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(CNN) -- A former hospital worker systematically shot and killed four people in upstate New York on Saturday, authorities in two counties said. Former hospital worker Frank Garcia, 34, has been accused in the shooting rampage. Frank Garcia, 34, was arrested Saturday afternoon. Garcia knew all four victims, police said, but they didn't reveal details about the relationships. "The individuals who were shot were known to the suspect. It was not necessarily a random act," Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn said. The first two victims -- Mary Sillman, 23, and Randall Norman, 41 -- were fatally shot before 5 a.m. at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, where Garcia was once employed, O'Flynn said. Another woman was wounded and is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, he said. The second shooting happened at a house in nearby Ontario County on Saturday afternoon. Christopher Glatz, 45, and his wife, Kim, 38, were killed "execution-style" while their two teenagers were in the suburban Rochester home, Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said. The teens were not wounded, but it is unclear whether they witnessed the event. Povero said neighbors reported Garcia went door-to-door looking for the Glatzes' home. "He was in fact looking for the residence," Povero said. "He was saying different things to different people, but he was clearly looking for that home." Ballistic evidence has connected the two crime scenes, Povero said. Investigators found the matching brass cartridges from a pistol found on Garcia when he was arrested, he said. Garcia was arrested at a restaurant Saturday afternoon, CNN affiliate R-News in Rochester reported. Garcia was to be arraigned Saturday night in Monroe County, where the first shootings occurred, on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in the second degree, O'Flynn said. Sillman was a certified nursing assistant at Lakeside's long-term care center, hospital officials said. "During Mary's brief time within the system, those who worked closest with Mary described her as warm, kind and compassionate toward the residents of Lakeside Beikirch Care Center," Lakeside interim CEO Michael Stapleton said in a statement. Garcia likely will face similar charges in Ontario County, Povero said. "This certainly speaks to a tragedy that is enormous, not only the taking of the lives that were taken, but the people that were left behind, the person in Brockport and the two teenage children who were present when their mother was systematically murdered," Povero said.

Suspect went door-to-door in search of victims' residence, authorities say . Christopher Glatz, 45, and wife Kim, 38, were shot "execution-style" in home . The couple's teenage children at suburban Rochester home but were not injured . Mary Sillman, 23, and Randall Norman, 41, shot at a hospital earlier Saturday .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One of the main stumbling blocks to talk with Iran has been the condition that Iran suspends its uranium enrichment. Now, the Obama administration may take that option off the table, at least for now. This is from an Iranian nuclear plant in the central province of Isfahan on April 9. The United States and its European allies, which have just invited Iran to a fresh round of nuclear talks, are coming to the realization that if Iran's nuclear program isn't quite at the point of no return, it will be soon. With 5,500 centrifuges, roughly enough for about two weapons worth of uranium a year, Iran isn't going to just shut down its enrichment facility as a goodwill gesture. For years, Iran has been willing to endure sanctions and economic isolation. What it hasn't been willing to do is suspend enrichment. Iran maintains enriching uranium for nuclear energy is its right. Now the West seems to have come around to Iran's way of thinking. Last week during a speech on proliferation in Prague, Czech Republic, President Obama admitted as much when he said, "We will support Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy with rigorous inspections." The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has long argued to allow Iran to maintain a small face-saving nuclear enrichment program under the guise of "research and development." Allowing such a program under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, at least while negotiations continue, would involve strict IAEA inspections -- something which may give the international community the kind of insight into Iran's nuclear program which it has long sought. It would also give Iran the cover to come back to the table without claiming it never gave in to the West. Rather, Tehran can boast the international community came around to its point of view. Preventing Iranian enrichment may be an ultimate pipe dream, but officials hope the right package of incentives, coupled with the threat of tougher sanctions, which could cripple its stumbling economy, could deter Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb. If adopted, the new strategy will undoubtedly be condemned by Israel, which has warned the U.S. that it has until the end of the year to put an end to Iran's uranium production before it takes matters into its own hands. However, moving beyond the issue of enrichment helps Obama inch closer toward engagement with Iran, something he promised during the campaign and has begun to undertake with small, albeit significant, steps, most noticeably his New Year's message to the Iranian people. Those who watch Iran closely say Obama's outreach is being warmly received in the region. While the response from spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamanei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems vague at first glance, experts argue the regime is being quite conciliatory, even flirting with the U.S. overtures and opening the door for talks. Now the administration is taking another leap, inviting Iran to several meetings on Afghanistan as a way to engage on issues of mutual interest. The U.S. is also seriously considering allowing U.S. diplomats around the world to interact with their Iranian counterparts and setting up a U.S. interests section in Iran. Officials say not to expect any dramatic breakthroughs before the Iranians head to the polls to elect a new president in June. But Obama's conservative critics, including several Republican lawmakers, worry Obama is making it too easy for Iran to come back to the table and is giving credibility to Iran's defiant Ahmadinejad in his bid for re-election. The goal of stopping Iran from building a nuclear weapon remains, but the tactics are shifting and the rules of the game have changed. Obama and his advisers are betting that by finally giving Iran what it thinks it wants, the U.S. and its allies will get what they need -- a way to bring Iran to the table and start meaningful negotiations, which have eluded them for the past four years.

White House may drop key condition that Iran suspend its nuclear program . Obama administration hopes change will bring Iran to negotiation table . Obama says he supports Iran's nuclear program "with rigorous inspections" Israel wants U.S. to force Iran to end its uranium production program .

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MORRISTOWN, New Jersey (CNN) -- Since the beginning of the year the family clinic at the Children's Hospital of New Jersey has seen an influx of young children coming in for flu shots. New Jersey requires children from 6 months to 5 years old to get the flu vaccine to attend daycare or pre-school. The rush for vaccinations is prompted by a new law that makes New Jersey the only state requiring children between 6 months and 5 years old to get the flu vaccine to attend a licensed daycare or pre-school. The deadline for the flu shot requirement was December 31. Some parents are upset about the requirement. John General and Alnisa Bernabela brought their 4-year-old twins Jahmein and Jameir to the clinic last week for the flu shots. "I'm really not okay with it because I think it should have been my choice," said Bernabela. "By them forcing this, I feel like our rights have been violated," said General, holding his crying son Jameir being vaccinated. Last fall, hundreds of parents with the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice challenged the flu shot requirement at a rally in Trenton, New Jersey. The NJCVC and parents interviewed by CNN, expressed concern about the safety of influenza vaccines and possible long-term effects on young children. But the New Jersey Department of Health says the new law is for the public good citing Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention numbers showing an average of 20,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized nationwide each year because of influenza complications. "Parents are certainly concerned about the health and safety of their children," says Dr. Christina Tan, state epidemiologist for the New Jersey Department of Health. "But it's equally important to understand that the flu vaccine is safe and effective in preventing illness, not only in children, but also among the community as a whole." Many doctors support the decision, saying it helps protect a higher risk population. Some parents object to mandatory vaccines » . "Kids under the age of 5 are targeted by this recommendation because when they get the disease they get sicker than adults do. They also are the ones who are more likely to transmit the flu because they are in closed quarters," said Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, who heads the clinic at the Children's Hospital of New Jersey. She says influenza tends to peak in New Jersey towards the end of January through early February. Jennifer Frank says she's committed to the public health goal but not on the state's schedule. Her 2-year-old son Caleb was hospitalized twice for extreme eczema as an infant. At one point, he was on a feeding tube, and she says he couldn't get vaccinated. "There was literally no clear space to put a needle," says Jennifer Frank. Caleb's doctors were stumped and couldn't make a diagnosis for his condition. Since then, the Franks with their pediatrician's approval, have Caleb on a delayed vaccination schedule. As a result, they didn't meet the state's December 31 flu shot deadline and now their local board of health has banned Caleb from pre-school. "When he gets his shots, that same rash flares up," says Joshua Frank, the father of Caleb. "You know, it's frightening. It's very real. And for them to say, 'Well, we don't care, even though your doctors agree with you,' is outrageous." The Franks have appealed the local board of health's decision all the way to the state level, but officials have not wavered. While New Jersey does offer medical exemptions for some children, the rules are specific, and eczema is not considered a valid medical reason for delaying the flu vaccine. "By allowing broader exemptions this could potentially erode the very core of protection," says Tan. But the Franks believe the new law should include an appeal procedure, especially for families like theirs that are willing to vaccinate their children. New Jersey Republican Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk has been working on legislation to allow parents to decide which vaccines they want their child to receive. "The bill gives conscientious objection so that people can opt out of certain vaccines. Maybe they want some vaccines and not others and this would give them the right to do that," said Vandervalk. For now, though, Caleb must remain out of school. He's confused as to why he can't return. "He doesn't understand what's going on," says Jennifer Frank. "It's been hard to explain it to him." The New Jersey Department of Health says it won't immediately know what kind of effect the new flu shot requirement will have on the state's population. "As far as trying to identify whether there's actually a drop in disease incidence in the community, that's going to be a longer term type of evaluation that we're starting to look at," says Tan. American Morning correspondent Alina Cho contributed to this report .

New Jersey requires flu vaccine for children to attend daycare, pre-school . Some parents oppose new law; believe it should be their choice to vaccinate kids . Flu vaccine is safe; many doctors believe law protects a higher-risk population .

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SAMSON, Alabama (CNN) -- "Get home now." Sheriff's Deputy Josh Myers' wife and toddler daughter were killed; his son and baby daughter survived. Geneva County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Myers quickly hung up the phone after he got his friend's message on Tuesday and started for the town of Samson, having no idea what had happened to his wife or his three children. Then, another urgent message: . "We got notified on the radio that a trooper was chasing a suspect that had fired shots," Myers told reporters on Wednesday. Instead of heading home, the deputy drove to Reliable Metal Products plant in the nearby town of Geneva, where he engaged in a shoot-out with the suspect, who then entered the building and shot and killed himself. Myers had no idea that 30 minutes earlier, the suspect had shot and killed his wife and 1½-year-old daughter, Corinne Gracy, and shot and wounded his 3-month-old baby girl, Ella Kay. They were victims of the bloodiest rampage in Alabama's history, carried out by Michael McLendon, who killed 10 people before turning one of his guns on himself. A family friend found the couple's 4-year-old son hiding in the Myers' home after the shooting. Watch Josh Myers tell his story: "I need help" » . "He was present when it happened," Myers said. "He knows something's wrong. He asked where mama was, and I had to tell him she was with Jesus. This is going to take a long time to work through it." Andrea Myers, 31, was holding Ella Kay and talking with her neighbors on their porch across the street when the gunman -- identified by police as Michael McLendon -- opened fire. The neighbors turned out to be McLendon's relatives, although it was unclear why he targeted them. He said his neighbor Alina Knowles saved his wounded daughter's life. iReport.com: Officials investigate . "She ran up on the porch and got my baby girl and took her to safety," Myers said. Knowles said she scooped up Myers' crying 3-month-old daughter and ducked behind a minivan as McLendon cruised down an adjacent street, still firing at people. Read Knowles' full account . The 10 people McLendon killed before he shot himself to death included his mother, grandmother, other relatives and strangers. Ella Kay, who was shot in the leg, will have surgery on Wednesday at a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, to remove the bullet or shrapnel that is near her femoral artery, Myers said. A day after Tuesday's shootings, Myers stood in front of his home, across the street from the house where his family was killed, and spoke to reporters. Watch report on Alabama rampage » . "It's supposed to be me out here getting shot, not my family," Myers said, speaking barely above a whisper. "I'd step out on the street any day and take a bullet for anybody in this community. Anybody. I take that risk when I go to work every day, I take that risk when I'm off. "Nobody's family should have this done," he added, holding pictures of his wife and daughters.

Deputy sees body of Alabama gunman having no idea what awaited him at home . Josh Myers had responded to report trooper was chasing shooter . Gunman killed Josh Myers' wife and 18-month-old daughter on their porch . Police say Michael McLendon killed 10 people that day in southern Alabama .

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(CNN) -- For years after his NFL career ended, Ted Johnson could barely muster the energy to leave his house. In healthy brain tissue, virtually no protein tangles, which show up as brown spots, are visible. "I'd [leave to] go see my kids for maybe 15 minutes," said Johnson. "Then I would go back home and close the curtains, turn the lights off and I'd stay in bed. That was my routine for two years. "Those were bad days." These days, the former linebacker is less likely to recount the hundreds of tackles, scores of quarterback sacks or the three Super Bowl rings he earned as a linebacker for the New England Patriots. He is more likely to talk about suffering more than 100 concussions. "I can definitely point to 2002 when I got back-to-back concussions. That's where the problems started," said Johnson, who retired after those two concussions. "The depression, the sleep disorders and the mental fatigue." Until recently, the best medical definition for concussion was a jarring blow to the head that temporarily stunned the senses, occasionally leading to unconsciousness. It has been considered an invisible injury, impossible to test -- no MRI, no CT scan can detect it. Watch more on what goes on in athlete's brains » . But today, using tissue from retired NFL athletes culled posthumously, the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE), at the Boston University School of Medicine, is shedding light on what concussions look like in the brain. The findings are stunning. Far from innocuous, invisible injuries, concussions confer tremendous brain damage. That damage has a name: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). On Tuesday afternoon, researchers at the CSTE released a study about the sixth documented case of CTE in former NFL player Tom McHale, who died in 2008 at the age of 45, and the youngest case to date, an 18-year-old multi-sport athlete who suffered multiple concussions. While CTE in an ex-NFL player's brain may have been expected, the beginnings of brain damage in an 18-year-old brain was a "shocking" finding, according to Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts, and co-director of the CSTE. "We think this is how chronic traumatic encephalopathy starts," said McKee. "This is speculation, but I think we can assume that this would have continued to expand." CTE has thus far been found in the brains of six out of six former NFL players. "What's been surprising is that it's so extensive," said McKee. "It's throughout the brain, not just on the superficial aspects of the brain, but it's deep inside." CSTE studies reveal brown tangles flecked throughout the brain tissue of former NFL players who died young -- some as early as their 30s or 40s. McKee, who also studies Alzheimer's disease, says the tangles closely resemble what might be found in the brain of an 80-year-old with dementia. "I knew what traumatic brain disease looked like in the very end stages, in the most severe cases," said McKee. "To see the kind of changes we're seeing in 45-year-olds is basically unheard of." The damage affects the parts of the brain that control emotion, rage, hypersexuality, even breathing, and recent studies find that CTE is a progressive disease that eventually kills brain cells. Chris Nowinski knows well the impact of concussions. He was a football star at Harvard before wrestling professionally with World Wrestling Entertainment. In one moment, his dreams of a long career wrestling were dashed by a kick to his chin. That kick, which caused Nowinski to black out and effectively ended his career, capped a career riddled with concussions. "My world changed," said Nowinski. "I had depression. I had memory problems. My head hurt for five years." Nowinski began searching for studies, and what he found startled him. "I realized when I was visiting a lot of doctors, they weren't giving me very good answers about what was wrong with my head," said Nowinski. "I read [every study I could find] and I realized there was a ton of evidence showing concussions lead to depression, and multiple concussion can lead to Alzheimer's." Nowinski decided further study was needed, so he founded the Sports Legacy Institute along with Dr. Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon and the co-director of the CSTE. The project solicits for study the brains of ex-athletes who suffered multiple concussions. Once a family agrees to donate the brain, it is delivered to scientists at the CSTE to look for signs of damage. So far, the evidence of CTE is compelling. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, along with other research institutions, has now identified traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of late NFL football players John Grimsley, Mike Webster, Andre Waters, Justin Strzelczyk and Terry Long, in addition to McHale. Grimsley died of an accidental gunshot wound to the chest. Webster, Long and Strzelczyk all died after long bouts of depression, while Waters committed suicide in 2006 at age 44. McHale was found dead last year of an apparent drug overdose. "Guys were dying," said Nowinski. "The fact of the matter was guys were dying because they played sports 10 or 20 years before." So far, around 100 athletes have consented to have their brains studied after they die. Ted Johnson was one of the first to sign up. He said he believes that concussions he suffered while playing football explain the anger, depression and throbbing headaches that occasionally still plague him. Johnson said he played through concussions because he, like many other NFL athletes, did not understand the consequences. He has publicly criticized the NFL for not protecting players like him. "They don't want you to know," said Johnson. "It's not like when you get into the NFL there's a handout that says 'These are the effects of multiple concussions so beware.' " In a statement, the NFL indicated that their staffs take a cautious, conservative approach to managing concussions. While they support research into the impact of concussions, they maintain that, "Hundreds of thousands of people have played football and other sports without experiencing any problem of this type and there continues to be considerable debate within the medical community on the precise long-term effects of concussions and how they relate to other risk factors." The NFL is planning its own independent medical study of retired NFL players on the long-term effects of concussion. "Really my main reason even for talking about this is to help the guys who are already retired," said Johnson. "[They] are getting divorced, going bankrupt, can't work, are depressed, and don't know what's wrong with them. [It is] to give them a name for it so they can go get help." "The idea that you can whack your head hundreds of times in your life and knock yourself out and get up and be fine is gone," said Nowinski. "We know we can't do that anymore. This causes long-term damage."

NEW: Researchers find start of brain damage in 18-year old athlete who died . NEW: Same type of brain damage found in sixth dead NFL player . Damage from repeated concussions is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy . Symptoms can include depression, sleep disorders, headaches .

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MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- The lawyer for the main suspect in last year's deadly terrorist attack in Mumbai was removed Wednesday, delaying the high-profile trial that was set to begin. Soldiers patrol in Mumbai on the eve of the trial of a key suspect in last year's attacks in the Indian city. The trial start for Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is expected to be moved to Thursday as officials scramble to settle the lawyer issue. Kasab is thought to be the only one of 10 gunmen to survive the three-day siege, which killed more than 160 people in November. As the trial was to begin, the judge removed attorney Anjali Waghmare because she also was representing a witness in the case. Waghmare argued that she had no idea that the person was a witness in the terror case, and she was representing this person in a different case. But the judge declared that it was a conflict of interest. An Indian court appointed Waghmare two weeks ago to represent Kasab, and it was unclear who would replace her. Kasab demanded that his attorney be replaced with a Pakistani lawyer. But the judge denied that request and said that a Pakistani lawyer may be able to be brought in as a consultant from outside the courtroom. Kasab, a Pakistani national, faces more than a dozen charges, including murder, conspiracy to wage a war against the nation and terrorism. During the proceedings Wednesday Kasab seemed relaxed and smiled many time at the large crowd of journalists in the courtroom. Kasab also requested newspapers to be brought in so that he could see what the media was writing about him. Prosecutors last month accused him of trying to delay the trial by insisting that the 11,000-page document detailing the charges against him -- which was written in English and the local Marathi language -- be translated into Urdu, the official language of Pakistan. The court rejected his request. Wednesday's trial was to take place in a makeshift court set up in a jail where Kasab -- who has been communicating with the judge via videolink -- is being held. Indian authorities have long blamed the Mumbai attacks on Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a Pakistan-based militant outfit, but the group has denied responsibility. The violence initially heightened tensions between the two nuclear states. India has urged Pakistan to destroy what it calls terrorist infrastructure in that country. The two nations are longtime rivals that have fought three wars since their independence from the British, and conducted countering nuclear weapons tests in 1998. CNN's Sara Sidner contributed to this report.

Main suspect's lawyer removed as she represents a witness in the case . Trial was to start Wednesday, unclear when court proceedings will resume . Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is accused of being the only gunmen to survive siege . The November siege targeted victims at Mumbai hotels, hospitals, railway stations .

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Editor's note: CNN Contributor Bob Greene is a bestselling author whose forthcoming book is "Late Edition: A Love Story." Bob Greene says Navy SEALs demonstrate an extraordinary devotion to duty. (CNN) -- There is a beach in Coronado, California, just across the bridge from San Diego. It offers a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, which is why it attracts tourists who are drawn to the sun. I thought about that beach yesterday, when the news from the Indian Ocean near the Horn of Africa was flashed around the world -- the news that the captain of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama had been rescued from Somali pirates by U.S. forces operating off the USS Bainbridge. That beach in California seems quite placid, even sedate. The historic, red-gabled Hotel del Coronado sits upon it -- the place where the Marilyn Monroe-Jack Lemmon-Tony Curtis movie "Some Like It Hot" was filmed. The feeling of the place is one of genteel manners, of delicate tradition. You almost expect to see guests carrying parasols and making reservations to play croquet. But down the beach there is another kind of tradition. That's what I was thinking about on Sunday. When I have stayed on Coronado, I walk down that beach toward the Naval Amphibious Base. I remember a makeshift fence separating the beach from the far reaches of the base. But it was easy to walk around, and no one appeared to take it especially seriously. I haven't been back since September 11, 2001; I would be very surprised if the barriers aren't more formidable now. On that part of the beach, on the outskirts of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, I saw Navy SEALs in training. Here, the Navy winnows the men who would be SEALs from the ones who fall short. It was a humbling thing to witness. As the Navy itself puts it, SEAL training is like few other competitions: . "Prospective SEALs go through what is considered by many military experts to be the toughest training in the world. ... The most important trait that distinguishes Navy SEALs from all other military forces is that SEALs are Maritime Special Forces, as they strike from and return to the sea. SEALs (Sea, Air, Land) take their name from the elements in and from which they operate. Their stealth and clandestine methods of operation allow them to conduct multiple missions against targets that larger forces cannot approach undetected." They looked so young, those prospective SEALs on Coronado beach. The maximum age to apply to be a SEAL is 28. They all know what they're getting into when they sign up, but to see their faces -- including the faces of the ones who were falling behind, who probably weren't going to make the cut, who were gasping for air on the arduous runs along the beach and having trouble during the maneuvers in the ocean -- was to see a devotion to the concept of duty on a level few of the rest of us will ever know. Maybe you, during the recent days when Capt. Richard Phillips was held captive on that lifeboat off the coast of Africa, were asking yourself who in the world could come to his rescue. Who had the training, and the courage, to carry out such a mission. We probably don't ask ourselves that kind of question often enough. Usually, military operations are talked about in the abstract, as if they're lines on a chalkboard, or brightly glowing diagrams on a computer screen. But once in a while, like now, we stop to focus on what we ask of the people who serve in our stead when the task seems all but impossible. Ronald Reagan would sometimes quote a line that summed up our wonder at those who make the choice to serve our country in this way: "Where do we find such men?" We find them among us, although we usually don't know it when we see it. On Coronado, on Orange Avenue, there was a bar called McP's, owned by an ex-SEAL named Greg McPartlin. Whenever I would stop in there, groups of guys from the naval base would be having a cheeseburger, maybe listening to a local acoustic band play a guitars-only version of The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out." You'd sit among them, and it was easy to forget what brought them to this strip of sand. It wasn't for vacation, or relaxation. Where do we find such men? Sometimes at the next table over, listening to the music. From the Navy SEALs' creed: . "My loyalty to country and team is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans, always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others before my own. I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other men. ... In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. ... I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight." Where do we find such men? Over the weekend, we learned the answer anew. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.

Bob Greene: Navy SEALs go through training in San Diego . Navy says they go through what may be toughest military training in the world . He says SEALs show a devotion to duty that few of us can ever attain .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Piracy off the coast of Somalia can't be stopped until there is some authority to bring pirates to justice, according to the commander of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain. U.S. Vice Admiral William Gortney: Need to hold pirates off Africa's east coast accountable. Because there is no working government in Somalia and no country is willing to take captured pirates, bring them to trial and detain them, there is no deterrent for pirates to stop attacking ships, Vice Admiral William Gortney said at a Pentagon briefing Thursday. "The problem is there's not a way to -- until we have a mechanism [to hold them] accountable and try them for their actions, there's no way to -- to finish the problem," Gortney said. The United States is making a deal with a country in the eastern Africa region to hold and try pirates captured by the U.S.-led Combined Task Force 151, a new maritime anti-piracy mission started earlier this month. He said an official announcement would be made after the deal with the country is official. In the past three months, piracy attacks have averaged about 12 to 14 a month off the east coast of Africa. As of mid-January, the attack numbers are already at the average of the past three months, according to Gortney. "That [number] should tell you that we're not -- we're not being 100 percent successful on the deterrence of the attempt. And that's where we have to go after," Gortney said. The United States is expecting other nations to join the anti-piracy task force, but at the moment, the United States is the only country in the task force with just three ships off of the waters of Somalia. There are ships from some European and Asian countries patrolling the waters independently as well, primarily guarding cargo ships from their own countries. Pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 in the waters off the coast of Somalia in 2008, according to the International Maritime Bureau. See how pirate attacks peaked in 2008 » . Pirating off of Somalia has increased during the past four to five years as fishermen from Somalia realize that pirating is more lucrative than fishing. Additionally, pirates are able to get away with the crimes because of the lack of government and overall lawlessness in the country. Gortney said statistically the chances of ships being pirated off of Somalia less than one percent, but it won't be stopped until piracy is "disincentivized."

Gortney: No working Somali government, country willing to detain, try accused pirates . U.S. currently only nation with ships dedicated to anti-pirate task force . Asian, European nations have own ships independently patrolling region .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- British military officials on Sunday said Prince William had not breached any rules when he used a Royal Air Force helicopter to drop in at his girlfriend's house. Chinhook helicopters are normally used for transporting troops and equipment in war zones. The prince, second in line to the throne, landed a Chinook helicopter -- normally used for transporting troops -- in a field next to the home of Kate Middleton, according to the News of the World tabloid. The paper said the trip had caused fury among some in the military who saw it as a waste of time and money at a time when British forces are thinly-stretched, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said the maneuver was part of a planned training exercise designed to help the prince learn to fly in combat situations. "Battlefield helicopter crews routinely practice landing in fields and confined spaces away from their airfields as a vital part of their training for operations," a statement said. "These highly honed skills are used daily in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan." The Ministry said that due to a shortage of landing fields available for practice, an offer to land near the Middleton house on April 3 was readily accepted. It said no one got on or off the aircraft, which spent 20 seconds on the ground. Britain's air forces have already come under criticism for allowing William, 25, to fly a Chinook to attend a bachelor party, accompanied by his brother, Prince Harry. William, a second lieutenant in the British Army, graduated as a pilot earlier this month following a detachment to the Royal Air Force. E-mail to a friend .

Prince William drops in at girlfriend's house using RAF Chinook . Ministry of Defense says operation was standard training procedure . Newspaper says the landing has angered some in the military .

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(CNN) -- A woman who was beheaded near Buffalo, New York -- allegedly by her husband -- may have been on the phone with her sister when she was killed. Muzzammil Hassan has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Aasiya Zubair Hassan. Asma Firfirey of suburban Cape Town, South Africa, told the Afrikaans newspaper Die Burger that she was on the phone with her sister, Aasiya Zubair Hassan, last week when she heard Hassan tell her husband to calm down. She said she heard Hassan say the two could talk about their impending divorce the following day. Then she heard something that sounded like her sister struggling to breathe, she said. "I can only imagine how scared and emotional she must have been before she died," Firfirey said in the interview, reported in English by South Africa's News 24. Police have charged Hassan's husband, Muzzammil Hassan, with second-degree, or intentional, murder in the death of his wife, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Her decapitated body was found at the offices of Bridges TV, the television network where Muzzammil Hassan was chief executive officer and Aasiya Hassan was general manager. Hassan told Orchard Park police his wife was dead, led officers to her body and was arrested Thursday, said Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz on Tuesday contradicted a CNN report that quoted him as saying Hassan confessed to the crime. A Buffalo attorney told CNN on Tuesday that he expects to represent Hassan but declined further comment, saying details had not yet been worked out. Hassan came to America from Pakistan 25 years ago and became a successful banker, but he and his wife were troubled by the negative perception of Muslims, Voice of America reported in 2004. Speaking in December 2004, Hassan said his wife, then pregnant, was worried about that perception and "felt there should be an American Muslim media where her kids could grow up feeling really strong about their identity as an American Muslim." "So she came up with the idea and turned to me and said, 'Why don't you do it?' " he said. "And I was like, I have no clue about television. I'm a banker. ... And her comment was, 'You have an MBA. Why don't you write a business plan?' " Bridges TV began as a television network for Muslim-Americans, aimed at overcoming the negative stereotypes associated with the religion. "There should be a Muslim media," Muzzammil Hassan told VOA, "so that Muslim children growing up in America grow up with the self-confidence and high self-esteem about their identity both as Americans and as Muslims." In the past few years, according to a former employee who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, Bridges TV transformed itself into more of a cross-cultural network seeking to bridge the gap between all cultures. Most of their employees were not Muslim, the former employee said, and Muzzammil Hassan himself was not devout. Aasiya Hassan filed for divorce February 6, police said, and Muzzammil Hassan was served with divorce papers at the station. That night, he showed up at the couple's home, she notified authorities and he was served with a restraining order. Police are not commenting on details of the crime, except to say the woman's body did not appear to have been moved. They also would not divulge what Muzzammil Hassan told police or the suspected motive. The law firm representing Aasiya Hassan refused to comment, only confirming that she had filed for divorce. Benz told CNN on Tuesday that police had responded to several domestic violence calls at the couple's address, but no one was arrested. Firfirey, as well as a Pakistani woman identifying herself as another of Aasiya Hassan's sisters, characterized her as living in fear. Firfirey said the last time she saw her sister was in May 2008, when she visited South Africa. When she arrived, she was badly injured, and Firfirey's family paid the equivalent of about $3,000 for her to be treated, she said. Aasiya Hassan returned to America, she said, because she wanted to complete her MBA degree and "didn't want to leave her children with that monster." She said she calls Muzzammil Hassan "the fat man with evil eyes." Aasiya Hassan would have graduated March 6, Firfirey said. A woman in Pakistan using the name Salma Zubair posted on a blog that she is the sister of "this brutally murdered woman." "She lived her 8 years of married life with fear in heart," Zubair wrote. "He had already frightened her enough that she couldn't muster up her guts and leave him, and when she finally did gather that much strength he killed her so brutally. She lived to protect her children from this man and his family and she died doing so." She said Aasiya Hassan "had always been a very loving person, not even one person in this world can say a small wrong word about her ... she had always dreamed a life of a happily married family, which she did her best to achieve." Both women said they were worried about the couple's children, ages 4 and 6. Firfirey said they were being cared for by a colleague of the couple. Muzzammil Hassan also has two older children from a previous marriage. Members of Muzzammil Hassan's family did not return calls from CNN on Monday. The former employee told CNN that Aasiya Hassan was popular at the station and was very kind. Muzzammil Hassan was known among employees for having a temper -- he sometimes would yell at and demean his wife, but at other times appeared to be a loving husband and father, the former employee said. Bridges TV released a statement Monday saying its staff was "deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of Aasiya Hassan and the subsequent arrest of Muzzammil Hassan. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families of the victim." Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali, vice president of the Islamic Society of North America, said Aasiya Hassan's death serves "as a wake-up call to call of us, that violence against women is real and cannot be ignored ... the Muslim community is not exempt from this issue. We, the Muslim community, need to take a strong stand against domestic violence." CNN's Mary Snow contributed to this report.

New York man charged with second-degree murder after wife found beheaded . Police: Woman's decapitated body found at TV station where she, husband worked . Report: Sister says she may have been on phone with victim when she was killed . Aasiya Zubair Hassan had filed for divorce from Muzzammil Hassan days earlier .

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(CNN) -- The sole survivor of Sunday's shooting rampage in Wisconsin "played dead" after a sheriff's deputy shot him three times, Wisconsin's attorney general said Tuesday. Tyler Peterson, a sheriff's deputy, shot and killed six people, police said. After Tyler Peterson shot him once, Charlie Neitzel, 21, begged him to stop. But Peterson fired again. Neitzel fell to the floor, was shot a third time, and didn't move. "Playing dead until Peterson left, Neitzel survived," Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said. Neitzel underwent surgery Tuesday and was in stable condition Tuesday night, a hospital employee told CNN. The families of the six slain young people -- all current or former graduates of Crandon High School in Crandon, Wisconsin, asked that media leave them alone in their grief, Van Hollen told reporters. But the families of the victims also wanted it known that they had met with Peterson's family. "They hold no animosity toward them," Van Hollen said, conveying the families' wishes that the Peterson family be allowed space and time to heal. On Sunday around 2 a.m. (3 a.m. ET) Peterson, a full-time Forest County Sheriff's deputy, went to a party at a home in the small town of Crandon apparently to make amends with an ex-girlfriend, a friend of Peterson's told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Peterson argued with Jordanne Murray, accusing her of dating someone else, said Van Hollen. Peterson lost control after people called him a "worthless pig," Peterson's friend Mike Kegley told the paper. Peterson left the party and got a police-style AR-15 rifle from his truck, forced his way back into the apartment and fired about 30 rounds at about 2:45 a.m. (3:45 a.m. ET). Six people were killed. According to The Associated Press, investigators found three bodies on or next to a couch -- Lindsey Stahl, 14; Aaron Smith, 20; and Bradley Schultz, 20. Murray, 18, was found in the kitchen. Lianna Thomas, 18, was found in a closet, and Katrina McCorkle, 18, was just outside it. Both had apparently been trying to hide, Van Hollen said, according to AP. Neitzel was the last person shot, Van Hollen said. Less than 20 minutes later, a patrolling Crandon police officer, reported hearing gunfire and approached the apartment building to investigate, Van Hollen said. The officer, Greg Carter, 21, said he saw Peterson exit the building with a rifle, and momentarily lost sight of him. Then, Carter "heard multiple rounds of gunfire" and Carter's windshield burst, Van Hollen said. Van Hollen said Peterson drove "aimlessly" through three Wisconsin counties and made false calls to authorities to "throw police off his tail." He eventually stopped in Argonne, Wisconsin, where he spoke to friends and confessed, Van Hollen said. Peterson was killed in a shootout with law officers Sunday after negotiations for his surrender failed. The details of the negotiations are not being released at this time pending an ongoing investigation, Van Hollen said Tuesday. E-mail to a friend .

Charlie Neitzel, 21, begged Tyler Peterson to stop shooting, AG said . AG: After Peterson fired second time, Neitzel dropped to floor and didn't move . Peterson was shot three times in the head; once in bicep, AG said . Peterson opened fire on a party of young people Sunday, killing six .

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(CNN) -- The first guests checked back into the Taj Mahal Palace and the Oberoi-Trident hotels Sunday, marking the reopening of the two luxury venues damaged by terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month. Guests arrive Sunday at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. Along with new guests, the hotels' five restaurants were booked with diners, representatives of the Taj Mahal said. "Today has been an incredibly moving day. The Taj has been reopened, after a massive concerted effort, in dedication to all of those who lost their lives in the attacks on Mumbai," said Ratan Tata, the chairman of the company that owns the the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Representatives at the Oberoi-Trident marked the reopening of that hotel with a multi-religion prayer meeting. Watch as the Taj Mahal hotel reopens . "All the 550 guest rooms, including the executive floors, of the hotel are ready to receive guests," a hotel spokesman said, adding the business was reopening with "heightened security," There were still portions of both hotels that could not reopened because of damage, including the Heritage wing of the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi wing of the Oberoi-Trident. The scene Sunday is a far cry from November 26 when the hotel and many other locations in Mumbai were paralyzed by a mass of coordinated attacks. Terrorists using bombs, gunfire and fire caused the deaths of more than 160 people over three days of sieges throughout the city that is India's commercial capital. They took hostages at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi-Trident hotels. The assaults also targeted a historic train station, a Jewish cultural center and other landmarks. CNN's Harmeet Singh contributed to this report.

Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Oberoi-Trident luxury hotels reopen . Both were targeted by gunmen in last month's attacks in which around 160 died . Parts of both hotels still closed because of damage suffered during three-day sieges .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A medical ailment that has worried male members of string sections across the music world for over 30 years has been exposed as a hoax. Male cellists of the world can breathe easy again. A senior British lawmaker confessed to making up the condition known as "cello scrotum" -- which relates to chafing from the instrument -- after reading about another musically-related ailment called "guitarist's nipple" in the British Medical Journal in 1974. Elaine Murphy, who is a member of The House of Lords and a trained doctor, came clean about the prank she devised with husband John in a letter to the BMJ published on Wednesday. She said: "Perhaps after 34 years it's time for us to confess that we invented cello scrotum. "Reading (Dr) Curtis's 1974 letter to the BMJ on guitar nipple, we thought it highly likely to be a spoof and decided to go one further by submitting a letter pretending to have noted a similar phenomenon in cellists, signed by the non-doctor one of us. "Anyone who has ever watched a cello being played would realize the physical impossibility of our claim." Murphy's confession may have been hastened by the fact that cello scrotum was referenced by a medical researcher in the BMJ late last year. The article, entitled "A symphony of maladies," focused on health problems among musicians and contained references to such ailments as fiddler's neck, flautist's chin and cellist's chest. Fiona Godlee, editor of the BMJ, told Britain's Independent newspaper: "It seems the BMJ has been deliciously hoaxed. It is wonderful it has been going all these years and no one realized. "We frown on misconduct and medical fraud is taken very seriously. But in this case I hope I am right in saying that no harm has been done." Murphy was made a life peer in 2004 and is active on mental health and ageing issues in the House of Lords.

Elaine Murphy is a member of The House of Lords and a trained doctor . She made up cello scrotum ailment after reading about guitarist's nipple in 1974 . Cello scrotum was referenced in a British Medical Journal article last year . "A symphony of maladies" focused on health problems among musicians .

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MOSCOW, Russia -- Russia declared an end Thursday to its 10-year anti-terror "operation" in the autonomous republic of Chechnya. Russian forces have been operating in Chechnya since Boris Yeltsin's order in 1999. The end to the offensive could see the withdrawal of thousands of troops from the Muslim-majority region, where Russia has fought two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. The head of the Federal Security Service "canceled the decree declaring a counterterrorist operation in the territory of the republic as of midnight of April 16," Russia's anti-terror committee said. It said it did so to create "the conditions for the future normalization of the situation in the republic, its reconstruction and development of its socio-economic sphere," it said in a statement. The late president Boris Yeltsin ordered the counter-terrorist operation in 1999. Since then, the region has been relatively stable.

Russia declares end to 10-year anti-terror "operation" in Chechnya . Thousands of troops could be withdrawn from Muslim-majority region . Former president Boris Yeltsin ordered the counter-terrorist operation in 1999 .

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(Entertainment Weekly) -- After all the anticipation and hubbub, the weekend is coming to an end and the box office results are here: "Watchmen" (No. 1) grossed $55.7 million during its first frame, according to early estimates from Media by Numbers. "Watchmen" led the weekend box office, grossing $55.7 million during its first weekend. That's a solid sum, to be sure, although it's certainly on the low end of most projections. "Watchmen" premiered in more theaters (3,611) than any other R-rated movie in history, and it averaged an impressive $15,413 per venue, despite a potentially problematic long running time. It also scored the biggest debut of 2009 so far. Nonetheless, the movie's $55.7 million take (including $5.5 million from 124 IMAX screens) is substantially smaller than the $70.9 million that 300, the last R-rated graphic-novel movie from director Zack Snyder, earned on its opening weekend two years ago. And aside from that theater-count statistic (which almost any film could break at any time, really), there will be no major records to report on this weekend (for example, "Watchmen's" debut was just the fifth-best opening ever for an R-rated movie). I'd argue, in fact, that this opening is a bit soft, considering the great expectations that came with Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore's landmark comic book -- not to mention "Watchmen's" hefty grosses from screenings at midnight on Friday and throughout its first day. After attracting some major initial interest, banking $25.1 million on Friday, the film's audience dropped off dramatically during the weekend: It grossed $19 million on Saturday and is expected to bring in just $11.5 million on Sunday. These are all big numbers, don't get me wrong, but, when combined with the fact that the film got a lukewarm CinemaScore grade of B from an audience that was largely comprised of older men, it all points to a rapid downward trend that may be difficult to reverse in the weeks to come. Elsewhere -- yes, there were other movies playing at the multiplex this weekend! -- a number of films continued to do what "Watchmen" must now aspire to, perhaps in vain: They stayed strong deep into their long runs. Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" (No. 2) grossed $8.8 million on its third weekend; the film, Perry's biggest yet at the box office, has banked $76.5 million to date. "Taken" (No. 3) also moved along like the unstoppable force it has been for more than a month now, earning $7.5 million and bringing its six-week sum to $118 million. Best Picture winner "Slumdog Millionaire" (No. 4) was next with $6.9 million, which boosted its domestic haul to $125.4 million. And "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" (No. 5) took its eight-week total to $133.6 million thanks to another $4.2 million gross. iReport.com: What did you think of 'Watchmen'? Meanwhile, "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" (No. 9) completely fell off the map, dropping a staggering 78 percent to gross just $2.8 million. According to Box Office Mojo, that's the 15th biggest second-weekend decline of all time. Overall, the cumulative box office was up nearly 8 percent over the same frame a year ago, when 10,000 B.C. opened big, making this the fifth consecutive "up" weekend at the multiplex. So, all in all, I'd say today's was a good report, indeed. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

"Watchmen" premiered in more theaters than any other R-rated movie in history . Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" (No. 2) grossed another $8.8 million . Best Picture winner "Slumdog Millionaire" took the No. 4 slot with $6.9 million .

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(CNN) -- Just as "Y2K" and its batch of predictions about the year 2000 have become a distant memory, here comes "Twenty-twelve." The sun shines through the door of the Seven Dolls Temple, in the Maya ruins of Dzibilchaltun in Mexico. Fueled by a crop of books, Web sites with countdown clocks, and claims about ancient timekeepers, interest is growing in what some see as the dawn of a new era, and others as an expiration date for Earth: December 21, 2012. The date marks the end of a 5,126-year cycle on the Long Count calendar developed by the Maya, the ancient civilization known for its advanced understanding of astronomy and for the great cities it left behind in Mexico and Central America. (Some scholars believe the cycle ends a bit later -- on December 23, 2012.) Speculation in some circles about whether the Maya chose this particular time because they thought something ominous would happen has sparked a number of doomsday theories. The hype also has mainstream Maya scholars shaking their heads. "There's going to be a whole generation of people who, when they think of the Maya, think of 2012, and to me that's just criminal," said David Stuart, director of the Mesoamerica Center at the University of Texas at Austin. "There is no serious scholar who puts any stock in the idea that the Maya said anything meaningful about 2012." Find out more about the history and culture of the Maya » . But take the fact that December 21, 2012, coincides with the winter solstice, add claims the Maya picked the time period because it also marks an alignment of the sun with the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and you have the makings of an online sensation. Type "2012" into an Internet search engine and you'll find survival guides, survival schools, predictions and "official stuff" to wear, including T-shirts with slogans such as "2012 The End" and "Doomsday 2012." Theories about what might happen range from solar storms triggering volcano eruptions to a polar reversal that will make the Earth spin in the opposite direction. If you think all of this would make a great sci-fi disaster movie, Hollywood is already one step ahead. "2012," a special-effects flick starring John Cusack and directed by Roland Emmerich, of "The Day After Tomorrow" fame, is scheduled to be released this fall. The trailer shows a monk running to a bell tower on a mountaintop to sound the alarm as a huge wall of water washes over what appear to be the peaks of the Himalayas. 'Promoting a hoax' One barometer of the interest in 2012 may be the "Ask an Astrobiologist" section of NASA's Web site, where senior scientist David Morrison answers questions from the public. On a recent visit, more than half of the inquiries on the most popular list were related to 2012. "The purveyors of doom are promoting a hoax," Morrison wrote earlier this month in response to a question from a person who expressed fear about the date. A scholar who has studied the Maya for 35 years said there is nothing ominous about 2012, despite the hype surrounding claims to the contrary. "I think that the popular books... about what the Maya say is going to happen are really fabricated on the basis of very little evidence," said Anthony Aveni, a professor of astronomy, anthropology and Native American studies at Colgate University. Aveni and Stuart are both writing their own books explaining the Mayan calendar and 2012, but Stuart said he's pessimistic that people will be interested in the real story when so many other books are making sensational claims. Dozens of titles about 2012 have been published and more are scheduled to go on sale in the coming months. Current offerings include "Apocalypse 2012," in which author Lawrence Joseph outlines "terrible possibilities," such as the potential for natural disaster. But Joseph admits he doesn't think the world is going to end. "I do, however, believe that 2012 will prove to be... a very dramatic and probably transformative year," Joseph said. The author acknowledged he's worried his book's title might scare people, but said he wanted to alert the public about possible dangers ahead. He added that his publisher controls the book's title, though he had no issue with the final choice. "If it had been called 'Serious Threats 2012' or 'Profound Considerations for 2012,' it would have never gotten published," Joseph said. Growing interest . Another author said the doom and gloom approach is a great misunderstanding of 2012. "The trendy doomsday people... should be treated for what they are: under-informed opportunists and alarmists who will move onto other things in 2013," said John Major Jenkins, whose books include "Galactic Alignment" and who describes himself as a self-taught independent Maya scholar. Jenkins said that cycle endings were all about transformation and renewal -- not catastrophe -- for the Maya. He also makes the case that the period they chose coincides with an alignment of the December solstice sun with the center of the Milky Way, as viewed from Earth. "Two thousand years ago the Maya believed that the world would be going through a great transformation when this alignment happened," Jenkins said. But Aveni said there is no evidence that the Maya cared about this concept of the Milky Way, adding that the galactic center was not defined until the 1950s. "What you have here is a modern age influence [and] modern concepts trying to garb the ancient Maya in modern clothing, and it just doesn't wash for me," Aveni said. Meanwhile, he and other scholars are bracing for growing interest as the date approaches. "The whole year leading up to it is going to be just crazy, I'm sorry to say," Stuart said. "I just think it's sad, it really just frustrates me. People are really misunderstanding this really cool culture by focusing on this 2012 thing. It means more about us than it does about the Maya."

December 21, 2012, marks the end of a 5,126-year cycle on a Mayan calendar . Some think the date is ominous, others say it may signal the dawn of a new era . Theories are fabricated on the basis of very little evidence, Maya scholar says . "The whole year leading up to it is going to be just crazy," another scholar warns .

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- U.S. envoy George Mitchell was in Israel on Thursday for his first visit since right-wing politician Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister. U.S. envoy George Mitchell, right, meets Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday in Jerusalem. It is Mitchell's third visit to the region since President Obama appointed him as special envoy for Middle East peace. Mitchell plans to meet with Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians Thursday, as well as Palestinian leaders -- including President Mahmoud Abbas -- in the West Bank and Jerusalem on Friday. The former senator and seasoned diplomat has not been shy in articulating the U.S. desire to see a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has led to speculation that the new Israeli government and the Obama administration may find themselves on a collision course. Netanyahu has indicated he wants serious negotiations with the Palestinians to continue, but he has not explicitly stated his support for Palestinian statehood. Questions about the new Israeli government's commitment to a negotiated peace process came up when the new foreign minister, nationalist politician Avigdor Lieberman, declared the Annapolis process "null and void." The Annapolis process, launched by the Bush administration in 2007, paved the way for the resumption of Israeli and Palestinian talks after they stopped earlier in the decade. After meeting Lieberman on Thursday morning, Mitchell said he had reiterated the U.S. stance. "U.S. policy favors, with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a two-state solution which would have a Palestinian state living in peace alongside the Jewish state of Israel," Mitchell said. "We look forward also to efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace throughout the region." Lieberman said the two men had a "great opportunity to exchange some ideas" and spoke about close cooperation. "We spoke to coordinate our position regarding the Palestinian issue, regarding the area problems," he said. "We are looking forward to the next meeting for some really deep dialogue about security, about economy, about all problems in the entire region." The Israeli foreign minister said Israel will do everything necessary to improve the Palestinians' economic situation. But in a statement after his meeting with Mitchell, he emphasized that Israel expects an "unequivocal commitment" from the international community to Israel's security and to the Jewish state. Mitchell met Wednesday night with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who told the U.S. envoy that the countries' bilateral relationship is "deep and close." "It is possible to reach cooperation and understanding on all issues that are on the table," said Barak. The issue of Iran and its nuclear program was also a topic Thursday. After Mitchell met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, the president said he emphasized dialogue on the issue. "It is our common interest that dialogue with Iran will expose if there is an opportunity with Iran or is it all a hoax," Peres said. "We all want a world that is clean of nuclear bombs, but the problem is that those holding the bombs are religious fanatics, extremists, that do not cringe from all methods of killing. "We need to create a wide international cooperation regarding the matter of Iran," he said. "All this talk about a possible attack by Israel in Iran are not true. The solution to Iran is not a military solution." Lieberman said the subject of Iran is a "major problem" for Israel and the whole region. "If you are looking for a stable solution to the Palestinian problem, before everything else you have [to] stop the intensification and the spreading of the Iranian threat," Lieberman said in his statement. CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief Kevin Flower contributed to this report.

George Mitchell to meet with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . Netanyahu has not explicitly said he supports Palestinian statehood . Israel's foreign minister has said Annapolis peace process is "null and void" Israeli President Shimon Peres meets with Mitchell, supports dialogue with Iran .

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(CNN) -- The two young women were as different as could be when they met in a small farming village outside Uganda's capital in 2004. Orphans perform at the opening ceremony for their new home in Mutungo, Uganda. Brittany Merrill was a 19-year-old Southern Methodist University broadcast journalism student from an affluent family in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. She was teaching literature in Uganda for the summer when she decided to visit Mutungo, a crowded shantytown of mud huts and wooden shacks, where children in torn clothes ran around in bare feet, and people lingered in the noisy streets to avoid the oppressive heat inside their homes. At 22 years old, Sarah Kamara felt God had called on her to take in homeless children begging on Mutungo's streets. In addition to her own daughter, Kamara was caring for 23 children in her one-room home. Some were AIDS orphans, others had been abandoned by families who had too many children. But Kamara took them in, alienating herself from neighbors, relatives and her husband, who briefly separated from her in protest. Despite Kamara's broken English and Merrill's culture shock, the two found common ground in their compassion for the children, whose zeal for life was unmitigated by the poverty, disease and death that had brought them to Kamara's home. "They taught me about what is meaningful in this world and gave me purpose," Merrill said of the children. "Their love and faith has challenged my heart. They shook me out of my complacency." Merrill left Uganda determined to help Kamara realize her dream of opening a full-fledged orphan home, where sets of "mamas" and "uncles" would care for children in separate living spaces, nurturing their emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Four years and roughly $800,000 later, the two brought their vision to life with the opening of the Ranch on Jesus Orphanage in March. The home, which will accommodate 180 orphans at capacity, is named after the nonprofit ministry that Kamara and her husband, Theophilius, started after they met Merrill in 2004. Local dignitaries and the orphans' relatives, who couldn't afford to care for them, attended the opening. It was a rousing celebration of song and dance, ceremonial ribbon-cuttings and speeches that highlighted how cultural barriers crumbled before the wills of the two women. See images from the opening ceremony » . "Here in Africa, ladies don't do such big, big things," Kamara said after the ceremony. "I'm a young lady, and Brittany is also a young lady, but the Lord has used us in a great, great way." After Merrill's first trip to Uganda, she knew her life's path had been irrevocably altered. She started using her free time to take classes in nonprofit management at SMU and read up on fundraising before securing a loan from her father to buy property for the orphanage. She expanded upon her vision in her senior year, forgoing a social life so she could draw up facility plans and file paperwork for a nonprofit. "My friends thought I had fallen off the face of the Earth," she said. She also began fundraising in earnest, sharing her vision with family and friends at fundraising dinners in Atlanta and Dallas, Texas, and relying on word of mouth to expand her pool of donors. By the end of 2005, she had put her vision on paper with the creation of the Ugandan Children's Orphanage Fund. After graduation, her dream of becoming a journalist was replaced by new goals. As her friends started marrying and taking jobs stateside, Merrill was visiting Uganda with greater frequency, bringing along more recent graduates from the United States each time. "I'd never been involved in community service, never planned on being in Africa, this wasn't my plan for my life, so to watch my own heart change to learn to love people who are different from me in every possible way, that's something that has really changed me and the way I see the world, and my role in the world in the context of others," she said. Merrill's dedication to Uganda grew as the Mutungo Orphanage Project made headway, first with the construction of a temporary orphanage, and then with the groundbreaking in 2007 of a facility consisting of family-style apartments for the children and caregivers. Meanwhile, the Kamaras founded Ranch on Jesus Ministries, a nonprofit that runs the orphanage and a nearby school serving children from the orphanage and others from Mutungo. As Merrill's relationship with the community grew, so did her ambitions for development projects in the region. By the time she moved to Uganda in 2007, the Ugandan Children's Orphanage Fund had become the Ugandan American Partnership Organization, and the foundation had started two more projects with the help of Ugandan entrepreneurs and community leaders and more fundraising on the part of Merrill and board members in Dallas, Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama. "When our relationships are bad, the projects suffer. When our relationships are strong, our projects thrive, they don't feel forced," Merrill said. "To me, it's really amazing to see how some of the most beautiful and bountiful relationships come out of transcending race, culture and economic status." So far, the Amaazi Project has successfully drilled six water wells in rural villages in Eastern and Northern Uganda, providing more than 3,000 villagers with clean water. The Akola Project has grown into a crafts cooperative in a village of the same name. The cooperative provides more than 100 widows with an additional source of income through making jewelry. Merrill credits her youthful inexperience with helping the organization succeed. "I think that because we were so young, we started with a blank slate and we didn't think we knew the answers. We learned to listen, we came in with open ears and an open heart and listened to the people in the community about their ideas for development," Merrill said. "Because of that, we've been successful with developing projects and forming strong relationships with people we work with."

Orphanage starts with 23 children in Sarah Kamara's ramshackle home . American college student Brittany Merrill raises funds to build bigger orphan home . Vision for orphan home grows out of meeting between the two women in 2004 . Ranch on Jesus Orphanage will house 180 orphans in Mutungo at capacity .

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(CNN) -- Donald Trump visited "Larry King Live" on Wednesday night to tout his new book, "Think Like a Champion." In a wide-ranging interview, Trump shared his thoughts on how to prosper in this economy, Bernie Madoff, how President Obama is doing, taxes and his daughter's love life. On CNN's "Larry King Live" Wednesday night, Donald Trump said it's a great time for entrepreneurs. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: . Larry King: Why this book? Donald Trump: A lot of people wanted me to do a book right now about these troubled times that we're all in. And it's been sort of interesting. They're great times, as an entrepreneur. I don't think I've ever seen better times as an entrepreneur. But the world is a mess, and the country is a mess. King: Why [is it a] good time for an entrepreneur and not necessarily for others? Trump: Well, this is a time for smart people. This is a time for entrepreneurial people. This is a great time for people like me -- and maybe people like you, Larry, because I know you're a great investor. ... Weren't you involved with [Bernie] Madoff? King: A little bit, yes. You weren't, huh? How did you resist him? Trump: Honestly, I got lucky. He might have duped me like he did a lot of other people. He is a disaster. But now he's where he belongs. King: With troubled times like this for the average guy, is this the time to think like a champion? Watch Larry King's entire interview with Donald Trump » . Trump: This is the best time to think like a champion. As an example, the house is being foreclosed. You go see your bank -- maybe you can make a deal, maybe you can't. But you can make a deal with a bank on another house, and much better than the one you're living in. ... They'll do any deal to get rid of their product. They have houses by the thousands. And you go see that bank and you make a deal. King: How do you assess [Barack Obama]? Trump: Well, I really like him. I think that he's working very hard. He's trying to rebuild our reputation throughout the world. The previous administration was a total disaster, a total catastrophe. And, you know, the world looks at us differently than they used to. ... He was handed a pretty bad deck of cards. And I'm not saying I agree with everything he's doing. ... I do agree with what they're doing with the banks. Whether they fund them or nationalize them, it doesn't matter, but you have to keep the banks going. King: Do you assess him as a champion? Trump: Oh, yes, he's a champion. I mean, he won against all odds. When he first announced, people were giving him virtually no chance. And he's just done something that's amazing. King: Is fear harmful in this [economic] situation, Donald, or is it realistic? Trump: Well, I think it's realistic. People are afraid. They're scared. They're losing their jobs. They're losing their homes. And certainly there is a word known as fear, and there's nothing wrong with being fearful. But you have to do something about it. And that's what I write about in the book. You go out. You go to the right place, where there's better employment. You get a trade where they really need people. King: Have you had to lay off people? Because it seems everyone has had to do that. Trump: It's a sad thing, but whether it's "The Apprentice" or not, the fact is you have to say to some people: "You're fired." The world is different. King: You said that this is a good time to buy real estate. What about financing? What if you want to buy and you can't get the mortgage? Trump: Larry, this is a great time to buy real estate. And as far as financing is concerned, the only financing you should be thinking about is seller financing. If the seller won't give you financing, don't do it, because the banks are not doing their job. They're not providing financing for deals. King: New York state is planning a so-called millionaire's tax. It would affect those with incomes starting at $300,000. Yea or nay? Trump: Well, it's a ridiculous thing. Albany is going to destroy ... this state. And they are raising taxes on rich people. The rich people have lots of options, Larry. One option is Palm Beach, Florida. You move down to Palm Beach; it's not the worst thing in the world. I don't have to live on Fifth Avenue. I don't have to live on Park Avenue. It's hard, psychologically, for me to leave, but very easy physically. King: Why don't patriots want to pay taxes? Trump: Well, I don't know that that's necessarily unpatriotic. I think they want to pay taxes. Obviously, you have to pay taxes. But they want to pay a reasonable tax, and they don't want to see the money squandered. Money in this country is being squandered. King: OK. But then we would debate reasonable. Trump: Well, you always debate reasonable. I think unreasonable is the war in Iraq. I mean, there's $1 trillion right there. And, more importantly, thousands of people -- both on our side and the other side -- hundreds of thousands of people killed and maimed and so badly hurt, I think it's just a shame. Now, to me, that's unreasonable. And, by the way, ... Saddam Hussein did not knock down the World Trade Center. King: Has the economy at all cramped your lifestyle? Anything you had to change? Trump: No, because I think I understand life. I think I understand how to live. I'm enjoying my life. I don't really live in an as extravagant a way as people think. As an entrepreneur, this is the best time I think I've ever seen in business. King: There's buzz that your beautiful daughter Ivanka is engaged or getting engaged. What's up? Trump: She has a beautiful boyfriend. He's a great guy, but they are not engaged. King: Would you like them to? Is he the kind of guy you would except as a son-in-law? Trump: He certainly is a wonderful guy. But it's all up to her. If she's happy, I'm happy.

Trump advises to take advantage of low prices, get seller to do the financing . Trump: Obama rebuilding U.S. reputation; previous administration was a disaster . He's mad about possible higher taxes in New York, says he could move to Florida . Trump likes the guy his daughter is dating, but she's not engaged .

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(CNN) -- President Obama visits Mexico with many issues on the table, but reinstating the ban on assault weapons in the U.S. isn't likely to be one on which the two countries can reach agreement. Mexican federal police officers this week display an arsenal seized near the U.S. border. Mexican officials say criminals use assault weapons from the U.S. in the violent border region. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., say reinstating the ban would stop the deadly flow of weapons across the border. Under the Clinton administration in 1994, Congress banned possession of 19 military-style assault weapons. The ban was allowed to expire 10 years later during the Bush administration. Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that Obama would like to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons, noting, "I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico at a minimum." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last month that as a senator, she supported a measure to reinstate it. And the urban policy section of the White House Web site says Obama and Vice President Joe Biden "support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent." Obama still supports reinstating the ban, as he did during the presidential campaign, but there are no plans to reintroduce it anytime soon, according to an administration official. Obama thinks more can be done to stop the illegal flow of weapons to Mexico within existing laws, the official said, noting that the president has taken steps to deploy more law enforcement to curb the illegal flows of drugs, weapons and cash in both directions across the border. The administration is unaware of any broad-based efforts in Congress to reinstate the ban, the official said. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told CBS on Thursday that reinstating the ban "simply is not part of the plan that we're talking about here." Watch what Napolitano says about drug violence » . The Obama administration says the U.S. shares responsibility for the situation in Mexico, but as far as the ban goes, "there's a lot on our plate," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. Watch what's on the table for Obama's trip to Mexico » . Gun rights advocates stress that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to own firearms without restriction. Gun control supporters interpret the amendment to mean that states shall keep militias but that an individual's right to own firearms may be restricted. Those who support the assault weapons ban as a way to curb violence cite figures from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that say American gun sellers supply the Mexican drug cartels with 95 percent to 100 percent of their guns. But others say that claim cannot be substantiated -- and argue that less that 20 percent of weapons used in crimes in Mexico are traced to the U.S. Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association of America, says U.S. rights are not the cause of Mexico's wrongs. In a commentary on CNN.com, LaPierre wrote that to believe U.S. freedoms are fueling the violence "you have to believe these butchers and beheaders break every Mexican law they want except Mexican gun laws, which they honor -- while they break American gun laws." "Everything Mexico's murderous thugs are doing is already illegal. At issue is not the absence of law, but the absence of political will to enforce the laws that both nations already possess," he wrote. On the other side, however, there are those who say loopholes in America's gun laws fuel violence in both Mexico and the United States. "We need to realize that the Mexican drug cartels are arming themselves here because our gun laws have loopholes so large that criminals and gun traffickers can easily drive gun-laden trucks through them," former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, wrote in a commentary for CNN.com. "We need to prevent Mexican criminals and the traffickers who supply them from buying guns by changing our gun laws and strengthening U.S. law enforcement's ability to crack down on corrupt gun dealers." On the eve of Obama's arrival, Calderon told ABC he thought the weapons ban was "very good legislation." "During that period, we didn't suffer a lot, like we suffered in the four or five years," he said. And Sarukhan told CBS this weekend, "There's a direct correlation between the expiration of the assault weapons ban and our seizures of assault weapons." He said, "We cannot determine how Congress and the administration will move on this. What we will say is that this is one of the instruments by reinstating the ban that could have a profound impact on the number and the caliber of weapons going down to Mexico." Obama was to meet Thursday with Calderon in Mexico City ahead of his trip to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas. But Mexico isn't the only consideration when it comes to gun control. In the United States, gun control is a wedge issue -- and one that can carry serious political ramifications. Democrats tend to shy away from remarks that could be interpreted as anti-gun, especially in swing states and districts. (Remember the frenzy that ensued after then-candidate Obama said people in small towns get bitter and "cling to guns or religion"?) Democrats are usually thought of as the party more likely to enforce ownership restrictions, while Republicans are associated with ownership rights. As a candidate, Obama promised, "I'm not going to take away your guns.'' Any other message would have been unpopular in the traditionally Republican states he won such as North Carolina and Virginia. Other Democrats, such as Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb of Virginia, also are getting elected with the help of NRA supporters. Even so, with a Democrat in the White House and a Democrat-controlled Congress, there's been a surge in requests for background checks of potential gun buyers, according to the FBI, and some gun owners say they think restrictions are somewhere on Obama's to-do list. Asked Thursday if it's just too politically difficult now to reinstate the ban, Gibbs said, "I think the president believes that we can have a greater outcome in the short term working to enforce the laws that are on our books."

Mexico: U.S. ban on assault weapons would curtail flow of weapons into country . Ban instituted in 1994 during Clinton era and expired 10 years later . President Obama has no immediate plans to try to reinstate ban, official says . Obama meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Mexico City .

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Editor's note: Journalist Karl Penhaul spent several weeks tracking the gangs of the Mexican underworld, the corrupt officials who support them and the cops trying to halt the violence. This is the second of three exclusive reports. Part one looked at the violent rules gangs live by. The faithful leave this "Holy Death" statue offerings including cigarettes and cocaine, visible in the nose. CULIACAN, Mexico (CNN) -- A baseball cap dangles from a cement cross. The slogan on the hat reads "power, money, respect." On the brim there's the logo of the classic gangster movie "Scarface." Etched on the gravestone, the words: "Jesus Guadalupe Parra. 12 December 1986 to 25 August 2008." "Lupito," as friends and family knew him, went down in a hail of bullets before he reached 22. Authorities said he died alongside three others in a gunfight with a rival drug gang high in the Sierra Madre mountain range that is the backbone of Mexico's Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. A printed banner draped over his tomb offers a deeper insight. It shows a photo of him alongside a marijuana plantation and an AK-47 assault rifle fitted with a 100-round ammunition drum. The drab grave of this cartel triggerman, at the Jardines de Humaya cemetery in state capital Culiacan, stands in stark contrast to the mausoleums of dead capos, or drug bosses. Those are elaborate two- and three-story constructions, some perhaps 25 feet high, made of bullet-proof glass, Italian marble and spiral iron staircases. A bricklayer at work in the cemetery told me the fanciest cost between $75,000 and $150,000. He said grateful drug barons often pay for loyal hitmen to be buried here, the city's toniest graveyard. Like so many other people we've met over the last few weeks, he declined to give his name or speak on camera. "I can't. El patron [the boss] would kill me," he said. Days later I track down Lupito's cousin, Giovanni Garcia, on the phone. He's an undertaker and by coincidence he took the call that Lupito had been shot. "My cousin loved that way of life," Garcia said briefly before turning down a recorded interview. "We can't talk. You must understand how things are around here these days. It's not a good time." That Sunday, I linger at Lupito's graveside. Three young men show up. They look about the same age as the dead gunman, the same cropped-hair, one heavily scarred around his eye. In the breeze they struggle to light a dozen foot-high candles. I introduce myself. A few grunts later and I can see this conversation is going nowhere fast. "We couldn't make it to the burial. This is the first time we've come to pay our respects," one of them explained. He never offered his name. Drug rivalries have been known to spill over at funerals so many mourners opt to stay away leaving only the closest relatives to bury their dead quietly and without public complaints. I stick around hoping to meet more talkative mourners. My wait is cut short. A fourth man appears between the tombstones some 20 yards away, apparently having seen me. As he talks into a phone I hear him say: "Hey, take your chance. Go grab f**king baldy." I look around. No other bald men in sight -- just me. Time to leave. At Jardines de Humaya and across town at the 21 de Marzo cemetery, rows of recently dug graves are filled with the young foot soldiers of Mexico's drug war. A crosscheck of their names in the obituary columns of the local newspaper reveal tales of men in their late teens and early 20s, gunned down in firefights, shot in cold blood on their doorsteps or killed in prison clashes. Jesus Gaston earns around $40 for every three graves he digs. But he can see the lure of easy money in the drug trade is little more than a mirage. "The easy money lasts for just a few days because it's all about time before they kill you too. You kill somebody and somebody will come back for you," he said. "Some how, some way they will find you." When the reality boils down to kill or be killed, it's unsurprising the hitmen and the narco-traffickers want to improve their odds of survival. Most days, you can hear a brass band or a cowboy trio thumping out tunes in a small building on a Culiacan side street. It's a shrine to a highway robber called Jesus Malverde. In the century since he died he's become known as the patron saint of the drug trade. Watch men pay respects to their narco-saint » . Men in cowboy hats and ostrich-skin boots duck in and out of view. Some try to conceal their faces behind a musician's trombone or tuba. The day I dropped in, one man was paying around $600 for a band to play for three hours. Off camera he told me it was his way of repaying a favor to Malverde. I asked him about that favor and he said he was celebrating a bumper harvest -- of beans and corn. He said he was shy about appearing on camera. I told another man, who gave his name as "Rosario," that he looked like a stereotypical narco. He had the ostrich-skin cowboy boots and shaved head. Besides that he seemed to be spending a small fortune, by Mexican standards, on live music, foot-high candles and fresh flowers to place at Malverde's altar. Rosario laughed off my suggestion and laughed again in my face as he told me he was paying tribute to Malverde after a good few months working as a carpet fitter in Arizona. It was refreshing to find a straight-talking trombone player at the shrine, Jaime Laveaga. He makes his living playing music and he's clear about who his main clients are. "It sounds bad to say it but Culiacan is a city with a big drug mafia. They like brass band music and they love to celebrate -- 15th birthdays, weddings, family birthdays. They even celebrate their dogs' birthdays," he explained. Needless to say, the Catholic Church takes a dim view of those who worship Malverde and another growing cult known as the "Holy Death," which critics say is also popular among thieves and narcos. "People are looking for easy solutions where they don't have to make any sacrifices. If they don't find any support for their killings or their drug trafficking from the Catholic Church then they look for other options," Father Esteban Robles, spokesman for the Culiacan diocese told me. "They're looking for something that will justify their actions." Tomorrow, Penhaul examines how the gangs dispose of their victims and what officials are doing to stem the violence.

Graveyards in Mexican town show tributes to gang leaders and hitmen . "Lupito," who a relative said loved hitman life, was killed when he was 21 . Cartel bosses are buried in mausoleums surrounded by bullet-proof glass . Followers pay bands, leave tributes including cocaine at shrines to cult heroes .

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- David and Christina Macfarlane always dreamed of opening a restaurant. And with David's background as a White House chef, they certainly have the in-house culinary ability. David and Christina Macfarlane in their Minneapolis restaurant, L'Ecosse. But they never imagined they'd be doing it in one of the toughest economic times ever, and they wondered if it would even be possible. "The banks were like, 'You're opening a restaurant now?' " Christina says. " 'Yeah, we're opening a restaurant now.' " David was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but moved to the United States with his family in his early teens and soon found his passion for the palate. Soon after high school, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he ultimately spent years cooking -- two of which were spent in the kitchen at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as a chef for President Clinton at the beginning of his first term in 1992. Looking at a picture of himself and the former president, David describes a favorite memory. "He said that was the best meal he ever ate. I was pretty geeked about that." See more about that favorite meal » . But the Macfarlanes wanted more time as a family -- something not suited to David's high-profile job. They moved a number of times before settling down in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, suburbs where, most recently, David worked for Fusion Culinary -- until his position was eliminated, that is. Christina says that as dismayed as David was over the job loss, she saw it as "a blessing." "I thought, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!' " she says, adding that she saw it as the perfect opportunity to follow through with their dream. Now, despite the battered economy, the two stand behind the bar in their new restaurant, L'Ecosse, which, incidentally, is French for "Scotland." However, they have a slightly different take on the menu than perhaps they would have had if times were perkier. "We went to over a dozen restaurants looking at menus, pricepoints, [and] realizing the struggles in the economy," Christina recalls. The two concluded that while people are still eating out, they aren't seeking "fancy" food -- in other words, they weren't seeking the type of fare one might typically associate with state dinners at the White House. David says that's all a misconception anyway. "Comfort food," he says. "That's what the president wanted most." Some of the president's favorite foods, David says were nachos and salsa, tuna sandwiches, or just warm milk and cookies. "[President Clinton] wasn't looking for any of the fancy frou-frou stuff. We did that for state dinners or we did that for dignitaries that would come in, but ... at lunchtime when the president would be in the Oval Office by himself, [he'd say] 'Lemme have a tuna sandwich.' " At L'Ecosse, tuna and warm cookies are on the menu. Keeping with his Scottish upbringing, David's menu also is largely UK-centric: meat pies and fish and chips are two of the specialties. He does it all with fresh, local ingredients and says he can keep prices down because he does a lot of the work himself and with the help of a very minimal staff. Watch the chef talk about keeping it simple » . Everything on the breakfast and lunch menus is priced under $10, and the two say that when they expand to a full dinner menu once their liquor license is approved, they want to keep prices similarly low. "The reason we did that was so nobody had sticker shock," David says. "They're very good items, but they're also inexpensive items and you're not going to break the bank." "If you want to come in and get Bill Clinton's favorite, it doesn't have to be $15 during the day. And that's what we want people to understand -- we understand where you're at." As Christina puts it, "You are going to get great food that your mother used to make for you." And, ideally, the bill won't send you into debt.

Former White House chef opens restaurant to serve "comfort food" Menu designed to take the "sticker shock" out of dining . Former president was fan of salsa, tuna sandwiches, warm cookies and milk . Owners say prices lower due to local ingredients, minimal staff .

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(CNN) -- Thousands of mourners filled a Tracy, California, high school gym Thursday to remember slain 8-year-old Sandra Renee Cantu. Sandra Cantu, 8, had been missing almost two weeks before her body was found. The little girl made national headlines after she went missing March 27 from a mobile home park in Tracy where she lived with her family. She was on her way to a friend's home and her playful skipping down an alley was caught by a surveillance camera. Police later found her body stuffed into a suitcase and submerged in a pond at a nearby dairy farm. Photos of Sandra, flowers and stuffed animals covered the front of the stage. Family members, friends and state dignitaries memorialized the child during a ceremony that lasted just over an hour. The printed program called the memorial service "A Celebration of Life," and organizers said they hoped the service would help ease the pain the community has suffered since Sandra's disappearance. "We are left with the haunting image of her skipping on the streets of Tracy. But today she is skipping on the streets of gold, into the arms of a loving God", said Brent Ives, mayor of Tracy. Cindy Sasser, principal at Jacobsen Elementary School told mourners, "We should all strive to be like Sandra -- always smiling, wanting to help, to look out for others and to be caring." The service included a video that showcased some of the family's favorite photos. People from across California attended, filling the gymnasium, cafeteria and the football stadium at West High School. Melissa Huckaby, 28, a Sunday school teacher who lived in the same mobile home park as Sandra's family, has been charged with murder, kidnapping, the performance of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14, and rape by instrument. If convicted, she would face the death penalty or life in prison without parole, San Joaquin County District Attorney James Willett said this week. A private memorial service for Sandra was held Wednesday. Her casket, signed by classmates, was taken to a nearby burial site by a horse-drawn carriage.

NEW: Photo montage shown at service for Sandra at a high school in Tracy . Girl, 8, disappeared March 27; her body was found in suitcase on April 6 . Police arrested Melissa Huckaby, 28, and charged her with killing and raping Sandra . If convicted, Huckaby faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole .

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HONOLULU, Hawaii (CNN) -- It's been more than a year since a racial slur threatened to end the television career of Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman. But the incident still weighs heavily on his mind. Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman watches his son's baseball game this month in Honolulu, Hawaii. A&E briefly suspended his top-rated reality show in late 2007, and his reputation was on the line. Now, with his show back on the air and at the top of the network's ratings list, Chapman insists that he does not want the controversy to be forgotten. "They said, 'It'll pass,' and I said to the guy, 'You know what? I won't let it.' " Chapman, 56, spoke candidly about accusations of racism on a recent windy Saturday afternoon on the sidelines of 8-year-old son Garry's baseball game. It was his other son, Tucker, who recorded a profanity-laced conversation with his father and reportedly sold the recording -- which included Chapman repeatedly using the "n-word" -- to the National Enquirer in 2007. Some African-American leaders called for the cancellation of his show. Chapman said he was advised to lay low for several weeks, but he refused. "All the spin doctors ... all those guys told me, 'Dog, say that you were this, say you were that, [but] if you go out there, you're done.' I said, 'I'm going out in a hail of glory. You may call me a convict ... but you ain't gonna call me something I'm not. I'm going out swinging.'" Chapman said his meetings with leaders of the black community were more than an attempt to redeem himself in the public eye and get his show back on the air. In a February 8, 2008, foreword to his book, "You Can Run But You Can't Hide," he writes that "giving up cussing is just the first step toward my evolution as a human." He said he was referring to his use of the racial slur, which he admits -- even on the recording -- knowing that it would spark public outrage. But as a former prison inmate of mixed ethnicity -- he is part Native American -- Chapman said he felt he could use the word without it defining him as a racist. "I was with 38,000 black men at the age of 22 in the '70s, the [prison] guards -- whether they're black or white -- called them that [the slur] every day," he said. "Once I said it and met with leaders of the black community and realized what that word meant, that's when I said, 'I will never again utter that word. Ever.' " He said, "I don't give a damn that [it] was a private call they burglarized; I knew not to do that. I didn't know not to say the word because what it would do, but I do now. Now if you catch me [saying it], you won't have to stop my show, I'll resign." Controversy is something that Chapman draws on; it defines his character both publicly and privately. He ran with motorcycle gangs before he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to a five-year prison term in 1977. He maintains his innocence and served a fraction of the sentence. His determination to prove he was the world's best bounty hunter led him to Mexico in 2003, where he and his team captured the heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, Andrew Luster, who was convicted in absentia on charges of rape. The Mexican government charged Chapman and his team with kidnapping and demanded their extradition, but the charges later were dropped. His life story of an ex-con-turned-vigilante is the hallmark of his celebrity and leads many people to tune in to his show, which began in 2004. Chapman said his fans perceived the racial slur incident differently. "Not one black person to this day has walked up to me and said anything bad; it's all been the whites," he said. "[Others said], 'You know here's a bounty hunter, was convicted, went to prison, 30 years later he's arrested 7,000 people. You think he might say a couple bad words.' That's the good things that were said to me." His 10-year-old daughter, Bonnie Jo, heard about what happened on the radio. "And she goes, 'Dad, you know you can't use that [word], you're not a rapper. OK, love you, Dad, see you.' And I'm like, 'And is that what your friends are saying?' 'Yep, they know you're not a rapper. They know you're Dog the Bounty Hunter. And it was over, just like that." While some of his viewers have forgotten the controversy, Chapman does not want it to go away -- particularly the accusations that were leveled against him in the media. "You better not forget the s*** you put me through over that. I ain't lettin' 'em forget it. Ever. You think black guys forget it? It hurts my feelings to hear it [the slur]. So, yeah, there's such a thing as passing, but I never heard of that. It ain't passing." He added, "I understand the saying now, 'Lest ye forget.' Don't ever forget that. Please don't forget that, that I went through that. That I learned."

Use of slur threatened to end TV career of Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman . Chapman says he does not want the controversy to be forgotten . Chapman was heard repeatedly using racial slur in recording sold to tabloid . Reality show has returned successfully to A&E network .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A 47-year-old charity worker who says she has never been kissed is now a YouTube sensation after a singing performance that wowed the notoriously harsh talent judge Simon Cowell. The YouTube video of Susan Boyle's performance has had more than 5 million hits. Susan Boyle, from West Lothian in Scotland, appeared on the television show "Britain's Got Talent" last weekend with an inauspicious start. Slightly plump and with short brown curly hair, Boyle stood somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the stage wearing a gold lace sheath. She told the judges and the audience of the show that she was single, she lived with her cat, Pebbles, and she had never been kissed. "I'm trying to be a professional singer," Boyle asserted, as the audience laughed. "I'm going to make that audience rock." When she added that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Paige, who's been called the "first lady of British musical theater," some members of the audience snickered and rolled their eyes. But after Boyle sang the first few notes of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables," the audience erupted in wild cheers and applause, and two of the three judges' jaws dropped. The applause lasted the length of her performance, which ended with the crowd on its feet. Cowell, who also serves as a judge on "American Idol" and who's known for his stinging criticism of those he deems to have no talent, said Boyle's performance was fantastic. "I knew the minute you walked out on that stage that we were going to hear something extraordinary," he proclaimed. His fellow judge, Piers Morgan, said it was "the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show." "When you stood there, with that cheeky grin, and said, 'I want to be like Elaine Paige' everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing now. That was stunning. An incredible performance," Morgan said, adding he was reeling from shock. Amanda Holden, the third judge, had tears in her eyes and described Boyle's singing as "a privilege to hear." A clip of her performance on YouTube.com has had more than 5 million hits, and many fans say they were moved to tears by the story. Boyle said after the show that she felt "bloody fantastic." Each of the three judges voted "yes" to Boyle's return to the actual competition round of the show. The performance this weekend came during the auditions.

47-year-old British charity worker wows Simon Cowell with singing . Clip of Susan Boyle singing has become a YouTube sensation . Boyle, from West Lothian, Scotland, said she wanted to be a professional singer .

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PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- Basketball great Charles Barkley began serving a three-day sentence in Arizona's infamous Tent City on Saturday, jailed by the same sheriff whose autobiography he endorsed 12 years ago. Charles Barkley bristled at the implication he should be wearing stripes instead of a red-and-bue sweatsuit. "You come here when you screw up," Barkley said at a news conference hours after he reported at the Maricopa County jail. "I don't blame anybody for this situation but myself." Barkley, 45, pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor drunken-driving charges stemming from a New Year's Eve arrest after he left a Scottsdale, Arizona, nightclub. A judge sentenced him to 10 days in jail, but his sentence was reduced in exchange for Barkley's attending an alcohol-awareness course. At the news conference, Barkley sat next to Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-proclaimed "Toughest Sheriff in America." Arpaio is known for giving inmates old-fashioned, black-and-white-striped uniforms, making some of them live in tents and reinstituting chain gangs, even for women. "I'm an equal incarcerator," Arpaio said of Barkley, who will be sleeping in one of the tents. "We don't discriminate." He said Barkley has been "a gentleman, cordial." "He's taking his medicine," Arpaio said. "I hope that something comes out of this." In a free-wheeling news conference, Barkley spoke out against drunken driving, made some observations about President Obama ("Rush Limbaugh and a lot of jackasses are giving him a hard time right now") and commented on felony charges singer Chris Brown faces for allegedly beating his girlfriend, singer Rhianna. Watch Barkley speak at news conference » . "I wish both of them the best, but it's never acceptable to hit a woman. Period," Barkley said. Barkley wore a red-and-blue sweatsuit, not the black-and-white stripes that other inmates -- who watched the news conference through a chain-link fence --were wearing. Barkley said it's because he's on the jail's work-release program, and bristled at questions about it. "None of the work-release people do that," he said. "But if y'all really, really want to put me as low as I can go, I can do that and make you feel better. "I know when [someone is] famous, you like to see people humiliated." Arpaio, who joked with Barkley over the pink underwear he routinely issues inmates, held up a copy of his 1996 book, "America's Toughest Sheriff." On its back cover, alongside endorsements by Limbaugh, Arizona Sen. John McCain and others, is one from Barkley. "This man, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, is a role model for all Americans," Barkley wrote in the blurb. Barkley is a basketball commentator for TNT, which like CNN is a Time Warner company. A star for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns, Barkley was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1993 and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2006.

Charles Barkley begins serving 3-day jail sentence in Maricopa County, Arizona . The jailer is the sheriff whose autobiography Barkley endorsed 12 years ago . Barkley speaks out against drunken driving during topically diverse news conference . "He's taking his medicine," Sheriff Joe Arpaio says of his famous inmate .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President George W. Bush granted pardons Tuesday to 19 citizens charged with a variety of crimes, but none was prominent. President Bush walks down the White House Collonade on Tuesday as he departs for Camp David. Presidential pardon lists are being closely monitored in the final weeks of the Bush administration, particularly to see whether former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby will be granted the presidential favor. One of the men pardoned is Charles Winters, who died almost 25 years ago. His son had worked on winning a presidential pardon for his dad, who had helped smuggle weapons to Jews fighting in what was then Palestine in the late 1940s. A Protestant from Boston, Massachusetts, Winters spent 18 months behind bars. He was the only U.S. citizen to serve time for helping fly weapons to Jews struggling to create Israel. A 20th person received a commutation of a life sentence for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. That individual, Reed Raymond Prior, was ordered released from prison in February 2009. He will have served more than 12 years. "We commend President Bush's decision to grant a commutation to Reed Prior, who is deserving of a second chance," Julie Stewart, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said in a written statement. "Of course, clemencies only underscore the larger problem -- the systemic injustice caused by mandatory minimum sentences that fill the prisons with low-level drug offenders in the first place." Bush has granted 191 pardons and nine commutations, far fewer than Presidents Clinton and Reagan in their two-term administrations. Read the full list of pardons . Among the more notable who have applied for some form of clemency are: . • Former Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham, Republican from California, who was convicted of receiving bribes. • Publishing executive Conrad Black, who was found guilty of fraud. • Former junk bold salesman Michael Milken. • Former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers, convicted of accounting fraud. The parents of John Walker Lindh, who was given a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to supporting terrorists in Afghanistan, held a news conference last week urging Bush to commute their son's sentence. It is unclear how many more requests Bush may grant before leaving office, although administration officials have said they do not expect any last-minute announcements, as was seen when President Bill Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich, setting off a firestorm of controversy. A commutation reduces a convict's prison term, but the conviction remains on the person's record. A pardon, however, wipes the slate clean by erasing the record of the conviction. A president has the sole authority to grant clemency and to whom, although a Justice Department office usually reviews applications and makes recommendations after considering standards such as a person's degree of remorse and ability to lead a responsible and productive life after release. Those applying for a pardon through the Justice Department are required to wait at least five years after their conviction or release from confinement. Roughly 1,300 requests for commutation and 860 pardon applications are still pending. There is a long tradition of presidents issuing pardons and commutations during the holiday season.

President Bush continues a Christmas tradition by issuing pardons . Convicted Cheney aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby is not among those pardoned . Posthumous pardon issued for man who ran guns to Israeli Jews in late 1940s . Life sentence of man convicted of methamphetamine commuted .

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(CNN) -- While there may be a fascination with Nadya Suleman and her brood, she is hardly the first. "Jon & Kate Plus 8" is one of the more popular shows featuring a large family with multiples. The mother of 14, dubbed "Octomom" after the birth of her octuplets in January, is the target of much speculation these days as to whether she and her multitude will become the subjects of a reality show. But programming centered on large families and those containing multiples has long been popular. With so many struggling to keep up with the homework and extracurricular activities -- as well as the financial responsibilities -- of one or two children, American viewers seem fascinated with watching parents juggle life with so many kids. "People tell me all the time, 'But for the grace of God it could be me,' " said Bill Hayes, founder of Figure 8 Films, the production company behind the popular shows "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" and "18 and Counting," the latter of which features the Duggar family. "People relate that it's a challenge to have any children, much less so many." "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" has been a ratings juggernaut and follows the lives of Jon and Kate Gosselin and their eight children, including fraternal twin girls and a mixed-sex set of fraternal sextuplets (three girls and three boys). Watch Kate Gosselin discuss the challenges of parenting » . Hayes' company brought the family's story to television, as well as that of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who are the parents of 18 children (all conceived without the use of fertility drugs). The Duggars recently announced they're soon to be first-time grandparents. Viewers enjoy watching wholesome, family programming, especially when the subjects are as relatable as the Gosselins, Hayes said. The couple is often shown dealing with the stress that comes with having eight children under the age of 9. "Family is very important for many people," he said. "Most of us struggle with our family lives. It's not easy typically in most families. We're fortunate that Jon and Kate are very emotionally honest and they come clean." Fame comes with a cost, however, and the couple has become tabloid fodder with stories of interfamily squabbles and marital discord. Cable networks like TLC, Discovery Health (which are both a part of Discovery Communications) and WE: Women's Entertainment have found success with programming about super-sized families. Imitation is the sincerest form of television, comedian Fred Allen once said, and TLC in particular has made the most of its large families. In addition to the Gosselins and the Duggars, the network recently debuted "Table for 12," which chronicles the daily experiences of Eric and Betty Hayes and their three sets of multiples. All told, the Hayeses have 10 children, including a special-needs child. Eileen O'Neill, president and general manger for TLC, said viewers tune in to see how it all works. "There's that innate kind of curiosity about a family on a scale of the Duggars or 'Jon & Kate,' whether it's multiples or sheer number," O'Neill said. (She should know: She's a twin herself.) "Those logistics are fascinating as well as entertaining and ultimately inspiring. So many of us are part of families or run a family and I think seeing it on a super-sized level is inherently appealing." As more women turn to fertility medication to help them conceive, the odds of multiple births increase. Maureen Doolan Boyle is executive director of MOST (Mothers of SuperTwins) a Long Island, New York-based organization that has worked with more than 20,000 families since its founding in 1987. Attitudes about multiple births vary around the world, Doolan Boyle said. In some cultures a large brood is welcomed; in others, it's viewed as a "freak show" or a curse. Canada's Dionne quintuplets, a group of five girls born to an Ontario farming family in 1934, became such a sideshow. When the girls were 5 months old, the provincial government declared the parents unfit and put the sisters under the care of a doctor and other guardians. The Dionnes were put on display in a nursery across the road from their family's farmhouse, becoming a huge tourist attraction. They even appeared in a handful of films before their parents regained custody in 1943. That "freak show factor" is one of the reasons there has been so much buzz surrounding Suleman and her family of 14 children, said Michael Levine of LCO, a Los Angeles-based public relations firm. Watch whether Suleman is close to signing a deal » . As reality shows push boundaries to gain viewers, Levine said he understands the interest in a series on the octuplet mom and her family, but adds that he has doubts a deal can be struck because of the liability issues surrounding putting the children on television. "What was novel three years ago is no longer novel, and I predict craziness to be the order of the day when it comes to reality television," he said. Still, he sees the attraction: "Big families provide a very wonderful context for a lot of conflict and complexity that most people can relate to," he said. TLC's O'Neill said there are no plans at this time to have a Suleman show on her network. "We are watching that story develop at a distance and hoping for the best for that family," O'Neill said.

Reality shows about large families bring big ratings for cable networks . TLC is one that has found success featuring super-sized families . Buzz surrounds possible show featuring octuplet mom and her children . Expert: Such large families offer "freak show" factor .

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(Entertainment Weekly) -- In the movies, "the suburbs" are never just a place. They're a state of mind, a mythology we all know in our bones. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio share a happy moment in "Revolutionary Road." The myth goes something like this: The suburbs are comfortable, maybe even beautiful, but their serenity is rooted in a friendly American conformity, so that the people who live there have to repress their true selves, which will emerge when they drink too much and have affairs, or rage at each other for their dishonesty, which was all caused in the first place by ... the suburbs. The best thing about "Revolutionary Road," a cool-blooded and disquieting adaptation of Richard Yates' 1961 novel about a powerfully unhappy Connecticut couple, is that it doesn't end with that rote vision of bourgeois anomie. It only begins there. Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) are about 30, with two kids, and both believe they can evade the traps of the existence they've chosen. The year is 1955, and Frank has a New York job that bores him, marketing business machines. He takes solace in feeling superior to his work, and also in his midday martinis and occasional dip into the secretarial pool. April, meanwhile, wanted to be an actress, and still feels she's meant for higher things. Watch DiCaprio and Winslet talk about their reunion » . Moved to reach for something more, April comes up with a plan: She and Frank will sell their home and move to Paris, where she'll work as a government secretary and he will ... find himself. (It's like a '60s fantasy a decade ahead of time.) "Revolutionary Road" was directed by Sam Mendes, who made the glibly scathing "American Beauty," only here he wants us to share not just Frank and April's misery but the frail reveries that hold them together. The escape-to-Paris idea is naive, impractical -- a pipe dream. Yet it's fueled by something Mendes captures about the '50s, an era when people often had deep imaginative sparks that exceeded their ability to voice them. Winslet has the tricky job of making us see the glimmer of wisdom in April's cockeyed plan, and she pulls it off, even as DiCaprio's Frank -- chipper, forthright, wholesome even in betrayal -- tugs the couple back to reality. "Revolutionary Road" has deception, adultery, operatic shouting, the then-forbidden specter of abortion, and a few scenes that spotlight the remarkable performance of Michael Shannon as John Givings, a mathematician who's been hospitalized for insanity, and who proves how unfit for society he is by making every acid comment cut to the truths that no one else will speak. The film is lavishly dark -- some might say too dark -- yet I'd suggest it has a different limitation: For all its shattering domestic discord, there's something remote and aestheticized about it. April brings a private well of conflict to her middle-class prison, but Winslet is so meticulous in her telegraphed despair that she intrigues us, moves us, yet never quite touches our unguarded nerves. EW Grade: B+ . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

"Revolutionary Road" story of two suburbanites wanting to break free . Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet give good performances . Movie suffers from some glibness, but many parts cut through .

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(CNN) -- India is trying to reclaim the famous metal-rimmed glasses and some other artifacts from freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi that are up for auction next week in New York, a top official said Saturday. Mahatma Gandhi was known for his peaceful opposition to tyranny, which led to India's independence. "The government will be doing whatever is required to get them back," India's culture ministry secretary Jawhar Sircar told CNN. He said there were "several options" in place for India. When asked whether India planned any indirect participation in the bidding reportedly scheduled next week at the Antiquorum auction house on New York's Madison Avenue, he said it is one of the "speculative" options. "I can't disclose what (exactly) those options are. But we are doing something," Sircar remarked. The glasses are scheduled to be auctioned off along with Gandhi's pocketwatch, sandals, bowl, and plate with letters of authenticity, according to the Web site for Antiquorum, which specializes in watches. The glasses and other items are estimated to sell for as much as $30,000, the Web site said. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.

Auction scheduled to take place in New York . Glasses and other items estimated to sell for as much as $30,000 . Indian official: India has "several options" Gandhi's pocketwatch, sandals, bowl, and plate among items on auction .

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Editor's note: Nathaniel Frank is author of "Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America" and is senior research fellow at the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that has focused on gender, sexuality and the military. He also teaches on the adjunct faculty at New York University. Nathaniel Frank says there's no evidence that letting gays serve openly would harm the military. (CNN) -- This week, four senior retired officers wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post predicting "grave harm" to the military if President Obama moves forward with his vow to let gays serve openly. "Our experience," they wrote, "and that of more than 1,000 retired flag and general officers," suggest that lifting the ban would harm unit cohesion, recruitment and retention, and would ultimately "break the All-Volunteer Force." The argument is an old one, and was an effective canard in defeating President Clinton's move to lift the ban in 1993. But it has never been rooted in fact or evidence, and the effort of these officers to defeat equal treatment this time around will face mountains of opposing data and a dramatically changed cultural landscape. The officers who oppose openly gay service do not base their arguments on any new information. In addition to their own experience -- an impressive credential that's nevertheless too vague to hang an argument on -- the officers rely on a single poll. They cite an unscientific survey -- it does not draw from a representative sampling but from newspaper subscribers -- indicating that 58 percent of the military oppose lifting the ban and that, if it's lifted, 24 percent claim they will leave or consider leaving after their tour ends. But it's naïve at best, and disingenuous at worst, to confuse this opinion survey with a sound prediction of actual behavior. When both Britain and Canada proposed lifting their gay bans in the 1990s, similar opinion surveys found much higher numbers -- about two-thirds in both cases -- claiming they, too, would leave. In each case, no more than three departures were attributed to the policy change. Three. In fact, the evidence showing that openly gay service works is overwhelming. Since 1957, when the U.S. military began doing its own studies on gays in the military, every last bit of research has shown that openly gay service works. Studies of foreign militaries include a 1993 Government Accountability Office study of allied nations that found that "the presence of homosexuals in the military is not an issue and has not created problems in the functioning of military units"; a 1994 assessment by the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences finding that predicted negative consequences of ending gay exclusion in the Canadian Forces never materialized; the 2000 assessment of the British Ministry of Defense, calling its new policy of equal treatment "a solid achievement" with "no discernible impact" on recruitment or other critical variables; and four academic studies conducted by the Palm Center, where I work, finding that lifting bans in Britain, Israel, Canada and Australia had no negative impact on military readiness, including on recruitment and retention. The officers writing in The Washington Post question the relevance of foreign militaries to this debate, mocking the idea that the U.S. military "must emulate Denmark, the Netherlands and Canada." But they failed to note that 24 of our closest allies let gays serve openly, including Britain, whose combat-tested soldiers and sailors serve shoulder to shoulder with U.S. forces. While our military and culture are unique in the world, it's an astonishing vote of no-confidence in American troops to say that they are not capable of doing what 24 other militaries have done successfully. Ours is a professional, disciplined fighting force, and the assertion that a diverse military would lack order and discipline is, as Rep. Patrick Murphy, an Iraq War veteran, has said, "an insult" to him and the entire U.S. military. But it's not just foreign militaries that provide real evidence on gay service. A majority of U.S. troops know of, or suspect, gays in their units, giving the lie to the most basic assumption underlying the gay ban: that openly gay service could never work. After all, gays are already serving, and serving openly, without causing problems. Yet despite the law's failure to keep many open gays out, the ban's persistence means that gay troops are subject to random dismissals and are often unable to access military support services for fear of being found out and fired. Even extensive research by our own military has concluded the gay ban is unnecessary, including a large 1993 study by the RAND Corporation -- a think tank created by the military itself -- and two official military studies -- a 1989 study by the Defense Personnel Security Research Center and the Navy's 1957 Crittenden report -- which all found sexual orientation is irrelevant to military performance. Indeed, neither the military nor anyone else has ever turned up a shred of evidence tying openly gay service to impairment of the military. When the officers' claims are pitted against the wealth of actual facts and research on this issue, they are shown for what they really are: fear and intolerance, rooted in a world that's largely disappeared. Indeed, the vast majority of these retired officers, including the authors of this week's op-ed, retired before the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy even began in 1994. Their military is not the same as today's, where three-quarters of troops are "personally comfortable" with gays and lesbians, and "don't ask, don't tell" is considered "a joke." These officers attribute current efforts to lift the ban to "gay rights activists," when in fact, according to consistent polling, four-fifths of the American public favors repeal, including majorities of Republicans, conservatives and even churchgoers. It also includes many retired officers who did serve under, and used to support, the current policy, such as Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sees the ban as a threat to military readiness. The officers say there is "no compelling national security reason" to accept the "risks" of lifting the ban, which they say include the likely loss of "experienced personnel who are not easily replaced." But under current policy, more than 800 "mission-critical specialists" have been fired just because they're gay, including more than 60 Arabic linguists. Due to the military's overall struggle to meet its recruiting goals, it has had to lower standards and admit convicted felons. Kicking out capable troops while replacing them with ex-convicts is not a recipe for good order and discipline. Forcing soldiers to lie to each other is not good for morale or cohesion. Drumming out Arabic linguists at a time when we don't have enough to translate what our enemies are saying is bad, not good, for national security. If these officers care more about our nation than about preserving an embalmed military culture, they'll cease and desist. The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Nathaniel Frank .

Nathaniel Frank: Some retired military officers oppose letting gay troops serve . He says they don't understand wide acceptance of gays today in military . He says many other nations have approved gay service without harm . Frank: Polls vastly exaggerate number of officers who might leave .

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SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (CNN) -- The official count of confirmed deaths grew to 15 Friday afternoon, one day after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook north central Costa Rica, a government emergency official said. iReporter Leonardo Diaz photographed the damage in Plaza Mayor Shopping Center in San Jose. Reinaldo Carballo, a spokesman for the federal Commission for National Emergencies, said the updated death toll came from information given to the agency by Costa Rica Vice President Rodrigo Arias. In addition, Carballo said, rescuers were trying to reach 300 tourists stranded in a hotel in Varablanca. Carballo said he did not know the tourists' nationalities or the name of the hotel. There were conflicting reports on the number of dead from Thursday's earthquake. The Commission for National Emergencies had issued a news release earlier Friday saying the quake had killed four people. Also earlier Friday, Red Cross official Milton Chaverri told CNN there were 14 dead and 22 missing. Red Cross spokeswoman Fiorella Vilca said Friday afternoon there were nine dead and 42 missing. The discrepancy may result from the fact that the Commission for National Emergencies reports only deaths it has confirmed, Carballo said. About 32 people were injured, he said. On Friday, the U.S. government dispatched a team of 34 U.S. military personnel and four helicopters from Honduras-based Joint Task Force-Bravo to Costa Rica to assist. Survivors described the suddenness and brutality of the quake. Landslides, tumbling rocks and collapsed buildings caused widespread devastation and death. "I saw how the earth moved and how it took my family -- my aunt, my cousin and her babies," Miguel Angel Marin told CNN affiliate Teletica TV. "It was very hard because I wanted to save them, but I couldn't." A sobbing Vilma Cambronero was asked what happened to her family. "Some are well," she said. "Others are buried." An unidentified woman told Teletica, "Everything started to move and everything fell on top of us. It was a miracle we got out." More than 1,200 people were stranded, without a way to get out of towns or homes, Chaverri said. Another 1,000 people were living in shelters, he said. iReport.com: Are you there? Send photos, video . "Many people were injured, many buildings were damaged and landslides blocked roads in the area," the U.S. Geological Survey said. The dead included three young girls, officials said Friday. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez was scheduled to tour the affected area Friday. On Thursday, he appealed for calm. The remote area near Alajuela, where the quake hit strongest, is difficult to reach, and officials said they were having to rely on helicopters for medical evacuations and to airlift supplies. Randall Picado, a government rescue official, said many residents were without water and other necessities. About 400 volunteers and Red Cross personnel were giving aid in 15 communities, Chaverri said. The temblor was felt throughout Costa Rica and in southern and central Nicaragua, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on its Web site. "I felt the earthquake," Costa Rican office worker Erick Solorzano told CNN in an iReport message. "I work in a sixth floor, and it was very strong. We felt the building was going to collapse." About 2,000 aftershocks have been felt in San Jose, the capital, and other cities throughout the nation, Red Cross spokeswoman Vilca said. The Geological Survey placed the earthquake's epicenter at 20 miles (32 kilometers) north-northwest of San Jose at a depth of 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers).

NEW: Rescuers trying to reach 300 tourists stranded in hotel . NEW: "I saw how the earth moved and how it took my family," survivor says . Reports on number of people killed in quake conflict; up to 42 may be missing . More than 1,200 stranded, 1,000 more in shelters, Red Cross official says .

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(CNN) -- Television and YouTube singing sensation Susan Boyle has promised to be on her best behavior if she wins the right to sing for the queen. Susan Boyle sings "I Dreamed a Dream" -- and becomes a worldwide sensation. The 47-year-old Boyle, who says she has never been kissed, was catapulted into the spotlight after her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables," on the television show "Britain's Got Talent" at the weekend. The winner of the show gets to sing for the queen at the Royal Variety Show. Boyle has a long way to go though -- having just won through to the second round after judge Simon Cowell described her first performance as "extraordinary." Still, she was already thinking of how she would behave. "Whatever comes my way, I am ready. It would be lovely to sing for the queen. There would be less of the carry on from me, and more of the singing. Watch Boyle tell CNN 'it must have been a miracle' » . "She is a very regal lady, very nice, so I would be nice too, and just get up there and give it a bit of wellie (try)," Boyle told the show's Web site. Boyle said she was trying to take her new found fame in her stride. "It's a challenge. Life is a challenge sometimes but this is different. And I like to test myself. "If it all gets too much and they lock me up, I want a great big strait-jacket with spots on it. A pink one... and a big zip on the back so I can escape." A clip of Boyle's performance had more than 11 million views on YouTube by Thursday, and the world's media have beaten a path to her door in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. Watch Boyle's singing wow the world » . Cowell is reportedly already trying to piece together a record deal for Boyle, an unemployed charity worker, who lives with her cat, Pebbles. For fans of Boyle, who attracted laughs and sniggers when she first appeared on stage before winning a standing ovation, the album cannot come quick enough. CNN has been inundated with hundreds of messages of support for Boyle. Simone said: "I've been so depressed all day but hearing this woman sing and reading her story gave me a pick-me-up... I look forward to hearing more of her and I hope to buy her CD as soon as it hits the shelves." Cynthia wanted Cowell to move quickly. "She brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. I hope Simon does get her a record contract...I'll buy her CD. Never judge a book by it's cover. Susan Boyle, you go, girl!" Jim described Boyle's talent as "unbelievable" and "beautiful." "I wish Susan the very best in her new life and hopefully someone has put her under contract. Thank you for such a beautiful song." Larry wanted to offer Boyle a kiss. "I have just heard you sing for the first time -- thanks to CNN -- and I must tell you this: You are a fabulous talent, simply amazing to me that no one took advantage of your voice and passion up until now. I am a happily married man, but if I were not, and if I was in the audience, I can guarantee you that I would ask for a kiss, and if you were gracious enough to indulge me, well that would have been one of the great highlights of my life. Looking forward to the first of many albums."

Unexpected star grabs spotlight with more than 11 million YouTube hits . Susan Boyle fans want her to release an album -- now . Performance on "Britain's Got Talent" won standing ovation . The unemployed charity worker lives in northeast Scotland with pet cat .

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(CNN) -- Everyone aboard US Airways Flight 1549 survived when the plane crash-landed into the Hudson River, and that may be due as much to diligent rescue training as luck. Passengers and crew line up outside the plane as boats move in to rescue them. The Coast Guard rescuers who quickly got to the scene and many of the ferries and boats that first responded train for water rescues. "We, the Coast Guard, we do train for these type of events and these type of situations, scenarios, and one thing we do try to do is try to coordinate with our other maritime agency partners [so] that incidents like this go off without a hitch or as safely as possible," said Coast Guard Lt. C.K. Moore, who helped coordinate the response. Within minutes of the plane crash-landing into the water, the aircraft was surrounded by ferry boats that had been making their regularly scheduled trips across the Hudson and other boats coordinated by, and including, the Coast Guard. The passengers had begun exiting the plane -- getting into rafts or standing on the wings. But as more people began to exit, the plane started to become submerged and passengers' feet started getting cold. See photos of the crash and rescue . The quick response may have helped save the lives of passengers, who if not for the rescuers may have been subjected to the frigid Hudson water. It's one of the things Moore said the Coast Guard focuses on during water rescues, especially in the winter. After only three minutes in cold water, people can lose the use of their arms and legs, according to the Oregon State Marine Board. At the time of the crash it was 21 degrees outside, the water temperature in the Hudson was 32.5 degrees and winds were blowing at 15 mph. Oregon State Marine Board: Surviving cold water immersion . Thankfully for passengers, ferry captains like Brittany Catanzaro came quickly to their rescue. Watch passengers describe what happened » . She was at the helm of a New York Waterway ferry during a normal commute across the river when she looked to her right and saw a plane in the water. "I had to do a double-take," she said. But Catanzaro knew exactly what to do. She said she and her crew train each month for water rescues. "We have to do man overboard, and we're constantly drilling. Constantly," she said. "And when something comes, you already know how to take effect and how to put everything together, so it just went very smoothly." Catanzaro immediately told her crew to get life jackets on, take extras to throw in the water, and prepare a cradle to help bring passengers onto the boat. The boat was the second on the scene. "When I got there, my crew went to work and started pulling out people," she said. "Some people were sighing with relief, some people were crying. It was nerve-wracking." In all, Catanzaro's crew helped bring 24 people aboard. "I was telling my crew, even if we pulled out one person, that was one more person we saved," she said. "And to pull out 24 people, that's 24 people." The Coast Guard was able to pluck at least 35 people from the water and wing of the plane. Catanzaro's crew and the Coast Guard were able to take nearly half the plane's passengers out of the Hudson. That's a credit to their training, Moore said, which is done exactly for this scenario. "We do train with each other from time to time to understand what each other can bring to the table when it comes to -- to search and rescue," he said. "This is one of the situations where this has come to fruition, and it's a great -- it's a great thing to see it happen like this."

Coast Guard, ferry training enable quick response, rescue . Ferry captain says they drill each month for man overboard scenarios . Boats help pluck passengers off wings, out of the water . Coast Guard lieutenant: "It's a great thing to see it happen like this"

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(CNN) -- A man suspected in the slayings of his girlfriend and her four children admitted choking the Oklahoma woman to death, but said the children were not present at the time, according to an affidavit filed in the case. Joshua Steven Durcho was arrested Tuesday after a car chase with police. Joshua Steven Durcho, 25, was arrested Tuesday night in Hamilton County, Texas, officials said. He is suspected of killing Summer Rust, 25; her son Teagin, 4; and daughters Evynn, 3, and Autumn and Kirsten, both 7. All five bodies were found in Rust's apartment in El Reno, Oklahoma, about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City, on Monday. Durcho's first cousin notified authorities he found the body of Rust, who is identified in the affidavit as Summer Dawn Garas. Police also found the children's bodies in the apartment, according to the affidavit, written by a special agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and filed Tuesday in Canadian County, Oklahoma, District Court. "The Medical Examiner's Office has reported to our agents that the preliminary assessment of the cause and manner of death for all five individuals was asphyxiation, suffocation and strangulation," the affidavit said. "It was also reported that each body had ligature marks around the neck. The ligature marks were also observed by OSBI crime scene investigators." A spokeswoman for the state medical examiner's office told CNN on Wednesday that the cause of death for Summer Rust and Teagin was strangulation, and that a ligature -- which could include a string, cord or wire -- was used to strangle them. Autopsies on the three girls were being conducted Wednesday, the spokeswoman said. A woman told police Durcho came to her apartment Monday afternoon and told her he had "choked" Summer Rust to death and that he was leaving Oklahoma, according to the affidavit. The woman asked Durcho about Rust's children, the affidavit said, and "Durcho told her that the children were at their grandmother's residence ... while he and Summer worked out their relationship problems." The woman called Durcho's mother and told her what he had said about killing Rust, the affidavit said. Durcho's mother drove to the apartment to check on the woman, but no one answered her knocks. She then called her nephew, Durcho's cousin, to accompany her, leading to the discovery of Rust's body, according to the document. About 6:30 p.m. Monday, the affidavit said, Durcho went to the home of another cousin, a female, and told her "he was in trouble and that he was headed out of state." Durcho was driving Rust's 1989 white Ford Thunderbird, the document said, and asked his cousin to swap cars with him, but she declined. A surveillance video showed Durcho at a truck stop on Interstate 40 about three hours later, driving the Thunderbird, the affidavit said. Early Tuesday morning, a text message was sent from a cell phone in Durcho's possession to his mother's cell phone, according to the affidavit. Tracking and cell phone records showed Durcho's phone was located in Wichita Falls, Texas, at the time. Later that morning, Durcho called his mother, with the call shown to be from the Abilene, Texas, area, the affidavit said. Durcho's mother said "Durcho told her he loved her and had to go," according to the document. Police said Durcho was arrested after a car chase Tuesday night. A Texas state trooper attempted to stop the car Durcho was driving because the trooper suspected the driver was drunk, according to Erin Mangrum of the Canadian County sheriff's office. When the trooper ran the license plate on the car, it matched the tag number of a vehicle sought by Oklahoma police. The car sped off, Mangrum said, and during the ensuing chase the car crashed. Durcho suffered only minor injuries and was taken into custody, Mangrum said. A court hearing was to be held for Durcho on Wednesday in Hamilton County, according to CNN affiliates. The Hamilton County district attorney's office did not immediately return a call from CNN. Durcho was being held in the county jail Tuesday night, Mangrum said. Rust's mother, Susan Rust of Carson City, Nevada, said Durcho was unemployed and had been living with Rust and her children.

NEW: Affidavit describes suspect's actions after slayings . Mother, son strangled with ligature, autopsy shows . Suspect arrested after chase in Texas . Family found dead in Oklahoma apartment on Monday .

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Editor's note: Republican Leslie Sanchez was director of the White House Initiative on Hispanic Education from 2001 to 2003 and author of "Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other." She is CEO of the Impacto Group, which specializes in market research about women and Hispanics. Leslie Sanchez says Republicans should treat Hispanics as part of the mainstream of America. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As the members of the Republican National Committee prepare to choose a party chairman to serve for the next two years, the calls for new "Hispanic outreach" initiatives are flying -- in my view, unnecessarily. It is probably true that President Obama's election marks the beginning of a post-partisan, post-racial America, or at least a time when these issues are less divisive than in years past. But will the two political parties be as able to look beyond the stereotypes of Latinos and what the Latino experience is in this country, as they have for other ethnic and racial groups? As Republicans, we need to win at least 35 percent of the Hispanic vote to win the presidency. In 2008, John McCain got 31 percent, slightly exceeding the average for the past eight presidential elections. We've had our high points (George W. Bush 2004, 44 percent) and low points (Bob Dole 1996, 21 percent). Ten years ago, as an RNC press aide, I was given the responsibility for developing a team that would design a multimillion-dollar ad strategy to appeal to the nation's emerging Latino electorate. We conducted seminal research on Hispanic voting patterns that is still of value today. For example, we identified a "GOP Upside" of another 25 percent of Hispanics who were voting Democrat on the generic presidential ballot question but would be interested in voting for a Republican who offered a campaign agenda focused on family, education and job-creation issues. So it is mystifying to me to hear the ongoing references to the party's need to find "a new way" to speak to the nation's largest minority bloc. It's like being asked to reinvent the wheel. This isn't just a Republican problem. Democrats do this too, relating to Latinos as if we're primarily poor, immigrant or both. It doesn't work anymore, if it ever did. And although the anti-immigrant rhetoric spouted by Tom Tancredo and others was offensive to Hispanics and projected a "We don't want you here" image for the GOP, the fact is that it was offensive to a lot of other people, too. In the age of Obama, that kind of exclusive message is just not marketable. If Republicans truly want to develop a winning strategy for appealing to Hispanics, they need look no further than Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. They appealed to them not as Hispanics or immigrants but as Americans with an equal stake in the future of the country. What Hispanics want, and what we as Republicans want them to want, is to be included in the American experience. During the period in which Hispanics constituted a small minority of the overall nation, efforts like Richard Nixon's to ensure that they were counted in the national census were important because it meant inclusion. When people believe that they are already part of a community, such patently obvious efforts come across as patronizing. Hispanics, especially young professionals like me who were born and raised here in the United States, believe that we deserve more than a couple of high-profile meetings and a few Spanish-language ads. That was certainly true during the 2008 presidential campaign, which had little to interest Hispanics at all. McCain trumpeted his record as a champion of comprehensive immigration reform to Hispanics, while his campaign tried to make him more palatable to Republican conservatives by de-emphasizing his record as a champion of comprehensive immigration reform. McCain was hurt among Latinos by the perception that he caved in on immigration enforcement and abandoned his own bill. Obama's campaign message to Hispanics, though delivered largely in Spanish through his campaign Web site, was patronizing. In the summary of issues for his Latino Blueprint for Change, Obama talked about a narrow group of issues that, in my view, are important to only a small percentage of Latinos. For example, on education, his message focused largely on English as a second language and in-state tuition for undocumented students. On immigration, he tried to counter the Republicans. On jobs and the economy, he highlighted the minimum wage. These issues, which may have been important to a majority of Hispanics when Cesar Chavez was leading striking farm workers, are not at the top of the list for Hispanics today. To remain largely focused on them is to patronize millions of upwardly mobile Hispanics who are not immigrants and who don't think of themselves as hyphenated Americans. Which is probably why Obama's echoing of Chavez's "Sí, Se Puede!" during his concession speech after the Texas primary was met with silence and blank stares. Hispanic political sophistication is increasing alongside Hispanic economic progress. A new HispanTelligence Research report suggests that the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States will increase to 4.3 million over the next six years. We need to appreciate that it is not the message as much as it is the audience. Speaking past Hispanics or down to Hispanics is not the way to invite them into a long-term relationship. We no longer see ourselves as hyphens or as members of the Hispanic community only; we see ourselves as Americans, with a broad array of interests. Before the development of the virtual world, communities were defined by geography, ethnicity, religion, income, race and other elements that were as apparent to those inside a community as outside it. Now, through social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, which the Obama campaign exploited to new degrees of success, people are developing their own communities of common interest. Hispanics want to see the political parties realize that they do, in fact, belong to the larger community called "America" as well as myriad interest groups. We may choose to define ourselves as part of certain "ethnic" or "interest" groups. It's not the job of a political party to define us. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leslie Sanchez.

Leslie Sanchez: Republicans are talking about a new outreach to Hispanics . She says Hispanics are part of the American mainstream with broad interests . Sanchez: Candidates, including Obama, talked about narrow issues . She says Hispanics want to be seen as Americans, with a stake in the future .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Jon Hamm has a confession to make: He hates his hair. Jon Hamm poses with his partner, Jennifer Westfeldt, at the premiere of "The Day the Earth Stood Still." That may come as a surprise to fans of the actor, whose slick-backed hair is part of his signature look on "Mad Men" -- the show that just earned him another Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a TV drama. In the new movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm sports a slightly different 'do, with his bangs combed rakishly over one eye. It was in the context of promoting the sci-fi remake that Hamm revealed his tonsorial frustration. "It's the bane of my existence. Goofy hair," he said in a self-deprecating interview with CNN. "It never looks good ... It's a pain." Hamm says he's always worn his hair long, but had to cut it for AMC's TV series, in which he plays a 1960s Madison Avenue ad executive. He says stylists on the show, armed with hair spray and blow dryers, mold his coiffure into a hard shell. Helmet hair has come in handy at work. "I've had a piece of the set fall on my head and my hair didn't move," he said. "I had seven stitches in my head and my hair didn't move. That's impressive." Whether it's his hair, good looks, acting chops or a combination thereof, Hamm's star is on the rise in Hollywood. Apart from his co-starring role in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm recently completed work on the murder mystery "The Boy in the Box." He hosted "Saturday Night Live" this fall, he's due to play Tina Fey's love interest on "30 Rock" and he continues to receive accolades for his work on "Mad Men" (nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe so far). How does that make Hamm feel? "Exciting is the right way to say it. It's been a good year. It's very exciting," he said. "I get to read a lot more scripts. I get to meet interesting people. I get to work with interesting people ... It's fun to be sort of invited to the party."

"Mad Men" star Jon Hamm earned another Golden Globe nomination . Hamm says hair is a pain -- especially short and lacquered for "Mad Men" Actor currently appearing in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

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(CNN) -- Ricky Gervais says he's not sure if the lead in "Ghost Town" -- an anti-social, cynical dentist named Bertram Pincus -- was written for him. Ricky Gervais has established a career playing characters with an abrasive edge. And he's not sure if he wants to know. "I'm scared to ask," he says in a phone interview from Los Angeles, California. "[Writer-director David Koepp] says that when they first had the idea, that it should be played by me, [and] they never looked back. Now I don't know whether that was as they were coming up with it, or whether it was because they found out no one else was available. Steve Carell had said no, Will Ferrell had said no, Jack Black had said no, Ben Stiller had said no ... everyone had said no, and they went, 'Oh, is there no one ... I wonder if HE'S available.' "I don't know which is closer. I'd like to think the first one's closer." But, he adds, he was more than happy to take the role. "When I read it, I thought, 'This is me,' " he says. "It was my voice; it's something I could have written. Even the lines sounded like that grumpy misanthrope I often play. And then they made it even more me." Watch a clip from "Ghost Town" with Mr. Moviefone » . Indeed, Gervais, 47, has risen to fame playing characters who are, let us say, less than friendly. On the original UK version of "The Office," which he created with longtime writing partner Stephen Merchant, he played David Brent, the socially tone-deaf general manager of a paper company branch office who continually shocked co-workers with his immature jokes and patronizing attitude. He followed that as Andy Millman in "Extras," a borderline performer always angling for the main chance. And in "Ghost Town," which came out on DVD Sunday, Gervais' Dr. Pincus can't stand to communicate with the ghosts he starts meeting after a near-death experience. He does have a bit of redemption. He strikes up a romance with Gwen (Tea Leoni), an antiquities expert, and ends up helping out a few of his late comrades. But in Gervais' portrayal, Pincus retains his abrasive edge. The movie earned generally good reviews and a decent box office upon its late-summer release, with the Boston Globe's Ty Burr comparing Gervais to a Hollywood legend. "Someone once said about W.C. Fields that he had the rare ability to despise amusingly. I can imagine no greater compliment than to say that Ricky Gervais seems, at his best, like a young Fields," Burr wrote. That kind of misanthrope is the furthest thing from the Gervais of the phone interview, an engaging man who answers questions with patience and thoughtfulness. Asked why British actors play socially unpleasant roles so well, he ponders the question, makes asides to how often British actors play villains and "bumbling fops" and soon offers a disquisition on the differences between British and American culture. Watch more insight on interviewing Ricky Gervais » . "I think we play the loser well because England's full of them," he says. "We celebrate our losers, we celebrate our underdogs, we celebrate those people -- [and then] we build them up and then we don't like them anymore. Whereas Americans celebrate success. Americans are brought up to believe they can be the next president of the United States. British people are told it won't happen to you. It sounds like a generalization, but it's true." He adds that he just finished writing a film with Merchant called "The Man from the Pru," set in early-'70s England. "It's about class, and it's about can you escape being born living, growing up and dying in the same street," he says. "I know that's the same the world over ... but it's because Britain is so small and so diverse. "You really couldn't get out of your class before celebrity came along. The American class system always seemed a bit fairer to me, because it was built on achievement as opposed to blood." Since Gervais likes to write his own material, he's careful about the roles he takes, even with Hollywood beckoning. "Ghost Town" was a good fit, he says, because he and Koepp hit it off so well. "The whole thing was really collaborative," he says. "I'm not usually an actor for hire, but this was great." Indeed, it's the collaboration that made it, he says. He welcomes that kind of bouncing ideas back and forth, and says he'd love to do something with Steve Carell, who plays the American version of Brent, Michael Scott, on the U.S. version of "Office." The two had a memorably hilarious exchange at this year's often unfunny Emmy show. "I would love to host anything with Steve Carell," he says. "I would do a cat show with Steve Carell. I would do Computer Nerds' Mr. Universe with Steve Carell. So if anyone asks me if I will host a show with Steve Carell, the answer's yes." Perhaps that could happen soon: Gervais' name is often bandied about in rumors about awards show hosting duties. However, he adds, he remains in the dark about it all. "I'm on a list," he says. "But I don't know what that means."

Ricky Gervais plays misanthropic dentist in "Ghost Town," now out on DVD . Role was "me," he says, "something I could have written" Gervais rose to fame with UK "Office," "Extras"

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(CNN) -- Just days before he was sworn in, President Obama was giving his daughters a tour of the Lincoln Memorial when one of them pointed to a copy of Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address carved into the wall. President Obama strides into history as the nation's first black president. Obama's 7-year-old daughter, Sasha, told her father that Lincoln's speech was really long. Would he have to give a speech as long? Obama's answer was completed by his older daughter, 10-year-old Malia. "I said, 'Actually, that one is pretty short. Mine may even be a little longer,' " Obama told CNN recently. "At which point, Malia turns to me and says, 'First African-American president, better be good.' " The story is light-hearted, but it touches on a delicate question: Will people hold Obama to a different standard because he is the first African-American president? Americans appear split by race on that answer. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, 53 percent of blacks say the American public will hold Obama to a higher standard than past presidents because he is black. Most whites -- 61 percent -- say Obama's race will not matter in how he will be judged. The question divided several people who were racial pioneers themselves. Alexander Jefferson was one of the first blacks allowed to become a fighter pilot. He was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of black pilots who escorted bombers in World War II. "We had to be twice as good to be average," he says. Obama won't face the same pressures he did because his presidential predecessor was so inept, Jefferson says. "No, the world is ready for him," he says. "The [George W.] Bush debacle was so depressing." Jefferson was shot down by ground fire on his 19th mission and spent a year in German prison camps. He wrote about his POW experiences in "Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman and POW." Jefferson says he dealt with the pressures of being a racial pioneer by drawing on the strength of black leaders who opened doors for him. "I sit on the backs of everyone who came before me," says Jefferson, who attended Obama's inauguration with other Tuskegee Airmen. Jefferson says he would have emotionally imploded if he'd thought too much about the pressures of representing all blacks and dealing with the racism he encountered when he returned home to a segregated America after the war. "I did what I had to do so I didn't go stark-raving mad," he says. "There wasn't all this self-analysis and back and forth. I was too damn busy with a wife, a child and a mortgage." Michele Andrea Bowen couldn't avoid a bout of constant self-analysis. She was one of the first African-American students admitted to a doctorate program in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "I know Obama is going to be held to a different standard," says Bowen, author of "Up at the College" and books such as "Holy Ghost Corner," which celebrate black faith and culture. Bowen says she faced relentless scrutiny, and so will Obama. "You know that it was hard for you to get in it, and you know they're watching you," Bowen says. "And you know that they're judging you by a critical standard that's sometimes not fair." Bowen says a white classmate, her partner in dissertation, once confided to her that he received the same grades as she did, even though he knew his work was inferior. "It toughened me up," Bowen says. "It can give you headaches and stomachaches. I learned you have to be thankful that God blessed you with that opportunity. At some point, you stop worrying, and you trust God." 'Would Bush have been president if he were black?' Perhaps Obama will avoid those stomachaches because of the massive good will his election has generated. But that could change quickly if Obama makes a controversial decision or a mistake, says Andrew Rojecki, co-author of "The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race in America." Rojecki says people who say Obama isn't going to be held to a different standard because of his skin color didn't pay attention to his campaign. He says Obama had to deal with challenges that other candidates didn't have to face. Obama's run for office was almost ended by his association with his minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose incendiary sermons shocked many. But Republican presidential nominee John McCain's relationship with the Rev. John Hagee, who was accused of anti-Semitism, never threatened to end his campaign, Rojecki says. "Obama was held responsible for what his minister said, and McCain was associated with Hagee, but somehow that didn't stick," says Rojecki, a communication professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Even people who regard themselves as the most progressive, open-minded supporters may subconsciously hold Obama to a different standard, Rojecki says. He says several academic studies show that it often takes people longer to associate good qualities to blacks when different faces are flashed across a screen. "They have these stereotypes buried in their subconscious," he says. "That's why people cross the street when they see a young black man. They'd rather not take a chance." Obama virtually had to be perfect to overcome those stereotypes, Rojecki says. He was the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review, he has an Ivy League-educated wife and adorable daughters, and he ran a great campaign. "He's the perfect symbol of achievement," Rojecki says. White candidates for office don't have to have an uninterrupted life of achievement to be considered for the Oval Office, Rojecki says. "If George W. Bush were black, do you think he would be president?" Rojecki says. Jefferson, the Tuskegee Airman, says Obama should have at least one consolation. The problems he confronts now are so immense that anyone, even someone who was considered by many to be perfect, would not be able to escape withering judgment. "If the president was Jesus Christ, '' Jefferson says, "they would still debate if he's qualified."

Racial pioneers say they felt pressure to be extraordinary . Poll shows Americans split by race over how Obama will be judged . Racial pioneer says pressure can make person "stark-raving mad"

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(InStyle.com) -- Michelle Obama dazzled on the dance floor Tuesday night at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball in Washington, wearing an elegant, one-shouldered ivory gown created for her by 26-year-old designer, Jason Wu. First lady Michelle Obama dazzled in a Jason Wu original gown. The one-of-a-kind silk chiffon confection was embellished with organza rosettes, Swarovski crystal rhinestones and silver embroidery. The first lady accessorized with diamond chandelier earrings, a white gold and diamond ring and a stack of diamond bangles by jeweler Loree Rodkin. The president summed up his wife's look best before their first dance -- to Beyoncé's rendition of "At Last" -- when he said, "First of all, how good-looking is my wife?" Michelle Obama has worn Wu once before, during an interview with Barbara Walters. Wu, one of America's leading young designers, debuted his first collection in February 2006 and has since earned accolades such as Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award. Watch InStyle.com's Joe Berean discuss the gown » . Obama was likely introduced to the designer in one of her favorite Chicago, Illinois, boutiques, Ikram. The new first lady has made a conscious effort to support young, diverse talent in the fashion community. In choosing Wu, who is originally from Taiwan, Obama continues a tradition of wearing American designers who hail from other countries. They include Cuban-American designers Isabel Toledo, who designed her yellow lace inauguration ensemble; Narciso Rodriguez, designer of the red and black dress she wore on election night; and designer Thakoon Panichgul, originally from Thailand, who designed the floral dress she wore the evening her husband accepted the Democratic nomination for president. Michelle Obama's style statement is one meant to inspire ethnic and class diversity in the world of fashion. Aside from being a socially conscious purveyor of style, Obama also sends a clear message of hope and promise by choosing colorful, reasonably priced pieces. Watch the Obamas enjoy the night » . She prefers bright, cheerful shades such as yellow, electric blue, red and purple, and has been seen on multiple occasions in head-to-toe looks from moderately priced American retailer J.Crew. In fact, daughters Malia and Sasha braved Tuesday's chilly weather in coats from the brand's children's collection. Michelle Obama was first seen in J.Crew during a visit to the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno on October 27. "This is a J.Crew ensemble," she told the host. "We ladies, we know J.Crew." The first lady also said she had a penchant for Internet shopping, saying, "When you don't have time, you gotta click!" Obama wore J.Crew again at the Kids' Inaugural Concert on Monday. She gave the colorful ensemble a luxe spin with dangling green sapphire earrings from Loree Rodkin and a Deco-inspired belt buckle. InStyle magazine Fashion Director Hal Rubenstein appreciates Obama's straightforward approach to fashion. "People tend to think classic looks are synonymous with boring, but they're not," he explains. "Michelle Obama has a specific style that works for her. She has a lady-like approach to style that is elegant and inspiring. "What we'll see as a result is this idea of looking put-together and sophisticated, as opposed to being daring or flamboyant. It's all about looking polished, like you know what you're doing." Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

First lady's elegant, one-shouldered ivory gown created by 26-year-old Jason Wu . The one-of-a-kind silk chiffon confection was embellished with organza rosettes . Michelle Obama has tradition of wearing American designers from other nations . Her time-saving shopping secret -- buying on the Internet .

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DECATUR, Georgia (CNN) -- One falling tree saved John Kiefer from another. Windstorms in Atlanta, Georgia, uprooted several trees, including this one that fell through John Kiefer's home. Kiefer was sitting on his sofa Monday morning while a brief but intense windstorm blew through the Atlanta, Georgia, area, including Decatur. He heard a tree crash in his backyard and got up to investigate. That tree knocked down a chain-link fence, and Kiefer was getting worried about several other large backyard trees that were swaying in the wind. "And as I'm watching those move and sway, this crashed down," he said. "This" was a 50-foot red oak in the front yard that fell onto his living room, splitting his house in half and coming to rest a few inches above where he had been sitting on the couch. "Yeah, it's a mess," he said as he surveyed the tangle of broken wood beams, plaster, bricks and gray insulation. Curiously, Kiefer's electricity was still on, and cable TV was still playing less then 10 feet away from the massive tree trunk in his living room. An ancient upright piano and various collectibles on it were unharmed. Kiefer had been away over the weekend, visiting a son in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his three dogs were still at the kennel where he boarded them. They'll be staying there a bit longer. Three years of drought in Georgia have weakened trees' root systems, and recent heavy rains loosened the soil around them, said Kiefer, who works at a plastics recycling company in nearby Stone Mountain. The windstorm brought down hundreds of trees in the area, including one that crushed a car, killing the person inside, and one that fell on a nursing home, where no one was hurt, CNN affiliate WGCL reported. Service was disrupted on Atlanta's MARTA rail transit system, according to WGCL. Power and traffic signals were out in many areas. Watch CNN report about dangerous storms » . Despite having a tree lying across his living room, Kiefer seemed remarkably calm, but that was a new development. "Couple of hours ago my knees where shaking pretty good," he admitted. But, he said, God was looking out for him. "Actually, he saved my life," Kiefer said. "When I came outside to investigate that noise, that was my warning to get up off that couch. And then, not to go back in the house when it got real windy, but to stand right there where that tree stopped. There are no coincidences."

Brief but intense windstorm blows through Atlanta, Georgia . Winds brought down hundreds of trees, including one that killed person inside car . Another tree fell on a nursing home; no one was hurt .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Porn icon Marilyn Chambers was found dead in her Los Angeles home Sunday night, but investigators do not suspect foul play, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman. Marilyn Chambers rose to fame as an adult-film actress in the 1970s. Chambers began her career in 1970 as a model for Ivory Snow soap, and starred two years later in the porn classic "Behind the Green Door." "She was a really nice girl," said actor Ron Jeremy, who co-starred with Chambers in adult films starting in the 1970s. Chambers' death was a "total shock," Jeremy said, because they had been scheduled to sign a contract Monday to perform together in an off-Broadway "tongue-in-cheek" re-enactment of the porn classic "Deep Throat." "What's strange is that she was at a stage where she was totally happy and totally content with her life," Jeremy said. "Her life was falling together, and she was doing really well." A family member found Chambers, 56, in the mobile home where she lived in the Canyon Country area and called police Sunday evening, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitemore said. The death appeared to be from natural causes, although toxicology tests have not been completed, Whitemore said. The coroner's investigation has not been completed, and no cause of death has been determined, according to a spokesman with the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office. Although her career was mostly in X-rated films, Chambers' fame was boosted by the irony that her face had graced the Ivory Snow box, a soap advertised as "99 and 44/100 percent pure." Chambers eventually co-starred with all of the best-known porn actors of the 1970s and 1980s, Jeremy said.

NEW: She had been set to sign contract for off-Broadway show with Ron Jeremy . Marilyn Chambers starred in some of the most famous porn movies of '70s . Chambers, once a model for Ivory Snow, was in "Behind the Green Door" Chambers' body was found Sunday; investigators do not suspect foul play .

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(CNN) -- Barack Obama has talked of ripping out the White House bowling alley and replacing it with a basketball court. The former reserve player for Punahou High School's 1979 state championship team brings an enthusiasm for pickup basketball games to a place where golf, baseball and football have been the most-discussed sports. Reggie Miller says he'd pick Barack Obama for his squad because he likes the president-elect's team approach. And if he puts hoops in the White House, Reggie Miller, the retired basketball star and sports broadcaster, wants in. "I would love to be the first to go there and play," said Miller, whose record-breaking 2,560 three-pointers with the Indiana Pacers electrified basketball fans. Today Miller, 43, is an NBA analyst for TNT, which is owned by Turner Broadcasting, parent company of CNN. Miller and others have said Obama's playing style yields clues to the type of president he will be. Miller, who said he backed Obama in the election, spoke Monday to CNN.com. iReport.com: What would you like to ask Obama? CNN: Do you know Barack Obama? Reggie Miller: I have never met him personally, but from afar, obviously I admire the man and the courage and the strength, the wisdom. I respect how much of a family man he is. CNN: Where does basketball fit in your view of Barack Obama? Miller: It seems like he has a regular pickup game, which I like because as a ballplayer, you like to do the same routine. ... He plays with the same guys, he likes to get a good sweat in. ... When you get a good workout in, you feel good for the rest of the day. It helps clear the mind. CNN: He's a left-hander; he likes to fake right and go to the left? Miller: I've seen clips of his Punahou [high school] days, when he played in Hawaii, and I saw that HBO special with Bryant Gumbel when they had that informal game. ... He is a point guard, and most point guards are right-handed, so it would be definitely be difficult to guard a point guard that was left-handed. And in that [HBO] clip, I loved his decision-making, because it looked like he tried to get everyone involved, until it was game point and it was tied up. Obviously, the commander in chief decides the game [Obama made the winning shot], and I like it. I think that trickles down into, you let your colonels, your generals do all the little work, but when it's time to make the big decision and win the game -- then it's the commander in chief, top dog, numero uno. But I will say this, if I was playing against him in a pickup game, I would definitely force him right because it looks like he loves to go left. CNN: Does he remind you of anyone you played against? Miller: Well, it's funny because you don't play against a lot of left-handed point guards. Greg Anthony of the Knicks, a left-handed point guard from UNLV. ... [Nate] "Tiny" Archibald, I believe he was left-handed as well. CNN: From what you've seen, how good a player is Obama? Miller: I would not mind picking him up on my squad; if there were 10 guys and we had to pick, he could definitely be in my squad. Because he knows what his strength is -- making sure that everyone gets involved, and that's the kind of point guard I want. Those are guys like Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson, John Stockton, it's not all about them; it's about let's make sure our team is good. He's going to get the ball to everyone. CNN: Speaking of being commander in chief, what are the lessons that you take away from Obama's basketball that you think would be useful? Miller: If you look at his demeanor, he's very cool; you have to be cool under pressure. You can't make hasty decisions. You've got to look at the full picture as a whole and then you assess it. And I think from a strategic and a political standpoint, I think that very much sums up Mr. Obama. You look at him during the debate and during the campaign, he pretty much never got too high and never got too low; he just kind of stayed right in the middle. When you're making the decisions that he's going to be making, for our economy, for Iraq, Afghanistan, you want someone who's levelheaded who's going to look at the big picture, who's going to rely on his Cabinet, which would be the other players. You want them to all be on same page, which you want your starting five to be, and then you go out there and execute it. CNN: You think he's going to have an impact on the sport of basketball by example? Miller: It's not just basketball, I think sports in general. You know he's already said yes, "I think we should have a BCS" [playoff system for deciding the nation's college football championship], and I think everyone agrees with him. I think his love of basketball is only going to help the high school, collegiate and professional ranks. ... For sports in general, it's good to have a person in the White House who's physically fit, who loves sports but also understands and knows how to run a country. CNN: In that order? Miller: I don't know about that order. I think I would probably start with running the country first. I think what we do is more entertainment and letting people escape. I think running the country is a little more important than worrying about the BCS title game. I think getting jobs is probably first and foremost and getting our economy straight and getting our troops home, I think those are the most important things for the president-elect. But if he does find time to get a BCS playoff, that would be nice.

Reggie Miller: Barack Obama's basketball style offers clues to his leadership . He says Obama tries to involve the whole team but also will take final shot . Miller: Obama's interest in sports and fitness is a good example for the U.S.

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(CNN) -- The Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship bound for Mombasa, Kenya, was attacked Tuesday by Somali pirates, according to a NATO source with direct knowledge of the matter. Pirates attacked The Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, but were unable to board. "The pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the vessel, which sustained damage," said a statement from New York-based Liberty Maritime Corporation, which owns the vessel. The ship was carrying U.S. food aid for African nations, the statement said. The pirates never made it onto the ship and the vessel is now being escorted by a coalition ship, still bound for Mombasa, officials said. Two senior defense officials said the Liberty Sun was being escorted by the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge. It is the ship carrying Richard Phillips, the captain of the container ship Maersk Alabama, which was hijacked last week. Phillips spent days as a hostage of the pirates before being rescued Sunday. Katy Urbik of Wheaton, Illinois, said her son, Thomas, was aboard the Liberty Sun at the time of the attack. She shared the e-mails he sent as the ship came under fire. "We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets. Also bullets," said one e-mail sent Tuesday afternoon. "We are barricaded in the engine room and so far no one is hurt. [A] rocket penetrated the bulkhead but the hole is small. Small fire, too, but put out. "Navy is on the way and helos and ships are coming. I'll try to send you another message soon. [G]ot to go now. I love you mom and dad and all my brothers and family." "My heart stopped after I realized there wasn't going to be a 'just kidding' after his comment," Katy Urbik said. About 1½ hours later, Thomas Urbik sent another e-mail to his mother, which said, "The navy has showed up in full force and we are now under military escort ... all is well. I love you all and thank you for the prayers." In an e-mail only hours before the attack, Urbik's son tried to assure his mother that his crew was safe and taking precautions. "Don't worry too much. I am fine and we are being well monitored by the U.S. Navy, who is demanding we send them a report every six hours on our position and status," Thomas Ubrik's e-mail said. He added, "We in fact are going to be the second American ship to arrive into Mombasa after the Maersk Alabama. It should be interesting to say the least. ... We have had several drills to prepare ourselves to secure ourselves in the engine room. [W]e can do it pretty quick by now." The company said the ship had dropped off food aid last week at a Sudanese port and the ship was going around the Horn of Africa to reach Kenya when it came under attack. However, the exact location of the attack remained unclear. Earlier Tuesday, pirates off the coast of Somalia seized two freighters, proving they remain a force to contend with just days after the U.S. Navy dramatically rescued an American captain held by other pirates. First, pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday hijacked the MV Irene EM, a 35,000-ton Greek-owned bulk carrier, according to a NATO spokesman and the European Union's Maritime Security Center. The crew of the Greek carrier was thought to be unhurt and ships have been warned to stay clear of the area for fear of further attack, the Security Center said. Later Tuesday, pirates on four skiffs seized the 5,000-ton MV Sea Horse, a Lebanese-owned and Togo-flagged vessel, said Cmdr. Chris Davies of NATO's Maritime Component Command Headquarters in Northwood, England. Details about the ship and its crew weren't immediately available. NATO has an ongoing anti-piracy mission off Somalia called Operation Allied Protector. The mission involves four ships covering more than a million square miles, Davies said. A U.S.-led international naval task force, Combined Task Force-151, is also patrolling in the region. Tuesday's hijackings came two days after sharpshooters from the U.S. Navy SEALs killed three pirates who had been holding Phillips hostage on the water for days. Phillips had offered himself as a hostage when pirates attacked the Alabama on Wednesday, officials said. The ship had been on its way to deliver aid to Mombasa, Kenya. A fourth pirate had been aboard Bainbridge when the shootings occurred and was taken into custody. Watch the tough tactics the Navy uses » . The incident follows four freighters being seized over the past two days by pirates off the Somalian coast, proving they remain a force to contend with. Pirates on Monday hijacked two Egyptian fishing boats carrying a total of between 18 and 24 people, the Egyptian Information Ministry told CNN. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry is working to end the hijacking, the ministry said. Egyptian boats are known to use Somali waters illegally for fishing, taking advantage of the lawless state of the country and the lack of enforcement of its maritime boundaries. Those who have tracked pirate activity in Somalia say it started in the 1980s, when the pirates claimed they were trying to stop the rampant illegal fishing and dumping that continues to this day off the Somali coast. Piracy accelerated after the fall of the Somali government in the early 1990s and began to flourish after shipping companies started paying ransoms. Those payments started out being in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions. Some experts say companies are simply making the problem worse by paying the pirates. CNN's Mike Mount, Barbara Starr and David McKenzie contributed to this report.

Crewman e-mailed hours before attack that Navy was monitoring the ship . Crewman e-mails, "We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets" Four freighters seized in last two days . Greek 35,000-ton bulk carrier and Lebanese-owned, Togo-flagged both seized .

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(CNN) -- Seydou Keita wrecked any chance of a Bayern Munich comeback in their Champions League quarterfinal return with a second half equaliser as Barcelona drew 1-1 for an emphatic 5-1 aggregate win. Bayern scorer Franck Ribery embraces Barcelona's Lionel Messi after Bayern's European exit. Primera Liga leaders Barcelona arrived in Germany with a comfortable first leg cushion and will now host Chelsea in their semifinal first leg at the Nou Camp on April 28. No side in the tournament's history had overturned a four goal deficit and Bayern were always up against it. "We were much better in the personal duels, things were a bit more normal, and we played the way you need to against such a good team," said Germany defender Philipp Lahm. "But unfortunately we have still lost the tie." And Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer -- who was scathing after the first-leg debacle -- said the Germans had gone some way to redemption. "I think the team has rehabilitated itself, although Barcelona's equalising goal was needlessly conceded", said Beckenbauer. After going close in the first-half, Franck Ribery finally unpicked the Barcelona defense on 47 minutes before Keita equalised for the Spanish with less than 20 minutes left. No Spanish side has ever won the treble of league, Kings Cup and Champions League, but Barcelona are on course to take all three titles as coach Josep Guardiola hopes to lead the Spaniards to a third European title after 1992 and 2006. France striker Thierry Henry succumbed to a high temperature for Barca, while Bayern's Germany strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose were ruled out with calf and ankle injuries respectively. That left Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni as the lone forward with Ribery playing just behind him. Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann was booed by his own fans before kick-off, but this result on the back of the weekend's 4-0 win over Frankfurt in the German league will have taken some of the pressure off the ex-Germany coach.

Seydou Keita wrecks Bayern Munich comeback bid as Barcelona progress . Barcelona led Champions League tie 4-0 from first leg and won 5-1 on agg . Spanish giants now face Chelsea at Nou Camp in semifinal first leg clash .

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Editor's note: Tom Wilkerson is chief executive officer of the United States Naval Institute, a nonprofit professional association which describes itself as an independent forum for examining issues related to the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. He spent 31 years in the military, rising to major general of Marines and, in his last assignment, serving as commander, Marine Forces Reserve. Retired Major General Tom Wilkerson says the U.S. should attack the pirates at their bases. (CNN) -- It is well past time to take a serious look at piracy off the coast of Africa. Initially, the U.S. ignored the threat, and when public outcry about our seeming indifference became louder, we formed a combined task force of international navies in the Gulf of Aden under command of a U.S. Navy rear admiral to "deter, disrupt and thwart" the pirates. Today, it is clear that initiative has failed. In fact, this bit of muscle-flexing did so little to intimidate pirates operating out of Somalia that they have actually increased the number of attacks in the last month. Significant among those attacks, pirates on Wednesday boarded and temporarily held a U.S.-flagged vessel, the container ship Maersk Alabama. The U.S. crew and its captain retook the vessel, but at the price of the captain becoming a hostage to the four pirates in one of the Maersk Alabama's lifeboats. Several hours later a U.S. warship, the Aegis destroyer USS Bainbridge, arrived on scene and, as I write, the standoff with the pirates continues. What an embarrassing and frustrating event! A bunch of maritime thugs brazenly seized a vessel flying the flag of the nation with the most powerful navy the world has ever known. The fault does not lie with the ships and sailors of Combined Task Force-151. They have been given the proverbial mission impossible -- stop pirate attacks in an area four times the size of Texas with only three U.S. Navy ships and a total of 12 to 15 allied/friendly warships. Not gonna happen! But embarrassment aside, there is real potential for loss of life and for continued attacks on vessels plying these waters. The issue is simple but difficult -- how do we eliminate the pirate threat? Strangely, we seem unable to learn from our own history. In 1804 President Thomas Jefferson said "Enough" to paying 20 percent of the U.S. national budget as tribute to Barbary pirates. His response was clear and successful -- build a strong naval task force, equip it with a sizeable contingent of Marines, and send it to attack and defeat the pirates in their lair. The sailors and Marines sent on that mission did just that -- and in the process wrote a stirring page in our nation's early history. The problem today is that we have refused to take the Jefferson model. We've confined our anti-piracy efforts to the open seas and left the pirates' home bases on land as a sanctuary. Thus, the pirates continue to operate with relative freedom and stealth. We and our allies only respond, never seizing the initiative. The Jefferson model is a better answer: Take on the pirates where they are, rather than guessing where they will be. In short, attack them at their home bases. There they are vulnerable. There is where they plan and prepare for raids on vessels. There is where they arrange ransom for held ships and crew members. From these bases, pirates are free to conduct raids without fear of reprisal, let alone interference from organized justice. They are free to venture out to prey upon one of the 33,000 ships that pass near their coast each year, knowing that they can return to the absolute security of their land bases and enjoy their spoils. It is time to change strategy and take the fight to the pirates, as our military predecessors did with great success more than 200 years ago. In the 21st century, anti-piracy measures should ideally be the responsibility of local and regional law enforcement. Unfortunately, the non-functioning government of Somalia is unable to bring police or military forces to bear against criminal piracy launched from its own territory. The predicament has done much to foster piracy, greatly growing the number of pirates and further encouraging their lawless behavior. They are well aware that the rewards of their activities far exceed the risks. With the potential to make millions of dollars through extortion, the Somalia-based pirates take comfort in having no fear of being arrested in their homes for their crimes, and obviously have little fear of being caught on the high seas despite the presence of the combined task force. Of course, attacking pirate land bases in Somalia as the U.S. did against the Barbary pirates in Tripoli two centuries ago is not a simple proposition. Even without a functioning government present in Somalia, the U.S. and other countries whose ships are threatened are not free to conduct military operations on Somali soil at will. There are many complicated legal issues concerning sovereignty and laws of armed conflict that need to be thought through before any real action can be initiated. However, these issues must be explored so that the option of a more forceful policy can be duly considered. iReport.com: How should the U.S. respond? Some may argue that the destruction of the ships and bases of pirates is merely attacking the symptom without curing the disease. They believe that piracy cannot be defeated until its causes are sufficiently addressed. These causes are usually identified as abysmal economic conditions and the lack of a strong national infrastructure. Previous attempts to undertake larger scale law-and-order projects in Somalia, however, have resulted in a tragedy now memorialized in the national psyche simply as Black Hawk Down. Hence my argument for consideration of smaller-scale actions targeted specifically against the criminal pirates. Retaliatory and preemptive strikes on known bases are certainly not the only options in dealing with the Somalia pirates, but current policy has already proven to be fairly futile in dissuading attacks. iReport.com: 'Stop the pirates, Obama!' Those who desire to combat piracy by bringing stability to Somalia must accept that the noble effort will take several years, potentially leaving thousands of ships vulnerable to attack in the meantime. One thing is for certain: Allowing the pirates to have sanctuary while also giving them a clear advantage in the rules of engagement is not going to stop their activities any time soon. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tom Wilkerson.

Tom Wilkerson: Pirates based in Somalia represent threat to crews and cargo . He says U.S. strategy so far has failed to deter piracy . Wilkerson: We should follow example set 200 years ago by Thomas Jefferson . He says the U.S. needs to attack the pirates at their bases .

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(CNN) -- Retired Gen. Colin Powell has a choice blend of political and military experience, and many thought he'd make a great president, but Powell said Wednesday that he just didn't have it in him. Colin Powell, left, embraces Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel at the inauguration Tuesday. His wife, Alma, had feared that such an endeavor would change their family life. She also had concerns about Powell's safety, he said Wednesday on CNN's "American Morning." "But I was a soldier. That wasn't my concern," he said. "I never found inside of me the internal passion that you've got to have to run for elected office." Many GOP pundits had hoped Powell, who served as secretary of state under President George W. Bush and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bush's father and President Clinton, would make a run at the Oval Office. The former four-star general and Vietnam War veteran's military credentials are staunch, rivaled only by his accomplishments as a statesman. Watch Powell explain why the White House wasn't for him » . In addition to chairing the Joint Chiefs, the lifelong Republican served as national security adviser under President Reagan and oversaw the 1989 invasion of Panama that toppled Gen. Manuel Noriega as well as Operation Desert Storm during the 1991 Gulf War. He has two Presidential Medals of Freedom to his name. As Bush's secretary of state, he spearheaded efforts to increase U.S. foreign assistance throughout the world, and he helped develop Bush's HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment program, which is credited with being the largest such endeavor ever. However, Powell drew heavy criticism over his remarks before the United Nations that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Powell made the assertion while attempting to convince the world body that the U.S. should go to war with Iraq. Powell abruptly retired from Bush's Cabinet in 2005, but he did not cite his time a secretary of state Wednesday when explaining why he never sought the presidency. "I never woke up a single morning to go think about this, to talk to people about it and find in my heart and soul the passion that a Barack Obama or a John McCain or a George Bush or a Bill Clinton had," he said. "It just wasn't me, and you've got to be true to yourself, and I've tried to be true to myself." The stance is not new for Powell, who held a news conference in November 1995 to announce that he would not run for president. "To offer myself as a candidate for president requires a commitment and a passion to run the race and to succeed in the quest," he said then, "a passion and commitment that, despite my every effort, I do not yet have for political life, because such a life requires a calling that I do not yet hear." No stranger to advising presidents, Powell told CNN that Obama has a great deal of work ahead. Not only does he have to deal with the crisis du jour -- like righting the economy at home -- he needs to keep his eyes on crises abroad while never foregoing long-range planning. Watch what Powell says Obama must do » . "You can never avoid it," he said. "Once you're the president, every crisis comes to your desk, and you have to deal with it. ... But that doesn't mean that you can't stand back and look farther out." Repairing America's broken image and poverty alleviation -- both at home and abroad -- will pose major challenges, he said, and both have wide-ranging implications. Poverty incubates terror, and it is incumbent upon the U.S. to stamp out the hunger, unemployment and illiteracy that breed suicide bombers and other insurgents, Powell said. He called poverty alleviation "one of the most important challenges facing the world." "For those of us who are wealthy, we should reach out not only to our own citizens who need help, but the rest of the world," he said. "If you want to get rid of sources of terrorism, if you want to get people moving in the right direction, you've got to help them get jobs, clean water, health care for their kids, educate their kids -- and America has a great responsibility to do this." Obama also needs to consider what other nations think of the U.S. and help repair the American reputation. The challenge is daunting, but Powell said America's good standing is "recoverable." The sea of diverse faces in attendance at Obama's inauguration ceremony speaks to the reverence that America still enjoys in the world, said the son of Jamaican immigrants and father of three. If Obama can turn the economy around and rectify situations in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, he will begin repairing the nation's image, "because there's still a solid, residual level of affection and respect for the United States of America." But Powell acknowledges that his former boss and Obama's predecessor made things difficult. "Iraq and the Guantanamo situation -- which I have been preaching for years should have been closed years ago -- Abu Ghraib and a lack of progress in the Middle East and a certain way in which we deal with the world on international issues, I think damaged our reputation with the world," he said. Obama is off to a good start, he said, and is doing the right thing by reaching across the aisle for help. It was gracious of Obama to hold a dinner in Sen. John McCain's honor after a testy campaign and gracious of McCain to accept, and Powell said he hopes that spirit will permeate Obama's presidency. Powell conceded, though, that bipartisanship won't always be the answer to Obama's problems and said the 44th president will need to rely on the wisdom of those who forged the country more than two centuries ago. "We're supposed to be a partisan country. That's the way the founding fathers intended for us to move forward," he said. "People have strong views on both sides of an issue. Argue it out. Fight it out, just like they did in that summer of 1787 when they were writing the Constitution -- and then ultimately both sides make compromises in order to achieve consensus, and then you move the country forward." CNN's John Roberts contributed to this report.

Powell: I just didn't have the passion that a Barack Obama or George Bush has . Many in GOP felt former Joint Chiefs chairman, secretary of state could be president . Poverty "one of the most important challenges facing the world," ex-general says . Iraq, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib among factors damaging U.S. reputation in world .

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(CNN) -- For Sherrie Muldoon, the credit card debt was $46,244. But the relief she felt after paying it off was priceless. So much so that the Colorado resident and her husband threw a party Saturday for friends and family after mailing off the final check. The event at a community center featured a cake decorated with the debt amount in green icing, CNN television affiliate KUSA reported. The couple had been paying the debt for three years and seven months, Muldoon told CNN, adding that the last payment they made recently was for $1,500. "When we mailed that last check ... I sat down in the car, I looked over to my husband and I just burst out into tears," she said. iReport.com: Have you paid off a huge debt lately? The typical American household with at least one credit card has nearly $10,700 in credit card debt, according to CardWeb.com. The average interest rate runs in the mid- to high teens, according to the Web site. Muldoon said the soaring costs of their nine credit cards left them with two options: Either file for bankruptcy or make a drastic lifestyle change. They opted for the latter, she told KUSA. "We changed everything ... to bare-bones minimum," Muldoon told CNN. "Basically, if it wasn't essential to support life, we didn't do it." The Muldoons are part of a national trend in easing off credit card use. Total consumer borrowing fell 3.5 percent in February, from the month before, according to the Federal Reserve. A government report shows the tumble in consumer credit was caused by a sharp decline in credit card use. The ailing economy and controlled spending caused by unemployment have contributed. Muldoon said she found a way to make money by doing extra jobs, including teaching fitness classes at night and cleaning office buildings on the weekends. Watch Muldoon describe how she whittled away at debt » . "Dan says I'm obsessed. I prefer the term 'focus-driven,' " Muldoon told KUSA. "There were times last winter when dinner was white rice and gravy. That was what there was. We weren't starving to death, but I can't tell you the last time I had a steak." Muldoon said the quest to save money extended to the party, which she hosted using items that were either on sale or had been purchased with coupons. No steak was served there, either: She used ham from "a couple of pigs" she raised last year. Despite the merriment, she had one regret: She had paid full price for the black balloons that adorned the party room. "I had some anguish over that," she said. "But I moved past it fairly quickly."

Sherrie Muldoon: "When we mailed that last check ... I just burst out into tears" How did they pay off $46,244 in less than four years? Drastic lifestyle changes . She also took extra jobs on weekends, such as cleaning office buildings . Even party was on the cheap; she served ham from a couple of pigs she raised .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- They left home with hope in their hearts, thousands of fans true to the Liverpool anthem, dreaming of reaching another Wembley FA Cup Final. The disaster at Hillsborough football stadium in 1989 resulted in the deaths of 96 football supporters. But what began as a day out in the spring sunshine 20 years ago ended as the darkest hour in the history of British football. I had settled into Row B Seat 2 of the press box in the south stand at Hillsborough, home to Sheffield Wednesday and neutral venue for the game. From there I would have had an uninterrupted view of the semifinal showdown between Liverpool and Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest. Clough, one of the legends of the British game, had been denied an FA Cup Final with Forest a year earlier, when his side lost to Liverpool at the same stage of the competition and at the same venue. The atmosphere in the ground for the 1989 semifinal exploded as the teams emerged onto the pitch. But none of us was prepared for what was to follow. The match action lasted less than six minutes. I can't remember a single kick. What I do recall quite vividly are the scenes of distress, desperation and death at the Liverpool end that destroyed so many families and shocked the world. Looking to my left and behind Liverpool keeper Bruce Grobbelaar's goal, I was drawn to a huge mushroom-like effect among the crowd in the central standing enclosures around kick-off time. See Liverpool players and fans paying tribute to victims of Hillsborough disaster » . The match had not long started when the first signs of a major problem surfaced. Fans began frantically attempting to climb over the perimeter fence to escape the crush at the Leppings Lane end of the ground. I didn't know it at the time, but the swell was the exit point of a tunnel that ran under the stand. Through it hundreds of Liverpool fans had attempted to make their way without realizing the two caged pens it led to were already overcrowded. Many had the life squeezed out of them in that tunnel. Others were trampled or crushed to death on the terraces. The lucky ones clambered to safety, many collapsing on the pitch. Some fans were hoisted up into the stand above by fellow supporters, but the main escape route was over the high perimeter fence and later through a small gate that was forced open as police -- who initially thought they were dealing with a pitch invasion -- recognized the true scale of the problem. Advertising boards were used as makeshift stretchers and some of those being carried away had their heads covered by coats. The Sheffield Wednesday gymnasium became a mortuary. The Liverpool end of the pitch resembled a casualty station with frantic efforts being made to treat the injured and save lives while others wandered aimlessly around the pitch in a daze. I will always remember the bid to revive one young fan in front of the main stand. Those efforts seemed to go on forever before finally hundreds of spectators let out a huge cheer as the lad at last showed some sign of life. I still wonder to this day whether or not he made it. Meanwhile I had an open phoneline to a copytaker at The Press Association and described those shocking events unfolding in front of me, including news of the first fatalities. For the second time in four years I had gone to cover a football match and ended up filing a disaster report. In 1985 I had been in Brussels with Liverpool to cover their European Cup final against Juventus, when 39 fans, mainly Italian, were killed at the Heysel stadium as a wall collapsed after trouble on the terraces. That match eventually went ahead after a delay of 85 minutes. Within hhours of returning from Belgium, I was among a small group of football writers summoned to No. 10 Downing Street for a meeting with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Mrs Thatcher planned draconian measures to combat what became known as the English disease, but it was the appalling events at Sheffield that finally became the catalyst for change. The Hillsborough tragedy was played out in full view of 53,000 spectators and TV cameras. People who came to watch a football match went home haunted by scenes of carnage and chaos that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Later, in an area beneath the empty south stand, FA chief executive Graham Kelly faced media at an impromptu press conference and expressed his shock, sadness and sorrow. Understandably, he didn't have all the answers as questions were fired his way. What led to the disaster is well documented. Lord Justice Taylor, a High Court judge commissioned by the government to produce a report, concluded that police operational errors were largely to blame for allowing the gates to be opened to relieve congestion outside the ground. Many questioned why the kickoff to the game had not been delayed. English football was quick to react with perimeter fences pulled, followed by the phased-in arrival of all-seater stadia. In the aftermath grieving fans turned Liverpool's Kop stand and the Anfield pitch into a shrine draped with thousands of scarves, flags and flowers. A permanent memorial to the victims was later erected adjacent to the Shankly Gates -- named after the club's most famous manager -- and which bear the title of the Reds' anthem: You'll Never Walk Alone. The oldest victim at Hillsborough was 67, the youngest 10-year-old Jon-Paul Gilhooley, a cousin of current Liverpool captain and England international Steven Gerrard. Gerrard was six weeks away from his ninth birthday at the time of tragedy. There is nothing Liverpool would want more than to mark the 20th anniversary season with at least one gleaming trophy. They did it in 1989, beating Forest when the semifinal was later replayed, then going on to defeat city rivals Everton after extra time at Wembley. On that occasion they returned home with hope in their hearts.

96 Liverpool fans died as a result of the Hillsborough disaster on April 15, 1989 . Fans were crushed against stadium fencing during an FA Cup semifinal . Liverpool fans say there are still unanswered questions regarding the disaster . Current Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard lost a family member in the tragedy .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Promising "a new era of openness in our country," President Obama signed executive orders Wednesday relating to ethics guidelines for staff members of his administration. Members of the National Economic Council brief President Obama on the economy Wednesday. "Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency," Obama said. In his first full day in office, Obama touched upon many of the major issues facing his administration, and even carved out time to retake the oath of office. The move was aimed at dispelling any confusion that might arise from Tuesday's oath, which Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed by mixing up the order of the words. The do-over was also intended to erase any questions regarding the legitimacy of Obama's presidency, although per the Constitution, Obama became president at noon Tuesday without taking the oath. Earlier in the day, Obama said he would issue a pay freeze for his senior staff members. The new president has also promised swift action on the beleaguered economy. House Democrats, at Obama's urging, have signed an $825 billion economic recovery package that the president says will save or create up to 4 million jobs and invest in health care, energy and education. Watch Obama address his staff » . House Republican leaders, however, asked to meet with Obama on Thursday to offer major changes to the recovery proposal. "The challenge as we see it is to create a plan that helps middle-class taxpayers and small businesses without wasting money or exploding our national deficit," the leaders wrote in a letter to the new president. Rep. Paul Ryan, the top Republican on the House Budget committee, argued that the main tax provision in the Democrats' plan -- cutting payroll taxes -- was not an effective way to jump-start the economy. House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence declined to say whether the Democrats' package would get any Republican support if it didn't change significantly. Obama also moved fast to address a campaign promise to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The administration is drafting executive orders calling for the closure of the detention facility, according to two administration officials. Obama began the day with a moment of solitude in the Oval Office. When he arrived, he spent 10 minutes alone there, reading a note left for him on a desk by outgoing President George W. Bush. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met with the president 10 minutes later to discuss the daily schedule, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. Obama called Middle East leaders, including King Abdullah of Jordan, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Gibbs said. On Sunday, Israel and Palestinian militants declared a cease-fire after 22 days of fighting in Gaza. First lady Michelle Obama joined her husband in the Oval Office at 9:10 a.m., shortly before the first couple departed for the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral. Later in the day, Obama and the first lady greeted those who came to the White House for a formal open house. Obama joked, "Don't break anything." Obama also met with his economic team and top brass from the Pentagon. iReport.com: What do you think Obama should do first? Later in the afternoon, he met with the Ambassador to Iraq, the commander in Iraq, and the "theater commander" in the region for an update on the situation in Iraq. "The meeting was productive and I very much appreciated receiving assessments from these experienced and dedicated individuals. During the discussion, I asked the military leadership to engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq," he said in a statement. "In the coming days and weeks, I will also visit the Department of Defense to consult with the Joint Chiefs on these issues, and we will undertake a full review of the situation in Afghanistan in order to develop a comprehensive policy for the entire region," he said. He plans to tell the top U.S. officers that he wants them to plan to have combat forces out of Iraq in 16 months, as he promised during his election campaign, an adviser said.

NEW: Obama retakes oath of office Wednesday night . NEW: Obama meets with military advisers to assess situations in Iraq, Afghanistan . Administration drafting executive orders calling for Guantanamo Bay's closure . President to freeze pay for senior staff, signs ethics guidelines .

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(CNN) -- The possibility of engine fires has prompted General Motors to recall nearly 1.5 million passenger sedans manufactured between 1997 and 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday. The recall involves certain GM vehicles in which oil apparently can leak and ignite. The recall covers certain mid- and full-size passenger sedans under GM's Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac brands. The affected vehicles have naturally aspirated 3.8 liter V6 engines -- that is, engines that use atmospheric pressure rather than a mechanical blower to bring in air for combustion -- according to documents that GM filed with federal regulators last week. On Friday, the federal government acknowledged the filing and agreed to the plan. The problem involves a potential for oil to leak on the exhaust manifold during hard braking. When a car operates under normal conditions, the manifold can get very hot. Oil that runs below the manifold's heat shield could ignite and spread to plastic channels that hold spark plug wires. As a solution, the company recommends a change in the bracket that holds spark plug wires, which will be done free of charge. Owners and dealers affected by the recall will be notified by letter next month with details. The vehicles involved are: • 1997-2003 Buick Regals. • 1998-2003 Chevrolet Luminas, Monte Carlos and Impalas. • 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigues. • 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. GM issued a recall on a similar engine in 2008, according to the company's filing with the government. That problem was traced to a faulty gasket on the engine rocker cover.

Recall involves certain Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac sedans . Problem involves potential for oil to leak on the exhaust manifold, then igniting . General Motors to send details to owners next month .

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(CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the leaders of Madagascar to resolve their differences after an anti-government rally a day earlier turned violent and left more than two dozen people dead. Protesters rally Saturday before violence broke out near the Presidential Palace. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban deplored the violence and called Sunday on authorities "to urgently initiate a fair process by which those responsible will be brought to justice." Ban also blamed the "tragedy" on a "lack of restraint on all sides." "The Secretary-General calls upon all concerned parties to resolve their differences through peaceful and democratic means and through the exercise of responsible leadership," according to the statement. A police official said the death toll from Saturday's violence outside the Presidential Palace in the capital city of Antananarivo had risen to 26. More than 80 were injured during the demonstration, officials said. The capital city was quiet as mourners attended a public ceremony for the dead. The violence stemmed from an ongoing dispute over who is in charge of the government. Andry Rajoelina, the mayor of Antananarivo, took to the streets one week ago, declaring himself the Indian Ocean island nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300. Watch an iReport on the Madagascar violence » . But President Marc Ravalomanana has fired him and put someone else in the mayoral job. Rajoelina had called the rally to unveil his new government at the May 13th Plaza, according to Brittany Martin, an American citizen who is a Harvard Fellow and lives in Antananarivo. Martin said the rally was peaceful in the morning hours of Saturday, until gunshots rang out in the afternoon after the protesters marched from the plaza to the palace. She said it was unclear where the shots were coming from. Some media reports blamed foreign mercenaries for the shootings; others said army guards were responsible or that the army was firing at the mercenaries to protect the crowd. Violence in Madagascar began January 26, when protesters stormed state-run television and radio stations in Antananarivo. Hours earlier, the government had shut down a radio station owned by Rajoelina and, weeks ago, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka. See pictures from last week's upheaval » . Ravalomanana took power in 2001 after ousting Ratsiraka in a tense, hotly contested election. Ratsiraka fled to France afterward. Loyalists blame Ratsiraka's family members for inciting the recent trouble. Anger has risen in Madagascar, where the World Bank says the average person earns about $320 a year, over reports that Ravalomanana recently bought a $60 million airplane. Rajoelina has urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government could be established in the nation off Africa's southeastern coast. Map » . "What we've been pushing for is dialogue the whole time," said Rodney Ford, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy. He said he had received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try and disperse the crowd. Journalist Dregoire Pourtier in Antananarivo, Madagascar, contributed to this report.

Ban blames the "tragedy" on a "lack of restraint on all sides" 26 dead, more than 80 wounded during an anti-government rally on Saturday . Violence stems from a dispute over who is in charge of the government . Andry Rajoelina, the mayor of Antananarivo, declares himself Madagascar's leader .

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(CNN) -- President Obama stepped into office with big approval ratings met with high expectations as he faces a deteriorating economic situation, an unpopular war in Iraq and the Middle East conflict. The economy has been the main focus of the first week of President Obama's presidency. In his first week, Obama has focused on the economy, but he's also addressed other campaign promises. Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst, describes Obama's first week as a "neat balancing act." As Obama signs executive orders signaling a clear change of direction, he's also working hard to get bipartisan support for his economic stimulus, Schneider said. "Mr. Obama doesn't have to do that. He could get a stimulus bill passed almost entirely with Democratic votes. But Obama doesn't want to be yet another president who divides the country," he said. The president has been working the phones with his party and made an unusual trip to Capitol Hill to meet with the opposing party to rally support for his $825 billion economic aid package. Following a meeting Tuesday with GOP congressman, Obama said he respects the "legitimate philosophical differences" between Democrats and Republicans on how to stimulate the economy. "I don't expect 100 percent agreement," he said. "But I hope we can put politics aside." Watch more on Obama's economic push » . Throughout the election season, Obama campaigned on his plan to restore economic equilibrium, and in his first public remarks after winning the election, he vowed to "confront this economic crisis head-on." Obama faces his first test with Congress on Wednesday when the House of Representatives votes on his economic recovery plan. The president has said he hopes to have the plan passed by Congress and on his desk for signing by mid-February. Obama also has wasted no time in putting his military and diplomatic agendas into action. In his first week, he already promised to send as many as 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan to boost the U.S. presence on the ground and increase development and reconstruction assistance. Seeking to demonstrate the Obama administration's early commitment to the country, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met last week with Afghan women legal professionals who were in Washington on a State Department training program on justice reform in Afghanistan. Obama also has pledged to crack down on militants in neighboring Pakistan. During the campaign season, Obama received a lot of criticism for saying that if it were necessary to root out terrorists, he would send U.S. forces into Pakistan without the country's approval. The president has called Afghanistan and Pakistan the "central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism," and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that missile strikes in Pakistan will continue to root out al Qaeda members. "Let me just say, both President Bush and President Obama have made clear that we will go after al Qaeda wherever al Qaeda is. And we will continue to pursue this," Gates said. As Obama seeks to stabilize the region, his administration has been advocating multilateralism and stressing "smart power" diplomacy by using all the tools of foreign policy available. Obama dispatched newly appointed Middle East envoy George Mitchell to the region and tapped diplomatic heavyweight Richard Holbrooke as his special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama also gave his first formal interview as president to Al-Arabiya, an Arab news channel, sending a message to the region that he wants a dialogue. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy," Obama told the Dubai-based satellite television network. "We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect." Watch how Obama is reaching out to Muslims » . During his run for the White House, Obama pledged to improve ties with the Muslim world, draw down U.S. troops in Iraq and close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Two days after his inauguration, Obama issued an executive order to close the camp within a year. Another order formally bans torture by requiring that the Army Field Manual be used as the guide for terrorism interrogations, essentially ending the Bush administration's CIA program of "enhanced interrogation" methods. Guantanamo Bay and reports of torture there were huge points of contention for the Bush administration and were widely considered to have damaged the reputation of the United States. In another reversal of his predecessor, Obama struck down a rule that prohibited U.S. money from funding international family-planning clinics that promote abortion or provide counseling or referrals about abortion services. In a statement, Obama said that family planning aid has been used as a "political wedge issue," adding that he had "no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate." As Obama moves into the second week of his presidency, polls show that most Americans approve of the way he is handling his job so far. Former President Carter said he thinks Obama is "doing just great." "I was particularly gratified that he carried out his promise, which didn't surprise me, that he would start working on the Middle East peace process the first time he was in office and not wait until the last year he was in office," Carter said on CNN's "Larry King Live." Carter said he has confidence in Obama on economic issues, but he cautioned that the expectations for the new president are too high. "I think a lot of the expenditures that will come as rapidly as possible might not occur until maybe 18 months from now -- some earlier. So we're going to have to be patient," he said. President Bush also won praise during the first week of his first term for staying on message. He built his first week around education and received positive reviews in the media during his honeymoon period. Bush's predecessor, however, was not met with such a warm welcome. President Clinton's showdown with Congress over the question of gays in the military and the withdrawal of his attorney general nominee overshadowed early efforts to move ahead with his agenda.

President Obama faces first test with vote on $825 billion economic stimulus plan . Obama reverses Bush policy on abortion, orders closing of Guantanamo Bay camp . Obama grants first formal interview of his presidency to Arab news channel . New administration advocating multilateralism, "smart power" diplomacy .

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(CNN) -- A roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan killed a female Canadian soldier and wounded four other troops, the Canadian military said Tuesday. Trooper Karine Blais, 21, is the second Canadian female soldier to die in Afghanistan. Trooper Karine Blais was killed Monday when the troops' armored vehicle struck the bomb. The attack occurred north of Kandahar in the Shah Wali Kowt District of Kandahar province. Blais' death was the 117th Canadian troop fatality in the Afghan war, and she is the second Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan. The first, Capt. Nichola Goddard, was killed in a May 2006 firefight with insurgents in Kandahar province, where Canadian troops have been based during the conflict. Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, called the 21-year-old Blais "an energetic soldier who gave 100 percent to every challenge she faced using a unique sense of humor based on her honesty and frankness." Vance said Blais "demonstrated the qualities of a future leader" and was "respected by all members of her squadron." "Our thoughts are with the friends and family of our fallen comrade during this difficult time," the Canadian Forces said in a news release. "All members of Task Force Kandahar are thinking of the family and friends of our fallen comrades during this sad time. We will not forget their sacrifice as we continue to bring security and hope to the people of Kandahar province." Blais, from the 12th Canadian Armored Regiment at Valcartier, Quebec, near Quebec City, was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22th Regiment Battle Group. A chopper evacuated the four other troops to a medical facility at Kandahar airfield. Before Monday's attack, the last Canadian deaths in Afghanistan occurred March 20 when four soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings.

Female soldier killed, four other troops wounded in roadside bombing . Karine Blais, 21, is second Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan . There have been 117 Canadian troop deaths in the Afghan war .

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(CNN) -- Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, embroiled in a bitter divorce with his wife, Linda, told Rolling Stone magazine he can "totally understand" O.J. Simpson, the former football great found liable for the deaths of his wife and another man. Linda and Hulk Hogan enjoy happier times at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards in New York in 2006. "I could have turned everything into a crime scene like O.J., cutting everybody's throat," Hogan said in the interview for a feature that will run in Friday's edition of the magazine. "You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can't go to anymore, you're driving through downtown Clearwater [Florida] and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife ... "I totally understand O.J. I get it," Hogan said. A spokeswoman for Rolling Stone magazine confirmed the quote to CNN. Watch report on Hogan's statements » . It has been widely reported that Linda Hogan, 49, is dating a younger man. She filed for divorce in 2007 after nearly 25 years of marriage. Simpson was found not guilty of murder in the 1994 stabbing deaths of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, but was found liable for their deaths by a civil court jury. Simpson later was found guilty in a Las Vegas, Nevada, armed robbery case and sentenced in December to up to 33 years in prison. A spokesman for Linda Hogan said Wednesday that the statement amounts to a death threat and that her attorney is "weighing all options necessary to protect his client." "Sadly, his recent comments remind us that his definition of fair is much different than what the law dictates," Linda Hogan said in a written statement. Her spokesman, Gary Smith, linked the comments to the 55-year-old Hogan's three-decade career, during which he held multiple championship titles and, during his heyday in the 1980s, was easily the most popular wrestler in the world. "We have always maintained that the fear that Linda has had to live with comes from the rage and instability much too often associated with pro wrestlers," Smith said in the statement. CNN was unable to reach Hulk Hogan's publicist for comment on Wednesday. In comments to Access Hollywood, a spokesman said the comments were not intended as a threat and that Hogan "in no way condones" Simpson's actions. "As part of a larger conversation, he referred to it to exemplify his frustration with his own situation," the spokesman said. Hulk Hogan's real name is Terry Bollea. His wife alternately goes by Linda Hogan and Linda Bollea. CNN's Marc Balinsky and Doug Gross contributed to this report.

Hulk Hogan, in a bitter divorce with his wife, Linda, talks to Rolling Stone magazine . "I could have turned everything into a crime scene like O.J.," Hogan said . Spokesman for Linda Hogan says the statement amounts to a death threat . Hulk Hogan spokesman: Comments not a threat, just expression of frustrations .

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(CNN) -- The Mojave boneyard in the California desert is where old airplanes go to die -- a wasteland of decrepit planes, titanic heaps of titanium and aluminum waiting to be scrapped for metal in India or China. Plane boneyards are a rich source of spare parts for MotoArt to create their functional furniture. But for Dave Hall and Donovan Fell, the boneyard is only the beginning. They own MotoArt, a company based in California that turns old aircraft parts into high-end furniture and functional art. From beds and desks to light fixtures and wall partitions, Hall and Fell say they are doing more than reinventing cast-offs from retired planes, they're creating pieces of aviation history. "Once they are gone we can never get them back again," said Hall of the abandoned planes at Mojave. "So what we like to do is actually take these aircraft parts and preserve them and give them a second life in some really fun, functional art." MotoArt began in 2000 when Hall and Fell, former co-workers at an architectural sign company in Los Angeles, collaborated on an art exhibition that showcased Fell's polished B-17 bomber propeller sculptures. See before and after photos of recycled plane parts » . "We sold out the entire show, and the gearheads all loved it," said Fell. It was then that the duo realized their unique art project could have a much wider audience. Encouraged by the success of the exhibit, the duo began exploring the nearby Mojave boneyard for more than just propellers -- B-25 rudders for desks, 747 jet engine cowlings for beds, F-4 ejection seats for, well, ejection seats. "Who's never wanted an ejection chair?" laughs Fell, sitting in the company's studio in Los Angeles, where the MotoArt team bring back the treasures they find in the Mojave Desert. Watch Dave Hall at work at the Mojave boneyard » . The duo's most popular pieces of 'functional art' are their desks, ranging from the sleek 8-foot DC-9 tail stabilizer desk, which retail at around $15,000, to the imposing 14-foot DC-4 conference table, which costs a whopping $60,000. According to Hall, hundreds of hours are sometimes spent cutting, sanding, polishing and surfacing a single piece. It took the MotoArt team 220 hours to turn a single 747 cowling, the large shiny aluminum strip covering a jumbo jet engine, into a spectacular 8.5-foot diameter chrome receptionist's desk. Hall said it takes hundreds of hours to produce a fuselage partition, from using a chainsaw to slice 10-foot sheets out of the main section of a plane, to polishing and readying it for the showroom floor of the Dutch carmaker Spyker, which has commissioned MotoArt to create exhibitions for the company around the world. Hall and Fell began the company out of their garage, and now have 15 employees and a 12,000 square-foot studio with a showroom that could double as an aviation museum. "It's like a larger version of my room when I was 10 years old," says Fell of the MotoArt headquarters. But MotoArt is anything but child's play -- in just nine years the company has carved out a niche in the high-end furniture market, creating a multi-million dollar business thanks to a wide range of corporate clients. The company counts Boeing, Microsoft, Red Bull and the United States government as happy MotoArt customers, as well as a number of airplane enthusiasts and celebrities. But for Hall and Fell, it is the preservation of the planes that gives them the greatest satisfaction. "It's heartbreaking to see these planes that have serviced our country for decades being crunched up and destroyed, and it gives us a little piece of heart that we are able to recycle this and give it a second life," he said.

Men at MotoArt search boneyards for old plane parts to recycle into furniture . They use B-25 rudders for desks, 747 jet engine cowlings for beds . MotoArt prides itself on preserving aviation history with functional art .

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(Mental Floss) -- President-Elect Obama's mother-in-law will be moving to Washington with the first family, at least temporarily, his transition team has confirmed. Marian Robinson will be the latest in a line of presidential in-laws who, for good or ill, lived under the same roof as the president. President Dwight Eisenhower and his mother-in-law, Elivera Doud, pose for pictures with some of the grandchildren. Here are four stories that confirm the old truism: While America can choose its president, the president can't choose his in-laws. 1. Ulysses S. Grant and 'The Colonel' You would think that the Civil War was settled at Appomattox, and no question of its outcome would have been raised in the White House of Ulysses S. Grant, who, after all, was the general who won the war. But you would be wrong, because living with Ulysses and Julia Grant was the president's father-in-law. Colonel Frederick Dent (his rank seems to have been self-selected) was an unreconstructed Confederate, a St. Louis businessman and slaveholder who, when his daughter Julia went to the Executive Mansion early in 1869, decided to relocate there as well. The Colonel didn't hesitate to make himself at home. When his daughter received guests, he sat in a chair just behind her, offering anyone within earshot unsolicited advice. Political and business figures alike got a dose of the Colonel's mind as they waited to meet with President Grant. When the president's father, Jesse Grant, came from Kentucky on one of his regular visits to Washington, the White House turned into a Civil War reenactment. According to "First Families: The Impact of the White House on Their Lives", by Bonnie Angelo, Jesse Grant preferred to stay in a hotel rather than sleep under the same roof as the Colonel. And when the two old partisans found themselves unavoidably sitting around the same table in the White House, they avoided direct negotiations by using Julia and her young son, named for the president's father, as intermediaries, Betty Boyd Caroli writes in "First Ladies": "In the presence of the elder Grant, Frederick Dent would instruct Julia to 'take better care of that old gentleman [Jesse Grant]. He is feeble and deaf as a post and yet you permit him to wander all over Washington alone.' And Grant replied [to his grandson and namesake], 'Did you hear him? I hope I shall not live to become as old and infirm as your Grandfather Dent.'" Mental Floss: 5 feisty first daughters . The Colonel remained in the White House -- irascible and unrepentant -- until his death, at age 88, in 1873. 2. Harry S Truman and the Mother-in-Law from Heck . Harry Truman and Bess Wallace met as children. He was a farm boy; she was the well-heeled granddaughter of Independence, Missouri's Flour King. When they married in 1919, Truman was a struggling haberdasher, and Bess's mother, Madge Wallace, thought Bess had made a colossal social faux pas. Until she died in 1952, Madge Wallace never changed her mind about Harry Truman. Her Bess had married way below her station. Madge had plenty of opportunities to let her son-in-law know it. The newlyweds moved into the Wallace mansion in Independence, and the three lived together under the same roof until the end of Madge's life. When Harry Truman was elected senator, "Mother Wallace," as Truman judiciously called her, moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Washington. In the family's apartment, she shared a bedroom with the Trumans' daughter, Margaret. And when Truman became president, she moved with them into the White House, where she cast her cold eye on the new commander-in-chief. "Why would Harry run against that nice Mr. Dewey?" she wondered aloud, as Truman was fighting for his political life in the 1948 presidential race, according to "First Mothers" by Bonnie Angelo. And when Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur for insubordination, Mother Wallace was scandalized. "Imagine a captain from the National Guard [Truman] telling off a West Point general!" In December 1952, shortly before Truman's term ended, Madge Wallace died, at age 90. For the 33 years they lived together, she never called her son-in-law anything but "Mr. Truman" to his face. Mental Floss: Presidential siblings and the headaches they caused . 3. Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Mother-in-Law of the Year . If Truman's story sounds like the set-up for a film noir, his successor's relationship with his mother-in-law might have been a Technicolor musical. Elivera Mathilda Carlson Doud, Mamie Eisenhower's mother, was "a witty woman with a tart tongue," Time magazine wrote, and Dwight Eisenhower thought she was a hoot. "She refuted every mother-in-law joke ever made," Time wrote. There was no question that she would join her daughter and son-in-law in the White House. Ike called her "Min," the name of a character in the Andy Gump comic strip. Ike and Min "constituted a mutual admiration society, and each took the other's part whenever a family disagreement would arise," said Eisenhower's son, John. The New York Times observed, "The president frequently looks around him sharply, and inquires, 'Where's Min?'" Widowed shortly before Eisenhower became president, Min spent the winters in the White House and summers at her home in Denver. It was while visiting his mother-in-law's home that Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in 1955. Two years later, in failing health, Min returned permanently to Denver. She died in 1960, at age 82. 4. Benjamin Harrison and the Reverend Doctor . Benjamin Harrison's father-in-law, John Witherspoon Scott, bore a double title: "reverend doctor." Scott was born in Pennsylvania in 1800, did post-graduate work at Yale and took a professorship in mathematics and science at Miami University, in Ohio. He was also a Presbyterian minister and an outspoken abolitionist. The reverend doctor was rumored to have shielded runaway slaves in his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Whatever the truth, Miami University dismissed him for his anti-slavery beliefs. He accepted a post at Farmer's College, a prep school in Cincinnati, where he became a mentor of a student named Benjamin Harrison. During his visits to the Scott home, Harrison became friendly with the reverend doctor's daughter, Caroline. Young Harrison spent so many evenings at the Scotts' home that he got the nickname "the pious moonlight dude," according to "The Complete Book of the Presidents" by William A. DeGregorio. He and Caroline were married in 1853 at the bride's house. The reverend doctor officiated. John Witherspoon Scott later became a clerk in the pension office of the interior department. He gave up the position when Harrison was elected president in 1888. A widower since 1876, Scott moved into the White House with his daughter and their family. It was the president's custom to lead the family in a half-hour of Bible reading and prayer after breakfast, Anne Chieko Moore and Hester Anne Hale wrote in "Benjamin Harrison: Centennial President." When the president was absent, his father-in-law took his place. Caroline Harrison died in October 1892, two weeks before her husband lost the presidential election. Her father died the next month, at age 92. An obituary described John Witherspoon Scott as "a man of wonderful physical vigor, tall, broad chested and well preserved mentally." Mental Floss: The bizarre history of White House pets . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

Several U.S. presidents had in-laws move into White House with them . Pres. Truman's mother-in-law scandalized by his firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur . Pres. Eisenhower and his mother-in-law had "mutual admiration society" President Grant's father-in-law gave his opinion freely at the White House .

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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- One could say she has the determination ... but lacks the drive. Driving agency estimates woman has spent more than $2,888 in exam fees. A 68-year-old South Korean woman this week signed up to take her driving test once again -- after failing to earn a license the first 771 times. The woman, identified only as Cha, first took the written portion of the exam in April 2005, said Choi Young-cheol of the Driver's License Agency in the southwestern city of Jeonju. At the time, she made her living selling goods door-to-door and figured she would need a car to help her get around, Choi told CNN. She failed the test. She retook the test the next day and failed again. And again. And again. "You have to get at least 60 points to pass the written part," said Kim Rahn, who wrote about the unflappable woman in the Korea Times, an English-language daily. "She usually gets under 50." In the beginning, Cha went to the license office almost every day. Now, she no longer works but still turns up once a week, Choi said. The office estimates she has spent more than 4 million won ($2,888) in exam fees. Cha's last failed attempt was Monday. She tries for the 772nd time either Thursday or Friday. -- CNN's Kathy Paik and Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report.

68-year-old South Korean woman has signed up to take her 772nd driving test . She first took the written portion of the exam in April 2005 . License office estimates she has spent $2,888 on test applications .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- She's been called the "mother of the believers," a middle-aged woman possibly responsible for recruiting more than 80 female suicide bombers in Iraq and involvement in at least 28 terrorist operations. Television picture reportedly showing Samira Ahmed Jassim during her alleged confession. Now she's in jail, arrested on January 21 in what an Iraqi commander called "heroic" security force operations that unfolded without "any losses." Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, spokesman for the Baghdad command, identified the suspect as Samira Ahmed Jassim, also known as Umm-al-Moumineen, or "the mother of the believers." The arrest is considered a major stride in confronting the challenge of female suicide bombers, more than 30 of whom detonated themselves last year. Atta couldn't say where she was detained for intelligence reasons. That's because the authorities are after more targets. The bombers were recruited in Baghdad and Diyala province for the Ansar al-Sunna militant group, said Atta, who added police were aware of the identities of the women, including their fake names on fake IDs, and were on the hunt for them. They said they were also trying to verify Jassim's confessions. Atta played a DVD for reporters with excerpts of the confessions of Jassim, who is in her 40s or 50s. Wearing a black robe and veil, she said she was asked by a man named "Shaker" to recruit women for an Ansar al-Sunna operative named Hareth, also known as Abu Rami. She spoke about a number of the women she recruited, spending days talking to prospective operatives and persuading them to carry out attacks. Jassim said she would deliver a recruit to Shaker. Later, she returned and picked up the recruit, dropping them at locations like the Muqdadiya police station, a Sons of Iraq office and a Baghdad car park. One woman she recruited didn't even look at Jassim when she was picked up for a job. She just whispered Quranic verses en route to a bombing. Another woman -- described as psychologically challenged -- came from a financially hard-up family. In November, 18 would-be female suicide bombers turned themselves in to coalition forces in northern Iraq. The women, whose ages and names were not released by the military, gave themselves up after being persuaded by religious leaders and family members to "cease their training in suicide operations and reconcile," the U.S. military said. The women were connected to al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bombing cells, but it was not clear where they had been training or operating. The statement also did not say where the women turned themselves in, though the northern city of Mosul and surrounding parts of northern Iraq are still a hotbed for insurgent activity and considered the last stronghold for al Qaeda in Iraq. Troops have launched operations targeting members of families of suspected female bombers trying to break up the rings that are recruiting the women and girls. Intelligence gathered from detainees indicates that al Qaeda in Iraq is looking for women with three main characteristics: those who are illiterate, are deeply religious or have financial struggles, most likely because they've lost the male head of the household. Females always have played a role in the insurgency in Iraq, helping feed militants, hiding them in their homes and helping to sneak weapons around the country. They have proven to be highly effective in their operations, because of the cultural convention that women are not to be searched by men for cultural and religious reasons. The U.S. military has created a program called the Daughters of Iraq, analogous to U.S. backed Sons of Iraq, to conduct searches of women.

Jassim also known as Umm-al-Moumineen, or mother of the believers . Arrested on Jan. 21 in what an Iraqi commander called "heroic" security operation . Considered a major stride in confronting challenge of female suicide bombers . Troops have launched operations targeting families of suspected bombers .

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(CNN) -- Mike Myers' "Love Guru" may speak of "yin and yang," but the Hollywood version of bad balanced by good might be the Razzies and the Oscars. Mike Myers' "The Love Guru" was one of the year's biggest bombs. The day before the Motion Picture Academy releases the Oscar nominations -- honoring the movie industry's best -- the Golden Raspberry Award foundation reveals nominations for the Razzies, which recognize the worst films of 2008. And in 2008, Razzie founder and self-styled "Head Raspberry" John Wilson said, the bad seemed to outweigh the good among the 578 movies released. "We are saying that it wasn't just the economy that tanked," Wilson said. "So did the quality of the movies being offered to those of us who don't have as much money to buy tickets." "All of the voting was very close this year," he said. "There just was too much stuff to choose from." The bumper crop of "putrid motion pictures" may be partly a result of last spring's writers' strike "when nobody was rewriting, polishing or improving anything and it was still getting filmed," Wilson said. Bombs also happen when studios hedge their bets with high-priced stars by having them "do what worked before, coming back to same well." Which brings us back to Myers' "Love Guru," which followed his hugely profitable "Austin Powers" franchise. Myers' portrayal of "a platitude-spouting mystic" leads the Razzie list for worst picture, Wilson said. It may also have been the biggest box office bomb: the film, expected to be a summer hit, lost $30 million, he said. Other worst picture nominees include "Disaster Movie" and "Meet the Spartans" -- both featuring the same writer-directors and essentially the same cast. The latter film "somehow managed to work references to Britney Spears into an ancient Spartan 'plot,' " Wilson said. Also competing for the top dishonor is "The Happening," which Wilson described as "an eco-disaster tale whose 'villain' drew more guffaws than gasps," and Paris Hilton's "The Hottie and the Nottie," which earned three Razzie nominations overall. "She really is neither a movie star or an actress," Wilson said of Hilton. The movie -- for which Hilton was listed as executive producer -- sold only $27,000 in tickets but cost about $2 million to make. Other Razzie nominees include actor-comedian Eddie Murphy, who received two nominations for "Meet Dave"; Oscar winner Al Pacino, who earned a Razzie nod for making "two rotten movies this year," in Wilson's words (he's referring to "88 Minutes" and "Righteous Kill"); and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which was singled out as "Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel." Despite the opinions of Wilson and the Razzie voters, it was the year's third-highest-grossing movie. And a rare Razzie for "Worst Career Achievement" will go to "Bad Movie Uber-Meister" Uwe Boll for "In the Name of the King," Wilson said. The film, based on a video game, had a $60 million budget, yet brought in under $5 million at the box office, he said. Wilson said he began the Razzies in 1981 as a counterpoint to the Oscars. It takes guts to show up in person to accept a Razzie, but some notable actors have embraced the infamy, Wilson said. Tom Green, who made "a horrible little thing called 'Freddy Got Fingered' " several years ago, "insisted that he made the film with the intent of sweeping the Razzie Awards," Wilson said. Green showed up to accept his three awards with great enthusiasm, he said. "At the end of the ceremony, he launched into a harmonica solo and we had to pry his hands off the podium and physically remove him from the stage," Wilson said. The classiest and most memorable acceptance speech came in 2005 when Halle Berry showed up to get her worst actress Razzie for her "Catwoman" performance. Berry, who won a best actress Oscar for "Monster's Ball" in 2001, was given a one-minute standing ovation, Wilson said. "She had her Oscar in one hand and her Razzie in the other," Wilson said. Berry's speech was a parody of her Academy Award acceptance and "she was quite funny," he said. "She said that her mother had taught her that if you cannot accept valid criticism, you also, by the same token, are not entitled to bask in the glory when you get the good reviews," he said. The appearance and her sense of humor earned Berry a lot of respect, he said. The awards show -- a "shorter parody" of the Oscars -- can be seen only by members and journalists in person at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood on February 21. It cannot be televised or streamed online because studios would likely withhold permission for clips used in the presentation to be shown, Wilson said. Unlike the Oscars and other honors, Golden Raspberry Awards are not meant as recommendations for people to rent the DVDs, Wilson said. "If you were going to do that, I would suggest you put away all sharp implements before putting the DVDs in your machine," he said.

Razzie Awards, honoring Hollywood's worst, are a counterpoint to Oscars . Among this year's leaders: Mike Myers' "The Love Guru" "Bad Movie Uber-Meister" Uwe Boll will receive Razzie for career achievement .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office asked police to do more investigative work before a decision is made on whether charges will be filed in the domestic violence case against singer Chris Brown, according to a spokeswoman for the DA. Chris Brown attends a party saluting music producer Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday. The LAPD's chief investigator in case, Detective Deshon Andrews, told CNN he hand-carried his findings to the district attorney Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors looked at the files and then asked Andrews for "an additional investigation," DA spokeswoman Jane Robinson said. Andrews said that to keep photos and documents from leaking to the media, he has kept the case file closely guarded and allowed no copies of the material to be made. Watch the latest about the case » . Police have refused media requests to hear the 911 call that led to their investigation early Sunday, but Andrews said it mostly recorded the sound of "a screaming woman." Brown, 19, turned himself in Sunday night after police said they were looking for him. He was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. Brown was later released on a $50,000 bond. He is expected to appear in court on March 5. Police said Brown and a woman were in a vehicle near Hollywood's Hancock Park early Sunday when they became involved in an argument. The woman "suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker," police said. Police did not identify the woman, but sources close to the couple told CNN the alleged victim was his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, 20. Brown's lawyer has not responded to several requests for comment. CNN's Jennifer Wolfe and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report.

NEW: L.A. DA's office wants more investigation of Chris Brown case . Police: Brown turned himself in after woman accused him of attacking her . Police haven't named woman; sources say it was girlfriend Rihanna .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As a career military officer, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry is familiar with sacrifice for his country and long stretches away from home. Karl Eikenberry testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee March 26. But he apparently doesn't want any more separation from his wife, Ching Eikenberry. If he is approved as the next U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan he wants her to come with him. That could collide with State Department rules. Afghanistan is designated "an unaccompanied post" by the department because of the dangers of the war and terror attacks. That means family members are not allowed. Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, who as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee was running Eikenberry's confirmation hearing last week, was in favor of the idea. "I know you are hoping to take your wife there with you, and I think I certainly, and I think the committee is entirely supportive," Kerry said. "I think it would be a terrific message and a strong boost of morale for the Embassy, and obviously wherever possible we should try to encourage that. So I hope that will be facilitated." Said Eikenberry, "Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for that support." There was no immediate reaction from the State Department.

Karl Eikenberry awaits Senate confirmation to be next ambassador to Afghanistan . If approved, Eikenberry wants to take his wife with him . But that request could collide with State Department rules .

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(AOL Autos) -- With the explosive growth of the light truck segment as well as the impending onslaught of winter, I thought it would be fitting to write about four-wheel drive systems. There are a few different types available; and there are special maintenance practices that might cause some confusion. So let's get enlightened! Four-wheel drive systems can make driving safer on wet road conditions. 4WD systems can be classified as Part Time 4WD, Full Time 4WD, and Permanent 4WD. Part Time 4WD is the most basic of all 4WD systems. It gives the driver the choice of driving in two-wheel drive or 4WD. That sounds pretty good! However, the downside is that you shouldn't engage the 4WD on pavement unless it's very slippery. That's because, with this system, when you engage 4WD you lock the front and rear wheels together through the transmission and transfer gearbox. This is great for straight-ahead traction and very slippery surfaces. However, on dry pavement it makes for odd cornering, and handling characteristics. Also you can harm the drive train components by driving in 4WD for extended periods of time on dry pavement. Consequently, you may find yourself having to stop the vehicle to engage or disengage, depending on the road conditions. AOL Autos: Top 5 SUVs . So why choose this type of system? Two good reasons: . • It's less costly to build and therefore to buy . • It's very durable under heavy stress (generally more durable than the other 4WD systems, since it has fewer components) Full Time 4WD is the most commonly used system on the market. Full Time 4WD offers both two-wheel drive mode and 4WD, depending on road conditions (driver must engage and disengage the 4WD). In addition, the 4WD mode offers both a high and low mode for when the going really gets tough (driver shifts to high or low). AOL Autos: Top 5 crossover vehicles . Besides a transmission and transfer gearbox, a center differential couples the front and rear wheels. This differential allows the front and rear wheels to turn at different speeds as needed (unlike Part-Time 4WD system) for better handling. When the wheels start to spin due to slippery road conditions, the system reacts to wheel spin by progressively locking the front and rear wheels together to optimize traction. Although Full-Time 4WD requires the driver to engage it, once engaged it offers more "control" through the high and low mode selection (based on road conditions) and better cornering and handling on varying road conditions due to the differential. AOL Autos: Best luxury wagons . Permanent 4WD is similar to Full-Time 4WD but it has no two-wheel drive mode. The vehicle is always in 4WD, so you don't have to determine whether conditions are right to engage it. AOL Autos: Cars with best Blue Book values . We still have transmission, transfer gearbox and center differential coupling the front and rear wheels. The only difference is that torque (or power) is constantly being applied to all the wheels, giving maximum traction in all weather and road conditions. Current systems have high and low modes for when the going gets tough; however, most importantly, the system does the thinking for you ... it automatically applies as much lock up (to all the wheels) as necessary for maximum traction. AOL Autos: Best-selling trucks and SUVs . Next, a few definitions of common 4WD-drive terms that you may have heard of: . Locking Differential - locks both wheels on the axle, forcing them to turn together to allow maximum traction . Limited-Slip Differential - detects slippage in one wheel and sends torque to the other wheel that is not spinning. It operates is automatically. On-The-Fly-Shifting - allows the 4WD to be engaged while driving the vehicle (many systems require that you stop the vehicle in order to engage the 4WD). Manual Hubs - In order for 4WD to work, you must have a means of engaging the front wheel drive mechanism. This is done through the front hubs. On vehicles equipped with manual hubs, the operator must manually "lock in" the front wheels by turning a mechanical switch. Automatic Hubs - Instead of manually "locking in" the front wheels in order to drive in 4WD, automatic hubs "lock in" the front wheels by a simple flip of an electrical switch in the comfort of your warm, cushy, SUV or pickup. Transfer Gearbox - an auxiliary gearbox attached to the transmission, which allows you to shift into a high and low range of 4WD for serious pulling or hauling. 4WD Maintenance Tips . 4X4s have a transfer case, locking hubs, and front and rear differentials (some have an additional center-coupling differential). The maintenance of the transfer case is the same as on a standard transmission. Therefore, when checking the fluid, you are checking for (1) proper level, (2) the presence of moisture, (3) the presence of wear particles... either in the form of metal or friction material. A small amount of wear material is acceptable. However, excessive wear material can be an indication of a problem. One of three types of lubricants is used, depending on the carmaker. These lubricants are: ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid), 30W motor oil, or 90W-gear oil. The maintenance interval (which involves changing the lubricant) for transfer cases that use ATF and 30W motor oil is every 50,000 miles. For 90W gear oil the recommended interval is 80,000 miles. In regards to the locking hubs, maintenance is extremely critical. Locking hubs come in two forms: automatic and manual. Regardless of which one you have, they must be disassembled, cleaned and lubricated every two years or 24,000 miles. Snow, ice, water, salt, and mud usually find their way into these mechanized units, rendering them useless and costing the owner big bucks! By keeping up the maintenance on them you minimize expense and downtime. With respect to differential maintenance, there's not a whole lot to do except check the fluid level every oil change and visually inspect for any leakage. The technician should check the gear lubricant for proper level, color, and consistency. Low lubricant level indicates a leak; a milky color indicates moisture in the lubricant; and the presence of metal in the lubricant indicates mechanical wear. Check your owner's manual for the recommended fluid change intervals. And check your owner's manual for specific operating instructions of your 4X4 system because the various systems function differently. There you have it, four wheeling made easy. Now go out and climb a mountain! Tom Torbjornsen is a veteran of 37 years in the auto service industry, an automotive journalist registered with IMPA.

Vehicles can have Part Time 4WD, Full Time 4WD or Permanent 4WD . Part Time 4WD: Don't drive for extended time on dry pavement with 4WD engaged . Full Time 4WD offers both two-wheel drive mode and 4WD . Maintenance is extremely critical for locking hubs on 4WD vehicles .

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HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- "Che" the movie met Che the myth in Cuba this weekend, and the lengthy biopic of the Argentinean revolutionary won acclaim from among those who know his story best. Actor Benicio Del Toro stars in "Che," which details Che Guevara's role in the 1950s Cuban revolution. The movie was screened Saturday in the Yara movie theater in central Havana as part of the 30th International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema. "Che" also played Sunday at Havana's Karl Marx Theater. "Che" stars Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro in the title role, for which he won a best actor award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. But it's one thing to make a movie about Ernesto "Che" Guevara and the Cuban revolution and show it in France, quite another to screen it in Cuba. Speaking to CNN outside the Karl Marx Theater, the bilingual Puerto Rican actor admitted some anxiety. "This is Cuban history, so there's an audience in there that probably, that could be the biggest critics and the most knowledgeable critics of the historical accuracy of the film," Del Toro said. Watch Del Toro talk about the movie in Cuba » . It appears he needn't have worried. Audiences gave the movie hearty ovations. And Granma, the official mouthpiece of the Cuban government, gave Del Toro a glowing review. "Del Toro personifies Che in a spectacular manner, not only his physical appearance but also his masterly interpretation," the state newspaper said. After the showing, Del Toro characterized the public reaction as "sensational, a shot of adrenaline," Granma said. "The dream was to make this movie and to bring it here, where it all began." The movie has two parts: "El argentino," which portrays Guevara's role in the 1950s Cuban revolution, and "Guerrilla," which shows Guevara's efforts in Africa and Bolivia, where he was killed in 1967. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed Del Toro in the 2000 film "Traffic," for which Del Toro won an Oscar. At 4 hours and 17 minutes, "Che" can test viewers' stamina. But that wasn't a problem in Havana. It's a story Cubans know by heart. But this time, it's told by outsiders. Catalina, a history professor who would give only her first name, was a tough critic. "The movie is well-done. It has good intentions," she said. "But in my opinion, in the first part, the scenes in the jungle seemed a bit like a caricature." Though some debated the details of this story they know so well, most -- like a young Guevara lookalike who identified himself only as Daniel -- were pleased. "It has captured history to perfection," he said. "It has been well thought out and well-created." Others, like student Susel Paraza, were torn about seeing their history told by others. "What hurt me a little," she said, "is that it wasn't us, the Cubans, who thought to make a movie like this but instead a foreign director with foreign actors who have recreated this story very well." Other foreign actors have played Guevara, most notably Egyptian-born Omar Sharif in a 1969 U.S. production titled "Che!" Soderbergh's "Che" has been shown at six film festivals worldwide and will have a limited opening in the United States on December 12. It is scheduled for widespread U.S. distribution starting January 24. Although many may not know Guevara's history, his image is recognized worldwide from a photograph taken by Alberto Korda at a Havana memorial service in March 1960. Titled "Guerrillero Heroico" (Heroic Guerrilla), the image of a somber, long-haired and bearded Guevara wearing a beret with a lone star became what the Maryland Institute College of Art called "the most famous photograph in the world and a symbol of the 20th century." The image has been emblazoned on everything from T-shirts to posters and even tattoos. "There is no other image like it. What other image has been sustained in this way?" Trisha Ziff, the curator of an exhibition on the iconography of Guevara, asked in a 2007 interview with the BBC. "Che Guevara has become a brand. And the brand's logo is the image, which represents change. It has becomes the icon of the outside thinker, at whatever level -- whether it is anti-war, pro-green or anti-globalization." Guevara was 31 years old when the photo was taken. He has been dead for 41 years, longer than he was alive. Jonathan Green, former longtime director of the UCR/California Museum of Photography, has been quoted as saying, "Korda's image has worked its way into languages around the world. It has become an alpha-numeric symbol, a hieroglyph, an instant symbol. It mysteriously reappears whenever there's a conflict. There isn't anything else in history that serves in this way." CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report.

"Che" stars Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro in the title role . The official mouthpiece of the Cuban government gives Del Toro a glowing review . The movie played Sunday at Havana's Karl Marx Theater . "Che" will have a limited opening in the United States on Friday .

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Taliban gunmen executed a young couple for trying to elope in rural Afghanistan, a local police chief told CNN Tuesday. The woman was forced by her parents to become engaged to a man she did not like, said Police Chief Gabar Furdali, and decided to leave home with another man. Local Taliban commanders found out and set out to punish them, said the police officer in the village of Man De Khe in the Kash Rud district of Nimruz province, a remote southwestern province that borders on Iran and Pakistan. The Taliban gathered residents of Kash Rud to watch the execution of the two. The man, Abdul Aziz, and the woman, who was not named, were shot to death, the police officer said. He did not say when the killings took place. NATO troops who patrol the country have "limited presence in that particular area," a spokesman told CNN. The killings were not "within our area of responsibility, but we are aware of the reports" said the spokesman for the NATO mission who declined to be named, in line with policy. There is a tradition of "honor killings" in the region that long predates the Taliban, said Barnett Rubin, an Afghanistan expert at New York University. Journalist Tawab Qurayshi contributed to this report .

Police chief says couple were killed for planning to elope . He says woman wanted to get away from forced engagement to another man . Incident happened in Nimruz province, a remote area that borders Iran and Pakistan . NATO aware of the reports but said it was not their area of responsibility .

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Antiviolence protesters stretched out 16,000 coconuts on Brazil's world-famous Copacabana beach Saturday, each one representing a victim of urban violence. Protesters used dummies to represent victims of violence on Brazil's Copacabana beach this week. Activists from ONG Rio de Paz led a protest march Saturday morning that included residents and tourists who usually can be found on the beach on weekends. The protesters strung up a sign on the sand that said "Shame" in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French. They finished with a minute of silence for the victims of violence. Rio de Paz said the coconuts represent victims of violence, homicides, dead police officers and those who have been shot in gunfights between authorities and gangs of narcotics traffickers. The figure itself was obtained from official information from the Rio de Janeiro governmental Institute of Public Security. It was the second protest staged this week on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach by the group Rio de Paz. On Tuesday, the group created a mock cemetery in the sand with mannequins representing 9,000 people who Rio de Paz says have been slain and secretly buried since January 2007. Rio de Paz President Antonio Carlos Costa said he believes that about 6,000 of the missing people were killed, many by drug traffickers fighting for territory in Rio's slums and poor neighborhoods. Others, he said, were killed by hit squads and police acting on their own. "In general, they are assassinated by police -- police acting outside of their regular work hours," Costa said Tuesday. "They are also assassinated by narcotraffickers. The bodies are disposed of in secret cemeteries in the metropolitan Rio de Janeiro area or incinerated alive by narcotraffickers in what they call 'microwaves.' " To illustrate the point, demonstrators also constructed facsimiles of the "microwaves" that narcotics traffickers and death squads reportedly use to cremate remains of those they have abducted. CNN's Fabiana Frayssinet contributed to this report.

Protesters line up coconuts on Brazil's Copacabana beach . Rio de Paz says coconuts represent victims of urban violence, drug wars . Protesters string up sign in sand that says "Shame" in four languages . Earlier, group staged mock cemetery in beach sand representing missing people .

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PARIS, France -- Argentina ended their magnificent World Cup campaign as they started it, stunning hosts France in their own back yard with a sensational performance to claim the tournament's bronze medal with a 34-10 victory. Argentina players celebrate another try on their way to a stunning 34-10 victory over France. The result, secured thanks to Pumas tries by Felipe Contepomi and Omar Hasan in the first half and Federico Martin Aramburu, Ignacio Corleto and Contepomi again in the second, brought back memories of the shock 17-12 win earned by the South Americans on the tournament's opening night. That Stade de France triumph was built around sturdy defense and although they showed the same resolve here at the Parc des Princes, their attacking edge came to the fore this time. The tries by Aramburu and Corleto were especially memorable, and helped earn the Argentinians a record success over the French. Contepomi added three conversions and a penalty to give himself a 19-point personal haul for the night, while Les Bleus could only manage a try from Clement Poitrenaud -- converted by Lionel Beauxis -- and a Jean-Baptiste Elissalde penalty. It was a disappointing way for their head coach Bernard Laporte to depart -- he takes up a post in the French government now -- but departing Pumas coach Marcelo Loffreda, who is off to Leicester Tigers, was all smiles at the final whistle. With the pressure off, the shackles were well and truly removed from the hosts, who were the more fired-up of the two sides throughout. Indeed, they bossed the majority of a fiery opening 40 minutes, but somehow found themselves 17-3 behind going into the break. Les Bleus, throwing the ball around like the country's teams of old, had a try disallowed in the 10th minute when Imanol Harinordoquy was adjudged to have passed forward prior to Elissalde touching down. The likes of Yannick Nyanga and Christophe Dominici were finding gaps in the Pumas defence but all they had to show from a dominant opening 20 minutes was an Elissalde penalty, for Patricio Albacete's hands in the ruck. Their lack of cutting edge was ruthlessly punished by Argentina, who scored two tries in four minutes around the half-hour mark. Contepomi, who had levelled matters with a 22nd-minute penalty, was the first player to go over, running onto a delayed Agustin Pichot pass to force himself over in the left corner. Then, after Juan Martin Hernandez had crashed a drop goal against the post, the Pumas retook possession and prop Hasan was there at the bottom of a pile of bodies to ground. The try needed the say-so of the video referee and Contepomi -- like he had after his own try -- added the extras for 17-3. It was a bizarre scoreline, given France's dominance of the early possession. Even when they were encamped on Argentina's line in the last five minutes of the first half, the hosts still could not break through their opponents' obdurate rearguard. Nyanga came closest to scoring in the second minute of injury time, but dropped the ball as he was attempting to ground. The half ended with Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Raphael Ibanez receiving yellow cards after another heated exchange, but the start of the second period was engagingly open. France needed to score first to make a game of it but they were hit by Aramburu's sucker punch in the 53rd minute. And what a try it was. Aurelien Rougerie's chip-and-chase was fielded by Felipe Contepomi before Corleto set off on a magnificent 50-yard winding run. The ball was fired out to the right -- through the hands of Manuel Contepomi and Hernandez -- to Aramburu, who jinked inside Dominici to ground. Contepomi missed the conversion but the France supporters were already whistling with their team 22-3 down. Sebastien Chabal was brought on for the final 20 minutes, and almost immediately he was floored by a late hit by Juan Manuel Leguizamon. It earned the London Irish flanker a yellow card, but Argentina made light of their numerical deficit by running in a sensational fourth try. Off turnover ball, Horacio Agulla was set clear down the left. His inside pass was taken by Corleto and just as he did in the opening game of the tournament, he scorched past the covering defense to dive over in the corner. The try France deserved came in the 69th minute, the recalled Poitrenaud easing over in the left corner following an initial Harinordoquy break. The night belonged to the Pumas, though, and Contepomi rounded things off with his second try of the night with three minutes left to add insult to injury for the French. E-mail to a friend .

Argentina stun France once again to claim third place in the rugby World Cup . The Pumas go over for five tries against France's single try in a 34-10 victory . The result brought back memories of their 17-12 success in the opening game .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's central bank introduced a $10 billion note worth less than 20 U.S. dollars, as the once-prosperous southern African nation battles against spiraling hyperinflation. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe at Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Elliot Manyika's burial last week . The new note, expected to buy just 20 loaves of bread, comes just a week after Zimbabwe issued a $500 million note to ease a cash shortage. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said the $10 billion note was being introduced for the "convenience of the public ahead of the festive season." On Thursday, the U.S. dollar traded for about 600 million Zimbabwe dollars, and the hyperinflation was expected to continue. People slept overnight at the bank doors, hoping to get money for the next day. President Robert Mugabe apologized to his ZANU-PF party supporters Thursday for the problems Zimbabweans were facing but insisted his nation has turned a corner in its fight against its worst humanitarian crisis, the state-owned Herald newspaper reported. Shortages of most essentials such as electricity, fuel, medicine and food have become a common feature in Zimbabwe, forcing people to flee the country. Zimbabwe has slashed zeros from the amount of its worthless currency during the past two years -- the latest being 10 zeros in August. Once one of Africa's most promising economies, Zimbabwe is reeling under its worst humanitarian and economic crisis. A cholera outbreak has killed more than 1,000 Zimbabweans since August, forcing hundreds to cross the border into South Africa and Botswana to seek treatment. Five million people are in need of food aid in a nation that once exported food to its neighbors, the United Nations says. But Mugabe -- blamed for the crisis by his critics -- said the worst was over. He said he was optimistic about resuscitating the power-sharing deal he signed with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in September, the Herald reported. "We will be inviting the two leaders -- Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai and Professor Arthur Mutambara -- to come and discuss the way forward," Mugabe said. The deal has yet to take effect, as Tsvangirai blamed Mugabe for grabbing all key ministries such as home affairs, local government, finance, home affairs, information and defense. Mugabe said Western nations and neighboring Botswana were against the formation of an inclusive government in Zimbabwe. "I was reading recent utterances by Condoleezza Rice that African leaders are not prepared to topple President Mugabe and bring about regime change," he said. "She condemned this inability on the part of African leaders. How could African leaders ever topple Robert Mugabe, organize an army to come? It is not easy. I do not know of any African country that is brave enough to do that. "Botswana is making some stupid noises. They are just hollow noises to assure the MDC that the Botswana government supports it and also in response to Britain and America that Botswana is a good mouthpiece of the white men." The MDC is Tsvangirai's opposition party -- Movement for Democratic Change. On cholera, Mugabe said the country was failing to import adequate water treating chemicals because of the sanctions imposed by the west.

The new $10 billion notes comes a week after a $500 million note was issued . Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor: New note issued ahead of "festive season" The country slashed 10 zeros from the amount of its worthless currency in August . Five million people are in need of food aid, the United Nations says .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The woman allegedly assaulted by singer Chris Brown in Hollywood early Sunday was his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, according to sources close to the couple. Chris Brown attends a party saluting music producer Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday. While Los Angeles Police have a policy against identifying alleged domestic violence victims, two people who know both Brown and Rihanna confirmed she was the woman police said had "suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker." Brown, 19, turned himself in to police Sunday night after police said they were looking for him. He was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. Brown was later released on a $50,000 bond and given a March 5 court date. "Detectives investigating the alleged domestic violence felony battery booked him for criminal threats," a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department said. "At the time the case is presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, additional charges may be filed." Brown, nominated for two Grammy Awards, was scheduled to perform at the show. His girlfriend, singer Rihanna, abruptly canceled her planned Grammys performance, but neither her spokesman nor the show organizers gave a reason. "Rihanna is well," her spokesman said in a written statement. "Thank you for concern and support." Watch the latest developments in the case » . Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 20, were seen together Saturday night at a pre-Grammys dinner at the Beverly Hills Hilton, about five miles from where police said the alleged incident happened at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The police statement said Brown and a woman were in a vehicle near Hollywood's Hancock Park when "they became involved in an argument." "After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated," police said. After receiving a 911 call at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, officers found the woman at the scene of the alleged fight, but Brown had left, the department said. Investigators were treating the incident as a possible felony battery case, police said. Executives with Brown's record label at the Grammy Awards told CNN they knew nothing about the incident and declined further comment. Brown was nominated for two Grammys this year, including in the best male R&B vocal performance category for his song "Take You Down." He also shares a best pop collaboration with vocals nomination with Jordin Sparks for "No Air." The introduction to the CBS broadcast of the Grammys, apparently pretaped, listed both Brown and Rihanna as performers.

Brown has been arrested in connection with a domestic violence incident . Police: Brown turned himself in after woman accused him of attacking her . Brown a no-show at Grammy Awards, where he was to perform Sunday . Police haven't named woman; Brown's girlfriend, Rihanna, cancels performance .

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(CNN) -- Over 28,000 Liverpool fans marked the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in a special memorial service at Anfield on Wednesday. Liverpool supporters at the Kop end paid their respects in an emotional afternoon at Anfield. A total of 96 supporters died on April 15, 1989 before the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium, the worst-ever tragedy in English sporting history. To commemorate the anniversary, the city of Liverpool came to a standstill at 3.06 pm (1406 GMT) with the bells of the two cathedrals and its civic buildings ringing out in memory of those fans who lost their lives. On Anfield's famous Kop, 96 candles were lit while commemorations took place at Hillsborough and also in Nottingham. Members of the current Liverpool team stood somberly as hymns were played before a roll call of the dead was read out. Club legend Kenny Dalglish, who was Liverpool manager at the time of the disaster, then read a short prayer. The mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, who was at the game 20 years ago, helped organize the emotional memorial. "Hillsborough affected so many lives, not just on Merseyside but across the whole of the UK," he said. "I attended the match 20 years ago and the passing years do not diminish the importance and the poignancy of this occasion." Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, whose 10-year-old cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley was the youngest victim of the tragedy, spoke of his feelings this week. "Time has gone by, but the scars will never ever be healed and the fans will never ever forget. So you can always rely on our supporters to be there for you when you need them." The Liverpool fans died in a crush which started just before the kick-off as the gate at the Leppings Lane End was opened with terrible consequences. The match started but when the scale of the tragedy became clear, it was swiftly abandoned at 3.06 pm. In the immediate aftermath, the British government commissioned Lord Justice Taylor to conduct an inquiry which would have a far-reaching impact on football. Taylor was deeply critical of the police operation at Hillsborough, but his most significant recommendations were the removal of perimeter fencing and the creation of all-seater stadia. His report also cleared Liverpool fans of blame for the tragedy after lurid tabloid headlines provoked revulsion on Merseyside. Prime minister Gordon Brown paid reference to the controversy in an interview released on Liverpool's official television channel. "It was wrong for people to blame, as some did, Liverpool fans on that day," he said. "That's probably what matters most -- that people understood that the behavior of Liverpool fans in helping each other was magnificent. "Let's never forget the fans who cruelly lost their lives on a day when we know the people of Liverpool were trying to help each other," he added. However, the people of Liverpool are still angry and bitter at the lack of justice for those who died -- and that frustration surfaced when Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport took to the stand to address the crowd. As Burnham spoke, the crowd rose as one to sing "Justice for the 96". The Kop chant boomed around the stadium and Burnham, an Everton fan, was left in no doubt about the strength of feeling over the lack of accountability from officialdom over the tragedy. Fittingly, the ceremony was concluded with Gerry Marsden leading the fans in singing Liverpool anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

A special memorial has marked the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough tragedy . 96 Liverpool supporters died in crush at the Leppings Lane End of the stadium . The Taylor Report into the deaths led to all-seater grounds in English football .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There is an increasing threat of homegrown terror stemming from segments of a deeply isolated and alienated Somali-American community, a U.S. Senate committee hearing concluded Wednesday. Sen. Joseph Lieberman says a number of Somali-Americans support terrorist groups. The hearing, conducted by the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee, focused on the attempted recruitment of young Somali-American men by al-Shabaab, "a violent and brutal extremist (Somali) group" with significant ties to al Qaeda, according to the U.S. State Department. "Over the last two years, individuals from the Somali community in the United States, including American citizens, have left for Somalia to support and in some cases fight on behalf of al-Shabaab," noted the committee's chairman, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Connecticut. Al-Shabaab -- also known as the Mujahedeen Youth Movement -- was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008. The hearing highlighted the case of Shirwa Ahmed, a 27-year-old Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota before traveling to Somalia and blowing up himself and 29 others in October. The idea that Ahmed was radicalized in the United States raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community. The incident -- the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen -- was the "most significant case of homegrown American terrorism recruiting based on violent Islamist ideology," Lieberman said. "The dangers brought to light by these revelations is clear: radicalized individuals trained in terrorist tactics and in possession of American passports can clearly pose a threat to the security of our country," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Segments of the Somali-American community have been made vulnerable to recruitment by al-Shabaab because of a particularly tumultuous adjustment to American life, noted Andrew Liepman, deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center. "Despite significant efforts to facilitate their settlement into American communities, many Somali immigrants face isolation," Liepman said. "The (tough) adjustment to American society has reinforced their greater insularity compared to other more integrated recent immigrant communities and has aggravated the challenges of assimilation for their children," he said. Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers following the U.S. intervention in Somalia's humanitarian crisis in 1992, Liepman said. The Somali-American population is now concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Washington; and San Diego, California. The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by "a number of factors that come together when a dynamic, influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men," Liepman said. Many refugees, he said, "lack structure and definition in their lives" and are "torn between their parents' traditional tribal and clan identities and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society." Liepman pointed out that there was no evidence of a radicalization of the entire Somali-American community, now believed to number between 70,000 and 200,000 people. In fact, he said, the Somali-American community has been victimized by a "small group of extremists who are essentially terrorizing their own community, who are recruiting and radicalizing young people within that community." "We don't have radicalized communities. We have radicalized clusters of (young) people," emphasized Philip Mudd, a director of the FBI's national security branch. The potential terrorist indoctrination and recruitment was a consequence of these clusters, Liepman said, and is the product of "the refugee experience of fleeing a war-torn country combined with isolation, perceived discrimination, marginalization and frustrated expectations. "Local criminal familial and clan dynamics make some members of this community more susceptible to (this) sort of extremist influence" of groups such as al-Shabaab, he said. Liepman said there is a serious concern about individuals being indoctrinated by al Qaeda and al-Shabaab while in Somalia and then returning to the United States "with the intention to conduct attacks."

Committee focused on recruitment of Somali-Americans by group with al Qaeda ties . Hearing highlighted case of the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen . Recruitment is a result of "refugee experience" and "isolation," official says .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A new sleeper virus that could allow hackers to steal financial and personal information has now spread to more than eight million computers in what industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen. Experts say a single infected laptop could expose an entire network to the worm. The Downadup or Conficker worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows to infect mainly corporate networks, where -- although it has yet to cause any harm -- it potentially exposes infected PCs to hijack. Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure, says while the purpose of the worm is unclear, its unique "phone home" design, linking back to its point of origin, means it can receive further orders to wreak havoc. He said his company had reverse-engineered its program, which they suspected of originating in Ukraine, and is using the call-back mechanism to monitor an exponential infection rate, despite Microsoft's issuing of a patch to fix the bug. "On Tuesday there were 2.5 million, on Wednesday 3.5 million and today [Friday], eight million," he told CNN. "It's getting worse, not better." Hypponen explained to CNN the dangers that Downadup poses, who is most at risk and what can be done to stop its spread. How serious is it? It is the most serious large scale worm outbreak we have seen in recent years because of how widespread it is, but it is not very serious in terms of what it does. So far it doesn't try to steal personal information or credit card details. Who is affected? We have large infections in Europe, the United States and in Asia. It is a Windows worm and almost all the cases are corporate networks. There are very few reports of independent home computers affected. What does it do? It is a complicated worm most likely engineered by a group of people who have spent time making it very complicated to analyze and remove. The real reason why they have created it is hard to say right now, but we do know how it replicates. How does it spread? The worm does not spread over email or the Web. However if an infected laptop is connected to your corporate network, it will immediately scan the network looking for machines to infect. These will be machines that have not installed a patch from Microsoft known as MS08-067. The worm will also scan company networks trying to guess your password, trying hundreds and hundreds of common words. If it gets in, even if you are not at your machine, it will infect and begin spreading to other servers. A third method of spreading is via USB data sticks. How can I prevent it infecting my machine? The best way is to get the patch and install it company-wide. The second way is password security. Use long, difficult passwords -- particularly for administrators who cannot afford to be locked out of the machines they will have to fix. What can I do if it has already infected? Machines can be disinfected. The problem is for companies with thousands of infected machines, which can become re-infected from just one computer even as they are being cleared.

A new sleeper virus has now spread to more than eight million computers . Industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen . The worm exploits a bug in Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows software . Virus could allow its creators to hijack entire networks .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Three professors and a former professor at Columbia University's Teachers College received hate mail this week, the New York Police Department said. It's the campus that was shaken by several bias crimes directed at black and Jewish professors in 2007. Columbia University's Teachers College is once again the target of a hate campaign. Three professors received manila envelopes Tuesday with images of swastikas in them. The fourth, a former professor who is an African-American, was sent a manila envelope containing an image of a noose, according to NYPD deputy commissioner Paul Browne. Among those receiving a swastika image was Elizabeth Midlarsky, a Jewish psychologist who has studied psychological principles in the context of the Holocaust, police said. In 2007, her office door was spray-painted with a swastika. (A swastika is the right-angles cross symbol used on Nazi Germany flags). The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the incident. No arrests have been made. "The TC community deplores these hateful acts, which violate every Teachers College and societal norm," said an e-mail Wednesday to faculty and students from the college's president, Susan Fuhrman; and dean, Tom James. No arrests were been made in the 2007 incidents. Police declined to say if they believe there is a connection between those cases and the mailings this week.

Three professors, one former one at Columbia University receive hate mail this week . Jewish psychologist at Teachers College among those receiving swastika . In 2007, same psychologist's office door was spray-painted with a swastika . NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is leading investigation; no arrests made .

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(CNN) -- Conservationists have found a new population of orangutans in a steep, mountainous corner of Indonesia -- a discovery that significantly adds to the number of the endangered red-haired primates. The orangutans were discovered in a mountainous corner of Indonesia. About 65,000 orangutans are thought to remain in the wild, limited to rain forests on two islands in Malaysia and Indonesia: Borneo and Sumatra. The latest population was found in the eastern edge of Borneo, with conservationists counting 219 nests. Even by conservative estimates, that raises the total number of the orangutan population by at least a couple of hundred, maybe thousands. "We rarely have something positive to report in the conservation world. Most of the stories are about declining population or animals dying. It's all pretty negative," said Erik Meijaard, a senior ecologist with the U.S.-based Nature Conservancy. "So to find a substantial population of potentially several hundred to several thousand animals is very exciting." Locals in the area had long spoken of an orangutan population in the hard-to-access limestone mountains of the Kalimantan province. A group of conservationists reached the area in December after driving for a day, taking a boat for another, and then hiking across steep mountainous terrain for two, Meijaard said. The remoteness of the area has meant that the animals have been undisturbed by development. Elsewhere, the orangutan's forest habitat has been cut down for timber extraction and palm oil, used in food and cosmetics. Orangutans, a species of great apes, with hair that is usually reddish-brown instead of the black or brown. The name is derived from the Malay and Indonesian words for "orang" (person) and "hutan" (forest). They spend most of their time on trees, subsisting on fruit and leading a solitary existence except to mate. The expedition in December found the nests crammed into just a few miles in the 2 million-acre forest. "The immediate steps include going back to the area to see how far the population ranges and to put better protection in place," Meijaard said.

Conservationists have found a new population of orangutans in Indonesia . Discovery significantly adds to number of the endangered red-haired primates . Latest population was found in the eastern edge of Borneo .

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A woman was jailed for eight years by a British court Friday for her part in the kidnap of her own daughter. Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan were both involved in the plot to kidnap Shannon. Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews was locked in an apartment for 24 days after going missing from her home in February last year. After a massive police investigation, Karen Matthews, 33, was found guilty last month of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. She was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in West Yorkshire, northern England, the British Press Association reported. Her former partner's uncle, Michael Donovan, 40, was also convicted of the same offences and received an eight-year jail term, PA said. Prosecutors say Donovan abducted Shannon as she was on her way home from school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. They claim he gave her Temazepam -- a type of sleeping tablet -- and travel sickness pills and kept her tethered to an elasticated strap attached to a roof beam through a loft hatch when he went out. Meanwhile Matthews kept up a "wicked and dishonest lie" as her daughter became the subject of a massive police search operation and a reward fund offered by a local newspaper grew to $50,000, jurors were told. Donovan planned to release Shannon and then "discover" her, prosecutors said. According to PA, Matthews told five versions of what happened to Shannon, ranging from being a distraught mother whose daughter had gone missing to blaming the crime on her former partner Craig Meehan and other members of his family. It also emerged in court that Donovan abducted one of his own daughters after he became involved in a custody battle with his former wife, PA said.

Girl, 9, drugged, tethered, as part of kidnap plot staged by mother and uncle . Karen Matthews, 33, and Michael Donovan, 40, jailed for 8 years . Guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice . Prosecutors say Shannon was tethered to roof beam, given sleeping tablets .

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(CNN) -- He had a 1966 Volkswagen bus, scraggly beard and a penchant for the arts. She had blonde hair and liked the Grateful Dead. That was all they needed. Craig Rutman poses poolside with the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir before a 1997 show in Reno, Nevada. "I knew right away she was not like other girls, other girls," muses Mark Goldfarb of Woodstock, New York, quoting the Grateful Dead song, "Scarlet Begonias." On a fateful day 28 years ago, Goldfarb began a shaggy odyssey of love at a Grateful Dead concert when he literally bumped into his future wife, Diane. Over the years, he has been to more than 125 Grateful Dead concerts. The band literally changed his life. Goldfarb, who now makes moccasins for a living, is excited about the Grateful Dead's new tour. The surviving members of the band will be reuniting for 19 shows this year. He went to see them during their last organized tour five years ago. "What was special about the Dead is you had a group of highly talented musicians who were able to get a sense of the audience," Goldfarb said. "When the audience was off, the band would be off. There was a lot of back-and-forth energy." Back in the late '70s and well into the '80s, Goldfarb traveled the West Coast in a Volkswagen van playing music for a belly-dancing troupe at Renaissance festivals. Along the way, he went to Grateful Dead concerts whenever he could. He sent a photo of his now short-haired self to show the "then and now" contrast. Though he lives now in Woodstock, New York, he missed the two large music festivals in his town. A businessman now, Goldfarb says he feels he's grown up in a lot of ways. The old bus is gone, but he dreams of getting another. iReport.com: See the before-and-after contrast of this Deadhead . "I was a huge fan, I still love the music, but like I said times change. Interests change," he says. Readers across the board said the band has stood the test of time because of the personal connection they brought to the music they played. iReport.com: What does the Grateful Dead mean to you? Indeed, the revival has Craig Rutman of Apex, North Carolina, excited to revisit his past. His brother, a caterer, often provided food for the band and this gave Rutman access to members of the band. He has seen more than 200 shows and been backstage to meet the band. He and his young daughter Laura met bandmember Bob Weir poolside in Reno, Nevada, in 1997. Rutman said Weir is always cordial and friendly. "Whether it was backstage or poolside, whenever I saw him, Bobby always took the time with whoever came by to talk, share a joke or sign an autograph," Rutman said. After the pool-side meeting, the Rutmans attended what would be the toddler's first show. iReport.com: See photos poolside with Weir and at the concert later that day . "I sat way in the back of a general admission show to keep her from the crowd and the loud music, but we had a wonderful time nonetheless," Rutman said. Steve Maaske of Omaha, Nebraska, said one of his fondest memories is seeing the band in East Troy, Wisconsin, on the "Wave the flag" tour. He even plans to make the Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado, stops on the current schedule. It's a good year for a new Dead tour, he says. "We have a new 'just off the shelf' president in Barack Obama, some clear optimism for the future of this country, and hey, gas prices for that VW bus are lookin' pretty good about now." iReport.com: See a picture of a colorful Volkswagen bus at the show . Greg Sarafan, 19, of Suffern, New York, last saw the band at a summertime Obama rally at Pennsylvania State University. He's hoping to catch them on tour, and says he was amazed to see the diversity of people interested in the band. "I was sitting next to people that were my father's age and older. It was an interesting experience," he said. Sarafan likes to create works of art inspired by the band and has decorated his car with dancing multi-colored bears. He says the music is timeless, and he learned about it from his parents. iReport.com: See a picture of the tie-dyed fruit falling near the tree . Like his father many years before him, Sarafan as a young man snuck out of the house to see the Grateful Dead perform. Does Dad know? "He does now," responds Sarafan, who says he was in trouble at first, but things slowly changed between father and son. "When I reminded [my father] that he did sneak away to see the Grateful Dead, he kinda didn't care as much," he said. Geoff Feusahrens of Monterey, California, also represents the younger generation of Grateful Dead fans. He was born in 1979 and never got to see the band in its heyday, but likes classic rock and the Grateful Dead in particular. "I like how they are a jam band," says Feusahrens, who has seen the band perform about eight times. "You go to their concerts and you hang out. There's lots of people there and good music and history and I just fell in love with it." He got married October 11, 2008, and decided to have a cake decorated with a Grateful Dead motif. Though the wedding was mostly traditional, he had Deadhead cufflinks and rock-themed tables at the reception. One of the tables had a Dead theme and "Eyes of the World," one of the band's songs, was played. iReport.com: See Feusahrens all gussied up for the occasion . He plans to see the last show on the 2009 tour when it stops nearby in Mountain View and previously saw them perform during the 2004 series. The band figures importantly in his life. Feusahrens and Goldfarb, too, have in common precious love affairs joined together by the Grateful Dead. Perhaps the band's own lyrics from that same song, "Scarlet Begonias," say it best. iReport.com: See Goldfarb's expression of "grateful" feelings about his wife . "Well, I ain't always right but I've never been wrong. Seldom turns out the way it does in a song."

iReport.com: Grateful Dead tributes shared as band plans new tour in 2009 . Mark Goldfarb met his wife at a Dead concert and drove a Volkswagen bus . Craig Rutman has seen more than 200 shows and met the band members . Steve Maaske says now is the perfect time for a tour after the historic election .

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BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Daniel Rendon Herrera, Colombia's most-wanted drug kingpin suspect, was arrested early Wednesday, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe announced at a news conference. Police escort suspected drug kingpin Daniel Rendon Herrera, left, on Wednesday in Bogota, Colombia. The government had offered $2.1 million, or 5 billion pesos, for information that would lead to the arrest of Rendon, also known as Don Mario. Officials said Wednesday that they will determine how that reward will be paid. Rendon, who was captured in the Uraba region of northwestern Colombia, was transferred to the capital, Bogota, on Wednesday afternoon. A live TV broadcast of his arrival at the Military Airport of Catam, on the outskirts of Bogota, showed a somber-looking Rendon being led off an airplane to a police van. Rendon was wearing a two-toned, gray and blue shirt and gray pants, and his hands were bound in front of him with white plastic cuffs. The arrival was broadcast on CNN affiliate Caracol TV. Uribe, whose news conference also was televised, said he learned of the arrest while meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Colombian president called Rendon "one of the most feared narcotraffickers and criminals in the world." The president's Web site also carried news of the arrest. The United States had issued an extradition order for Rendon, whom 300 members of an elite police unit captured. Thirty members of Rendon's gang were arrested with him, El Tiempo newspaper said on its Web site. Authorities had been concentrating on Rendon's capture for the past nine months and moved undercover operatives into the area where he was hiding on April 6, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said. Authorities nearly captured Rendon twice in the past few months, but he escaped, Santos said at the military airport. The suspect was found in the jungle, where he had been hiding for two days. "He was virtually like a dog," Santos said. Telephone intercepts, human intelligence and cooperation from the United States were crucial in Rendon's capture, El Tiempo newspaper said. Santos also issued a message Wednesday to a cartel suspect he identified only as "El Cuchillo," the Knife. "My message is that he give up, because he is next," Santos said. "We are getting close." Rendon is the brother of the imprisoned Freddy Rendon Herrera, known as "El Aleman" (the German) for the efficiency with which he ran his drug operation.

NEW: Suspect had been hiding in jungle for two days, defense chief says . Daniel Rendon Herrera is Colombia's most-wanted drug kingpin suspect . Rendon "one of the most feared narcotraffickers" in world, Colombian leader says . Thirty members of gang also arrested, report says .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A grand jury Tuesday indicted three New York police officers on charges related to the alleged sodomy of a man on a Brooklyn subway platform in October. Michael Mineo says New York Police officers sodomized him inside a Brooklyn subway station. The indictments came after two other officers told the grand jury they saw Officer Richard Kern assault 24-year-old Michael Mineo with a police baton in October, authorities said. "I think that both officers who stepped forward acted in a responsible, if not a heroic, way," Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said Tuesday. "I think both of them deserve a great deal of praise for doing that." Kern, 25, faces charges including aggravated sexual abuse, a felony that could put him in prison for up to 25 years if convicted. Officers Andrew Morales and Alex Cruz, both 26, face charges including hindering prosecution. Both are accused of trying to cover up the incident by falsifying records. All three pleaded not guilty Tuesday at their arraignment before Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge John Walsh. Authorities say Kern and Morales approached Mineo, a Brooklyn tattoo artist, on October 15 after seeing him walking down a street smoking what they believed to be marijuana. As the uniformed officers approached Mineo, he fled. The officers chased him into a Brooklyn subway station, where they apprehended him on the platform, authorities said. Cruz and a transit policeman, Kevin Maloney, joined the other officers and helped to subdue Mineo, who was then handcuffed with his hands behind his back, according to authorities. Mineo claims Kern used his retractable police baton to sexually assault him on the subway platform. Witnesses said they heard Mineo's cries. Mineo's lawyers said he showed officers he was bleeding, but they provided no medical attention and didn't call a supervisor as Mineo requested. Kern gave Mineo a summons for disorderly conduct, and Mineo was released, authorities said. Mineo sought treatment at an area hospital, and hospital staff notified police that they treated a patient who claimed to be a victim of police brutality. Hynes said that based on forensic information gathered by a medical examiner and the police lab, there was enough evidence to move the case to a grand jury. The grand jury started hearing testimony October 28. Maloney and another officer testified that they had seen Kern assault Mineo with his baton. After Tuesday's arraignment, Kern was released on $15,000 bail; the other two officers were released on their own recognizance. Cruz's defense attorney called the case "paper thin." Kern's attorney said Mineo's accusations were motivated by money, saying Mineo is planning to file a civil suit. Mineo's attorneys would not explain why their client ran from police. The attorneys said they plan to file a civil suit, but they did not give information on the damages they plan to seek. Mineo said he still suffers the effects of the attack. "I relive this every day," Mineo said Tuesday. "Nobody should have to go through something like this."

Officer accused of assaulting man with police baton at Brooklyn subway station . Two other officers accused of trying to cover up the incident . Two officers who aren't charged told grand jury they saw assault . District attorney: Testifying officers "deserve a great deal of praise"

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(CNN) -- My eyes stung, I was coughing, my nose was running. Along with cameraman David Hawley and freelance producer Kareem Khadder, I had just been tear-gassed -- not for the first time last Friday -- during a day-long clash between Palestinian kids and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Na'alin, on the West Bank. An Israeli soldier confronts Palestinian protesters during a demonstration Friday in the West Bank village of Jayyus. We had gone there to gauge the Palestinian view of Tuesday's Israeli elections. Na'alin, and many other towns and villages like it in the West Bank, are in the forefront of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Here, it all comes down to the most basic element in the century-old conflict: control of the land. Na'alin is an old town, with factories and workshops, surrounded by olive groves. But in recent years neighboring Israeli settlements, built since the June 1967 war, have increasingly encroached on Na'alin's farmland, and Israel, on grounds of security, has built its security barrier around the town. As a result, Na'alin residents say they have lost access to much of their land, their water sources, in short their livelihood. Beginning two years ago, every Friday they hold protests against Israel's settlement expansion and barrier building. Most Na'alin residents are not ideological hotheads; before the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, in September 2000, many worked in Israel. Most are still fluent in Hebrew and do business with Israelis looking for a good deal on car repairs and other services. For that reason I thought Na'alin would be a good place to see what Palestinians were thinking. What I heard was universal pessimism. No one I spoke with expressed the slightest hope that any of the leading candidates --Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu, Kadima's Tzipi Livni, Israel Beitenu's Avigdor Lieberman and Labour's Ehud Barak -- would do anything to remove the settlements that are slowly closing in on Na'alin. As we sheltered from the tear gas behind a house, Na'alin resident Hani Khawaja told me, "I don't expect anything to come out of the elections that will please the Palestinians. Just killings, expulsions and land confiscations." Another man, Ayub Srour, had a slightly different approach. He prefers Israeli leaders to be honest about their intentions, and not raise hopes only to dash them later. He wants Likud leader and long-time hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu to win. "At least he's honest. He says he'll expel us, and he will expel us. He says he's slaughter us, and he will slaughter us." I've covered almost every Israeli election since 1996. With each election, the Palestinian feeling of despair and hopelessness only deepens. Since the last election in the spring of 2006, Palestinians have seen Israel and Hezbollah go to war, West Bank settlements continue to expand, Hamas and Fatah fight it out in Gaza with Hamas taking control in June 2007. They've also seen a series of Israeli incursions into Gaza, culminating recently in the 22-day Israeli offensive that left large parts of the strip in ruins. Meanwhile many Palestinians say their leadership -- often described as moderate and pro-western -- in Ramallah is incapable of reversing the trend of settlement expansion. The same leadership has been unable to convince Israel to remove few of the hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints that make travelling around the West Bank a test of patience and endurance. In short, when Palestinians look back over the last 15 years since the Oslo Accords were signed, they've seen their lot only go from bad to worse. As a result, more and more Palestinians are convinced the only way to beat the Israelis is to join them, to discard failed attempts at creating a Palestinian state in an ever smaller, ever more economically unviable territory, and go for what is known as the one-state solution. That would mean Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza relinquishing their dream of an independent Palestinian state, and instead insisting on equal rights in the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, an area that is, for all intents and purposes, under Israel's control anyway. The one-state solution is an anathema to many Israelis, who are well aware that, with their higher birth-rate, Palestinians (those living within Israel proper, plus Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza) could well become a majority within a generation. Israelis increasingly worry the national struggle between Israel and the Palestinians will be transformed into an internal struggle, for equal rights for all those living within historic Palestine. Those fears prompted Israel's current caretaker prime minister, Ehud Olmert, to warn as far back as November 2007 that if Israel doesn't move quickly to achieve a two-state solution, it will be in a position not unlike South Africa during the apartheid area, whereby a minority -- in this case Israeli Jews -- rules over a restive majority -- the Palestinians -- by means of force, repression and discriminatory laws. Many Palestinians argue that is already the case, citing Israeli restrictions on movement, residence, and work. The bedrock of Israeli antipathy toward the Palestinians is part of the reason for the growing strength of the Israel Beiteinu (Israel is Our Home) Party, led by Avigdor Leiberman. He argues that Israel's Palestinian minority (they make up about 20 percent of the population) as a potential fifth column working against the aims of the Jewish majority. Leiberman has focused much of his fire on Palestinian Knesset members such as Ahmed Tibi, accusing him and others of sympathising with Israel's enemies, Hamas and Hizballah. His solution is to compel all of Knesset members -- and possibly all Israeli citizens -- to take an oath of loyalty to the state. Another of Leiberman's proposals is to redraw Israel's boundaries to exclude as many of its Palestinians as possible. Tibi responds that Leiberman's growing clout is symptomatic of "an obvious fascist phenomena invading Israeli society. During the last years, racism became mainstream." Back in the town of Na'alin, the kids throwing stones at Israeli troops do have some odd companions. Young Israelis, some of them self-described anarchists, also take part in the protests. They don't throw stones, but they do offer useful advice. "Laththam! Laththam!" one Israeli with black tattoos on his arms tells a young boy, no older than 12, hurling rocks with a home-made sling. "Laththam" is Arabic for "cover your face," the advice imparted because if Israeli troops can identify stone throwers, they arrest them. There still is cooperation of sorts between Palestinians and Israelis, but it's an increasingly rare commodity. And this election probably won't do anything to bridge the growing gap between the two -- the curious friendship in Na'alin notwithstanding.

CNN correspondent finds moods of universal pessimism in West Bank town . Israel votes Tuesday after election campaign dominated by the country's right . More and more Palestinians see "one-state solution" as only way forward . Israelis oppose one-state solution for fear Palestinians would be majority .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former CIA station chief in Algeria is under investigation by the State and Justice departments after being accused of raping at least two women while he held the post, a source confirmed to CNN on Wednesday. Two Algerian women allege that the CIA's former Algeria station chief raped them at his home, a source says. The women told investigators that they think date-rape drugs were used in the assaults, which are said to have occurred at the officer's official residence, according to the source. The story was first reported by ABC News. The allegations were made in the fall, when the unidentified officer was still serving as station chief. In October, soon after the allegations were made, the man returned to the United States for a previously scheduled trip and was ordered not to return to his post, the source said. A senior U.S. official confirmed that the case is under investigation but refused to comment on the details. State Department spokesman Robert Wood issued a brief statement in response to a CNN inquiry, saying that "the individual in question has returned to Washington and the U.S. government is looking into the matter," and referring reporters to the Justice Department. The women, who are Algerian citizens, brought their allegations to a U.S. government official, and federal authorities then launched an investigation. A search of the station chief's residence in Algeria was approved by a U.S. District Court judge after a request from the Justice Department. The search found pills believed to be of a type commonly used in date rape, the source said. In that search, authorities also found about a dozen tapes that are thought to show the officer engaged in sexual acts, the source said, including some in which women are believed to be in a semiconscious state. CNN's source had not seen the tapes but had been briefed on their content. Some of the tapes include date stamps indicating that the recordings happened when he would have been serving in Cairo, Egypt, before his tenure in Algeria. The investigation includes his time in both posts as well as other locations where he traveled. The identity of the officer could not be learned, and CNN was unable to reach a representative of the officer. It is against the law to reveal identities of covert officers. When the allegations surfaced in the fall, they were viewed as "tremendously explosive, no doubt about that," the source said, especially because Algeria is a Muslim country. The Justice Department and the CIA would not comment on the allegations or any investigation. "I can assure you that the agency would take seriously and follow up any allegations of impropriety," CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said. The officer has not been charged, the source said. The source would not speak for attribution because the investigation is ongoing and the source was not authorized to speak publicly. One federal law enforcement source said that no developments or activities relating to the case are "imminent." A station chief heads the CIA's office in a foreign country, establishing a relationship with its host intelligence service and overseeing agency activities in the country. CNN producers Jim Barnett, Pam Benson, Carol Cratty and Elise Labott contributed to this story.

Source: Two Algerian woman say CIA officer raped them in Algeria . Women say date-rape drugs were used in assaults . Source: Man was relieved of job as CIA's Algeria station chief after allegations . Tapes showing apparently semiconscious women, sex acts found, source says .

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(CNN) -- Key structural changes have been identified in the brain images of some patients with mild cognitive impairment which could help determine who's at greatest risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, studied MRI scans of 84 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 175 patients with mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, and 139 images of healthy brains. "Our initial goal was to locate similarities in the patients with Alzheimer's disease to those with MCI, in the hopes of finding a method to predict [MCI patients'] likelihood of developing the disease," said lead study author Linda McEvoy, assistant project scientist at UCSD's department of radiology. Neuroimaging results for the patients with Alzheimer's disease were as expected, according to the study, which was published online in the journal Radiology. Atrophy, which is loss of brain tissue, was visible throughout the brain. The temporal and parietal lobes, which affect cognitive function, saw the most damage. What surprised researchers were the differences in images from the MCI patients. More than 50 percent of the brains in the MCI group showed atrophy similar to the Alzheimer's disease patients. The other half of the MCI patients showed only small amounts of tissue damage. Watch Dr. Gupta explain the findings » . "Although the symptoms for the entire MCI group were primarily memory problems, other parts of the brain were impacted in over half the group," McEvoy said. "And even though these patients [with Alzheimer's-like atrophy] don't have problems with their cognitive function now, their MCI will likely develop to that in the future." Researchers also evaluated the brains of the MCI group one year after initial testing. They found that patients who earlier had mild cognitive impairment plus signs of atrophy were getting worse. Twenty-nine percent of the group had since been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and the others had begun to show signs of more serious cognitive decline. The condition of patients in the MCI group whose scans showed minimal signs of atrophy the previous year remained about the same. "Only 8 percent of this group had developed Alzheimer's disease. The rest of the patients were stable and their symptoms had not increased," McEvoy said. Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer for the Alzheimer's Association, underscored the significance of these findings. "What this study really shows is how different people with MCI can be, despite having similar symptoms. We can now use this information to create new treatments," he said. There are several drugs on the market that treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, but none that prevent its progression. Clinical trials may be able to use this data to select a better pool of candidates when testing new drugs. "If they use a MCI patient with loss of brain tissue, someone who we now know is progressing fast towards Alzheimer's disease, we'd be able to quickly figure out if drug 'X' is slowing things down or not helping at all," Thies added. In addition, researchers hope that within the next few years patients could regularly be tested by their physicians to determine their risk of developing Alzheimer's. "If nothing else it would be good information for their family members to have early on, to be better prepared for the future." McEvoy said. Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and an estimated three and a half million have mild cognitive impairment.

Key structural changes seen in brain scans of some patients with memory loss . One year later, many patients with brain changes had developed Alzheimer's . Memory-loss patients without these changes were mostly stable one year later . Brain scans could identify who gets Alzheimer's, help with drug testing .

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Editor's note: Clark Howard, the Atlanta, Georgia-based host of a nationally syndicated radio show, is host of a television show designed to help viewers save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off during these tough economic times. The show airs at noon and 4 p.m. ET Saturdays and Sundays on HLN. Clark Howard says use the Internet to hook up with powerful networking groups. ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Many years ago, I had the opportunity to start an Atlanta-based civic program called Career Action. The program's goal was to provide free resources to help the jobless and underemployed find steady work. That was 1979. Today, it's 2009 and the need for job assistance is greater than ever as unemployment continues to rise. The conventional wisdom about education and employment -- that as your level of education rises, the less likely you are to be impacted by layoffs -- has been completely flipped on its head. This recession knows no boundaries in terms of education, skill level, training or years on the job. So, what do you do if you're laid off or have your hours cut at work? First, don't panic! You're going to need to apply for unemployment insurance. I'm hearing a lot of people badmouthing unemployment compensation. There's nothing shameful about it. Employers pay premiums over time during the good years to provide for those who get laid off in lean times. It's not beneath you to accept this insurance money. Next, you need to triage your finances so you know which debts to prioritize and which to neglect if your money runs out. Paying your car note is central to finding employment for most people. It's practically higher than paying your mortgage or rent. In fact, you may need to live with friends or relatives until you can get back on your feet. What shouldn't you prioritize paying? Your credit cards. People say, "But that will hurt my credit..." Look, if you're in a situation where there's no money coming in and you have to decide between paying the mortgage and putting food on the table, chances are your credit is already damaged. Once you get organized financially, it's time to job hunt. Looking for work is a full-time job and you need an action plan. Start by reviewing your list of contacts, but understand that people don't like to be called and asked if there's a job. But they do love to give advice that may lead to a job opportunity. Visit in person with your contacts if possible. I'm also a big believer in networking groups and unemployment support groups. Networking for jobs has become something of a lost art in our country because people think the Internet replaces everything else. It doesn't. However, there are ways to use the Internet to hook up with powerful networking groups. There's even a new organization called LaidOffCamp that is like a free day camp for the underemployed. According to the movement's Web site, it's "an ad-hoc gathering of unemployed and nontraditionally employed people (including freelancers, entrepreneurs and startups) who want to share ideas and learn from each other." You never know whom you might meet. When you are job hunting on the Internet, be sure to check out screen-scraper sites like SimplyHired and Indeed.com. They're both "one-stop shops" that collect content from all the traditional job sites such as Monster and Yahoo! HotJobs, plus the career pages of individual company sites. In addition, The Boston Globe recently recommended several specialty sites when you're looking for work in a specific field. BioSpace.com is geared toward the science and biotechnology fields; Idealist.org focuses on the nonprofit charity world; and for those who are 50 years or older, there's a site called WorkForce50.com. In the course of your job search, you may find that you need money immediately and can't sit around waiting for a job offer to materialize. In that case, certain skill sets -- Web design, programming, marketing and videography, to name a few -- lend themselves to consulting work or freelancing on a project. The Internet also offers a variety of sites that match freelancers up with employers. A recent article in The San Francisco Chronicle suggested ELance.com, oDesk.com, Guru.com and crowdSPRING.com as starting points. And if you can afford it after all of your necessities, it's always a great idea to keep your mind sharp by taking classes to improve your skills or learn new ones. You can never be too smart.

Clark says you're going to need to apply for unemployment insurance . You need to know which debts to prioritize, which to neglect if your money runs out . Clark suggests you join networking and unemployment support groups . With certain skills, try consulting work or freelancing on a project .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- The pilot who landed a crippled US Airways jetliner on the Hudson River thought there would have been "catastrophic consequences" if he tried to make it to a nearby airport, a National Transportation Safety Board official said Saturday night. US Airways Flight 1549 remained in the icy Hudson River on Saturday. Instead, pilot Pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger decided to ditch the plane in the Hudson River close to vessels moving about the water "to improve chances of recovery," NTSB board member Kitty Higgins said. It was the first time the public heard comments from Sullenberger and first officer Jeffrey B. Skiles describing Thursday's emergency landing. Skiles was flying US Airways Flight 1549, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, when he noticed a flock of birds less than 90 seconds after the plane had taken off from New York's LaGuardia International Airport, Higgins said. In an instant, the plane was rocked by loud thuds and both engines went out, Higgins said. Watch the plane hit the water » . "He commented on the formation, and he said the next thing he knew, the windscreen was filled with birds. There was no time to take evasive action," Higgins said. Sullenberger took control of the aircraft while Skiles began complicated procedures to try to restart the engines, Higgins said. Sullenberger thought the plane was moving "too low, too slow" to risk returning to LaGuardia through the maze of buildings. Nor did Sullenberger think the powerless aircraft could make it over the densely populated New Jersey area to Teterboro, Higgins said. "There could be catastrophic consequences if we didn't make it," she quoted Sullenberger as saying. Watch CNN's Lisa Sylvester report on the pilots » . City officials, passengers and aviation experts have lauded Sullenberger and the flight crew for their handling of the landing and also praised first responders who acted quickly to minimize passengers' injuries in below-freezing temperatures. All 155 people on board the plane survived. "These are both very experienced pilots. They knew what they had to do," Higgins said. Neither Sullenberger nor Skiles attended the news conference. Earlier in the day, the NTSB revealed the content of communications between the cockpit and controllers at LaGuardia in the brief period during which the incident unfolded. "This is cactus 1549, hit birds, we lost thrust in both engines," Sullenberger told controllers at approximately 3:27 p.m. Thursday. "We're turning back towards LaGuardia." Controllers immediately began preparations to clear a runway for an emergency landing, but less than a minute later, Sullenberger reported that the aircraft wouldn't make it, Higgins said. The last communication from the plane to controllers, Higgins said, was the pilot saying, "We're gonna be in the Hudson." Watch a former pilot tell how to water-land a plane » . Higgins also quoted two of the flight's attendants, who were in jump seats at the front of the aircraft when they heard a loud thud shortly after takeoff. "It was a sound that neither one of them had ever heard before," Higgins said. "They said all the engine noise ceased. They described it as complete silence, like a library." Efforts to raise the jetliner from the river proved successful late Saturday, as cranes lifted it clear of the water about 11:30 p.m. ET following several hours of work by crews in frigid conditions. Video from the scene showed the right side of the aircraft with the engine intact but its covering mangled. It was not clear visually whether the damage was from an in-flight incident or from the landing impact. Investigators planned to tow the plane on a barge to an undisclosed location for their examination. Watch water wash over the plane » . Searchers using sonar think they have found the left engine on the river bottom. Divers will try to confirm the finding, Higgins said. Watch workers begin the retrieval process » . The flight data and cockpit voice recorders -- both crucial to determining exactly what happened Thursday -- remained on the aircraft, which was still largely submerged in the Hudson River but was secured to moorings. Strong currents and cold water thwarted divers' efforts to retrieve the recorders from the tail section of the jetliner, Higgins said. Also Saturday, authorities released audio and transcripts of two 911 calls from people who said they saw that the plane was in trouble. Listen to callers report plane in the river » . One caller said he saw the plane descend and reported hearing a loud noise shortly after the aircraft took off. "Oh, my God! It was a big plane, I heard a big boom just now. We looked up, and the plane came straight over us, and it was turning. Oh, my God!" a man calling from the Bronx told a 911 operator at 3:29 p.m., three minutes after the plane left LaGuardia. Minutes later, at 3:33 p.m., a woman called 911 and reported seeing the plane in the water. "A plane has just crashed into the Hudson River," she told an operator. "A US Air big DC-9 or -10 has crashed into the Hudson River. ... Oh, my gosh!" CNN's Mike Brooks, Jeanne Meserve, Richard Davis and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report.

NEW: Crews hoist US Airways Flight 1549 from icy Hudson River . Pilot said aircraft was flying "too low, too slow" to risk returning to airport . Plane in air less than 90 seconds when collision occurred . One engine in river, one still attached, investigators say .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Singer Chris Brown, sought by Los Angeles police after an alleged domestic violence incident, turned himself in Sunday, police said. Chris Brown attends a party saluting music producer Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday. Brown, nominated for two Grammy Awards, was a no-show Sunday night at the nationally televised awards show. He was scheduled to perform at the show. His girlfriend, singer Rihanna, abruptly canceled her planned Grammys performance, but neither her spokesman nor the show organizers gave a reason. "Rihanna is well," her spokesman said in a written statement. "Thank you for concern and support." Police have not identified the alleged victim, who they said "suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker." Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 20, were seen together Saturday night at a pre-Grammys dinner at the Beverly Hills Hilton, about five miles from where police said the alleged incident happened at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The police statement said Brown and a woman were in a vehicle near Hollywood's Hancock Park when "they became involved in an argument." "After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated," police said. After receiving a 911 call at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, officers found the woman at the scene of the alleged fight, but Brown had left, the department said. Investigators were treating the incident as a possible felony battery case, police said. Executives with Brown's record label at the Grammy Awards told CNN they knew nothing about the incident and declined further comment. Brown was nominated for two Grammys this year, including in the best male R&B vocal performance category for his song "Take You Down." He also shares a best pop collaboration with vocals nomination with Jordin Sparks for "No Air." The introduction to the CBS broadcast of the Grammys, apparently pre-taped, listed both Brown and Rihanna as performers.

NEW: Police: Brown turned himself in after woman accused him of attacking her . Brown a no-show at Grammy Awards, where he was to perform Sunday . Brown, woman were in vehicle when alleged fight started, authorities say . Police haven't named woman; Brown's girlfriend, Rihanna, cancels performance .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Ariel Binns is cute, smart, outgoing and looks remarkably like first daughter Sasha Obama. Young model Ariel Binns, right, resembles Sasha Obama. The similarity has not gone unnoticed by the fashion industry. Harper's Bazaar magazine cast the 6-year-old Brooklyn, New York, first-grader with model Tyra Banks in a photo spread showing an African-American family in the White House. Binns, a child model, was peering out from under a big wooden desk in an image reminiscent of John F. Kennedy's time in office. When it comes to fashion there's nothing like a powerful brand to boost sales, especially if that brand is a dynamic first family. "Marketers are finally waking up to it -- you know -- black is beautiful," says global branding expert David Rogers who predicts African-American models will play a more prominent role in fashion photography as a direct result of the Obamas. "It's just going to become part of the fabric of the fashion imagery of pop culture, which is a great thing," says Rogers. Watch young first daughter look-alike model » . At Wilhelmina Kids, a modeling agency in New York for kids and teens, agents say there is increased demand for first daughter look-alikes. "It's a trend because, what little girl doesn't want to emulate the first kids?" said Marlene Wallach, president of Wilhelmina, which represents Binns. Unlike the Bush twins or Chelsea Clinton, global branding experts say the appeal of the Obama girls is unique -- and infinitely marketable. After the first kids appeared in their J.Crew outfits on Inauguration Day, the company's Web site got so many hits, it crashed. "The most visible, most exciting family in America is this beautiful black family and so people are ready and looking for those kinds of images," says branding expert David Rogers, adding that a lot of Americans want to identify and, "find some sort of connection with this family." There is a downside. The Obamas were not happy when toy manufacturer Ty Inc. came out with African-American dolls named Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia even though the company said the dolls did not look like the Obama girls. First lady Michelle Obama's office said it was "inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes." New York clinical psychologist Judy Kuriansky says many famous families face similar problems. "I can certainly understand Michelle Obama being protective of her children. Many celebrities in Hollywood feel that way too. They don't want their children exposed to the public, because once the child is exposed to the public image, not only are they owned, but they could be used in many different ways and it takes away from the child growing up as a normal, average child." Still, some say the celebrity of Sasha and Malia has a positive effect by presenting a positive and prominent image of young African-American girls. Asked whether she believes the Obama girls will open up possibilities for her own child, Ariel Binns' mom Dawn Crooks says, "I think it will. I hope it does." As for the overall effect, branding expert Rogers says he believes using look-alikes will take diversity to a whole new level.

One young model is getting jobs because she looks like an Obama daughter . Expert: "Marketers are finally waking up to it -- you know -- black is beautiful" J.Crew's Web site crashed after Obama girls wore the brand on Inauguration Day .

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(CNN) -- Singer Chris Brown's arrest on a domestic violence charge prompted Wrigley to suspend its Doublemint gum campaign that uses Brown as a spokesman. "Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown," Wrigley spokeswoman Jennifer Luth said. Brown was arrested Sunday night in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident in Hollywood early Sunday morning, police said. He was released on a $50,000 bond and given a March 5 court date. A Doublemint commercial features Brown singing about the gum to the tune of his hit song "Forever." "We believe Mr. Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen," Luth said. "However, we have made the decision to suspend the current advertising featuring Brown and any related marketing communications until the matter is resolved."

Chris Brown has been featured in ad for Wrigley's gum . Brown was arrested Sunday in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident . Wrigley's spokesperson: We've suspended Brown ads until "matter is resolved"

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI will not visit Israel's Holocaust museum when he makes his first trip to the region as pope in May, though he will visit a memorial that is part of the site, his ambassador to Israel said Tuesday. Pope Benedict XVI, shown at the Vatican during a prayer Sunday, has spoken out forcefully against the Holocaust. He will also become the first pontiff to visit the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest sites in Islam, said the envoy, papal nuncio Antonio Franco. Foreign heads of state normally visit the Holocaust museum, which is part of the Yad Vashem complex in Jerusalem. But it includes controversial wording describing the role of Pope Pius XII during World War II, which is why Pope Benedict balked, an Israeli official said. Critics have accused Pope Pius of doing too little to prevent the mass murder of European Jews by the Nazis under Adolf Hitler. A caption in the museum says he maintained a neutral position during the years of mass extermination of Europe's Jews. The Vatican defends him and is gradually opening its archives in an effort to show that he acted behind the scenes. Franco gave the news of Pope Benedict's visit to Yad Vashem at a news conference in Jerusalem. Pope John Paul II also did not visit the museum section on his historic pilgrimage to Israel in 2000, Father Federico Lombardi, a papal spokesman, said as he confirmed that Pope Benedict will not do so. An official with Israel's Foreign Ministry said the decision was made jointly because of the sensitivity of the matter. Yigal Palmor conceded that there is an argument over the wartime pope's actions during the Holocaust and noted that the museum has a sign stating that the facts are in dispute. He said that Pope Benedict may visit other parts of the Yad Vashem complex, which is divided into several compounds, and that the pontiff will lay a wreath at the site's Hall of Remembrance, which is part of the protocol for visiting heads of state. The announcement that Pope Benedict will visit only part of Yad Vashem also follows international outrage over his rehabilitation of a rebel bishop who denied the Nazis systematically murdered 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. The Vatican ordered the bishop, Richard Williamson, to recant, and said the pope was not aware of Williamson's views on the Holocaust when he lifted the excommunication of the bishop. Pope Benedict, who was born in Germany and forced to join the Hitler Youth as a teenager, has spoken out forcefully against the Holocaust on a number of occasions, including on a visit to the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Pope Benedict will make his pilgrimage to the Holy Land May 8-15 with stops in Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth, according to the itinerary released by the Vatican. He will be celebrating Mass in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth, the city where Christians believe Jesus preached and lived. Some 50,000 pilgrims are expected to attend that event, the bishop of Nazareth said. In Jerusalem, a city holy to all three of the major monotheistic faiths, Pope Benedict will visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which Catholics believe is the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The pope will also meet Israel's chief rabbis and enter the Dome of the Rock with the chief Muslim cleric in the Holy Land, the grand mufti of Jerusalem. He will also meet Jordan's King Abdullah and Israeli President Shimon Peres, as well as Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Franco said. CNN's Guy Azriel in Jerusalem and Alessandro Gentile in Rome contributed to this report.

NEW: Benedict XVI to be first pontiff to visit the Dome of the Rock . NEW: Trip to be May 8-15 with stops in Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth . In Jerusalem, he'll visit Yad Vashem's memorial section, will skip museum . Pope Pius XII criticized for WW II actions; Vatican says he acted behind the scenes .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Five people got the lavish ride of a lifetime as the only passengers on a transatlantic flight, causing environmental groups to criticize the major carrier for leaving a wasteful carbon footprint. American Airlines has faced criticism for a transatlantic flight carrying only five passengers. Using about 68,000 liters (15,000 imperial gallons) -- or 13,000 liters per passenger -- of jet fuel for the nine-hour trip from Chicago to London, American Airlines is being accused of unnecessary waste. Each passenger left a footprint of 35.77 tons of carbon dioxide, enough to drive an average car 160,000 kilometers (100,000 miles). "Flying virtually empty planes is an obscene waste of fuel. Through no fault of their own, each passenger's carbon footprint for this flight is about 45 times what it would have been if the plane had been full," Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner Richard Dyer said. Because of a mechanical malfunction, AA flight 90 was 14 hours late leaving Chicago's O'Hare airport on February 8. Though most passengers made other arrangements to London, five lucky passengers unable to be rebooked made the 6,400 kilometer (4,000 mile) flight in business class, with two crew members per passenger. American Airlines said it chose to continue with the flight because of the full load of passengers waiting at London's Heathrow airport to return to the United States. "With such a small passenger load we did consider whether we could cancel the flight and re-accommodate the five remaining passengers on other flights," says American Airlines' European spokesperson Anneliese Morris. "However, this would have left a plane load of west-bound passengers stranded in London Heathrow who were due to fly to the U.S. on the same aircraft." Morris was quick to point out that despite the staggeringly low passenger count, the flight did carry a full cargo load. "We sought alternative flights for the west-bound passengers but heavy loads out of London meant that this was not possible. The only option was to operate the flight," Morris said. "This put the aircraft in London Heathrow for the following day, enabling us to operate a full schedule and avoid further inconvenience to our passengers and cargo customers." Environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth say that international governments should hold the aviation industry accountable for the amount of CO2 they produce each year, and point to instances like this to show that airlines should pay a fuel tax to rein them in. "Governments must stop granting the aviation industry the unfair privileges that allow this to happen by taxing aviation fuel and including emissions from aviation in international agreements to tackle climate change," Dyer said. But despite these accusations, Kieran Daly, air transport intelligence editor for Flight International magazine, said the amount passengers carried was irrelevant. "Airlines are still a business. The cargo had to be flown and perhaps some of it was time-sensitive," Daly said. "It's just not practical for an airline to tell its customers that it won't fly until it has a full passenger load. Customers won't be happy and the airline will quickly be out of business." E-mail to a friend .

Environmental groups angry with American Airlines after five-passenger flight . The passengers were unable to be rebooked after flight delayed by 14 hours . AA says canceling flight would have left many more stranded in London next day . The transatlantic flight did carry a full cargo load, according to the airline .

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(CNN) -- An apparent natural gas explosion in downtown Bozeman, Montana, leveled three businesses Thursday morning, according to city and state officials. An explosion rocks downtown Bozeman, Montana, on Thursday in a photo from iReporter Sean Gallik. "When we say gone, we mean gone. These three businesses are gone," said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who added that the state is providing help for clean up, and to businesses and residents who are affected. One person remained unaccounted for Thursday evening, Bozeman Assistant City Manager Chuck Winn said. "The situation remains unsafe for anyone to enter," Winn said. "So in terms of a search -- we are unable to do so at this time." Winn said city crews are making progress cleaning up the area, but the damage is great. He said a meeting was planned Friday morning to give business owners and residents information about when they can return. "It literally looks like a bomb went off in downtown Bozeman," he said. iReport.com: Photos from the scene . "Roofing material, construction material is scattered for three or four blocks," he said. "It was a very violent explosion." Schweitzer added that the situation would "not be over in 24 hours." The blast occurred about 8:15 a.m. on the town's Main Street, Fire Chief Jason Shrauger told CNN. The city government declared a local emergency after the blast. Initially, 11 people were reported missing, but 10 were later accounted for, Winn said. It was not clear what triggered the blast. Bozeman is in south-central Montana, about 100 miles southeast of the state capital, Helena.

One person unaccounted for . Three businesses destroyed in downtown Bozeman, Montana . Eleven people initially reported missing after natural gas explosion . It was not clear what triggered the blast .

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(CNN) -- Evander Holyfield failed in his bid to become the oldest heavyweight champion when he lost on points to giant Russian Nikolai Valuev in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday. Holyfield struggles to escape the reach of seven-foot Russian world champion Valuez in Zurich. One judge scored the bout a draw while the others had Valuev winning 115-114 and 116-112 thus denying 46-year-old Holyfield the heavyweight title for the fifth time. American Holyfield will take time to consider whether to return to the ring after his defeat. "I will go home and think about the future," he said. "But I knew I could still do it. "I fought very well and won the fight but I did not get the decision. I think I showed tonight that I still can box and that age does not matter." Valuev said it was an honor to fight a legend like Holyfield. "I am proud to have been in the same ring with him," he said. "He was very fast and hard to hit. I can only advise people not to get hit by him. I expected a tough fight and that is what it was. Holyfield is a great fighter and he proved it tonight." With Valuev controlling the centre of the ring in the opening rounds, Holyfield danced around his opponent, hitting with occasional single shots. He did well to stay away from Valuev´s long left jab and hit him with a big left in the fourth, but the Russian answered with a strong right uppercut. Much to the delight of the crowd, the fifth was a good round for Holyfield who first landed a right-left combination to the body and later connected with a big left hook to the head. Both men were on target during a mid-round exchange in the sixth, but Valuev´s left jab looked more effective. In the seventh, the crowd raised the roof when Holyfield fired in a combination to the head. Valuev´s corner urged him to be more aggressive and he eventually landed a strong right in the eighth when Holyfield seemed to tire a little. The seven foot Russian remained on the front foot as there was a big exchange during the ninth, and in the 10th Holyfield landed a strong right-left combination. Valuev finished better and pushed his opponent in the corner in the 12th . After the final bell, both men hugged each other, with either fighter claiming the win. When the scorecards were read, boos rang out as the crowd favorite's narrow defeat was confirmed.

Evander Holyfield failed in bid to become oldest heavyweight champion . Lost on points to giant Russian Nikolai Valuev in Zurich, Switzerland . American Holyfield, 46, will take time to consider whether return to ring .

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(CNN) -- Wimbledon have confirmed plans to hold an exhibition event on Centre Court to test conditions under the new roof ahead of next year's tennis championships. Wimbledon first unveiled plans for a retractable roof over Centre Court in 2004 with capacity increased to 15,000. The special one-off event has been scheduled for Sunday, May 17, just over a month ahead of next year's Championships where Rafael Nadal defends the title for the first time. Former British number one Tim Henman, four times a semifinalist at the grass-court grand slam and a member of the All England Club, has been lined up to play. The club's chief executive, Ian Ritchie, explained the need for a pre-tournament event: . "The key thing for the new roof is the atmospherics and humidity conditions, " he told BBC Radio Four on Tuesday. "We need to get 15,000 people inside to test the humidity. It's a roof over a grass court and it's not like a football or rugby pitch, we need it to be absolutely bone dry. "We have to test the air conditioning and playing surface as well." Former champion John McEnroe is also being lined up to make a sentimental return to Centre Court. "We are looking to put together a good raft of people to come and play. "We will probably put several matches on as we want to put on a day of entertainment and enjoyment to try to get a maximum crowd to come and see it," said Ritchie. Wimbledon first announced plans for a retractable roof over Centre Court in 2004, with the redevelopment increasing the capacity to 15,000. It will mean an end, on Centre Court at least, to the famous Wimbledon rain delays, which have frustrated spectators and players alike over the years, arguably costing Henman his best chance of Wimbledon glory in 2001 when he lost a protracted semifinal to eventual winner Goran Ivanisevic.

Wimbledon to test new roof over Centre Court with special event in May . Former British number one Tim Henman and John McEnroe lined up to play . New roof will house increased 15,000 capacity on most famous court in tennis .

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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- His job was to drive the bus. But Meher Mohammad Khalil is now being hailed as a lifesaver. On Wednesday Meher Mohammad Khalil went back to the place where gunmen attacked his bus. When gunmen jumped out of bushes and began spraying bullets at the bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team Tuesday, Khalil quickly sized up his options and got everyone to safety. "First I thought there were some firecrackers going off. Then, when I saw the elite force cars in front of me taking fire, I immediately lost my voice," Khalil told CNN on Wednesday. "At that time, the other elite car that was with us gave me cover, and then, when I saw he was giving me cover, my courage and my patience returned. Watch CNN's interview with Khalil » . "I decided to take the vehicle from there, and one way or another, even if I had to drive over someone, I would take this bus and escape." Watch the gunmen attack » . Khalil returned to the scene of the attack in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday to honor those who were killed and to place flowers in their memory. One of the dead was Zafar Khan, a friend and fellow bus driver who had been in a vehicle behind Khalil. "My eyes filled with tears that these were people that I was eating with and who died in doing their duty." Khalil had been part of a convoy heading to Gaddafi Stadium, where the Sri Lankan cricket team was to continue a match against Pakistan. Six police officers were killed, in addition to Khalil's friend Khan who was driving a bus with the match umpires. See where the attack happened » . The Sri Lankan cricketers praised Khalil's quick thinking and action, saying he saved their lives. Six team members were injured by broken glass and shrapnel. Team captain Mahela Jayawardene wrote on his Web site of Khalil: "He probably saved our lives, showing remarkable bravery in the face of direct gunfire to keep the bus moving." Crowds mobbed Khalil as he paid his respects at the place where his life changed in an instant. "He is a hero, a real hero, a real man of the people," a man in the crowd said. Private donors in Lahore have rewarded Khalil with 300,000 rupees (more than $3,000) -- a small fortune for a Pakistani bus driver. Today, Khalil says all he can feel is pain of the loss of life. And he called on the attackers to recognize that their victims are humans just like them, with mothers and sisters. "For God's sake, please stop this terrorism and let this nation breathe a sigh of relief," he said. CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

Meher Mohammad Khalil's bus came under intense gunfire in Lahore, Pakistan . Cricketers thank bus driver for steering them away from attack, saving their lives . Khalil returned to scene of attack, where crowds hailed him as a hero .

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ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Thousands of youths demonstrated in central Athens Friday as anger flared in the Greek capital following the shooting of another teenager. High school students protest in front of their school in the western Athens suburb of Peristeri. A group of youths targeted the French Institute, a language and cultural institute, and police scrambled to the scene to contain the incident. The situation began heating up during a protest rally Thursday that followed the bizarre shooting of a high school student in an Athens suburb earlier this week. The 17-year-old was hit in the hand by an unknown assailant as he was talking to a group of schoolmates in the western suburb of Peristeri. Initial police reports showed the student -- the son of a leading trade unionist -- was hit with a .38-caliber handgun. Police said no officers were patrolling the region at the time of the incident. The mysterious shooting has enflamed widespread student anger over the fatal police shooting of a 15-year-old boy December 6, which sparked Greece's worst riots in decades. Watch more about the flare-up of protests » . Students rallied Friday in response to the shooting of the 17-year-old. One of the rallies was planned for central Athens; the other in the suburb where the student was shot. Later in the day, scores of artists are scheduled to gather in central Athens to stage a protest concert in response to the initial shooting of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos. Daily protests since the December 6 shooting, including riots, have thrown Greece into turmoil and have become a simmering anger about the conservative government's handling of the economy, education, and jobs. A string of labor unions called on workers to march on Parliament Friday to protest the voting of the 2009 state budget, which calls for additional belt-tightening measures in response to the global financial crisis. Student unions were also gathering to across the country to determine their course of action for the next few weeks. At least 800 high schools and 200 universities remain shut as thousands of youths have seized the grounds and campuses in protest. The unrest is threatening the government's hold on power, with some opposition groups calling for fresh elections. Stores and international businesses have been attacked, and at least 280 people have been detained by police. Of that total, 176 were arrested, 130 of them for looting. Of the two officers involved in the death of the 15-year-old, one is charged with premeditated manslaughter and the other with acting as an accomplice.

17-year-old shot by unknown assailant in Athens suburb of Peristeri . Police said no officers were patrolling the region at the time of the incident . First protests flared on Dec. 6 after police killing of 15-year-old boy . Simmering anger exists about government's handling of economy, education, jobs .

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TAIJI, Japan (CNN) -- Mention a dolphin to someone in the United States and they'll think about a trip to Sea World or the 1960s-era TV program "Flipper." Residents in Taiji, Japan, have been hunting dolphins for hundreds of years. Talk about a dolphin in rural Japan and some people think of dinner. Fishermen hunt dolphins about every day in Taiji, a town of about 3,000 in southwestern Japan that juts into the Pacific Ocean. Locals know they offend Western sensibilities by eating dolphins, but they say it's a tradition hundreds of years old. And they say outsiders have no more right to tell them to stop eating dolphins than they would have to demand that Westerners stop slaughtering, say, chickens or cows. Watch fishermen catch dolphins » . "I know there are many different ways of thinking in different societies, but for us who've been eating this for a long time ... it's an awkward thing to be criticized for," says Kayoko Tanaka, a retired middle school teacher. "I either fry dolphin meat or turn it into a stew." That disgusts Ric O'Barry, a 68-year-old retired dolphin trainer from Miami who makes a second home in Taiji, where he goes to unusual lengths to fight against the tide of local tradition. O'Barry sometimes dresses as a woman or wears a large surgical mask to disguise his Western identity on trips to spots overlooking the ocean. He prowls the cliffs with a video camera, hoping to catch fishermen in the act with footage that could stir emotions and raise awareness in the West. "This here is ground zero for the largest slaughter of dolphins on planet Earth," says O'Barry, who trained five dolphins to play "Flipper" on the TV series of that name. "It's absolutely barbaric and it needs to stop." He says the dolphins face a cruel fate. "It takes a very long time to die. They bleed to death. And some of them are dragged in the boats with hooks while they're still alive," he says. "Many of them are gutted while they're still alive." Looming beyond questions of whether the slaughter is humane, however, are larger and more complex questions of culture and perspective. To some puzzled people in rural Japan, the question comes down to this: What's the difference between killing and eating a dolphin and killing and eating a fish? Or a chicken? Or a cow? Most Japanese do not eat dolphins -- it's common in a few small fishing villages -- but the government respects the rights of people in towns like Taiji, says Joji Morishita, the international negotiator for Japan's Fisheries Agency. Many Japanese consider the deer a sacred messenger from the gods, he says, but they would never suggest that people in other parts of the world stop venturing into the woods on a quest for venison, Morishita says. "We don't like to play God to say this animal is just for food and this is not," he says. "Because we know nation to nation we have totally different ideas." That's obvious in the growing clash between Australia and Japan over whale hunting. Japanese ships crisscross the Antarctic Ocean each winter to capture and kill up to 1,000 whales. Whaling is allowed under international law when done for scientific reasons, which Japan cites as the legal basis for its hunts. Legal justifications aside, however, the whale hunts offend many people in Australia, where new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has turned up the political pressure on Japan. His government has dispatched a customs ship to monitor and videotape the whalers. And Rudd says Australia could even file charges against Japan in an international court to try to stop the whaling. Back in Taiji, the fishermen are well aware of the Western sentiment that motivates whaling opponents. They realize the danger to their way of life that can come with prying cameras from other countries. When CNN trained its cameras on fishermen gutting some freshly killed dolphins, the fishermen erected some tarps to obstruct the view. Representatives of the Taiji Fishermen's Union declined CNN requests for an on-camera interview. So did the town's mayor and several others. And O'Barry says he's gotten into a few shouting matches with fishermen, who resent him and his camera. So what does O'Barry say to their claim that he has no right to tell them to abandon a tradition that has flourished in their small corner of the world for more than 400 years? "If someone came to my hometown and told me what to do, what to eat, I'd be outraged," he says. "But that's not going to stop me from doing it. I mean, tradition? It used to be traditional for women not to vote. So do we keep that going because it's traditional and cultural? Of course not." Complicating the debate are findings suggesting that eating dolphins may not be good for one's health. The Japanese government said in 2005 that bottlenose dolphin meat contains 12 times more mercury than blue fin tuna -- high levels of mercury in fish can cause health problems in pregnant women and young children. A city councilman in Taiji, Junichiro Yamashita, grew so concerned about mercury levels that he persuaded locals schools to stop serving dolphin meat at lunch. He even plucked some of his hair, sent it off for testing and discovered that it contained seven times as much mercury as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers safe. The mercury findings have not swayed Masaru Matsushita, a Taiji fish dealer. He says that dolphin activists like O'Barry only see their needs without understanding the culture in his town. "I understand that they think the dolphin in a cute animal, and I agree they're cute doing performances," he says, "but it is our culture to eat dolphins." E-mail to a friend .

Dolphin hunts have been carried out in Japanese town for centuries . Westerners protest "barbaric" slaughter of the marine mammals . Local residents say other nations have no right to criticize dolphin hunts . Japanese government has found unsafe mercury levels in dolphins .

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(CNN) -- Italian newspapers, an archbishop and civil liberties campaigners expressed shock and revulsion on Monday after photographs were published of sunbathers apparently enjoying a day at the beach just meters from where the bodies of two drowned Roma girls were laid out on the sand. Photographs of the dead Roma girls on a beach caused outrage in Italy. Italian news agency ANSA reported that the incident had occurred on Saturday at the beach of Torregaveta, west of Naples, southern Italy, where the two girls had earlier been swimming in the sea with two other Roma girls. Reports said they had gone to the beach to beg and sell trinkets. Local news reports said the four girls found themselves in trouble amid fierce waves and strong currents. Emergency services responded 10 minutes after a distress call was made from the beach and two lifeguards attended the girls upon hearing their screams. Two of them were pulled to safety but rescuers failed to reach the other two in time to save them. Watch why the photos have generated anger » . The Web site of the Archbishop of Naples said the girls were cousins named Violetta and Cristina, aged 12 and 13. Their bodies were eventually laid out on the sand under beach towels to await collection by police. Photographs show sunbathers in bikinis and swimming trunks sitting close to where the girls' feet can be seen poking out from under the towels concealing their bodies. A photographer who took photos at the scene told CNN the mood among sunbathers had been one of indifference. Other photos show police officers lifting the bodies into coffins and carrying them away past bathers reclined on sun loungers. "While the lifeless bodies of the girls were still on the sand, there were those who carried on sunbathing or having lunch just a few meters away," Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported. Corriere della Sera said that a crowd of curious onlookers that had formed around the bodies quickly dispersed. "Few left the beach or abandoned their sunbathing. When the police from the mortuary arrived an hour later with coffins, the two girls were carried away between bathers stretched out in the sun." The incident also attracted condemnation from the Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Crecenzio Seppe. "Indifference is not an emotion for human beings," Seppe wrote in his parish blog. "To turn the other way or to mind your own business can sometimes be more devastating than the events that occur." Recent weeks have seen heightened tensions between Italian authorities and the country's Roma minority amid a crackdown by Silvo Berlusconi's government targeting illegal immigrants and talk by government officials of a "Roma emergency" that has seen the 150,000-strong migrant group blamed for rising street crime. That has provided justification for police raids on Roma camps and controversial government plans to fingerprint all Roma -- an act condemned by the European Parliament and United Nations officials as a clear act of racial discrimination. Popular resentment against Romanies has also seen Roma camps near Naples attacked and set on fire with petrol bombs by local residents. In a statement published on its Web site, the Italian civil liberties group EveryOne said Saturday's drowning had occurred in an atmosphere of "racism and horror" and cast doubt on the reported version of events, suggesting that it appeared unusual for the four girls to wade into the sea, apparently casting modesty aside and despite being unable to swim. "The most shocking aspect of all this is the attitude of the people on the beach," the statement said. "No one appears the slightest upset at the sight and presence of the children's dead bodies on the beach: they carry on swimming, sunbathing, sipping soft drinks and chatting." CNN's Jennifer Eccleston contributed to this report.

Italian outrage over photos of sunbathers at a beach where two Roma girls drowned . Photos showed girls' bodies lying on sand covered in beach towels . Newspapers report beach goers eating lunch, sun bathing as bodies carried away . Incident occurred amid heightened tensions between authorities, Roma minority .

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(CNN) -- A Florida company is suspending launch of its "Caylee Sunshine" doll following a public outcry that included members of slain toddler Caylee Anthony's family. The "Caylee Sunshine" doll would have cost $29.99 but sales of the doll have been suspended. Jaime Salcedo, president of Showbiz Promotions, told CNN that the Jacksonville-based company intended for the dolls to honor children who die young and raise money for charity. But on Tuesday the company announced on its Web site that it is suspending the promotion. The dolls were scheduled to go on sale at noon Tuesday for $29.99, according to the company's Web site. The dolls have blond hair, rather than Caylee's brown hair, and wear jeans and a T-shirt that says "Caylee Sunshine." According to the Web site, each doll plays the song "You are My Sunshine." "However, after reviewing the response to our media introduction of the Sunshine Caylee Doll and listening to the advice of the general public, we feel that it is best to suspend the launch," said a statement on the Web site -- called the "Caylee Anthony Tribute Site" -- signed by Salcedo. "While we still feel it is important to raise awareness and raise money to help stop this type of crime from being committed, we feel we can be more effective using traditional methods," the statement said. Watch Nancy Grace grill Salcedo » . Caylee was 2 when she was last seen in June. Her skeletal remains were found last month in woods about a half-mile from her grandparents' home. Her mother, Casey Anthony, 22, faces charges including first-degree murder in her death. "Holding a Caylee Sunshine Doll can help us remember that all the children taken from this world prematurely are dancing, playing and singing their sunshine song forever," the Web site says. Brad Conway, attorney for the girl's grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony, told the Orlando Sentinel on Monday, "This is an example of another person trying to profit from the tragedy of Caylee's death. "He has never met my clients, spoken to my clients and has not gotten authority of any type to do this," Conway said. "And after I have a chance to research it, I will likely take whatever legal action I can." Salcedo appeared Monday night on "Nancy Grace" on CNN's sister network HLN to defend the doll. The criticism, he said, was "not something that we did not expect. We actually have been over it several times ... and for that exact purpose, we did not create the Caylee Sunshine Doll in the likeness of Caylee Anthony. We thought that that would be way off base in this," he said. "The fact that you gave the little doll blond hair, how does that somehow remove the sleaze from this whole thing?" Grace asked. Showbiz Promotions said on the site http://www.cayleedoll.com/ that 100 percent of its profits would be given to charity. Salcedo told Grace that "a portion of the sales are going to charity." He would not be more specific, however, saying he did not know how much would be donated because none have been sold. Salcedo also refused to name the charity that would receive the money. "We contacted a few of the biggest organizations in the world, and especially in the United States," he told Grace. "They don't want to partner up because it's -- it's a policy that they have to follow. They cannot get themselves involved with a case that they're handling." Pressed on the issue, he said he had contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but "their answer was real simple. They don't speak about Caylee Anthony on their Web site. It's not that it's good or bad. They can't do it. They don't raise funds using the name of any children or any situation that they're following. So it was difficult for us. That is the organization that we want to give to." A disclaimer on the site says, "The Inspirational Caylee Doll is being used to bring awareness to missing and exploited children around the world. Any similarities or likeness to Caylee Anthony are false ... CayleeDoll.com is not affiliated with Caylee Anthony, her relatives or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, nor do we make any claim thereof." The "comments" portion of the Web site mainly contains posts from people saying they are disappointed the doll was suspended. "Thank you for making this doll and bringing awareness to the situation because Caylee is not the only child that has fallen victim to this type of crime, and it's heartbreaking that people ignore it and just turn away," one post said. But another post said, "I want to thank you for not proceeding with the making of this doll. I understand your point and what you were trying to do. I just think that making a doll based on a child's death is too painful for the public." "This is just one more atrocity," said a posting on the Orlando Sentinel Web site. "I have no doubt there have been so many people other than myself who literally began to cry when they ran the video of Caylee singing that song just days before she was killed. Thank goodness the public spoke out loudly enough to stop this." Caylee Sunshine T-shirts ($12.99) and bracelets and stickers ($3 each) are still offered for sale on at www.cayleedoll.com. Showbiz Promotions' Internet sales are the subject of an investigation by the Florida attorney general's office, according to the office's Web site. Consumers allege they ordered and paid for merchandise from the company's Web sites, including www.vickdogchewtoy.com and www.wheresmyplea.com, but did not receive the items, the office said. The first Web site offers a dog chew toy in the likeness of Michael Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback who is imprisoned on charges related to dog fighting, for $7.77. The second Web site is no longer operational.

Dolls have blond hair; Caylee Anthony had brown hair . Company planned to charge $29.99 for dolls . President Jaime Salcedo said he hoped to raise awareness, money for charities . Promotion was criticized by public, members of slain tot's family .

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(CNN) -- Paul O'Neill, who was appointed treasury secretary in 2001 by President Bush, says the federal government is not doing enough to fix the U.S. financial system. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill says he's hoping for a "V-shaped" recession. O'Neill appeared on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" on Sunday to talk about his outlook on the recession and what the Treasury Department should demand of major financial institutions in order to get the U.S. economy back on track. Following is an edited transcript of their conversation. Fareed Zakaria: Looking at the current economic crisis, do you think there is any prospect of what people call a "V-shaped recession," that is, a quick recovery? Or are we in for a long, perhaps years of sluggish growth, what economists call an "L-shaped recession"? Paul O'Neill: You know, I've got to tell you, I'm praying for a V- shape. But I'm one who doesn't believe we're going to start moving back up until there is a credible fix for our financial system. And I think, in spite of all of the things that have been done now by the federal government, we're not quite there. If I were secretary, I would do this. I would order the 19 major financial institutions to put on the Internet the classifications of their assets by investment grade rating, beginning with AAAs down through BBB-minuses, which is the final level of investment grade ratings. And for those parts of their asset holdings that can't be rated investment grade -- or, in fact, as they say, can't be valued or can't be fairly valued -- I would create a new device which I call a "quarantine account." One could make a judgment about the value of these institutions, and the institutions could make a self-judgment, about how much more lending capacity they had, if the quarantined assets are set aside. Watch O'Neill offer his advice to Obama administration » . Zakaria: The basic idea -- the basic proposal you're making is transparency. Let everyone understand what's on the banks' books. O'Neill: Right. Zakaria: Isn't that a lot like Tim Geithner's stress test? O'Neill: Well, I don't think so. Let me ask you a question. How do you think it's possible to do a so-called "stress test," if 30 or 40 percent of the assets in the institution can't be valued? Here's another plea I have: If you can't value the assets, please don't buy them with my money. Zakaria: You mean the government shouldn't be buying these toxic -- these assets. So you think the Treasury Department's proposals so far are all wrong. I mean, it sounds like you think they're doing all of the wrong things. O'Neill: Well, you know, excuse me, but I'm not one who cares much for the notion of separating the idea of the government as some disembodied entity that has a life independent of me. The money that they're committing and spending is at least in part mine. I'm a substantial taxpayer, and I don't want my representative to buy assets with my money that I wouldn't buy. Why would I want to do that, Fareed? Why should we want them to do that? Zakaria: But this is a pretty frontal assault then on the Treasury's bank plan so far. O'Neill: Well, you know, I don't mean to be offensive to this administration or the last one, but it seems to me, if you're an intelligent investor, you invest in things where there is truth and transparency. And you have a shot, if you're a good leader, at earning the cost of capital and maybe even something more. And I think that basic principle ought to apply to how our government thinks about what it's doing in the name of "we, the people." You know, I really don't like this idea that somehow the government can do things that intelligent people wouldn't do, and we don't notice. Zakaria: One of the other things the government is doing is running up large deficits. There's this large fiscal expansion. Now, you were opposed to the Bush tax cuts, because of your concern about what they would do to the deficit. At that time, the deficit projection was $500 billion, and to you that seemed just too much. The deficit projections now are going to be in the $1.75 trillion range. There are many people who say, you know what, this is that once-in-a-75-year moment where the government has to spend money because nobody else is spending money. Do you buy that? O'Neill: I think, honestly, I'm not so much worried about the stimulus and its components as I am about what I consider to be an essential job -- to get a floor under the financial system, so that we can go back to economic growth in this country and around the world, because there is no hope until we do that. There's not enough ink in the printing presses at the Federal Reserve to print enough money to fill the void created by the absence of real economic growth in our society and around the world. Zakaria: When you were treasury secretary, you were famously suspicious of the financial sector. I mean, you thought there was a little too much attention being paid to it. You looked around at all those Bloomberg screens in the Treasury Department and said, you know, what do these guys make? In a way, reflecting your background in Alcoa. Do you look at this unraveling and feel like the financial sector and the financial system got overweight and fat? I mean, what happened here? O'Neill: We had a whole lot of people who were the public face of all of this financial activity that got ever more exotic. And I think, in truth, very few of them understood the detailed business activity that was going on underneath them. They were all kind of floating up here in the ether. And I think it's true, if you listen to the commentary, even today, what some of these people are saying, they had no idea what was going on. It just felt really good, and it seemed like they were making a lot of money. Zakaria: And do you think that, on the bank issue, are you hopeful that Geithner may, when he unveils the plan, have some of the components that you're suggesting? Or is it your sense they're just headed in the wrong direction? O'Neill: You know, show us the money. Let us see for ourselves. If I was buying a company, I would not put up with someone else giving me a certification that the assets were worth something. I'd go and look in the boiler room and find out if there's rust on the valves. You know, we're talking about providing the wherewithal for intelligent investors to make decisions that they can rely on the facts. And I think the administration hasn't gotten to the point yet of insisting that the big 19 financial institutions put their facts on the table, and for that matter, a place like General Electric put all of its facts on the table, so investors can make an informed decision. I've said this to some people, and they've said -- some of them have said, "We'd be happy to do that, and we would be OK with that." Some other major financial institutions have said, "Oh, my God, if we did that, people would see how bad it really is." I think knowing how bad it really is, is the only way we're going to create a foundation for going forward, Fareed.

U.S. should demand major financial institutions come clean, ex-Treasury chief says . "There is no hope" until U.S. stabilizes financial system, O'Neill says . O'Neill: Many people in the financial sector "had no idea what was going on"

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Bucking tradition, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will bypass Europe and travel to Asia on her maiden voyage overseas, diplomats familiar with the planning said Tuesday. Bill Clinton looks at his wife Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she is sworn in on February 2. Clinton is expected to visit China, Japan and South Korea on her first trip overseas. The diplomats said she may also add other stops, including one in Southeast Asia. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because Clinton's schedule was still being finalized. The State Department has not commented on her travel plans. Making Asia Clinton's first overseas destination illustrates the Obama administration's desire for a broader partnership with China and its commitment to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, as well as strengthening ties with Tokyo and Seoul, the diplomats said. The White House said President Barack Obama told Chinese President Hu Jintao in a Friday phone call that he looked forward to "to early contacts and exchanges between senior officials of our two countries." Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month she hoped to make an early trip to Southeast Asia, in particular Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation where Obama spent part of his childhood. Clinton said she wanted to restart Peace Corps programs there, which were suspended in the 1960s. Traditionally U.S. secretaries of state make Europe or the Middle East their first official trip overseas. But given that Vice President Joseph Biden is headed to Europe this week for a security conference in Germany, and special envoy George Mitchell is currently in the Middle East, Clinton is free to break with tradition. However British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and German Foreign Secretary Walter Steinmeier will be Clinton's first foreign guests to the State Department on Tuesday. Clinton was sworn in as America's 67th secretary of state on Monday -- for a second time. Watch Clinton being sworn in » . Biden administered the oath to Clinton in a ceremonial star-studded gathering at the State Department, with actor Chevy Chase and designer Oscar de la Renta among those on hand. "It is an overwhelming honor ... to assume this position," Clinton said. "We have a lot of work to do [to ensure that] America's future can be even brighter than our storied past."

Hillary Clinton will bypass Europe and travel to Asia on her maiden voyage overseas . U.S. Secretary of State Clinton expected to visit China, Japan and South Korea . Trip illustrates Obama administration's desire for a broader partnership with China . Trip also highlights commitment to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue .

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(CNN) -- You may have noticed: Clint Eastwood has become respectable in his old age. "Gran Torino," says Tom Charity, is all about Clint Eastwood. And that's a great thing. To judge by the release pattern and some of the more reverent reviews, you would think the 78-year-old director's second movie of the season (after "Changeling") was another prestige picture with Oscar firmly in its sights, along the lines of "Million Dollar Baby" or "Letters from Iwo Jima." Nominations may be forthcoming, or they may not (we'll find out January 22), but trust me, "Gran Torino" is not that kind of animal. It's a crude but pungent stab at popular filmmaking, blue-collar and bare-knuckle. Which is not to say it's disappointing. On the contrary, it's an entertaining star vehicle that does its job well. Other films around right now tackle "important" themes -- the Holocaust, justice, alienation -- but "Gran Torino" is all about Clint: the suspicious squint, granite composure and bad-ass attitude. Is Eastwood important? If you have grown up with this enduring American icon, there's no question about it. Apparently Nick Schenk's screenplay wasn't written specifically for him, but after seeing the film it's impossible to imagine it with anyone else. Eastwood's Walt Kowalski is a Korean War veteran and retired auto worker, a grumpy old man and the last white guy holding on to his property in an inner-city neighborhood that's been taken over by Asian-Americans. The movie opens at his wife's funeral. (How many times have we seen Eastwood with a wife on screen? Not too often.) Walt's not happy, of course, but more than anything, he seems pissed off. His kids are a sore disappointment. The grandkids merit nothing more than a growl. At the wake, even the priest, Father Janovich (freckle-faced Christopher Carley), is quickly shown the door. Walt is alone now, and he means to keep it that way. He sits on a deck chair out on his front porch, a cooler of beer beside him, the American flag hanging limp over his square patch of lawn. It's a portrait of implacable American isolationism -- until the teenage son of his Hmong next-door neighbor encroaches on Walt's turf. Thao (Bee Vang) nearly gets his head blown off trying to steal Walt's prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino. To apologize, and to thank the white guy for stepping in to save him from the gangbangers who put him up to the stunt, Thao reluctantly reports for a week of whatever chores Walt might ask of him. The grudging mutual respect that develops between them is entirely predictable, but in Eastwood's clean, unfussy but discreetly patient direction, even a banal task -- like wrestling an old fridge out of the basement -- assumes the bonding power Alan Ladd and Van Heflin found in digging out a stubborn tree stump in "Shane." Like other Eastwood heroes before him, Walt sacrifices his independence by accepting that others depend on him. The relationship is also laced with plenty of gruff humor. If you're feeling indulgent, the film has almost as many laughs as a comedy. The older man introduces Thao to his barber (John Carroll Lynch) for a lesson in guy talk -- which turns out to be the art of barking invective with impunity. (PC, it's not.) Meanwhile, Walt's own racist (Archie) Bunker mentality thaws when Thao's self-assured sister Sue (Ahney Her) introduces him to the pleasures of Thai food. All the while, the neighborhood punks hover in the background, waiting for the right moment to test whether Dirty Old Harry is firing anything more than blanks these days. Schenk's screenplay isn't subtle, and some of the young cast struggle to camouflage its crudeness, but Eastwood revels in the pragmatic design and roughneck humor of the piece. Walt may be a dinosaur, but he carries a big footprint. In a similar way, "Gran Torino" is no classic, but at least it's a star vehicle worthy of a true legend. "Gran Torino" is rated R and runs 116 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's take, click here.

"Gran Torino" is vintage Eastwood, right down to the attitude . Star vehicle, directed by Eastwood, about old man, his car and neighbors . Movie is made for Eastwood, and Eastwood makes the movie .

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NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- More than 100 people were killed and several dozen wounded when an overturned petrol tanker exploded in Kenya early Sunday, authorities said. The blast is the second multi-fatality incident in the east African country in four days. A supermarket fire in Nairobi on Wednesday killed at least 27 people, with another 57 still missing. The tanker explosion occurred near Molo, a small town in the Rift Valley Province -- about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the capital, a spokesman for the Kenyan police said. The tanker overturned along a highway spilling gallons of gas which hundreds of residents rushed to scoop up, said Titus Mung'ou of the Kenyan Red Cross. "People were lining up trying to get the fuel," he said. "They were siphoning off petrol for over an hour. Some people had drilled holes in the tanker and were charging a fee for the assembled crowd." The vehicle exploded about an hour later, apparently after one of the residents lit a cigarette or started a fire at the crash site, Mung'ou said. Four policemen, who were trying to control the crowd, were believed to be among the victims, Mung'ou said. Another 117 people were wounded in the blast, police said. The figures are expected to rise, officials said. The Red Cross sent more than 80 people to help with rescue efforts. Those who were seriously wounded were flown to a hospital in Nairobi. Meanwhile, the death toll from last week's Nairobi supermarket fire rose to 27 on Sunday, the Red Cross said. Rescue workers found the latest victims as they searched through the rubble of the scorched structure in downtown Nairobi. The fire ignited Wednesday afternoon during a somewhat busy hour in the 24-hour Nakumatt supermarket. Police launched a criminal investigation to look into allegations that security guards locked people into the burning building. Employees of the supermarket refused to comment on the allegations. The fire angered Kenyans for what they perceived as a lack of disaster preparedness. Emergency numbers failed to work and water ran out during attempts to put out the fire, said Mung'ou of the Kenyan Red Cross. "There is the need to strengthen the capacity in handling fires," Mung'ou said.

Tanker explosion occurred near Molo, a small town in the Rift Valley Province . Kenyan Red Cross: Residents rush to scoop up gas from overturned tanker . Vehicle exploded an hour later after a resident lit a fire, Red Cross official says .

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