venue. Casey Anthony remains in protective custody and has no contact with other inmates, corrections officials said. "She has been seen by a Corrections Health Services psychologist and her status was reviewed," officials said in a statement, adding Anthony was under psychological observation -- which is not the same as suicide watch. Baez arrived at the jail just before noon Thursday and stayed about an hour and a half, officials said. Prosecutors said this month that they would not seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony. If convicted of murder, she could be sentenced to life in prison. Authorities have said Casey Anthony waited about a month before telling her family that Caylee was gone. Cindy Anthony -- Caylee's grandmother and Casey Anthony's mother -- called the Orange County sheriff's office July 15, saying her daughter would not tell her where Caylee was. When questioned, Casey Anthony gave conflicting statements to police, including some that were later disproved, according to hundreds of documents and investigative reports released in the case. She claimed that she dropped Caylee off with a baby-sitter, but when police checked out her story, they learned that the address Casey Anthony supplied belonged to an apartment that had been vacant for weeks. The woman Casey Anthony named as her baby-sitter told police she did not know her. Investigators have said that cadaver dogs picked up the scent of death in Anthony's car, as well as in her parents' backyard. They also said air quality tests conducted by the FBI found evidence consistent with human decomposition and chloroform in the car's trunk. A neighbor told police Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel. Also, an analysis of Anthony's computer found that she had visited Web sites discussing chloroform and had done Internet searches on missing children, according to information released in the case. "There isn't a motive, and they haven't found a motive," Cindy Anthony said Wednesday night on CNN's "Larry King Live." Watch Cindy Anthony insist her daughter is innocent » . She added, "They told us they thought it was an accident, and she's scared and tried to cover it up. They don't feel there's a motive." Cindy Anthony stressed that five searches for the girl's body have "come up with nothing. There's nothing that they have found that, you know, has given them any evidence that Caylee is no longer with us." The Anthonys said they believe that the girl is still alive and that someone has her, noting several reports of sightings. Last month, Strickland denied prosecutors' request to impose a gag order in Anthony's case, saying he could not state that continued publicity would pose a threat to her trial or even that a gag order would stem the flood of media attention. CNN's John Couwels and "Nancy Grace" producer Natisha Lance contributed to this story.

NEW: Police to search home of Caylee Anthony's grandparents . Child's remains found nearby on Thursday morning . Affiliate reports that child's skull fell from plastic trash bag when found . Utilility worker found remains in bag in area once underwater .

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COVINGTON, Louisiana (CNN) -- A woman recruited over the Internet and shot to death during a Ku Klux Klan group's initiation rite felt a need to be wanted and was eager to be part of a group, authorities say family members told them. Relatives describe Cynthia Lynch as having a deep need to feel wanted and eager to join groups. Her relatives told investigators that Cynthia Lynch, 43, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had never been outside her home state, said Capt. George Bonnett of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Department. But she recently took a bus to Slidell, Louisiana, where she was met by two Klan members and taken to a campsite in the woods near Sun, Louisiana, about 60 miles north of New Orleans. Bonnett and Sheriff Jack Strain gave CNN this account of what happened: . During the initiation rite, members of the Klan group, which calls itself the Sons of Dixie, shaved Lynch's head. After 24 hours of drills, including chanting and running with torches, she asked to be taken to town. An argument began and the group's leader, Chuck Foster, allegedly pushed her to the ground and shot her to death without warning. Lynch wanted to leave the campsite because she was homesick, investigators concluded after talking to Lynch's family in Tulsa. Watch how an initiation rite went wrong » . Strain told CNN that Foster used a knife to remove the bullet. Other members of the Sons of Dixie helped cover up the slaying for Foster, their leader or "Grand Lordship," Strain added. The attempt to conceal the killing included burning the woman's personal items, Strain said. The new details emerged Thursday as the FBI announced it was assisting local authorities. The FBI's top agent in New Orleans, Louisiana, said the agency usually doesn't monitor specific groups, but will look into whether any federal laws were violated. "The FBI is working closely with local law enforcement authorities investigating this recent incident," said Special Agent in Charge David W. Welker. He added that the FBI would "aggressively investigate" any leads and urged anyone with information to call the FBI at 504-816-3000 . Sheriff's investigators said they received the intitial tip about the killing from a convenience store clerk. Two of the group members went into the store and asked the clerk if he knew how to get bloodstains out of their clothes, Strain said. The clerk told them no, and called the sheriff after they left. Officials tracked down those two members and arrested them. Authorities established telephone contact with other members of the group who were still at the campsite and let them know law enforcement officials were on their way. They surrendered without incident. Foster was elsewhere in the woods, but he also surrendered, the sheriff said. Watch report on Klan initiation gone awry » . The woman's body was found under loose brush along a road several miles from the campsite. At the campsite, investigators found Confederate flags, KKK banners, five Klan robes and an Imperial Wizard robe. Foster, 44, is charged with second-degree murder. He remained Thursday at the St. Tammany Parish jail with no bail set, authorities said. Seven other suspects also remained in jail Thursday, charged with obstruction of justice. Bail for each was set at $500,000. On Wednesday, sheriff's investigators searched a house Foster had rented for the past five years in Bogalusa. They found Klan paraphernalia, documents and computer files. Among the seized documents were membership applications, titles and a chain of command for group members . "We recovered various documents out of that home that are giving us an indication of the organizational structure and the organizational guidelines of the group," Bonnett said. Fred Oswold, chief of criminal investigations for the sheriff's office, said the Sons of Dixie Klan group is small and that most of its members already had been arrested. "So far we have learned that they were a small group, but they were fairly organized," said Oswold, who said his agency is working with the FBI to learn more about the group. CNN's Katie Ross contributed to this report.

Louisiana Klan group called itself the "Sons of Dixie" FBI says it is working with local police . Chuck Foster, 44, charged with second-degree murder in death of Cynthia Lynch . Others involved in initiation are accused of trying to conceal the killing .

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(CNET) -- Suleman Ali cashed out just in time. Suleman Ali sold Esgut, his portfolio of Facebook applications, for seven figures in April. The 26-year-old, a former Microsoft employee who helped put together the Windows Home Server product, founded a company called Esgut within months of the debut of Facebook's developer platform in May 2007. Esgut is a portfolio of Facebook applications, and a few of them, like Superlatives and Entourage, became genuine viral hits. In April, Ali sold the 12-employee Esgut to the Social Gaming Network, a Silicon Valley company backed by the likes of Bezos Expeditions, the Founders Fund, and Greylock Partners. He said the price was in the seven figures. But Ali is the first to acknowledge that for upstart social-platform developers, hailed just months ago as the Valley's hottest breed of bright young things, the condition has taken a significant turn for the worse. "Most people are not counting on anything," the lanky and bespectacled Ali said over lunch at an organic restaurant near New York's Union Square in early December. "They're just operating from day to day." When Facebook's developer platform launched, the social network's traffic began to really skyrocket. What had started as a no-frills networking site for students at elite universities became a Silicon Valley buzz factory with legitimate geek credentials. And however gimmicky many of the most popular Facebook Platform apps were, millions of people decided they now had a reason to join the site. The floodgates had opened. Facebook was a phenomenon. When other social networks such as MySpace, Friendster, and Hi5 also paraded out developer platforms, the tech world took it as evidence that there was a big future in building platform applications. More importantly for developers and ambitious tech entrepreneurs, it looked like there could be gobs of money in it; the open, anyone-can-play attitude created the notion that there was enough for everyone. "The social platform (on Facebook) actually launched the last day that I was at Microsoft...I was quitting without any idea of what I was going to do," Ali recalled. His aims for leaving Redmond were starry-eyed. "I left because I wanted to do a start-up. I wanted to see what I could do out there on my own. And I wanted to care deeply about what I was working on." But he had no concrete plans to go the Facebook route initially, he said. "I ended up in my parents' house in Florida and was kind of bored, and started building Facebook apps just out of restlessness and the desire to do something." Then, Ali continued, he went to the Graphing Social Patterns West conference in San Diego in March and met Social Gaming Network founder Shervin Pishevar. At the time, he was looking to raise venture funding but hadn't thought about selling his apps. "We talked for 30 minutes and he was like, 'You sound like the exact type of people we want at SGN.'" Ali sold Esgut to Pishevar's company the next month. Widgets buzz turns into hush . Ali got lucky. Even before the reality of the recession set in, the social-platform craze was subsiding. The venture capital buzz about widgets began to quiet over the summer. Some of the sillier novelty apps wore off in popularity. Companies that were snapping up small apps and raising huge amounts of venture capital, like Slide and RockYou, grew intimidatingly bigger--but the glut of independent apps made it more difficult to grab the attention of potential buyers. And after new restrictions, a redesign, and then the social network's focus on expanding through its Facebook Connect log-in service, it became evident that a social-network platform is still a new phenomenon that can change dramatically, and not always to the benefit of little start-ups. "There's definitely a lot of tightening up," Ali said. "There's a few people that I know that have apps that are relatively small, and they're selling them for valuations lower than what they could've sold them for a month ago, and there are just no buyers in the marketplace. I think they're going to have a hard time selling, period--forget trying to sell at a lower valuation. They're just having a hard time getting rid of them." So would he still be able to sell his company as easily now? "No, probably not," Ali admitted. "If we were the same company we were then, it would be much harder to sell today. I think we would've had to evolve as a company. I think we would need to be generating more revenue than we were." But for all his concern about the fate of social-platform developers in a recession, Ali is still strikingly bullish on Facebook--enough so that his newest project is a fund for Facebook stock. He started purchasing it in November, he said, and is meeting with investors in the hopes of purchasing more. He added with surprising gusto that Facebook's decision to delay direct cash-outs hasn't derailed his plan. "I think that's actually good news for us," Ali said. "I think that means that the price that we pay will actually go down because there are all these employees who intended to sell stock back to Facebook, and now they're not going to be able to sell it to Facebook, (so) they'll have to sell it somewhere else." He hopes to keep the stock until Facebook files for an initial public offering, and he still thinks that's on track, too. "I think it's going to be a function of the economy and when the markets open back up for an IPO," he said, and cited target dates that had been provided in interviews by Facebook investor and board member Jim Breyer. "From a Facebook perspective, I think it'll be ready to IPO in 2011." Many critics would say that's wishful thinking, and that the company will sell--to existing investor Microsoft, maybe--for much lower than its $15 billion preferred-stock valuation. But Ali got lucky on Facebook once already, and even in a recession he hasn't given up hope that it could happen again. © 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CNET, CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. Used by permission.

Suleman Ali sold Esgut, his tech startup, for seven figures in April . Esgut is a portfolio of Facebook applications; a few of them became big viral hits . Suleman "started building Facebook apps just out of restlessness" He sold his company just before the social-platform craze subsided .

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(CNN) -- Despite Patricia Blagojevich's myriad charitable endeavors, she is now thought of as the goading voice in the background of a November phone call taped by the FBI. Illinois first lady Patricia Blagojevich was born into a political family. "Hold up that f---ing Cubs s---. F--- them," she allegedly said as her husband, Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, bandied about a scheme to withhold state funds from the Cubs' parent Tribune Company unless the owner agreed to fire certain Chicago Tribune employees. Seven days later, according to the affidavit, she took part in a meeting about whether President-elect Barack Obama would secure a lucrative job for her if her husband appointed Obama's preferred candidate to his vacant Senate seat. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has said Patricia Blagojevich is not the target of the investigation of the governor's alleged attempts to sell Obama's Senate seat, pressure the Chicago Tribune and threaten to withdraw funding from a children's hospital. Watch what prosecutors say was the first lady's role in alleged scandal » . A glance at her profile on the governor's Web site details a list of philanthropic endeavors, including awareness campaigns for breast cancer, heart disease and food allergies. She also has championed children's health care and literacy, and has parlayed her love for gardening into the State Beautification Initiative. "As first lady, she works hard to promote initiatives that will help the families of Illinois bring up happy, healthy and successful children," her biography says. Blagojevich and her family have been part of the Chicago machine for decades. The 43-year-old mother of two is the oldest daughter of Margaret Mell and longtime Chicago Alderman Richard Mell, whose district includes part of Chicago's Northwest Side, where Rod Blagojevich was raised. Patricia Blagojevich has two siblings, Rich Mell Jr. and Deborah Mell, a gay rights activist and incoming state representative who was arrested in March 2004 while protesting Cook County, Illinois,' refusal to grant her a same-sex marriage license. Deborah Mell had said she would run for the seat of U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel after Obama tapped him as his chief of staff, but she later withdrew from consideration. Richard Mell is a well-known Chicago power player who has served on the City Council since 1975. Rod Blagojevich met his future wife in 1988, at one of the alderman's fundraisers. The couple married in 1990, and Mell put his political weight behind Rod Blagojevich, who quickly ascended the political ranks. Mell has long been credited as choreographer of that rise, which took Rod Blagojevich from the Cook County state's attorney office to the Illinois General Assembly (1992) to the U.S. House of Representatives (1997) to the governor's office (2003). Rod and Patricia Blagojevich did not move into the governor's mansion in Springfield, opting instead to live 200 miles north in Chicago's upscale Ravenswood Manor neighborhood. There, they live with their daughters -- Amy, 10, and Annie, 4. After Rod Blagojevich was elected to the state's top post, a public feud erupted between the governor and Mell. Tensions reached a flash point in January 2005, when Rod Blagojevich reportedly shut down a Joliet, Illinois, landfill owned by Patricia Blagojevich's second cousin. Mell, in an interview with the Chicago-Sun Times, castigated Rod Blagojevich as someone who "uses everybody, and when there's no more use, he discards them." Mell further said that his daughter was wearing "blinders" and didn't realize her husband was a manipulative political animal who would "throw anyone under the bus." Mell also leveled a flurry of allegations against his son-in-law's administration -- most notably that Rod Blagojevich's fundraising chief, Christopher Kelly, "trades appointments to commissions for checks for $50,000" to the governor's political fund, the newspaper reported. Asked Wednesday if he would discuss his 2005 allegations, Mell responded via e-mail, "My main concern right now is for my daughter and grandchildren. I would rather not discuss this sad situation in the public venue at this time." Reports vary on whether the family feud was ever laid to rest. Though fences were mended two years ago, after Mell's wife died of a terminal brain disease, the Sun-Times reported the bad feelings later resurfaced. Though Mell did not accuse his daughter of improprieties in his well-publicized rant, Patricia Blagojevich has been the subject of scrutiny over her real estate deals, most notably those involving businessman Antoin Rezko. Rezko, who was convicted in the summer on 16 counts, including fraud, money laundering and abetting bribery, is part of this week's allegations against Rod Blagojevich. Federal authorities allege Rezko is one of the conspirators with whom the governor schemed in what Fitzgerald called "a corruption crime spree." The first lady, a licensed real estate broker and appraiser with an economics degree from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, has not been charged with wrongdoing. Patricia Blagojevich's ties to Rezko came under fire after the Chicago Tribune in 2005 reported that 25 percent of her income in 2004 -- about $38,000 -- came via deals with Rezko, one of the governor's top fundraisers at the time. Aides to the governor said there was nothing nefarious about the business relationship. In October, the Chicago Tribune reported that the first lady's home-based real estate firm, River Realty, had received about $700,000 in commissions since 2000, when Blagojevich began raising funds for his gubernatorial run. Of those commissions, the paper reported, about three-quarters came from "state contractors, family and others with political ties." Among her associates, the Tribune reported, were William Cellini, a key player in the Rezko trial, and Anita Mahajan, who was charged in 2007 with bilking Illinois out of more than $2 million for drug-screening services her firm never performed. The paper reported that Mahajan's husband, Amrish, was a former Blagojevich fundraiser. Despite the reported income, the federal affidavit outlining the charges against Rod Blagojevich states the governor was bemoaning his family's "financial stress" and expressing hope that Obama might help alleviate it. A six-figure salary for serving on a corporate or nonprofit board would help the "struggling" family, he allegedly said, noting that Patricia Blagojevich's Series 7 license to sell securities makes her an apt candidate for such work. The affidavit says the governor had harsh words for the president-elect should he not help the Blagojeviches. Calling Obama a "motherf---er," the governor scoffs incredulously at the idea of appointing his preferred candidate without a kickback, the affidavit says. "For nothing? F--- him," he said, according to the affidavit. The next day, the affidavit says, Rod Blagojevich firmly ruled out appointing Obama's preferred successor. "They're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. F--- them," the affidavit quotes him as saying. CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.

Patricia Blagojevich is allegedly heard urging her husband to withhold state funds . She comes from a political family; father is Chicago alderman, sister an activist . Her real estate deals with fraudster businessman Antoin Rezko have drawn scrutiny . Her father once accused husband's administration of selling state appointments .

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(CNN) -- Joran van der Sloot is meeting with investigators Thursday in the Netherlands in response to the recently released videotape in the Natalee Holloway case, his U.S.-based attorney said. Joran van der Sloot awaits transfer from the Netherlands to Aruba in November. He later was released. The exact location of that meeting was not disclosed, but van der Sloot's attorney, Joe Tacopina, said his client has "agreed to answer any questions." In the video that aired Sunday on Dutch television, van der Sloot, a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Holloway, told a man he was with the Alabama teen on an Aruban beach when she apparently died and that a friend of his with a boat disposed of Holloway's body. Van der Sloot later said the statements were lies, and on Monday, Tacopina said the video contains "no admission of a crime." The lawyer said facts in the case contradict two assertions van der Sloot made in the video, including that the boat-owner friend mentioned wasn't in Aruba in May 2005. Watch how video has brought new interest in case » . Meanwhile, prosecutors are still awaiting a decision from a three-judge appellate panel on the nearby Caribbean island of Curacao as to whether van der Sloot can be arrested in reaction to the video. The chief prosecutor in Aruba, Hans Mos, was denied an initial attempt to arrest van der Sloot by the investigating judge last Sunday. The judge determined that numerous pretrial detentions of van der Sloot in the past have created a "high bar" that current circumstances do not meet. The prosecutor appealed the judge's decision on Tuesday, and the appellate panel will have eight days to respond. Holloway disappeared while visiting Aruba with about 100 classmates celebrating their graduation from Mountain Brook High School in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, and was last seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. Mos dropped charges against the three men in December, saying he couldn't be sure of a conviction. E-mail to a friend . CNN Tracy Sabo contributed to this report.

Joran van der Sloot will answer questions about video story, lawyer said . Van der Sloot said videotaped story of how woman died was lie . Holloway disappeared in 2005 while on graduation trip to Aruba . Meet journalist who uncovered van der Sloot tape; tonight, 9 ET, "Larry King Live"

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- The Lear jet that crashed on landing last week in Mexico City, killing all aboard, including Mexico's interior minister, may have been felled by the turbulence from a large passenger jet it was following too closely, the nation's transportation secretary said Friday, citing results of a preliminary investigation. The scene of the plane crash in Mexico City was one of panic and confusion, witnesses said. Radar tapes show that the Lear 45 -- carrying three crew members and six passengers from San Luis Potosi -- was flying just 4.15 nautical miles behind a Boeing 767-300 at 6:45 p.m. November 4, Luis Tellez said. The International Civil Aviation Organization calls for a separation of at least 6 nautical miles between a heavy jet like the Boeing and a medium-weight jet like the Lear to ensure that turbulence does not affect the smaller plane's control, Tellez said. The flight controller in Mexico City recognized that the separation was insufficient and, at 6:44 p.m., told the Lear jet to reduce its speed, but "the Lear jet didn't begin to decelerate significantly until a minute and 12 seconds later," Tellez said. "The transcript of the [cockpit voice recorder] reveals that, in this period, the plane entered a turbulence that surprised the crew members, and the pilot attributed it to the wake of the plane ahead," Tellez said. The pilot asked the co-pilot, who had more experience, to take over, but he was unable to regain control, Tellez said. "We know that the crew recognized the presence of the turbulence provoked by the wake of the plane that preceded it and, immediately after recognizing it, the plane gave a sharp turn and initiated its descent at a pronounced angle that culminated in its impact on the ground," he said. The Boeing, which weighs 175 tons, is classified as a heavy plane. The 8-year-old Lear, which weighed 9.5 tons, was classified as a medium-weight plane, though it was on the light end of that scale, Tellez said. "Therefore, it is more vulnerable than most medium-sized planes to the phenomenon of turbulence," he said. Officials said last week that the left engine fell off the plane before it crashed. Lab tests found no traces of alcohol or drugs in either pilot and no evidence of sabotage or explosives, he said. Scrutiny of the wreckage has found no indication that anything was wrong with the plane or its engines, he said. But the investigation did find "presumed deficiencies" in the pilot's certification to operate a Lear jet, Tellez said. Audio from the cockpit voice recorder "shows the lack of familiarity" of the pilot, Capt. Martin de Jesus Oliva Perez, with the instruments in the cabin, he added. Among the plane's passengers was Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino, the nation's second most-powerful official and a confidant of President Felipe Calderon's. The plane crashed in Mexico City traffic and erupted in flames, killing five people on the ground and injuring 14 in addition to killing the nine people aboard. Tellez said the final report, which will take several months to complete, will include studies carried out in a NASA simulator to confirm whether the wake was responsible.

Lear jet was too close behind Boeing 767, transportation secretary says . Pilots were unable to regain control after hitting turbulence . Investigators found no alcohol or drugs in pilots, no explosives or sabotage . Crash killed 14 people, including nation's interior secretary .

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(CNN) -- An ancient race that lived 2,700 years ago in the Gobi Desert may have been among the first to use cannabis for medical or religious purposes. Researchers believe an ancient Gushi shaman may have consumed or burned pot for medical or religious purposes. Nearly two pounds of the plant was found stashed in the tomb of a Gushi shaman. It was high in the chemical compounds that provide its psychoactive properties. "It had evidence of the chemical attributes of cannabis used as a drug," said Dr. Ethan Russo, an author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany. "It could have been for pain control. It could have been for other medicinal properties. It could have been used as an aid to divination." The Gushi people were a Caucasian race with light hair and blue eyes who likely migrated thousands of years ago from the steppes of Russia to what is now China. A nomadic people, they were accomplished horsemen and archers. Chinese archaeologists excavating a network of 2,500 tombs near the town of Turpan in the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region unearthed the shaman's grave, which contained the cannabis, along with a trove of artifacts such as bridles, archery equipment and a rare harp. The shaman is thought to have been about 45 years old when he died. Many of the bodies recovered in the area were found in an incredibly well-preserved, almost mummified condition. The shaman, however, was a skeleton. "The deceased was laid out on the bottom of this tomb on a little bier," Russo said. "This individual seemed to be very high status because of the variety and quality of the grave goods, including the equestrian equipment, the archery equipment and the large amount of cannabis." Russo said no pipe for smoking the cannabis was found in the shaman's tomb. Researchers think he might have eaten the cannabis or possibly put it on a burning fire to create fumes. They don't think it was used to make hemp clothing or rope, as some other early cultures did. Genetic analysis of the plant suggests it was cultivated rather than gathered from the wild. This find is not the first or the oldest example of ancient people using cannabis, but it may be the best studied. "There may have been older finds of cannabis, but not with this level of scientific investigation attached to them," Russo said.

About two pounds of potent cannabis found stashed in Gushi shaman's tomb . The Gushi were horsemen and archers who lived 2,700 years ago in the Gobi Desert . Archaeologists found shaman among 2,500 tombs of mummies, bridles, rare harp . No pipe in grave, leading researchers to surmise shaman ate or burned cannabis .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- A child cries from hunger, but no tears come from her swollen eyes. Zimbabwean clinics have been overwhelmed by the cholera epidemic, according to aid organizations. Malnutrition has left this baby born in Zimbabwe fighting for her life. She is the face of an unfolding crisis in a country once known as Africa's bread basket. Today a loaf of bread costs 35 million worthless Zimbabwean dollars, and people are forced to sift through garbage piles for any morsel of food. Others huddle for warmth around a fire burning inside the shell of a broken-down van. All of these images were captured on video recently smuggled out of Zimbabwe by Solidarity Peace Trust, a South African human rights group. Zimbabwe's government maintains that the situation is being exaggerated by the West in an effort to exert pressure on President Robert Mugabe to leave office. But the World Health Organization (WHO) says the desperate situation has triggered a widening cholera outbreak that has killed 775 people and infected more than 15,000. "You have to eat in the same place you sleep right next to the buckets, the same buckets that we used as toilets," one cholera patient says on the video. "There is no water to bathe." Watch shocking footage of Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis (Discretion advised) » . And little to eat. Women foraging for food in the bush find dry branches with only a few berries. "This packet of juice will be my supper tonight," one woman says. Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai -- who is still trying to form a unity government with Mugabe under a recent power-sharing deal -- said the situation can only be addressed once a "legitimate government" is in place. "Once there is a legitimate government, it is up to that government to deal with the problems the country is facing, which are quite wide-ranging," Tsvangirai told CNN on Wednesday. "But the immediate intervention of the health crisis has exacerbated the situation to the extent that it has now become an international crisis." The WHO says the current cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has a high fatality rate because sufferers are either not able to reach health centers in time or because health centers lack the capacity to treat the cases. View image gallery of Zimbabwe cholera crisis » . "The epidemic is clearly on the increase," Dr. Eric Laroche, a WHO official in Harare, told CNN on Wednesday. "I think it's going to last for several months." In addition to the WHO, the Red Cross has responded to the outbreak and is sending staff and medical supplies into Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's main hospitals have all but shut down and the small clinics equipped by international aid organizations are overcrowded and unable to cope with the thousands of cholera patients. Health workers inside Zimbabwe believe scores are dying at home. Laroche said the WHO is receiving cooperation from the government, but the health care system is abysmal. "The quality of the care, the supplies that come inside Zimbabwe, also need to be restored," Laroche said. "So there's a lot of work to do, because the health system is collapsing for the time being." One Zimbabwean health care worker, who would not show his face on the video, said he fears the death toll will skyrocket. "People are dying even at the health institution," he said. "It's beyond control. We are going to witness so many deaths in the coming weeks." He expressed frustration that so many people are dying from cholera, a disease that "is both preventable and curable." "Nobody should die from cholera," he said. "We are quite unfortunate." Zimbabwe, already experiencing an economic crisis, was struck with the raging water-borne cholera in August. Health experts say the battle against the disease can only be won if Harare has adequate water-treating chemicals and disposes of refuse properly. Zimbabwe's information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said Tuesday that the country has enough chemicals to purify water and enough money to buy pipes to mend sanitation lines. He maintained that the outbreak is under control, blaming the West for causing the crisis as an excuse for military intervention. International leaders -- including U.S. President George W. Bush, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Kenyan premier Raila Odinga -- have recently called for Mugabe to step down for failing to contain the cholera outbreak. Frustration inside Zimbabwe is building. Last week, doctors and nurses protested over the lack of medical supplies and other resources at the country's hospitals. Labor unions have protested over the deteriorating economy. Even soldiers once shielded from economic hardships by the Mugabe regime went on a rampage last week when they were unable to access wages from the country's banks. Human rights activist Elinor Sisulu, who has lived and worked in Zimbabwe and now coordinates civil action outside the country, called on African leaders to demand Mugabe step down before Zimbabwe explodes. "In any population where you have high levels of desperation, anger and ... people arrive at the conclusion that we've tried a peaceful political process and this is not working, then anything can happen," she said. CNN's Nkepile Mabuse in Johannesburg, South Africa contributed to this report.

Video images of starving children reveal scale of Zimbabwe's hunger crisis . WHO says widening cholera outbreak has killed 775, infected 15,000 . Zimbabwe's information minister maintains crisis is under control . Zimbabwe health care workers fear death toll could skyrocket .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Sen. Tom Daschle will be announced Thursday as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a Democratic source said Wednesday. Former Sen. Tom Daschle, shown with his wife, Linda, says he will write Obama's health care plan. CNN has previously reported that the 61-year-old former Senate majority leader from South Dakota would be Obama's choice, but not the announcement date. In November, Daschle said he was excited about the possibility of serving as point person in Obama's effort to change the nation's health care system. Daschle is on the health care advisory group of Obama's transition team and said he plans to write the health care plan that Obama submits to Congress next year. "I hope to have the plan enacted by next year, and then it will take several years to implement," Daschle said last month. Daschle said reforming health care in the United States must be a priority in the current economic climate. "We can't afford not to do it," he said. "If we do nothing, we'll be paying twice as much on health care in 10 years as we do today." Daschle served as Democratic leader in the Senate from 1995 until he lost a re-election bid in 2004. Representing South Dakota, he was first elected as a congressman in 1978 and served in the House until he was elected to the Senate in 1986. He recently wrote a book on health care titled "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis." In the book, he pushed for universal health care coverage to reach 46 million uninsured Americans by expanding the federal employee health benefits program to include private employer plans together with Medicaid and Medicare. Most Republicans oppose any such plan, saying it would give too much power to the government. They've also questioned Daschle's recent work for a Washington lobbying firm. His wife, Linda Daschle, is a registered lobbyist for a firm that includes health care clients. But a source close to Daschle told CNN that Linda Daschle would be leaving the firm at the end of the year to set up her own company focusing on transportation lobbying in order to clear any potential conflicts of interest. CNN's Candy Crowley and Ed Henry contributed to this report.

Ex-Sen. Tom Daschle is a health care adviser on Obama's transition team . The former Senate majority leader says he plans to write Obama's health care plan . Daschle advocates expanding federal employee health benefits to private employers . Linda Daschle, a registered lobbyist, would leave firm to clear potential conflicts .

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(CNN) -- Former England cricket star Chris Lewis was remanded in custody by a British court Tuesday, charged with attempting to smuggle drugs through an airport. Chris Lewis joined Surrey to play in Twenty20 matches for the 2008 season. The 40-year-old all-rounder, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals for England in the 1990s, was arrested Monday when border officials at London's Gatwick Airport found cocaine hidden in luggage that had arrived on a flight from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Four kilograms of cocaine with a street value of around $350,000 was seized by the UK Border Agency, the UK's Press Association said. The drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins, officials said. Lewis and basketball player Chad Kirnon, 26, both from London, were held and questioned by Customs officials and later charged. British Revenue & Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger told PA: "This was an excellent detection by UK Border Agency officers. "HMRC, together with UKBA, play a vital role in the fight to prevent illegal drugs from entering the UK and in protecting our communities from the violence and corruption that always accompany this hideous trade." The two men made a brief appearance at Crawley Magistrates' Court in West Sussex on Tuesday afternoon, where Lewis had a bail application refused, PA reported. They were remanded in custody to appear via video link in court next Wednesday.

Four kilos of cocaine worth $350,000 seized at Gatwick Airport . Officials: Drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins in luggage . Chris Lewis played cricket for England during the 1990s .

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(CNN) -- Kate Meinhardt felt like a clown jammed into a Volkswagen bug when she lived in a 21-square-foot room aboard a circus train. Kate Meinhardt crammed her life into a 21-square-foot room while she lived aboard a circus train. Bungee cords crisscrossed her walls once a week to prevent an avalanche of items from raining down. A microwave, mini refrigerator, her laptop and baskets of personal items lined the dorm-like room. Showering, going to the bathroom and even doing laundry became racing contests on the train, Meinhardt said. The 13 people on board shared one shower, two toilets and one washer and dryer. "It's a pretty tough life living in such a small space," she said. The 23-year-old spent almost a year as an animal handler for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. While most iReporters haven't run off to join the circus, some have traded in their homes for smaller digs. One iReporter even opted for a floating lifestyle, where he could sail away at a moment's notice. iReport.com: Living in tight quarters . Living on a 25-foot boat was only supposed to be temporary, but Jim Smith loved it so much he stayed there for a year. "I have lived in a 25-foot sailboat, a 28-foot motor home, a 32-foot sailboat and now an 800 square-foot apartment," Smith said in his iReport. "I was happiest with the 25-foot sailboat." While docked in Panama City, Florida, Smith kept his expenses to a minimum. The marina slip rent was only $200 and electricity was included in the rent, he said. The boat did not have refrigeration so Smith kept his food inside an insulated ice box. For 79 cents at the discount grocery store, he could buy a 10-pound bag of ice that would last him several days, even during the summer. Air conditioning wasn't a luxury Smith had either, but fans and sea breezes kept him cool. "Sometimes the less you have, the more you like it," he said. The portable lifestyle also charmed a father-son duo who set out on a yearlong European vacation. A camper van took them wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Spencer Pearson and his 15-year-old son, Bryce, bought a 150-square-foot van in Germany for their European excursion. Living out of the van meant "no reservations, no packing and unpacking of suitcases, no strange beds," Pearson said. Modern amenities weren't amiss on the van, which included everything from the Internet and entertainment to a complete bath and kitchen, and there were occasional hotel stays and meals out that made the trip more pleasant. The simple life also enticed Deborah Greant and her husband to trade in their Calgary, Canada, home for an RV. Both she and her husband have neuromuscular problems and needed extra help taking care of their large home. Since moving into a 240-square-foot RV, they can manage the house themselves. "We didn't want to be owned by our things," Greant said. "We jettisoned pretty much everything except things from former generations." While two people living in an RV can be tight, imagine a family of six trying to do the same. Mounting living expenses and a job relocation prompted the Chervenkas to sell their home and move into a 32-foot RV. Two pets came along, too. The Chervenkas weren't forced to do this. Their goal was to become debt-free and save money for their children's college educations. When pilot Tim Chervenka got transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina, the family set up camp in a 32-foot RV. The temporary situation turned into a permanent one. The family said goodbye to paying a first and second mortgage and pricey utilities. They now pay only $500 a month, utilities included. "It's made such an adjustment in our personal life without the juggling," Cindy Chervenka said. "We have so much more family time. It's a good feeling." Cindy Chervenka has some advice for others thinking of a drastic downsizing: "Step out of your comfort zone and try it. We didn't plan on doing this full-time, but once we discovered it, we thought, 'hey we can do this forever!' Until you step out and try it, you'll think it's not doable."

iReporters share their experiences of living in a small space . Kate Meinhardt lived aboard a circus train as an animal handler . Jim Smith traded in his home for a 25-foot sailboat . iReport.com: Do you live in a small space?

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(CNN) -- The rapper Common wants to take hip-hop in a new direction, he says, and he has an unsuspecting ally -- President-elect Barack Obama. Common says he was looking for a new sound on his eighth album, "Universal Mind Control." Obama "is going to change hip-hop for the better," predicted the rapper, whose eighth album, "Universal Mind Control" (G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen), hits shelves Tuesday. "I really do believe we as hip-hop artists pick up what's going on in the world and try to reflect that," he told CNN, outlining his belief that mainstream as well as so-called "conscious" rappers -- the more socially aware -- will pick up on what he sees as the more optimistic prospects of an Obama presidency. "I think hip-hop artists will have no choice but to talk about different things and more positive things, and try to bring a brighter side to that because, even before Barack, I think people had been tired of hearing the same thing," he said. Likewise, "Universal Mind Control," with its hook-heavy, synthed-out tracks, represents a "broadening" of hip-hop's audience -- one that demands evolution rather than hackneyed revamps of old beats, rhythms and rhymes, Common said. Listen to clips from the album and Common's interview with CNN.com » . Not that Common, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., is altogether removed from the temptations of his hip-hop brethren. He serves as a spokesman for Lincoln Navigator and purports on his new album to "rebel in YSL," a reference to designer Yves Saint Laurent. Money is also a weakness, as Common -- No. 14 on Forbes magazine's 2008 list of richest rappers -- regularly invokes the greenbacks he makes and spends. iReport.com: Talk Grammy Awards and more showbiz with Todd . Still, Common has come at hip-hop from a different angle from many of his colleagues. He was generally considered "underground" until he linked up with Kanye West, who produced his albums "Be" (2005) and "Finding Forever" (2007). Even now, while paying homage at mainstream hip-hop's altar, the Chicago-born lyricist also enters parishes where most rappers wouldn't be seen. He's helped front movements for HIV/AIDS awareness and vegetarianism, and he's written two children's books emphasizing the importance of self-esteem. Lyrically, violence has never been his thing; soft-drug use has been mentioned but rarely glamorized; he removed homophobic references from his lyrics years ago; and while there have been hints of misogyny and the occasional N-word in his verses, neither has been a staple of his rhymes. "I've always been conscious, honestly," he said. "I made a choice on this album, 'Universal Mind Control,' to really make some music that was bright, that would be a little more lighthearted, just because of what was going on in the world." Read more from the interview . With a few exceptions, his latest lyrics are consummate Common. In his beat poet's cadence, the 36-year-old rhymesmith aggressively courts the ladies, personifies hip-hop, aggrandizes himself and his hometown (lovingly, "the Chi"), and respectfully doles out props to hip-hop's forefathers -- most notably to Afrika Bambaataa on the album's title track. Hear the title track » . The album's sound, however, is atypical, moving -- sometimes jerkily -- from club-banger to anthem to ballad to Top 40. The latter even runs counter to the opening verse of "Everywhere": "No pop, no pop, no pop, no pop/We gonna do this thing till the sky just drop." But the sound is part of "a whole new sound and a new movement" in hip-hop, something he explored out of disdain for repetition and predictability, he said. That might explain Kanye West's relative absence on "Universal Mind Control." The Louis Vuitton don appears on only one track, the pop-drenched "Punch Drunk Love." But West has long been credited, even by Common, with bringing his fellow Chicagoan to the mainstream after "Be" and "Finding Forever" went gold and leapt up the Billboard 200. Of course, it's not all Kanye, said Common. "I'm a true believer that it all boils down to the music, because Kanye can endorse something, and if people don't like it they ain't gonna get with it -- regardless of whoever endorses it," he said. He compared his working relationship with West to the collaboration he enjoyed with The Neptunes' Pharrell Williams on "Universal Mind Control." Williams, whom Common casually likened to Quincy Jones, pushed him lyrically, much like West did, he said. Between Williams and Mr. DJ -- who composed backbeats for some of OutKast's biggest hits -- Common arrived at the evolution he sought, he added. Common also is plotting a change, or at least a detour, in his career path. Though his past cinematic endeavors have been primarily gangster flicks, Common has landed a role in the upcoming "Terminator Salvation" and could play Green Lantern in "Justice League: Mortal" should the derailed movie get back on track. "I would truly love to go increasingly in the acting direction," he said. "My goal is to be a movie star. I want to be at Will Smith's level. I want to be co-leading with Leonardo DiCaprio." Fear not, Common fans. The aspiring thespian is confident he can pull off both, though hip-hop might ride sidecar to the silver screen. Acting, he said, seems to improve his music. "I don't take as much time overthinking it. Actually, since 'Be' I've been working on films and each album has been expanding and increasing, so I feel like I would still make music, but it wouldn't be the main gig," he said. Selling albums, Common said, is about more than good music, and though he stands proudly by the music he made pre-West, he concedes he didn't do enough to claw his way up from the underground. "After you make good, quality music, then it's your job to go out there and promote it and to market it and to get it out there to the people. I feel like I wasn't doing that early on," he said. "Now I am, and I feel like I'm growing as a songwriter and working with producers that are very incredible, so I feel all that is contributing to me getting the recognition that I'm getting."

Barack Obama should inspire a "more positive" message in hip-hop, Common says . Common sat down with CNN to discuss "Universal Mind Control," his movie career . Producers Pharrell Williams, Kanye West pushed Common lyrically, he says . Common concedes he didn't do enough to promote his music in his early years .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The conviction of a terrorist doctor in the UK exposes how any section of society can become radicalized, a top police officer said Tuesday. Bilal Abdulla is shown being arrested after the attack at Glasgow Airport. Bilal Abdulla was well-educated and working as a doctor when he carried out his plot to plant car bombs in London -- rather than unemployed or with feelings of being outside or abandoned by society as has been seen before in the UK. Born in southern England, his family moved to Iraq when he was a child. He grew up in the capital during Saddam Hussein's rule and went to the University of Baghdad before returning to Britain to attend Cambridge University. The Cambridge-educated graduate became a doctor working in the National Health Service where the maxim is to treat anyone regardless of the ability to pay. Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall, who heads the Counter Terrorism Command, said Abdulla and Kafeel Ahmed -- who died from burn injuries after he crashed a jeep into Glasgow International Airport, Scotland -- reveal a new type of terrorist. He told the UK's Press Association: "These individuals were not on our radar and that in itself is very interesting. When you look at the profile of these individuals they are very different from the terrorists we have dealt with in this country before - being professional people. McDowell added they were probably inspired by al Qaeda in Iraq but developed their plan in Britain without help from abroad. "I think this was a group that was largely self-motivated, came up with the ideas themselves, tutored themselves through the Internet. I don't think they received significant training elsewhere, which is unusual from what we have had in the past," he told PA. Abdulla's motive, prosecutors said, was revenge for the bloodshed in Iraq. Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw said: 'There is no longer a conventional approach to terrorism. There are no rules to be broken any more, nothing can be taken for granted." Abdulla was found guilty Tuesday of conspiracy to murder and conspiring to cause explosions. He will be sentenced to Woolwich Crown Court, London, on Wednesday. The jury rejected his defense that he had planned only to set fire to cars in central London as a way of highlighting the plight of Iraqis.

Dr. Bilal Abdulla's professional life is different to radicals seen before in UK . Anti terror officer tells PA Abdulla was a self-taught, self-starter . Abdulla planned car bomb attacks in June 2007 on targets in Glasgow and London . He was found guilty of conspiracy to murder in June 2007 .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- An engine fell off a Mexican government jet before it crashed, killing the second-highest official in the nation, the Cabinet member in charge of the investigation said Saturday. Firefighters at the scene of the crash Tuesday night in Mexico City. Officials also said they have ruled out the possibility that the crash was caused by a bomb. "There is no trace of explosives on the plane wreckage or the [crash] site," said Luis Tellez, Mexican secretary of communication and transportation. Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, former deputy attorney general Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and six others onboard were killed in the crash. At least five others on the ground died, and others were reported missing. Officials said 40 people were injured. Camilo Mourino and Santiago Vasconcelos had been instrumental in the war on drugs, leading to widespread speculation among Mexicans that drug lords orchestrated the crash. But Mexican authorities have said there is no indication that foul play was involved. The government Learjet 45 was traveling at 500 kmh (310 mph) when it crashed in central Mexico City as it approached Benito Juarez International Airport. Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Mexico's director of airports and auxiliary services, said the jet's left engine fell off when the plane was traveling between 250 and 300 kmh (150 to 186 mph), according to Mexico's state-run Notimex news agency. An examination of the wreckage indicates that the engines were functioning at high speed, Lopez Meyer said. Tallez said the day after the crash that the Learjet 45 did not explode in the air because when that happens, pieces of the airplane are scattered over a wide area. But the wreckage in this instance was limited to a small area, he said. Tellez also said Wednesday that the pilot did not report an emergency, Notimex said. A recording released Wednesday of what Mexican officials said was dialogue between the pilot and the airport control tower did not appear to have an emergency call from the aircraft. Officials have vowed to make all aspects of the investigation public. Mexican President Felipe Calderon inspected the crash site Saturday, Notimex said.

Jet's left engine fell off as plane traveled between 250 and 300 kmh, reports say . No traces of explosives found in wreckage; no foul play suspected, official says . Interior minister, former deputy attorney general among those who died Tuesday . Mexicans had speculated that drug lords were behind crash .

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(CNN) -- Despite acknowledgment from the White House a day earlier that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is unlikely before a new U.S. president takes office, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she is confident that ongoing efforts would produce success. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speak Thursday. "Carried to its state of conclusion, it will produce a state of Palestine," Rice, referring to negotiations in the wake of last year's U.S. summit on Israel-Palestinian peace in Annapolis, Maryland, said at a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, West Bank. Rice is on her eighth trip to the region since the Annapolis summit. On Thursday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the Bush administration does not "think that it's likely that it (a peace agreement) would happen before the end of the year." Rice said Friday that she realizes the lack of a peace agreement in the months following the Annapolis summit had caused some concerns that talks had stalled or might fail, but "it's quite the opposite -- the Annapolis process has laid the foundation for the eventual establishment for the state of Palestine." The purpose of her current trip, Rice said, was "to advance the Annapolis process," and while she did not speculate on a timetable for the future of the process or offer specifics on peace talks, she added, "I've seen them move forward a great deal in the past year." Both Israeli and Palestinian officials have expressed doubts about achieving a peace agreement before President Bush leaves office, but until this week U.S. officials had been more optimistic in their public comments. Speaking in Israel on Thursday, Rice blamed part of the inability to secure a deal on recent political changes in Israel, which she noted is "in the midst of elections." With Abbas on Friday, she emphasized that the commitment expressed by Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when they signed an agreement to work toward a peace deal by the end of 2008 is still strong. "I hope that the tremendous commitment (by both sides) is fully understood," Rice said. While Rice did not discuss any impact a new administration in Washington might have on the process, she said, "The United States really does understand why the Palestinian people want unity." Israel in recent months has seen political upheaval. Olmert resigned in September amid allegations of corruption. Kadima Party leader and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni gave up efforts to form a new coalition government late last month and is seeking to hold early general elections, which could be held in February, Livni's spokesman has said. Olmert will continue to lead as Israel's interim prime minister until a successor assumes power either by forming a coalition in the current Knesset or through general elections. However, it is unclear whether he will be able to strike a deal with the Palestinians before Israel forms its new government. Last month, Rice postponed a trip to a Middle East conference because of the global crisis in financial markets.

Ongoing process will result in Palestinian state, Condoleezza Rice says . Secretary of State Rice meeting with Middle East leaders . Recent political changes in Israel cited as one reason peace deal elusive . Israeli leader has resigned but will stay in office until successor assumes power .

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PARIS, France (CNN) -- A plane with seven people aboard crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday, a French regional government official told CNN. A New Zealand Airbus 320 flying into Auckland from France, from a file picture taken in 2003. The Airbus A320 jet was on a training flight when the crash occurred about 5 p.m. (4 p.m. GMT), said the official at the Maritime Prefecture in Toulon, France. There were no immediate reports of survivors, but rescue efforts involving French navy vessels and a helicopter were launched. Floating debris had been located, the official said. Airbus confirmed the crash in a written statement, saying the jet was owned by Air New Zealand and operated by XL Airways Germany. "The aircraft was operating a local technical flight from Perpignan, France," the company said. The Airbus statement did not say how many people were thought to be on board. See a map of where the flight originated » . The twin-engine plane involved in the accident had accumulated about 7,000 flying hours, Airbus said. Learn more about the Airbus A320 » . "At this time, no further factual information is available," Airbus said. "In line with international convention, Airbus will provide full technical assistance to the authorities of France, who will be responsible for the investigation into the accident. A team of five specialists from Airbus is being dispatched to the site." People in a civilian vessel saw the crash take place off the coast near Perpignan, the French government official said. "The investigation remains the entire responsibility of the relevant authorities, and it would be inappropriate for Airbus to enter into any form of speculation into the cause of the accident," the Airbus statement said. "The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident."

French official: Airbus A320 Air New Zealand jet crashes off southern French coast . Rescue efforts launched, no immediate reports of survivors, floating debris found . Passenger jet was on a training flight when it crashed at about 4 p.m. GMT .

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MALE, Maldives (CNN) -- The new president of the Maldives wants to relocate -- his entire country. Much of Male, capital of the Maldives, was flooded following the 2004 tsunami. Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed, a former political prisoner, was sworn in Tuesday after he unseated Asia's longest-serving leader in the country's first multi-party elections two weeks ago. He inherits an island nation with several problems. Foremost among them: the very likely possibility that the Maldives will sink under water if the current pace of climate change keeps raising sea levels. The Maldives is an archipelago of almost 1,200 coral islands located south-southwest of India. Most of the islands lie just 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) above sea level. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has forecast a rise in sea levels of at least 7.1 inches (18 cm) by the end of the century. The island was badly hit by the December 2004 tsunami, which killed an estimated 273,800 people and left thousands missing across Asia and Africa. In the Maldives itself, at least 82 people were killed and 26 unaccounted for from a population just over 270,000, according to the Maldives Disaster Management Center. Sixty-nine islands were completely flooded and a further 30 islands half flooded. The capital of Male was also flooded, although sea walls protected it from further devastation. The government has calculated that creating a similar barrier around the rest of the country would cost too much. Watch Maldives president vow to save the nation. » . And so the tourist nation, which has white sandy beaches that lure well-heeled Westerners, wants to set aside some of the $1 billion a year it receives from tourism and spend that money on buying a new homeland. "We will invest in land," Nasheed said. "We do not want to end up in refugee tents if the worst happens." Nasheed's government has said that it has broached the idea with several countries and found them to be "receptive." Lands owned by Sri Lanka and India are possibilities because the countries have similar cultures, cuisine and climate as the Maldives. Australia is also being considered because of the vast unoccupied land it owns. Climate change is not the only challenge the new president will have to tackle, though. Other thorny issues include rising unemployment, corruption and a staggering drug epidemic. By some estimates, one of every three Maldivian youth uses drugs. Maldivians also worry that their tiny secular nation of 370,000 Muslims could fall prey to the reach of Islamic radicals. A bombing in Male, attributed to Islamic extremists, wounded 12 tourists in September 2007. "We have made many pledges," Nasheed said in his inaugural address. "The citizens gave their majority vote to us to implement these." Nasheed said he will work to bring affordable housing and medical care for everyone. Twenty-one percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Nasheed, a 41-year-old one-time journalist, was among the fiercest critics of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who came to power in 1978 and ruled the Maldives for 30 years. He won the six previous elections as the only candidate on the ballot. Nasheed contended that Gayoom ruled with an iron fist, crushing dissent, amassing wealth and stacking his administration with friends and relatives. Gayoom's critics say his government enforced a system of 'apartheid' tourism that banned most Maldivians from nearly 90 luxury resorts. Shortly before election day, an auditors' report said that millions of dollars were improperly accounted for by Gayoom's government. He disputed the findings. Nasheed was arrested several times in the last 15 years and held as a political prisoner. Five candidates challenged Gayoom for the presidency in elections held on October 9. Gayoom said he needed a seventh five-year term to see through the reforms he put in place. But critics said Gayoom instituted democratic reforms -- and legalized political parties -- only after violent protests in 2004 and 2005. Nasheed and Gayoom ended up in a runoff -- with Nasheed winning 54 percent of the votes to Gayoom's 46 percent in the October 28 race. "No other citizens in the world in modern times have changed a 30-year-old regime so peacefully," Nasheed said in address. As the clock struck 12 a.m. Tuesday, Gayoom quietly exited the presidential office. "I deeply regret any actions on my part ... (that) led to unfair treatment, difficulty or injustice for any Maldivian," he said in a farewell speech. "From anyone who had had to face any such unfair treatment, difficulty or injustice, I sincerely seek forgiveness." Maldivians took to the streets in a celebration that carried into the wee hours of the morning. Residents danced to the beats of local bands and feasted on rice and mutton. They decked the cobbled roads of Male with the red-and-green flag of the Maldives and the yellow banner of Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party. "We cannot believe that this is happening. I have spent more than half my life in exile in Sri Lanka," said Nasheed's close confidant Mohammed Naseem. Journalist Sumon K. Chakrabarti in Male and CNN's Saeed Ahmed in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Newly sworn-in Maldives president vows to buy land to relocate entire nation . Climate change-threatened Indian Ocean islands could sink under rising sea levels . Maldives is considering land in Sri Lanka, India and Australia . Island was badly hit by tsunami of 2004, with more than 100 people dead or missing .

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(CNN) -- The European Union has launched a fact-finding mission to determine the causes of the August war between Georgia and Russia, an EU spokeswoman said Tuesday. Heidi Tagliavini, a Swiss dipomat, will head the investigation into what started the Georgian conflict. The eight-month inquiry will examine the facts of the conflict in regard to international law, humanitarian issues and human rights, said the spokeswoman, who did not give her name because she was not allowed to speak publicly. Investigators will also assess the basis for all accusations made regarding the conflict, the spokeswoman said. Heidi Tagliavini, a Swiss diplomat and former United Nations special representative for Georgia, will head the mission, the spokeswoman said. The mission began its work Monday and was due to finish July 31, 2009, ending with a report to the EU, the U.N. and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the spokeswoman said. Georgia launched a campaign against South Ossetia, a Russian-backed separatist territory, on August 7. The following day, Russian tanks, troops and armored vehicles poured into South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian territory, Abkhazia, advancing into Georgian cities outside the rebel regions. The two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have made accusations of ethnic cleansing. Moscow has since recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent regions.

European Union launches mission to determine causes of Georgian conflict . Heidi Tagliavini, former U.N. special representative for Georgia, heads probe . Georgia and Russia blame each other for starting the conflict .

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(The Frisky) -- Election tension is boiling over; it seems like everyone from the office blowhard to the person in front of you at the post office is spouting off opinions that make your blood boil. But what happens when the one disagreeing with you shares your bedroom? Here are ten tips to help you make it to November 4 without resorting to the taser gun: . 1. Assess the situation: While one of you might not care that much, the other might be eating, drinking, and sneezing the party line. Acknowledge who feels most strongly, who's just having fun, and whether or not thoughtful discourse is as likely as pigs (with or without lipstick!) flying. 2. Find common ground: Establish that you each are trying to do what you think is best to move this country forward. Maybe you can even agree on an issue or two, and join forces in talking about your mutual passion. (Note: this becomes less effective if you see eye-to-eye only about oatmeal tariffs.) 3. Establish boundaries: Maybe it's no political talk at the table or no ranting email forwards from Aunt Phyllis. You might even agree that you'll freeze discussion if one of you cries for mercy (a "safe" word is good for this: who knew that political arguments were so much like S & M?) Either way, ground rules are essential to keep things from getting ugly. 4. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Now's the time to channel your inner Miss Manners. Offensive taunts, passive-aggressive digs and -- most certainly-- flying fondue pots are all out of the question. 5. Don't overpersonalize: Your beloved is still, for the most part, who he always was. And the vast majority of those qualities have nothing to do with who gets his hanging chad in the voting booth. 6. Drive to distraction: Now is the time to take up cooking together, not to spend all night with Wolf Blitzer. Choose a classic movie over debate analysis and your 80s playlist over talk radio. And don't even think of bringing your guy to that fundraiser! 7. Find your outlet: If it helps you to hang out in partisan chat rooms all day, have at it. Just make sure you know the difference between blowing off steam and getting yourself worked up, or you're liable to be worse off than you started. 8. Keep it out of the bedroom: Say good night without politics-- unless, of course, the conflict adds some spice! But ixnay on the bouffant wig and red glasses.... as well as the Joe Biden undies. 9. Make an election night plan: Whether you'll be at viewing parties in opposite cities or side-by-side with earpieces and laptops, agree in advance whether you'll spend the evening, and morning, together. Avoid the potential pitfall of letting the night unfold spontaneously -- after all, one of you will be stewing while the other is squealing. 10. Do a reality check: For every couple engaged in a playful red-versus-blue showdown, there's another that must acknowledge red flags about opposing world views. Don't minimize what might be a larger problem of philosophical incompatibility-- or it could be a very long four years to come. TM & © 2008 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved .

If you're in a mixed political party marriage, this could be a tense time . Find common ground or avoid political battles over dinner table . Don't hurl taunts or forward political e-mail rants from Aunt Phyllis . Choose classic movie over talk radio, perhaps take up cooking class .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A suspected missile strike from a U.S. Predator drone killed at least four people in a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan region early Saturday. Marchers protest recent U.S. missile strikes on the Pakistani tribal areas. The attack, which occurred in the Mir Ali subdivision in the village of Ali Khel, was one of several to hit the country Saturday. Six people were injured in Saturday's attack, the fourth suspected U.S. strike on Pakistani soil in November. The names of the victims have not been released. It is also not known why the house was targeted. Elsewhere, three people were killed and 11 were injured in an explosion inside a mosque in northwest Pakistan's tribal region, a government official said. The explosion happened just after 4 p.m. (6 a.m. ET), leaving the Hangu district mosque inside Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province in ruins, said Omer Faraz Khan, deputy superintendent of Hangu. He said rescuers were trying to save people trapped under the debris. It was not immediately clear how many people were inside the mosque at the time of the blast. Police were investigating the explosion, which was detonated using a homemade timer, Khan said. Hours later, three bombs exploded about 10 p.m. (noon ET) outside a stadium in Lahore where a music festival was being held, police Inspector Muntzir Kazmi said. A 13-year-old was injured, but it was unknown whether the victim was a boy or girl. This week, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson to lodge a formal protest against another suspected U.S. missile strike on its territory, an act Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called a violation of his nation's sovereignty. Watch Gilani say his country has had enough of U.S. attacks » . Wednesday's strike in the Bannu region of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province left five dead and seven wounded. That attack was farther inside Pakistani territory than previous attacks. The attack targeted a home outside the tribal areas that U.S. intelligence says have become a haven for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters battling U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan. The U.S. government has not acknowledged hitting targets within Pakistan, an ally in the war on al Qaeda launched after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. However, Pakistan's government has repeatedly complained about the strikes. Gilani took to the floor of the parliament and renewed his condemnation of the attacks Thursday but added that he thinks they will be controlled when President-elect Barack Obama takes office. In October, the foreign ministry summoned Patterson to lodge a "strong" protest on continuing missile attacks and said they should be stopped immediately. At the time, a missile strike from a suspected U.S. drone on a compound in South Waziristan killed 20 people. Pakistan's government said the attacks cost lives and undermine public support for its counterterrorism efforts. The U.S.-led coalition and NATO, based in Afghanistan, have been seeking a way to effectively battle militants who are launching attacks from Pakistan's swath of tribal areas along the border. They have become frustrated with Islamabad over the years, saying it is not being active enough against militants, a claim Pakistan denies. The United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from drones, which are controlled remotely.

NEW: Teen killed when three bombs explode outside music festival . Four killed after suspected U.S. missile strike fired from drone, official says . Attack believed to be fourth in Pakistan since early November . Mosque bombing leaves at least three people dead in northwest .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Army intentionally denied benefits to soldiers suffering from a widespread stress disorder after they returned from service in Iraq and Afghanistan, a veterans advocacy group charges in a suit filed Wednesday. A soldier is welcomed home from Iraq by his son at Fort Stewart, Georgia, earlier this month. The lawsuit, filed by the National Veterans Legal Services Program, accuses the Army of illegally cutting off benefits to thousands of veterans and their families by refusing to assign a proper disability rating to those veterans after they had been discharged with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a result, the veterans have been denied benefits, including, among other things, lifetime monthly disability payments and free medical care for themselves and their families. "I experience firsthand the horrors of war" said Juan Perez, an Iraq veteran and one of five plaintiffs in the lawsuit. "My expectation was that the military would be there for me, and my country would be there for me. Instead, the way I was treated felt more like a slap to the face." All disabled veterans are assigned a disability rating from zero to 100 percent. According to the Legal Services Program, a rating of at least 30 percent is required to qualify for benefits such as monthly disability payments and free health care. Soldiers receiving less than a 30 percent rating are entitled only to a one-time lump sum severance payment after being discharged. On October 14, the Defense Department ordered the Army to assign at least a 50 percent rating to all soldiers discharged with PTSD in the future. The lawsuit seeks to provide full benefits to all veterans discharged with PTSD in the past six years. A Rand Corp. study released in April indicated that nearly 20 percent of all military service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have reported symptoms of PTSD or major depression.

Soldiers: Army denied them disability rating, so they were denied benefits . Lawsuit filed by veterans advocacy group on behalf of vets with PTSD . In October, Army ordered all future PTSD sufferers to be eligible for benefits . Soldiers want eligibility to go back six years .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A bomb attached to a car carrying an Iraqi army general exploded Saturday afternoon, killing the driver and wounding the general and a bystander, an Interior Ministry official said. U.S. soldiers patrol the streets of Baghdad's central district on Saturday. The official said Gen. Abdul Karim Jabbar was seriously wounded when the bomb went off between al-Firdous Square and al-Andalus Square. The U.S. military refers to bombs attached to civilian vehicles without the driver's knowledge as "sticky bombs." Separately, a civilian was killed and five were wounded in afternoon clashes between gunmen and Iraqi National Police in the al-Shaab neighborhood of northeastern Baghdad, the ministry official said. In the same neighborhood, a roadside bomb exploded at an Iraqi army checkpoint Baghdad, killing a child, the Interior Ministry official said. The blast also wounded four Iraqi soldiers. Also Saturday, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and another was wounded when a roadside bomb struck an Iraqi army patrol on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad.

Bomb attached to vehicle explodes in Baghdad, killing one and injuring two . Civilian killed in clash between gunmen and Iraqi National Police in Baghdad . Child killed by roadside bomb at Iraqi army checkpoint .

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(CNN) -- President Bush had a "relaxed" and "friendly" meeting with President-elect Barack Obama after he and first lady Laura Bush welcomed their successors to their future home Monday, a White House spokesman said. President Bush and Laura Bush welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House on Monday. "The president and the president-elect had a long meeting, described by the president as good, constructive, relaxed and friendly," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "The president enjoyed his visit with the president-elect, and he again pledged a smooth transition to the next administration." Perino said the two discussed national and international issues but did not provide specifics of the conversation. Bush also gave Obama a tour of the White House's living quarters, including the Lincoln bedroom. Bush and Obama held a private meeting in the Oval Office, while the first lady gave incoming first lady Michelle Obama a tour of the residence. The president and president-elect walked together along the Colonnade by the Rose Garden before entering the Oval Office together. They briefly waved to reporters along the way. Obama and Bush were not expected to speak on camera after their meeting. The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour. When President George H.W. Bush hosted President-elect Bill Clinton after the 1992 election, the two talked for nearly two hours. Monday's meeting was a historic formality, but it was also a time for serious talks. It marked the first time Obama has visited the Oval Office. Watch Bush welcome Obama to the White House » . Bush and Obama "had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation's many critical economic and security challenges," said Stephanie Cutter, spokeswoman for Obama's transition team. "President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for his commitment to a smooth transition, and for his and first lady Laura Bush's gracious hospitality in welcoming the Obamas to the White House," Cutter said. A day earlier, a leader of Obama's transition team said the president and president-elect were expected to discuss "a broad range of issues," focusing on the economy. "It's clear that we need to stabilize the economy, to deal with the financial meltdown that's now spreading across the rest of the economy. The auto industry is really, really back on its heels," transition team leader John Podesta told CNN's "Late Edition" on Sunday. Podesta said Obama will push Congress to enact "at least part" of an economic package before he takes office in January, but said the problems Americans face need short- and long-term approaches. The president and president-elect also were expected to talk about national security and the war in Iraq. Go inside the Oval Office . Despite the negative tone of the campaign season -- in which Obama frequently campaigned against what he called Bush's "failed policies" -- Bush has pledged to do everything he can to make sure they have a smooth transition. iReport.com: What's your message for Obama? "When I called President-elect Obama to congratulate him on his historic victory, I told him that he can count on my complete cooperation as he makes his transition to the White House. Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office," Bush said in his radio address this weekend. Podesta said cooperation with Bush administration officials has been "excellent" since Tuesday's election. Watch more on the transition to power » . Obama said he was "gratified by the invitation" to meet with the president and his wife. "I'm sure that, in addition to taking a tour of the White House, there's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president," he said at a news conference Friday. "I'm going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship and a sense that both the president and various leaders in Congress all recognize the severity of the situation right now and want to get stuff done," he said. Given their drastically different views on foreign policy, Mark Preston, CNN's deputy political editor, predicted an "uncomfortable meeting at best." Watch CNN's Mark Preston talk about the meeting » . "Let's not forget that Barack Obama ran against President Bush every day when he was taking on John McCain. While they will be cordial, I bet you it will be uncomfortable," Preston said. As the president and president-elect met in the Oval Office, Perino gave Robert Gibbs a tour of the White House press office. Gibbs was the communications director for Obama's presidential campaign. He has not officially been named the incoming press secretary, but he is widely considered the top contender for the position. Cutter said that after Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a tour of the residence, the first lady and her successor discussed raising daughters in the White House. "Mrs. Obama was honored to finally meet the first lady, who was a gracious hostess," Cutter said.

NEW: President Bush calls meeting with President-elect Obama "constructive" Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a tour while president, Obama met . Bush and president-elect were expected to discuss "broad range of issues" Obama campaigned against what he called Bush's "failed policies"

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(CNN) -- Almost 33,000 acres of the Everglades National Park were burning Sunday, fire officials said, the latest in a series of wildfires that have scorched parts of Florida in May. Smoke obscures the flames Sunday in the Everglades National Park. The smoke cast a haze over parts of South Florida, including Miami, prompting a dense smoke advisory from the National Weather Service. The fire, which threatened private property as well as an endangered bird, started Friday, the Southern Area InterAgency Management Blue Team said. By Sunday morning it was 20 percent contained, and fire crews were working to restrict it to the park while protecting the Cape Sable seaside sparrow, a federally protected species whose only habitat is in the Everglades. Watch the Everglades fire spread » . Windy conditions Sunday morning pushed the fire into the corner of the park closest to Miami, fire officials said. About 200 personnel battled the blaze in southern Florida Saturday night, but more crews were expected to join them Sunday. It is the latest wildfire to scorch Florida. More than 12,000 acres burned in the "Brevard Complex" fire near Palm Bay, on Florida's Atlantic Coast just south of Daytona Beach. That series of fires is about 75 percent contained and is expected to be fully contained on Tuesday, the National Interagency Fire Center said Sunday. Learn how wildfires spread » . Last week, Florida authorities charged a suspect, Brian Crowder, with arson in connection with some of the fires in Palm Bay. Watch the suspect's 'perp walk' » . The Brevard County fires have destroyed about 22 homes and structures, and damaged another 160 homes. Damage totals more than $9 million, officials said. A 19,000-acre fire near Clewiston, Florida, on the south end of Lake Okeechobee, is about 50 percent contained, the fire center said Sunday. And a 1,300-acre fire north of Apalachicola in the Florida Panhandle was 80 percent contained by Sunday, it said. Last week, U.S. Navy officials said a Navy jet sparked a 257-acre forest fire in the Ocala National Forest in the north-central part of the state. The jet had missed a target on a practice bombing run, the officials said.

Fire threatens the Cape Sable seaside sparrow, which only lives in Everglades . Dense smoke advisory from the National Weather Service issued for South Florida . Brian Crowder, 31, accused of setting several wildfires .

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Editor's note: David Craig is a film, television and Web producer, an adjunct professor at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California, and a gay rights activist. David Craig says there's growing support for recognition of gay unions and gay marriage. LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- My battle for marriage equality began in 1990, after my partner, Brian Binder, and I had a commitment ceremony. The ceremony was held at the end of a conference for Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays and was attended by more than 300 friends and members of both our families. We were featured in a couple of books on gay marriage because the concept was so new at the time. We also registered as domestic partners and entered into every possible form of legal recognition available at the time. A few years later, Brian was visiting his parents in Nevada to inform them that he was giving up his battle with AIDS. Something went horribly wrong, and he was rushed to the hospital. I flew there immediately. As his caretaker, I knew his medical condition and had been involved in every medical decision. We had shared the joy of making a commitment to one another and the pain and suffering of a horrible disease. But when I arrived, I was told I could not see him because I was not "family" and because my legal documents were valid only in California. Even as I heard him calling out my name, they refused to let me see him because we were not married. Brian died in 1992. In 1995, I helped organize the first Freedom to Marry March in Los Angeles. Ten years later, the idea for A Day Without Gays was conceived. iReport.com: Are you taking part in "A Day Without Gays?" I was discussing same-sex marriage with Delia Fine, my colleague at the A&E Network. I proposed a gay version of Lysistrata, an ancient Greek satire about Athenian women who withheld sex from their husbands until they agreed to stop going to war. She replied, "what if gays went on strike instead?" and the idea was born. We convinced A&E to produce a movie based on the idea, which became a romantic comedy called "Wedding Wars" that aired on the network in 2006. Critics compared the film to "A Day Without a Mexican," which led to the one-day protest by the Latino community called A Day Without Immigrants. In the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which banned same-sex marriage, I posted the event on Facebook. My fellow organizer, Steve Holzer, inspired by the Latino protests, suggested we call it A Day Without Gays. We soon discovered that other organizers had conceived of the same idea simultaneously, and we all agreed to schedule the protest for December 10, which is International Human Rights Day. A week later, Join The Impact, the group that organized City Hall rallies nationwide November 14, joined forces with us. Our goal is to raise awareness that marriage is a "basic human right" as declared by the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia, the case that ended race-based restrictions on marriage. We believe that to deny gays and lesbians that right, and the 1,400 state and federal legal and economic benefits of marriage, is discrimination and in violation of the 14th Amendment. We are asking people who support us to "call in gay" to their workplace by taking the day off or to shut down their businesses. Our goal is to raise awareness that we are gay and lesbian Americans who work, own businesses, pay our taxes and support the economy to the tune of $712 billion a year, according to an analysis by Witeck-Combs Communications, a public relations agency that specializes in the gay and lesbian consumer market. This is a declaration that we take our rights seriously and demand full equality. Our Facebook site has had a million visitors, and more than 225,000 people indicate that they will or might participate. There are also more than 17,000 postings from participants who have taken the time to debate, support and/or deride these issues. There is still much to do. Thirty states have passed bans on same-sex marriage. Thirty states allow employers to fire someone based on sexual orientation, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Some states have instituted or are considering bans that directly or indirectly prevent gays and lesbians from adopting or fostering children. In addition, the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act by Congress in 1996 denies civil unions what Barack Obama's campaign described as the more than 1,100 benefits of marriage including immigration, taxation, Social Security and veteran's benefits. A recent Newsweek poll reflects that, for the first time, a majority of Americans now believe that gay and lesbian couples deserve recognition, with 55 percent supporting legally sanctioned unions. It found increased backing for inheritance and other rights and found that 39 percent favor gay marriage. The tide is clearly turning in our favor, and I believe that love, equality and support for all families will triumph. In the words of Tony Kushner, "We will be citizens. The time has come." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Craig.

David Craig: I've been battling for marriage equality for gays since 1990 . He says civil unions don't provide same level of rights and benefits as marriage . Craig is part of a group organizing "day without gays" protest for December 10 . Craig: Poll shows growing support for gay unions and for gay marriage .

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(CNN) -- A biker who posted videos of himself on YouTube performing stunts and speeding at up to 210 kph (130 mph) has been jailed after inadvertently confessing his misdemeanors to police. Sandor Ferenci posted video of himself online performing high-speed stunts. Sandor Ferenci, 28, was approached by police after a motorist saw him speeding on his powerful motorcycle and noted his registration number. When they called at his house in Oxfordshire, England, he unwittingly asked if they had seen his YouTube video -- prompting officers to search the Internet, where they found uploaded video of his hazardous riding. Ferenci was Monday sentenced to 12 weeks' jail after admitted two counts of dangerous driving at Oxford Crown Court. Judge Terence Maher told Ferenci that he had carried out "lunatic and grossly irresponsible maneuvers at considerable speed," according to CNN affiliate ITN. Ferenci's video footage, filmed by a friend from various angles including a footbridge, was shown to the court. In it the biker is seen performing wheelies, tire-smoking wheelspins and skids on his Yamaha R6 road bike as well as high speed undertaking maneuvers. Prosecutor Brian Payne said it was impossible to gauge Ferenci's exact speed in the video, but police estimated he was driving up to 210 kph, ITN reported.

Biker jailed for 12 weeks after posting YouTube stunts video . Police estimates put his speed at up to 210 kph (130 mph) Ferenci admitted two counts of dangerous driving .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI agents temporarily deployed to Iraq received an average of about $45,000 in excessive overtime because they billed the government for 16 hours a day throughout their 90-day assignments, according to a Justice Department audit. Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine released the audit on Thursday. The audit, released Thursday by Inspector General Glenn Fine, found the agents routinely submitted the overtime with the blessing of their managers from 2003 through 2007. The report says the excessive overtime totaled $7.8 million. "The FBI inappropriately permitted employees to regularly claim overtime for activities that are not compensable as work, such as time spent eating meals, exercising more than 3 hours per week, and socializing," the report said. The socializing included going to movies and cocktail parties. The FBI promptly responded to the report, acknowledging the overtime policy was designed to encourage FBI employees to volunteer for Iraq duty, but should not have been used and has now been corrected. The 88-page report documenting the overtime issues found the FBI had initially approved the policy of paying for 16-hour days because conditions were harsh, there were few recreational opportunities and employees were always "on call." But the audit said that violates federal pay guidelines. The FBI admitted that "a flawed system was allowed to develop and remain in place too long," but it also sought to explain how the practice started. "Early in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq FBI managers traveled to those war zones and saw first hand the challenges of a 24/7 threat environment. FBI employees lived with sniper attacks, mortar fire, and roadside bombs as part of their daily work environment. They attempted to adapt a long established domestic pay system for domestic law enforcement to unprecedented wartime assignments for FBI personnel." FBI agents in Iraq perform a variety of duties, according to the bureau's Web site. Agents interview suspected terrorists captured by the military; gather intelligence; collect evidence from crime scenes like car bombs or mass graves; and investigate crimes committed by Americans against Iraqis, as well as those that Iraqis commit against their fellow citizens. The inspector general's report said overtime pay was less excessive for FBI personnel in Afghanistan. The report also found that somewhat less excessive overtime was paid to agents from other Justice Department agencies who were sent to Iraq, including deputy marshals, and ATF and DEA agents.

FBI agents in Iraq each received an average of $45,000 in excessive overtime . Audit finds agents submitted overtime with managers' blessing . FBI acknowledges error but says policy was to encourage voluntary sign-ups .

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(CNN) -- CNN.com asked its users what they would do if they had all the money they needed. What would they do in retirement? Or would they retire? Several CNN.com users said they would buy a motorhome and travel around the United States to NASCAR events. We received more than 1,400 replies. Some people wanted to volunteer in other countries, some wanted to find new hobbies, some just wanted to relax for a change. Here are some of the edited responses that users around the world sent in. Reza Rohani of Tehran, Iran I would develop an NGO for popularization of science in Iran and some Central Asian countries. I would establish a publication house solely for the mentioned purpose and travel around the world to become more acquainted with different cultures and produce information packages and audio-visual documentaries to bring about a better understanding to people in different countries. E. Noonan of Natick, Massachusetts Oh, if I didn't have to work, I would spend my time on my dream of acting. Slogging around New York trying to get auditions, get into stage plays, get an agent -- all that sounds wonderful, as long as there is enough money to live on. Voice-over work and straight plays ... I would be in heaven. Frank Morganti of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida I'd continue my work as a general contractor as my new hobby and wouldn't worry about money. Eric Scheffer of Bangkok, Thailand Retirees and financially independant people can still be of great use to society and communities. There is, for example, still a lot of poverty in Asia and Africa. Living costs are low, and retirees can live comfortably in Asia or Africa while participating in community work. One can, for example, teach simple things in the villages: hygiene, healthy cooking, etc. They can also give aid and simple loving care to small children. I would like to encourage retirees and financially independant people to become actively involved in such countries, and make a difference. There is no need for us or any healthy retiree to sit around and wait for death. The world needs us. Mandy Sickler of Marion, Indiana I'd finish my last year in college as a social work major and I would pay off all my college loans. Then I wish I had the means to load up a huge plane full of food, water and clothing/shoes to take to underprivileged countries and teach the people how to use the food I brought them. I would bring over educators to teach the people in these places about how to maintain their health. If I could, I would provide every child with the correct physical checkups and immunization shots. But this would be way out of reach for me to do; so if I didn't have to work, I would join the Peace Corps and work my butt off to help in any way I could. Roger Belanger of Tiverton, Rhode Island I'd be involved somehow in the theatre arts. My mid-life crisis hit about 10 years ago at 40 and I became involved in amateur theatre. If I were able to "walk away from it all," I would dedicate my life to the performing arts in some fashion. Robert Madden of Parsons, Kansas . Buy a motor home and become a NASCAR fan on the road at a different track every weekend. Cicely Jette of Boston, Massachusetts I would develop the other side of my brain! I'm a research scientist and spend most of my time on data analysis, organization and logic. If I didn't have to work, I would learn to sing opera, how to speak French and Italian fluently, how to act, and I would spend all my free time in museums. That is ... until I overloaded my right brain and was driven back to the lab. Mark Albert of Salmon River, Nova Scotia I would do the same as now: stay home with my kids. I have already decided to leave my job to be able to spend time with my kids in the most valuable time of their lives and mine. My wife works and makes enough for me to be able to do so and I am very grateful! Not enough parents stay home to raise their own kids. It rocks! Valerie Cathell of Dumfries, Virginia If I didn't have to work is tough to contemplate; however, I have fantasized about helping kids who are not able to read or are trapped in war-torn areas with no exposure to education. I am an educator currently, and I work in a small private school where funds are scarce. I understand limitations when there is not enough money. I would love to be able to touch the lives of kids who have no idea what an X-Box is or an iPod. Even in our environment, we have parents paying private tuition, who have the means to provide these "often taken for granted" things. But that is what they are: things. I worked with my fifth grade class to create a book for children in Uganda last year. After receiving the book, the liaison/facilitator of the program, sent our school a DVD of the children in Uganda. We shared this with our students and they were in awe of the way those kids actually lived. It was a life-changing experience and one that inspired me to seek ways to help others more often. Donald LaMarr Sr. of Antioch, California If I didn't have to work I would spend a significant portion of my time on the streets of Oakland, Berkley, and San Francisco, California, approaching and mentoring potential gang members in a different more positive direction. We have more than 1 million young African-American males who are either unemployed or underemployed who need some direction and someone to show them that there is a different way, a better culture than the gang culture. I would help guide them back to our educational institutions. I would help to create hybrid educational institutions for the most incorrigible amongst them. These would not be the gladiator training camps that our youth prisons have become. These would be places where education and cultural development become mandatory and punishment for failing or resisting assimilation would be severe. That's what I would spend most of my time doing if I were retired. Jeffrey Young of McKinney, Texas For every person that needed help, I would stop and offer assistance. From one to the next, like a connect-the-dots on the map of the world just to see how I could band-aid my way across the globe in search of myself while making a difference from the smallest to the greatest challenges thrown at me. I would be a constant part of the solution. If I had nothing to worry about financially well, 90 percent of my problems would go away and then I would have the rest of my life to focus on the things that matter. I would go about developing relationships, experiencing the lives of others all while uplifting spirits of the world one soul at a time. I would breathe life from the Himalayas. Ride the currents in the waters of Costa Rica. Listen to jazz in New Orleans. Dip in the hot springs by Vancouver, British Columbia. Really. There is not enough time for me to talk about everything I would do. Instead, trust in that I would never waste a moment learning life all over again. Debra Ross of Rex, Georgia If I were the recipient of a sudden, legal windfall, I'd immediately quit my job and purchase an RV and travel to every state in America driving at a consistent, aggravating 40 mph. Isn't that what the people do when they travel in those things anyway? Far be it from me to break the rules. E-mail to a friend .

CNN.com asked users what they would do in life if money were no object . Most people said they would do volunteer work . Some respondents felt a need to experience new hobbies, interests . A few would continue to work, but also use their talents to help those in need .

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (CNN) -- As his fishing boat, Murphy's Law, was tossed about Wednesday in the path of Hurricane Dolly, Steven Murphy hoped to dodge the adage his vessel is named for: "If anything can go wrong, it will." Captain Murphy's Fishing Charters boats sit moored Wednesday at South Padre Island, Texas. Murphy, owner of Captain Murphy's Fishing Charters, was riding out the storm in the 65-foot double-decker boat tethered to a pier at South Padre Island, Texas, just north of Brownsville. "I don't know if you can hear that wind, but it's really blowing. It's like a tornado," he said. "It's starting to tear it up real good." Dolly strengthened into a Category 2 storm Wednesday with 100-mph winds as it lashed the south Texas-Mexico border, sending residents and military personnel scurrying for safety and forcing people on South Padre Island to hunker down to wait it out. Watch Dolly pound South Padre » . The hurricane was reclassified to a Category 1 at midafternoon, not long after its eye came ashore at South Padre Island. Forecasters said its winds had decreased to about 95 mph. "It's probably not the best decision to ride it out," said Murphy, 41, but he said he felt that he didn't have a lot of choice.iReport.com: Murphy's Law striking Murphy's Law? Only one shipyard in the area can pull a boat such as his out of the water, he said, and there are more boats than there are spaces, "so you pretty much have to man it." See the projected path of the storm » . The charter company is a family business, and Murphy has been working on boats since he was 9. He said his brother was in a boat anchored next to Murphy's Law. He was alone because his deckhands left. View photos from the storm zone » . Murphy was accompanied by his girlfriend, Lisa Graves, and the captain of the company's third boat, which had been hauled out of the water. "When they told us about the hurricane, they said 80 mph max," Murphy said. A Category 1 storm has winds of 74 mph to 95 mph; a Category 2 storm has winds between 96 mph to 110 mph. Learn about hurricane mechanics » . "It's absolutely outrageous here. The winds are high. ... I can't describe it," Graves said. "In all my life, I've never seen anything like this. iReport.com: See another iReporter's footage from Brownsville, Texas . "We've had a sailboat that broke off the docks across the way and got caught up on our bows. We had to run out and cut the anchor line." Before the storm's eye hit South Padre Island, Murphy said things hadn't been too bad. iReport.com: Tree knocked down by storm . "If this is it, this isn't all that bad, [but] it probably wasn't the wisest thing," he said.

Fishing boat operator endures Hurricane Dolly aboard 65-foot vessel . Boat moored at South Padre Island, Texas, pier as storm hits . "It's probably not the best decision," Captain Steven Murphy admits . One of his company's three charter boats was pulled safely from water .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A court Thursday rejected an appeal filed by a former administrative law judge who sued a dry cleaners for $54 million over a missing pair of pants. An unidentified man talks on a cell phone in front of the Chung family's shop, Custom Cleaners. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals "ruled resoundingly in favor of the Chung family and denied Mr. Roy Pearson's appeal of the case completely," said Christopher Manning, an attorney for the Chung family, who own Custom Cleaners. "The D.C. Court of Appeals held that the trial court correctly ruled that Mr. Pearson's claims had no merit whatsoever," he added. The Chungs have "some level of relief," Manning told CNN, "but they won't count Mr. Pearson out for at least trying to torment them further" with future appeals. "We are very happy with the result and thank everyone for supporting us," Jin Chung said in a statement issued by Manning. "The past three years have been very difficult, but we hope this nightmare is finally over." Pearson initially sought $67 million from the Chungs, calculating the amount by estimating years of legal violations, adding nearly $2 million in common law claims for fraud. The saga began in May 2005, when Pearson took several pairs of pants to Custom Cleaners for alteration as he prepared to start his new job as an administrative law judge. He alleged that among them was a pair of pants from a blue and maroon suit. When he came to collect his clothing, he said, the Chungs tried to give him a pair of charcoal gray pants that were not his. During a two-day trial, Pearson, who represented himself, said that when he took the pants to the cleaners, his financial situation was precarious: He had just been ordered to pay $12,000 in attorney's fees to his ex-wife, and his credit cards were at their limit. He claimed millions of dollars in attorney fees and millions more in punitive damages for what he called fraudulent advertising under the law. He also claimed that a sign in the store's window promising "satisfaction guaranteed" was an unconditional warranty that required the defendants to honor any claim by any customer without limitation. The Chungs' attorney argued that no reasonable person would interpret the signs to mean an unconditional promise of satisfaction. District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff agreed, ruling that Custom Cleaners did not violate the city's Consumer Protection Act. Manning, whose law firm handled the appeal on a pro bono basis for the Chungs, said the Chungs hope the "vague and often unfair" act will be changed "so that others do not suffer like they did." In August 2007, the Chungs dropped their bid to recover legal costs in the hopes that Pearson would drop his appeal. Pearson may request that the appeal be heard again by the entire panel of D.C. Court of Appeals judges, Manning said. He also could petition to the U.S. Supreme Court for an appeal. "It is the Chungs' hope that Mr. Pearson will not attempt to appeal any further and will end his frivolous and baseless attacks on the Chung family," Manning wrote in the statement. "The 3½ years this case has been pending and appealed have been very difficult for the Chungs," he said. "They lost two of their dry cleaning stores and their realization of the American dream." He said the family wants to "quietly return to their one remaining small dry-cleaning store ... to rebuild their lives." Pearson was taken off the bench in May 2007 while the lawsuit was pending and was not reappointed as an administrative law judge when his term expired. He filed a federal lawsuit in May 2008 to get his government job back, accusing city government and others of an "unlawful demotion and subsequent termination." That suit remains pending. CNN's Paul Courson contributed to this story.

Appeals court rejects appeal of failed $54 million lawsuit over missing pants . Dry cleaners say they aren't counting plaintiff out . Ex-administrative judge who filed case could take it to Supreme Court .

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ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- The meter reader who led authorities last week to remains believed to be those of Caylee Anthony called police four months ago, directing them three times to same site, authorities said Thursday. Caylee Anthony, 2, has been missing since June in a case that has received national attention. At a news conference, Capt. Angelo Nieves, an Orange County Sheriff's Department commander, said investigators are looking into whether the tips, called in August 11, 12 and 13, were properly followed up. In one of those phone calls, the meter reader reported seeing a gray bag on the side of the road, Nieves said. On August 13, a deputy responded to the site and did a "cursory search" but found nothing, Nieves said. Casey Anthony, 22, faces charges including first-degree murder in the June disappearance of her daughter, Caylee, who was 2 at the time. Remains described as being those of a small child were found last week a half-mile from Casey Anthony's parents' home, in the area where the meter reader first directed police. Nieves said police were getting more information from the tipster and the deputy who responded to the tips. He said the department was investigating the "thoroughness" of the deputy's response but would not identify the deputy. The meter reader "is not a suspect," Nieves said. "He is a credible witness." Nieves' latest announcement is raising questions about whether police missed several chances to find remains believed to be Caylee's. The meter reader is not the only one, or the first, to have pointed police toward the site containing the remains. KioMarie Cruz, Casey Anthony's childhood friend, also told police to investigate the same wooded area near Hidden Oaks Elementary School a month before the meter reader, according to CNN affiliate WFTV. In an interview with detectives, according to WFTV, Cruz said that she and Anthony "pretty much used to hang out there most of our time," would "snack on food for hours" and went there to "get away from our parents." The sheriff's office followed up on that tip, but the wooded area was covered in floodwaters, preventing a search. Nieves said the water may have been present at the time of the meter reader's tips as well. Nieves also said Thursday that searchers combing the site after the skull's discovery had found "significant skeletal remains" consistent with those of a small child on the outer perimeter of the search area. The area will be enlarged, and processing and searching of the site will continue, probably into the weekend, he said. Some of the remains have been sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, in an effort to identify them. Authorities have said the remains are believed to be Caylee's, but an identification is pending. Sheriff's spokesman Carlos Padilla said last week that authorities believe the remains are Caylee's for three reasons: No other children have been reported missing in the area; the remains are consistent with those of a child of Caylee's age; and the remains were found near the home of the grandparents, where the 2-year-old and her mother were living just before Caylee disappeared. FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said Monday that he did not know when tests would be complete, but an attorney for Anthony's parents said the FBI is likely to have results "within the next week." Casey Anthony could face a sentence of life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors said this month that they would not seek the death penalty.

Officials say worker who found child's remains called in three tips in August . Authorities looking into whether earlier tips were mishandled . Casey Anthony's friend told police to check the area five months ago, WFTV reports . Sheriff's Department says new skeletal remains found in search area .

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(CNN) -- Former first lady Barbara Bush was moved out of the intensive care unit of a Houston, Texas, hospital into a regular room Thursday after surgery to repair and seal a perforated ulcer, a hospital spokeswoman said. Ex-first lady Barbara Bush has been moved out of ICU and into a regular room. Bush, 83, was in good spirits and was joking with hospital staffers, the Methodist Hospital spokeswoman said. She was being fed intravenously. Her doctor said earlier she will be allowed no food by mouth for about a week, to avoid possibly stretching her abdominal area. The former first lady showed up at Methodist's emergency room Tuesday night complaining of severe abdominal pain, Dr. Patrick Reardon, who performed the surgery, told reporters Wednesday. Doctors determined Bush had a perforated ulcer in her duodenum, the first portion of the small intestine after the stomach, he said. In the operating room, doctors thoroughly cleaned her abdominal cavity of any contaminants that had leaked through the hole, described by the hospital as being one centimeter in diameter. Then, doctors repaired the ulcer and sewed a piece of the fat tissue in the abdomen, on top of it to seal it, Reardon said. Bush's husband, former President George H.W. Bush, was with her Thursday morning, but was leaving to attend Thanksgiving dinner with his son Neil, the Methodist Hospital spokeswoman told CNN. The ulcer was biopsied and is benign, Reardon said Wednesday. He suggested it might have been caused by anti-inflammatory medications. CNN's Sean Callebs contributed to this report.

Barbara Bush had surgery to repair and seal a perforated ulcer . Bush, 83, is in good spirits and was joking with hospital staffers . Former first lady being fed intravenously to avoid stretching abdomen . The ulcer has been biopsied and is benign .

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DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Investigators will interview crew members and review data and voice recorders to help determine what caused a passenger plane to veer off a Denver International Airport runway and catch fire, an official said Sunday. Injured passengers are taken to a hospital after Saturday's accident at Denver International Airport. All 115 people aboard the Continental Airlines jet escaped Saturday evening, and of the dozens who were taken to hospitals, five were still hospitalized Sunday afternoon, said Robert Sumwalt, a National Transportation Safety Board member leading the investigation team. No deaths were reported. Sumwalt said the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were recovered and appeared to be in good condition, though they were covered in soot from the fire. Both recorders were sent to Washington to be reviewed as early as Sunday night. "We are here for one reason and one reason only, to find out what happened so we can keep it from happening again," Sumwalt said. The flight was bound for Houston, Texas, and was taking off about 6:18 p.m. Saturday when it skidded into a ravine and caught fire. Thirty-eight people were taken to hospitals after the accident, airport officials said Sunday. Officials said one of the five people still hospitalized was in serious condition; no one was reported to be in critical condition. Bone fractures and bruises were the most common complaint, and there appeared to be no burn victims, fire officials said. Investigators will interview crew members, review crew training and evaluate several factors, including the weather at the time of the crash and structure of the plane, Sumwalt said. While officials were on the scene Sunday, evidence collection, documentation and measurements will start Monday. "We are just now beginning our investigation," Sumwalt said, adding that short, cold days will be a challenge for the investigators. At a news conference late Saturday, Patrick Hynes, chief of the airport division of the Denver Fire Department, said crews responding to the scene "had a difficult time narrowing down exactly where the airplane ended up," but found it north of a firehouse. When they arrived, firefighters found the Boeing 737 on fire in a ravine about 200 yards from the runway, with its wheels sheared off and fuel tanks leaking, Hynes said. "They [firefighters] described a surreal scene when they pulled up, heavy fire on the right side of the aircraft, all chutes deployed from both sides of the aircraft, people evacuating and walking up the hillside towards them," he said. Hynes said the entire right side of the jet was in flames and "a heck of a firefight" followed. Watch airport official describe scene of accident » . "There was significant extension of fire into the cabin portion," he said. "There's significant fire damage inside with the luggage compartment described as melting and dropping down into the seats." Hynes said fuel from the aircraft leaked for several hours after the accident. Continental issued a statement saying it was collecting information about the accident. The 115 people on board included five crew members. The airport originally said 112 people were on board, but raised that to 115 on Sunday, saying officials had not counted some children who were not ticketed. Planes resumed takeoffs and landings at the airport after the incident, although Day said a section of the airport will remain closed into Sunday. She suggested passengers call ahead for Sunday departure times, because many flights may be delayed. Passenger Gabriel Trejos described a scene of panic as the plane skidded off the runway while trying to take off. "Some people were trying to get luggage from the top, [and] the engine was on fire, so I was worried about getting out of there," Trejos said Sunday. "And then we had another guy yelling, 'Oh, the plane's going to blow up! The plane's going to explode!' " CNN's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report.

Flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder recovered . Five passengers still hospitalized after jet incident . Continental jet veers off runway while attempting to take off from Denver airport . Jet caught fire, skidded into ravine 200 yards from runway .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iraq's smaller religious groups have been facing "ongoing severe abuses," and the situation requires a response from the United States, a religious freedom watchdog said Tuesday. In late November, members of a Christian Iraqi family sit in a home in Lebanon after fleeing violence in Mosul. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a report citing "threats and intimidation" against Chaldo-Assyrians and other Christians, Sabean-Mandaeans and Yazidis. The commission wants the U.S. State Department to designate Iraq as a "country of particular concern" -- a status that would allow policy responses, including public condemnations, the denial of state visits, and even sanctions. Spokeswoman Judith Ingram said such a designation would draw attention to the abuses and "encourage a robust policy response." There has been "reconciliation" between Iraq's dominant Shiite and Sunni religious groups, but tensions continue to reverberate and that's a concern, the commission said. But the smaller groups don't have "militia or tribal structures to protect them" and they "do not receive adequate official protection." "Iraq's non-Muslim religious minorities -- particularly Christians, Mandaeans and Yazidis -- have suffered religiously-based attacks and other abuses, and have fled the country, at rates far disproportionate to their numbers, seriously threatening these communities' continued existence in Iraq," the report said. "Lacking militias, and in the case of the Mandaeans unable to defend themselves for religious reasons, they are easy prey for extremists and criminals, and they do not receive adequate protection from the authorities. As in earlier years, they also are caught in the middle of a Kurdish-Arab struggle for control of disputed northern areas where the minorities are concentrated and have been targeted because of this." Examples include Christian protest over provincial election legislation and anti-Christian violence in Mosul this autumn and election intimidation of non-Muslims in Nineveh province in 2005. The Iraqi Constitution also "gives Islam a preferred status, providing a potential justification for abuses and discrimination against non-Muslims." The commission is recommending that the incoming Obama administration ensure "safe and fair provincial elections" and "security and safety for all Iraqis." It calls for making prevention of religious abuse a "high priority" and urging the Kurdish region to support "minority rights." It also urges addressing the displaced persons' and refugee problem. CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

Religious freedom watchdog group urges protection of Iraq's minority religions . Situation severe enough to merit response from United States, group says . Smaller groups don't have militias or tribal structures to protect them . Incoming U.S. administration urged to ensure "safety for all Iraqis"

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