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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Chinese leaders Monday mourned the death of Zhuo Lin, wife of former national leader Deng Xiaoping.
Zhuo Lin, center, mourns at husband Deng Xiaoping's funeral in 1997.
Zhuo, a former consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office, died July 29 at age 93 and was cremated Monday, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
She was "an excellent Communist Party of China member and time-honored loyal communist fighter," the party said in a written statement.
Zhuo stood by Deng through decades of what CNN once described as "amazing comebacks" from "political purges." Though a committed Communist revolutionary, Deng also was a chief architect of some key reforms that reshaped China's economy.
Zhuo met Deng in 1939 when they were young revolutionaries. She became his third wife and mother of his two sons and three daughters. When Deng rose to prominence as the most powerful leader of China, the family became China's "first family."
Zhuo and Deng remained together until his death in 1997.
Part of their story includes time spent together in exile.
In 1966, Deng proposed major reforms including free markets for farmers and incentive bonuses. He was quickly denounced as a "capitalist roader," a Maoist term used for people embracing capitalist ideals.
He was under house arrest for two years, paraded in a dunce cap through the streets of Beijing and forced to wait tables at a Communist Party school.
In 1969, Deng, Zhuo and several of their children were exiled to Jiangxi province in southeastern China. Deng later said only a personal security team supplied by Chinese leader Mao Zedong protected him from being killed.
As Xinhua reported, Zhuo was Deng's companion "through thick and thin."
When he ascended to power in 1978, Deng argued that "poverty is not socialism" and encouraged the creation of a market economy and capitalist-like enterprises. By the early 1990s his reforms had helped lift an estimated 170 million peasants out of extreme poverty.
But he refused to abolish the power of the Communist Party over the lives of China's citizens. And he apparently approved the brutal suppression of unarmed demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
The remarkable ups and downs of Deng Xiaoping's long political career took a dramatic toll on Deng and Zhuo's children, CNN reported in 1999, "leaving one son crippled from an attack during the Cultural Revolution but, in more recent years, enabling all five Deng heirs to succeed in business, government or the arts."
The Cultural Revolution was initiated by Mao in 1966 to purge reformists and return the country to his style of communism.
Zhuo took on various roles in the Chinese government. In 1978, she was appointed a consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office, Xinhua reported.
"She served as a deputy to the fourth and fifth National People's Congress and was awarded the Independence Merit Medal from the People's Liberation Army in 1988," the news agency said.
"My father and mother did not just share a family, they shared political ideals and life pursuits," said Deng Rong, in a Xinhua report.
According to Xinhua, several leaders and former statesmen attended Zhuo's cremation ceremony, including President Hu Jintao, former President Jiang Zemin, legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao.
"To complete the last trip with her beloved husband, Zhuo chose to have her ashes scattered at sea as her husband's were," Xinhua reported. | What did child say? | [
"not just share a family, they shared political ideals and life pursuits,\""
] | 3f744085efc24254bb09f28040983b17 | [
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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Chinese leaders Monday mourned the death of Zhuo Lin, wife of former national leader Deng Xiaoping.
Zhuo Lin, center, mourns at husband Deng Xiaoping's funeral in 1997.
Zhuo, a former consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office, died July 29 at age 93 and was cremated Monday, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
She was "an excellent Communist Party of China member and time-honored loyal communist fighter," the party said in a written statement.
Zhuo stood by Deng through decades of what CNN once described as "amazing comebacks" from "political purges." Though a committed Communist revolutionary, Deng also was a chief architect of some key reforms that reshaped China's economy.
Zhuo met Deng in 1939 when they were young revolutionaries. She became his third wife and mother of his two sons and three daughters. When Deng rose to prominence as the most powerful leader of China, the family became China's "first family."
Zhuo and Deng remained together until his death in 1997.
Part of their story includes time spent together in exile.
In 1966, Deng proposed major reforms including free markets for farmers and incentive bonuses. He was quickly denounced as a "capitalist roader," a Maoist term used for people embracing capitalist ideals.
He was under house arrest for two years, paraded in a dunce cap through the streets of Beijing and forced to wait tables at a Communist Party school.
In 1969, Deng, Zhuo and several of their children were exiled to Jiangxi province in southeastern China. Deng later said only a personal security team supplied by Chinese leader Mao Zedong protected him from being killed.
As Xinhua reported, Zhuo was Deng's companion "through thick and thin."
When he ascended to power in 1978, Deng argued that "poverty is not socialism" and encouraged the creation of a market economy and capitalist-like enterprises. By the early 1990s his reforms had helped lift an estimated 170 million peasants out of extreme poverty.
But he refused to abolish the power of the Communist Party over the lives of China's citizens. And he apparently approved the brutal suppression of unarmed demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
The remarkable ups and downs of Deng Xiaoping's long political career took a dramatic toll on Deng and Zhuo's children, CNN reported in 1999, "leaving one son crippled from an attack during the Cultural Revolution but, in more recent years, enabling all five Deng heirs to succeed in business, government or the arts."
The Cultural Revolution was initiated by Mao in 1966 to purge reformists and return the country to his style of communism.
Zhuo took on various roles in the Chinese government. In 1978, she was appointed a consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office, Xinhua reported.
"She served as a deputy to the fourth and fifth National People's Congress and was awarded the Independence Merit Medal from the People's Liberation Army in 1988," the news agency said.
"My father and mother did not just share a family, they shared political ideals and life pursuits," said Deng Rong, in a Xinhua report.
According to Xinhua, several leaders and former statesmen attended Zhuo's cremation ceremony, including President Hu Jintao, former President Jiang Zemin, legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao.
"To complete the last trip with her beloved husband, Zhuo chose to have her ashes scattered at sea as her husband's were," Xinhua reported. | Who is the leader of the Chinese Community Party? | [
"Deng Xiaoping."
] | 97fc7f9a345641edb5044a61528e400d | [
{
"end": [
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"start": [
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The rules governing air traffic over New York's Hudson River need to be rewritten to prevent another mishap like this month's fatal collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter, federal safety investigators said Thursday.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this month from the Hudson River.
The recommendation comes three weeks after nine people were killed when the two aircraft collided in the congested airspace bordering Manhattan.
The recommendation is noteworthy both because of its sweeping nature and its timing. Ordinarily, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations at the conclusion of its investigation, which typically take a year.
But in a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said that based on preliminary findings, the safety board is concerned about the "safety of flight" over the Hudson River. She outlined a series of changes, among them requiring that helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly at different altitudes over the river.
She made specific reference to "the performance of air traffic controllers" at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who were monitoring the plane's flight during the August 8 collision.
"The NTSB is concerned with the complacency and inattention to duty evidenced by the actions of the [Teterboro] controller and the supervisor during the events surrounding this accident," Hersman wrote.
Hersman said the pilot of the aircraft requested permission to climb to 3,500 feet minutes before the crash. But because there was no coordination between controllers at Teterboro and Newark airports, controllers did not grant the request, increasing the risk of a collision in Hudson River low-altitude airspace known as the "exclusionary zone," she said.
Pilots in the exclusionary zone are not separated by air traffic controllers, and instead use visual "see and avoid" tactics. The Teterboro controller was making a personal phone call and "was not fully engaged in his duties" in the minutes leading up to the accident, Hersman said. His supervisor, meanwhile, had left the building on a personal errand without informing the controller.
The air traffic controller's inappropriate phone call "likely would not have been permitted" if the supervisor had been in the tower, Hersman said.
The FAA on Thursday did not comment on the NTSB recommendation, but said a task force studying flight operations above the Hudson River will soon submit its findings. And the air traffic controllers union defended its member, saying he had handed off the plane's pilot to another radar tower before the helicopter appeared on his radar scope.
"The NTSB again has rushed to wrongly blame the air traffic controller in this incident," said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The bottom line here is that the controller is not responsible for contributing to this tragic accident. ... We cannot provide traffic advisories to aircraft we are not talking to, cannot see on radar or are not a factor at all."
Forrey said the NTSB "inexplicably" made its recommendations before the FAA task force had finished its job. "The task force is due to release its report next week. So why the rush?" Forrey said.
In its letter, the NTSB asks the FAA to establish a special flight rules area, or SFRA, for the class B exclusion areas near New York City; require vertical separation between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs; require pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA requirements before flight within the area; and conduct a review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot training and familiarization would improve safety. | What is one proposal by NTSB? | [
"FAA to establish a special flight rules area,"
] | c78892e7bf744a1c9c19307844698321 | [
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The rules governing air traffic over New York's Hudson River need to be rewritten to prevent another mishap like this month's fatal collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter, federal safety investigators said Thursday.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this month from the Hudson River.
The recommendation comes three weeks after nine people were killed when the two aircraft collided in the congested airspace bordering Manhattan.
The recommendation is noteworthy both because of its sweeping nature and its timing. Ordinarily, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations at the conclusion of its investigation, which typically take a year.
But in a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said that based on preliminary findings, the safety board is concerned about the "safety of flight" over the Hudson River. She outlined a series of changes, among them requiring that helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly at different altitudes over the river.
She made specific reference to "the performance of air traffic controllers" at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who were monitoring the plane's flight during the August 8 collision.
"The NTSB is concerned with the complacency and inattention to duty evidenced by the actions of the [Teterboro] controller and the supervisor during the events surrounding this accident," Hersman wrote.
Hersman said the pilot of the aircraft requested permission to climb to 3,500 feet minutes before the crash. But because there was no coordination between controllers at Teterboro and Newark airports, controllers did not grant the request, increasing the risk of a collision in Hudson River low-altitude airspace known as the "exclusionary zone," she said.
Pilots in the exclusionary zone are not separated by air traffic controllers, and instead use visual "see and avoid" tactics. The Teterboro controller was making a personal phone call and "was not fully engaged in his duties" in the minutes leading up to the accident, Hersman said. His supervisor, meanwhile, had left the building on a personal errand without informing the controller.
The air traffic controller's inappropriate phone call "likely would not have been permitted" if the supervisor had been in the tower, Hersman said.
The FAA on Thursday did not comment on the NTSB recommendation, but said a task force studying flight operations above the Hudson River will soon submit its findings. And the air traffic controllers union defended its member, saying he had handed off the plane's pilot to another radar tower before the helicopter appeared on his radar scope.
"The NTSB again has rushed to wrongly blame the air traffic controller in this incident," said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The bottom line here is that the controller is not responsible for contributing to this tragic accident. ... We cannot provide traffic advisories to aircraft we are not talking to, cannot see on radar or are not a factor at all."
Forrey said the NTSB "inexplicably" made its recommendations before the FAA task force had finished its job. "The task force is due to release its report next week. So why the rush?" Forrey said.
In its letter, the NTSB asks the FAA to establish a special flight rules area, or SFRA, for the class B exclusion areas near New York City; require vertical separation between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs; require pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA requirements before flight within the area; and conduct a review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot training and familiarization would improve safety. | Who have advised rule changes | [
"NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman"
] | 840a3bad1782432fb3ea361ddcaff31c | [
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The rules governing air traffic over New York's Hudson River need to be rewritten to prevent another mishap like this month's fatal collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter, federal safety investigators said Thursday.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this month from the Hudson River.
The recommendation comes three weeks after nine people were killed when the two aircraft collided in the congested airspace bordering Manhattan.
The recommendation is noteworthy both because of its sweeping nature and its timing. Ordinarily, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations at the conclusion of its investigation, which typically take a year.
But in a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said that based on preliminary findings, the safety board is concerned about the "safety of flight" over the Hudson River. She outlined a series of changes, among them requiring that helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly at different altitudes over the river.
She made specific reference to "the performance of air traffic controllers" at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who were monitoring the plane's flight during the August 8 collision.
"The NTSB is concerned with the complacency and inattention to duty evidenced by the actions of the [Teterboro] controller and the supervisor during the events surrounding this accident," Hersman wrote.
Hersman said the pilot of the aircraft requested permission to climb to 3,500 feet minutes before the crash. But because there was no coordination between controllers at Teterboro and Newark airports, controllers did not grant the request, increasing the risk of a collision in Hudson River low-altitude airspace known as the "exclusionary zone," she said.
Pilots in the exclusionary zone are not separated by air traffic controllers, and instead use visual "see and avoid" tactics. The Teterboro controller was making a personal phone call and "was not fully engaged in his duties" in the minutes leading up to the accident, Hersman said. His supervisor, meanwhile, had left the building on a personal errand without informing the controller.
The air traffic controller's inappropriate phone call "likely would not have been permitted" if the supervisor had been in the tower, Hersman said.
The FAA on Thursday did not comment on the NTSB recommendation, but said a task force studying flight operations above the Hudson River will soon submit its findings. And the air traffic controllers union defended its member, saying he had handed off the plane's pilot to another radar tower before the helicopter appeared on his radar scope.
"The NTSB again has rushed to wrongly blame the air traffic controller in this incident," said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The bottom line here is that the controller is not responsible for contributing to this tragic accident. ... We cannot provide traffic advisories to aircraft we are not talking to, cannot see on radar or are not a factor at all."
Forrey said the NTSB "inexplicably" made its recommendations before the FAA task force had finished its job. "The task force is due to release its report next week. So why the rush?" Forrey said.
In its letter, the NTSB asks the FAA to establish a special flight rules area, or SFRA, for the class B exclusion areas near New York City; require vertical separation between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs; require pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA requirements before flight within the area; and conduct a review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot training and familiarization would improve safety. | What type of aircraft were involved | [
"small plane and a sightseeing helicopter,"
] | 68e20759d67e46218923db435d7c0909 | [
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The rules governing air traffic over New York's Hudson River need to be rewritten to prevent another mishap like this month's fatal collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter, federal safety investigators said Thursday.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this month from the Hudson River.
The recommendation comes three weeks after nine people were killed when the two aircraft collided in the congested airspace bordering Manhattan.
The recommendation is noteworthy both because of its sweeping nature and its timing. Ordinarily, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations at the conclusion of its investigation, which typically take a year.
But in a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said that based on preliminary findings, the safety board is concerned about the "safety of flight" over the Hudson River. She outlined a series of changes, among them requiring that helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly at different altitudes over the river.
She made specific reference to "the performance of air traffic controllers" at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who were monitoring the plane's flight during the August 8 collision.
"The NTSB is concerned with the complacency and inattention to duty evidenced by the actions of the [Teterboro] controller and the supervisor during the events surrounding this accident," Hersman wrote.
Hersman said the pilot of the aircraft requested permission to climb to 3,500 feet minutes before the crash. But because there was no coordination between controllers at Teterboro and Newark airports, controllers did not grant the request, increasing the risk of a collision in Hudson River low-altitude airspace known as the "exclusionary zone," she said.
Pilots in the exclusionary zone are not separated by air traffic controllers, and instead use visual "see and avoid" tactics. The Teterboro controller was making a personal phone call and "was not fully engaged in his duties" in the minutes leading up to the accident, Hersman said. His supervisor, meanwhile, had left the building on a personal errand without informing the controller.
The air traffic controller's inappropriate phone call "likely would not have been permitted" if the supervisor had been in the tower, Hersman said.
The FAA on Thursday did not comment on the NTSB recommendation, but said a task force studying flight operations above the Hudson River will soon submit its findings. And the air traffic controllers union defended its member, saying he had handed off the plane's pilot to another radar tower before the helicopter appeared on his radar scope.
"The NTSB again has rushed to wrongly blame the air traffic controller in this incident," said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The bottom line here is that the controller is not responsible for contributing to this tragic accident. ... We cannot provide traffic advisories to aircraft we are not talking to, cannot see on radar or are not a factor at all."
Forrey said the NTSB "inexplicably" made its recommendations before the FAA task force had finished its job. "The task force is due to release its report next week. So why the rush?" Forrey said.
In its letter, the NTSB asks the FAA to establish a special flight rules area, or SFRA, for the class B exclusion areas near New York City; require vertical separation between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs; require pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA requirements before flight within the area; and conduct a review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot training and familiarization would improve safety. | When did the crash happen? | [
"August 8"
] | 612a4b475b414375960f221baac33f5d | [
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The rules governing air traffic over New York's Hudson River need to be rewritten to prevent another mishap like this month's fatal collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter, federal safety investigators said Thursday.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this month from the Hudson River.
The recommendation comes three weeks after nine people were killed when the two aircraft collided in the congested airspace bordering Manhattan.
The recommendation is noteworthy both because of its sweeping nature and its timing. Ordinarily, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations at the conclusion of its investigation, which typically take a year.
But in a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said that based on preliminary findings, the safety board is concerned about the "safety of flight" over the Hudson River. She outlined a series of changes, among them requiring that helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly at different altitudes over the river.
She made specific reference to "the performance of air traffic controllers" at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who were monitoring the plane's flight during the August 8 collision.
"The NTSB is concerned with the complacency and inattention to duty evidenced by the actions of the [Teterboro] controller and the supervisor during the events surrounding this accident," Hersman wrote.
Hersman said the pilot of the aircraft requested permission to climb to 3,500 feet minutes before the crash. But because there was no coordination between controllers at Teterboro and Newark airports, controllers did not grant the request, increasing the risk of a collision in Hudson River low-altitude airspace known as the "exclusionary zone," she said.
Pilots in the exclusionary zone are not separated by air traffic controllers, and instead use visual "see and avoid" tactics. The Teterboro controller was making a personal phone call and "was not fully engaged in his duties" in the minutes leading up to the accident, Hersman said. His supervisor, meanwhile, had left the building on a personal errand without informing the controller.
The air traffic controller's inappropriate phone call "likely would not have been permitted" if the supervisor had been in the tower, Hersman said.
The FAA on Thursday did not comment on the NTSB recommendation, but said a task force studying flight operations above the Hudson River will soon submit its findings. And the air traffic controllers union defended its member, saying he had handed off the plane's pilot to another radar tower before the helicopter appeared on his radar scope.
"The NTSB again has rushed to wrongly blame the air traffic controller in this incident," said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The bottom line here is that the controller is not responsible for contributing to this tragic accident. ... We cannot provide traffic advisories to aircraft we are not talking to, cannot see on radar or are not a factor at all."
Forrey said the NTSB "inexplicably" made its recommendations before the FAA task force had finished its job. "The task force is due to release its report next week. So why the rush?" Forrey said.
In its letter, the NTSB asks the FAA to establish a special flight rules area, or SFRA, for the class B exclusion areas near New York City; require vertical separation between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs; require pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA requirements before flight within the area; and conduct a review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot training and familiarization would improve safety. | How many perished in the accident? | [
"nine"
] | e6c51aee7c7d48e09aa94f304b42676e | [
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The rules governing air traffic over New York's Hudson River need to be rewritten to prevent another mishap like this month's fatal collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter, federal safety investigators said Thursday.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this month from the Hudson River.
The recommendation comes three weeks after nine people were killed when the two aircraft collided in the congested airspace bordering Manhattan.
The recommendation is noteworthy both because of its sweeping nature and its timing. Ordinarily, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations at the conclusion of its investigation, which typically take a year.
But in a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said that based on preliminary findings, the safety board is concerned about the "safety of flight" over the Hudson River. She outlined a series of changes, among them requiring that helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly at different altitudes over the river.
She made specific reference to "the performance of air traffic controllers" at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who were monitoring the plane's flight during the August 8 collision.
"The NTSB is concerned with the complacency and inattention to duty evidenced by the actions of the [Teterboro] controller and the supervisor during the events surrounding this accident," Hersman wrote.
Hersman said the pilot of the aircraft requested permission to climb to 3,500 feet minutes before the crash. But because there was no coordination between controllers at Teterboro and Newark airports, controllers did not grant the request, increasing the risk of a collision in Hudson River low-altitude airspace known as the "exclusionary zone," she said.
Pilots in the exclusionary zone are not separated by air traffic controllers, and instead use visual "see and avoid" tactics. The Teterboro controller was making a personal phone call and "was not fully engaged in his duties" in the minutes leading up to the accident, Hersman said. His supervisor, meanwhile, had left the building on a personal errand without informing the controller.
The air traffic controller's inappropriate phone call "likely would not have been permitted" if the supervisor had been in the tower, Hersman said.
The FAA on Thursday did not comment on the NTSB recommendation, but said a task force studying flight operations above the Hudson River will soon submit its findings. And the air traffic controllers union defended its member, saying he had handed off the plane's pilot to another radar tower before the helicopter appeared on his radar scope.
"The NTSB again has rushed to wrongly blame the air traffic controller in this incident," said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The bottom line here is that the controller is not responsible for contributing to this tragic accident. ... We cannot provide traffic advisories to aircraft we are not talking to, cannot see on radar or are not a factor at all."
Forrey said the NTSB "inexplicably" made its recommendations before the FAA task force had finished its job. "The task force is due to release its report next week. So why the rush?" Forrey said.
In its letter, the NTSB asks the FAA to establish a special flight rules area, or SFRA, for the class B exclusion areas near New York City; require vertical separation between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs; require pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA requirements before flight within the area; and conduct a review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot training and familiarization would improve safety. | How many people died? | [
"nine"
] | 099e0f16a40f4e25aeb380739e12f957 | [
{
"end": [
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402
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}
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The rules governing air traffic over New York's Hudson River need to be rewritten to prevent another mishap like this month's fatal collision of a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter, federal safety investigators said Thursday.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this month from the Hudson River.
The recommendation comes three weeks after nine people were killed when the two aircraft collided in the congested airspace bordering Manhattan.
The recommendation is noteworthy both because of its sweeping nature and its timing. Ordinarily, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations at the conclusion of its investigation, which typically take a year.
But in a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said that based on preliminary findings, the safety board is concerned about the "safety of flight" over the Hudson River. She outlined a series of changes, among them requiring that helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly at different altitudes over the river.
She made specific reference to "the performance of air traffic controllers" at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who were monitoring the plane's flight during the August 8 collision.
"The NTSB is concerned with the complacency and inattention to duty evidenced by the actions of the [Teterboro] controller and the supervisor during the events surrounding this accident," Hersman wrote.
Hersman said the pilot of the aircraft requested permission to climb to 3,500 feet minutes before the crash. But because there was no coordination between controllers at Teterboro and Newark airports, controllers did not grant the request, increasing the risk of a collision in Hudson River low-altitude airspace known as the "exclusionary zone," she said.
Pilots in the exclusionary zone are not separated by air traffic controllers, and instead use visual "see and avoid" tactics. The Teterboro controller was making a personal phone call and "was not fully engaged in his duties" in the minutes leading up to the accident, Hersman said. His supervisor, meanwhile, had left the building on a personal errand without informing the controller.
The air traffic controller's inappropriate phone call "likely would not have been permitted" if the supervisor had been in the tower, Hersman said.
The FAA on Thursday did not comment on the NTSB recommendation, but said a task force studying flight operations above the Hudson River will soon submit its findings. And the air traffic controllers union defended its member, saying he had handed off the plane's pilot to another radar tower before the helicopter appeared on his radar scope.
"The NTSB again has rushed to wrongly blame the air traffic controller in this incident," said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "The bottom line here is that the controller is not responsible for contributing to this tragic accident. ... We cannot provide traffic advisories to aircraft we are not talking to, cannot see on radar or are not a factor at all."
Forrey said the NTSB "inexplicably" made its recommendations before the FAA task force had finished its job. "The task force is due to release its report next week. So why the rush?" Forrey said.
In its letter, the NTSB asks the FAA to establish a special flight rules area, or SFRA, for the class B exclusion areas near New York City; require vertical separation between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs; require pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA requirements before flight within the area; and conduct a review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot training and familiarization would improve safety. | Where was the crash on August 8th? | [
"Hudson River"
] | 237f609adb2340b9b0e49988cd16fc64 | [
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Bountiful, Utah (CNN) -- It was two weeks after D-Day, a few miles from the bloody shores of Omaha Beach. An airstrip had been carved out of the Normandy countryside, costing the lives of 28 Army engineers at the hands of German snipers.
A lone sniper still remained in the nighttime distance.
Despite the risk, Capt. Jack Tueller felt compelled to play his trumpet.
That afternoon, his P-47 fighter group had caught up with a retreating German Panzer division. As the U.S. Thunderbolts descended on their targets, they saw French women and children on top of the tanks. After an initial fly-by, the order was given to attack anyway.
"We were told those human shields were expendable," Tueller said.
Back at the airstrip, Tueller took out his trumpet. He'd used it on many a starlit night to entertain the men of the 508th Squadron 404th Fighter Group.
"I was told, 'Captain, don't play tonight; your trumpet makes the most glorious sound,' but I was stressed," he said. He was so troubled that he was willing to take a chance the sniper wouldn't fire.
"I thought to myself, that German sniper is as lonely and scared as I am. How can I stop him from firing? So I played that German's love song, 'Lilly Marlene,' made famous in the late '30s by Marlene Dietrich, the famous German actress. And I wailed that trumpet over those apple orchards of Normandy, and he didn't fire."
The next morning, the military police came up to Tueller and told him they had a German prisoner on the beach who kept asking, "Who played that trumpet last night?"
"I grabbed my trumpet and went down to the beach. There was a 19-year-old German, scared and lonesome. He was dressed like a French peasant to cloak his role as a sniper. And, crying, he said, 'I couldn't fire because I thought of my fiancé. I thought of my mother and father,' and he says, 'My role is finished.'
"He stuck out his hand, and I shook the hand of the enemy," Tueller said. "[But] he was no enemy, because music had soothed the savage beast."
"Boy, you have strong lips"
Tueller had learned to play the trumpet as a child growing up in Wyoming. His mother, a nurse, died at 29, and his father, a bartender and alcoholic, left the next day -- leaving Jack and his brother, Bob, orphans.
They left their home in Superior to live with an aunt in nearby Evanston. She gave Jack his first trumpet, and he quickly discovered he had a musical ear.
"In 1939, I was playing in Yellowstone Park in a dance band of 22 musicians at Lake Hotel. The famous trumpet player Louis Armstrong came up to the band during intermission and said, 'You sound pretty good for white cats,' " Tueller recalled.
He asked Armstrong what advice he would give a young trumpet player. "He said, 'Always play the melody, man. Look at them, see their age group, play their love songs, and you'll carry all the money to the bank.' "
Tueller enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he met his future wife and fellow trumpeter, Marjorie.
"This beautiful brown-haired gal with luscious lips said, 'Did you play the trumpet solo at the freshman assembly?' And I said, 'Yes, ma'am, I did.' She said, 'Boy, you have strong lips.' Being a sophomore, I said, 'Would you like to try me?' She nodded, and I went over and kissed her."
In 1941, as war clouds gathered, Jack enlisted in the Army and was sent to fighter school because he was an "individualist," he said.
"I wanted to fly it, fire it, navigate | What did Louis Armstrong tell him? | [
"'You sound pretty good for white cats,'"
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Bountiful, Utah (CNN) -- It was two weeks after D-Day, a few miles from the bloody shores of Omaha Beach. An airstrip had been carved out of the Normandy countryside, costing the lives of 28 Army engineers at the hands of German snipers.
A lone sniper still remained in the nighttime distance.
Despite the risk, Capt. Jack Tueller felt compelled to play his trumpet.
That afternoon, his P-47 fighter group had caught up with a retreating German Panzer division. As the U.S. Thunderbolts descended on their targets, they saw French women and children on top of the tanks. After an initial fly-by, the order was given to attack anyway.
"We were told those human shields were expendable," Tueller said.
Back at the airstrip, Tueller took out his trumpet. He'd used it on many a starlit night to entertain the men of the 508th Squadron 404th Fighter Group.
"I was told, 'Captain, don't play tonight; your trumpet makes the most glorious sound,' but I was stressed," he said. He was so troubled that he was willing to take a chance the sniper wouldn't fire.
"I thought to myself, that German sniper is as lonely and scared as I am. How can I stop him from firing? So I played that German's love song, 'Lilly Marlene,' made famous in the late '30s by Marlene Dietrich, the famous German actress. And I wailed that trumpet over those apple orchards of Normandy, and he didn't fire."
The next morning, the military police came up to Tueller and told him they had a German prisoner on the beach who kept asking, "Who played that trumpet last night?"
"I grabbed my trumpet and went down to the beach. There was a 19-year-old German, scared and lonesome. He was dressed like a French peasant to cloak his role as a sniper. And, crying, he said, 'I couldn't fire because I thought of my fiancé. I thought of my mother and father,' and he says, 'My role is finished.'
"He stuck out his hand, and I shook the hand of the enemy," Tueller said. "[But] he was no enemy, because music had soothed the savage beast."
"Boy, you have strong lips"
Tueller had learned to play the trumpet as a child growing up in Wyoming. His mother, a nurse, died at 29, and his father, a bartender and alcoholic, left the next day -- leaving Jack and his brother, Bob, orphans.
They left their home in Superior to live with an aunt in nearby Evanston. She gave Jack his first trumpet, and he quickly discovered he had a musical ear.
"In 1939, I was playing in Yellowstone Park in a dance band of 22 musicians at Lake Hotel. The famous trumpet player Louis Armstrong came up to the band during intermission and said, 'You sound pretty good for white cats,' " Tueller recalled.
He asked Armstrong what advice he would give a young trumpet player. "He said, 'Always play the melody, man. Look at them, see their age group, play their love songs, and you'll carry all the money to the bank.' "
Tueller enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he met his future wife and fellow trumpeter, Marjorie.
"This beautiful brown-haired gal with luscious lips said, 'Did you play the trumpet solo at the freshman assembly?' And I said, 'Yes, ma'am, I did.' She said, 'Boy, you have strong lips.' Being a sophomore, I said, 'Would you like to try me?' She nodded, and I went over and kissed her."
In 1941, as war clouds gathered, Jack enlisted in the Army and was sent to fighter school because he was an "individualist," he said.
"I wanted to fly it, fire it, navigate | What did Louis Armstrong say to Jack Tueller? | [
"'You sound pretty good for white cats,'"
] | d87e5f9293d5471caae1bce14cd34e1b | [
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Bountiful, Utah (CNN) -- It was two weeks after D-Day, a few miles from the bloody shores of Omaha Beach. An airstrip had been carved out of the Normandy countryside, costing the lives of 28 Army engineers at the hands of German snipers.
A lone sniper still remained in the nighttime distance.
Despite the risk, Capt. Jack Tueller felt compelled to play his trumpet.
That afternoon, his P-47 fighter group had caught up with a retreating German Panzer division. As the U.S. Thunderbolts descended on their targets, they saw French women and children on top of the tanks. After an initial fly-by, the order was given to attack anyway.
"We were told those human shields were expendable," Tueller said.
Back at the airstrip, Tueller took out his trumpet. He'd used it on many a starlit night to entertain the men of the 508th Squadron 404th Fighter Group.
"I was told, 'Captain, don't play tonight; your trumpet makes the most glorious sound,' but I was stressed," he said. He was so troubled that he was willing to take a chance the sniper wouldn't fire.
"I thought to myself, that German sniper is as lonely and scared as I am. How can I stop him from firing? So I played that German's love song, 'Lilly Marlene,' made famous in the late '30s by Marlene Dietrich, the famous German actress. And I wailed that trumpet over those apple orchards of Normandy, and he didn't fire."
The next morning, the military police came up to Tueller and told him they had a German prisoner on the beach who kept asking, "Who played that trumpet last night?"
"I grabbed my trumpet and went down to the beach. There was a 19-year-old German, scared and lonesome. He was dressed like a French peasant to cloak his role as a sniper. And, crying, he said, 'I couldn't fire because I thought of my fiancé. I thought of my mother and father,' and he says, 'My role is finished.'
"He stuck out his hand, and I shook the hand of the enemy," Tueller said. "[But] he was no enemy, because music had soothed the savage beast."
"Boy, you have strong lips"
Tueller had learned to play the trumpet as a child growing up in Wyoming. His mother, a nurse, died at 29, and his father, a bartender and alcoholic, left the next day -- leaving Jack and his brother, Bob, orphans.
They left their home in Superior to live with an aunt in nearby Evanston. She gave Jack his first trumpet, and he quickly discovered he had a musical ear.
"In 1939, I was playing in Yellowstone Park in a dance band of 22 musicians at Lake Hotel. The famous trumpet player Louis Armstrong came up to the band during intermission and said, 'You sound pretty good for white cats,' " Tueller recalled.
He asked Armstrong what advice he would give a young trumpet player. "He said, 'Always play the melody, man. Look at them, see their age group, play their love songs, and you'll carry all the money to the bank.' "
Tueller enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he met his future wife and fellow trumpeter, Marjorie.
"This beautiful brown-haired gal with luscious lips said, 'Did you play the trumpet solo at the freshman assembly?' And I said, 'Yes, ma'am, I did.' She said, 'Boy, you have strong lips.' Being a sophomore, I said, 'Would you like to try me?' She nodded, and I went over and kissed her."
In 1941, as war clouds gathered, Jack enlisted in the Army and was sent to fighter school because he was an "individualist," he said.
"I wanted to fly it, fire it, navigate | What did Tueller do during World War II? | [
"play his trumpet."
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Bountiful, Utah (CNN) -- It was two weeks after D-Day, a few miles from the bloody shores of Omaha Beach. An airstrip had been carved out of the Normandy countryside, costing the lives of 28 Army engineers at the hands of German snipers.
A lone sniper still remained in the nighttime distance.
Despite the risk, Capt. Jack Tueller felt compelled to play his trumpet.
That afternoon, his P-47 fighter group had caught up with a retreating German Panzer division. As the U.S. Thunderbolts descended on their targets, they saw French women and children on top of the tanks. After an initial fly-by, the order was given to attack anyway.
"We were told those human shields were expendable," Tueller said.
Back at the airstrip, Tueller took out his trumpet. He'd used it on many a starlit night to entertain the men of the 508th Squadron 404th Fighter Group.
"I was told, 'Captain, don't play tonight; your trumpet makes the most glorious sound,' but I was stressed," he said. He was so troubled that he was willing to take a chance the sniper wouldn't fire.
"I thought to myself, that German sniper is as lonely and scared as I am. How can I stop him from firing? So I played that German's love song, 'Lilly Marlene,' made famous in the late '30s by Marlene Dietrich, the famous German actress. And I wailed that trumpet over those apple orchards of Normandy, and he didn't fire."
The next morning, the military police came up to Tueller and told him they had a German prisoner on the beach who kept asking, "Who played that trumpet last night?"
"I grabbed my trumpet and went down to the beach. There was a 19-year-old German, scared and lonesome. He was dressed like a French peasant to cloak his role as a sniper. And, crying, he said, 'I couldn't fire because I thought of my fiancé. I thought of my mother and father,' and he says, 'My role is finished.'
"He stuck out his hand, and I shook the hand of the enemy," Tueller said. "[But] he was no enemy, because music had soothed the savage beast."
"Boy, you have strong lips"
Tueller had learned to play the trumpet as a child growing up in Wyoming. His mother, a nurse, died at 29, and his father, a bartender and alcoholic, left the next day -- leaving Jack and his brother, Bob, orphans.
They left their home in Superior to live with an aunt in nearby Evanston. She gave Jack his first trumpet, and he quickly discovered he had a musical ear.
"In 1939, I was playing in Yellowstone Park in a dance band of 22 musicians at Lake Hotel. The famous trumpet player Louis Armstrong came up to the band during intermission and said, 'You sound pretty good for white cats,' " Tueller recalled.
He asked Armstrong what advice he would give a young trumpet player. "He said, 'Always play the melody, man. Look at them, see their age group, play their love songs, and you'll carry all the money to the bank.' "
Tueller enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he met his future wife and fellow trumpeter, Marjorie.
"This beautiful brown-haired gal with luscious lips said, 'Did you play the trumpet solo at the freshman assembly?' And I said, 'Yes, ma'am, I did.' She said, 'Boy, you have strong lips.' Being a sophomore, I said, 'Would you like to try me?' She nodded, and I went over and kissed her."
In 1941, as war clouds gathered, Jack enlisted in the Army and was sent to fighter school because he was an "individualist," he said.
"I wanted to fly it, fire it, navigate | What did Jack Tueller learn to play growing up? | [
"his trumpet."
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Bountiful, Utah (CNN) -- It was two weeks after D-Day, a few miles from the bloody shores of Omaha Beach. An airstrip had been carved out of the Normandy countryside, costing the lives of 28 Army engineers at the hands of German snipers.
A lone sniper still remained in the nighttime distance.
Despite the risk, Capt. Jack Tueller felt compelled to play his trumpet.
That afternoon, his P-47 fighter group had caught up with a retreating German Panzer division. As the U.S. Thunderbolts descended on their targets, they saw French women and children on top of the tanks. After an initial fly-by, the order was given to attack anyway.
"We were told those human shields were expendable," Tueller said.
Back at the airstrip, Tueller took out his trumpet. He'd used it on many a starlit night to entertain the men of the 508th Squadron 404th Fighter Group.
"I was told, 'Captain, don't play tonight; your trumpet makes the most glorious sound,' but I was stressed," he said. He was so troubled that he was willing to take a chance the sniper wouldn't fire.
"I thought to myself, that German sniper is as lonely and scared as I am. How can I stop him from firing? So I played that German's love song, 'Lilly Marlene,' made famous in the late '30s by Marlene Dietrich, the famous German actress. And I wailed that trumpet over those apple orchards of Normandy, and he didn't fire."
The next morning, the military police came up to Tueller and told him they had a German prisoner on the beach who kept asking, "Who played that trumpet last night?"
"I grabbed my trumpet and went down to the beach. There was a 19-year-old German, scared and lonesome. He was dressed like a French peasant to cloak his role as a sniper. And, crying, he said, 'I couldn't fire because I thought of my fiancé. I thought of my mother and father,' and he says, 'My role is finished.'
"He stuck out his hand, and I shook the hand of the enemy," Tueller said. "[But] he was no enemy, because music had soothed the savage beast."
"Boy, you have strong lips"
Tueller had learned to play the trumpet as a child growing up in Wyoming. His mother, a nurse, died at 29, and his father, a bartender and alcoholic, left the next day -- leaving Jack and his brother, Bob, orphans.
They left their home in Superior to live with an aunt in nearby Evanston. She gave Jack his first trumpet, and he quickly discovered he had a musical ear.
"In 1939, I was playing in Yellowstone Park in a dance band of 22 musicians at Lake Hotel. The famous trumpet player Louis Armstrong came up to the band during intermission and said, 'You sound pretty good for white cats,' " Tueller recalled.
He asked Armstrong what advice he would give a young trumpet player. "He said, 'Always play the melody, man. Look at them, see their age group, play their love songs, and you'll carry all the money to the bank.' "
Tueller enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he met his future wife and fellow trumpeter, Marjorie.
"This beautiful brown-haired gal with luscious lips said, 'Did you play the trumpet solo at the freshman assembly?' And I said, 'Yes, ma'am, I did.' She said, 'Boy, you have strong lips.' Being a sophomore, I said, 'Would you like to try me?' She nodded, and I went over and kissed her."
In 1941, as war clouds gathered, Jack enlisted in the Army and was sent to fighter school because he was an "individualist," he said.
"I wanted to fly it, fire it, navigate | What musicians have military experience? | [
"Capt. Jack Tueller"
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Bountiful, Utah (CNN) -- It was two weeks after D-Day, a few miles from the bloody shores of Omaha Beach. An airstrip had been carved out of the Normandy countryside, costing the lives of 28 Army engineers at the hands of German snipers.
A lone sniper still remained in the nighttime distance.
Despite the risk, Capt. Jack Tueller felt compelled to play his trumpet.
That afternoon, his P-47 fighter group had caught up with a retreating German Panzer division. As the U.S. Thunderbolts descended on their targets, they saw French women and children on top of the tanks. After an initial fly-by, the order was given to attack anyway.
"We were told those human shields were expendable," Tueller said.
Back at the airstrip, Tueller took out his trumpet. He'd used it on many a starlit night to entertain the men of the 508th Squadron 404th Fighter Group.
"I was told, 'Captain, don't play tonight; your trumpet makes the most glorious sound,' but I was stressed," he said. He was so troubled that he was willing to take a chance the sniper wouldn't fire.
"I thought to myself, that German sniper is as lonely and scared as I am. How can I stop him from firing? So I played that German's love song, 'Lilly Marlene,' made famous in the late '30s by Marlene Dietrich, the famous German actress. And I wailed that trumpet over those apple orchards of Normandy, and he didn't fire."
The next morning, the military police came up to Tueller and told him they had a German prisoner on the beach who kept asking, "Who played that trumpet last night?"
"I grabbed my trumpet and went down to the beach. There was a 19-year-old German, scared and lonesome. He was dressed like a French peasant to cloak his role as a sniper. And, crying, he said, 'I couldn't fire because I thought of my fiancé. I thought of my mother and father,' and he says, 'My role is finished.'
"He stuck out his hand, and I shook the hand of the enemy," Tueller said. "[But] he was no enemy, because music had soothed the savage beast."
"Boy, you have strong lips"
Tueller had learned to play the trumpet as a child growing up in Wyoming. His mother, a nurse, died at 29, and his father, a bartender and alcoholic, left the next day -- leaving Jack and his brother, Bob, orphans.
They left their home in Superior to live with an aunt in nearby Evanston. She gave Jack his first trumpet, and he quickly discovered he had a musical ear.
"In 1939, I was playing in Yellowstone Park in a dance band of 22 musicians at Lake Hotel. The famous trumpet player Louis Armstrong came up to the band during intermission and said, 'You sound pretty good for white cats,' " Tueller recalled.
He asked Armstrong what advice he would give a young trumpet player. "He said, 'Always play the melody, man. Look at them, see their age group, play their love songs, and you'll carry all the money to the bank.' "
Tueller enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he met his future wife and fellow trumpeter, Marjorie.
"This beautiful brown-haired gal with luscious lips said, 'Did you play the trumpet solo at the freshman assembly?' And I said, 'Yes, ma'am, I did.' She said, 'Boy, you have strong lips.' Being a sophomore, I said, 'Would you like to try me?' She nodded, and I went over and kissed her."
In 1941, as war clouds gathered, Jack enlisted in the Army and was sent to fighter school because he was an "individualist," he said.
"I wanted to fly it, fire it, navigate | Where did Jack Tueller grow up? | [
"Wyoming."
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(CNN) -- "Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh," says scientist Mark Roth. But he's not referring to the plot of a "Star Trek" episode.
Roth is completely serious about using lessons he's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma. He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach, California, in February.
The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007, Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead. More remarkably, they were able to restore the animals to normal life, with no apparent damage.
Read more about Roth on TED.com
The Web site of Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, describes the research this way: "We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen."
Visit Mark Roth's laboratory
Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic in larger quantities, to lower metabolism. In his talk, he imagined that "in the not too distant future, an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide, or some related compound, to a person suffering severe injuries, and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home.
"That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need. And then, after they get that care ... they'll wake up. A miracle? We hope not, or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common." | What type of talk did he discuss this process? | [
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(CNN) -- "Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh," says scientist Mark Roth. But he's not referring to the plot of a "Star Trek" episode.
Roth is completely serious about using lessons he's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma. He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach, California, in February.
The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007, Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead. More remarkably, they were able to restore the animals to normal life, with no apparent damage.
Read more about Roth on TED.com
The Web site of Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, describes the research this way: "We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen."
Visit Mark Roth's laboratory
Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic in larger quantities, to lower metabolism. In his talk, he imagined that "in the not too distant future, an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide, or some related compound, to a person suffering severe injuries, and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home.
"That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need. And then, after they get that care ... they'll wake up. A miracle? We hope not, or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common." | What will this technique possibly lead to? | [
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] | 208286de6a364c228ade5891f2c4b534 | [
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(CNN) -- "Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh," says scientist Mark Roth. But he's not referring to the plot of a "Star Trek" episode.
Roth is completely serious about using lessons he's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma. He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach, California, in February.
The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007, Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead. More remarkably, they were able to restore the animals to normal life, with no apparent damage.
Read more about Roth on TED.com
The Web site of Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, describes the research this way: "We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen."
Visit Mark Roth's laboratory
Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic in larger quantities, to lower metabolism. In his talk, he imagined that "in the not too distant future, an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide, or some related compound, to a person suffering severe injuries, and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home.
"That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need. And then, after they get that care ... they'll wake up. A miracle? We hope not, or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common." | What is Mark Roth studying? | [
"putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma."
] | fc4679a4f55747e6a4ef465647f82b92 | [
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(CNN) -- "Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh," says scientist Mark Roth. But he's not referring to the plot of a "Star Trek" episode.
Roth is completely serious about using lessons he's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma. He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach, California, in February.
The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007, Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead. More remarkably, they were able to restore the animals to normal life, with no apparent damage.
Read more about Roth on TED.com
The Web site of Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, describes the research this way: "We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen."
Visit Mark Roth's laboratory
Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic in larger quantities, to lower metabolism. In his talk, he imagined that "in the not too distant future, an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide, or some related compound, to a person suffering severe injuries, and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home.
"That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need. And then, after they get that care ... they'll wake up. A miracle? We hope not, or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common." | Who is Mark Roth? | [
"scientist"
] | 06c68dba4f91467bb247576140cd9724 | [
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(CNN) -- "Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh," says scientist Mark Roth. But he's not referring to the plot of a "Star Trek" episode.
Roth is completely serious about using lessons he's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma. He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach, California, in February.
The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007, Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead. More remarkably, they were able to restore the animals to normal life, with no apparent damage.
Read more about Roth on TED.com
The Web site of Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, describes the research this way: "We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen."
Visit Mark Roth's laboratory
Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic in larger quantities, to lower metabolism. In his talk, he imagined that "in the not too distant future, an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide, or some related compound, to a person suffering severe injuries, and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home.
"That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need. And then, after they get that care ... they'll wake up. A miracle? We hope not, or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common." | What did his lab achieve? | [
"suspended animation"
] | 76b999660cd44079a75ec1e6c307997e | [
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(CNN) -- "Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh," says scientist Mark Roth. But he's not referring to the plot of a "Star Trek" episode.
Roth is completely serious about using lessons he's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma. He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach, California, in February.
The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007, Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead. More remarkably, they were able to restore the animals to normal life, with no apparent damage.
Read more about Roth on TED.com
The Web site of Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, describes the research this way: "We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen."
Visit Mark Roth's laboratory
Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic in larger quantities, to lower metabolism. In his talk, he imagined that "in the not too distant future, an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide, or some related compound, to a person suffering severe injuries, and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home.
"That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need. And then, after they get that care ... they'll wake up. A miracle? We hope not, or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common." | Will the animals suffer any lasting damage? | [
"no"
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(CNN) -- "Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh," says scientist Mark Roth. But he's not referring to the plot of a "Star Trek" episode.
Roth is completely serious about using lessons he's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma. He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach, California, in February.
The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007, Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead. More remarkably, they were able to restore the animals to normal life, with no apparent damage.
Read more about Roth on TED.com
The Web site of Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, describes the research this way: "We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen."
Visit Mark Roth's laboratory
Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is toxic in larger quantities, to lower metabolism. In his talk, he imagined that "in the not too distant future, an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide, or some related compound, to a person suffering severe injuries, and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home.
"That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need. And then, after they get that care ... they'll wake up. A miracle? We hope not, or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common." | Who is studying suspended animation? | [
"Mark Roth."
] | af6373594d764ecb87022d6e6e0bac32 | [
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BELGRADE, Montana (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday took his push for a health care overhaul to traditionally conservative Montana, saying a bill to extend coverage to the uninsured while helping those already with coverage will pass this year.
President Obama discusses his health care plans Friday at a meeting in Belgrade, Montana.
However, an influential Democratic representative said the House would only pass a health care bill in January or later, signaling continuing rifts within Obama's party on his domestic priority for 2009.
"We're taking some time to make sure it's done right," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. "I don't know that we'll get something done before January, and even then we may not get it done. We're going to do it right when it's finally done."
Obama told a largely supportive Montana audience at his second of three town hall meetings this week that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs of treatment. He sought questions from skeptics of his proposed health care overhaul, seeking to confront some misconceptions fueled by opponents Democrats say are undermining the debate.
One man who identified himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and believer in the Constitution asked how the government would pay to expand health insurance coverage to 46 million uninsured people.
"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this," said the questioner, Randy Rathie, a welder from Ekalaka, Montana. "The only way you're going to get the money is to raise our taxes. That's the only way you can do that."
Obama responded with his oft-repeated explanation that two-thirds of the cost of overhauling health care -- estimated at about $900 billion over 10 years -- would come from eliminating waste and improving efficiency in the current system, which includes the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and impoverished.
The rest would have to come from new revenue, he agreed with the questioner, and he called for reducing the amount of deductions that people making more than $250,000 a year can make on their income taxes.
"If we did that alone, just that change alone ... that would raise enough to pay for health care reform," Obama said, noting that would meet his election campaign pledge to avoid any tax increase on people earning less than $250,000 a year.
However, Obama said some taxes would have to be raised, and the crowd applauded when he said he believes people with more money, like himself, ought to pay a heavier burden.
"We've got to get over this notion that we can have something for nothing," Obama said. "That's how we got into this deficit and this debt in the first place."
In reference to emotional and heated debate at some other town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks, Obama told Rathie, "I appreciate your question, the respectful way you asked it, and by the way, I also believe in the Constitution."
Afterward, Rathie said he was impressed by Obama's performance but remained skeptical.
"I don't think he knows where that money's going to come from," he said. "If he does, he's not saying."
Obama noted there is more work to be done, with Congress seeking to merge at least four bills, along with a possible compromise agreement being negotiated by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and five other members of his Senate Finance Committee, into a single bill in September.
Another questioner chosen when Obama asked for a skeptic identified himself as an insurance provider who wanted to know why Obama and Democrats are vilifying the insurance industry in the health care debate. Earlier in the meeting, Obama described what he called discriminatory practices by insurance companies that dropped coverage of people who became sick or refused to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Obama noted some insurance companies are contributing to the reform debate, but said others are spending millions of dollars to try to defeat any health care legislation. For a health care overhaul | What does Obama say? | [
"that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs"
] | 5e21f1d5e1a94c5b9fbe1e6417221e86 | [
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BELGRADE, Montana (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday took his push for a health care overhaul to traditionally conservative Montana, saying a bill to extend coverage to the uninsured while helping those already with coverage will pass this year.
President Obama discusses his health care plans Friday at a meeting in Belgrade, Montana.
However, an influential Democratic representative said the House would only pass a health care bill in January or later, signaling continuing rifts within Obama's party on his domestic priority for 2009.
"We're taking some time to make sure it's done right," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. "I don't know that we'll get something done before January, and even then we may not get it done. We're going to do it right when it's finally done."
Obama told a largely supportive Montana audience at his second of three town hall meetings this week that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs of treatment. He sought questions from skeptics of his proposed health care overhaul, seeking to confront some misconceptions fueled by opponents Democrats say are undermining the debate.
One man who identified himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and believer in the Constitution asked how the government would pay to expand health insurance coverage to 46 million uninsured people.
"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this," said the questioner, Randy Rathie, a welder from Ekalaka, Montana. "The only way you're going to get the money is to raise our taxes. That's the only way you can do that."
Obama responded with his oft-repeated explanation that two-thirds of the cost of overhauling health care -- estimated at about $900 billion over 10 years -- would come from eliminating waste and improving efficiency in the current system, which includes the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and impoverished.
The rest would have to come from new revenue, he agreed with the questioner, and he called for reducing the amount of deductions that people making more than $250,000 a year can make on their income taxes.
"If we did that alone, just that change alone ... that would raise enough to pay for health care reform," Obama said, noting that would meet his election campaign pledge to avoid any tax increase on people earning less than $250,000 a year.
However, Obama said some taxes would have to be raised, and the crowd applauded when he said he believes people with more money, like himself, ought to pay a heavier burden.
"We've got to get over this notion that we can have something for nothing," Obama said. "That's how we got into this deficit and this debt in the first place."
In reference to emotional and heated debate at some other town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks, Obama told Rathie, "I appreciate your question, the respectful way you asked it, and by the way, I also believe in the Constitution."
Afterward, Rathie said he was impressed by Obama's performance but remained skeptical.
"I don't think he knows where that money's going to come from," he said. "If he does, he's not saying."
Obama noted there is more work to be done, with Congress seeking to merge at least four bills, along with a possible compromise agreement being negotiated by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and five other members of his Senate Finance Committee, into a single bill in September.
Another questioner chosen when Obama asked for a skeptic identified himself as an insurance provider who wanted to know why Obama and Democrats are vilifying the insurance industry in the health care debate. Earlier in the meeting, Obama described what he called discriminatory practices by insurance companies that dropped coverage of people who became sick or refused to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Obama noted some insurance companies are contributing to the reform debate, but said others are spending millions of dollars to try to defeat any health care legislation. For a health care overhaul | When will president hold another meeting? | [
"Friday"
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BELGRADE, Montana (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday took his push for a health care overhaul to traditionally conservative Montana, saying a bill to extend coverage to the uninsured while helping those already with coverage will pass this year.
President Obama discusses his health care plans Friday at a meeting in Belgrade, Montana.
However, an influential Democratic representative said the House would only pass a health care bill in January or later, signaling continuing rifts within Obama's party on his domestic priority for 2009.
"We're taking some time to make sure it's done right," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. "I don't know that we'll get something done before January, and even then we may not get it done. We're going to do it right when it's finally done."
Obama told a largely supportive Montana audience at his second of three town hall meetings this week that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs of treatment. He sought questions from skeptics of his proposed health care overhaul, seeking to confront some misconceptions fueled by opponents Democrats say are undermining the debate.
One man who identified himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and believer in the Constitution asked how the government would pay to expand health insurance coverage to 46 million uninsured people.
"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this," said the questioner, Randy Rathie, a welder from Ekalaka, Montana. "The only way you're going to get the money is to raise our taxes. That's the only way you can do that."
Obama responded with his oft-repeated explanation that two-thirds of the cost of overhauling health care -- estimated at about $900 billion over 10 years -- would come from eliminating waste and improving efficiency in the current system, which includes the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and impoverished.
The rest would have to come from new revenue, he agreed with the questioner, and he called for reducing the amount of deductions that people making more than $250,000 a year can make on their income taxes.
"If we did that alone, just that change alone ... that would raise enough to pay for health care reform," Obama said, noting that would meet his election campaign pledge to avoid any tax increase on people earning less than $250,000 a year.
However, Obama said some taxes would have to be raised, and the crowd applauded when he said he believes people with more money, like himself, ought to pay a heavier burden.
"We've got to get over this notion that we can have something for nothing," Obama said. "That's how we got into this deficit and this debt in the first place."
In reference to emotional and heated debate at some other town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks, Obama told Rathie, "I appreciate your question, the respectful way you asked it, and by the way, I also believe in the Constitution."
Afterward, Rathie said he was impressed by Obama's performance but remained skeptical.
"I don't think he knows where that money's going to come from," he said. "If he does, he's not saying."
Obama noted there is more work to be done, with Congress seeking to merge at least four bills, along with a possible compromise agreement being negotiated by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and five other members of his Senate Finance Committee, into a single bill in September.
Another questioner chosen when Obama asked for a skeptic identified himself as an insurance provider who wanted to know why Obama and Democrats are vilifying the insurance industry in the health care debate. Earlier in the meeting, Obama described what he called discriminatory practices by insurance companies that dropped coverage of people who became sick or refused to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Obama noted some insurance companies are contributing to the reform debate, but said others are spending millions of dollars to try to defeat any health care legislation. For a health care overhaul | Who says bill won't pass before January? | [
"Democratic representative"
] | 66c1d106797649a5bc22afabe21dfd56 | [
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BELGRADE, Montana (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday took his push for a health care overhaul to traditionally conservative Montana, saying a bill to extend coverage to the uninsured while helping those already with coverage will pass this year.
President Obama discusses his health care plans Friday at a meeting in Belgrade, Montana.
However, an influential Democratic representative said the House would only pass a health care bill in January or later, signaling continuing rifts within Obama's party on his domestic priority for 2009.
"We're taking some time to make sure it's done right," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. "I don't know that we'll get something done before January, and even then we may not get it done. We're going to do it right when it's finally done."
Obama told a largely supportive Montana audience at his second of three town hall meetings this week that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs of treatment. He sought questions from skeptics of his proposed health care overhaul, seeking to confront some misconceptions fueled by opponents Democrats say are undermining the debate.
One man who identified himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and believer in the Constitution asked how the government would pay to expand health insurance coverage to 46 million uninsured people.
"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this," said the questioner, Randy Rathie, a welder from Ekalaka, Montana. "The only way you're going to get the money is to raise our taxes. That's the only way you can do that."
Obama responded with his oft-repeated explanation that two-thirds of the cost of overhauling health care -- estimated at about $900 billion over 10 years -- would come from eliminating waste and improving efficiency in the current system, which includes the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and impoverished.
The rest would have to come from new revenue, he agreed with the questioner, and he called for reducing the amount of deductions that people making more than $250,000 a year can make on their income taxes.
"If we did that alone, just that change alone ... that would raise enough to pay for health care reform," Obama said, noting that would meet his election campaign pledge to avoid any tax increase on people earning less than $250,000 a year.
However, Obama said some taxes would have to be raised, and the crowd applauded when he said he believes people with more money, like himself, ought to pay a heavier burden.
"We've got to get over this notion that we can have something for nothing," Obama said. "That's how we got into this deficit and this debt in the first place."
In reference to emotional and heated debate at some other town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks, Obama told Rathie, "I appreciate your question, the respectful way you asked it, and by the way, I also believe in the Constitution."
Afterward, Rathie said he was impressed by Obama's performance but remained skeptical.
"I don't think he knows where that money's going to come from," he said. "If he does, he's not saying."
Obama noted there is more work to be done, with Congress seeking to merge at least four bills, along with a possible compromise agreement being negotiated by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and five other members of his Senate Finance Committee, into a single bill in September.
Another questioner chosen when Obama asked for a skeptic identified himself as an insurance provider who wanted to know why Obama and Democrats are vilifying the insurance industry in the health care debate. Earlier in the meeting, Obama described what he called discriminatory practices by insurance companies that dropped coverage of people who became sick or refused to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Obama noted some insurance companies are contributing to the reform debate, but said others are spending millions of dollars to try to defeat any health care legislation. For a health care overhaul | What does fixing health care require? | [
"of treatment."
] | 65c36aaef638451ba35c309c8c7f480d | [
{
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BELGRADE, Montana (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday took his push for a health care overhaul to traditionally conservative Montana, saying a bill to extend coverage to the uninsured while helping those already with coverage will pass this year.
President Obama discusses his health care plans Friday at a meeting in Belgrade, Montana.
However, an influential Democratic representative said the House would only pass a health care bill in January or later, signaling continuing rifts within Obama's party on his domestic priority for 2009.
"We're taking some time to make sure it's done right," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. "I don't know that we'll get something done before January, and even then we may not get it done. We're going to do it right when it's finally done."
Obama told a largely supportive Montana audience at his second of three town hall meetings this week that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs of treatment. He sought questions from skeptics of his proposed health care overhaul, seeking to confront some misconceptions fueled by opponents Democrats say are undermining the debate.
One man who identified himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and believer in the Constitution asked how the government would pay to expand health insurance coverage to 46 million uninsured people.
"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this," said the questioner, Randy Rathie, a welder from Ekalaka, Montana. "The only way you're going to get the money is to raise our taxes. That's the only way you can do that."
Obama responded with his oft-repeated explanation that two-thirds of the cost of overhauling health care -- estimated at about $900 billion over 10 years -- would come from eliminating waste and improving efficiency in the current system, which includes the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and impoverished.
The rest would have to come from new revenue, he agreed with the questioner, and he called for reducing the amount of deductions that people making more than $250,000 a year can make on their income taxes.
"If we did that alone, just that change alone ... that would raise enough to pay for health care reform," Obama said, noting that would meet his election campaign pledge to avoid any tax increase on people earning less than $250,000 a year.
However, Obama said some taxes would have to be raised, and the crowd applauded when he said he believes people with more money, like himself, ought to pay a heavier burden.
"We've got to get over this notion that we can have something for nothing," Obama said. "That's how we got into this deficit and this debt in the first place."
In reference to emotional and heated debate at some other town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks, Obama told Rathie, "I appreciate your question, the respectful way you asked it, and by the way, I also believe in the Constitution."
Afterward, Rathie said he was impressed by Obama's performance but remained skeptical.
"I don't think he knows where that money's going to come from," he said. "If he does, he's not saying."
Obama noted there is more work to be done, with Congress seeking to merge at least four bills, along with a possible compromise agreement being negotiated by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and five other members of his Senate Finance Committee, into a single bill in September.
Another questioner chosen when Obama asked for a skeptic identified himself as an insurance provider who wanted to know why Obama and Democrats are vilifying the insurance industry in the health care debate. Earlier in the meeting, Obama described what he called discriminatory practices by insurance companies that dropped coverage of people who became sick or refused to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Obama noted some insurance companies are contributing to the reform debate, but said others are spending millions of dollars to try to defeat any health care legislation. For a health care overhaul | who is John Murtha? | [
"Rep."
] | ecd2854c46db42358be3549aa30ddbf2 | [
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BELGRADE, Montana (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday took his push for a health care overhaul to traditionally conservative Montana, saying a bill to extend coverage to the uninsured while helping those already with coverage will pass this year.
President Obama discusses his health care plans Friday at a meeting in Belgrade, Montana.
However, an influential Democratic representative said the House would only pass a health care bill in January or later, signaling continuing rifts within Obama's party on his domestic priority for 2009.
"We're taking some time to make sure it's done right," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. "I don't know that we'll get something done before January, and even then we may not get it done. We're going to do it right when it's finally done."
Obama told a largely supportive Montana audience at his second of three town hall meetings this week that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs of treatment. He sought questions from skeptics of his proposed health care overhaul, seeking to confront some misconceptions fueled by opponents Democrats say are undermining the debate.
One man who identified himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and believer in the Constitution asked how the government would pay to expand health insurance coverage to 46 million uninsured people.
"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this," said the questioner, Randy Rathie, a welder from Ekalaka, Montana. "The only way you're going to get the money is to raise our taxes. That's the only way you can do that."
Obama responded with his oft-repeated explanation that two-thirds of the cost of overhauling health care -- estimated at about $900 billion over 10 years -- would come from eliminating waste and improving efficiency in the current system, which includes the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and impoverished.
The rest would have to come from new revenue, he agreed with the questioner, and he called for reducing the amount of deductions that people making more than $250,000 a year can make on their income taxes.
"If we did that alone, just that change alone ... that would raise enough to pay for health care reform," Obama said, noting that would meet his election campaign pledge to avoid any tax increase on people earning less than $250,000 a year.
However, Obama said some taxes would have to be raised, and the crowd applauded when he said he believes people with more money, like himself, ought to pay a heavier burden.
"We've got to get over this notion that we can have something for nothing," Obama said. "That's how we got into this deficit and this debt in the first place."
In reference to emotional and heated debate at some other town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks, Obama told Rathie, "I appreciate your question, the respectful way you asked it, and by the way, I also believe in the Constitution."
Afterward, Rathie said he was impressed by Obama's performance but remained skeptical.
"I don't think he knows where that money's going to come from," he said. "If he does, he's not saying."
Obama noted there is more work to be done, with Congress seeking to merge at least four bills, along with a possible compromise agreement being negotiated by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and five other members of his Senate Finance Committee, into a single bill in September.
Another questioner chosen when Obama asked for a skeptic identified himself as an insurance provider who wanted to know why Obama and Democrats are vilifying the insurance industry in the health care debate. Earlier in the meeting, Obama described what he called discriminatory practices by insurance companies that dropped coverage of people who became sick or refused to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Obama noted some insurance companies are contributing to the reform debate, but said others are spending millions of dollars to try to defeat any health care legislation. For a health care overhaul | Where will Obama hold a meeting? | [
"Belgrade, Montana."
] | 858eca99c4ca40c2aefe2f2fd565701d | [
{
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance, scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen, as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart.
The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead.
Theo Walcott's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right.
His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one, but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal.
Arsenal's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show. Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi, who curled home a superb equalizer.
Messi added his and Barca's second on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen.
However, the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi, who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia.
The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia.
By now, Arsenal needed two goals to go through and, in truth, they never looked likely to get them.
Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy's cross, but he was flagged offside, and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position.
Messi completed the job three minutes from time, beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia's legs.
The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan, who they were drawn against in the group stages, in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi's performance. "For me, he is the best player in the world, and by a distance," he told Sky Sports.
"When he's in the game, he's really dangerous. Once he is on the run with the ball, he is unstoppable.
The Frenchman added: "I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world." | Where did Barcelona thrash Arsenal 4-1? | [
"Nou Camp"
] | 2e3ee8be3b004bb48a82623384a9dd09 | [
{
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance, scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen, as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart.
The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead.
Theo Walcott's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right.
His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one, but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal.
Arsenal's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show. Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi, who curled home a superb equalizer.
Messi added his and Barca's second on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen.
However, the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi, who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia.
The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia.
By now, Arsenal needed two goals to go through and, in truth, they never looked likely to get them.
Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy's cross, but he was flagged offside, and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position.
Messi completed the job three minutes from time, beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia's legs.
The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan, who they were drawn against in the group stages, in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi's performance. "For me, he is the best player in the world, and by a distance," he told Sky Sports.
"When he's in the game, he's really dangerous. Once he is on the run with the ball, he is unstoppable.
The Frenchman added: "I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world." | What was the score? | [
"4-1"
] | 4f4019e8a49e472f94861430d06c4974 | [
{
"end": [
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],
"start": [
126
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance, scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen, as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart.
The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead.
Theo Walcott's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right.
His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one, but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal.
Arsenal's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show. Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi, who curled home a superb equalizer.
Messi added his and Barca's second on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen.
However, the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi, who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia.
The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia.
By now, Arsenal needed two goals to go through and, in truth, they never looked likely to get them.
Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy's cross, but he was flagged offside, and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position.
Messi completed the job three minutes from time, beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia's legs.
The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan, who they were drawn against in the group stages, in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi's performance. "For me, he is the best player in the world, and by a distance," he told Sky Sports.
"When he's in the game, he's really dangerous. Once he is on the run with the ball, he is unstoppable.
The Frenchman added: "I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world." | Who scored the goals? | [
"Messi"
] | 68320c82b68045b1b3719768f02c635f | [
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance, scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen, as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart.
The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead.
Theo Walcott's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right.
His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one, but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal.
Arsenal's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show. Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi, who curled home a superb equalizer.
Messi added his and Barca's second on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen.
However, the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi, who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia.
The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia.
By now, Arsenal needed two goals to go through and, in truth, they never looked likely to get them.
Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy's cross, but he was flagged offside, and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position.
Messi completed the job three minutes from time, beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia's legs.
The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan, who they were drawn against in the group stages, in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi's performance. "For me, he is the best player in the world, and by a distance," he told Sky Sports.
"When he's in the game, he's really dangerous. Once he is on the run with the ball, he is unstoppable.
The Frenchman added: "I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world." | How many goals did Lionel Messi score? | [
"four"
] | 531a2be5161f4005bbce7e4ece3fcf71 | [
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance, scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen, as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart.
The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead.
Theo Walcott's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right.
His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one, but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal.
Arsenal's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show. Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi, who curled home a superb equalizer.
Messi added his and Barca's second on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen.
However, the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi, who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia.
The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia.
By now, Arsenal needed two goals to go through and, in truth, they never looked likely to get them.
Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy's cross, but he was flagged offside, and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position.
Messi completed the job three minutes from time, beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia's legs.
The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan, who they were drawn against in the group stages, in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi's performance. "For me, he is the best player in the world, and by a distance," he told Sky Sports.
"When he's in the game, he's really dangerous. Once he is on the run with the ball, he is unstoppable.
The Frenchman added: "I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world." | Which soccer team won? | [
"Barcelona"
] | c9ddd9d626694b10b748d0480a55971c | [
{
"end": [
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}
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance, scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen, as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart.
The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead.
Theo Walcott's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right.
His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one, but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal.
Arsenal's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show. Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi, who curled home a superb equalizer.
Messi added his and Barca's second on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen.
However, the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi, who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia.
The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia.
By now, Arsenal needed two goals to go through and, in truth, they never looked likely to get them.
Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy's cross, but he was flagged offside, and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position.
Messi completed the job three minutes from time, beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia's legs.
The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan, who they were drawn against in the group stages, in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi's performance. "For me, he is the best player in the world, and by a distance," he told Sky Sports.
"When he's in the game, he's really dangerous. Once he is on the run with the ball, he is unstoppable.
The Frenchman added: "I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world." | Where did the match take place? | [
"Nou Camp"
] | eb009ecb530e4c3bba01a3a3dc17fa3e | [
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance, scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen, as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart.
The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead.
Theo Walcott's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right.
His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one, but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal.
Arsenal's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show. Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi, who curled home a superb equalizer.
Messi added his and Barca's second on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen.
However, the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi, who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia.
The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia.
By now, Arsenal needed two goals to go through and, in truth, they never looked likely to get them.
Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy's cross, but he was flagged offside, and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position.
Messi completed the job three minutes from time, beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia's legs.
The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan, who they were drawn against in the group stages, in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi's performance. "For me, he is the best player in the world, and by a distance," he told Sky Sports.
"When he's in the game, he's really dangerous. Once he is on the run with the ball, he is unstoppable.
The Frenchman added: "I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world." | What was the score of the semifinal? | [
"6-3"
] | d13aaa053a4d42e5a84f6615061bd2a8 | [
{
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"start": [
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(CNN) -- The suspect accused of killing a minister at an Illinois church had marked the day of the attack as a "day of death" or "death day" in a planning book, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Terry J. Sedlacek, shown in a family photo, has been charged with first-degree murder.
There were "words to those effect," written in a day planner belonging to Terry J. Sedlacek, the man accused in Sunday's attack at the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, said William Mudge, the Madison County state's attorney.
Mudge said he hadn't seen the planner and could not recall the exact wording that police described to him. He said police found the book in Sedlacek's home.
Lt. Scott Compton of the Illinois State Police said he hadn't seen the planner and could not confirm Mudge's account.
Authorities have charged Sedlacek, 27, with first-degree murder in the killing of the Rev. Fred Winters. He also was charged with two counts of aggravated battery related to the stabbing of church members Terry Bullard and Keith Melton.
Sedlacek was seriously wounded in the melee, authorities said.
Melton, one of the two church members stabbed in the attack, described the scene that erupted during Sunday service.
Winters had been preaching for a while when the gunman approached him, Melton told CNN.
"It just seemed a lot out of place for someone to be walking to the front to take a seat at that point in the service," Melton said. Watch Melton say they're "still very stunned" »
Winters stopped his sermon and asked the man what he could do for him, Melton said.
The assailant fired a weapon and hit the pastor's Bible, causing "confetti" to fly into the air, Melton recalled.
"It was a bit confusing just at first," Melton said, adding that he could see from the pastor's reaction that what happened was not part of the service. Watch the aftermath of the church shooting »
Melton was one of two men who first jumped the assailant, he said.
"By the time the second shot rang out, there were a number of us who sprang into action," Melton said.
Winters jumped off the stage, Melton said, and was met by the gunman. The two wrestled and more shots rang out.
The attacker's .45-caliber weapon jammed at that point, authorities said.
The assailant tried to get away but was subdued by church members, some of whom blocked the entrances while others grappled with the gunman.
"There were men everywhere," Melton said.
It was minutes before Melton realized he had been stabbed, he said, attributing the delay to adrenaline.
He was treated and released from a local hospital. Bullard, another church member, also was stabbed in the attempt to subdue the gunman.
Sedlacek is being treated at a hospital after suffering serious knife wounds.
"When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife, injuring himself at the time, or whether [his injury] was self-inflicted during the struggle," said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. Watch police describe the church members' "heroic action" »
Trent said police are trying to determine a motive, noting that church members did not recognize the gunman.
In August, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiled Sedlacek in an article on Lyme disease, and quoted his mother, Ruth Abernathy, as saying he began acting strangely during his junior year in high school. He seemed confused and stopped participating in activities that had interested him, she told the newspaper. She said a doctor had diagnosed Sedlacek as mentally ill before a battery of tests revealed that he had Lyme disease, according to the paper.
The newspaper reported that even years later, Sedlacek, then 26, had lesions on his brain and was taking several medications, including an anti-seizure drug.
The Post-Dispatch identified him as a resident | What is the accused charged with? | [
"first-degree murder."
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(CNN) -- The suspect accused of killing a minister at an Illinois church had marked the day of the attack as a "day of death" or "death day" in a planning book, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Terry J. Sedlacek, shown in a family photo, has been charged with first-degree murder.
There were "words to those effect," written in a day planner belonging to Terry J. Sedlacek, the man accused in Sunday's attack at the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, said William Mudge, the Madison County state's attorney.
Mudge said he hadn't seen the planner and could not recall the exact wording that police described to him. He said police found the book in Sedlacek's home.
Lt. Scott Compton of the Illinois State Police said he hadn't seen the planner and could not confirm Mudge's account.
Authorities have charged Sedlacek, 27, with first-degree murder in the killing of the Rev. Fred Winters. He also was charged with two counts of aggravated battery related to the stabbing of church members Terry Bullard and Keith Melton.
Sedlacek was seriously wounded in the melee, authorities said.
Melton, one of the two church members stabbed in the attack, described the scene that erupted during Sunday service.
Winters had been preaching for a while when the gunman approached him, Melton told CNN.
"It just seemed a lot out of place for someone to be walking to the front to take a seat at that point in the service," Melton said. Watch Melton say they're "still very stunned" »
Winters stopped his sermon and asked the man what he could do for him, Melton said.
The assailant fired a weapon and hit the pastor's Bible, causing "confetti" to fly into the air, Melton recalled.
"It was a bit confusing just at first," Melton said, adding that he could see from the pastor's reaction that what happened was not part of the service. Watch the aftermath of the church shooting »
Melton was one of two men who first jumped the assailant, he said.
"By the time the second shot rang out, there were a number of us who sprang into action," Melton said.
Winters jumped off the stage, Melton said, and was met by the gunman. The two wrestled and more shots rang out.
The attacker's .45-caliber weapon jammed at that point, authorities said.
The assailant tried to get away but was subdued by church members, some of whom blocked the entrances while others grappled with the gunman.
"There were men everywhere," Melton said.
It was minutes before Melton realized he had been stabbed, he said, attributing the delay to adrenaline.
He was treated and released from a local hospital. Bullard, another church member, also was stabbed in the attempt to subdue the gunman.
Sedlacek is being treated at a hospital after suffering serious knife wounds.
"When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife, injuring himself at the time, or whether [his injury] was self-inflicted during the struggle," said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. Watch police describe the church members' "heroic action" »
Trent said police are trying to determine a motive, noting that church members did not recognize the gunman.
In August, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiled Sedlacek in an article on Lyme disease, and quoted his mother, Ruth Abernathy, as saying he began acting strangely during his junior year in high school. He seemed confused and stopped participating in activities that had interested him, she told the newspaper. She said a doctor had diagnosed Sedlacek as mentally ill before a battery of tests revealed that he had Lyme disease, according to the paper.
The newspaper reported that even years later, Sedlacek, then 26, had lesions on his brain and was taking several medications, including an anti-seizure drug.
The Post-Dispatch identified him as a resident | What is the age of the accused? | [
"27,"
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(CNN) -- The suspect accused of killing a minister at an Illinois church had marked the day of the attack as a "day of death" or "death day" in a planning book, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Terry J. Sedlacek, shown in a family photo, has been charged with first-degree murder.
There were "words to those effect," written in a day planner belonging to Terry J. Sedlacek, the man accused in Sunday's attack at the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, said William Mudge, the Madison County state's attorney.
Mudge said he hadn't seen the planner and could not recall the exact wording that police described to him. He said police found the book in Sedlacek's home.
Lt. Scott Compton of the Illinois State Police said he hadn't seen the planner and could not confirm Mudge's account.
Authorities have charged Sedlacek, 27, with first-degree murder in the killing of the Rev. Fred Winters. He also was charged with two counts of aggravated battery related to the stabbing of church members Terry Bullard and Keith Melton.
Sedlacek was seriously wounded in the melee, authorities said.
Melton, one of the two church members stabbed in the attack, described the scene that erupted during Sunday service.
Winters had been preaching for a while when the gunman approached him, Melton told CNN.
"It just seemed a lot out of place for someone to be walking to the front to take a seat at that point in the service," Melton said. Watch Melton say they're "still very stunned" »
Winters stopped his sermon and asked the man what he could do for him, Melton said.
The assailant fired a weapon and hit the pastor's Bible, causing "confetti" to fly into the air, Melton recalled.
"It was a bit confusing just at first," Melton said, adding that he could see from the pastor's reaction that what happened was not part of the service. Watch the aftermath of the church shooting »
Melton was one of two men who first jumped the assailant, he said.
"By the time the second shot rang out, there were a number of us who sprang into action," Melton said.
Winters jumped off the stage, Melton said, and was met by the gunman. The two wrestled and more shots rang out.
The attacker's .45-caliber weapon jammed at that point, authorities said.
The assailant tried to get away but was subdued by church members, some of whom blocked the entrances while others grappled with the gunman.
"There were men everywhere," Melton said.
It was minutes before Melton realized he had been stabbed, he said, attributing the delay to adrenaline.
He was treated and released from a local hospital. Bullard, another church member, also was stabbed in the attempt to subdue the gunman.
Sedlacek is being treated at a hospital after suffering serious knife wounds.
"When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife, injuring himself at the time, or whether [his injury] was self-inflicted during the struggle," said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. Watch police describe the church members' "heroic action" »
Trent said police are trying to determine a motive, noting that church members did not recognize the gunman.
In August, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiled Sedlacek in an article on Lyme disease, and quoted his mother, Ruth Abernathy, as saying he began acting strangely during his junior year in high school. He seemed confused and stopped participating in activities that had interested him, she told the newspaper. She said a doctor had diagnosed Sedlacek as mentally ill before a battery of tests revealed that he had Lyme disease, according to the paper.
The newspaper reported that even years later, Sedlacek, then 26, had lesions on his brain and was taking several medications, including an anti-seizure drug.
The Post-Dispatch identified him as a resident | What is the occupation of the victim | [
"minister"
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(CNN) -- The suspect accused of killing a minister at an Illinois church had marked the day of the attack as a "day of death" or "death day" in a planning book, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Terry J. Sedlacek, shown in a family photo, has been charged with first-degree murder.
There were "words to those effect," written in a day planner belonging to Terry J. Sedlacek, the man accused in Sunday's attack at the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, said William Mudge, the Madison County state's attorney.
Mudge said he hadn't seen the planner and could not recall the exact wording that police described to him. He said police found the book in Sedlacek's home.
Lt. Scott Compton of the Illinois State Police said he hadn't seen the planner and could not confirm Mudge's account.
Authorities have charged Sedlacek, 27, with first-degree murder in the killing of the Rev. Fred Winters. He also was charged with two counts of aggravated battery related to the stabbing of church members Terry Bullard and Keith Melton.
Sedlacek was seriously wounded in the melee, authorities said.
Melton, one of the two church members stabbed in the attack, described the scene that erupted during Sunday service.
Winters had been preaching for a while when the gunman approached him, Melton told CNN.
"It just seemed a lot out of place for someone to be walking to the front to take a seat at that point in the service," Melton said. Watch Melton say they're "still very stunned" »
Winters stopped his sermon and asked the man what he could do for him, Melton said.
The assailant fired a weapon and hit the pastor's Bible, causing "confetti" to fly into the air, Melton recalled.
"It was a bit confusing just at first," Melton said, adding that he could see from the pastor's reaction that what happened was not part of the service. Watch the aftermath of the church shooting »
Melton was one of two men who first jumped the assailant, he said.
"By the time the second shot rang out, there were a number of us who sprang into action," Melton said.
Winters jumped off the stage, Melton said, and was met by the gunman. The two wrestled and more shots rang out.
The attacker's .45-caliber weapon jammed at that point, authorities said.
The assailant tried to get away but was subdued by church members, some of whom blocked the entrances while others grappled with the gunman.
"There were men everywhere," Melton said.
It was minutes before Melton realized he had been stabbed, he said, attributing the delay to adrenaline.
He was treated and released from a local hospital. Bullard, another church member, also was stabbed in the attempt to subdue the gunman.
Sedlacek is being treated at a hospital after suffering serious knife wounds.
"When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife, injuring himself at the time, or whether [his injury] was self-inflicted during the struggle," said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. Watch police describe the church members' "heroic action" »
Trent said police are trying to determine a motive, noting that church members did not recognize the gunman.
In August, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiled Sedlacek in an article on Lyme disease, and quoted his mother, Ruth Abernathy, as saying he began acting strangely during his junior year in high school. He seemed confused and stopped participating in activities that had interested him, she told the newspaper. She said a doctor had diagnosed Sedlacek as mentally ill before a battery of tests revealed that he had Lyme disease, according to the paper.
The newspaper reported that even years later, Sedlacek, then 26, had lesions on his brain and was taking several medications, including an anti-seizure drug.
The Post-Dispatch identified him as a resident | What is the name of the murder suspect? | [
"Terry J. Sedlacek,"
] | 2d398b20ed464d56b7dd9af6e0684de5 | [
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(CNN) -- The suspect accused of killing a minister at an Illinois church had marked the day of the attack as a "day of death" or "death day" in a planning book, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Terry J. Sedlacek, shown in a family photo, has been charged with first-degree murder.
There were "words to those effect," written in a day planner belonging to Terry J. Sedlacek, the man accused in Sunday's attack at the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, said William Mudge, the Madison County state's attorney.
Mudge said he hadn't seen the planner and could not recall the exact wording that police described to him. He said police found the book in Sedlacek's home.
Lt. Scott Compton of the Illinois State Police said he hadn't seen the planner and could not confirm Mudge's account.
Authorities have charged Sedlacek, 27, with first-degree murder in the killing of the Rev. Fred Winters. He also was charged with two counts of aggravated battery related to the stabbing of church members Terry Bullard and Keith Melton.
Sedlacek was seriously wounded in the melee, authorities said.
Melton, one of the two church members stabbed in the attack, described the scene that erupted during Sunday service.
Winters had been preaching for a while when the gunman approached him, Melton told CNN.
"It just seemed a lot out of place for someone to be walking to the front to take a seat at that point in the service," Melton said. Watch Melton say they're "still very stunned" »
Winters stopped his sermon and asked the man what he could do for him, Melton said.
The assailant fired a weapon and hit the pastor's Bible, causing "confetti" to fly into the air, Melton recalled.
"It was a bit confusing just at first," Melton said, adding that he could see from the pastor's reaction that what happened was not part of the service. Watch the aftermath of the church shooting »
Melton was one of two men who first jumped the assailant, he said.
"By the time the second shot rang out, there were a number of us who sprang into action," Melton said.
Winters jumped off the stage, Melton said, and was met by the gunman. The two wrestled and more shots rang out.
The attacker's .45-caliber weapon jammed at that point, authorities said.
The assailant tried to get away but was subdued by church members, some of whom blocked the entrances while others grappled with the gunman.
"There were men everywhere," Melton said.
It was minutes before Melton realized he had been stabbed, he said, attributing the delay to adrenaline.
He was treated and released from a local hospital. Bullard, another church member, also was stabbed in the attempt to subdue the gunman.
Sedlacek is being treated at a hospital after suffering serious knife wounds.
"When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife, injuring himself at the time, or whether [his injury] was self-inflicted during the struggle," said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. Watch police describe the church members' "heroic action" »
Trent said police are trying to determine a motive, noting that church members did not recognize the gunman.
In August, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiled Sedlacek in an article on Lyme disease, and quoted his mother, Ruth Abernathy, as saying he began acting strangely during his junior year in high school. He seemed confused and stopped participating in activities that had interested him, she told the newspaper. She said a doctor had diagnosed Sedlacek as mentally ill before a battery of tests revealed that he had Lyme disease, according to the paper.
The newspaper reported that even years later, Sedlacek, then 26, had lesions on his brain and was taking several medications, including an anti-seizure drug.
The Post-Dispatch identified him as a resident | What is the suspect charged with? | [
"first-degree murder."
] | 764e56af29a44e0aabbe3374a1217045 | [
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | where are the victims from? | [
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | Where are the victimes from? | [
"Haiti and the Bahamas,"
] | 46a84b7cff37460c9852df8ad943c16a | [
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | Where did the boat capsize? | [
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | from which countries where the victims believed to be from | [
"Haiti and the Bahamas,"
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | what was the number of people rescued by the coast guard | [
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | how many are missing? | [
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | How many people were rescued by the coast guard? | [
"26"
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(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening. | How far from east of Boynton Beach was the boat when it capsized | [
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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- He's a TV salesman offering an unbelievable deal -- and police say you don't want to do business with him.
Police in Largo, Florida, say "Plasma Pat" is really 60-year-old Joseph Wesley Torma.
Dubbing himself "Plasma Pat, the TV Discount Guy," he allegedly took cash from Wal-Mart shoppers, promising to use his employee discount to get them a good deal on a TV set, police said.
Then, he called the police to taunt them.
Police in Largo, Florida, a city near Tampa on the state's gulf coast, circulated security pictures of "Plasma Pat," and now can put a name to the alliterative nickname.
Investigators say their suspect is 60-year-old Joseph Wesley Torma, and they've just released a mug shot from a recent arrest in Polk County, Florida.
"He made at least two or three phone calls, and he even talked about surrendering, but he never showed up, obviously," said Lt. Michael Loux of the Largo Police department.
Police believe "Plasma Pat" has conned victims in about a dozen different places in Florida.
He allegedly befriended people outside Wal-Mart stores, telling his victims that he worked at the store, and that he could use his employee discount to get them a good deal on a major purchase.
Then, police said, he took their cash, walked into the store through one door -- and out another, leaving his victims in the parking lot.
One victim found himself out $300 while waiting outside for a television.
Largo Police say that Torma also called them several times. asking to speak with Det. Brendan Arlington. Each time he called, police say, Torma identified himself as "Plasma Pat," and bragged that he had cheated about 30,000 people who will never file a police report.
"Because the victims feel embarrassed, he feels that nobody is going to report the crime," said Lt. Michael Loux. "And I think he's probably right."
Police say they believe that Torma has left the area, and may be headed to Texas, but they have not explained why. | What is his nickname? | [
"\"Plasma Pat\""
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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- He's a TV salesman offering an unbelievable deal -- and police say you don't want to do business with him.
Police in Largo, Florida, say "Plasma Pat" is really 60-year-old Joseph Wesley Torma.
Dubbing himself "Plasma Pat, the TV Discount Guy," he allegedly took cash from Wal-Mart shoppers, promising to use his employee discount to get them a good deal on a TV set, police said.
Then, he called the police to taunt them.
Police in Largo, Florida, a city near Tampa on the state's gulf coast, circulated security pictures of "Plasma Pat," and now can put a name to the alliterative nickname.
Investigators say their suspect is 60-year-old Joseph Wesley Torma, and they've just released a mug shot from a recent arrest in Polk County, Florida.
"He made at least two or three phone calls, and he even talked about surrendering, but he never showed up, obviously," said Lt. Michael Loux of the Largo Police department.
Police believe "Plasma Pat" has conned victims in about a dozen different places in Florida.
He allegedly befriended people outside Wal-Mart stores, telling his victims that he worked at the store, and that he could use his employee discount to get them a good deal on a major purchase.
Then, police said, he took their cash, walked into the store through one door -- and out another, leaving his victims in the parking lot.
One victim found himself out $300 while waiting outside for a television.
Largo Police say that Torma also called them several times. asking to speak with Det. Brendan Arlington. Each time he called, police say, Torma identified himself as "Plasma Pat," and bragged that he had cheated about 30,000 people who will never file a police report.
"Because the victims feel embarrassed, he feels that nobody is going to report the crime," said Lt. Michael Loux. "And I think he's probably right."
Police say they believe that Torma has left the area, and may be headed to Texas, but they have not explained why. | Who did police identify? | [
"\"Plasma Pat\""
] | a215683d13d545edbde06aba47e8c35a | [
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Editor's Note: David Hawkins is Director of Public Policy and Research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a nonprofit organization that represents more than 11,000 high school counselors and college admission officers from across the country. He was the author of a report last month by the organization's commission on the use of standardized tests.
David Hawkins says test scores shouldn't be used to rank college quality
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- A recent controversy at Baylor University has brought new attention to the widespread misuse of standardized college admission tests to rank the quality of America's colleges and universities.
The SAT and ACT have achieved nearly iconic status in America and throughout the world. As the late author and scholar Stephen Jay Gould noted, the tests are viewed by many as "abstruse and mysterious," with powerful effects on public policy, social mobility, and even individual identity.
Misuse of test scores as college ranking criteria creates undue pressure on admission offices to pursue increasingly high test scores and fuels the tests' disproportionate influence.
Last June, Baylor University encouraged its already admitted first-year students to retake the SAT. The reward for students who retook the test was $300 in bookstore credits. Students who increased their score by more than 50 points got a $1,000 merit aid scholarship. If enough students retook the SAT and increased their scores, the gains might be enough to move Baylor up the rankings list.
The scarce financial resources allocated for this plan are too badly needed elsewhere, particularly among low-income students in rural and urban areas around the country, to spend on an effort to raise a college's SAT profile. A Baylor spokesman told The Associated Press Thursday that the university "goofed" and would likely end the incentives.
It's critical to understand that high SAT and ACT scores alone do not equate to merit. Last month, our organization's Commission on the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission issued a report calling for change in the way everyone involved in college admissions uses the tests.
Test misuses feed the public perception that the scores are the most influential factor in college admission. For the past 15 years, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) research has shown that students' grades in high school, particularly grades in college preparatory courses, are by far the most important consideration in college admission decisions.
One of the most pressing problems regarding the SAT and ACT scores is their misuse in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings formula.
The SAT and ACT were designed to provide information about a student to colleges and universities and were never meant to be measures of college quality. Accordingly, the commission encouraged U.S. News and World Report to eliminate test scores as a measure of institutional quality.
The U.S. News ranking formula includes a "student selectivity" score that constitutes 15 percent of a college's overall rank. SAT or ACT scores of enrollees make up 50 percent of the student selectivity score.
In response to the NACAC report, U.S. News and World Report said, "As long as standardized tests play an integral role in the college admissions process, U.S. News will use them as part of our ranking methodology."
The situation at Baylor is a reminder of the inflated value assigned to the SAT and ACT in higher education. The fervor surrounding the rankings, as well as the lengths to which colleges go to increase them, are unfortunate distractions in higher education and admissions.
The impression students and families get from the rankings is that higher test scores mean higher quality colleges. To borrow a phrase familiar to admission deans, many colleges recruit great students and then graduate great students. Is that because of the institution, or the students?
Some credit undoubtedly should go to both. But is a college of lower quality because its students' SAT scores are lower than those of students at another college?
Generally speaking, the ability of admission tests to predict success in higher education is much more limited than most people think. Colleges most often determine the utility of admission test scores by assessing how well they predict first-year grades.
Colleges are wrong to | what about the importance of grades | [
"in college preparatory courses, are by far the most important consideration in college admission decisions."
] | 30e023ca72e648b79c502afe47bcaeeb | [
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Editor's Note: David Hawkins is Director of Public Policy and Research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a nonprofit organization that represents more than 11,000 high school counselors and college admission officers from across the country. He was the author of a report last month by the organization's commission on the use of standardized tests.
David Hawkins says test scores shouldn't be used to rank college quality
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- A recent controversy at Baylor University has brought new attention to the widespread misuse of standardized college admission tests to rank the quality of America's colleges and universities.
The SAT and ACT have achieved nearly iconic status in America and throughout the world. As the late author and scholar Stephen Jay Gould noted, the tests are viewed by many as "abstruse and mysterious," with powerful effects on public policy, social mobility, and even individual identity.
Misuse of test scores as college ranking criteria creates undue pressure on admission offices to pursue increasingly high test scores and fuels the tests' disproportionate influence.
Last June, Baylor University encouraged its already admitted first-year students to retake the SAT. The reward for students who retook the test was $300 in bookstore credits. Students who increased their score by more than 50 points got a $1,000 merit aid scholarship. If enough students retook the SAT and increased their scores, the gains might be enough to move Baylor up the rankings list.
The scarce financial resources allocated for this plan are too badly needed elsewhere, particularly among low-income students in rural and urban areas around the country, to spend on an effort to raise a college's SAT profile. A Baylor spokesman told The Associated Press Thursday that the university "goofed" and would likely end the incentives.
It's critical to understand that high SAT and ACT scores alone do not equate to merit. Last month, our organization's Commission on the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission issued a report calling for change in the way everyone involved in college admissions uses the tests.
Test misuses feed the public perception that the scores are the most influential factor in college admission. For the past 15 years, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) research has shown that students' grades in high school, particularly grades in college preparatory courses, are by far the most important consideration in college admission decisions.
One of the most pressing problems regarding the SAT and ACT scores is their misuse in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings formula.
The SAT and ACT were designed to provide information about a student to colleges and universities and were never meant to be measures of college quality. Accordingly, the commission encouraged U.S. News and World Report to eliminate test scores as a measure of institutional quality.
The U.S. News ranking formula includes a "student selectivity" score that constitutes 15 percent of a college's overall rank. SAT or ACT scores of enrollees make up 50 percent of the student selectivity score.
In response to the NACAC report, U.S. News and World Report said, "As long as standardized tests play an integral role in the college admissions process, U.S. News will use them as part of our ranking methodology."
The situation at Baylor is a reminder of the inflated value assigned to the SAT and ACT in higher education. The fervor surrounding the rankings, as well as the lengths to which colleges go to increase them, are unfortunate distractions in higher education and admissions.
The impression students and families get from the rankings is that higher test scores mean higher quality colleges. To borrow a phrase familiar to admission deans, many colleges recruit great students and then graduate great students. Is that because of the institution, or the students?
Some credit undoubtedly should go to both. But is a college of lower quality because its students' SAT scores are lower than those of students at another college?
Generally speaking, the ability of admission tests to predict success in higher education is much more limited than most people think. Colleges most often determine the utility of admission test scores by assessing how well they predict first-year grades.
Colleges are wrong to | what did hawkins say | [
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | What has man pleaded not guilty to? | [
"second-degree rape,"
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | how much bond? | [
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | What was Bond set at? | [
"$250,000"
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | Who was arrested Friday? | [
"Michael J. Abdallah,"
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | Who was arrested on Friday? | [
"Michael J. Abdallah,"
] | e377ea4386964b34802a14276bf0846d | [
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | Where did a man plead not guilty to second-degree rape? | [
"Buffalo, New York,"
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | in what day was arrested MJ? | [
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(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York, man is due in court Thursday to face charges that he raped a 13-year-old runaway police say he held prisoner in his home for six months.
Michael J. Abdallah, 26, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference. Thursday's hearing will determine if the case should be referred to a grand jury.
Buffalo police said that Abdallah kept the girl in his home from July through December 2009, behind dead-bolt locks and doors with no doorknobs. A criminal complaint alleges that Abdallah had sex with her more than 100 times. Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said Abdallah also forced the girl to baby-sit his year-old son.
Abdallah is unmarried, and the identity of the child's mother is not known. Police would not say how the girl left Adbdallah's home, why there was a delay from December to February for his arrest or where the teenager is now.
Abdallah was arrested Friday when police raided his home on a child-abuse allegation, Buffalo media reported. The next day, Buffalo City Court Judge James A.W. McLeod set bond at $250,000 in an arraignment at which Abdallah represented himself. He has since been provided with a court-appointed attorney, according to media reports.
But friends of the defendant told the Buffalo News that he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan trying to help a runaway girl he met in a Buffalo park.
"Everybody has had their moments, but Mike is not a monster. As long as I've known Mike, he's always been kindhearted to me. If he could help you, he will help you," Alicia Bellaus, 20, who grew up next door to Abdallah's relatives, told the paper.
"Mike always had her calling to someone, supposedly her aunt, to say she was doing OK. From what I knew, her aunt or her mom knew where she was staying," said Bellaus, who previously had a romantic relationship with Abdallah. "To look at her, she is very developed physically, and you would think that she is older than 13."
Bellaus said the girl told her she was 17 or 18 and denied having sex with Abdallah, and that she also said she did not want to go home to her mother, the News said.
Police told the News that the family filed several missing person reports after the girl disappeared in July. And an unnamed law enforcement official told the paper that Abdallah was a manipulative drug dealer who "lured her in" and kept her trapped physically and psychologically. CNN, however, could not confirm that official's view.
George Kimble, who lives four doors from Abdallah, said he was surprised when he learned about the accusations.
"This is a street where everyone knows everyone," said Kimble, who remembered Abdallah moving in about a year-and-a-half ago. "I never recall him with a 13-year-old girl."
Kimble said Abdallah was seldom home, and their brief conversations were limited to Abdallah's two dogs. Other neighbors told Kimble the house had a steady stream of visitors on any given day. | The other charges include what? | [
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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11.
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus.
By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu.
Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country.
President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office.
The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said.
The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel.
The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.
"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN.
In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said.
Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »
WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said.
All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases »
More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said.
U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.
On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus.
Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill.
He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday.
"What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman »
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic »
The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening.
The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking | What caused the spread to Kansas and New York? | [
"strain of the swine flu virus"
] | 34c95e61d0424b628a6687ee88e3ccfc | [
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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11.
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus.
By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu.
Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country.
President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office.
The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said.
The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel.
The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.
"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN.
In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said.
Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »
WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said.
All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases »
More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said.
U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.
On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus.
Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill.
He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday.
"What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman »
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic »
The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening.
The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking | How many cases were confirmed in Kansas? | [
"two"
] | 17ee5e7bb6d244f5a5582fe7377fbc2e | [
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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11.
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus.
By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu.
Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country.
President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office.
The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said.
The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel.
The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.
"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN.
In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said.
Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »
WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said.
All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases »
More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said.
U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.
On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus.
Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill.
He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday.
"What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman »
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic »
The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening.
The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking | Where have cases been confirmed? | [
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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11.
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus.
By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu.
Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country.
President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office.
The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said.
The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel.
The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.
"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN.
In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said.
Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »
WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said.
All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases »
More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said.
U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.
On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus.
Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill.
He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday.
"What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman »
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic »
The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening.
The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking | Who was given emergency powers? | [
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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11.
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus.
By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu.
Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country.
President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office.
The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said.
The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel.
The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.
"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN.
In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said.
Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »
WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said.
All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases »
More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said.
U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.
On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus.
Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill.
He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday.
"What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman »
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic »
The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening.
The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking | What was likely linked to swine flu? | [
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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11.
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus.
By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu.
Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country.
President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office.
The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said.
The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel.
The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.
"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN.
In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said.
Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »
WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said.
All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases »
More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said.
U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.
On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus.
Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill.
He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday.
"What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman »
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic »
The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening.
The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking | How many deaths in Mexico are linked to swine flu? | [
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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City.
The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11.
Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus.
By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu.
Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country.
President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office.
The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said.
The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel.
The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains.
"Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN.
In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said.
Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations »
WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said.
All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases »
More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said.
U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus.
On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus.
Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill.
He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday.
"What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman »
When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic »
The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening.
The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking | What is concerning the WHO? | [
"potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus"
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(CNN) -- No play can begin in a baseball game until the pitcher throws the ball. And no play can conclude until the umpire makes the call.
"We're not just robots they send out there," umpire Tim McClelland (2nd from L) told author Bruce Weber.
Yet these figures -- the man on the mound and the men who stand in judgment -- are vastly different in importance to the average fan.
There are countless children who dream of becoming a major-league pitcher. He is, literally, the king of the hill.
Umpires? Almost nobody dreams of becoming an umpire.
And yet the positions share a number of similarities, according to two new books: "As They See 'Em" (Scribner), by New York Times writer Bruce Weber, and "The Complete Game" (Knopf), by former major-league pitcher (and current New York Mets broadcaster) Ron Darling.
Both jobs require a great deal of command, neither gets enough training, and both are often disrespected by others in the game.
Indeed, despite a library of books by and about pitchers (Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," Jim Brosnan's "The Long Season," Christy Mathewson's "Pitching in a Pinch"), Darling said he believes that people still don't understand what it takes to stand on that mound.
"Within baseball circles there is a common baseball axiom, 'If pitchers weren't so stupid, hitters would never get a hit,' " he said in an e-mail. "Of course, I knew this was a fallacy so I decided to write about the travails of major league pitchers. Throwing a ball 95 mph to tin cup-sized quadrants sounds pretty difficult to me, and I wanted to express this to the reader."
Umpires, on the other hand, rarely get written about at all -- in fact, they're often treated as less than human. ("The owners basically see them like bases," former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told Weber. "They say, 'We need a base; we need an umpire; same thing.' ") Weber found a fraternity (and they are almost all men) much like cops or soldiers: tight-lipped believers in baseball law and order.
Weber immersed himself in the "land of umpires," as the book's subtitle calls it, attending umpiring school, calling games at various levels of pro ball and talking with those who were willing -- including the legendary Doug Harvey, who was called "God" for his imperious demeanor. What he found is that what looks so obvious on television at home is often a challenge on the field, a matter not just of eyesight but positioning, rule-book knowledge and basic guts.
"That's really what [being an umpire] is about -- is being in charge," he said. "If there's anything that characterizes the major league umpire, it's that special kind of chutzpah."
Umpires need that presence because they're often baseball's most disrespected men. Aside from the vitriol they face -- the managers kicking dirt, the spectators yelling "Kill the ump" -- they're second-guessed by broadcasters and barely tolerated by management, as Weber reveals in detailing the episodes preceding and following the 1999 umpires' strike.
And yet Major League Baseball doesn't participate in umpire training or development, entrusting it to two umpire-run private schools, Weber observes. (MLB does run an annual umpire camp.)
Darling echoes Weber's concerns in his own field, pitching. In these days of strict pitch counts and injury concern, pitchers are "undertrain[ed]," he says, noting that top draft choices climb the ranks "never allowed to throw more than 110 pitches." That leaves them at a disadvantage when they have to go deeper into a game or cope with a tough inning, he says.
"It would be like training for the marathon and never running more than 5 miles," he says. "Identifying and preserving million | What are the similarities of the two positions? | [
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(CNN) -- No play can begin in a baseball game until the pitcher throws the ball. And no play can conclude until the umpire makes the call.
"We're not just robots they send out there," umpire Tim McClelland (2nd from L) told author Bruce Weber.
Yet these figures -- the man on the mound and the men who stand in judgment -- are vastly different in importance to the average fan.
There are countless children who dream of becoming a major-league pitcher. He is, literally, the king of the hill.
Umpires? Almost nobody dreams of becoming an umpire.
And yet the positions share a number of similarities, according to two new books: "As They See 'Em" (Scribner), by New York Times writer Bruce Weber, and "The Complete Game" (Knopf), by former major-league pitcher (and current New York Mets broadcaster) Ron Darling.
Both jobs require a great deal of command, neither gets enough training, and both are often disrespected by others in the game.
Indeed, despite a library of books by and about pitchers (Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," Jim Brosnan's "The Long Season," Christy Mathewson's "Pitching in a Pinch"), Darling said he believes that people still don't understand what it takes to stand on that mound.
"Within baseball circles there is a common baseball axiom, 'If pitchers weren't so stupid, hitters would never get a hit,' " he said in an e-mail. "Of course, I knew this was a fallacy so I decided to write about the travails of major league pitchers. Throwing a ball 95 mph to tin cup-sized quadrants sounds pretty difficult to me, and I wanted to express this to the reader."
Umpires, on the other hand, rarely get written about at all -- in fact, they're often treated as less than human. ("The owners basically see them like bases," former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told Weber. "They say, 'We need a base; we need an umpire; same thing.' ") Weber found a fraternity (and they are almost all men) much like cops or soldiers: tight-lipped believers in baseball law and order.
Weber immersed himself in the "land of umpires," as the book's subtitle calls it, attending umpiring school, calling games at various levels of pro ball and talking with those who were willing -- including the legendary Doug Harvey, who was called "God" for his imperious demeanor. What he found is that what looks so obvious on television at home is often a challenge on the field, a matter not just of eyesight but positioning, rule-book knowledge and basic guts.
"That's really what [being an umpire] is about -- is being in charge," he said. "If there's anything that characterizes the major league umpire, it's that special kind of chutzpah."
Umpires need that presence because they're often baseball's most disrespected men. Aside from the vitriol they face -- the managers kicking dirt, the spectators yelling "Kill the ump" -- they're second-guessed by broadcasters and barely tolerated by management, as Weber reveals in detailing the episodes preceding and following the 1999 umpires' strike.
And yet Major League Baseball doesn't participate in umpire training or development, entrusting it to two umpire-run private schools, Weber observes. (MLB does run an annual umpire camp.)
Darling echoes Weber's concerns in his own field, pitching. In these days of strict pitch counts and injury concern, pitchers are "undertrain[ed]," he says, noting that top draft choices climb the ranks "never allowed to throw more than 110 pitches." That leaves them at a disadvantage when they have to go deeper into a game or cope with a tough inning, he says.
"It would be like training for the marathon and never running more than 5 miles," he says. "Identifying and preserving million | What is "The Complete Game" about? | [
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(CNN) -- No play can begin in a baseball game until the pitcher throws the ball. And no play can conclude until the umpire makes the call.
"We're not just robots they send out there," umpire Tim McClelland (2nd from L) told author Bruce Weber.
Yet these figures -- the man on the mound and the men who stand in judgment -- are vastly different in importance to the average fan.
There are countless children who dream of becoming a major-league pitcher. He is, literally, the king of the hill.
Umpires? Almost nobody dreams of becoming an umpire.
And yet the positions share a number of similarities, according to two new books: "As They See 'Em" (Scribner), by New York Times writer Bruce Weber, and "The Complete Game" (Knopf), by former major-league pitcher (and current New York Mets broadcaster) Ron Darling.
Both jobs require a great deal of command, neither gets enough training, and both are often disrespected by others in the game.
Indeed, despite a library of books by and about pitchers (Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," Jim Brosnan's "The Long Season," Christy Mathewson's "Pitching in a Pinch"), Darling said he believes that people still don't understand what it takes to stand on that mound.
"Within baseball circles there is a common baseball axiom, 'If pitchers weren't so stupid, hitters would never get a hit,' " he said in an e-mail. "Of course, I knew this was a fallacy so I decided to write about the travails of major league pitchers. Throwing a ball 95 mph to tin cup-sized quadrants sounds pretty difficult to me, and I wanted to express this to the reader."
Umpires, on the other hand, rarely get written about at all -- in fact, they're often treated as less than human. ("The owners basically see them like bases," former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told Weber. "They say, 'We need a base; we need an umpire; same thing.' ") Weber found a fraternity (and they are almost all men) much like cops or soldiers: tight-lipped believers in baseball law and order.
Weber immersed himself in the "land of umpires," as the book's subtitle calls it, attending umpiring school, calling games at various levels of pro ball and talking with those who were willing -- including the legendary Doug Harvey, who was called "God" for his imperious demeanor. What he found is that what looks so obvious on television at home is often a challenge on the field, a matter not just of eyesight but positioning, rule-book knowledge and basic guts.
"That's really what [being an umpire] is about -- is being in charge," he said. "If there's anything that characterizes the major league umpire, it's that special kind of chutzpah."
Umpires need that presence because they're often baseball's most disrespected men. Aside from the vitriol they face -- the managers kicking dirt, the spectators yelling "Kill the ump" -- they're second-guessed by broadcasters and barely tolerated by management, as Weber reveals in detailing the episodes preceding and following the 1999 umpires' strike.
And yet Major League Baseball doesn't participate in umpire training or development, entrusting it to two umpire-run private schools, Weber observes. (MLB does run an annual umpire camp.)
Darling echoes Weber's concerns in his own field, pitching. In these days of strict pitch counts and injury concern, pitchers are "undertrain[ed]," he says, noting that top draft choices climb the ranks "never allowed to throw more than 110 pitches." That leaves them at a disadvantage when they have to go deeper into a game or cope with a tough inning, he says.
"It would be like training for the marathon and never running more than 5 miles," he says. "Identifying and preserving million | who is the founder of "The Complete Game"? | [
"Ron Darling."
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(CNN) -- No play can begin in a baseball game until the pitcher throws the ball. And no play can conclude until the umpire makes the call.
"We're not just robots they send out there," umpire Tim McClelland (2nd from L) told author Bruce Weber.
Yet these figures -- the man on the mound and the men who stand in judgment -- are vastly different in importance to the average fan.
There are countless children who dream of becoming a major-league pitcher. He is, literally, the king of the hill.
Umpires? Almost nobody dreams of becoming an umpire.
And yet the positions share a number of similarities, according to two new books: "As They See 'Em" (Scribner), by New York Times writer Bruce Weber, and "The Complete Game" (Knopf), by former major-league pitcher (and current New York Mets broadcaster) Ron Darling.
Both jobs require a great deal of command, neither gets enough training, and both are often disrespected by others in the game.
Indeed, despite a library of books by and about pitchers (Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," Jim Brosnan's "The Long Season," Christy Mathewson's "Pitching in a Pinch"), Darling said he believes that people still don't understand what it takes to stand on that mound.
"Within baseball circles there is a common baseball axiom, 'If pitchers weren't so stupid, hitters would never get a hit,' " he said in an e-mail. "Of course, I knew this was a fallacy so I decided to write about the travails of major league pitchers. Throwing a ball 95 mph to tin cup-sized quadrants sounds pretty difficult to me, and I wanted to express this to the reader."
Umpires, on the other hand, rarely get written about at all -- in fact, they're often treated as less than human. ("The owners basically see them like bases," former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told Weber. "They say, 'We need a base; we need an umpire; same thing.' ") Weber found a fraternity (and they are almost all men) much like cops or soldiers: tight-lipped believers in baseball law and order.
Weber immersed himself in the "land of umpires," as the book's subtitle calls it, attending umpiring school, calling games at various levels of pro ball and talking with those who were willing -- including the legendary Doug Harvey, who was called "God" for his imperious demeanor. What he found is that what looks so obvious on television at home is often a challenge on the field, a matter not just of eyesight but positioning, rule-book knowledge and basic guts.
"That's really what [being an umpire] is about -- is being in charge," he said. "If there's anything that characterizes the major league umpire, it's that special kind of chutzpah."
Umpires need that presence because they're often baseball's most disrespected men. Aside from the vitriol they face -- the managers kicking dirt, the spectators yelling "Kill the ump" -- they're second-guessed by broadcasters and barely tolerated by management, as Weber reveals in detailing the episodes preceding and following the 1999 umpires' strike.
And yet Major League Baseball doesn't participate in umpire training or development, entrusting it to two umpire-run private schools, Weber observes. (MLB does run an annual umpire camp.)
Darling echoes Weber's concerns in his own field, pitching. In these days of strict pitch counts and injury concern, pitchers are "undertrain[ed]," he says, noting that top draft choices climb the ranks "never allowed to throw more than 110 pitches." That leaves them at a disadvantage when they have to go deeper into a game or cope with a tough inning, he says.
"It would be like training for the marathon and never running more than 5 miles," he says. "Identifying and preserving million | What positions are they talking about? | [
"pitcher"
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(CNN) -- No play can begin in a baseball game until the pitcher throws the ball. And no play can conclude until the umpire makes the call.
"We're not just robots they send out there," umpire Tim McClelland (2nd from L) told author Bruce Weber.
Yet these figures -- the man on the mound and the men who stand in judgment -- are vastly different in importance to the average fan.
There are countless children who dream of becoming a major-league pitcher. He is, literally, the king of the hill.
Umpires? Almost nobody dreams of becoming an umpire.
And yet the positions share a number of similarities, according to two new books: "As They See 'Em" (Scribner), by New York Times writer Bruce Weber, and "The Complete Game" (Knopf), by former major-league pitcher (and current New York Mets broadcaster) Ron Darling.
Both jobs require a great deal of command, neither gets enough training, and both are often disrespected by others in the game.
Indeed, despite a library of books by and about pitchers (Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," Jim Brosnan's "The Long Season," Christy Mathewson's "Pitching in a Pinch"), Darling said he believes that people still don't understand what it takes to stand on that mound.
"Within baseball circles there is a common baseball axiom, 'If pitchers weren't so stupid, hitters would never get a hit,' " he said in an e-mail. "Of course, I knew this was a fallacy so I decided to write about the travails of major league pitchers. Throwing a ball 95 mph to tin cup-sized quadrants sounds pretty difficult to me, and I wanted to express this to the reader."
Umpires, on the other hand, rarely get written about at all -- in fact, they're often treated as less than human. ("The owners basically see them like bases," former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told Weber. "They say, 'We need a base; we need an umpire; same thing.' ") Weber found a fraternity (and they are almost all men) much like cops or soldiers: tight-lipped believers in baseball law and order.
Weber immersed himself in the "land of umpires," as the book's subtitle calls it, attending umpiring school, calling games at various levels of pro ball and talking with those who were willing -- including the legendary Doug Harvey, who was called "God" for his imperious demeanor. What he found is that what looks so obvious on television at home is often a challenge on the field, a matter not just of eyesight but positioning, rule-book knowledge and basic guts.
"That's really what [being an umpire] is about -- is being in charge," he said. "If there's anything that characterizes the major league umpire, it's that special kind of chutzpah."
Umpires need that presence because they're often baseball's most disrespected men. Aside from the vitriol they face -- the managers kicking dirt, the spectators yelling "Kill the ump" -- they're second-guessed by broadcasters and barely tolerated by management, as Weber reveals in detailing the episodes preceding and following the 1999 umpires' strike.
And yet Major League Baseball doesn't participate in umpire training or development, entrusting it to two umpire-run private schools, Weber observes. (MLB does run an annual umpire camp.)
Darling echoes Weber's concerns in his own field, pitching. In these days of strict pitch counts and injury concern, pitchers are "undertrain[ed]," he says, noting that top draft choices climb the ranks "never allowed to throw more than 110 pitches." That leaves them at a disadvantage when they have to go deeper into a game or cope with a tough inning, he says.
"It would be like training for the marathon and never running more than 5 miles," he says. "Identifying and preserving million | Who is Ron Darling? | [
"former major-league pitcher (and current New York Mets broadcaster)"
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(CNN) -- No play can begin in a baseball game until the pitcher throws the ball. And no play can conclude until the umpire makes the call.
"We're not just robots they send out there," umpire Tim McClelland (2nd from L) told author Bruce Weber.
Yet these figures -- the man on the mound and the men who stand in judgment -- are vastly different in importance to the average fan.
There are countless children who dream of becoming a major-league pitcher. He is, literally, the king of the hill.
Umpires? Almost nobody dreams of becoming an umpire.
And yet the positions share a number of similarities, according to two new books: "As They See 'Em" (Scribner), by New York Times writer Bruce Weber, and "The Complete Game" (Knopf), by former major-league pitcher (and current New York Mets broadcaster) Ron Darling.
Both jobs require a great deal of command, neither gets enough training, and both are often disrespected by others in the game.
Indeed, despite a library of books by and about pitchers (Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," Jim Brosnan's "The Long Season," Christy Mathewson's "Pitching in a Pinch"), Darling said he believes that people still don't understand what it takes to stand on that mound.
"Within baseball circles there is a common baseball axiom, 'If pitchers weren't so stupid, hitters would never get a hit,' " he said in an e-mail. "Of course, I knew this was a fallacy so I decided to write about the travails of major league pitchers. Throwing a ball 95 mph to tin cup-sized quadrants sounds pretty difficult to me, and I wanted to express this to the reader."
Umpires, on the other hand, rarely get written about at all -- in fact, they're often treated as less than human. ("The owners basically see them like bases," former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told Weber. "They say, 'We need a base; we need an umpire; same thing.' ") Weber found a fraternity (and they are almost all men) much like cops or soldiers: tight-lipped believers in baseball law and order.
Weber immersed himself in the "land of umpires," as the book's subtitle calls it, attending umpiring school, calling games at various levels of pro ball and talking with those who were willing -- including the legendary Doug Harvey, who was called "God" for his imperious demeanor. What he found is that what looks so obvious on television at home is often a challenge on the field, a matter not just of eyesight but positioning, rule-book knowledge and basic guts.
"That's really what [being an umpire] is about -- is being in charge," he said. "If there's anything that characterizes the major league umpire, it's that special kind of chutzpah."
Umpires need that presence because they're often baseball's most disrespected men. Aside from the vitriol they face -- the managers kicking dirt, the spectators yelling "Kill the ump" -- they're second-guessed by broadcasters and barely tolerated by management, as Weber reveals in detailing the episodes preceding and following the 1999 umpires' strike.
And yet Major League Baseball doesn't participate in umpire training or development, entrusting it to two umpire-run private schools, Weber observes. (MLB does run an annual umpire camp.)
Darling echoes Weber's concerns in his own field, pitching. In these days of strict pitch counts and injury concern, pitchers are "undertrain[ed]," he says, noting that top draft choices climb the ranks "never allowed to throw more than 110 pitches." That leaves them at a disadvantage when they have to go deeper into a game or cope with a tough inning, he says.
"It would be like training for the marathon and never running more than 5 miles," he says. "Identifying and preserving million | What does "As they See 'Em" concentrate on? | [
"Umpires?"
] | f11dde8b452d4ce59da117b5970134f4 | [
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San Francisco (CNN) -- Remember when Hotmail was hot?
Dick Craddock, who manages the group responsible for Microsoft's Web-based e-mail service, can still recall the day of celebration in 2004 when the Hotmail division had just posted a stunning financial quarter. Craddock, along with other Microsoft execs and developers, convened to relish in the victory.
The triumph was short-lived because soon after, Google launched a competing Webmail service called Gmail, and like in the short time it takes Google to call up a search query, Hotmail instantly looked dated.
Gmail gave users a gigabyte of file storage for free, while Hotmail presented a few megabytes and required users to pay for more. Gmail was fast, spam-free and let people attach files several times larger than that of Hotmail. And Gmail only showed small text advertisements, while Hotmail's pages were covered in ads, which is why the site was able to exceed financial goals during that quarter in 2004.
After evaluating the options, "it wasn't hard to pick Gmail; it just wasn't hard," Craddock said in an interview on Monday. "It was a great learning experience about what really matters."
After a few years of lightning-fast growth for Gmail following its launch and at the expense of Hotmail, Microsoft reversed course. "We set out to really invest in Hotmail and really, to rebuild it from the ground up," said Chris Jones, a vice president who oversees several of Microsoft's Internet applications.
The Hotmail team eventually got the green light to dial down the ads while increasing development on features made available to nonpaying users.
Making money directly from Hotmail "is not the most important thing for us to optimize for," Jones said in an interview. "The lesson from some of the most successful Internet companies is they build something valuable and durable."
That is a notion, Jones said, that Microsoft learned from a rival, Google, and from a partner, Facebook. It is not conventional wisdom for Microsoft, which makes most of its revenue from software sold for hundreds of dollars a package in brick-and-mortar stores.
The people who write the history of technology tend to take shortcuts. Accounts of Friendster's, Myspace's and AOL's fall from grace are often summed up as: they just stopped being cool. In fact, they were less reliable and less capable than their scrappier competition. The same was true of Hotmail, but Microsoft is fighting back.
The Redmond, Washington, company gathered reporters together here at an art gallery in San Francisco on Monday to show PowerPoint slides that demonstrate how Hotmail is just as feature-rich, if not more so, than Gmail. Microsoft is putting muscle behind features such as granular controls over daily-deal messages and newsletters, automatic filtering and various new functions that launch in the next few weeks.
These changes are already being touted to current users of Microsoft's e-mail service in a banner that urges them to look out for "the new Hotmail." It's a part of a campaign to improve the brand's image, so that people aren't embarrassed to say their e-mail address ends in @hotmail.com.
"For a lot of folks, Hotmail was their first Webmail address," Jones said. "Now the challenge that we're fighting, frankly, is mostly one of perception."
Hotmail still holds the highest market share worldwide, followed by Yahoo Mail and then Gmail, according to research firm ComScore. In the U.S., Yahoo is the leader, and this year, Gmail surpassed Hotmail and maintains faster growth, ComScore says.
The options for free e-mail are poised to increase, with other tech giants making bids for the space that follows your name and the "at" symbol.
Apple will discuss its iCloud service at a news conference on Tuesday, which is the first time the company will give out free e-mail access, in this case, an @me.com address, to customers. Facebook recently gave each of its 800 million users an @facebook.com | what Microsoft is hoping to improve? | [
"brand's image,"
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San Francisco (CNN) -- Remember when Hotmail was hot?
Dick Craddock, who manages the group responsible for Microsoft's Web-based e-mail service, can still recall the day of celebration in 2004 when the Hotmail division had just posted a stunning financial quarter. Craddock, along with other Microsoft execs and developers, convened to relish in the victory.
The triumph was short-lived because soon after, Google launched a competing Webmail service called Gmail, and like in the short time it takes Google to call up a search query, Hotmail instantly looked dated.
Gmail gave users a gigabyte of file storage for free, while Hotmail presented a few megabytes and required users to pay for more. Gmail was fast, spam-free and let people attach files several times larger than that of Hotmail. And Gmail only showed small text advertisements, while Hotmail's pages were covered in ads, which is why the site was able to exceed financial goals during that quarter in 2004.
After evaluating the options, "it wasn't hard to pick Gmail; it just wasn't hard," Craddock said in an interview on Monday. "It was a great learning experience about what really matters."
After a few years of lightning-fast growth for Gmail following its launch and at the expense of Hotmail, Microsoft reversed course. "We set out to really invest in Hotmail and really, to rebuild it from the ground up," said Chris Jones, a vice president who oversees several of Microsoft's Internet applications.
The Hotmail team eventually got the green light to dial down the ads while increasing development on features made available to nonpaying users.
Making money directly from Hotmail "is not the most important thing for us to optimize for," Jones said in an interview. "The lesson from some of the most successful Internet companies is they build something valuable and durable."
That is a notion, Jones said, that Microsoft learned from a rival, Google, and from a partner, Facebook. It is not conventional wisdom for Microsoft, which makes most of its revenue from software sold for hundreds of dollars a package in brick-and-mortar stores.
The people who write the history of technology tend to take shortcuts. Accounts of Friendster's, Myspace's and AOL's fall from grace are often summed up as: they just stopped being cool. In fact, they were less reliable and less capable than their scrappier competition. The same was true of Hotmail, but Microsoft is fighting back.
The Redmond, Washington, company gathered reporters together here at an art gallery in San Francisco on Monday to show PowerPoint slides that demonstrate how Hotmail is just as feature-rich, if not more so, than Gmail. Microsoft is putting muscle behind features such as granular controls over daily-deal messages and newsletters, automatic filtering and various new functions that launch in the next few weeks.
These changes are already being touted to current users of Microsoft's e-mail service in a banner that urges them to look out for "the new Hotmail." It's a part of a campaign to improve the brand's image, so that people aren't embarrassed to say their e-mail address ends in @hotmail.com.
"For a lot of folks, Hotmail was their first Webmail address," Jones said. "Now the challenge that we're fighting, frankly, is mostly one of perception."
Hotmail still holds the highest market share worldwide, followed by Yahoo Mail and then Gmail, according to research firm ComScore. In the U.S., Yahoo is the leader, and this year, Gmail surpassed Hotmail and maintains faster growth, ComScore says.
The options for free e-mail are poised to increase, with other tech giants making bids for the space that follows your name and the "at" symbol.
Apple will discuss its iCloud service at a news conference on Tuesday, which is the first time the company will give out free e-mail access, in this case, an @me.com address, to customers. Facebook recently gave each of its 800 million users an @facebook.com | whats The Web-based e-mail service, once a dominant player, is losing steam? | [
"Hotmail"
] | e3ca3dec71ad416f9f1266d7e8732d43 | [
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San Francisco (CNN) -- Remember when Hotmail was hot?
Dick Craddock, who manages the group responsible for Microsoft's Web-based e-mail service, can still recall the day of celebration in 2004 when the Hotmail division had just posted a stunning financial quarter. Craddock, along with other Microsoft execs and developers, convened to relish in the victory.
The triumph was short-lived because soon after, Google launched a competing Webmail service called Gmail, and like in the short time it takes Google to call up a search query, Hotmail instantly looked dated.
Gmail gave users a gigabyte of file storage for free, while Hotmail presented a few megabytes and required users to pay for more. Gmail was fast, spam-free and let people attach files several times larger than that of Hotmail. And Gmail only showed small text advertisements, while Hotmail's pages were covered in ads, which is why the site was able to exceed financial goals during that quarter in 2004.
After evaluating the options, "it wasn't hard to pick Gmail; it just wasn't hard," Craddock said in an interview on Monday. "It was a great learning experience about what really matters."
After a few years of lightning-fast growth for Gmail following its launch and at the expense of Hotmail, Microsoft reversed course. "We set out to really invest in Hotmail and really, to rebuild it from the ground up," said Chris Jones, a vice president who oversees several of Microsoft's Internet applications.
The Hotmail team eventually got the green light to dial down the ads while increasing development on features made available to nonpaying users.
Making money directly from Hotmail "is not the most important thing for us to optimize for," Jones said in an interview. "The lesson from some of the most successful Internet companies is they build something valuable and durable."
That is a notion, Jones said, that Microsoft learned from a rival, Google, and from a partner, Facebook. It is not conventional wisdom for Microsoft, which makes most of its revenue from software sold for hundreds of dollars a package in brick-and-mortar stores.
The people who write the history of technology tend to take shortcuts. Accounts of Friendster's, Myspace's and AOL's fall from grace are often summed up as: they just stopped being cool. In fact, they were less reliable and less capable than their scrappier competition. The same was true of Hotmail, but Microsoft is fighting back.
The Redmond, Washington, company gathered reporters together here at an art gallery in San Francisco on Monday to show PowerPoint slides that demonstrate how Hotmail is just as feature-rich, if not more so, than Gmail. Microsoft is putting muscle behind features such as granular controls over daily-deal messages and newsletters, automatic filtering and various new functions that launch in the next few weeks.
These changes are already being touted to current users of Microsoft's e-mail service in a banner that urges them to look out for "the new Hotmail." It's a part of a campaign to improve the brand's image, so that people aren't embarrassed to say their e-mail address ends in @hotmail.com.
"For a lot of folks, Hotmail was their first Webmail address," Jones said. "Now the challenge that we're fighting, frankly, is mostly one of perception."
Hotmail still holds the highest market share worldwide, followed by Yahoo Mail and then Gmail, according to research firm ComScore. In the U.S., Yahoo is the leader, and this year, Gmail surpassed Hotmail and maintains faster growth, ComScore says.
The options for free e-mail are poised to increase, with other tech giants making bids for the space that follows your name and the "at" symbol.
Apple will discuss its iCloud service at a news conference on Tuesday, which is the first time the company will give out free e-mail access, in this case, an @me.com address, to customers. Facebook recently gave each of its 800 million users an @facebook.com | whats Hotmail faces a growing list of competitors, including Apple, Facebook, Google? | [
"Gmail"
] | e6324cce3e3440f08fd49dd21f37e5e9 | [
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San Francisco (CNN) -- Remember when Hotmail was hot?
Dick Craddock, who manages the group responsible for Microsoft's Web-based e-mail service, can still recall the day of celebration in 2004 when the Hotmail division had just posted a stunning financial quarter. Craddock, along with other Microsoft execs and developers, convened to relish in the victory.
The triumph was short-lived because soon after, Google launched a competing Webmail service called Gmail, and like in the short time it takes Google to call up a search query, Hotmail instantly looked dated.
Gmail gave users a gigabyte of file storage for free, while Hotmail presented a few megabytes and required users to pay for more. Gmail was fast, spam-free and let people attach files several times larger than that of Hotmail. And Gmail only showed small text advertisements, while Hotmail's pages were covered in ads, which is why the site was able to exceed financial goals during that quarter in 2004.
After evaluating the options, "it wasn't hard to pick Gmail; it just wasn't hard," Craddock said in an interview on Monday. "It was a great learning experience about what really matters."
After a few years of lightning-fast growth for Gmail following its launch and at the expense of Hotmail, Microsoft reversed course. "We set out to really invest in Hotmail and really, to rebuild it from the ground up," said Chris Jones, a vice president who oversees several of Microsoft's Internet applications.
The Hotmail team eventually got the green light to dial down the ads while increasing development on features made available to nonpaying users.
Making money directly from Hotmail "is not the most important thing for us to optimize for," Jones said in an interview. "The lesson from some of the most successful Internet companies is they build something valuable and durable."
That is a notion, Jones said, that Microsoft learned from a rival, Google, and from a partner, Facebook. It is not conventional wisdom for Microsoft, which makes most of its revenue from software sold for hundreds of dollars a package in brick-and-mortar stores.
The people who write the history of technology tend to take shortcuts. Accounts of Friendster's, Myspace's and AOL's fall from grace are often summed up as: they just stopped being cool. In fact, they were less reliable and less capable than their scrappier competition. The same was true of Hotmail, but Microsoft is fighting back.
The Redmond, Washington, company gathered reporters together here at an art gallery in San Francisco on Monday to show PowerPoint slides that demonstrate how Hotmail is just as feature-rich, if not more so, than Gmail. Microsoft is putting muscle behind features such as granular controls over daily-deal messages and newsletters, automatic filtering and various new functions that launch in the next few weeks.
These changes are already being touted to current users of Microsoft's e-mail service in a banner that urges them to look out for "the new Hotmail." It's a part of a campaign to improve the brand's image, so that people aren't embarrassed to say their e-mail address ends in @hotmail.com.
"For a lot of folks, Hotmail was their first Webmail address," Jones said. "Now the challenge that we're fighting, frankly, is mostly one of perception."
Hotmail still holds the highest market share worldwide, followed by Yahoo Mail and then Gmail, according to research firm ComScore. In the U.S., Yahoo is the leader, and this year, Gmail surpassed Hotmail and maintains faster growth, ComScore says.
The options for free e-mail are poised to increase, with other tech giants making bids for the space that follows your name and the "at" symbol.
Apple will discuss its iCloud service at a news conference on Tuesday, which is the first time the company will give out free e-mail access, in this case, an @me.com address, to customers. Facebook recently gave each of its 800 million users an @facebook.com | who is included in the growing list of competitors? | [
"Google"
] | 495edd8cdbc94f50a3476115dca69608 | [
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London, England (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic finally took the stand Monday at the U.N.'s international tribunal at The Hague to defend himself against genocide charges stemming from the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.
For CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson, the 64 year-old was as defiant and unrepentant as the man he recalled meeting outside Sarajevo in 1993-94, as Bosnian-Serb forces shelled the city.
Karadzic, who faces 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during the war, told the tribunal the Serb cause is "just and holy," and dismissed as myths two of the worst atrocities of a conflict that claimed 100,000 lives -- the three-year siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
He even claimed that the image of the Muslims as victims was untrue and that they were the first to attack. Their fighters "had blood up to their shoulders," he said.
"I will defend that nation of ours and their cause that is just and holy," he said in his defiant opening statement. The aim of the "Muslim plotters," he added, was "100 percent power, as it was in the Ottoman Empire."
"This is reminiscent of those days," said Robertson, who reported from the Bosnian capital during the war. "These were the exact same justifications: 'we're the ones that had been under attack, we're the ones being wronged.'
"It's very telling that he's not trying to address specific issues, such as the Srebrenica massacre and such like, which are going to be the main parts of the prosecution.
"Many Bosnian-Serbs watching this will feel that he's doing the right thing because Serbs have a history of feeling wrongly done to."
He said some still think back to their nationalist past and only identify with themselves through that, which is incompatible with the direction modern Europe is taking. "They're trying to return to a kind of Serb nationalist heyday, which is akin to the Taliban taking Muslims, if you will, back centuries."
Karadzic is the most senior figure to stand trial since the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who died of a heart attack in 2006 before a verdict was reached.
According to Robertson, the trial might offer a crumb of comfort to some victims but it will stir up a great deal of emotion and anger to many Bosnian-Muslims who lost relatives or their homes.
"When you listen to Karadzic's description of the situation in Bosnia during this period it belies the fact that Bosnian-Serbs went through and ethnically-cleansed people from their towns," he said.
"There were towns and villages where no Muslims were left. Any towns or villages the Serbs couldn't get into they just surrounded and poured on machine-gun fire and rockets. This trial is going to bring all this out again."
During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 44 months, Karadzic was in Pale, a mountain-top village to the south-west of the capital which became the Bosnian-Serb headquarters.
Down below, Sarajevo was like a goldfish bowl surrounded on all sides by Bosnian-Serb soldiers who had dug in and were shooting civilians indiscriminately with machine guns, sniper rifles and mortars. "These were men in uniform with weapons taken from the former Yugoslav national army acting on clear instructions," said Robertson.
"It's hard to get an idea of what a siege is like in modern Europe. But imagine a city where you can't leave, get out to buy eggs, apples or fuel for your car. Equally nothing can come in.
"The encirclement of Sarajevo was so tight that the only way in or out for Bosnians was a hand-built tunnel they dug under the U.N.-run airport runway. A man couldn't stand upright in the tunnel.
"Telephone lines were non-existent, while electricity and water supplies were often cut for weeks on end."
On one occasion, while buying fuel in Serb- | Who faces 11 counts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity? | [
"Radovan Karadzic"
] | ee50caec4f394474ade54a617e485541 | [
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London, England (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic finally took the stand Monday at the U.N.'s international tribunal at The Hague to defend himself against genocide charges stemming from the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.
For CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson, the 64 year-old was as defiant and unrepentant as the man he recalled meeting outside Sarajevo in 1993-94, as Bosnian-Serb forces shelled the city.
Karadzic, who faces 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during the war, told the tribunal the Serb cause is "just and holy," and dismissed as myths two of the worst atrocities of a conflict that claimed 100,000 lives -- the three-year siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
He even claimed that the image of the Muslims as victims was untrue and that they were the first to attack. Their fighters "had blood up to their shoulders," he said.
"I will defend that nation of ours and their cause that is just and holy," he said in his defiant opening statement. The aim of the "Muslim plotters," he added, was "100 percent power, as it was in the Ottoman Empire."
"This is reminiscent of those days," said Robertson, who reported from the Bosnian capital during the war. "These were the exact same justifications: 'we're the ones that had been under attack, we're the ones being wronged.'
"It's very telling that he's not trying to address specific issues, such as the Srebrenica massacre and such like, which are going to be the main parts of the prosecution.
"Many Bosnian-Serbs watching this will feel that he's doing the right thing because Serbs have a history of feeling wrongly done to."
He said some still think back to their nationalist past and only identify with themselves through that, which is incompatible with the direction modern Europe is taking. "They're trying to return to a kind of Serb nationalist heyday, which is akin to the Taliban taking Muslims, if you will, back centuries."
Karadzic is the most senior figure to stand trial since the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who died of a heart attack in 2006 before a verdict was reached.
According to Robertson, the trial might offer a crumb of comfort to some victims but it will stir up a great deal of emotion and anger to many Bosnian-Muslims who lost relatives or their homes.
"When you listen to Karadzic's description of the situation in Bosnia during this period it belies the fact that Bosnian-Serbs went through and ethnically-cleansed people from their towns," he said.
"There were towns and villages where no Muslims were left. Any towns or villages the Serbs couldn't get into they just surrounded and poured on machine-gun fire and rockets. This trial is going to bring all this out again."
During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 44 months, Karadzic was in Pale, a mountain-top village to the south-west of the capital which became the Bosnian-Serb headquarters.
Down below, Sarajevo was like a goldfish bowl surrounded on all sides by Bosnian-Serb soldiers who had dug in and were shooting civilians indiscriminately with machine guns, sniper rifles and mortars. "These were men in uniform with weapons taken from the former Yugoslav national army acting on clear instructions," said Robertson.
"It's hard to get an idea of what a siege is like in modern Europe. But imagine a city where you can't leave, get out to buy eggs, apples or fuel for your car. Equally nothing can come in.
"The encirclement of Sarajevo was so tight that the only way in or out for Bosnians was a hand-built tunnel they dug under the U.N.-run airport runway. A man couldn't stand upright in the tunnel.
"Telephone lines were non-existent, while electricity and water supplies were often cut for weeks on end."
On one occasion, while buying fuel in Serb- | Who said at The Hague that the Serb cause is "just and holy"? | [
"Karadzic,"
] | c621a8dcf0c742dc8b9e7d660da83f96 | [
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London, England (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic finally took the stand Monday at the U.N.'s international tribunal at The Hague to defend himself against genocide charges stemming from the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.
For CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson, the 64 year-old was as defiant and unrepentant as the man he recalled meeting outside Sarajevo in 1993-94, as Bosnian-Serb forces shelled the city.
Karadzic, who faces 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during the war, told the tribunal the Serb cause is "just and holy," and dismissed as myths two of the worst atrocities of a conflict that claimed 100,000 lives -- the three-year siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
He even claimed that the image of the Muslims as victims was untrue and that they were the first to attack. Their fighters "had blood up to their shoulders," he said.
"I will defend that nation of ours and their cause that is just and holy," he said in his defiant opening statement. The aim of the "Muslim plotters," he added, was "100 percent power, as it was in the Ottoman Empire."
"This is reminiscent of those days," said Robertson, who reported from the Bosnian capital during the war. "These were the exact same justifications: 'we're the ones that had been under attack, we're the ones being wronged.'
"It's very telling that he's not trying to address specific issues, such as the Srebrenica massacre and such like, which are going to be the main parts of the prosecution.
"Many Bosnian-Serbs watching this will feel that he's doing the right thing because Serbs have a history of feeling wrongly done to."
He said some still think back to their nationalist past and only identify with themselves through that, which is incompatible with the direction modern Europe is taking. "They're trying to return to a kind of Serb nationalist heyday, which is akin to the Taliban taking Muslims, if you will, back centuries."
Karadzic is the most senior figure to stand trial since the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who died of a heart attack in 2006 before a verdict was reached.
According to Robertson, the trial might offer a crumb of comfort to some victims but it will stir up a great deal of emotion and anger to many Bosnian-Muslims who lost relatives or their homes.
"When you listen to Karadzic's description of the situation in Bosnia during this period it belies the fact that Bosnian-Serbs went through and ethnically-cleansed people from their towns," he said.
"There were towns and villages where no Muslims were left. Any towns or villages the Serbs couldn't get into they just surrounded and poured on machine-gun fire and rockets. This trial is going to bring all this out again."
During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 44 months, Karadzic was in Pale, a mountain-top village to the south-west of the capital which became the Bosnian-Serb headquarters.
Down below, Sarajevo was like a goldfish bowl surrounded on all sides by Bosnian-Serb soldiers who had dug in and were shooting civilians indiscriminately with machine guns, sniper rifles and mortars. "These were men in uniform with weapons taken from the former Yugoslav national army acting on clear instructions," said Robertson.
"It's hard to get an idea of what a siege is like in modern Europe. But imagine a city where you can't leave, get out to buy eggs, apples or fuel for your car. Equally nothing can come in.
"The encirclement of Sarajevo was so tight that the only way in or out for Bosnians was a hand-built tunnel they dug under the U.N.-run airport runway. A man couldn't stand upright in the tunnel.
"Telephone lines were non-existent, while electricity and water supplies were often cut for weeks on end."
On one occasion, while buying fuel in Serb- | Who was accused of responsibility for the massacre? | [
"Radovan Karadzic"
] | df984d8eef74443ea6b95a2a9843b1e0 | [
{
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London, England (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic finally took the stand Monday at the U.N.'s international tribunal at The Hague to defend himself against genocide charges stemming from the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.
For CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson, the 64 year-old was as defiant and unrepentant as the man he recalled meeting outside Sarajevo in 1993-94, as Bosnian-Serb forces shelled the city.
Karadzic, who faces 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during the war, told the tribunal the Serb cause is "just and holy," and dismissed as myths two of the worst atrocities of a conflict that claimed 100,000 lives -- the three-year siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
He even claimed that the image of the Muslims as victims was untrue and that they were the first to attack. Their fighters "had blood up to their shoulders," he said.
"I will defend that nation of ours and their cause that is just and holy," he said in his defiant opening statement. The aim of the "Muslim plotters," he added, was "100 percent power, as it was in the Ottoman Empire."
"This is reminiscent of those days," said Robertson, who reported from the Bosnian capital during the war. "These were the exact same justifications: 'we're the ones that had been under attack, we're the ones being wronged.'
"It's very telling that he's not trying to address specific issues, such as the Srebrenica massacre and such like, which are going to be the main parts of the prosecution.
"Many Bosnian-Serbs watching this will feel that he's doing the right thing because Serbs have a history of feeling wrongly done to."
He said some still think back to their nationalist past and only identify with themselves through that, which is incompatible with the direction modern Europe is taking. "They're trying to return to a kind of Serb nationalist heyday, which is akin to the Taliban taking Muslims, if you will, back centuries."
Karadzic is the most senior figure to stand trial since the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who died of a heart attack in 2006 before a verdict was reached.
According to Robertson, the trial might offer a crumb of comfort to some victims but it will stir up a great deal of emotion and anger to many Bosnian-Muslims who lost relatives or their homes.
"When you listen to Karadzic's description of the situation in Bosnia during this period it belies the fact that Bosnian-Serbs went through and ethnically-cleansed people from their towns," he said.
"There were towns and villages where no Muslims were left. Any towns or villages the Serbs couldn't get into they just surrounded and poured on machine-gun fire and rockets. This trial is going to bring all this out again."
During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 44 months, Karadzic was in Pale, a mountain-top village to the south-west of the capital which became the Bosnian-Serb headquarters.
Down below, Sarajevo was like a goldfish bowl surrounded on all sides by Bosnian-Serb soldiers who had dug in and were shooting civilians indiscriminately with machine guns, sniper rifles and mortars. "These were men in uniform with weapons taken from the former Yugoslav national army acting on clear instructions," said Robertson.
"It's hard to get an idea of what a siege is like in modern Europe. But imagine a city where you can't leave, get out to buy eggs, apples or fuel for your car. Equally nothing can come in.
"The encirclement of Sarajevo was so tight that the only way in or out for Bosnians was a hand-built tunnel they dug under the U.N.-run airport runway. A man couldn't stand upright in the tunnel.
"Telephone lines were non-existent, while electricity and water supplies were often cut for weeks on end."
On one occasion, while buying fuel in Serb- | Who faces 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity? | [
"Radovan Karadzic"
] | 17e53aeb8c364b8bb9a74d29bac28c53 | [
{
"end": [
67
],
"start": [
52
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] |
London, England (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic finally took the stand Monday at the U.N.'s international tribunal at The Hague to defend himself against genocide charges stemming from the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.
For CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson, the 64 year-old was as defiant and unrepentant as the man he recalled meeting outside Sarajevo in 1993-94, as Bosnian-Serb forces shelled the city.
Karadzic, who faces 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during the war, told the tribunal the Serb cause is "just and holy," and dismissed as myths two of the worst atrocities of a conflict that claimed 100,000 lives -- the three-year siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
He even claimed that the image of the Muslims as victims was untrue and that they were the first to attack. Their fighters "had blood up to their shoulders," he said.
"I will defend that nation of ours and their cause that is just and holy," he said in his defiant opening statement. The aim of the "Muslim plotters," he added, was "100 percent power, as it was in the Ottoman Empire."
"This is reminiscent of those days," said Robertson, who reported from the Bosnian capital during the war. "These were the exact same justifications: 'we're the ones that had been under attack, we're the ones being wronged.'
"It's very telling that he's not trying to address specific issues, such as the Srebrenica massacre and such like, which are going to be the main parts of the prosecution.
"Many Bosnian-Serbs watching this will feel that he's doing the right thing because Serbs have a history of feeling wrongly done to."
He said some still think back to their nationalist past and only identify with themselves through that, which is incompatible with the direction modern Europe is taking. "They're trying to return to a kind of Serb nationalist heyday, which is akin to the Taliban taking Muslims, if you will, back centuries."
Karadzic is the most senior figure to stand trial since the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who died of a heart attack in 2006 before a verdict was reached.
According to Robertson, the trial might offer a crumb of comfort to some victims but it will stir up a great deal of emotion and anger to many Bosnian-Muslims who lost relatives or their homes.
"When you listen to Karadzic's description of the situation in Bosnia during this period it belies the fact that Bosnian-Serbs went through and ethnically-cleansed people from their towns," he said.
"There were towns and villages where no Muslims were left. Any towns or villages the Serbs couldn't get into they just surrounded and poured on machine-gun fire and rockets. This trial is going to bring all this out again."
During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 44 months, Karadzic was in Pale, a mountain-top village to the south-west of the capital which became the Bosnian-Serb headquarters.
Down below, Sarajevo was like a goldfish bowl surrounded on all sides by Bosnian-Serb soldiers who had dug in and were shooting civilians indiscriminately with machine guns, sniper rifles and mortars. "These were men in uniform with weapons taken from the former Yugoslav national army acting on clear instructions," said Robertson.
"It's hard to get an idea of what a siege is like in modern Europe. But imagine a city where you can't leave, get out to buy eggs, apples or fuel for your car. Equally nothing can come in.
"The encirclement of Sarajevo was so tight that the only way in or out for Bosnians was a hand-built tunnel they dug under the U.N.-run airport runway. A man couldn't stand upright in the tunnel.
"Telephone lines were non-existent, while electricity and water supplies were often cut for weeks on end."
On one occasion, while buying fuel in Serb- | Where is the international tribunal located? | [
"The Hague"
] | fc0a939ef889437f92a2990d71480df2 | [
{
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(CNNGo) -- Sure, luxury accommodation in Asia takes the headlines, but what about us regular folk who just want a decent bed before hiking in Berastagi?
Big hotel chains such as InterContinental, Swiss-Belhotel International and Accor have recently announced plans to build more than 350 economy and express hotels in various parts of Asia including China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia by the end of 2012.
Don't call the new breed budget hotels or hostels, which are usually in cheaper areas. High-end hotel companies that have "economy" brands are often higher quality, cleaner, chicer and closer to city centers.
Read more on CNNGo: 15 bizarre hotels
Post-recession business travelers are being more responsible with their money and hoteliers say young executives on the move are demanding high-quality hotels with fewer trimmings like business centers or rooftop pools.
"Business tourists prefer two- to three-star facilities because it's convenient -- they don't want to waste money on facilities they won't use," says Gavin Faull, president of Swiss-Belhotel International.
International Air Transport Association and Smith Travel Research also anticipated higher growth in business travel compared to leisure travel in the upcoming year, according to a report from Ernst & Young -- "Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011."
Read more on CNNGo: 10 adventures for chocoholics
Global business travel spending is projected to grow 34 percent in four years, from US$896 billion in 2010 to US$1.2 trillion by 2014, with Asia, Latin America and the Middle East expected to grow faster than the current recovering economies of the United States and Europe, according to Ernst & Young's report.
Fewer frills, more savings
Much of the growth will be driven by the increased demand for economy hotels, which cost less than full-service hotels because guests pay only for basic amenities.
For example, a one-night weekend stay in November at a standard Holiday Inn Express in Hong Kong costs 20 percent less than a room at the full-service Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Hong Kong.
"[Express hotels are] everything you need and nothing you don't," says David Anderson, vice president at InterContinental Hotels.
And the strategy for no-frills, but decent, rooms is working. Revenue per room grew 15 percent in Asia-Pacific during 2010, while the United States saw about 7 percent growth, as reported by Ernst & Young.
"This growth [in the Asia-Pacific travel industry] is a complete reflection of domestic economy strength," says Evan Lewis, Accor's VP for Asia-Pacific communications.
Read more on CNNGo: 10 cities, 100 fantastic free attractions
For the regular non-business folk in Asia who just want to hit the beach on a nearby island over a weekend, this means more economy chains located in downtown cores.
So while the roach-infested hovels with views over the sewer will still be there for those who like to slum it, there are now cheap places in good areas to toss your luggage and explore the city --- without forcing yourself to use the pool or gym you didn't ask for.
Select economy hotels
Holiday Inn Express, 33 Sharp St. East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3558 6688, www.hiexpress.com
Hotel Ibis Shanghai, 858 Panyu Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, China, +86 21 6283 8800, www.ibishotel.com
Swiss-Inn Batam, Komplek Villa Idaman Baloi Batam 29432, Batam, Indonesia, +62 778 457 500
© 2011 Cable News Network Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved | What is providing more affordable accommodation for everyone? | [
"Big hotel chains such as InterContinental, Swiss-Belhotel International and Accor have recently announced plans to build"
] | a3522bab0b5341be8ff9713670ff67a6 | [
{
"end": [
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"start": [
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}
] |
(CNNGo) -- Sure, luxury accommodation in Asia takes the headlines, but what about us regular folk who just want a decent bed before hiking in Berastagi?
Big hotel chains such as InterContinental, Swiss-Belhotel International and Accor have recently announced plans to build more than 350 economy and express hotels in various parts of Asia including China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia by the end of 2012.
Don't call the new breed budget hotels or hostels, which are usually in cheaper areas. High-end hotel companies that have "economy" brands are often higher quality, cleaner, chicer and closer to city centers.
Read more on CNNGo: 15 bizarre hotels
Post-recession business travelers are being more responsible with their money and hoteliers say young executives on the move are demanding high-quality hotels with fewer trimmings like business centers or rooftop pools.
"Business tourists prefer two- to three-star facilities because it's convenient -- they don't want to waste money on facilities they won't use," says Gavin Faull, president of Swiss-Belhotel International.
International Air Transport Association and Smith Travel Research also anticipated higher growth in business travel compared to leisure travel in the upcoming year, according to a report from Ernst & Young -- "Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011."
Read more on CNNGo: 10 adventures for chocoholics
Global business travel spending is projected to grow 34 percent in four years, from US$896 billion in 2010 to US$1.2 trillion by 2014, with Asia, Latin America and the Middle East expected to grow faster than the current recovering economies of the United States and Europe, according to Ernst & Young's report.
Fewer frills, more savings
Much of the growth will be driven by the increased demand for economy hotels, which cost less than full-service hotels because guests pay only for basic amenities.
For example, a one-night weekend stay in November at a standard Holiday Inn Express in Hong Kong costs 20 percent less than a room at the full-service Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Hong Kong.
"[Express hotels are] everything you need and nothing you don't," says David Anderson, vice president at InterContinental Hotels.
And the strategy for no-frills, but decent, rooms is working. Revenue per room grew 15 percent in Asia-Pacific during 2010, while the United States saw about 7 percent growth, as reported by Ernst & Young.
"This growth [in the Asia-Pacific travel industry] is a complete reflection of domestic economy strength," says Evan Lewis, Accor's VP for Asia-Pacific communications.
Read more on CNNGo: 10 cities, 100 fantastic free attractions
For the regular non-business folk in Asia who just want to hit the beach on a nearby island over a weekend, this means more economy chains located in downtown cores.
So while the roach-infested hovels with views over the sewer will still be there for those who like to slum it, there are now cheap places in good areas to toss your luggage and explore the city --- without forcing yourself to use the pool or gym you didn't ask for.
Select economy hotels
Holiday Inn Express, 33 Sharp St. East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3558 6688, www.hiexpress.com
Hotel Ibis Shanghai, 858 Panyu Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, China, +86 21 6283 8800, www.ibishotel.com
Swiss-Inn Batam, Komplek Villa Idaman Baloi Batam 29432, Batam, Indonesia, +62 778 457 500
© 2011 Cable News Network Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved | What do business travelers not want to waste money on? | [
"facilities they won't use,\""
] | 81b5dc4c2ca243ffad398b4de18c081a | [
{
"end": [
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],
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] |
(CNNGo) -- Sure, luxury accommodation in Asia takes the headlines, but what about us regular folk who just want a decent bed before hiking in Berastagi?
Big hotel chains such as InterContinental, Swiss-Belhotel International and Accor have recently announced plans to build more than 350 economy and express hotels in various parts of Asia including China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia by the end of 2012.
Don't call the new breed budget hotels or hostels, which are usually in cheaper areas. High-end hotel companies that have "economy" brands are often higher quality, cleaner, chicer and closer to city centers.
Read more on CNNGo: 15 bizarre hotels
Post-recession business travelers are being more responsible with their money and hoteliers say young executives on the move are demanding high-quality hotels with fewer trimmings like business centers or rooftop pools.
"Business tourists prefer two- to three-star facilities because it's convenient -- they don't want to waste money on facilities they won't use," says Gavin Faull, president of Swiss-Belhotel International.
International Air Transport Association and Smith Travel Research also anticipated higher growth in business travel compared to leisure travel in the upcoming year, according to a report from Ernst & Young -- "Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011."
Read more on CNNGo: 10 adventures for chocoholics
Global business travel spending is projected to grow 34 percent in four years, from US$896 billion in 2010 to US$1.2 trillion by 2014, with Asia, Latin America and the Middle East expected to grow faster than the current recovering economies of the United States and Europe, according to Ernst & Young's report.
Fewer frills, more savings
Much of the growth will be driven by the increased demand for economy hotels, which cost less than full-service hotels because guests pay only for basic amenities.
For example, a one-night weekend stay in November at a standard Holiday Inn Express in Hong Kong costs 20 percent less than a room at the full-service Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Hong Kong.
"[Express hotels are] everything you need and nothing you don't," says David Anderson, vice president at InterContinental Hotels.
And the strategy for no-frills, but decent, rooms is working. Revenue per room grew 15 percent in Asia-Pacific during 2010, while the United States saw about 7 percent growth, as reported by Ernst & Young.
"This growth [in the Asia-Pacific travel industry] is a complete reflection of domestic economy strength," says Evan Lewis, Accor's VP for Asia-Pacific communications.
Read more on CNNGo: 10 cities, 100 fantastic free attractions
For the regular non-business folk in Asia who just want to hit the beach on a nearby island over a weekend, this means more economy chains located in downtown cores.
So while the roach-infested hovels with views over the sewer will still be there for those who like to slum it, there are now cheap places in good areas to toss your luggage and explore the city --- without forcing yourself to use the pool or gym you didn't ask for.
Select economy hotels
Holiday Inn Express, 33 Sharp St. East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3558 6688, www.hiexpress.com
Hotel Ibis Shanghai, 858 Panyu Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, China, +86 21 6283 8800, www.ibishotel.com
Swiss-Inn Batam, Komplek Villa Idaman Baloi Batam 29432, Batam, Indonesia, +62 778 457 500
© 2011 Cable News Network Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved | What traveler don't want to waste money? | [
"\"Business tourists"
] | f5bb3ca0eb484613aaae37e990fd4907 | [
{
"end": [
940
],
"start": [
923
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}
] |
(CNNGo) -- Sure, luxury accommodation in Asia takes the headlines, but what about us regular folk who just want a decent bed before hiking in Berastagi?
Big hotel chains such as InterContinental, Swiss-Belhotel International and Accor have recently announced plans to build more than 350 economy and express hotels in various parts of Asia including China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia by the end of 2012.
Don't call the new breed budget hotels or hostels, which are usually in cheaper areas. High-end hotel companies that have "economy" brands are often higher quality, cleaner, chicer and closer to city centers.
Read more on CNNGo: 15 bizarre hotels
Post-recession business travelers are being more responsible with their money and hoteliers say young executives on the move are demanding high-quality hotels with fewer trimmings like business centers or rooftop pools.
"Business tourists prefer two- to three-star facilities because it's convenient -- they don't want to waste money on facilities they won't use," says Gavin Faull, president of Swiss-Belhotel International.
International Air Transport Association and Smith Travel Research also anticipated higher growth in business travel compared to leisure travel in the upcoming year, according to a report from Ernst & Young -- "Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011."
Read more on CNNGo: 10 adventures for chocoholics
Global business travel spending is projected to grow 34 percent in four years, from US$896 billion in 2010 to US$1.2 trillion by 2014, with Asia, Latin America and the Middle East expected to grow faster than the current recovering economies of the United States and Europe, according to Ernst & Young's report.
Fewer frills, more savings
Much of the growth will be driven by the increased demand for economy hotels, which cost less than full-service hotels because guests pay only for basic amenities.
For example, a one-night weekend stay in November at a standard Holiday Inn Express in Hong Kong costs 20 percent less than a room at the full-service Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Hong Kong.
"[Express hotels are] everything you need and nothing you don't," says David Anderson, vice president at InterContinental Hotels.
And the strategy for no-frills, but decent, rooms is working. Revenue per room grew 15 percent in Asia-Pacific during 2010, while the United States saw about 7 percent growth, as reported by Ernst & Young.
"This growth [in the Asia-Pacific travel industry] is a complete reflection of domestic economy strength," says Evan Lewis, Accor's VP for Asia-Pacific communications.
Read more on CNNGo: 10 cities, 100 fantastic free attractions
For the regular non-business folk in Asia who just want to hit the beach on a nearby island over a weekend, this means more economy chains located in downtown cores.
So while the roach-infested hovels with views over the sewer will still be there for those who like to slum it, there are now cheap places in good areas to toss your luggage and explore the city --- without forcing yourself to use the pool or gym you didn't ask for.
Select economy hotels
Holiday Inn Express, 33 Sharp St. East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3558 6688, www.hiexpress.com
Hotel Ibis Shanghai, 858 Panyu Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, China, +86 21 6283 8800, www.ibishotel.com
Swiss-Inn Batam, Komplek Villa Idaman Baloi Batam 29432, Batam, Indonesia, +62 778 457 500
© 2011 Cable News Network Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved | What are High end hotels building? | [
"more than 350 economy and express"
] | 51a6b3a956784a9abb0110cab5aa1187 | [
{
"end": [
311
],
"start": [
279
]
}
] |
(CNNGo) -- Sure, luxury accommodation in Asia takes the headlines, but what about us regular folk who just want a decent bed before hiking in Berastagi?
Big hotel chains such as InterContinental, Swiss-Belhotel International and Accor have recently announced plans to build more than 350 economy and express hotels in various parts of Asia including China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia by the end of 2012.
Don't call the new breed budget hotels or hostels, which are usually in cheaper areas. High-end hotel companies that have "economy" brands are often higher quality, cleaner, chicer and closer to city centers.
Read more on CNNGo: 15 bizarre hotels
Post-recession business travelers are being more responsible with their money and hoteliers say young executives on the move are demanding high-quality hotels with fewer trimmings like business centers or rooftop pools.
"Business tourists prefer two- to three-star facilities because it's convenient -- they don't want to waste money on facilities they won't use," says Gavin Faull, president of Swiss-Belhotel International.
International Air Transport Association and Smith Travel Research also anticipated higher growth in business travel compared to leisure travel in the upcoming year, according to a report from Ernst & Young -- "Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011."
Read more on CNNGo: 10 adventures for chocoholics
Global business travel spending is projected to grow 34 percent in four years, from US$896 billion in 2010 to US$1.2 trillion by 2014, with Asia, Latin America and the Middle East expected to grow faster than the current recovering economies of the United States and Europe, according to Ernst & Young's report.
Fewer frills, more savings
Much of the growth will be driven by the increased demand for economy hotels, which cost less than full-service hotels because guests pay only for basic amenities.
For example, a one-night weekend stay in November at a standard Holiday Inn Express in Hong Kong costs 20 percent less than a room at the full-service Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Hong Kong.
"[Express hotels are] everything you need and nothing you don't," says David Anderson, vice president at InterContinental Hotels.
And the strategy for no-frills, but decent, rooms is working. Revenue per room grew 15 percent in Asia-Pacific during 2010, while the United States saw about 7 percent growth, as reported by Ernst & Young.
"This growth [in the Asia-Pacific travel industry] is a complete reflection of domestic economy strength," says Evan Lewis, Accor's VP for Asia-Pacific communications.
Read more on CNNGo: 10 cities, 100 fantastic free attractions
For the regular non-business folk in Asia who just want to hit the beach on a nearby island over a weekend, this means more economy chains located in downtown cores.
So while the roach-infested hovels with views over the sewer will still be there for those who like to slum it, there are now cheap places in good areas to toss your luggage and explore the city --- without forcing yourself to use the pool or gym you didn't ask for.
Select economy hotels
Holiday Inn Express, 33 Sharp St. East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3558 6688, www.hiexpress.com
Hotel Ibis Shanghai, 858 Panyu Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, China, +86 21 6283 8800, www.ibishotel.com
Swiss-Inn Batam, Komplek Villa Idaman Baloi Batam 29432, Batam, Indonesia, +62 778 457 500
© 2011 Cable News Network Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved | What areas have had a boom in business travel? | [
"Asia, Latin America and the Middle East"
] | 129c33f2fd904893a7a1725c87de35e3 | [
{
"end": [
1635
],
"start": [
1597
]
}
] |
(CNNGo) -- Sure, luxury accommodation in Asia takes the headlines, but what about us regular folk who just want a decent bed before hiking in Berastagi?
Big hotel chains such as InterContinental, Swiss-Belhotel International and Accor have recently announced plans to build more than 350 economy and express hotels in various parts of Asia including China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia by the end of 2012.
Don't call the new breed budget hotels or hostels, which are usually in cheaper areas. High-end hotel companies that have "economy" brands are often higher quality, cleaner, chicer and closer to city centers.
Read more on CNNGo: 15 bizarre hotels
Post-recession business travelers are being more responsible with their money and hoteliers say young executives on the move are demanding high-quality hotels with fewer trimmings like business centers or rooftop pools.
"Business tourists prefer two- to three-star facilities because it's convenient -- they don't want to waste money on facilities they won't use," says Gavin Faull, president of Swiss-Belhotel International.
International Air Transport Association and Smith Travel Research also anticipated higher growth in business travel compared to leisure travel in the upcoming year, according to a report from Ernst & Young -- "Global Hospitality Insights: Top Thoughts for 2011."
Read more on CNNGo: 10 adventures for chocoholics
Global business travel spending is projected to grow 34 percent in four years, from US$896 billion in 2010 to US$1.2 trillion by 2014, with Asia, Latin America and the Middle East expected to grow faster than the current recovering economies of the United States and Europe, according to Ernst & Young's report.
Fewer frills, more savings
Much of the growth will be driven by the increased demand for economy hotels, which cost less than full-service hotels because guests pay only for basic amenities.
For example, a one-night weekend stay in November at a standard Holiday Inn Express in Hong Kong costs 20 percent less than a room at the full-service Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Hong Kong.
"[Express hotels are] everything you need and nothing you don't," says David Anderson, vice president at InterContinental Hotels.
And the strategy for no-frills, but decent, rooms is working. Revenue per room grew 15 percent in Asia-Pacific during 2010, while the United States saw about 7 percent growth, as reported by Ernst & Young.
"This growth [in the Asia-Pacific travel industry] is a complete reflection of domestic economy strength," says Evan Lewis, Accor's VP for Asia-Pacific communications.
Read more on CNNGo: 10 cities, 100 fantastic free attractions
For the regular non-business folk in Asia who just want to hit the beach on a nearby island over a weekend, this means more economy chains located in downtown cores.
So while the roach-infested hovels with views over the sewer will still be there for those who like to slum it, there are now cheap places in good areas to toss your luggage and explore the city --- without forcing yourself to use the pool or gym you didn't ask for.
Select economy hotels
Holiday Inn Express, 33 Sharp St. East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3558 6688, www.hiexpress.com
Hotel Ibis Shanghai, 858 Panyu Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, China, +86 21 6283 8800, www.ibishotel.com
Swiss-Inn Batam, Komplek Villa Idaman Baloi Batam 29432, Batam, Indonesia, +62 778 457 500
© 2011 Cable News Network Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Hotels are building What brands? | [
"\"economy\""
] | 4065d76ebc9740c5846bd969a165c128 | [
{
"end": [
571
],
"start": [
563
]
}
] |
(CNN) -- At least 23 people died Saturday when a protest rally turned violent outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace, a fire official at the main hospital said.
People duck to avoid gunfire Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
The official said 83 people were injured during the demonstration in the capital city of Antananarivo, according to journalist Dregoire Pourtier, who passed the information to CNN.
The International Committee of the Red Cross helped at least 18 injured people, press officer Mbola Ramamanana said.
Brittany Martin, an American who is a Harvard Fellow and lives near the palace, said she could hear the crowd cheering amid intermittent gunshots and noises that may have been tear gas canisters. iReport.com: Are you there?
"From the window I can see military cars and ambulances driving by," Martin said. "Nothing is up in smoke. We know there have been people killed from French and Malagasy news reports.
"We can see the back of the president's palace. This morning was totally peaceful. We knew that Andry [Rajoelina] was unveiling his new government at the May 13th Plaza, which was peaceful," she said, citing a friend who was there.
Madagascar's government is in flux.
President Marc Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo and put someone else in the job, but Rajoelina is still technically mayor and claims to head a transitional national government.
Martin said she heard gunshots starting about 2 p.m., 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 before, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka.
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.
There is also anger 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.
Last Saturday, Rajoelina took to the streets, declaring himself the nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300.
Rajoelina urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government can be established in the island 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 received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try to disperse the crowd.
"I don't think anyone wanted violence."
According to the U.S. State Department, Madagascar has about 20 million people with ethnic origins in Africa and Asia. It was administered by the British Empire during much of the 19th century until it came under the control of France, from which it gained independence in 1960. | What was heard near the presidential palace? | [
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(CNN) -- At least 23 people died Saturday when a protest rally turned violent outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace, a fire official at the main hospital said.
People duck to avoid gunfire Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
The official said 83 people were injured during the demonstration in the capital city of Antananarivo, according to journalist Dregoire Pourtier, who passed the information to CNN.
The International Committee of the Red Cross helped at least 18 injured people, press officer Mbola Ramamanana said.
Brittany Martin, an American who is a Harvard Fellow and lives near the palace, said she could hear the crowd cheering amid intermittent gunshots and noises that may have been tear gas canisters. iReport.com: Are you there?
"From the window I can see military cars and ambulances driving by," Martin said. "Nothing is up in smoke. We know there have been people killed from French and Malagasy news reports.
"We can see the back of the president's palace. This morning was totally peaceful. We knew that Andry [Rajoelina] was unveiling his new government at the May 13th Plaza, which was peaceful," she said, citing a friend who was there.
Madagascar's government is in flux.
President Marc Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo and put someone else in the job, but Rajoelina is still technically mayor and claims to head a transitional national government.
Martin said she heard gunshots starting about 2 p.m., 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 before, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka.
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.
There is also anger 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.
Last Saturday, Rajoelina took to the streets, declaring himself the nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300.
Rajoelina urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government can be established in the island 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 received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try to disperse the crowd.
"I don't think anyone wanted violence."
According to the U.S. State Department, Madagascar has about 20 million people with ethnic origins in Africa and Asia. It was administered by the British Empire during much of the 19th century until it came under the control of France, from which it gained independence in 1960. | Where was gunfire heard? | [
"Antananarivo,"
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(CNN) -- At least 23 people died Saturday when a protest rally turned violent outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace, a fire official at the main hospital said.
People duck to avoid gunfire Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
The official said 83 people were injured during the demonstration in the capital city of Antananarivo, according to journalist Dregoire Pourtier, who passed the information to CNN.
The International Committee of the Red Cross helped at least 18 injured people, press officer Mbola Ramamanana said.
Brittany Martin, an American who is a Harvard Fellow and lives near the palace, said she could hear the crowd cheering amid intermittent gunshots and noises that may have been tear gas canisters. iReport.com: Are you there?
"From the window I can see military cars and ambulances driving by," Martin said. "Nothing is up in smoke. We know there have been people killed from French and Malagasy news reports.
"We can see the back of the president's palace. This morning was totally peaceful. We knew that Andry [Rajoelina] was unveiling his new government at the May 13th Plaza, which was peaceful," she said, citing a friend who was there.
Madagascar's government is in flux.
President Marc Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo and put someone else in the job, but Rajoelina is still technically mayor and claims to head a transitional national government.
Martin said she heard gunshots starting about 2 p.m., 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 before, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka.
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.
There is also anger 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.
Last Saturday, Rajoelina took to the streets, declaring himself the nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300.
Rajoelina urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government can be established in the island 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 received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try to disperse the crowd.
"I don't think anyone wanted violence."
According to the U.S. State Department, Madagascar has about 20 million people with ethnic origins in Africa and Asia. It was administered by the British Empire during much of the 19th century until it came under the control of France, from which it gained independence in 1960. | Where was the anti-government rally? | [
"Presidential Palace,"
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(CNN) -- At least 23 people died Saturday when a protest rally turned violent outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace, a fire official at the main hospital said.
People duck to avoid gunfire Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
The official said 83 people were injured during the demonstration in the capital city of Antananarivo, according to journalist Dregoire Pourtier, who passed the information to CNN.
The International Committee of the Red Cross helped at least 18 injured people, press officer Mbola Ramamanana said.
Brittany Martin, an American who is a Harvard Fellow and lives near the palace, said she could hear the crowd cheering amid intermittent gunshots and noises that may have been tear gas canisters. iReport.com: Are you there?
"From the window I can see military cars and ambulances driving by," Martin said. "Nothing is up in smoke. We know there have been people killed from French and Malagasy news reports.
"We can see the back of the president's palace. This morning was totally peaceful. We knew that Andry [Rajoelina] was unveiling his new government at the May 13th Plaza, which was peaceful," she said, citing a friend who was there.
Madagascar's government is in flux.
President Marc Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo and put someone else in the job, but Rajoelina is still technically mayor and claims to head a transitional national government.
Martin said she heard gunshots starting about 2 p.m., 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 before, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka.
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.
There is also anger 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.
Last Saturday, Rajoelina took to the streets, declaring himself the nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300.
Rajoelina urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government can be established in the island 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 received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try to disperse the crowd.
"I don't think anyone wanted violence."
According to the U.S. State Department, Madagascar has about 20 million people with ethnic origins in Africa and Asia. It was administered by the British Empire during much of the 19th century until it came under the control of France, from which it gained independence in 1960. | Who is locked in a power struggle? | [
"Ratsiraka"
] | 171344de9d22475abab7c00b38b1c66c | [
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(CNN) -- At least 23 people died Saturday when a protest rally turned violent outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace, a fire official at the main hospital said.
People duck to avoid gunfire Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
The official said 83 people were injured during the demonstration in the capital city of Antananarivo, according to journalist Dregoire Pourtier, who passed the information to CNN.
The International Committee of the Red Cross helped at least 18 injured people, press officer Mbola Ramamanana said.
Brittany Martin, an American who is a Harvard Fellow and lives near the palace, said she could hear the crowd cheering amid intermittent gunshots and noises that may have been tear gas canisters. iReport.com: Are you there?
"From the window I can see military cars and ambulances driving by," Martin said. "Nothing is up in smoke. We know there have been people killed from French and Malagasy news reports.
"We can see the back of the president's palace. This morning was totally peaceful. We knew that Andry [Rajoelina] was unveiling his new government at the May 13th Plaza, which was peaceful," she said, citing a friend who was there.
Madagascar's government is in flux.
President Marc Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo and put someone else in the job, but Rajoelina is still technically mayor and claims to head a transitional national government.
Martin said she heard gunshots starting about 2 p.m., 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 before, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka.
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.
There is also anger 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.
Last Saturday, Rajoelina took to the streets, declaring himself the nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300.
Rajoelina urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government can be established in the island 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 received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try to disperse the crowd.
"I don't think anyone wanted violence."
According to the U.S. State Department, Madagascar has about 20 million people with ethnic origins in Africa and Asia. It was administered by the British Empire during much of the 19th century until it came under the control of France, from which it gained independence in 1960. | What type of rally was it? | [
"protest"
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(CNN) -- At least 23 people died Saturday when a protest rally turned violent outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace, a fire official at the main hospital said.
People duck to avoid gunfire Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
The official said 83 people were injured during the demonstration in the capital city of Antananarivo, according to journalist Dregoire Pourtier, who passed the information to CNN.
The International Committee of the Red Cross helped at least 18 injured people, press officer Mbola Ramamanana said.
Brittany Martin, an American who is a Harvard Fellow and lives near the palace, said she could hear the crowd cheering amid intermittent gunshots and noises that may have been tear gas canisters. iReport.com: Are you there?
"From the window I can see military cars and ambulances driving by," Martin said. "Nothing is up in smoke. We know there have been people killed from French and Malagasy news reports.
"We can see the back of the president's palace. This morning was totally peaceful. We knew that Andry [Rajoelina] was unveiling his new government at the May 13th Plaza, which was peaceful," she said, citing a friend who was there.
Madagascar's government is in flux.
President Marc Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo and put someone else in the job, but Rajoelina is still technically mayor and claims to head a transitional national government.
Martin said she heard gunshots starting about 2 p.m., 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 before, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka.
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.
There is also anger 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.
Last Saturday, Rajoelina took to the streets, declaring himself the nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300.
Rajoelina urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government can be established in the island 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 received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try to disperse the crowd.
"I don't think anyone wanted violence."
According to the U.S. State Department, Madagascar has about 20 million people with ethnic origins in Africa and Asia. It was administered by the British Empire during much of the 19th century until it came under the control of France, from which it gained independence in 1960. | What was the mood of the rally? | [
"violent"
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Ohio death row inmate who says he is too overweight to be executed took his plea to the Supreme Court on Friday.
Richard Cooey, 41, and an accomplice were convicted of the 1986 murders of two college students.
Richard Cooey is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday and has exhausted most of his state and federal appeals. Gov. Ted Strickland earlier Friday denied the 41-year-old prisoner's clemency petition. Cooey murdered two college students in 1986.
The justices were expected to decide whether he should receive a stay of execution, and whether to address the larger constitutional claims over when a convicted person is medically unfit for capital punishment.
His lawyers have argued that the inmate-- at 5-foot-7 and 267 pounds -- is "morbidly obese," and has gained about 70 pounds since his incarceration at age 19. Prison food and confinement in his cell for 23 hours a day, limiting his opportunities for exercise, contributed to his weight problem, his legal team said in recent court filings.
Cooey also says regular medication he takes for migraines will weaken the effectiveness of an anesthetic used in the a three-drug cocktail administered during execution. He says his veins are weakened because of his health issues, and the lethal drugs would amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
In 2003, one day before Cooey was scheduled to die, a judge stopped his execution on issues unrelated to his health claims.
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Cooey waited too long to raise the medical issues, saying he "knew of and could have filed suit over vein access prior to July 2005."
Cooey and a then-17-year-old accomplice were convicted of the brutal murders of Wendy Offredo and Dawn McCreery, students at the University of Akron. The men had been tossing concrete slabs onto Interstate 77, and one of them struck Offredo's car.
Pretending to rescue the women, Cooey and Clinton Dickens took them to a remote field, according to prosecutors. There, the students were subjected to 3½ hours of rape, torture, stabbings and fatal bludgeonings. Cooey had carved an "X" into the stomachs of both women, prosecutors said.
Each man blamed the other for delivering the fatal blows, but both were convicted of murder. Dickens received a life sentence because of his age.
Cooey tried to escape from death row in 2005, when corrections officials said he constructed a ladder from magazines and bedsheets in an effort to scale the barrier around an outdoor recreation area.
At an August clemency hearing, Jon Offredo, brother of one of the victims, said, "Our family has never gotten an apology from Richard Cooey. We've gotten blatant lies and excuses. Is an apology too much to ask? How could he commit such a heinous act and not feel regret?"
But Cooey's lawyer, Dana Cole, said his client is sorry for his crimes.
The high court has not offered clear guidelines on what medical standards need to be met before an inmate is eligible for death. But in a case five years ago, the justices allowed inmates to at least make a claim that their specific physical or medical issues could be cause to block an execution.
The high court had sided with a convicted Alabama killer who claimed his veins were so damaged from years of drug abuse that executioners might have to cut deeply into his flesh to administer the deadly drugs.
Writing for the unanimous court, then-Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said the court was not going to "open the floodgates to all manner of method-of-execution challenges," as Alabama feared. "Our holding is extremely limited." That inmate is still on death row.
Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center, a data-resource group that opposes capital punishment, said the Supreme Court indicated that "how you're going to be executed is a civil rights matter, the same as if you were discriminated [against] on the basis of race or gender or something like that."
A Washington state killer was given a reprieve in 1994 after claiming he was too obese to hang. Mitchell | what did cooey say | [
"he is too overweight to be executed"
] | 2c4db51c093f44678353f3434bd0a66b | [
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Ohio death row inmate who says he is too overweight to be executed took his plea to the Supreme Court on Friday.
Richard Cooey, 41, and an accomplice were convicted of the 1986 murders of two college students.
Richard Cooey is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday and has exhausted most of his state and federal appeals. Gov. Ted Strickland earlier Friday denied the 41-year-old prisoner's clemency petition. Cooey murdered two college students in 1986.
The justices were expected to decide whether he should receive a stay of execution, and whether to address the larger constitutional claims over when a convicted person is medically unfit for capital punishment.
His lawyers have argued that the inmate-- at 5-foot-7 and 267 pounds -- is "morbidly obese," and has gained about 70 pounds since his incarceration at age 19. Prison food and confinement in his cell for 23 hours a day, limiting his opportunities for exercise, contributed to his weight problem, his legal team said in recent court filings.
Cooey also says regular medication he takes for migraines will weaken the effectiveness of an anesthetic used in the a three-drug cocktail administered during execution. He says his veins are weakened because of his health issues, and the lethal drugs would amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
In 2003, one day before Cooey was scheduled to die, a judge stopped his execution on issues unrelated to his health claims.
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Cooey waited too long to raise the medical issues, saying he "knew of and could have filed suit over vein access prior to July 2005."
Cooey and a then-17-year-old accomplice were convicted of the brutal murders of Wendy Offredo and Dawn McCreery, students at the University of Akron. The men had been tossing concrete slabs onto Interstate 77, and one of them struck Offredo's car.
Pretending to rescue the women, Cooey and Clinton Dickens took them to a remote field, according to prosecutors. There, the students were subjected to 3½ hours of rape, torture, stabbings and fatal bludgeonings. Cooey had carved an "X" into the stomachs of both women, prosecutors said.
Each man blamed the other for delivering the fatal blows, but both were convicted of murder. Dickens received a life sentence because of his age.
Cooey tried to escape from death row in 2005, when corrections officials said he constructed a ladder from magazines and bedsheets in an effort to scale the barrier around an outdoor recreation area.
At an August clemency hearing, Jon Offredo, brother of one of the victims, said, "Our family has never gotten an apology from Richard Cooey. We've gotten blatant lies and excuses. Is an apology too much to ask? How could he commit such a heinous act and not feel regret?"
But Cooey's lawyer, Dana Cole, said his client is sorry for his crimes.
The high court has not offered clear guidelines on what medical standards need to be met before an inmate is eligible for death. But in a case five years ago, the justices allowed inmates to at least make a claim that their specific physical or medical issues could be cause to block an execution.
The high court had sided with a convicted Alabama killer who claimed his veins were so damaged from years of drug abuse that executioners might have to cut deeply into his flesh to administer the deadly drugs.
Writing for the unanimous court, then-Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said the court was not going to "open the floodgates to all manner of method-of-execution challenges," as Alabama feared. "Our holding is extremely limited." That inmate is still on death row.
Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center, a data-resource group that opposes capital punishment, said the Supreme Court indicated that "how you're going to be executed is a civil rights matter, the same as if you were discriminated [against] on the basis of race or gender or something like that."
A Washington state killer was given a reprieve in 1994 after claiming he was too obese to hang. Mitchell | what are they going to address | [
"the larger constitutional claims over when a convicted person is medically unfit for capital punishment."
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(Rolling Stone) -- Saturday night, Buffalo Springfield will wrap up their seven-date reunion tour with a headlining slot at Bonnaroo. According to the group's singer and guitarist Richie Furay, fans who missed out on seeing them this time around will have plenty of chances later in the year. "The plan is to do 30 dates this fall," he tells Rolling Stone. "The anchors will be Los Angeles and New York. What the other cities are, I can't tell you right now -- but we're almost certainly doing Red Rocks."
The plan is to play mostly large theaters, as opposed to arenas and amphitheaters. "We want to keep it a little more intimate," he says. "Rather than going out and playing a huge something . . . There have been people from Florida, Chicago and Texas saying to me, 'Hey, you gonna come my way?' I have to say that with 30 shows, we're gonna hit those cities."
Choose Rolling Stone's Cover: The Sheepdogs vs. Lelia Broussard. Vote Now
Furay became a born-again Christian in the mid-1970s, and since 1983 he's worked as a pastor at Calvary Chapel Church in Broomfield, Colorado. "The church has been very supportive of this tour," he says. "I have an assistant pastor that's doing some of the Sundays and we have a guest speaker come in too. Everybody's taken care of."
Hours before taking the stage with Buffalo Springfield at the Santa Barbara Bowl tonight, Furay called into Rolling Stone to chat about the tour.
Let's start at the beginning. Where were you and what you were doing when Neil Young first contacted you last year about a Buffalo Springfield reunion?
I think I was probably just in my home studio office, probably working on some church stuff. This thing was not on my radar. I got one of those calls that Neil was calling me, so I got on the phone and we just started the conversation. He said that he'd been talking to Stephen [Stills] and they thought it would be really fun to do the Bridge School Benefit. They wanted to know if I was into it. It's kind of funny, 'cause Neil said, 'Well, you know, we don't have to do it this year if this is too soon. We can do it next year or the next year..." And I'm thinking, "Neil, I mean we're not 20 years old again. We better do this while we still can!"
I think a day later we all got on the phone -- Stephen, Neil and myself. We all agreed to do it. I was on my way to Israel in a couple of weeks, so right after I came back I had four days and then I went out to Northern California. We just kind of started rehearsing and it led to this.
Buffalo Springfield Launch First Tour In 43 Years
How long after the two Bridge School shows did you start talking about doing more shows this year?
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year it was decided. I don't know how it all got done. The three of us and our managers just kind of agreed to go ahead and take it to the next step.
I imagine that Bonnaroo was the anchor for these six California shows this month.
Absolutely. They all build up to it. It started in Oakland, which is a little obscure and out of the way. Then we went to Los Angeles and there was a little more tension and publicly visible. Now here we are at a smaller outdoor venue. It's given us a feel building up to being outdoors at Bonnaroo.
Photos: Buffalo Springfield Kick Off Their Reunion Tour
How many days did you guys rehearse?
A solid week. It was to our advantage that we had played in October, so we had at least an hour's worth of music that we'd already started to rehearse. And then we just moved on from there. One of the neat things | Where will most dates be played? | [
"Los Angeles and New York."
] | 27dbae5aad62418f953459ccd3c418ff | [
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(Rolling Stone) -- Saturday night, Buffalo Springfield will wrap up their seven-date reunion tour with a headlining slot at Bonnaroo. According to the group's singer and guitarist Richie Furay, fans who missed out on seeing them this time around will have plenty of chances later in the year. "The plan is to do 30 dates this fall," he tells Rolling Stone. "The anchors will be Los Angeles and New York. What the other cities are, I can't tell you right now -- but we're almost certainly doing Red Rocks."
The plan is to play mostly large theaters, as opposed to arenas and amphitheaters. "We want to keep it a little more intimate," he says. "Rather than going out and playing a huge something . . . There have been people from Florida, Chicago and Texas saying to me, 'Hey, you gonna come my way?' I have to say that with 30 shows, we're gonna hit those cities."
Choose Rolling Stone's Cover: The Sheepdogs vs. Lelia Broussard. Vote Now
Furay became a born-again Christian in the mid-1970s, and since 1983 he's worked as a pastor at Calvary Chapel Church in Broomfield, Colorado. "The church has been very supportive of this tour," he says. "I have an assistant pastor that's doing some of the Sundays and we have a guest speaker come in too. Everybody's taken care of."
Hours before taking the stage with Buffalo Springfield at the Santa Barbara Bowl tonight, Furay called into Rolling Stone to chat about the tour.
Let's start at the beginning. Where were you and what you were doing when Neil Young first contacted you last year about a Buffalo Springfield reunion?
I think I was probably just in my home studio office, probably working on some church stuff. This thing was not on my radar. I got one of those calls that Neil was calling me, so I got on the phone and we just started the conversation. He said that he'd been talking to Stephen [Stills] and they thought it would be really fun to do the Bridge School Benefit. They wanted to know if I was into it. It's kind of funny, 'cause Neil said, 'Well, you know, we don't have to do it this year if this is too soon. We can do it next year or the next year..." And I'm thinking, "Neil, I mean we're not 20 years old again. We better do this while we still can!"
I think a day later we all got on the phone -- Stephen, Neil and myself. We all agreed to do it. I was on my way to Israel in a couple of weeks, so right after I came back I had four days and then I went out to Northern California. We just kind of started rehearsing and it led to this.
Buffalo Springfield Launch First Tour In 43 Years
How long after the two Bridge School shows did you start talking about doing more shows this year?
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year it was decided. I don't know how it all got done. The three of us and our managers just kind of agreed to go ahead and take it to the next step.
I imagine that Bonnaroo was the anchor for these six California shows this month.
Absolutely. They all build up to it. It started in Oakland, which is a little obscure and out of the way. Then we went to Los Angeles and there was a little more tension and publicly visible. Now here we are at a smaller outdoor venue. It's given us a feel building up to being outdoors at Bonnaroo.
Photos: Buffalo Springfield Kick Off Their Reunion Tour
How many days did you guys rehearse?
A solid week. It was to our advantage that we had played in October, so we had at least an hour's worth of music that we'd already started to rehearse. And then we just moved on from there. One of the neat things | What's the plan? | [
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(Rolling Stone) -- Saturday night, Buffalo Springfield will wrap up their seven-date reunion tour with a headlining slot at Bonnaroo. According to the group's singer and guitarist Richie Furay, fans who missed out on seeing them this time around will have plenty of chances later in the year. "The plan is to do 30 dates this fall," he tells Rolling Stone. "The anchors will be Los Angeles and New York. What the other cities are, I can't tell you right now -- but we're almost certainly doing Red Rocks."
The plan is to play mostly large theaters, as opposed to arenas and amphitheaters. "We want to keep it a little more intimate," he says. "Rather than going out and playing a huge something . . . There have been people from Florida, Chicago and Texas saying to me, 'Hey, you gonna come my way?' I have to say that with 30 shows, we're gonna hit those cities."
Choose Rolling Stone's Cover: The Sheepdogs vs. Lelia Broussard. Vote Now
Furay became a born-again Christian in the mid-1970s, and since 1983 he's worked as a pastor at Calvary Chapel Church in Broomfield, Colorado. "The church has been very supportive of this tour," he says. "I have an assistant pastor that's doing some of the Sundays and we have a guest speaker come in too. Everybody's taken care of."
Hours before taking the stage with Buffalo Springfield at the Santa Barbara Bowl tonight, Furay called into Rolling Stone to chat about the tour.
Let's start at the beginning. Where were you and what you were doing when Neil Young first contacted you last year about a Buffalo Springfield reunion?
I think I was probably just in my home studio office, probably working on some church stuff. This thing was not on my radar. I got one of those calls that Neil was calling me, so I got on the phone and we just started the conversation. He said that he'd been talking to Stephen [Stills] and they thought it would be really fun to do the Bridge School Benefit. They wanted to know if I was into it. It's kind of funny, 'cause Neil said, 'Well, you know, we don't have to do it this year if this is too soon. We can do it next year or the next year..." And I'm thinking, "Neil, I mean we're not 20 years old again. We better do this while we still can!"
I think a day later we all got on the phone -- Stephen, Neil and myself. We all agreed to do it. I was on my way to Israel in a couple of weeks, so right after I came back I had four days and then I went out to Northern California. We just kind of started rehearsing and it led to this.
Buffalo Springfield Launch First Tour In 43 Years
How long after the two Bridge School shows did you start talking about doing more shows this year?
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year it was decided. I don't know how it all got done. The three of us and our managers just kind of agreed to go ahead and take it to the next step.
I imagine that Bonnaroo was the anchor for these six California shows this month.
Absolutely. They all build up to it. It started in Oakland, which is a little obscure and out of the way. Then we went to Los Angeles and there was a little more tension and publicly visible. Now here we are at a smaller outdoor venue. It's given us a feel building up to being outdoors at Bonnaroo.
Photos: Buffalo Springfield Kick Off Their Reunion Tour
How many days did you guys rehearse?
A solid week. It was to our advantage that we had played in October, so we had at least an hour's worth of music that we'd already started to rehearse. And then we just moved on from there. One of the neat things | When will fans have a chance to see them perform? | [
"later in the year."
] | 0c0113caf9d24093ac0390d2c625da16 | [
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(Rolling Stone) -- Saturday night, Buffalo Springfield will wrap up their seven-date reunion tour with a headlining slot at Bonnaroo. According to the group's singer and guitarist Richie Furay, fans who missed out on seeing them this time around will have plenty of chances later in the year. "The plan is to do 30 dates this fall," he tells Rolling Stone. "The anchors will be Los Angeles and New York. What the other cities are, I can't tell you right now -- but we're almost certainly doing Red Rocks."
The plan is to play mostly large theaters, as opposed to arenas and amphitheaters. "We want to keep it a little more intimate," he says. "Rather than going out and playing a huge something . . . There have been people from Florida, Chicago and Texas saying to me, 'Hey, you gonna come my way?' I have to say that with 30 shows, we're gonna hit those cities."
Choose Rolling Stone's Cover: The Sheepdogs vs. Lelia Broussard. Vote Now
Furay became a born-again Christian in the mid-1970s, and since 1983 he's worked as a pastor at Calvary Chapel Church in Broomfield, Colorado. "The church has been very supportive of this tour," he says. "I have an assistant pastor that's doing some of the Sundays and we have a guest speaker come in too. Everybody's taken care of."
Hours before taking the stage with Buffalo Springfield at the Santa Barbara Bowl tonight, Furay called into Rolling Stone to chat about the tour.
Let's start at the beginning. Where were you and what you were doing when Neil Young first contacted you last year about a Buffalo Springfield reunion?
I think I was probably just in my home studio office, probably working on some church stuff. This thing was not on my radar. I got one of those calls that Neil was calling me, so I got on the phone and we just started the conversation. He said that he'd been talking to Stephen [Stills] and they thought it would be really fun to do the Bridge School Benefit. They wanted to know if I was into it. It's kind of funny, 'cause Neil said, 'Well, you know, we don't have to do it this year if this is too soon. We can do it next year or the next year..." And I'm thinking, "Neil, I mean we're not 20 years old again. We better do this while we still can!"
I think a day later we all got on the phone -- Stephen, Neil and myself. We all agreed to do it. I was on my way to Israel in a couple of weeks, so right after I came back I had four days and then I went out to Northern California. We just kind of started rehearsing and it led to this.
Buffalo Springfield Launch First Tour In 43 Years
How long after the two Bridge School shows did you start talking about doing more shows this year?
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year it was decided. I don't know how it all got done. The three of us and our managers just kind of agreed to go ahead and take it to the next step.
I imagine that Bonnaroo was the anchor for these six California shows this month.
Absolutely. They all build up to it. It started in Oakland, which is a little obscure and out of the way. Then we went to Los Angeles and there was a little more tension and publicly visible. Now here we are at a smaller outdoor venue. It's given us a feel building up to being outdoors at Bonnaroo.
Photos: Buffalo Springfield Kick Off Their Reunion Tour
How many days did you guys rehearse?
A solid week. It was to our advantage that we had played in October, so we had at least an hour's worth of music that we'd already started to rehearse. And then we just moved on from there. One of the neat things | Who will have opportunities? | [
"fans"
] | c6faee3f153240508c54d74ee89a153c | [
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