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(CNN) -- Interest in hunting and fishing is on the rise, and autumn's prime season for getting outside and up close to your food. The number of recreational hunters and anglers in the United States has increased significantly over the past five years, according to a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey. The number of hunters has increased by 9%, while the number of anglers has jumped by 11%. While hunting has always been a way for self-sufficient people to feed their families, another theory for its current popularity is that it can also be an affordable "staycation" for people trying to spend less in a poor economy. Steven Rinella, host of "Meat Eater" on the Sportsman Channel and the author of a just-released hunting tome of the same name, says there's more to it. As an increasing number of Americans become interested in where their food comes from and want to play a part in making it, Rinella says that many are newly compelled to try killing their own meat. "I think it's a cultural sense of people losing connection to the land and to their food, and they're looking to rekindle their fires of passion for self-sufficiency," says Rinella. The growing interest in farm-to-table dining is part of that rekindling. "Meat is not just a trip to the supermarket and a Styrofoam-wrapped cut of meat. That meat starts as an animal," says Jeff Rupert, chief of the Division of Natural Resources of the National Wildlife Refuge System. 'The Hunger Games' bucks hunter stereotypes . Hunting takes years to master . Yet hunting is not the easiest hobby for a newcomer to master. Hunting is visceral. One is often in uncomfortable settings, and it requires a certain skill set that can take years to master. Those who still want to try hunting this fall have plenty of options all over the country in a wide array of comfort levels, and the Fish and Wildlife Service offers special hunting programs for children, novice hunters, hunters with disabilities, and women. Right now, Rinella recommends wild pig hunting in northern California and central Texas; pheasant, geese, and duck hunting in North and South Dakota; grouse hunting in northern Minnesota and Michigan; and quail hunting in the southeast. Dear deer, you're delicious . Big game hunting -- think bear or elk -- requires permits that are a little harder to obtain without a long lead time. Here are a range of hunting and fishing experiences in the United States: . High Lonesome Ranch, Colorado . Some big-game hunting accommodations are about as bare-bones as it gets -- outdoor camps, roadside motels, RVs. And then there's the High Lonesome Ranch, a sophisticated resort and ranch with guest houses and remote cabins on a property encompassing 300 square miles on the Western slopes of the Colorado Rockies. The ranch offers a range of guided big-game hunts that include access to the property's free-range elk and mule deer herds. It also offers fly-fishing expeditions for five species of trout, and phenomenal wing shooting. Due to its conservation efforts and its work with state wildlife agencies, High Lonesome Ranch has reduced the annual numbers of big-game hunters, so be sure to call to see what's available at any given time. Fly-fishing packages start at $1,530 and wing shooting packages start at $2,410. Both include three nights' lodging, meals, and guided fly-fishing for two days. Big-game packages vary based on species. 275 County Highway 222, De Beque, Colorado; 970-283-9420 . Southern Woods Plantation, Georgia . A classic quail hunt usually means sophisticated lodging, and rural Georgia -- a quail hunter's paradise -- is dotted with old-school Southern plantations that specialize in guided hunts with trained dogs. Options abound, but check out Southern Woods Plantation in the Bobwhite Belt of South Georgia. The main house is sprawling and comfortable, and the hunting expedition is led by expert guides with traditional and specially designed buggies and a set of trained hunting dogs. Hunts are $450 for a full day plus $250 for lodging, with all meals included. Also in Georgia, the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, six miles south of Macon, just added migratory bird hunting and upland game hunting to its roster and added wild turkey to its big-game hunting program. To check out Bond Swamp, drive down to Macon from Atlanta and choose from a variety of accommodations, from Hilton and Marriott to Super 8s and independent hotel operators. 2331 Georgia Highway 33 South, Sylvester, Georgia 31791; 229-776-0585 . Justin Trails Resort, Wisconsin . The Driftless Area of Wisconsin is experiencing a great white-tailed deer season this year. To see some of the action, or to hunt turkey, wild pheasant, or waterfowl during the fall migration, book a room at the ecofriendly Justin Trails Resort in the countryside of Sparta, Wisconsin, a destination for nature lovers. The property -- a series of log cabins and suites equipped with fireplaces and jacuzzi tubs -- caters to nature photographers, hikers, and golfers, but the resort has relationships with local hunting and fishing guides in Sparta and in nearby Viroqua and Onalaska. They will be able to help out with licenses and gear. Hunting also takes place on the property during the gun deer season around Thanksgiving (so hiking is off limits). Rooms range from $135 to $325 a night. 7452 Kathryn Avenue, Sparta, Wisconsin 54656; 608-269-4522 . The Webb Farm, North Carolina . For another quaint quail hunting getaway, try The Webb Farm, an inn encompassing 1,200 acres in central North Carolina. The Webb family has been organizing hunts in the Sandhills region for generations, and it puts a lot of time and resources into quality bird management and dog training, with a full kennel on the property. Webb Farm is big on encouraging the next generation of hunters to get into the sport and hosts plenty of corporate clients -- so experience and passion for hunting are not prerequisites here. Guests stay in a 19th-century style lodge with a large front porch, a great room with a fireplace, and simple but comfortable rooms. Days at Webb Farm end with a cocktail and a multi-course dinner (think fried quail, pear tarts, lobster mac 'n' cheese) prepared by the chefs. Rates range from $700 for a half-day duck hunt with lunch to $1,300 for a duck and quail hunt, lodging, lunch and dinner. Otherwise, lodging is $250 and includes breakfast and dinner. The fall season began on October 1 and will run through March. 522 John Webb Road, Ellerbe, North Carolina; 910-995-0207 . Grosse Ile Pilot House, Michigan . The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, located near the Detroit suburb of Trenton, opened for the first time this fall to migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big-game hunting. It's a potential boon for a local economy that could use an influx of spending. The refuge includes islands, marshes, coastal wetlands, and 48 miles of the Detroit River. Because it is located so close to an urban area -- a rarity in the hunting world -- there are plenty of places to stay during a hunting expedition. But a unique option is the Grosse Ile Pilot house, a historic World War II officers club. Rooms are simple but not inelegant, with kitchens and queen beds, and the house itself is an old brick beauty with a white-columned porch. Rooms run from $86 to 96 per night. 9645 Groh Road, Grosse Ile Township, Michigan; 734-671-2295 . Shelter Harbor Inn, Rhode Island . Those who don't want to travel too far from major Northeastern cities to hunt may want to venture to Rhode Island's Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, which just added deer to its big-game hunting program and is open to sport fishing. This is a great destination for RVs and camping, but those disinclined to roughing it should try the Shelter Harbor Inn about five miles away in Westerly, Rhode Island. The property includes a large main farmhouse, a barn annex, and a carriage house, and rooms run from $116 to $198 a night. 10 Wagner Road, Westerly, Rhode Island; 401-322-8883 . How do you feel about people hunting for their own food or hunting as a sport? Have you ever hunted on vacation or to supplement your pantry (or both)? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Hunting makes connection between the live animal and meat, says "Meat Eater" host . Hunting wild pigs, pheasants, geese, ducks, grouse are all popular right now . Big game requires permits and a longer lead time .

(CNN) -- Democracy campaigners in Bahrain and politicians around the world are calling for this Sunday's Formula 1 race in the Gulf state to be canceled as violent clashes continue between activists and authorities. What are the issues around the controversy, and how are the sport and its fans reacting? Why are there calls for this weekend's Grand Prix in Bahrain to be scrapped? Opposition groups in Bahrain as well as politicians, rights groups and many F1 fans around the world want Sunday's Grand Prix -- which could be watched by a global audience of more than 500 million -- to be canceled while the Gulf state braces itself for more violent demonstrations after months of political unrest. Protesters see the race as a publicity stunt by the country's rulers to make the nation seem more unified than it actually is. The Bahrain Grand Prix was canceled last year amid a Shiite-led uprising against the Sunni monarchy and a government crackdown in which dozens were killed and hundreds detained. Nabeel Rajab, an opposition protester, said the demonstrators were not against the Formula One race itself. "We are just against the government or the oppressive ruling elite using that as PR," Rajab said. In Britain, where many F1 teams are based, opposition leader Ed Miliband said: "Sport and politics generally shouldn't mix, but ... what kind of signal does it send to the world when this grand prix is going ahead, given the concerns there are, given the violence we have seen in Bahrain, given the continuing issues around human rights? "I don't think it's the right decision to let this grand prix go ahead and I think the government needs to weigh in and express its view." And opposition politician Yvette Cooper urged British F1 stars Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to pull out of the race. "It shouldn't go ahead, I don't think British drivers should go. I think the Formula 1 should not go ahead in Bahrain," Cooper told the BBC. But UK Prime Minister David Cameron refused to join the calls, insisting it was a matter for the F1 authorities whether the race went ahead. "It is important that peaceful protests are allowed to go ahead," he said. Why are protests now taking place in Bahrain? Shiite opposition groups in the Sunni-ruled kingdom say they want equality, and have posted calls on social networking sites for daily protests during the Grand Prix weekend, to focus media attention on their demands. The government has sought to ban protests in the capital Manama but that has failed to prevent violent clashes in the capital between demonstrators and authorities, who are accused of heavy-handed tactics. The government has condemned violence on all sides -- saying that any police officers found guilty of heavy-handed tactics would be held to account and that protesters should behave in a civil manner as well. An Amnesty International report this week says promised reforms in Bahrain are inadequate and fail to provide justice for victims of human rights violations. Protesters are also demanding the release of jailed activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike for more than 70 days. Al-Khawaja, 52, was arrested in April 2011 for his role in anti-government protests that began a month earlier with demands for political reform and greater freedoms for Shiites. In June, Bahrain found him and seven other Shiite opposition activists guilty of plotting to overthrow the country's royal family. The government also stands accused of punishing its own national sporting heroes and accusing them of being traitors. International and local human rights groups say three players in the Bahraini national soccer squad were arrested last year, along with more than 150 sportsmen, women and administrators. It is unclear how many remain in jail. The authorities maintain they were part of illegal, violent protests. Could protesters disrupt the race or threaten spectators? This is the big question. Protesters have vowed to protest near the Sakhir circuit, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Manama, but witnesses there say there is a heavy police presence on the road between the track and the airport. The unrest makes hosting the race precarious because the racers must pass through some areas where clashes have occurred to get to the circuit, which is in the desert. On Thursday protesters burned tyres, briefly blocking several main roads leading to Sakhir. A Molotov cocktail exploded late Wednesday near a car carrying members of one F1 team, Force India, during clashes between protesters and security forces. No one was reported injured in the incident. The incident prompted a team member and a contractor to return home despite reassurances by officials that Bahrain is safe. Bahrain has refused to extend visas of non-sports reporting crews from CNN and other news organizations, saying they cannot stay for the race. What do F1 drivers and the sport's governing body say? Formula One's governing body, the FIA, decided last week the race should go ahead, after weeks of speculation. The governing body said its president traveled to Bahrain in November and met "decision-makers and opinion formers, including elected Shiite members of parliament. All expressed their wish for the Grand Prix to go ahead in 2012," it said. Drivers have attempted to distance themselves from the violence. Romain Grosjean of France-based Team Lotus said his team was preparing for the event "as well as we can." "As you say, we can't ignore the situation. But in another way, I hope the race may make a clear vision and help the situation and I think the Grand Prix will be nice," he told reporters in Bahrain. Reigning champion Sebastian Vettel brushed off any concerns about safety, saying: "I heard about the issue at Force India. "Generally in the paddock (staging area for the cars) it seems to be no problem," he told the Press Association. "Outside of the paddock maybe there is a risk, but I think there is a risk everywhere we go." Seven-times title winner Michael Schumacher initially insisted he did not want to get involved before saying: "I just want to say one thing which is I don't want to mix the sport with politics. I'm here for the sport." How much is the race worth to Bahrain and to F1 itself? Bahrain pays $64 million to host the Grand Prix but the island kingdom it is estimated to receive several times that amount -- up to $800 million -- from tourism and other economic benefits. Of more importance is the issue of prestige that the race could bring. "Bahrain is no different from the other Persian Gulf states in using high profile sporting events like tennis and golf tournaments to raise their own international prestige," James Montague, a journalist who has written about sport in the Middle East and is the author of "When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone," told CNN. "Qatar winning the bid to host the 2022 World Cup finals is a case in point. The F1 grand prix has been instrumental in raising Bahrain's international profile far higher than a small island with a population of around 1 million people could expect. "The idea that sport and politics should be separated is worse than a myth. It's disingenuous. The royal family of Bahrain secured the F1 GP with wider economic and political aims in mind. They are even promoting the race within Bahrain as a potentially unifying force for the kingdom. They say that politics has no role in sport but separating sport from the political realities of any society is as impossible as separating politics and art, or music." Have there been protests against F1 races held in other countries accused of human rights abuses? No. Last week's race in China took place without any calls for it to be cancelled despite concerns about human rights in that country. The same could be said for races in Russia and Singapore. The only serious protests in the history of Formula One -- a multi-billion dollar sport and industry -- were before the South Africa Grand Prix at Kayalami in 1985 against the apartheid regime. Despite a boycott of South African teams in other leading sports at the time, the event still took place, but was cancelled the following year and only resumed in 1992. How have F1 fans reacted? Many fans of the sport have reacted with disgust, with countless posts on Twitter saying that they would refuse to even watch the race on television in protest. Ed Foster, a writer for British magazine Motorsport, told CNN: "We did a poll on our website recently and the response was instant. We simply wrote 'Should F1 go to Bahrain? Yes or no?' and hundreds of people got back to us straight away. "I think only one said that we should. It's pretty clear speaking to people that a lot of the fans have decided to not watch the race out of principle." It remains unclear how F1 fans will react to calls to boycott the race -- either at the track or watching on TV. But one news agency, the UK's Press Association, reported there were few spectators in the main grandstand at Sakhir to watch Friday's practice session.

Democracy campaigners in Bahrain want Sunday's F1 race in the Gulf state to be canceled . Protesters see race as publicity stunt by country's rulers to make nation seem more unified . Shiite opposition groups in the Sunni-ruled kingdom want equality and human rights reforms . Motorsport's governing body say race should go ahead; drivers brush off safety concerns .

(CNN) -- A gunman opened fire Friday in a Connecticut elementary school, killing 26 people, 20 of them children, police said. It was one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Readers posted more than 2,000 comments in response to questions we asked them in a story examining immediate shock and anger surrounding the incident. They looked at what problems might be involved and how society might go about solving them. Here are 10 of the most popular suggestions. 1. Strengthen gun laws . A lot of the posts were related to guns. "When are you going to wake up and realize that you need to restrict the use of guns in your country?" asked Emma Mitchell. Commenter Susan Chapman suggested changing the idea of a "right to bear arms" to a "privilege to bear arms." She said she believes responsible gun owners will appreciate ground rules. "Privileges have to be earned, they aren't a given," she said. "Prove that you are mentally stable and have a reasonable need to own a gun. Make gun owners undergo mandatory training; locking up your gun, loading and unloading safely, storing bullets separately, practices that make gun ownership safer. Give police powers of inspection - checking gun safes, safe storage, training. No one can buy a gun without a training certificate in addition to background checks. No Internet sales of guns or ammunition and no walking out with the gun the same day." Robb1371 suggested cracking down on gun crimes. "If you have been already convicted of a gun crime, the second time around, throw the book at them. Repeat offenders need to be locked up a very very long time." 2. Keep gun regulations the same or relax them . Some said expecting people to give up gun use is unrealistic. "There will never be a way to get rid of guns in this country," LostinSLC1969 said. "Honestly I think it would come down to a civil war if that really was pushed hard. All we can do is find a way to help stop and prevent the violence from happening. Look for the signs that cause people like this to do this and work for ways on prevention." Another reader said it's difficult to regulate guns. "There are countless gun laws on the books already and any additional ones will only serve to keep honest people honest," said Independent4sure. "Criminals are criminals because they have no regard for the law and could care less whether guns are banned or not. Your logic is rather simplistic or just plain ignorant and it's sad that others seem to agree with you." 3. Arm the schools . A user called Censor Til Sin said it might be a good idea to have armed people in schools just in case. "These shootings are happening in Gun Free Zones," the commenter said. "The shooters know that the people there will have no way of defending themselves and that is why these tragedies are happening in these zones. We need to give the teacher's defense so it will discourage these psychopaths from shooting there. There is great evidence that greater gun control means more gun violence (because the bad guys still get guns and they know the good guys are unarmed)." But Brandon Butler disagreed. "Look," he wrote, "Are you seriously saying teachers should start having guns in elementary schools? Then what if a teacher has a bad day? Come on, this is irresponsible reasoning! If this man wasn't able to get his hands on a gun, he either would have used a knife and probably not killed a single person, or he would have given up on the entire plan and just committed suicide." 4. Improve school security . To better prevent future crimes, some readers like Katz advocated defensive measures. "Though I am for stricter gun control for automatic weapons, I think we should have stricter security in schools, no matter how nice and safe an area seems to be," Katz said. "Let's get some metal detectors or something, and require every person to go through the security checks, even if the staff knows them. Especially since, as this case proves, many people who commit these crimes are not just random strangers." This person compared schools to airports. "I think schools should have security entrances with armed guards and metal detectors similar to courthouses and airports," said Scm. "It is no longer acceptable for it to be harder to get on a plane than it is to walk into a school." 5. Cut down on violence in the media . Some readers were concerned that fictional violence might be having real-world effects. "If they want to ban guns, why not ban them in movies, television, and video games?" asked reader Bill Smells. "Why do we allow the media and entertainment industries to glorify weapons and killings? If we're going to start regulating and banning weapons, why not start by aggressively banning and preventing the abuse of weapons in media." "Why do we allow our children and young adults to buy video games that put them in the position of being rewarded for shooting and killing other players? I think it's time Hollywood enact their own self-imposed ban on using weapons in any films or television productions. This would definitely reduce all kinds of violence. So why haven't they taken this bold and progressive step yet?" 6. Improve mental health care . A commenter named brocore was one of many readers who said the issue stretched far beyond weapons and into the people who commit crimes. "Pushing the blame onto guns diverts it from where the real need is: better, more comprehensive mental health services and facilities; addressing these issues in their infancy when they're first manifesting in childhood or puberty instead of assuming 'it's just a phase' or 'they'll grow out of it;' not kowtowing to drug manufacturers by prescribing anti-depressants or whatever at the first sign of trouble; getting people to understand that they won't be punished or cast out or labeled weird for seeking help." 7. Think about the families, not the shooter . "Quit sensationalizing the tragedy," wrote a reader named Stupify in what ended up being the most-liked comment. It was a list of five suggestions mainly asking for the perpetrator to be be ignored in favor of a focus on the family. "Never mention the perpetrator's name; let them die in an anonymity," the commenter wrote, adding, "Focus only on helping the families of the tragedy." The post also expressed skepticism about attempts to control weapons: "Bad people will do bad things. The only real control one can hope for is taking away whatever motivation or reward the person has for doing them, and even then, they may try." 8. Focus on parenting . A commenter named Joe Gesa responded to Stupify's comment and said that young people are being affected by our culture and need better preparation for the challenges of life. "We have raised an entire generation on the theory that we must protect their self-esteem at all costs," Gesa said. "Then, while mom and dad had better things to do, we sat them in front of Grand Theft Auto and completely desensitized them to violence. So, if we stop shielding kids from every possible disappointment in life, so that when they face one, they are prepared for it; if we take the XBox away once in awhile; and if we actually talk to our kids occasionally, we might prevent some of this crap." Another reader said children need to be taught how to love other humans. "Utopian futures, while nice to think about, are unattainable," said user Kandric. "Humans -- by their very nature -- are chaotic and violent. The best way to reduce violent outbreaks is by teaching our children kindness, empathy and love. Take the time to be a parent. Sure, more gun control will also help, but only marginally. The real problem is the parenting, rather lack thereof." 9. Bolster kids' social skills . Autumn Boyer said it seems like the young people of "generation Y" (sometimes also called "milennials") are living their lives on screens. Kids are playing video games and relying on social media instead of communicating face-to-face, Boyer said, and pronouns are embedded in product names. The point: Concentrating too much on technology and the self harms the ability to understand others' emotions. "Society and the media program gen Y and the upcoming Google generation that 'it's all about you' (i.e. iPods, MySpace, YouTube, Wii, etc), meanwhile, our kids are not developing critical communication and coping skills, and are stunted socially, psychosocially and/or emotionally due to being 'detached' and 'disconnected' from each other by living life through the virtual world (rather than the real world) of screens." 10. Watch out for one another . User brocore said society is most responsible of all, and especially having "empathy for every side." "We can immediately label the shooter an insect or whatever pejorative you prefer, but that doesn't help," they said. "You can't fix the problem by casting these people out as an other. They're us, and we're them." 11. What else can we do? It's your turn to speak. Would you like to propose your own solution, or do you have a story to tell us about preventing violence in schools? Post a comment below or share your story on CNN iReport. Complete coverage: Connecticut school shooting .

Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, gets readers talking about ways to prevent incidents . Many debate whether guns should be more or less available . Security, mental health, parenting and violence in media also come up. Share your ideas .

London (CNN) -- Palace officials slammed the decision of the Irish Daily Star newspaper Saturday to print pictures of Prince William's wife Catherine sunbathing topless on vacation as driven only by greed. The Irish Daily Star's move comes a day after the royal couple launched legal action against the French magazine Closer over the images, and as Italian magazine Chi says it will publish the photos on Monday. "There can be no motivation for this action other than greed," a St. James's Palace spokeswoman said of the Irish tabloid's decision. But editor Mike O'Kane told the BBC that outrage over the images was only felt in Britain and that readers in the Republic of Ireland wanted to know what all the "kerfuffle" was about. He was "a little taken aback by the reaction in the UK," he said, saying the newspaper was treating Catherine no differently to any other celebrity. "She's not the future queen of Ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the UK," he said, suggesting that the British press were behaving with some hypocrisy. O'Kane said the Irish Daily Star was reproducing the images as published in Closer on Friday rather than buying them itself directly. The pictures are not being published in the Northern Ireland edition. Pacific welcome awaits William and Kate . The publication of the photos in the French Closer magazine, owned by the same parent company as Chi, the Mondadori Group, sparked an angry response from the royal couple and palace officials. William and Catherine were said to be "hugely saddened" by what palace officials called a "grotesque" invasion of privacy while they were on a private vacation. The latest controversy comes only three weeks after the British royal family was caught up in a media furor over images of William's younger brother, Prince Harry, partying naked in his Las Vegas hotel room with a group of girls. In a sign of how divisive the issue of royal privacy has become, a co-owner of the Irish Daily Star, media group Northern & Shell, said it in no way backed the newspaper's decision to run the pictures of Catherine. In a statement, the company -- which runs the Irish Daily Star in a joint venture with Independent News & Media, but does not exert editorial control over it -- said it was "profoundly dismayed" by the move. "We abhor the decision of the Irish Daily Star to publish these intrusive pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which we, like St James's Palace, believe to be a grotesque invasion of their privacy," Northern & Shell's communications director Mimi Turner said. Northern & Shell also owns the Daily Express and the Daily Star, among other British publications, which have not run the pictures of Catherine, nor of Prince Harry. William, who is second in line to the throne, and his wife are on an official tour of southeast Asian nations. They were in Borneo Saturday, where they escaped from the outside world on a rainforest trek. They will travel on to the Solomon Islands Sunday on the next leg of a tour that has been overshadowed by the furor over the photographs. Catherine was "upset" with Closer magazine, a palace source told CNN. Mondadori told CNN it plans to run 26 pages of photographs of William and Kate on vacation in an "extraordinary" special edition to go on sale in Italy on Monday. Chi's front cover will also feature three revealing pictures of Catherine, according to a copy of the page and statement sent by Mondadori spokeswoman Carmen Mugione via e-mail. "It is a story worth publishing in an extraordinary edition because it shows in a natural light the everyday life of a very famous contemporary young couple in love," Chi's editor-in-chief, Alfonso Signorini, is quoted as saying in the statement. "The fact that they happen to be the future king and queen of England certainly makes it more interesting and current, and in line with today's concept of monarchy." A St. James's Palace spokeswoman said: "We will not be commenting on potential legal action concerning the alleged intended publication of the photos in Italy save to say that all proportionate responses will be kept under review. "Any such publication would serve no purpose other than to cause further, entirely unjustifiable upset to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who were enjoying time alone together in the privacy of a relative's home." The palace confirmed Friday that legal proceedings for breach of privacy had been launched in France by the couple against the publishers of Closer in France. Opinion: British privacy should start with British press . According to Mondadori's website, Closer has an average weekly circulation of about 414,000, while Chi sells more than 340,000 copies a week. Marina Berlusconi, daughter of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has been chairwoman of the media group since 2003. Legal analysts suggest the company hopes to recoup any legal costs and fines it may incur by increasing sales, thanks to the revealing pictures. The grainy pictures published by Closer in France appear to have been taken with a long camera lens while the couple was staying at a private chateau belonging to William's uncle in Provence, in southern France. The new privacy controversies have dredged up the royal family's often rocky relationship with the press and put a spotlight on how the palace deals with the media after the tragic death of William's mother, Diana, as she fled photographers in Paris 15 years ago. William and Catherine were "hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner," a St. James's Palace spokesman said Friday. "The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to the Duke and Duchess for being so," the palace spokesman said. "Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them." Laurence Pieau, editor-in-chief of Closer in France, defended the decision to publish the images in an interview with CNN affiliate BFM-TV, saying: "We were just doing our job." Pieau said that there had been no debate at the magazine over whether to publish the photos, and that they show the royals "are just like any other couple in love." The website of Closer on Friday showed the front cover of the magazine with blurry images of William and Kate, along with the headline "Oh My God!" but did not link to the four-page spread. UK tabloid prints naked Prince Harry pictures . But by Saturday that was replaced by a statement from the management of Closer, which said the photos it chose to publish "are in no case degrading." "They show a young couple on vacation, beautiful, in love and modern, in their normal life. The article recounts the time the couple recently spent in southern France," it said. It also made clear the magazine is not linked with the UK publication of the same name. William and his wife were in Malaysia when the news broke, part way through a nine-day Southeast Asian tour of Commonwealth nations, which started in Singapore and will conclude with a stop in Tuvalu. The Asia tour forms part of diamond jubilee celebrations for the queen, William's grandmother. British lawyer Charlotte Harris said Friday that Closer's decision to publish was a clear breach of French legal codes and was out of line with current views on people's right to privacy. "The perception of the French was that they are less aggressive, that they have a culturally different opinion of where privacy laws should lie. Here they appear to have gone right over the other way," she said. French law provides for "draconian sanctions" to protect against this kind of behavior, she said, including orders to take magazines off shelves and the imposition of serious fines. But even if distribution of the images is contained to a degree, Harris said, the damage is done to the extent that very private information about the duchess has now become public knowledge. No UK newspaper has so far published the photographs of Catherine. In the case of Prince Harry, the photographs were widely circulated online but were published in only one UK tabloid, The Sun, after palace officials asked UK media not to run them. The Sun has made clear that it won't publish the pictures of Catherine, however. Editor Dominic Mohan tweeted: "The Sun has no intention of breaching the royal couple's privacy. The circumstances are very different to those relating to the photos of Prince Harry in Las Vegas." The Press Complaints Commission, the UK press watchdog, received about 3,800 complaints from the public over the Prince Harry photos but said it was inappropriate for it to take any action in the absence of a formal complaint from the palace. Royal officials appear to be taking publication of the photographs of William and Catherine much more seriously. The British media is currently under close scrutiny after revelations of phone hacking and other abuses. The conclusions of an independent judge-led inquiry, which may recommend greater restrictions on media freedoms, are expected by the end of the year. After Diana: How can intimate royal photos be published in France? CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.

NEW: Owners of the Irish Daily Star "profoundly dismayed" by its publication of images . Palace: "There can be no motivation for this action other than greed" Editor of the Irish Daily Star says Catherine is no different to any other celebrity . Italy's Chi magazine will run a 26-page special with the topless photos, publisher says .

(CNN) -- Even before they had a chance to view it, everyone involved with Showtime's megahit, "Homeland," "knew that it was something extraordinary and special," said actor Mandy Patinkin. The veteran star spoke to CNN at the premiere party for season two, ahead of the show's premiere on Sunday. In "Homeland," CIA intelligence officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) believes that Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a POW returning from Iraq, became a traitor while in captivity and is planning to fulfill a terror plot on U.S. soil. At the end of season one, Brody decides to run for Congress. Meanwhile Carrie, who suffers from bipolar disorder, realizes why Brody would turn on his country just as she's about to undergo electroconvulsive therapy that will erase her short-term memory. Season one received nine Emmy nominations, and picked up four of them at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, including outstanding drama series. 'Homeland,' 'Modern Family' win big at Emmys . If you've been wanting to get into "Homeland" or catch up before the new season premiere, there's still time. Season one was recently released on DVD/Blu-ray. In addition, Showtime will air a marathon of all 12 episodes of the first season on Saturday, September 29, beginning at noon ET/PT. Season two premieres Sunday, September 30, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. To kick things off for Sunday's return, Showtime and Time Warner Cable hosted a screening and reception at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. Among the attendees, who were greeted by an enormous Brody 2012 fictional campaign poster, were the entire "Homeland" cast, including outstanding actress and actor in a drama series Emmy winners Danes and Lewis. 'Homeland' grabs Emmys for lead actors in a drama . Also in attendance were Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and designer Valentino. Cocktails were followed by a screening of the first episode of season two and an after-party on the USS Intrepid flight deck complete with fireworks, tiny cupcakes in the "Homeland" logo and empanadas and pulled pork sliders served up directly under the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Patinkin shared with CNN how he prepared for the role of Saul Berenson, CIA Middle East Division chief and mentor to Carrie. He traveled to Langley, Virginia, and met with a man who had been a CIA chief. "I was asking a lot of emotional questions," the actor said, "because I was interested in his emotional reaction to certain situations, fears -- human nature questions." At one point, Patinkin continued, the former CIA chief mentioned that he had two daughters, "and the daughters came over and then we were there for hours talking as a family, and that's when the nickel dropped for me. Before we shot a single frame, I realized it was a show about family. It was a show about Saul's relationship with his 'daughter' Carrie, the Brody family, the family of the CIA and the family of the world at large. And so that moment when those daughters came to that table -- I was home free." Actor David Harewood plays David Estes, Carrie's boss at the CIA. He recalled meeting a CIA agent in preparation for his role as director of the CIA Counterterrorism Center. "I happened to meet with a CIA operative who was a very scary lady," he said, "a very beautiful lady, but a very scary lady. I had dinner with her and she kind of looked straight through me. I felt like she was looking into my soul." Harewood said he believes there has been such a massive positive response to "Homeland" from audiences because it is "one of the few shows which really seeks to not only entertain but also tell the truth. It really hit a raw nerve with people. People really want to know what goes on behind the doors of the CIA in terms of terrorists and terrorism, and 'Homeland' kind of seems to answer some of those questions." Actress Amy Hargreaves plays Carrie's sister and caretaker Maggie. "As season two opens," said Hargreaves, "it's six months later, so Carrie's had time to kind of go through some treatments and that's where we jump off. She's in good hands and we're kind of helping her regroup." "What's nice about the way Showtime treats 'Homeland,'" Hargreaves continued, "is they give us time before we shoot every scene. We sit down, we talk about it, we figure out what feels right, what doesn't feel right. Working with Mandy is especially excellent ... we spent a lot of time on-set making sure that things were appropriate and accurate before we shot. It's been such a thrill to go to work and to get to work with Claire and Mandy. They blow me away." Actress Morena Baccarin said "season two tops season one, if that is possible." 'Homeland' actress' hair: The long and short of it . Of her character, Brody's wife Jessica, Baccarin said that she loves that "she's a no-frills kind of woman. She held her family together. She must have a sense of humor and strength somewhere deep inside that we don't get to see very often. The strength you get to see, absolutely, but she's vulnerable and going through a lot all the time, so you don't get to see her laughing very much. But this is a woman who held it together for eight years alone, so I think she's not a victim and she's not afraid; and when she is afraid she holds it together for her kids." As for actor Diego Klattenhoff, who plays Mike -- Brody's Marine buddy and the man who became Jessica's love interest after she believed him dead -- he said that in season two, "I'm always there as his friend, kind of like a safety net. I'm always going to be there for the family. I think that inevitably I get pulled into certain situations." Actress Morgan Saylor, who plays 16-year-old Dana Brody, said, "I love getting to be a hooligan and getting to be rebellious and openly so disdainful of my mother. That's really fun." As for the upcoming season, of which eight out of 12 episodes have been filmed so far, Saylor said there are "definitely some changes this year between Dana and her father. She kind of sees his faults a little more." We also spoke with musician Sean Callery, who wrote the "Homeland" theme song and writes the background score. He received his 12th Emmy nomination this year for "Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music" for "Homeland." Callery was thrilled to be able to implement Carrie's love of jazz into the storyline in creative yet subtle ways. "She's a spontaneous, improvisational character," said Callery, "impulsive. Not many shows have jazz, so it was nice to have something new." "Homeland" is not a particularly heavily scored show. Callery said that if the audience notices the music too much, "then I'm getting in the way." But when it does contain music, Callery explained, "it's extremely transparent and very much in your face." For example, the pilot episode contains a scene that Callery wrote the music for, where a live jazz band is playing at a bar while news footage of Brody's return plays on TV screens. Carrie studies the musicians' finger movements on their instruments and concludes that Brody is tapping his fingers in some kind of code. Callery, who won three Emmys for his work on Fox's "24," noted that "Homeland" die-hards will notice that the theme song has been varied ever so slightly for season two. "It does evolve," he said. "It changes; it gets a little darker at times. I'm dying to speak of it but it hasn't aired yet." Alex Gansa, series co-creator and executive producer, recalled finding out that "Homeland" was President Obama's favorite show. "We didn't feel that we had to do anything different," Gansa said, "but it gives us extra impetus every day in the story room to try to make this thing good the second season, to try to live up to the promise of the first season." Gansa said that the cast and crew remain stunned by the positive audience response to the program because "these wars that we're fighting overseas are so removed from the general citizenry and their consciousness that we were curious whether anybody would even be interested in watching, but one thing that we felt was missing from television was this idea of the returning soldier and so we really wanted to dramatize how difficult that return can be sometimes. And obviously there are some serious extenuating circumstances in Brody's case but if you watch the first series of episodes you could interpret Brody's behavior as either somebody who's hiding his terrorist motivations or somebody who's just having trouble re-integrating back into his life."

Actress Morena Baccarin: "Season two tops season one, if that is possible" Actor David Harewood says "Homeland" "seeks to not only entertain but also tell the truth" Co-creator Alex Gansa felt that the idea of the returning soldier was missing from TV . But he feared the wars we're fighting were too "removed from the general citizenry"

(CNN) -- Mel Gibson frequently spews "looney, rancid" anti-Semitism, has talked about killing his former girlfriend, and is prone to hate-filled diatribes slamming everyone from John Lennon to Walter Cronkite, according to a screenwriter who has been working with him. Joe Eszterhas, who wrote a screenplay about the Jewish hero Judah Maccabee for Gibson, recounts numerous alleged incidents in detail in a nine-page letter to Gibson published by the website thewrap.com. In a letter replying to Eszterhas, Gibson denies the allegations, saying most of the claims are fabricated. Gibson's letter says Eszterhas "only had a problem with me after Warner Brothers rejected your (Eszterhas') script." Gibson, in his five-paragraph response, says he won't respond "line by line," and that the decision not to proceed with Eszterhas "was based on the quality of your script, not on any other factor." A spokesman for Gibson, Alan Nierob, gave CNN a copy of the letter and said Gibson will have no further comment at this time. Gibson's bitter child custody battle with former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva ended last year with a court settlement, but not before the actor entered a "no contest" plea to a misdemeanor battery charge relating to a 2010 incident involving Grigorieva. The plea deal put Gibson on unsupervised probation for three years. Grigorieva's spokesman told CNN Thursday that if the Eszterhas "is accurate and credible, the allegations are extremely serious and must be investigated immediately by the authorities." "But it will be up to the authorities and Ms. Grigorieva's attorneys to react to this revelation," Steve Jaffe said. He confirmed she has "been in touch" with her lawyers about the matter. Warner Bros. has put the controversial Maccabees project on hold, the company said. "We are analyzing what to do with the project," said spokesman Paul McGuire. Like CNN, Warner Bros. is part of Time Warner. Eszterhas writes in his letter, "I've come to the conclusion that the reason you won't make 'The Maccabees' is the ugliest possible one. You hate Jews." He recounts Gibson repeatedly using derogatory epithets for Jewish people. Allegations of anti-Semitism are nothing new for Gibson. Concerns that arose among some Jewish groups over his handling of the story of Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ" in 2004 were replaced by widespread condemnations two years later when Gibson was arrested on a drunk driving charge. According to a police report, he asked the arresting officer if he was Jewish and said, "F***ing Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson later apologized without acknowledging specific remarks. Eszterhas is a veteran of the industry, having penned such titles as "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls." In his letter, he writes that he hoped Gibson viewed the Maccabees project "as a kind of penance/apologia" -- a claim Gibson denies in his response. Eszterhas says that soon after he began working with Gibson on it, he became "increasingly worried that I'd made a grave mistake by hooking up with you." It was not immediately clear how thewrap.com obtained Eszterhas' letter. In discussing Jewish people, Gibson regularly used the terms "Hebes," "oven-dodgers," and "Jew-boys," Eszterhas alleges. "You said most 'gatekeepers' of American companies were 'Hebes' who 'controlled their bosses.'" "You said the Holocaust was 'mostly a lot of horsesh*t,'" the letter says, adding that Gibson made various false accusations, including that the Torah refers to sacrificing Christian babies. Gibson called Pope John Paul II "the anti-Christ" and "the devil," the screenwriter alleges. "You kept raging about your ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva," mother of their young daughter Luci, the letter alleges, saying Gibson referred to her with sexist epithets. "You acted out for me the scene where you hit her. But you said you'd 'just slapped her a little bit.'" Eszterhas claims in the letter Gibson explicitly said, "'I'm going to kill her! I'm going to have her killed!'" Addressing Gibson, he says in the letter, "You said you'd become friends with two FBI agents (or former FBI agents) and they were going to help you to kill her." Eszterhas recounts times that he, his wife, and his 15-year-old son felt endangered in Gibson's presence. The teen taped one of Gibson's outbursts on his iPod, Eszterhas says. Gibson once told the 15-year-old that he wanted to perform a sex act on Grigorieva and "stab her to death while I'm doing it," Eszterhas alleges. "How can you share a loop from the pornographic snuff film which obviously plays in your head ... with a child?" the letter asks. The bitter battle between Gibson and Grigorieva reached a financial and custody settlement last year. Gibson pleaded no contest to a charge of misdemeanor domestic battery. Racist and sexist rants against her by Gibson were recorded and leaked to radaronline.com. Eszterhas also quotes Gibson as saying John Lennon "deserved to be shot," and that he hated Walter Cronkite, who appealed "to stupid people." At one point, Gibson wrote Eszterhas a note apologizing for one of his outbursts, saying, "I have a vast reservoir of rage-filled puss that from time to time spills out" and that "the devil seems to afflict me thru anger and my tongue," Eszterhas says. In his response letter, Gibson says "the great majority of the facts as well as the statements and actions attributed to me in your letter are utter fabrications. I would have thought that a man of principle, as you purport to be, would have withdrawn from the project regardless of the money if you truly believed me to be the person you describe in your letter." "I will acknowledge like most creative people I am passionate and intense," Gibson adds. He said he was frustrated at Eszterhas' failure to produce a script in timely fashion. "I did react more strongly than I should have. I promptly sent you a written apology, the colorful words of which you apparently now find offensive. Let me now clearly apologize to you and your family in the simplest of terms," he says in the letter. Eszterhas insists he was diligent and produced a script that received high praise. But Gibson writes, "In 25 years of script development I have never seen a more substandard first draft or a more significant waste of time." Eszterhas could not be reached immediately on Thursday. When plans were announced last year for Gibson to helm a movie about the Maccabees, Jewish leaders assailed the idea. "I think it's, quite frankly, preposterous," Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles told CNN in September. "Judah Maccabee is one of the greatest heroes in Jewish history. Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite. ... I don't know what Warner Bros. was thinking." Maccabee was a Judean priest who commanded the resistance to Greek forces around 165 B.C. Hanukkah celebrates the story of the Maccabees. "Casting him as a director or star of Judah Maccabee is like casting Bernie Madoff to be the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission," Hier said at the time. A representative for Gibson, who asked not to be identified at the time, said, "It's an amazing story that should be told cinematically" and that there were no plans for Gibson to act in the film, although he might direct. In his letter, Eszterhas says he believes Gibson is in need of medication and "extensive psychiatric counseling." "You live in extreme isolation from the real world," Eszterhas wrote. "You don't read newspapers or magazines, you never have the TV on except to watch movies -- often your own. You rarely go out. Even the church where you worship, built at your own personal expense, is attended only by family and friends. The priest there is your hire and works for you, not God. You are truly extraordinarily and uniquely self-absorbed in a town where self-absorption is common. Noting that "there are as many guns around your house as crucifixes," Eszterhas wrote, "I worry for you and those around you." CNN's Alan Duke in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

NEW: Allegations "extremely serious and must be investigated," Grigorieva spokesman says . Joe Eszterhas says Mel Gibson spews "looney, rancid" anti-Semitism . Gibson denies the allegations, said Eszterhas is upset over his script being rejected . Eszterhas says his son taped one of Gibson's rants .

(CNN) -- It has been dubbed Russia's Las Vegas. A place where Vladimir Putin's government rolled the dice in a grand project to help the world rethink the way it does business. More than $50 billion has been spent in reshaping Sochi for the Winter Olympics, in the process bringing traffic gridlock, a decline in tourism and environmental destruction. If it's been tough for the locals, it has arguably been just as hard for the ex-pats who came to the Black Sea resort looking for a new life and are left wondering just what the legacy of this month's Games holds for them. One British businessman, who came to Russia in 1996, believes a huge opportunity has been missed by the authorities. "What the Russians don't understand is the price of what they have. The natural resources here, the forests, the rivers -- there's so much untouched nature here it's just incredible," says James Larkin. "You can walk in the mountains for several days and you won't see any houses, any roads, there's no way to get there except for walking. There's not really many places in the world left for that. That is a huge tourist attraction in itself." Larkin started a "banya" spa retreat in the Krasnaya Polyana mountain region above the coastal city, but has spent the last year working in Moscow due to the chaos brought about by Sochi's reconstruction. "The last few years it's been pretty bad, they've been digging up the roads, lots of traffic jams. The locals, who are tourists who'd come from Sochi, they've stopped coming completely. "The prices have shot up ... economically it's made the whole thing very difficult." For American businessman Bruce Talley, however, the influx of the thousands of people needed to turn Sochi into an Olympic venue has been a massive boon. Talley, who worked in investment banking before spotting opportunities for property investment in Russia, has found a niche helping Olympic officials, broadcasters and sponsors to navigate Russian bureaucracy. "It's amazing. I lived in California for a long time and I watched the growth and development there, and of course southern California is a much bigger area ... In a concentrated region like this, I've never witnessed anything like the changes here," he told CNN. "There have been a lot of people who have relocated here working for various bodies. We've done relocation for some of those companies, helping them find apartments all the way up to providing services, financial management and contracts." In between these two perspectives lies Bastien Simonneau, who with his chef father runs a French seafood restaurant overlooking the harbor, a bakery and a catering business. "I think after the Olympics it will be good because we will have good hotels, roads, a nice airport -- it will be very quick for people to come from Moscow to enjoy the snow," the 31-year-old told CNN. "Right now, of course, you don't get tourists." That was late last year, when Sochi's workforce was still battling towards its deadline of being ready for the February 7 opening ceremony. Since then, security has been stepped up even further after several terrorist alerts, resulting in a clampdown on traffic into the city. Sochi, which has a subtropical climate, has traditionally been the hub of the "Russian Riviera" -- a narrow 2 km belt of coast that stretches 145 km. It's a popular summer retreat for Russians, but there is some doubt as to how many foreign tourists will make the long trip for the Olympics despite the much-improved air and rail links. "Before we were thinking yes, but right now we don't know," Simonneau says. "The authorities, their priority is terrorists, to control everybody, so I don't know if we are going to have a lot of foreigners. You need to have documents for everything. We have a lot of questions about how it will work, but they don't answer us." But there is no doubting the tourism potential of the massively-revamped Krasnaya Polyana mountain cluster, which Simonneau recalls had just one ski lift ("I think they bought it secondhand from Yugoslavia") at the time of his first visit several months after Sochi was awarded the Games back in 2007. "I really enjoyed the quality of snow but it took 40-45 minutes to get to the top of the mountain," he says. "They only had one road. There was nothing in Krasnaya, a small village and nothing much, only Russian tourists." Now there are three high-end resorts, much to the delight of Russia's ski-loving president Vladimir Putin, who has taken a hands-on approach in ensuring his grand project goes to plan. However, locals in Akshtyr village outside Sochi have complained about the effects all the building has had on their environment. Alexander Koropov told CNN a train line built 20 yards from his fruit farm has left the produce rotting on the vine due to pollution at the construction sites. "Every 10 minutes, he says, the high-speed train whizzes past his house, and it drives him crazy," reports CNN's Ivan Watson, who says other residents told him the government had failed to fulfill promises to provide centralized plumbing and heating. "Alexander says this was a beautiful place before the Olympics. You can't imagine how many trees were destroyed here to build this." Sochi's organizers, however, say they have undertaken extensive replanting programs to replace hundreds of thousands of trees in affected areas in the city and surrounding regions. Areas for endangered plant and animal species have been created, according to the Sochi 2014 Environmental Strategy . The Mzymta river basin is also being restored, with millions of fish released into the waters, and Sochi's aim is a "Zero Waste" Games that have "minimal impact on the climate" in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, said the official policy statement. Larkin, though, despairs at the impact of development on what was previously a relatively unspoiled mountain region. "Most of the Russians, especially the politicians, don't get it. For a bad copy of what you've got in Switzerland, made in a couple of years, you're not going to impress people," he says. President Putin's plan to enhance Russia's reputation as a major international player may have sacrificed some of the sprawling country's natural beauty but, some say, it is revitalizing a region that had fallen into neglect following the Soviet era. "The Olympic torch is going to burn where I used to live," says Rima Seferyan, one of thousands of Sochi residents who had to relocate. "I'm very happy with my new house." Bruce Talley -- the American fixer -- is excited about the business opportunities that lie ahead for the city, which will host Russia's first Formula One race in October and will provide one of the venues for soccer's 2018 World Cup. "Sochi is kind of being reborn," says the 54-year-old, who publishes what he says is the only English-language information source in the city. "They will be having lots of events for a long time here. "We had the economic forum going on, one of the few largest business forums in Russia -- there's one in St. Petersburg and one in Sochi each year. Tens of thousands of people come here to make contacts." Russia, as Bastien Simonneau also acknowledges, is not an easy place to do business. Through his ventures, the restaurant owner says they have been helped by its people's love of French culture. "The biggest challenge is to find someone you trust. The second thing is to find and train the staff," he says, adding that most of his workers come from other parts of the country. Spa owner Larkin says it might be even harder now for foreigners to set up business in Sochi. "It's a question of the initial cost of it -- the price of land and construction materials has gone through the roof, it's more expensive than in Moscow," says the 58-year-old. "The second problem is finding people. They have made all the foreigners move out, mainly people from countries like Tajikistan who've been doing work there. "They've had to leave so it's more expensive to find people who can sink piles or lay bricks or things like that. Then you have all the other problems of getting your suppliers." Despite the difficulties the Olympics have brought him, Larkin hopes international visitors will come to Sochi and experience life in Russia -- though they may have to escape the confines of the Olympic area to do so. "I'm English but Russia is my home, I'm very fond of this country and the people here. They've got a lot of good things to offer," he says. "The people are nice -- they're a bit harsh at first, a bit hostile but, inside, most of the Russians have a very warm heart and are quick to make friends with you. "I've had situations where you've had a small car crash with somebody, they're shouting, swearing and getting angry -- after about 10 minutes they're inviting you home for dinner."

Russia's first Winter Olympics has brought both opportunities and disruption . Spa owner says extensive construction work has made his business "very difficult" An American has found a niche facilitating needs of officials, sponsors and broadcasters . French father-and-son restaurant team waiting until after Olympics to see benefits .

(CNN) -- Amid fierce fighting, Syrian TV on Thursday showed video of President Bashar al-Assad, the first images broadcast of him since a deadly attack on top officials a day earlier. The development came as rebels fought government forces in Damascus and its suburbs and made significant attacks on strategic border points, officials said. Half a world away at U.N. headquarters in New York, Russia and China vetoed a new Security Council resolution aimed at halting the violence, prompting fierce criticism from the United States. The video, showing al-Assad with newly named Defense Minister Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij, came amid growing speculation about al-Assad's whereabouts. Some reports suggested he might have left the capital. There was nothing in the video to indicate immediately when it was taken, but Syrian TV reported that al-Freij had taken his oath in front of al-Assad. Although al-Assad has not often appeared on television or in public events during the near 17-month crisis gripping his country, it is unusual for a leader not to address a nation in the wake of a major bombing, and as violence rages in the capital. Wednesday's blast at a government building in Damascus killed three top officials, one of whom also was the president's brother-in-law. What we need to know about Syria . At least 217 people were killed Thursday, including 40 in Damascus suburbs, 70 in Deir Ezzor and 33 in Idlib, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC) said. The Damascus suburb of al-Qaboun was under heavy fire Thursday, according to an opposition activist. Rebel fighters fought Thursday for control of the country's borders with Turkey and Iraq, with success reported in the latter. Two main crossing points, Albo Kamal and Al-Waleed, and seven additional security posts were in the hands of the rebels, a senior Iraqi Army official in Anbar province told CNN. Iraqi security forces have increased their military and security presence at the border in Anbar as a precautionary measure, the official said. The Free Syrian Army and other rebels were no longer in control of a compound they had seized at the Turkish border. Forces attacked three to four border crossings, according to Col. Malek al-Kurdi, deputy head of the rebel Free Syrian Army. "There was a battle at the border crossing, Bab al-Hawa, and government forces withdrew from the new gate to an older gate, al-Kurdi said. Outnumbered rebels eventually were forced to withdraw from both gates, al-Kurdi said. Videos posted to YouTube from inside a border station at the new gate showed a rebel tearing up a poster of al-Assad, while another rebel smashed portraits of the president and his father, Hafez al-Assad, who led the country until 2000. Numerous world leaders slammed al-Assad's regime Thursday and condemned Russia and China for vetoing the Security Council resolution. Russia, China veto sanctions on Syria . Western countries were pushing for a resolution that threatened new sanctions if government forces don't stop attacks against civilians. The resolution also called for renewing the 300-member U.N. observer mission for 45 days after it was suspended because of violence. Russia and China, which have major trade deals with Syria, have said they want more balanced resolutions that call on all sides to halt the violence. Russia said Thursday's vote should never have taken place. Russia had "very clearly and consistently explained" that it would not accept a resolution that "would open the path for pressure of sanctions and further to extend military involvement in Syrian domestic affairs," said Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations. Western diplomats "could have done something, anything, to promote dialogue" rather than "fan the flames of extremists," Churkin said. He described the draft resolution as "biased," saying it threatened sanctions exclusively at the Syrian government. Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told CNN's "The Situation Room" that the United States will push other approaches to the conflict, including through the Friends of Syria Group. "What Russia and China did today by vetoing a third resolution was really to slam the door, at least in the short term, on any effective action out of the U.N. Security Council," she said. She called the two countries "isolated outliers" on the issue. "History will judge them as having stood by a brutal dictator at the expense of his own people and at the expense of the will of the international community and the countries in the region," Rice told CNN. The fate of the U.N. observer mission was unclear after the vetoes. Competing drafts, sponsored by the United Kingdom and Pakistan, are expected to be considered by the U.N. Security Council. They highlight the simmering differences among members. The UK mission said its resolution will be considered Friday morning. That draft measure extends the observer mission in Syria for a final period of 30 days. Russia, which backs Pakistan's resolution, wants observers to stay in the country and promote dialogue. Western countries are concerned about the safety of observers and want one final deployment. See the Syria crisis in photos . China's U.N. ambassador, Li Baodong, said his country is "highly concerned" about the violence, but Thursday's draft resolution was "seriously problematic," because it intended to pressure only one side in the conflict. It would not help resolve the issue "but derail the issue from the track of political segment," further aggravating turmoil, he argued. Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Jaafari, slammed the council for not issuing an official condemnation of Wednesday's bombing, although he noted that Kofi Annan, joint envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League, condemned it. The lack of an official condemnation by the council indicates that talk of "supporting a peaceful solution in Syria is but a slogan," Jaafari argued. He rejected a "misleading picture" of Syria as a tyrannical regime killing its people and said a solution should be found through a "political process that satisfies the Syrian people." All will participate to help "establish democracy" and "free elections," he insisted. The al-Assad family has ruled Syria for more than 40 years. Video: Fighting rages around Damascus . Residents trying to flee the Syrian violence have nowhere to go because clashes are raging in most of Damascus province, said Omar al-Dimashki, a spokesman for the Revolution Leadership Council of Damascus. "It is surrounded by tanks, and anything that moves is currently being shelled, and rockets are falling on the homes," he said. Sander van Hoorn, a journalist in Damascus with Dutch TV network NOS, a CNN affiliate, said, "One hour it can be quiet and the next hour all hell breaks loose." A resident of the al-Qaboun neighborhood in Damascus said he fled with his wife and two sons after an explosion shook a house next door. The man, who CNN is not identifying for security reasons, said his sister and her family joined them in Qamishli, and she described the government assault on al-Qaboun. "There were tanks, helicopters, armored personnel carriers and gunshots fell like rain. We were terrified," he quoted her as saying. The Free Syrian Army warned them the neighborhood was "going to be a war zone." Syria, which blames the violence on "armed terrorist groups," said it "repelled" some groups that attempted to enter Syria from Lebanon on Wednesday night. The regime said Wednesday's bombing was carried out by people "implementing foreign plots." The Syrian military issued a statement stressing its "resolution to decisively eliminating the criminal and murder gangs and chasing them out of their rotten hideouts wherever they are until clearing the homeland of their evils," state-run news agency SANA said. Anyone who thinks that targeting leaders will "twist Syria's arms is 'deluded,'" the statement said, according to SANA. Video: Syria government says it will fight back . The officials killed in the blast were the defense minister; the deputy defense minister, who is the president's brother-in-law; and al-Assad's security adviser and assistant vice president, state TV reported. The FSA's al-Kurdi said the attack was coordinated by rebel brigades. But some other rebel commanders say it's unclear who was behind the attack. Since the crisis began in March 2011, the United Nations estimates, more than 10,000 people have been killed in the violence; the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria estimates that more than 16,000 have died. CNN cannot independently confirm reports of violence in the nation because the government restricts access by foreign journalists. Attack threatens Syrian president's grip on power . CNN's Arwa Damon, Ivan Watson, Mohammed Tawfeeq; Richard Roth, Brian Walker and Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report.

NEW: U.N. Security Council will consider observer mission status Friday . Thursday's death toll at 217, opposition group says . Rebels control Iraq border crossing points, a senior Iraqi Army official says . U.S. ambassador to U.N. says Russia, China are "isolated outliers"

Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- One year, 365 days and an endless number of seconds, transformed my life 360 degrees, made it go from color to black-and-white, turned laughter into tears. I now no longer perceive the world as a 14-year-old innocent girl who takes everything for granted, more as a victim of a terrible experience that'll never fade away, always reminding me of what others go through and a memory that will forever stay with me. Before the revolution, I remember how, on cold winter nights we would sit together as a family, around the crackling fire sipping hot chocolate. I remember the smoke from the fireplace, wafting upward, leaving a scent of burning wood in the air. I remember looking into my sister's eyes and that glimmer they always had, the smiles my parents would share. I remember how I used to love breaking the silence of the moment by rushing into my father's lap, tracing the narrow path of velvet veins on his hand, as I enthusiastically told him about my day at school, my second home and my friends, my second family. We don't live those days anymore. Now no one's eyes can lie, and the only sound I can hear is the screaming of sorrow. March 23, 2011 was the first day I saw a demonstration in Syria. I was driving to a friend's birthday party, through streets that were packed with people carrying flags and calling out chants in support of the regime. I was oblivious to my surroundings, I didn't know what was going on. I thought it was just a demonstration that would blow over. "Barely any one is coming! Their parents are too scared to send them because of what's happening," my friend cried when she saw me. I looked into her eyes and saw the tears slowly forming and streaming down her red cheeks, streaking her dark make-up. As weeks passed by it kept getting worse. One day I jumped out of bed to the sound of something loud shattering the windows of my room. Breathless, I got up too quickly, barely noticing the glass sparkling on my dull rug. I ran but came to a sudden halt as I felt my head spinning and my vision darkening. My mom was crying and hugging my sister tightly. "A bomb hit an area nearby," my mother stuttered, switching through the different news channels while trying to block us from seeing it. I managed to get a glimpse of it, on the TV, something I wish I had never seen. I remember my eyes feeling assaulted by the brightness on the screen, a sight that haunts me every night; dead bodies, bits of human flesh, were spread out like dispersed glass. I closed my eyes and opened them again, hoping I would go back to the life I was used to, where unicorns and rainbows existed along with Prince Charmings and forever afters. Unfortunately now, the dark days, and the nightmares take place on a regular basis, devastating my country and reluctant as I am to let it in, taking over my life, and controlling my mind. From then on the world changed for me. Instead of learning it slowly through experience it was taught to me harshly through the sound of gunshots and bombardments. I discovered how cruel life can be, and how in one second a smile can turn into a tear, peace into war, a friend into an enemy and life into death. I lived in a blur, not knowing what had happened or what I was to do. I woke up every morning to the sound of gunshots, bombs or the roaring helicopters accompanied by the sad news of the death or kidnapping of someone we knew. Some evenings, I hid under my blankets, covered my ears, and thought of the past trying to feel safe again. I silently peeked out my window to continuously stare at the moon in its different forms casting a dim light, to stare at the sky and the stars emerge taking their place in the night. The image drawing me further and further from reality, into the life I yearned to go back to. My parents tried to stay strong teaching us to do the same, until one night it all fell apart. I was sitting in my room, the place I hadn't left for a long time, talking to my friend about our memories, and suddenly, I hear a cry, whispers, the sound of my mother's sobs, then her yelling. "I'm going out to find him!" My family has its own business and my father was late coming back home, not answering his phone. "But it's too dangerous!" my aunt screamed back at my mother. "I don't care!" my mother shouted back. I ran down the spiraling staircase terrified, afraid of what was happening. Everything went black, like a starless night. I felt like the walls of the house were closing in, suffocating me. The background noise was blocked out and all I could do was stand and stare in dismay at my mom in this state for the first time. She lay on the stone courtyard just outside our front door, crying, holding her phone with a shivering hand dialing my dad's number like her life depended on it. Everything stopped. It was like someone pressed the pause button in a movie, and now the seconds felt like hours. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart screaming over my mom's voice. I don't know how long we waited, or how fast my heart was beating, but when my dad's car turned the corner, I gave everything I had left to run and hug him tighter than ever. At that moment my senses returned and I realized how cold the ground was under my bare feet. I carried my mom inside, and from that day on I learned that though she may be older, taller and more experienced, deep down she needs me just as much as I need her. Now, the one thing I looked forward to was waking up every morning and creeping into my parents' bedroom to look at my dad's thin and frail face making sure he had made it in safe the night before. In school, only half my class was left. "At least we have each other," said one of my five best friends with a comforting smile. However that didn't last for long. Devastating news kept coming at us, beginning with the death of my friend's uncle. "In one second I lost my uncle; a part of me," she whispered in a heartbreaking tone. I looked at her hopelessly, trying to comfort her, but I knew no words could bring him back. Every morning for one month, no words were spoken by anyone besides the ones of regret. "If we knew this was coming, we would have done things so differently," we would tell each other. We wouldn't have taken so much for granted, we would have appreciated what we had. Instead it was ripped away. Grades dropped, smiles faded, students left, and all that remained were the memories that we would safely lock away. As my dad protectively drove us to and from school, the only places we could go to, I noticed the row of soldiers on the streets. They reminded me of domino pieces. Their presence radiated darkness. Each one had a solemn appearance, frightening eyes that looked right through you below their crunched frown. However, what always caught my eye were their large guns, the color of the dark pine trees they leaned on. I went from looking at colorful flowers and singing birds every morning, to dark killer weapons. April 5, 2012 was my last day of school. My parents decided to move us all to Lebanon. I had known it was coming all along. It wasn't a surprise. Everyone was moving. I sank in my seat that day at school, buried my head into my hands and cried like I did every day. I remembered how when I heard the news about Egypt and the violence in Tahrir Square and thinking to myself that I was far from harm's way. Now I was considering how hard it would be to move away from my home, my dad, my friends and family -- not knowing anyone or anything, possibly never being able to contact them because of the broken phone lines. My mind wandered back to 10 years ago when I first stepped foot into the school, only worrying about things like my friendship bracelets, and now I was expected to leave everything I ever knew behind. The people who knew me inside and out, who had carved a place in my heart. Memories flashed accompanied by more tears as my friends gathered around me and I opened my swollen eyes trying to picture the scene hoping it would last forever. I am angry and I feel hatred to the people that are ruining my country, anyone who is holding a gun and shooting no matter which side they're on. Those who stole my childhood and that of so many others. My dream was to apply to universities with my friends as well as cry tears of joy when we threw our graduation hats in the air. Now that was crushed to pieces. One part of me, knows that this isn't good bye, and that no matter where this crazy world takes us when the time is right we will return. Another part of me is scared that more people will die, even if they are not close to me. Everyone has a family, friends and they suffering. I am scared that I will lose the hope that I now have about being able to return, and being left with nothing but memories.

Cayanne wrote about the war is Aleppo, Syria, that forced her family to flee . "I discovered how cruel life can be, and how in one second a smile can turn into a tear, peace into war" "I went from looking at colorful flowers and singing birds every morning, to dark killer weapons" She says hate and fear have replaced her childhood dreams, but she still has some hope .

(CNN) -- There's a bounty on the head of Moammar Gadhafi, three of his children have fled the country, at least one is dead, and two of his sons seem to be having a public argument over whether to keep fighting or surrender to rebels. Here is a look at the Gadhafi family -- a large, at times quarrelsome clan that helped the embattled strongman hold onto power for more than four decades. MOAMMAR GADHAFI . Leader of Libya since 1969, Gadhafi was last reported seen June 12, two weeks before the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest. An audio message purporting to be from him aired August 24, days after rebels overran the capital Tripoli. Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam told Syria's Rai TV August 31 that his father was "fine. We are fighting, and we are drinking tea and drinking coffee and sitting with our families and fighting." The Algerian government announced earlier that week that Moammar Gadhafi's wife, Safia, and three of his grown children -- daughter Aisha and two of his sons, Hannibal and Mohamed -- had arrived in the neighboring North African country. But on September 1, Algeria's foreign minister denied that the leader had come with them. "Of course not," Mourad Medelci told French radio network Europe 1 when asked whether Gadhafi was in Algeria. "The hypothesis that Mr. Gadhafi could come knocking on our door was never considered." SAIF AL-ISLAM . The most noted power player is Saif al-Islam. Once seen as a possible successor to his father and an advocate of reform, he became a vocal defender of his father's brutal regime. Saif is wanted by the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for him in June on charges of crimes against humanity. Although rebels claimed his capture when they rolled into Tripoli, Saif al-Islam later showed up at the Rixos Hotel in a convoy of armored Land Cruisers. Since then, his whereabouts have been unknown, but at the end of August he vowed "Victory or martyrdom!" in a call to Syria's Rai TV. Saif al-Islam, saying he was speaking from a suburb of Tripoli, urged Libyans to rise up against the rebels: "Wherever you see the enemy, attack them. They are weak, they have suffered lots of losses and they are now licking their wounds." He is the second-oldest son, the oldest of Gadhafi's second wife Safia. He was educated at the London School of Economics. He speaks fluent English, is a fastidious dresser and he paints. An exhibition of his work was displayed in Moscow. SAADI . Saadi offered to negotiate an end to the war with the rebels after his father's troops lost control of Tripoli, but later seemed to change his mind. In intermittent contact with CNN's Nic Robertson, he originally appeared willing to promise his father and older brother would stay out of the way of a peace deal. "If (the rebels) agree to cooperate to save the country together (without my father and Saif), then it will be easy and fast. I promise!" Saadi Gadhafi said in an e-mail to Robertson. He said the opposition cannot "build a new country without having us in the table." But he later said he would not surrender to the rebels. They, in turn, offered him safe passage to Tripoli and proper treatment, but said he would be put on trial rather than given a chance to negotiate. A businessman, Saadi ran the Libyan Football Federation before the unrest began. He played soccer for Perugia in Italy for one season. Leaked U.S. diplomatic cables posted on WikiLeaks claim that he had "scuffles" with police in Europe. AISHA . Moammar Gadhafi's only daughter, a former U.N. goodwill ambassador who has kept a low profile during Libya's violent uprising, crossed into Algeria with her mother and brothers Hannibal and Mohamed August 29. She gave birth to a daughter at the border, sources close to her family told CNN. Known in the Arab media as the "Claudia Schiffer" of the region, the striking blonde beauty was once considered her embattled father's best asset. But, unlike her brothers, Aisha Gadhafi has largely kept out of the public eye as rebels continue to quash the last pockets of resistance from her father's 42-year-old regime. Many observers expected her to show more support for her father's increasingly beleaguered regime, especially when a NATO airstrike in April killed her brother, Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, and her own daughter -- one of several Gadhafi grandchildren who died in the attack. In February, as Moammar Gadhafi called on the military to crack down on anti-government protesters early in the Libyan conflict, the United Nations terminated his daughter's stint as a goodwill ambassador in Libya for the U.N. Development Program. A lawyer by profession, she is also known to toe a very tough political line. She has been a longtime, loud supporter of anti-government groups -- except at home -- including the IRA and the insurgents in Iraq. She was famously part of Saddam Hussein's defense team when he was tried. He ultimately was convicted and hanged. When London's Telegraph newspaper asked her how she felt about Iraqis who say he slaughtered thousands of their countrymen, she replied, "You are bound to meet people who may be against your policies." HANNIBAL . Hannibal fled into Algeria with his mother, sister Aisha and brother Mohamed August 29. Rebels who picked through Hannibal Gadhafi's seaside villa a day earlier introduced CNN's Dan Rivers to his family's badly burned former nanny, who said she had been doused with boiling water by Hannibal Gadhafi's wife Aline when she refused to beat one of their crying toddlers. The nanny, Shweyga Mullah, is covered with scars from the abuse, which was corroborated by another member of the household staff. Hannibal has reportedly paid millions of dollars for private parties featuring big-name entertainers including Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Usher. Several of the artists now say they have given the money back. It's not just Hannibal's parties that make news. He has been implicated in a string of violent incidents in Europe. He was accused of beating his staff, although the charges were later dropped. He was accused of beating his wife, model Aline Skaf, in a London hotel. She later said her broken nose was the result of an accident. In a spectacular episode, Hannibal was stopped after driving his Ferrari 90 mph the wrong way on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. He invoked diplomatic immunity. MOHAMED . Mohamed is the son of Moammar Gadhafi and his first wife, Fatiha. Mohamed was one of three Gadhafi sons who had been reported captured as the rebels overran Tripoli last week, but the rebels said he had escaped the following day. He was among the family who crossed into Algeria at the end of August. Before the unrest, he was the head of Libya's Olympic committee and chairman of the company that operated cell phone and satellite services in Libya. MUTASSIM . Mutassim once allegedly helped plot a coup against his father and had to flee the country when it failed. He was eventually forgiven and became his father's national security adviser. Mutassim was involved in official talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009 about improving U.S.-Libyan relations. His whereabouts are unknown. KHAMIS . Khamis was said to command a special forces unit known as the 32nd brigade, or the Khamis brigade, which protected the Gadhafi family. His troops were involved in much of the heavy fighting throughout Libya. Senior rebel commander Mahdi al-Harati told CNN Khamis was killed August 28 in a battle with rebel forces between the villages of Tarunah and Bani Walid -- near Misrata -- in northwest Libya. Khamis died from his wounds at a hospital, and was buried in the area by rebel forces, al-Harati said. CNN has not independently confirmed his death. SAIF AL-ARAB . Saif al-Arab was killed in an April 30 NATO airstrike. Moammar Gadhafi and his wife were at their son's house when it was targeted. Very little is known about him. MILAD . Milad is a nephew whom Moammar Gadhafi adopted. He is said to have saved Gadhafi's life in the U.S. bombing of his compound in 1986. Milad's whereabouts are unknown.

Gadhafi last reported seen June 12, two weeks before ICC issued warrant for his arrest. Three of his children have fled the country, and at least one is dead. Two sons seem to have public argument over whether to keep fighting or surrender .

(CNN) -- As Norway struggles to come to terms with its greatest loss of life in decades, all eyes are on the man charged in the explosion in central Oslo and the deadly shooting rampage at a youth camp. While police have not officially named him, Norwegian television and newspaper reports have identified the suspect as 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik. A rambling 1,518-page manifesto purportedly written by someone using that name offered a rationale and action plan for terror attacks like those inflicted on Norway last week. There are clear pictures of what Breivik looks like, at least, via images showing him with blond hair, blue-green eyes and chiseled features. In some cases, he's wearing seemingly preppy clothes, though in others he strikes a far more militaristic stance. And the suspect will "explain himself" in court on Monday, attorney Geir Lippestad -- who claimed to represent Breivik -- told Norway's TV2 late Saturday. Yet even with these photos, even with the voluminous text in his manifesto, even if he does detail his reasoning Monday, troubling questions are likely to remain. Chief among them is how and why a native Norwegian turned on his countrymen. What is known is that Breivik is a member of the Oslo Pistol Club and has three weapons registered in his name, according to leading Norwegian newspaper VG, which cited Norway's official weapons register. They are a Glock pistol, a rifle and a shotgun, VG reported. Breivik is registered as having run a company that produced "vegetables, melons, roots and tubers" -- an industry which allows access to large amounts of fertilizer that can be used for explosives -- according to state-run broadcaster NRK. An employee at a Norwegian agricultural cooperative told CNN that the man identified in media reports as the suspect in last Friday's attacks bought six tons of fertilizer from her company in May. Oddmy Estenstad, of Felleskjopet Agr, said she did not think the order was strange at the time because the suspect has a farm, but after the Oslo attack she called police because she knew the material can be used to make bombs. NRK also reported that Breivik does not have a military background and, in fact, was exempt from Norway's mandatory military service. He has not had any special military training, it adds on its website. He was a youth and adult member of the conservative Fremskrittspartiet (FrP) or Progress Party, VG newspaper reports, remaining involved until 2007. The party's most prominent manifesto pledge is to minimize immigration. His membership was confirmed by a senior party member, Jonas Kallmyr, who is quoted by VG as saying that encountering Breivik was "like meeting Hitler before World War II." In the manifesto, which police said was posted online the day of the attacks, a writer claiming to be Breivik writes positively of the Progress Party, calling it "the only major political party in Norway that has voiced any serious opposition to the madness of Muslim immigration." But he only, effusively claims membership as a "Justiciar Knight" in what he calls the pan-European "Conservative Revolutionary Movements in Europe." The philosophy presented in the document -- which also serves as part diatribe, part confessional and part action plan -- targets so-called "cultural Marxist/multicultural ideals." The writer makes clear that he not only opposes multiculturalism in Europe, including any increase in the number of in immigrants or Muslims, but that he has thought out how to use violence to combat it. The manifesto and a related video are titled "2083: A European Declaration of Independence," a date that the author later explains is the year he believes a European civil war will end with the execution of what he calls "cultural Marxists." This "civil war" would come in three phases, he predicts. The first runs through 2030 and includes "open source warfare, military shock attacks by clandestine cell systems (and) further consolidation of conservative forces." Between 2030 and 2070, he calls for "more advanced forms of resistance groups (and the) preparation of pan-European coup d'etats." The final stage features the deposition of Europe's leadership and "implementation of a cultural conservative political agenda." A vitriolic hatred of outside forces, and desire to oust them from Europe, pervades the document. But it especially targets Muslims, culminating in 2083 with their deportation from the continent. Such animosity is consistent with a post in Breivik's name on an online forum, Document.no, from December 2009, talks about non-Muslim teenagers being "in an especially precarious situation with regards to being harassed by Islamic youth." "I know of many hundred occasions where non-Muslims have been robbed, beaten up and harassed by Islamic gangs," the post reads. "I had a best friend between the ages of 12-17 who was a Pakistani, so I was one of the many protected, cool 'potatoes' that had protection. But this also made me see the hypocrisy up close and personal and made me nauseous." Such anti-Islamic sentiment is nothing new in Norway or other European nations, where there has been resistance against increasing numbers of Muslims and their practices. About 3% of Norway's population in 2010 -- 144,000 people -- were Muslim, but that was expected to more than double to 6.5% over the next 20 years, according to a report released earlier this year by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. That is one of the largest percentage increases in Muslim populations across all of Europe, thanks in part to fertility rates significantly higher than those of non-Muslims. Another post in Breivik's name in October 2009 advises "Hans", described as the founder of Document.no, to "develop an alternative to the violent extreme Norwegian Marxist organisations Blitz, SOS Rasisme and Rod Ungdom" -- all left-wing movements in Norway. "The conservatives dare not openly express their viewpoints in public because they know that the extreme Marxists will trump them. We cannot accept the fact that the Labour Party is subsidising these violent "Stoltenberg jugend, who are systematically terrorising the politically conservative," the post reads. He is making a reference to the youth movement of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who heads the Labour Party. The manifesto's author does not telegraph his plan for July 22, even as he extensively delves into bomb-making techniques, evading authorities and his long-range military ambitions. But he is sharply critical of leadership of Norway, with last week's attacks targeting government buildings and a youth camp run by the ruling Labour Party, blaming them for embracing ideals that allowed the "Islamification of Europe." The writer states he was moved to action in 1999 by "my government's involvement" in NATO's strikes during the Kosovo campaign, claiming this campaign wrongly targeted "our Serbian brothers (who) wanted to drive Islam out by deporting the Albanian Muslims back to Albania." He also criticizes "my government's cowardly handling of the Muhammad cartoon issue" -- a reference to the Norwegian government's apology for the nation's private newspapers having repeatedly published the controversial cartoon. Another reference blasts Norway, home of the Nobel awards, for awarding a peace prize to late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Speaking in both specific and general terms, the manifesto's author doesn't hide his militant expertise or aims. But it is only near the end of the document that he appears willing to take matters into his own hands, citing "the old saying, 'if you want something done, then do it yourself.'" Acting National Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim told reporters Sunday said that the suspect, arrested on Utoya island after gunning down at least 86 people there after killing at least seven in the Oslo bombing, insisted he acted alone. Police still say, though, that they haven't ruled out others may not have been involved, and the manifesto does allude to like-minded right-wing revolutionaries. That said, the document's author does predict "all my friends and family (will) detest me and call me a monster," and that media will "have their hands full figuring out multiple ways to character assassinate, vilify and demonize." But ultimately, he writes that he believes he and other revolutionaries will be remembered fondly, part of his rallying cry for "the emerging Western European conservative resistance movement." "Your name will be remembered for centuries," the document states. "You will forever be celebrated by your people as a martyr for your country, protecting your culture and fighting for your kin and for Christendom." CNN's Laura Smith-Spark and Cynthia Wamwayi contributed to this report.

The 32-year-old suspect insists he acted alone, the national police chief says . A manifesto purportedly by him details his anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant philosophy . The head of a conservative party says she is horrified that this man is a former member . Photos show the Norwegian with blond hair, blue-green eyes and chiseled features .

(CNN) -- A room with a view is a perk usually coveted by travelers. So much so that one of the most famous travel romance movies of all time takes that title. But travel is also about shutting the rest of the world out, and nothing does that quite like a room without even a single window to the outside world. Here we look at a variety of viewless accommodations, from rock-carved former monastery chambers to cave camping Fred Flintstone-style. Locanda di San Martino Hotel e Thermae, Matera, Italy . Shutting out the world is an ancient tradition at Italy's Locanda di San Martino Hotel e Thermae, which pays homage to the baths, or thermae, of the Roman Empire. The spa complex, carved out of limestone rock thousands of years ago, re-creates this popular imperial pastime, with stages of water treatments, from the anti-tepidarium with its carved Medusa head to the tepidarium, hydromassage and caldarium, all meant to reduce stress and remove impurities from the body. 7 amazing island rentals . Rooms at the Locanda di San Martino, in the southern town of Matera, are a mix of caves, grottos and stone structures, wonderfully silent retreats whether you use the spa or not. (But why wouldn't you?) Matera, in the arch of the boot of Italy, is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. For thousands of years, citizens have lived in the hillside city, its historical 'Sassi' (or center) made of houses and caves carved into the tufa limestone. Visitors to the Locanda will find themselves wandering amid Roman, Byzantine and Baroque periods of Italy's history. Rates start at about $120 for a double room. Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, Matera, Italy . Matera is home to a wealth of underground structures and accommodations. Another choice for a beautiful room without a view is Sextantio, known locally as an 'albergo diffuso,' or diffused hotel, due to its scattered locations within a complex. Also located in the Sassi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sextantio has rooms with simple stone arches, their interiors lit in such a way that the tufa limestone takes on a warm honey-like glow. Flower-filled patios are part of the charming lodging experience, where breakfast and other meals are served splashed in Italian sunlight. Summer in the Park: Cuyahoga Valley . Daniela Giardinieri, of Paradise Possible travel agency, works with the hotel and also recommends visitors see the nearby Camerano Caves. Though you can't stay in them, "they keep many secrets" and her tours through the more than 1 kilometer of tunnels include underground churches, bas-relief decorations and rooms that might have been used by free masons. Rates starting from about $265. matera@sextantio.it . Grand Canyon Caverns Suite, Arizona . For a more rugged cave sleeping adventure, try the Grand Canyon Caverns Suite. Billing itself as "the world's largest, deepest, darkest motel room," the underground accommodation is tucked away 220 feet below ground, shaped by millions of years of history. The Cold War added another chapter to the caverns' long story when in 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy made the 65-million-year old caves into a bomb shelter stocked for 2,000 people to survive for more than a month. Today, visitors can stay in the Cavern Suite, which is part of a 48-room no-frills motel. The suite consists of a platform in a hulking limestone cave outfitted with beds, a living area and bathroom. It's so deep underground and devoid of natural light that nothing lives in the caverns, not even a bat or a mouse. The largest dry cavern in the United States, the air is filtered and virtually moisture-free due to the limestone setting. This unique sleeping arrangement doesn't come cheap: The Cavern Suite is $700 a night as a double, $100 for each extra person. (928) 422-4565 . Argos in Cappadocia, Turkey . Turkey seems to specialize in this kind of accommodation, and one of the most interesting underground dwellings is Argos in Cappadocia. This 53-guest room hilltop hotel complex is built into a series of caves, underground tunnels and other ancient structures once used by monks and early Christians. Some of the underground rooms are outfitted with ethereal cave pools, and there are above ground options if you're claustrophobic. The whole area looks like something out of a fairy tale with unusual chimney rock formations making sharp peaks over short bases that might remind you of the Seven Dwarves, if the Wicked Witch had turned them to stone. More than five kilometers of caves and underground tunnels lead through Old Uçhisar Village, where the hotel is located. With a vineyard on the hotel grounds, there's never a shortage of wine for guests lounging underground. Doubles from about $240 for basic rooms to about $1,802 for a special room with its own pool, with discounts available for early booking or multiple night stays. aic@argos.com.tr . Cumberland Caverns, Tennessee . Imagine a giant underground living room complete with its own crystal chandelier. That's what you'll find at Cumberland Caverns. The chandelier is an elegant touch to an otherwise primitive underground experience. Up to 250 people can camp inside the caves, bringing their own equipment or using air mattresses and other items management can provide. Bathrooms, a snack bar and other amenities mean you won't be completely roughing it. Overnighting in the cave starts at $40 per person and includes a tour and breakfast. The giant caverns were discovered in 1810 by surveyor Aaron Higgenbotham who wandered into them, getting lost for days when the torch he was carrying went out. Today, campers and explorers can find such enormous spaces as Hall of the Mountain King, Devil's Quarry, Grand Hall, Waterfall Room and the Volcano Room, all part of a complex that stretches for more than 30 miles underground. Many people come for the day, exploring and staying above ground nearby. Or make it an event with the once a month Bluegrass Underground concerts, recorded for a local radio station and seen on PBS. No matter the season, the Cumberland Caverns are a cool, year-round 56 degrees. Desert Cave Hotel, Coober Pedy, South Australia . Some places are literally underground jewels, and that's the case with the Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy, the opal mining capital of the world. It is so hot in the Australian Outback that many people retreat underground, and the town has underground shopping, dining and accommodation complexes -- even subterranean churches. The Desert Cave Hotel was specially built to mimic this local way of living under the ground, its walls chiseled out of the sandstone. Located just off the Stuart Highway, Coober Pedy might not be as familiar as other popular Outback locations, but that doesn't mean you haven't come across it. The town was one of the locations for the Oscar-winning Australian movie "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." Underground and above-ground rooms are available. Rates start at about $240. reserve@desertcave.com.au . Seven Springs Lodge, Tuscumbia, Alabama . You may not have heard of the town of Tuscumbia, Alabama, but you certainly know its most famous native, Helen Keller. The Seven Springs Lodge is in this northeastern Alabama town, not far from her homestead Ivy Green, one of the town's most visited sites. At the lodge, your unusual room with no view is an above-ground alternative to many of the cave dwellings mentioned so far. Here, you can bunk in a converted grain bin outfitted with bedrooms and a living room. The bathrooms are located in a smaller grain bin between the two bunkhouse silos. These rotund rooms might not have a great view, but the surroundings are spectacular, set in the green foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Seven Springs is likely to appeal to travelers who have a sporting side, who might fish in the stream fed by the seven springs, go hunting in the nearby woods, or explore on horseback. If the silos are full, the complex also includes camp sites, most with full electric, water and sewage hookups. The town also has a rich musical tradition, and is home to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Staying in a silo will cost you $75.00 per night for 2 people and $20.00 per additional person. Call three days in advance to reserve a horse. (256) 370-7218 .

Cave hotels, whether deluxe or rustic, make for a unique lodging experience . In Italy, limestone rock houses several underground hotels . In the Australian Outback, underground dwellings provide relief from the heat .

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas lashed out Monday at Al-Jazeera, calling the Arabic TV network's release of alleged secret documents from Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations "shameful." "The report aired by Al-Jazeera is an intentional mixing between the many Israeli proposals and the Palestinian positions," Abbas said in Cairo, Egypt, in comments published by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. "We do not have anything secret to hide," he added. "All our negotiations and meetings and every issue discussed were presented to Arab countries with documents." Dozens of Palestinians gathered Monday in central Ramallah, burning banners for Al-Jazeera and holding posters comparing the channel to Israel, Wafa reported. The documents, which Al-Jazeera has dubbed "The Palestine Papers," suggest that Palestinian negotiators offered to give up large swaths of East Jerusalem to Israel during negotiations dating back to 2008. They suggest Palestinians have been willing to offer much larger concessions in private than previously acknowledged in public. In one document from 2010, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Eraakat is quoted as telling a U.S. State Department official that the Palestinian offer would give Israel "the biggest (Jerusalem) in Jewish history." In a statement Monday, Erekat said that "a number of reports have surfaced regarding our positions in our negotiations with Israel, many of which have misrepresented our positions, taking statements and facts out of context. Other allegations circulated in the media have been patently false." He added, "Our position has been the same for the past 19 years of negotiations: We seek to establish a sovereign and independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and to reach a just solution to the refugee issue based on their international legal rights," and any proposed agreement "would have to gain popular support through a national referendum." Abed Rabbo, one of Abbas' top advisers, accused Al-Jazeera of a "smear campaign." "What happened is a manipulation of the documents and a misrepresentation of the facts and a true distortion, just for mockery and defiance," Abed Rabbo told reporters. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a representative for the Middle East Quartet, told CNN he does not believe Abbas would offer as much territory as the documents suggest. The Middle East Quartet -- composed of the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations -- has been trying to broker a peace deal. "The idea that the Palestinian leadership had been offering concessions fundamentally in disagreement with the international negotiation that's known publicly is absurd," he said, adding that Palestinian leaders have "been sometimes probably too emphatic for the rest of us in their defense of Palestinian interests." The U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Robert Serry, weighed in as well. "I can personally attest to the commitment of the Palestinian leadership to secure the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people, based on international law and U.N. resolutions," he said, as quoted by Wafa. While the Palestinian Authority controls the West Bank, the militant group Hamas controls Gaza. Hamas quickly pounced on the Al-Jazeera reporting, condemning the Palestinian Authority team and saying it "does not have credibility to negotiate because it offered essential concessions." "All the doubts and all the concerns of the Palestinian people and the resistance were true," Oussama Hamdan, head of Hamas foreign relations, said Monday in a CNN interview from Lebanon. "Those negotiators have no credibility and they are not authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians because of the division, because there is no united Palestinian institution and because they don't have cards of power to negotiate with the Israelis." Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, has carried out numerous terrorist attacks and is branded a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, speaking to Israel radio, pointed out that the alleged negotiations took place under former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a more left-wing government than Netanyahu's. "If the Olmert government was not able to reach an agreement despite the far-reaching concessions, everyone understands that a long-term interim agreement is what is needed," Lieberman said. Yanki Galanti, a former Olmert spokesman, said an agreement was almost reached during negotiations between Olmert and Abbas from the end of 2006 to September 2008. "After dozens of meetings ... there was a proposal that was reached. ... This offer was on all the issues we call core issues," Galanti told Israeli Army radio. The core issues in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are considered to be the status of Jerusalem, borders and refugees. Rabbo, the Palestinian official, condemned not only Al-Jazeera, but also the leadership of Qatar, where the network is based. "This is a first-class political smear campaign and the decision comes from the highest level in Qatar," Rabbo said, adding sarcastically, "and we thank the emir of Qatar on his commitment to transparency and to deliver the truth to a wider audience." Referring to the "transparency" that Al-Jazeera said it was offering with its reporting, Rabbo added, "We hope that they extend this so-called 'transparency' to the greatest degree and address the role of the U.S. base in Qatar in spying on the Arab countries, and talk about Qatari relations with Iran and Israel." The government of Qatar had no immediate comment. On its website, Al-Jazeera says it was "given unhindered access to the largest-ever leak of confidential documents related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There are nearly 1,700 files, thousands of pages of diplomatic correspondence detailing the inner workings of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. These documents -- memos, e-mails, maps, minutes from private meetings, accounts of high level exchanges, strategy papers and even (PowerPoint) presentations -- date from 1999 to 2010." The network added, "We believe this material will prove to be of inestimable value to journalists, scholars, historians, policymakers and the general public. We know that some of what is presented here will prove controversial, but it is our intention to inform, not harm, to spark debate and reflection -- not dampen it." Rabbo, however, accused Al-Jazeera of plotting to weaken the Palestinian Authority and Abbas, Wafa reported. He called on independent Palestinian organizations to set up a committee to look into the authenticity of the documents, according to Wafa. He vowed that the Palestinian Authority will not take action against Al-Jazeera staff in the Palestinian territories, the report added. Al-Jazeera is not disclosing the source of the documents it received "over the last several months." CNN could not immediately verify the authenticity of the documents. U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley tweeted Sunday night, "The U.S. government is reviewing the alleged Palestinian documents released by Al-Jazeera. We cannot vouch for their veracity." "The U.S. remains focused on a two-state solution and will continue to work with the parties to narrow existing differences on core issues," Crowley added. Al-Jazeera said it will be revealing the documents through Wednesday. The documents outline meetings among Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials in which Palestinian negotiators offered in 2008 to relinquish claims on nearly all of the settlements built in East Jerusalem. The offer was flatly rejected by the Israeli side, according to the posted documents. Israel seized the eastern half of Jerusalem following war with its Arab neighbors in 1967 and considers it the nation's sovereign capital. The claim is rejected by the international community, which considers Israeli building in East Jerusalem to be illegal. Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital for their future state. The leaked documents could prove to be politically damaging for Abbas. Officials from the Ramallah-based government have consistently condemned growing Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, and disclosures that Palestinians officials were willing to make offers that would allow Israeli construction to continue were being seized on by critics. Sami Abu Zhuri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said the leaked internal documents about Palestinian concessions on East Jerusalem illustrate the collaboration between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. He accused the Abbas government of working with Israel to put an end to the notion of a Palestinian state. In addition to details about concessions made on the issue of East Jerusalem, Al-Jazeera reported that Palestinian officials also offered compromise positions on sensitive issues such as the right of return of Palestinian refugees and control of the Temple Mount, where stands the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the most important sites in Islam. CNN's Kevin Flower, Saad Abedine, Michal Zippori, Nic Robertson, Shira Medding, Talal Abu Rahma and Nada Husseini contributed to this report.

NEW: Palestinians protest and burn Al-Jazeera banners . NEW: Middle East negotiator Tony Blair of Britain calls the report "absurd" The Palestinian Authority president calls Al-Jazeera's report "shameful" The Chief Palestinian negotiator calls some allegations "patently false"

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Protesters in Egypt, rowdy with revolutionary fervor, dug in for an 18th day of demonstrations Friday, one day after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused to step down. In a highly anticipated speech, Mubarak clung to the presidency but said he would "delegate powers" to Vice President Omar Suleiman according to the constitution -- a major concession from the man who has ruled Egypt with an iron grip for 30 years. His speech, however, enraged protesters in Tahrir Square, who want Mubarak to leave now. Packed in like sardines and showing no sign of giving up, many said they were spending the night in the square for the first time since the protests began. The mood of the crowd was relentlessly upbeat, even at 3 a.m.. A splinter group of demonstrators marched to the presidential palace, where the military maintains a strong presence. Another group rallied in front of a state television building. Massive street demonstrations are expected on Friday. "Get out! Get out!" angry protesters chanted as Mubarak spoke. After the the president's speech,parliamentary speaker Ahmed Fathi Srour told state-run Nile TV that Mubarak's move had put the authority for the day-to-day running of the government in Suleiman's hands. That would include oversight of the police, the Interior Ministry and other key agencies, control of economic policy and running any negotiations with the opposition. Srour echoed Mubarak's statement in adding that the constitution specifically prohibits the president from delegating other key powers to the vice president. As a result, the power to dismiss parliament or dismiss the government and the power to ask for amendments to the constitution remain in Mubarak's hands, not Suleiman's. "The vice president is the de facto president," Egypt's ambassador to the United States, Sameh Shoukry, told CNN, shortly after Mubarak spoke. Protesters watched Mubarak's speech on screens hoisted above their heads in Tahrir Square. Quiet at first, they waited to hear what he would say. When it became clear the president would not stand down, they erupted. "Illegitimate!" they cried. "Mubarak, the coward, must stand down!" "Everyone's lost," Khalid Abdalla, a demonstrator in the square and star of the motion picture "The Kite Runner," said after the president's speech. "People are trying to work out what more they can do." Mubarak stressed -- as he has before -- that he would not run for another term in September. He also expressed regret for any loss of life and said he would move to repeal Article 179 of the Egyptian constitution, which allows Mubarak to send anyone suspected of terrorism to a military court, "as soon as we regain stability and security." His comments came as pressure on Mubarak's regime intensified throughout the day. Rumors had run rampant before he spoke that Mubarak was planning to step down. Many also had predicted he would deputize Suleiman, the former intelligence chief, to take control. For that to happen under the current constitution, Mubarak must retain the title of president -- as he did. Suleiman addressed the nation soon after Mubarak, urging Egyptians to remain calm and go back to work. He said he was committed to doing "whatever it takes in order to have an orderly transition of powers in accordance with the provisions of the constitution." "Go back to your houses. Go back to your work. The homeland needs your work," Suleiman said. Mubarak's refusal to step down caught the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama off guard, a senior U.S. official told CNN. "Not what we were told would happen and not what we wanted to happen," the official, who would speak only on the condition of anonymity, said of the speech. Obama released a statement late Thursday, calling on the Egyptian government to do more. "The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient," he said. "Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world." The mass demonstrations, despite stern government warnings of military intervention, were relentless Thursday, and thousands of workers in vital industries walked off their jobs in a show of solidarity with demonstrators demanding change. In their strongest maneuver yet, the military's senior officers Thursday issued "Communique No. 1," as if more were forthcoming, stating that their discussions were ongoing on "what can be achieved to preserve the homeland and the gains of the Egyptian people." The military remained out in force throughout the day, and many believe Egypt's future hinges on the role it will play. "Egypt will explode. Army must save the country now," Mohamed ElBaradei, an opposition leader, posted on his Twitter page soon after Mubarak spoke. Similarly, Yaser Fathi, one of the organizers of protests in Alexandria, said the military must intervene and push to get Mubarak out. "Everyone in Egypt is disappointed ... We were hoping that it was almost over, but we will continue until the whole regime gets toppled," he said. Exactly what role the military will play, however, remained unclear. "This now creates a massive crisis for the Egyptian military," analysts with Stratfor global intelligence company said in a statement, soon after Mubarak's speech. "As dawn breaks over Cairo, it is likely that large numbers of others will join the demonstrators and that the crowd might begin to move. The military would then be forced to stand back and let events go where they go, or fire on the demonstrators," the analysts said. Earlier Thursday, protesting lawyers toppled barricades near Abdeen Palace, the former home of Egypt's monarchy and a symbol of power. Armed police, who had disappeared from the streets of Cairo as the uprising gained momentum, waited behind metal fences. But the police fled and the crowd surged amid the roar of thunder on a rainy day. "God is great," they chanted. Unable to enter the palace, which was under heavy army protection, the group of lawyers headed to Tahrir Square, where massive crowds again gathered to call for the immediate departure of Mubarak. The demonstrations were galvanized earlier in the week by the words and tears of freed cyberactivist Wael Ghonim, who emerged as a reluctant hero of Egypt's uprising. Ghonim, on leave from his marketing job with the search engine Google in Dubai, was seized by security forces and held for 10 days before being released. He is credited with starting a Facebook page that triggered the protests. Mubarak's foes were re-energized again Thursday by strikes called by petroleum, railway and telecommunications employees seeking better compensation. Oil workers demanded transparency in executive salaries, said Hamdi Abdel-Aziz, a spokesman for the petroleum ministry. National Railway Council employees called for longer contracts, prompting a pledge to extend them from their leaders. Some did not return to work Thursday, said Mostafa Qinawi, head of the Railway Council. Employees of the steel industry and the Suez Canal Port Authority also took to the streets to demand better salaries, said the state-run al-Ahram newspaper. That sparked fears that the Suez Canal -- a significant oil transport hub and major revenue source for Egypt -- would shut down and send oil prices skyrocketing. Egypt's finance minister said the nation will "do its utmost best" to ensure the canal remains open. "All precautions are taken to prevent any sabotage from outside to the Suez Canal," Samir Hadwan told CNN. "The Suez Canal is safe and the Egyptian Army -- I don't talk on their behalf -- but I can assure you it will do whatever is in its power to keep that open." In the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Egypt's second largest, street cleaners and administrative staff went on strike over what they say is a salary freeze. At least 1,000 engineers protested contracts and financial compensations, officials said. Thursday's demonstrations unfolded with vigor despite escalating fears of a government crackdown. Key government officials have sought to portray an immediate departure for Mubarak as a recipe for absolute mayhem and warned of military intervention. Human Rights Watch has been deeply critical of the government's handling of the crisis. "Mubarak's speech is far from the needed break with the abusive system of the past 30 years," Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement Thursday. "Cosmetic changes are not enough to meet the Egyptian people's demands for democracy and human rights." The monitoring group has documented 302 deaths since the January 25 rally that ignited Egypt's revolt. CNN's John King, Jill Dougherty, Ivan Watson and Amir Ahmed and journalist Ian Lee contributed to this report .

More demonstrations are expected Friday . President Obama says Mubarak's speech falls short of what is needed . Protesters rally in Tahrir Square, near presidential palace and outside state TV building . Mubarak delegates powers to the vice president .

(CNN) -- Rooftop glamping has recently taken New York by storm. This year, visitors to the Big Apple can spend the night in a bed on the roof of the AKA Central Park, and guests at Manhattan's Affinia Gardens hotel can spend the night in a tent on one of the hotel's terraces, with flashlights and a smores-making kit thrown in. There are other weird camping experiences around the world. Camping Vliegenbos, Amsterdam . Part campsite, part art project, the Camping Vliegenbos campsite allows visitors to spend the night inside a wooden cube, a suspended dome or a camper that folds out to become a garden -- complete with stuffed badger and artificial trees. Located in a peaceful forest setting, the campsite is the work of Dutch artists Annette Van Driel and Francis Nijenhuis. The campsite closes in late October. Camping Vliegenbos, Meeuwenlaan 138, Amsterdam, +31 20636 8855; from $10 per night . Otro Mundo, Sierra De Segura, Spain . The cozy little domes at Otro Mundo are ideal for those who want to surround themselves with nature but don't want to spend half their vacation struggling with tent poles and guy ropes. Located in a remote corner of rural Spain, Otro Mundo's igloo-like eco-pods, which can sleep up to five people, are fully furnished and have solar-heated showers and composting toilets. It's a good location for hikers and mountain bikers and the entire campsite is run on solar energy. Otro Mundo, Sierra Del Segura, Spain; +31 61436 0523; from $80 per night . Carré d'étoiles, Champagne, France . If you've had your fill of yurts and bell tents, the next step is the wooden micro-house. Carré d'étoiles' beautiful, small wooden cubes sleep up to four people. Glass ceilings, a telescope and sky chart help guests do some stargazing. There's also a tiny kitchenette, television and toilet. Carré d'étoiles, Square-Star Champagne, Rue des Varennes, 10200 Bar Sur Aube, France; +33 24877 5931; from $399 for a two-night stay . Wilson Island, Queensland, Australia . Wilson Island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef offers an unusual glamping experience. The tiny island, which must be rented in its entirety, has just six two-person tents, all of which come with private hammocks and raised timber floors. There's even a daily housekeeping service. Guests need to stock up on supplies -- the closest island is (significantly larger) Heron Island, 45 minutes away. Wilson Island, Queensland, Australia; +61 3 9426 7550; from $10,186 per two-night stay . More: Glamping: 7 luxurious, sustainable camping sites . Rivendell Glamping Pods, Cornwall, UK . Lord of the Rings fan will enjoy these Hobbit-inspired pods, which offer nice views over the Tamar Valley. There's a double bed and two single beds. A separate washing pod contains a sink, shower cubicle and toilet. The pods are located on a working farm so there are animals to check out. The surfing town of Bude is a few miles away. Rivendell Glamping Pods, Bude, Cornwall, UK, +44 1326 555 555; from $15 per person per night . Red Kite Tree Tents, Powys, Wales . The Red Kite Tree Tents are canvas domes suspended from trees. Despite their size, they're large enough to accommodate two adults and there's even room for a wood-burning stove. The tents have electric lighting and are fully insulated for year-round camping. Red Kite Tree Tents, Builth Wells, Powys, Wales; +44 1865 764 087; from $464 for a three-night stay . More: 7 secular pilgrimages that could change your life . Human Nest, Treebones Resort, Big Sur, California . There are several camping options for visitors to the Treebones Resort in Big Sur, including pre-erected tents and yurts. But the highlight is the Human Nest -- an enormous woven-wood nest built by a local artist that provides stunning views over Big Sur. The nest is accessed by ladder and can accommodate two people. Treebones Resort, 71895 California 1 Big Sur, California; +1 805 927 2390; from $220 for a two-night stay . Raft Camping, Limburg, Belgium . These 129-square-foot "raft tents" are comfortable but basic -- campers bring their own sleeping equipment but garbage bins, gas lights, camp stoves and camp chairs are provided. Each camping raft comes with its own canoe so guests can explore the river setting. Raft Camping, Maascentre De Wissen, Limburg, Belgium; +31 16750 2621; from $133 for a two-night stay . More: 15 beautiful vineyard stays . Hüttenpalast, Berlin, Germany . Visitors to the Hüttenpalast get a selection of fully furnished wooden huts and retro campers -- all under one roof. The most popular include the circus wagon-style Heartbreaker (beautiful wooden interior) and the small but chic Little Sister caravan, with mosaic-inspired decor. The whole thing is housed inside a former vacuum cleaner factory, . Huettenpalast, Hobrechtstraße 66, 12047 Berlin; +49 30373 05806; from $73 per night . Maison Bulles, Pont-Saint-Esprit, France . These small, transparent bubbles comfortably sleep two people and each has its own outdoor deck area, complete with telescope and star map. A separate building houses showers and toilets. There's no lighting, but guests are given flashlights. Maisons Bulles, 30 130 Pont-Saint-Esprit, France; +33 95079 5823; from $160 per night . More: 5 awesome U.S. food trucks worth chasing . Airstream Rooftop Trailer Park, Cape Town, South Africa . The roof of this Cape Town hotel is home to seven Airstream Trailers. The trailers are all themed and have flourishes, such as vintage mailboxes. The interior of the Dorothy trailer is covered floor-to-ceiling in polka dots (some open to reveal tiny storage spaces) and the Goldilocks trailer has comfy armchairs, tiny cups and saucers and a bear suit. The interiors of the trailers were created by local artists and other themes include Afro-Funk, Pleasantville and Wizard of Oz. Airstream Rooftop Trailer Park, 38 Long Street, Cape Town, South Africa; +27 21 424 7247; from $142 per night . Livingstone Lodge, Kent, UK . The year 2013 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of explorer David Livingstone, who mapped large parts of Africa. That makes it a good time to visit Livingstone Lodge at the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. This is one of the few places in the UK where you'll be awaken by a lion's roar. Located within the safari park's grounds, the lodge has 10 safari-style tents, all of which overlook the watering hole used by the park's zebra, giraffes and rhino. Two of the tents have four-poster beds. Livingstone Lodge, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Lympne, Kent, UK; +44 844 842 4647; from $202 per person per night . More: World's 15 most expensive hotel suites . Dream Domes, New Brunswick, Canada . The Dream Domes are New Brunswick's first foray into glamping. The semi-transparent domes offer guests spectacular views of the surrounding forest and have large terraces with wood-fired hot tubs. Inside, there's a king-size bed, kitchenette and bathroom. The Dream Domes overlook the Kingston Creek area located deep within the woods of the Kingston Peninsula. Dream Domes, 86 Old Reach Road, Kingston, New Brunswick, Canada; +1 506 763 2617; from $290 for a two-night stay .

Wilson Island, Australia, has just six tents available to rent . Human Nest in United States gives guests a chance to sleep like a bird . Hüttenpalast in Germany brings the camping experience indoors .

Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkey's use of F-16 warplanes to force a Syrian airliner to land and be searched on Wednesday demonstrated a blunt warning to Damascus a week after five Turkish civilians were killed by cross-border artillery fire from Syria. On Thursday, a day after the Syrian passenger plane was forced to land at Ankara's airport, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced at a news conference that cargo confiscated from the aircraft included "items ... traveling from Russia's agency that exports weapons munitions and military supplies to Syria's defense ministry." Turkish officials said the use of F-16's to intercept the plane as it flew from Moscow to Damascus was a show of force, to illustrate Turkey would not tolerate the use of its airspace for weapons shipments to Syria. "We wanted to show that we are serious," said a Turkish foreign ministry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Ankara delivered a diplomatic note to Damascus denouncing the alleged use of civilian aircraft to carry military equipment, the Turkish diplomat. Turkish officials have still not confirmed exactly what the plane was carrying. Just hours after the plane was forced land, however, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the passenger plane's cargo violated international civilian aviation regulations. The Syrian Ministry of Information released a statement that said Turkey's claim "has no truth in it," and Erdogan "needs to show those equipments and ammunition in order to prove that he is truthful at least before his own people." Turkish officials have still not confirmed exactly what the plane was carrying. Just hours after the plane was forced land, however, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the passenger plane's cargo violated international civilian aviation regulations. "This is a matter of principle," he said on Turkish broadcaster TGRT. "We are determined to stem the flow of arms to the regime in Syria which so cruelly kills its own people. It is not acceptable that such a thing can be done by using our airspace." Turkey previously has intercepted Iranian shipments of arms headed to Syria through Turkish territory and airspace over the past year. In those cases, the government remained similarly silent about the exact nature of those shipments, perhaps to avoid embarrassing Iran, a major Turkish trading partner and neighbor. On Wednesday, Turkey's foreign ministry announced the Syrian plane received a radio message while it was still outside of Turkish airspace, warning that it was suspected of carrying illegal cargo. But the plane's pilot did not turn back, the Turkish statement continued, and F-16 warplanes escorted it until it landed at Ankara Esenboga Airport at 5:15 local time. The Turkish diplomat said cargo boxes addressed to the Syrian Defense Ministry were found on board, inspected and confiscated. "This is a clear message from Turkey that it will make it hard for Syria to import arms from outside. If the borders and the airspace are being controlled this tightly we can also assume that the sea lanes, the Mediterranean ports might also be kept an eye on by the Turkish navy," said Murat Yetkin, editor in chief of the Hurriyet Daily News. Syrian officials accused Turkish security forces of mishandling crew members during the plane's stay in Ankara. Transportation Minister Mahmoud Said went one step further, calling the forced landing a "Turkish piracy operation." "They raided the plane carrying weapons, they handcuffed us, took us out of the plane and threw us at the ground," crew member Heitham Kassir told Syrian state TV, showing bruises on an arm. Russian officials also expressed concern over the treatment of the Russian nationals, and alleged that embassy officials were not given information about the situation. According to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement, Russian diplomats and doctors dispatched to the airport in Ankara were denied access to the 17 Russians among the 35 passengers. Turkey's foreign ministry responded in a statement Thursday, claiming Turkish authorities learned there were Russians on board the plane only shortly before it was allowed to take off and that Russian Embassy officials were then apprised of the situation. "All the necessary precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the passengers," said the Turkish statement. Analysts say one of the reasons Ankara has not been forthcoming with what was found on the plane -- although there were initial Turkish media reports that the shipment may have contained missile parts or military-grade communication equipment -- is that neither Turkey nor Russia is looking to weaken their strong bilateral trade relations. "The Turkish and Russians have agreed to disagree on the Syrian issue and seem to have reached the conclusion that Syrian affairs should not effect Turkish-Russian relations," Hurriyet Daily editor Yetkin said. The Russian ambassador to Turkey was invited to meetings at the Turkish Foreign Ministry discuss the issue, a Turkish government spokesman told CNN. Once-strong social and trade relations between Turkey and Syria have grown tense over the past year after the Syrian government began a bloody crackdown on anti-government protestors. Ankara backs the anti-government rebels and has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. More recently, the neighboring countries exchanged artillery fire following the death of five civilians killed by a Syrian shell that fell into a Turkish border village. Cave becomes classroom for Syrian kids . Other developments in Syria: . An explosion occurred near the Syrian Ministry of Education, according to state-run TV network SANA. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based opposition group, said the explosive was aimed at a military judiciary headquarters. There were no initial reports of casualties. At least 210 people were killed by Syrian security forces across the country Thursday, including 47 in Idlib, according to the Local Coordination Committees for Syria, a network of opposition activists. CNN can't confirm reports of violence or casualty counts as access to the country by international journalists has been severely restricted. For a third day, al-Assad's forces shelled the city of Homs in western Syria early Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Government troops and rebels have battled on and off for control of the city since the start of the conflict. Twenty people were found dead in Homs on Wednesday, the LCC reported. North of Homs, in the city of Saraqib, rebels tried to take over government-held positions. Three rebels and a number of government soldiers were killed, the Syrian Observatory said. Fighting between rebels and regime forces continued in and around the town of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province, said Abu Abdul Rahaman, who works with an opposition network that documents what the rebels are doing. He spoke to CNN via Skype. The town is strategically important because it's on an international highway that the government uses to send supplies to Damascus, Idlib, Hama, Homs and Aleppo. Opinion: Syria conflict threatens regional stability . U.S. observers to Jordan . The United States deployed troops to Jordan to help monitor Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons and determine what efforts to take if violence spreads to neighboring nations, the U.S. defense chief said. The announcement follows recent news that al-Assad's forces moved some of the weapons for security reasons. Reports have emerged that rebels are focusing their efforts on capturing some of the storage sites. "We continue to be concerned about security at those sites," U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Wednesday after a meeting of NATO ministers in Brussels, Belgium. "We want to ensure that security is maintained and we want to be very sure that those (weapons) do not fall into the wrong hands." Roughly 150 U.S. Army special operations soldiers have been working with Jordanian forces to monitor the chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria while trying to determine how to respond should an issue arise, according to the defense chief. CNN reported in June that U.S. Special Operations Forces were training and advising Jordanian troops on a range of specific military tasks they might need to undertake if unrest in Syria spills into Jordan or poses a threat to that country. That information came from Defense Department officials who did not want to be named. Panetta now has publicly acknowledged the troop deployment. "We have a group of our forces there, working to help them build a headquarters and to ensure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan a strong one so we can deal with all of the possible consequences," he said. A senior Jordanian military official denied Panetta's claims, according to the state-run Petra news agency. The American troops are in the country for an annual training exercise, the official from the Jordanian armed forces general command told the news agency. The United States also has been working with Turkey as part of its effort to monitor the weapons sites. Syria is believed to have one of the "largest and most advanced chemical warfare" programs in the Arab world, said Michael Eisenstadt, director of the military and security studies program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. CNN's Ivan Watson, Yousuf Basil, Talia Kayali, Alla Eshchenko and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.

NEW: Turkey's PM says his country is 'determined to stem the flow of arms' into Syria . Syria says Turkey is lying about military cargo on the commercial airliner . The U.S. defense chief says 150 troops are in Jordan; Jordan denies a U.S. presence . 210 people across Syria have been killed Thursday, according to rebels .

(CNN) -- Green markets, farmers' markets, fresh markets, wet markets -- whatever you call them, these are the places that make Walmart, Tesco and other supermarket chains look like crimes against cuisine. Often centuries old but full of freshness, markets are usually packed with dozens of vendors and worth visiting even if you have no intention of cooking anything yourself on your vacation. 1. La Boqueria: Barcelona, Spain . Believed to have originated in the 13th century as a pig market, the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria has grown into one of the finest outdoor markets in the world. It's home to fishmongers, butchers, cheesemongers, greengrocers and dozens of small charcuterie shops specializing in Spanish hams and cured meats. With an entrance off busy La Rambla, La Boqueria is a popular spot to stop for lunch. The counters of any of the tiny gourmet restaurants provide fresh seafood and Mediterranean specialties. Rambla, 91 Mercat de la Boqueria (Edifici Direcció, 2a planta), Barcelona, Spain; +34 93 412 1315; www.boqueria.info . CNNGo: The world's best airline for 2012 is ... 2. Tsukiji Fish Market: Tokyo, Japan . Tokyo's Tsukiji Market is the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world, selling more than 400 types of seafood, from inexpensive seaweed to sea urchin and caviar costing hundreds of dollars. The market has the distinction of supplying restaurants all over the world with fresh fish. It's also one of Tokyo's biggest tourist attractions, where visitors gather in the pre-dawn hours to gawp at the frenetic auction of dozens of enormous tuna. The outer market, located in a maze of tiny streets packed with retail shops, allows visitors the chance to purchase seafood and other food supplies and enjoy an early morning sashimi meal. 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan; +81 3 3542 1111; www.tsukiji-market.or.jp . 3. Union Square Farmer's Market: New York City, United States . In the 1970s, New York City's Union Square was a seedy, crime-ridden area of Manhattan until a small farmers' market took root and revitalized the area. The market has grown into one of the world's best, with more than 140 regional farmers, fishmongers, bakers and butchers catering to more than 60,000 shoppers on peak days. The greenmarket showcases more than just fresh-picked produce, though. Celebrity chefs often use the space for cooking demonstrations, there are school tours that teach local kids about seasonality and healthy eating and education programs, including one that helps New Yorkers learn about composting. Broadway at East 17th Street, New York City, United States; +1 212 788 7900; www.grownyc.org . CNNGo: World's 50 best beaches . 4. Or Tor Kor Market: Bangkok, Thailand . Located next to Bangkok's busy Chatuchak weekend market, Or Tor Kor Market is as packed with perfect produce as its neighbor is with souvenirs and tchotchkes. Or Tor Kor displays exotic fruits and vegetables that are unique to Thailand, as well as imported specialties from around Asia. The market is immaculate and brightly lit, allowing shoppers to easily cruise for seafood, sweets and cooked foods. Tourists will enjoy Or Tor Kor's wide selection of prepared curry pastes and spices to take back home, and a food court filled with Thai specialties. Th Kampangphet (next to Kampheng Phet MRT station), Bangkok, Thailand . 8 religious wonders in the U.S. 5. St. Lawrence Market: Toronto, Canada . Toronto's St. Lawrence Market lays on one of Canada's finest shopping experiences. It's the place that Toronto locavores shop for Ontario-grown-and-made products, including the freshest produce, homemade pies, freshly baked bread and elk, venison and other locally sourced game. On Saturdays, local farmers sell seasonal organic produce at the North Market, a tradition that began in 1803 and continues today, presenting a wide selection of not just fruit and vegetables but locally produced cheeses, grains and meats. Embracing more than 120 vendors, St. Lawrence's South Market also sells imported items such as tropical fruits and avocados that are not easily grown in Ontario's chilly climate. 92-95 Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; +1 416 392 7120, www.stlawrencemarket.com . CNNGo: World's 10 most loved cities . 6. Borough Market: London, England . The oldest fruit and vegetable market in London is also one of the world's finest. Located in the Southwark neighborhood, Borough Market has been operating here since 1755 -- but the area has been known for its fresh market since the 13th century. Specializing in locally grown produce and fruits, hand-made cheeses and fresh breads, the wholesale market is the supplier of choice for many of London's best restaurants. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday the market is open to the public, who, in addition to doing their weekly grocery shopping, can sample the many snacks and gourmet foodstuffs on offer. 8 Southwark St., London, England; +44 (0) 20 7407 1002, www.boroughmarket.org.uk . 7-million-mile family shares travel secrets . 7. Kreta Ayer Wet Market: Singapore . Combining the bounty of Asia's wet markets with immaculate hygiene standards, Kreta Ayer Wet Market in Singapore's Chinatown is something to behold. The market stocks a fantastic variety of fresh Asian vegetables, from bok choi to choi sum, as well as exotic ingredients such as live frogs and turtles, preserved eggs, Chinese herbal remedies and a plethora of tofu products. Named after the ox carts that were used to deliver water to the area, the market is capped by a hawker center upstairs where exhausted shoppers can sit down with a bowl of noodle soup or other local specialties. Chinatown, Kreta Ayer Road and Keong Siak Road, Singapore . 8. Lancaster Central Market: Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States . The United States' oldest, continuously operated farmer's market stands in the heart of Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The historic market has been in operation since the 1730s, and was granted permanent status by King George II in 1742. It remains popular today, and tourists flock here to purchase hand-crafted products and foods made by the local Amish community. While the Pennsylvania Dutch wares might be the biggest draw for out-of-towners, locals appreciate the wide variety of imported goods sold alongside local produce, fresh flowers, just-caught seafood and hearty baked breads. 23 North Market St., Lancaster, Penn., United States; +1 717 735 6890, www.centralmarketlancaster.com . 9. Marché Provencal: Antibes, France . Located in Antibes' historic old town, the Marché Provencal is brimming with gourmet ingredients from the Provence region of France. Visitors can learn the art of French cooking with the plethora of local specialties, including foie gras, honey, fresh lavender, wines and cheeses, fruit preserves and fragrant spices. In the afternoons local artisans display their works, from ceramics to wood carvings to paintings. Shoppers can also sit down to a coffee at one of the charming surrounding cafés or head across the street to the absinthe bar. Cours Masséna, Antibes, France . 10. Kowloon City Wet Market: Hong Kong . In a metropolis known for the quality and quantity of its wet markets, Hong Kong's Kowloon City wet market stands out. Both tourists and locals flock to this foodie destination for the highest-quality ingredients, including fresh imported meats hanging from steel hooks, live fish thrashing about and piles of perfect greens. The neighborhood is also home to many specialty food stores, including those in "Little Thailand" offering all sorts of Thai goods. In the wet market itself there's a cooked food center that dishes up excellent Cantonese snacks and a wide array of not-too-spicy Thai dishes. 100 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Hong Kong; +852 2383 2224; www.fehd.gov.hk .

Great markets attract even those visitors with no intention of cooking . Take a stroll through La Boqueria in Barcelona to discover the best Spanish hams . Hong Kong's Kowloon City Wet Market stands out in a city known for great markets .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Jenni Hunt is an attractive, talented and ambitious professional from Portland, Oregon. She runs her own Internet business, selling on online auction site eBay and advising others how to navigate the site to gain maximum profits. Carrie Stevens says working online means she can spend more time with her daughter Amie. Jenni, 36, is also a full-time mother who home-schools her kids. Superwoman? Perhaps. But Jenni is one of an increasing number of stay-at-home moms who are using the Internet to have it all. Jenni was a high-tech Silicon Valley marketing executive when, in 1999, she gave up work to look after her baby boy. She had her second child in 2002, and it was then that she discovered eBay. "I had bought a stroller for $15 and a couple of months later realized it wasn't fitting my needs, so I decided to sell it on eBay," she told CNN. "I made over $100! I was hooked." Jenni, a self-confessed bargain-hunter, quickly realized that she could use the Internet to plump up her family's finances. "We couldn't survive on my husband's income, so it was necessary for me to contribute somehow," she said. "I just couldn't bring myself to leave my children -- and I knew I had skills that would allow me to freelance or create my own business." Jenni began to sell regularly on eBay, specializing in children's items. After a while, it struck her that her experience could be valuable to others, and so she set up HuntedTreasure.com, a Web site that offers advice to other eBay sellers specializing in children's goods. Jenni's subscription newsletters, downloadable e-books, auction templates and online mentoring now help her add to the family's budget. Vancouver mother-of-two Alice Seba says the Internet offers a sense of community. Jenni's not alone as a stay-at-home mom and Internet entrepreneur. Alice Seba, a 35-year-old Vancouver mother of two, runs Internetbasedmoms.com, a site with resources for parents who run their own Internet businesses. She told CNN that the Internet offers stay-at-home parents the chance to earn an income from home. "Whether it's extra spending money or to build a fully-fledged business, it's up to them," she said. And Alice sees the Internet as offering valuable support to mothers who can sometimes start to feel isolated. "The Internet makes it easier to connect with other moms while the kids are asleep, or when mom gets a free moment," she told CNN. "They're all in the same boat, so theirs is an instant understanding and connection." While many of the people Alice has met online don't live close to her geographically, she says the Internet can offer an enormous sense of community and support. "I've seen moms on the brink of leaving their husbands receive the most incredible advice that makes them turn things around," she confided. "I'm definitely not saying the Internet saves marriages, but without that connection and support, a stay-at-home mom may have made a completely different decision." Alice says the Internet can give moms a big boost in confidence. In a family where the husband is the main breadwinner, working from home can increase a wife's self-worth -- both psychologically and literally. Alice told CNN, "In addition to the monetary gain, [mothers] can feel a sense of accomplishment and eliminate some of the guilt of not contributing to the family finances." She continued, "Of course, there's no shame in 'just being a stay-at-home mom.' It's one of the most important jobs in the world, but moms can feel guilty about it." The benefits that mothers can bring to their own businesses are starting to be appreciated by workplaces, too. Carrie Stevens, 29, is a Chicago-based witty, dynamic Internet early adopter. She's been surfing, chatting and blogging for some years, so when she and her husband Jason had daughter Amie in 2004, it seemed natural to her to seek work online. Carrie was snapped up by LiveJournal.com, a San Francisco-based blogging site owned by Internet company Six Apart. She works full-time supervising their volunteer-run support center, which gives LiveJournal users technical help and advice. Carrie told CNN, "I clock about seven to eight hours a day. This is intertwined with Amie's needs. I'm lucky that she's mostly independent with an active imagination and is content to play by herself for periods of time." Carrie's job is flexible enough to fit around the interruptions that motherhood brings. She says, "Last week I was in the middle of a serious business discussion that I had to place on hold for two minutes so I could 'fly over' to where Amie was playing Baby Bird in the laundry basket and 'feed' her." And Carrie's work colleagues don't mind her dual status as mother and co-worker. She says, "They think it's cute. I'm glad I have such a flexible workplace and a supervisor who understands that I'll get everything done at the end of the day although my work concentration might get broken up from time to time with cleaning up spilled cereal, reading a story that she just has to hear, and cuddling if she has a gloomy day." Carrie's supervisor, Denise Paolucci, believes home workers can bring companies great benefits. She told CNN, "It's a great combination for both the employees and the company. The staff gets the flexibility necessary to run their home lives and their work lives at the same time, and the company gets employees who are more committed to a company that's willing to allow that sort of flexibility." Denise, whose department is composed entirely of home workers, also believes that working from home isn't just an advantage for her team. "We as a company benefit considerably from flex time and other setups that benefit caregivers working from home, because of the international and 24/7 nature of our business," she told CNN. "By having staff who are looking for flexibility in their schedules, we expand our times of coverage considerably." And she feels that it gives her a larger pool of prospective employees to choose from when recruiting. "By allowing for remote telecommuting, we're not limited simply to candidates based around our offices," she said. "We can find the absolute right candidate, whether that person is living in New Hampshire or New Zealand." Carrie admits that working from home isn't without its challenges. She told CNN that at times she feels a little isolated from her colleagues. "Sometimes I feel a bit left out of those spontaneous meetings, the ones coworkers can have easily in an office when they're passing by each others' desks," she said. And teleconferencing isn't always ideal: as she explained, "If I'm on a conference call, it's often hard to get a word in edgewise -- everyone else can see each other but they can't see my non-verbal cues that I have something to say." Carrie adds that sometimes it's hard to walk away from work at the end of the day. She said, "Sometimes work is a bit too convenient, especially because I'm used to work and family being so intertwined anyway. Since my office is my dining room table, it's always right there." Jenni Hunt backs this up. She told CNN, "It's important to me to have set times when I'm working and set times when I'm not. If I don't do this, I could work all day." And it cuts both ways: family can distract from work, too. Jenni says, "The distractions of home provide the biggest downside. There are dishes to be done, dinner to prepare, homework to help with -- and children who just want to play." But the benefits of working from home -- flexibility, more family time, support and independence -- outweigh the downsides. Jenni says, "Being successful with my home business has allowed me to dream bigger. I could easily do this full-time -- but I do it because I want to be home with my kids. I am able to homeschool and participate in my children's lives in ways I couldn't if I had to go to a J.O.B. I'm reminded of this every time they interrupt me while I'm working on my laptop in the family room while they play." Carrie also values the opportunity she has to combine work and time with her daughter. She told CNN, "I really feel like I have the best of both worlds in this situation. If Amie went to child care every day, I'd miss the chance to play games with her and read to her." "We can take lunch breaks at the park or walk to a nearby coffee shop for sandwiches if it's a nice day," she continued. "If I were working at an office, this wouldn't be possible." .................................. Are you an Internet mom? Would you like to work from home and spend more time with your kids? Share your views and thoughts and read others' responses in the Just Imagine Forum. E-mail to a friend .

Internet offers stay-at-home moms the chance to have it all . Web gives women at home access to greater work options . Employers benefit from having a flexible workforce who can telecommute . Moms say rewards outweigh the downsides of working at home .

London (CNN) -- In his highly anticipated counterterrorism speech last month, U.S. President Barack Obama publicly acknowledged -- for the first time -- the human toll that drone attacks inflict on Muslim civilians. "It is a hard fact that U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian casualties," he admitted, adding, "These deaths will haunt us." While he pledged to curtail the use of drone strikes in the future, those words rang hollow when he went on to reaffirm his commitment to the targeted killings because, in his view, any alternative would invite far more civilian casualties. Obama's drone calculus ignores the CIA's warning about the continuing "possibilities of blowback." Officials in Washington ignore the high-cost ways in which the U.S. "war on terror" and the use of tactics such as drone strikes fuel the fires of home-grown radicalization in Western societies. This is a rising phenomenon that has not been seriously debated, despite a string of high-profile attacks. While trials have yet to take place, the Woolwich attack in London and the Boston Marathon bombings are suspected to be the latest cases in point. In case after case over the past few years, attackers and would-be attackers have cited the war on terror, first in Iraq and now in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere as proof that the West is at war with Islam. The presence of Western boots in Muslim lands and the continuing use of drone strikes have triggered a backlash among scores of deluded young Muslims who live in America and Europe, and who come from different educational and class background, including high achievers. What is surprising is that these attackers are not unified by a core set of ideological beliefs, or a belonging to a particular terrorist group, but by a core set of grievances, real or imagined. These are a different set of terrorists, in that they radicalized themselves -- enraged by specific grievances, while also having been integrated into life in Western society. Falling under the influence of militant preachers mostly online, they have internalized the kind of religious-political worldview that justified their taking matters into their own hands -- in short, a license to kill. Instead of trying to dismiss how the manner in which the US "war on terror" has been waged has motivated these angry, deluded young men to kill, it behooves us to take stock of their voices and to understand the drivers behind this pattern of violent rage. The goal is not to rationalize or justify their murders but to make sense of their violent actions. Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, for example, allegedly left a note claiming responsibility for the April attack, describing it as retribution for U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The purported message was handwritten on the interior wall of the boat where he hid from authorities, bleeding from gunshot wounds. In the note, Tsarnaev is said to have described the bombing victims as "collateral damage": "When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims," Tsarnaev wrote. He described his brother Tamerlan, who died in a shootout with police, as a martyr. And after his Times Square bombing attempt, Faisal Shahzad -- who held a master's degree in business administration and who seemed fully integrated into American life - reportedly told investigators that he acted out of anger over the CIA's Predator strikes in Pakistan, especially a drone attack that took place while he was visiting the country. Asked later by U.S. District Judge Miriam Cedarbaun whether he was sure he wanted to plead guilty, Shahzad replied that he wanted "to plead guilty 100 times because unless the United States pulls out of Afghanistan and Iraq, until they stop drone strikes in Somalia, Pakistan and Yemen and stop attacking Muslim lands, we will attack the United States and be out to get them." Pressed by the judge to explain his motivations, Shahzad answered: "I consider myself a Mujahedeen and a Muslim soldier," he said. Asked by Cedarbaum whether he understood that children and other innocents might have been among his victims, Shahzad was unapologetic. "They don't see the drones killing children in Afghanistan," he said. "It's a war and I'm a part of it." Shahzad is not unique. Najibullah Zazi, who pleaded guilty to plotting to detonate a bomb in the New York subway, is also an example of bottom-up radicalization. Like Shahzad, Zazi told the court that in August 2008 he decided to go with friends to Pakistan to join the Taliban in fighting the United States' invasion of Afghanistan. He went to the Taliban, not the other way around, and while in Pakistan he was persuaded by al Qaeda operatives to return to America to be a suicide bomber. "I would sacrifice myself to bring attention to what the United States was doing to civilians in Afghanistan by sacrificing my soul for the sake of saving their souls," Zazi told the court. Likewise, the Pakistani-born suspect charged in an alleged plot to blow up the Washington subway system in October 2010 came to the FBI's attention because he had asked people about ways to fight U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to unsealed court records. Farooque Ahmed, a 34-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, reportedly hoped to journey to his native country and to fight there. The Taliban and al Qaeda did not recruit him. Ahmed, an engineer with a bachelor's degree from the City College of New York, was supposedly radicalized by the conflict in Afghanistan-Pakistan. His ultimate goal, according to an FBI affidavit, was "traveling to Afghanistan to fight and kill Americans." Similarly, the Sweden suicide bomber, Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, who blew himself up in Stockholm, studied in Britain and was married with three children. Al-Abdaly's friends paint a picture of man who enjoyed basketball and a good party, yet who had become increasingly angry over the past few years. His Facebook wall posts give a hint of his gradual radicalization. One shows a blindfolded Iraqi man being taunted and abused by U.S. soldiers. Several more are part of a series on "Russia war crimes in Chechnya." According to the New York Times, al-Abdaly sent an audio recording to Swedish authorities minutes before the explosions warning his actions would "speak for themselves." "Now, your children -- daughters and sisters -- will die like our brothers and sisters and children die," The Times reported. "As long as you do not end your war against Islam and the insult against the prophet and your stupid support for that pig Vilks" (Sweden has about 500 signals intelligence specialists in the NATO force in Afghanistan). As a round-up of these violent voices show, home-grown extremism is a phenomenon driven by identity politics, a blowback against what they see as the U.S. "war on terror" in Muslim countries, a war that kills more civilians than al Qaeda operators. In this sense, the fight disproportionately inflames anti-Western sentiments and creates more terrorists at home. According to a 2006 Pew poll, the U.S. "War on Terror" is very unpopular among Muslims in Europe, with 83% of Muslims in Spain opposed, 78% in France, 77% in Britain, and 62% in Germany. Three years later, a survey of British Muslims for the BBC showed that 75% said it was wrong for the "West" to intervene militarily in Pakistan and Afghanistan, though a majority of respondents -- 78% -- said they opposed Taliban attacks against Western troops there. In his national security address, Obama hinted that the U.S. might begin to bring a closure to the "war on terror". With al Qaeda's core now "on the path to defeat," he argued, "this war, like all wars, must end." Although Obama did not go far enough by suspending drone strikes, his scaling back of the targeted killing and recommitting to closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are steps in the right direction. The importance of Obama's speech lies in educating the nation about the diminishing terrorist threat. One would hope that the president would level with Americans about the limits and costs of force in international affairs. Terrorism cannot be eradicated by pushing a button, as in drone attacks, or even military intervention that might cause a backlash that spurs more, not less, terrorism. Deescalating the "war on terror" by halting the questionable use of tactics such as drone attacks might not bring an end to home-grown radicalization. But it could go a long way to deactivating the cultural and religious minefields that entrap disillusioned Muslim teens and spur some of them down a violent path. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Fawaz A. Gerges.

President Obama acknowledged -- for first time -- human toll of drone attacks . Fawaz Gerges: U.S. "war on terror" and drone strikes fuel home-grown radicalization . Recent attackers unified not by ideology, but core grievances, real or imagined - Gerges . Deescalating "war on terror, he says, could remove sources of disillusionment for Muslim teens .

(CNN)The 2016 presidential race isn't an abstract parlor game anymore. With a seven-paragraph Facebook post on Tuesday, Jeb Bush instantly transformed the nascent campaign. His decision to "actively explore" a presidential bid accelerates the scramble for donors. It also gives the former Florida governor time to figure out how to overcome suspicion in the Republican base while positioning himself as the establishment candidate in a fragmented field. The pre-holiday timing of the announcement was a big surprise to many beyond Bush's tight inner circle. Most of the political spotlight has been on Hillary Clinton this year, leaving GOP donors to sit back, hedge their bets and watch the field develop. But Bush's decision to make a move now -- 13 months ahead of the Iowa caucus -- speaks to the complicated political decisions facing potential 2016 GOP candidates. They can maintain the coy stance of insisting they haven't made a decision on running, wait out the calendar and hopefully avoid a long, bruising primary like the one that left Mitt Romney damaged in 2012. Or they can start the work now to capture the staff and donors that can take on the Clinton machine. Bush chose option B. After all, many GOP donors and operatives, who have serious doubts about much of the field but remain uneasy about the prospect of a bruising primary, have been waiting for a clear signal from either Bush or Romney, who is being pressured by many of his longtime supporters to make a third presidential run. Bush, until recently, seemed unsure about confronting the rigors of a race. Charlie Black, who chaired Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential run, said that prompted his potential opponents who were jockeying for establishment-minded donors to raise doubts about his interest in the race -- doubts that seemed to motivate Bush to plant a flag. "Some of the other candidates out there have been competing for some of those dollars and some of those donors — and some of them have been implying here and there that Jeb wasn't interested," he said. Now Bush has signaled he's serious and can begin to lock down commitments from those donors — making it a tougher race for many of his opponents. Bush "froze the donor sector of the hidden primary," said Florida-based Republican strategist Rick Wilson, noting that by stepping one foot into the race so early Bush has created a far steeper climb for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. "All those Wall Street donor types who absolutely loved Chris Christie a year and a half ago, and cooled off to him a year ago, are now not returning his phone calls. He's undisciplined. They kept seeing it over and over again." There are grave concerns within the Republican Party about whether Christie can recover from the George Washington Bridge scandal and whether voters will appreciate his bravado. Centrist Republicans view Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul with skepticism, despite his grassroots base and determined drift toward more palatable positions on foreign policy. While Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears to be making all the right moves -- enlisting tutors and meeting with activists—he has yet to convince the party faithful that he can pick up the pieces from his disastrous 2012 run. Other potential candidates like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio have intrigued Republican voters, but still have a long way to go before demonstrating they can command the field. Al Cardenas, a close Bush family ally and GOP lobbyist, said he doesn't believe Romney will run if Bush becomes the clear frontrunner in the race. "I've spoken with Mitt Romney, who I consider to be a great friend and a great leader, about 2016, and I've always been under the assumption if people he trusts like Jeb Bush decide to run that he would not decide to do that," he said. WATCH: Bush 45? But other operatives close to Romney said Tuesday they did not think Bush's decision would foreclose a Romney run. That could create a situation where donors remain on the sidelines well into the spring to avoid choosing sides. Though the two men have expressed mutual admiration for one another, they are not close. By announcing the formation of a leadership PAC and signaling his intentions so early, Bush at once acknowledged his considerable advantages and vulnerabilities -- including his positions on immigration and education reforms -- as he mulls a final decision. He comes to the race with a committed core of donors, who date back to his father and brother's bids for the White House, and his allies have been building the Bush 2016 finance team now for several months. Bush's establishment of a leadership PAC — a step that falls well short of a formal exploratory committee — will also allow him to travel freely to early primary states to test the length of his brother's shadow on his potential presidential campaign. Fatigue from the Bush years, stemming from the expansion of federal spending and the U.S. military entanglements in Iraq and Afghanistan, was a huge drag on Republicans in 2006 and 2008. But George W. Bush's favorability ratings have rebounded since they hit their low of 32% in April 2008, according to polling by Gallup. Earlier this year, a Gallup survey showed that 53% of American voters now view George W. Bush favorably. Former President George H.W. Bush's approval ratings in that survey—63%— were just a point shy of the high marks given to former President Bill Clinton. Still some Republicans did not mince words on Tuesday about the drawbacks of the Bush name. "I can't see the country electing another Bush," Sen Tom Coburn told reporters off the Senate floor. "I love Jeb Bush — I think he's a nice guy. I just can't see it." "There are still hard feeling about George W.," Coburn continued. "So you start out with a negative - (because) you've got the wrong last name. If he didn't have that last name he'd be a pretty good candidate." Still, there is a large cadre of former Bush donors who backed Romney in 2012, and the former Florida Governor now can test their willingness to come back into the fold -- even as a Romney run hangs as a possibility. Of equal importance, Bush now has a long lead time to confront the most formidable challenge facing his bid: winning over core Republican activists in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina who vehemently disagree with his moderate stance on immigration reform and his support for Common Core educational standards. He signaled his strategy on that front -- and the fact that he will not be cowed by activists hostile to his bid -- during a Wall Street Journal CEO Council meeting earlier this month when he said the GOP presidential nominee shouldn't violate their principles to win the primary. By giving himself a year to begin the courtship of activists in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early states, former New Hampshire GOP committeeman Tom Rath said, Bush "is taking these issues on and letting them play out -- and they typically lose a lot of their punch when they are played out and discussed over time... This gives a lot of time to let the air go out of some of those balloons." "If you look at the race basically as geography, he defines a very important part of that geography: the center-right governing conservative spot on the map," added Rath, who supported Romney in 2008 and 2012, "and that typically is the person that we nominate." Longtime Iowa political observer Craig Robinson, said Bush's announcement caught many Republican activists in Iowa off guard because he has spent so little time there, but it was viewed Tuesday as a wise move. "He needs a longer period of time to communicate to people where he is on education. He's going to have to explain what he wants to happen on immigration," said Robinson, former political director of the Iowa GOP and editor of the Iowa Republican, a website. "There's really only one spot for an establishment candidate in Iowa.... And it's as wide open as it's ever been." Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist, noted that Bush's early decision will allow him to lock down staff with expertise in those key states, who can begin the easing the concerns of activists in earnest -- highlighting his conservative record as governor of Florida and tackling questions about his current positioning on education and immigration. "Every single candidate has an 'oppo' book with their name on the front cover," Madden said. "The difference between those candidates winning and losing is the team you put together and the strategy that you execute to overcome many of those vulnerabilities and put yourself in a position to win." New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte hinted at the difficulty of that spade work ahead for Bush and all of the 2016 candidates in an interview Tuesday. "He hasn't really been to New Hampshire yet," she said when asked about Bush's announcement. "I don't care who you are, you have to do the hard work in New Hampshire.... Obviously, coming into it with the Bush name, he'll have name recognition. But I think everyone will get an open vetting in New Hampshire." CNN's Chris Moody, Deirdre Walsh and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

With early announcement, Bush sets his mark on money and activists . Setting his mark, Bush sets up steep climb for Christie . Mitt Romney's shadow still lingers over Bush .

(CNN) -- Mitt Romney promised Monday to restore U.S. foreign policy to a traditional role dating back decades, based on exerting global influence through military and economic power, in a major speech two weeks before he debates President Barack Obama on international issues. In the address at the Virginia Military Institute, Romney argued that Obama is failing to provide the global leadership needed and expected by the rest of the world, especially key allies such as Israel. Romney cited recent protests and violence in Arab countries, including an attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya that killed the American ambassador and three others, as examples of a worsening security situation that he blamed on Obama's policies. "It is our responsibility and the responsibility of our president to use America's great power to shape history — not to lead from behind, leaving our destiny at the mercy of events," the Republican presidential nominee said, after earlier declaring that "unfortunately, this president's policies have not been equal to our best examples of world leadership and nowhere is this more evident than in the Middle East." Poll shows Romney tied with Obama after debate . Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, offered a similar criticism on Monday at a campaign appearance in Ohio. "If you look around the world, what we are witnessing is the unraveling of the Obama foreign policy," the conservative House Budget Committee chairman said, later adding that "if we project weakness abroad, our adversaries are that much more willing to test us, to question our resolve." In response to Romney's speech, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that the GOP candidate's positions are in most cases similar to Obama's policies, while former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright accused Romney of repeatedly shifting his views. "I watched the speech with great interest trying to figure out what Governor Romney's policies really are," Albright said on a conference call with reporters set up by the Obama campaign. "This is, I think, the seventh speech he has given on foreign policy over the years, but I think I have come out more confused because he has changed his mind on a number of different issues." In specific policy examples, Romney called for the United States to join allies in ensuring that rebels fighting government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad get the military hardware they seek. However, he stopped short of calls by some conservatives for Washington to directly arm the rebels. "In Syria, I will work with our partners to identify and organize those members of the opposition who share our values and ensure they obtain the arms they need to defeat Assad's tanks, helicopters, and fighter jets," Romney said. He noted that Iran is sending weaponry to Assad's forces "because they know his downfall would be a strategic defeat for them." "We should be working no less vigorously through our international partners to support the many Syrians who would deliver that defeat to Iran -- rather than sitting on the sidelines," Romney said, making a change from the advance text of the speech that originally called for working "with" international partners. "It is essential that we develop influence with those forces in Syria that will one day lead a country that sits at the heart of the Middle East." The Obama administration has limited direct aid so far to non-lethal support such as communications equipment. In addition, the United States is vetting rebels and working with Qatar and Saudi Arabia to make sure weapons go to preferred groups. Obama ad: Romney is 'reckless' with foreign policy . Administration officials have expressed concern about giving weapons to unvetted rebels for fear that the arms could fall into the hands of terrorists. Romney also criticized Obama's overall approach to the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He argued that last month's attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans "should not be seen as random." Instead, Romney said the violence "was likely the work of the same forces affiliated with those that attacked our homeland on September 11th, 2001," making a change from excerpts released in advance that described the attackers as likely the same forces from 9//11. The recent assault in Benghazi, which took place on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington by al Qaeda, is under investigation by U.S. officials, with no formal word yet on exactly who was behind it. In the United States, the intelligence community believes it was "a deliberate and organized terrorist assault carried out by extremists" affiliated with or sympathetic to al Qaeda. The Obama administration has been criticized for initially blaming the attack on protests over an anti-Islam film produced in the United States, then acknowledging it was a terrorist attack. Mitt's middle of the road makeover . While Romney sought to distinguish himself from Obama on foreign policy, specific proposals he cited remained similar to what the administration is doing. For example, he called for ending military operations in Afghanistan by the end of the 2014, the same date set by Obama and NATO, and warned of unspecified steps to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Obama has said all options remain on the table for preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon. In one distinction, Romney said Monday that under his leadership, "the United States and our friends and allies will prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons capability," which differs from Obama's pledge to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Nuclear capability refers to the process of being able to develop a nuclear weapon -- a lower threshold than Obama's reference -- and Romney's language matched that of his former business colleague, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the issue. Polls show Obama gets higher marks than Romney on foreign policy, and the former Massachusetts governor hurt his international credentials on a three-nation trip this summer that included a high-profile gaffe in which he questioned London's preparedness to host the Olympics. Full remarks: Romney foreign policy speech . Romney also angered Palestinian leaders with a reference to cultural differences as a reason for differing levels of prosperity between Israel and the Palestinian territories. In addition, a secretly recorded video of a private campaign event in May showed Romney casting doubt on the possibility of reaching a two-state solution in the Middle East with independent Israeli and Palestinian states. On Monday, Romney pledged to recommit his administration to seeking the two-state solution and blamed Obama for what he called a negotiation process that has "devolved into a series of heated disputes at the United Nations." "In this old conflict, as in every challenge we face in the Middle East, only a new president will bring the chance to begin anew," Romney said. "I know the president hopes for a safer, freer, and a more prosperous Middle East allied with the United States. I share this hope," he said."But hope is not a strategy." Undecided: What will sway them? Romney also has faced negative headlines over his quick response to the Benghazi consulate attack. Soon after word broke of the violence, he fired off a statement that was criticized as inaccurate and premature. Seeking to remind voters of Romney's past gaffes, the Obama campaign released a new ad in Virginia, a battleground in the November 6 election, that characterized the Republican challenger as "reckless" and "amateurish" on international affairs. The 30-second spot features news clips of what the commercial calls Romney's "gaffe-filled" trip to England, Israel and Poland. "If this is how he handles the world now," the narrator in the new ad says, "just think what Mitt Romney might do as president." Responding to the ad, a Romney campaign spokeswoman said Obama was the one who had "weakened" the U.S. standing in the world. Obama's mixed week . On Sunday, Romney foreign policy director Alex Wong told reporters that the candidate's foreign policy seeks the traditional U.S. role in global affairs dating to the end of World War II. "Mitt Romney's vision is to restore influence and to support our friends and allies to move the Middle East onto a path of greater liberty, greater stability, and greater prosperity," Wong said. "It's a restoration of a strategy that served us well for over 70 years." What would you ask Biden, Ryan? Referring to the U.S. perspective after World War II, Wong said that "we saw the need to have a military that no one would challenge." He also cited the need to have strategic allies around the world as part of what he called a full spectrum of power "so we do not have to face again the horrors of war." Romney and Obama will debate foreign policy on October 22 in Florida following their second debate in New York on October 16. On Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden and Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, will hold their only debate of the campaign. Zelizer: VP debates can kill political careers . CNN's Ashley Killough, Elise Labott, Nick Paton Walsh and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.

NEW: President Barack Obama's team calls Mitt Romney's policies inconsistent . The GOP challenger gives what aides call a major foreign policy address . Romney backs U.S. help in arming Syrian rebels . Aide: Romney seeks traditional U.S. role in global affairs that dates to the end of World War II .

LONDON (England) CNN -- Could the era of spend, spend, spend be about to end? What is the biggest personal problem ordinary people face? The answer increasingly, is debt. In the last 15 years countries such as the U.S., UK, Australia and Canada have enjoyed an economic golden age. For many consumers it seems there is no product or experience that is out of reach as long as you have a few credit cards in your wallet. It's been the era of "because I'm worth it," $1,000 "It" handbags, celebrity worship, four credit cards apiece and vacations abroad. But a flip side is emerging from this era of excess, with potent signs in the last week that the party is coming to a close. There have been warnings signs in the U.S. this week that the economy is slowing. Rising U.S. home foreclosures and a persistent housing slump have triggered a U.S. credit crunch which has unsettled global markets and raised concerns about a possible economic slowdown. The International Monetary Fund's chief economist Simon Johnson said on Wednesday: "We've seen a shock that has spread to other industrialized countries faster than expected. It's an important wake-up call for all of us." On Friday the financial world was rocked when one of the biggest UK mortgage lenders Northern Rock received emergency support from the Bank of England. According to UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph, "it's further proof that the contagion of the credit crisis is spreading through the economy." If the U.S. housing slump, IMF warnings and Northern Rock crisis are part of the economic big picture, then it's also important to heed the calls from the coalface. What is the biggest personal problem ordinary people face? The answer increasingly, is debt. Drowning in debt . This week UK charity Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) said the number of people seeking assistance on how to manage their debts reached record levels. It is now the most common problem the advice service handles. The advice service recorded 1.7 million cases last year -- a rise of 20 percent of callers with debt-related problems. Credit card bills and other loans were 40 percent of all inquiries, while there was a "worrying" rise of people struggling to pay the basics such as utilities bills. The organization said the surge in calls for help was evidence that the lengthy consumer boom was taking its toll. They singled out the proliferation of debt consolidation companies for blame. Economist Andrew Charlton from the London School of Economics believes the U.S. housing slump and high levels of personal debt are part of the same problem: People on low incomes getting in over their heads with either housing stock or personal debt they cannot afford. The house of cards comes down when it is time to collect: a slight upward movement in interest rates, a drop in house prices or job losses (4,000 in the U.S. in the last month, a four-year high) means payments cannot be made and the lenders foreclose. The chickens coming home to roost . For Phillip Hodson, Fellow of the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy, high levels of callers distressed by debt are no surprise. "The chickens have come home to roost. At the personal level people have to face some very difficult decisions. It's difficult to break the (credit card) habit and people whose habit is going to the mall will find it very hard," he said. And what habits we have: More than 4.2 million Britons have no qualms about taking their next holiday before actually paying for the last, according to statistics from UK bank Alliance & Leicester. Research from Scottish Widows shows one in three adults in the UK refuse to plan their finances at all, and those who do find the time to review them set aside just five minutes a week. Reliance on credit is a problem to be tackled not only by consumers but also governments, with our addiction to credit having a serious ripple effect on the economy. In the U.S. an increase in credit card debt again pushed up outstanding U.S. consumer debt in July by $7.5 billion, the Federal Reserve reported last Monday. Consumer credit outstanding rose to $2.46 trillion in July, up from a revised $2.45 trillion in June, the Federal Reserve said. U.S. consumers are defaulting on credit card payments at a significantly higher rate than last year, "raising the prospect of problems in the stricken U.S. subprime mortgage market spreading to other types of consumer debt," according to the Financial Times this week. Credit card companies were forced to write off 4.58 percent of payments as uncollectable in the first half of 2007, almost 30 percent higher than last year. Late payments also rose, and the quarterly payment rate -- a measure of cardholders' willingness and ability to repay their debt -- fell for the first time in over four years. Simply put, we have developed a habit for credit cards that we can't afford, with people becoming adrift from old notions of delayed gratification: You save first before you purchase. Hodson told CNN about his grandmother using both sides of an envelope before she'd throw it out and keeping pieces of string that could later be reused. This World War II austerity is now folklore although some pundits say panic over the environment and resource use, as well an increase in personal debt may bring the war generation's frugal habits back into vogue. Why are we hooked on credit? Philip Hodson sees a few factors responsible for our credit binge: "We've developed retail therapy -- it's a drug -- but it's a very fragile plant and to build an economy based on it is ridiculous." He also says the government has encouraged a people to be reckless with money through their own bad example: "The government must take much of the blame for encouraging a debt culture and saddling students early on with loans." The availability of credit lines also contributes to the debt trap. In the U.S., 80 percent of households have at least one credit card. Yet that is not enough for many credit providers. Five billion credit card solicitations are mailed each year nationwide, with each cardholder owning an average of seven credit cards -- three bank credit cards and four store or gas credit cards. Average household or individual debt (or both) is about $9,300 per household holding at least one credit card. According to the advocacy group Demos, the average balance among lower- and middle-income households is $8,650. We use credit cards for computers, the latest gadgets such as iPods, holidays and fashion, all the things many of us now deem as essential. This readjustment of our needs -- perceiving that we now need more rather than the same or less also fuels our credit addiction. Economist Andrew Charlton believes our reliance on credit is symptomatic of prosperity: "It's the by-product of the boom. In for example, Australia almost 30 percent of the population have never lived through a recession -- young people believe you can always take on debt because it's always easy to pay off. Prosperity is the cause of our credit addiction." According to Hodson, celebrity culture has a lot to answer for: "The credit problem is exacerbated by celebrity culture. It's the ubiquity of television -- you are taught by the electronic media to envy people's lives who are richer." "With celebrity culture 150 years ago your horizon would be your parish. Today anybody living on benefits can watch the plutocrats of the world having fun -- I'm not surprised they are envious." His advise to minimize envy? "Always compare yourself to poorer people." The bulk of callers ringing the Citizens Advice Bureau are juggling debts but in the future Hodson thinks it will be harder to borrow money, due to the difficulty we'll have in repaying it. When lines of credit tighten or dry up, we'll have to readjust our spending habits and tastes. Luxury items will once again be out of reach for most except the super-rich. "What's the answer to borrowing?" asked Hodson. "It's borrow more. But it's musical chairs and what's going to happen when you can't sit down?" Hodson answers the question himself: "I think a lot of people are going to be forced out of the credit economy because they can't borrow and they have a black mark against their name -- similarly if you default. Banks will start to discriminate more carefully." As for our insatiable appetite to have the latest things and have them now: well it may be that if we can't afford them and no longer have a seemingly endless source of credit, we may have to go without. This in turn will tighten the screws on the retail industry. In UK newspaper The Independent, the "spending squeeze" was forecast with "retailers reporting falling sales as debt-laden consumers tighten their belts." Some experts believe it's not spiraling debt which will be the wake up call but the environmental costs of conspicuous consumption, while Charlton believes "a recession will trigger a change in behavior. The next recession won't be like the last one, it will cut deeper." E-mail to a friend .

Global warning signs that an era of prosperity is over . Debt has now become the main worry of UK citizens . Fears that culture of consumption creates a "debt trap"

Geneva, Switzerland (CNN) -- Western diplomats and Iran appear to be inching toward a breakthrough agreement that could slow the nation's suspected progress toward a nuclear bomb while easing some sanctions that have hobbled its economy. Top diplomats from the United States, France, Great Britain and Germany rushed to Geneva on Friday to see whether they could close the deal, which has emerged suddenly after years of frustrating stalemates and Western suspicions of Iranian cat-and-mouse games with international weapons inspectors. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov may join them on Saturday, Russia's state-run Ria Novosti news service reported. China's foreign minister is also headed to Geneva, according to Press TV. The planned arrivals Saturday of those officials suggested negotiations did not reach a deal Friday night, as the chief Iranian negotiator -- Foreign Minister Javad Zarif -- had earlier predicted. Negotiations on Saturday will include a meeting of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Zarif. "The negotiations have reached (a) critical, very sensitive situation, and it needs decisions at higher levels," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters in Geneva. The emerging deal would ease some sanctions on Iran if it stops enriching uranium to 20% purity -- a key step on the path to a nuclear weapon -- destroys its existing stockpile and takes other steps, according two senior U.S. administration officials. For years, international leaders have suspected Iran of working toward nuclear weapons, fearful of the instability such a scenario could bring to the already tense Middle East. Those fears include the possibility of a pre-emptive Israeli strike that could spark a broader conflict. In the past, Iran has threatened Israel with military attack. Iran has denied working toward a nuclear weapon, and has said it will not submit to any plan that would totally eliminate its nuclear program. Despite those issues, Zarif said a deal is within reach. "We are at a very sensitive stage of negotiations, and it is best if these negotiations are done at the negotiating table rather than on live television," he told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "But I can tell you that we are prepared to address some of the most immediate concerns that have been raised, and we expect reciprocally our concerns to be met by the P5+1." He had earlier predicted the talks could produce a deal by Friday night. U.S. official: We think Iran wants a nuclear deal -- and fast . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is not involved in the talks, warned that the proposed agreement is "the deal of a century for Iran" but a "very dangerous and bad deal for peace." "It's a very bad deal," he said. "Iran is not required to take apart even one centrifuge. But the international community is relieving sanctions on Iran for the first time after many years. Iran gets everything that it wanted at this stage and pays nothing." British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted Friday that he had discussed the talks with French President Francois Hollande and they agreed the talks "offer an opportunity to make real progress." Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' atomic watchdog agency, announced its director will travel to Iran on Monday to meet senior Iranian leaders. The agency's nuclear experts will meet the same day with their Iranian counterparts in Tehran, the agency said. Despite the progress, officials said much work remains to be done. Kerry said "some important gaps" remain in the negotiations, echoing earlier comments from his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius. U.S. officials outline possible deal . Two senior U.S. administration officials said that, under the potential deal, Iran would agree: . -- to stop enriching nuclear fuel to 20% purity; . -- to render unusable most of its existing stockpile of such fuel; . -- to agree not to use advanced IR-2 centrifuges, which can enrich nuclear fuel five times faster than older centrifuges; . -- not to activate a plutonium reactor at Arak. In turn, the P5+1 would agree: . -- to unfreeze some Iranian assets held in banks overseas; . -- to consider easing sanctions banning trade in gold, precious metals and petrochemicals. Other sweeteners were also under consideration, they said. One of the officials said the deal is designed to "stop Iran's progress by stopping the shortening of time by which they could build a nuclear weapon" while also providing temporary, reversible sanctions relief to Iran. That official cautioned the deal is not done, but said it could happen if the Iranians agree to the P5+1's demands. Most sanctions to stay in place . Speaking to NBC on Thursday, Obama said the United States would retain its "core sanctions" in place against Iran while granting "very modest relief" from economic sanctions. "So that if it turned out during the course of the six months when we're trying to resolve some of these bigger issues that they're backing out of the deal, they're not following through on it, or they're not willing to go forward and finish the job of giving us assurances that they're not developing a nuclear weapon," Obama told NBC, "we can crank that dial back up." Broader implications . The strategy of pursuing a phased deal "is a sensible way for the administration to proceed," said Nicholas Burns, former U.S. ambassador to NATO. And if it works, reaching a deal with Iran would be "stunning," said Jane Harman, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center and a former member of the House Intelligence Committee. "This is way beyond the initial deal that people speculated about," she said on CNN's "New Day" on Friday. "If this can work, if they can get to this agreement today, I see all kinds of advantages for other issues pending in the Middle East, like Syria," she said. Iran's cooperation could be key to ending the civil war there, she said. 'Getting to the root of the problem' The details were hashed out during a bilateral U.S.-Iran meeting -- part of an apparent effort on each side to mend fences -- which lasted about an hour on the sidelines of broader talks under way in Geneva. The U.S. delegation was led by Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. The Iranian delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Araqchi. Iran talks: Do we want a deal or a war? "The main issue is getting to the root of the problem, which is the enrichment issue and all things that lead from that," Michael Mann, spokesman for Ashton, said on the sidelines of negotiations. Moments later, the Iranian state-run Fars News Agency tweeted a quote from Araqchi: "Enrichment is our red line, and its suspension is unacceptable." Iran's supreme leader 'not optimistic' about nuclear talks . When CNN asked Araqchi about the issue of uranium enrichment, he declined to answer. "The talks are extremely complex and are now going into a serious phase," Mann said. "We want to focus on substance and hope there will be concrete progress over the next couple of days." Zarif said Iran's nuclear program would continue in some form. "There won't be a suspension of our enrichment program in its entirety," he said. "But we can deal with various issues. Various issues are on the table." History of the issue . The sudden progress in meetings between Iran and the group of nations known as the P5+1 or EU3+3 -- United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany -- comes after years of stalemate between Western nations and Iran over its nuclear program. It also follows a slight thaw in relations between Iran and the West under newly elected president Hassan Rouhani. Iran has always maintained its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes, despite repeated findings by U.N. weapons inspectors that the country appeared to be conducting nuclear weapons research. In August, the International Atomic Energy Agency --the U.N. nuclear watchdog -- estimated that since declaring its nuclear program, Iran has processed 10 metric tons of uranium to 5% purity, the level used for nuclear power plants. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Iran has a stockpile of 410 pounds (185 kilograms) of uranium at 20% purity. Weapons experts warn that this uranium could be further refined for use in a nuclear warhead. Although experts suggest that amount would not be enough for a single warhead, the IAEA has warned that it believes Iran's nuclear program could have "possible military dimensions." Iran has been under crippling U.N. sanctions related to its nuclear program since 2006. The United States first sanctioned Iran over its nuclear program in 2000. Resolutions and sanctions passed by the United Nations in 2006 called on Iran to halt all enrichment activities and clarify that its nuclear facilities were being used for peaceful purposes only. CNN's Karl Penhaul reported from Geneva. CNN's Elise Labott reported from Washington. CNN's Yousuf Basil, Andrew Carey and Jo Shelley contributed to this report.

Iranian negotiator says "decisions (are needed) at higher levels" Russian and Chinese foreign ministers aren't expected until Saturday . Top Western diplomats rushed to Geneva earlier Friday amid rising hopes for deal . "Some important gaps" remain, Secretary of State John Kerry says .

(CNN) -- The stakes in this election go far beyond just who takes the oath of office in January. Each of us is faced with choices that will have huge ramifications in our nation for decades -- and the choice is not simply about Democrats versus Republicans or even Obama versus Romney. The real stakes are this: The political strategies that prove successful in this election will be replicated far into the future. Throughout this election cycle, we've seen hyperpartisan narratives resonate more than facts, total opposition embraced as a congressional tactic, and unprecedented dark money flow through our airwaves in an avalanche of negative ads. If those forces are rewarded, we'll see much more of them from both parties going forward. They will become the new normal. Opinion: Vote, damn it! If they are rejected, it may inspire a necessary recalibration and a renewed focus on finding ways to work together in Washington. This won't be just because it's the right thing to do; it will be because it is what is seen as practical and politically expedient. When President Obama took office, the fiscal crisis was in full effect, but our nation was briefly united after the 2008 election. Then the partisan media started to try to repolarize the nation for their profit. A relentless drumbeat of demonizing the president gave rise to all sorts of dark conspiracy theories, driven by the conviction that the first African-American president of the United States was somehow un-American. Hating Obama became a profitable cottage industry, with the publication of at least 89 different obsessively anti-Obama books -- more than twice the number that were directed at President George W. Bush by the end of his first term. Unhinged ideas seeped perilously close to the mainstream, to the point that the gap between partisan narrative and actual facts seems cavernous and finds fellow Americans divided beyond reason. This has real civic cost. A president who has presided over a doubling of the stock market is called socialist or even communist. A president who ordered the killing of Osama bin Laden is seen by some as secret Islamist-sympathizer. And perhaps most important, a president whose actual record leads respected nonpartisan political scientists at the VoteView blog to say "President Obama is the most moderate Democratic president since the end of World War II" is instead seen as a far-left liberal. A reality check is overdue. This hyperpartisan reality distortion field has impacted Congress as well. In the past, we've achieved a great deal with divided government -- ranging from the Marshall Plan, to the interstate highway system, to the achievements of the Reagan administration, to welfare reform and the turning of deficits into surpluses under President Bill Clinton and then-Speaker Newt Gingrich. But the current congressional environment has led to division and dysfunction, Super Committee fails and justifiably low congressional approval rates. Too many conservative members of Congress took Rush Limbaugh's 2009 anti-Obama admonition -- "I hope he fails" -- to heart. They argued that confrontation rather than cooperation with the new president was the best strategy. Thanks to Obama's unwise overdelegation to congressional Democrats on the stimulus bill, their approach was validated, and so an economic recovery effort that was one-third tax cuts passed along stark partisan lines. A pattern was established. President Barack Obama: My vision for America . An individual mandate-driven health care bill, based on proposals from the conservative Heritage Foundation implemented by Mitt Romney in Massachusetts, was not praised as policy triangulation -- taking a Republican approach to achieve a Democratic goal -- but called an unconstitutional gallop toward socialism. Rational debate stopped when talk of "death panels" started taking hold. And so health care reform became the first major piece of social legislation to pass along stark partisan lines. Even onetime bipartisan legislation was no longer embraced by Congress. For example, Obama's proposed jobs bill was almost entirely composed of what had been bipartisan proposals -- but it was considered DOA on Capitol Hill. The debt ceiling was used to hold America's full faith and credit hostage, with disastrous results, including the downgrading of our AAA credit rating. The source of much congressional dysfunction is the now-routine use of the filibuster by the Senate, making a supermajority of 60 votes necessary for meaningful action. As a point of historical perspective: In the eight years that Republican Dwight Eisenhower was president, from 1953 to 1961, the filibuster was used only two times. In the four years that Barack Obama has been president, the filibuster has been invoked more than 200 times by Senate Republicans. Add to this unhealthy civic mix the unprecedented amount of money flowing into this election -- expected to exceed $6 billion total. The most troubling aspect is the rise of dark money, the abuse of tax-exempt 501(c)(4) organizations to hide donors while flooding the airwaves with negative ads. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, spending from these nondisclosing groups has passed $200 million in this election -- more than every other election cycle over the past 20 years combined -- and 88% of the ads airing now from outside groups are negative. Just three groups -- the Karl Rove-founded Crossroads GPS, the Koch Brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- account for more spending than the next 17 outside groups combined. This makes a mockery of post-Citizens United promises about unlimited money being combined with unprecedented disclosure, and the net impact is chilling: This is perilously close to what trying to buy an election looks like. All this matters, because if outside money spent on negative ads can indeed sway an election, we will see much more of it in the future. But if partisan billionaires believe that their money has been wasted, it will help rein in such efforts going forward. We need to stop the cycle of incitement in our politics, where every action creates an equal and opposite reaction. In the closing weeks of this campaign, Romney has been promising that he will bring bipartisanship back to Washington. But simply slapping on a new slogan won't solve these underlying problems. Mitt Romney: My vision for America . If Romney is elected president, Democrats will likely decide to follow the apparently successful path of the Republicans in recent years -- play to the base with fear-mongering claims, demonize the new president from Day One, and obstruct his agenda in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, has already announced that he will not work with a President Romney, taking a page from his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, who pledged that making President Obama a one-term president was his No. 1 priority. Republicans will complain, but they will have their own precedent to thank. The result will be all-but-guaranteed gridlock and division over the next four years. If Obama is re-elected, it will send the message that all the hyperpartisan distortions, the intensely ideological congressional obstruction and the flood of dark money didn't work. Republicans will have to confront the fact that these extreme tactics backfired by alienating the moderate majority of Americans (and interestingly, Obama currently leads among moderate voters in key swing states like Ohio by nearly 20 points). This will alter the landscape of the next Congress and shift the incentives back toward working together on a more bipartisan basis. It might even help re-center the Republican Party going forward, something I would sincerely like to see because it would be good for our democracy. America needs to break this fever of hyperpartisanship. The day after the election, we will have to start healing as a nation. Members of Congress will be confronted with a fiscal cliff and serious questions about how to deal with taxes, spending, the deficit and the debt. If they feel that extremism and obstruction have been punished by the voters, they will find a way to work together. If either party feels it has achieved an ideological mandate, it will be tempted to play chicken with the fiscal cliff. The stakes are so high because they cut to the heart of the American experiment. We cannot continue to allow extreme partisan distortions to define our policy debates and paralyze our capacity for constructive self-government. We need Washington to get the message that I've heard from swing voters so often on the CNN Battleground Bus Tour -- stop fighting and start fixing. Find a way to work together, especially on our long-term economic problems. That means both parties agreeing to compromise on issues of taxes, spending and entitlement reform -- a balanced bipartisan plan to deal with deficits and debt. It will require putting the national interest ahead of all partisan special interests -- and we won't be able to do that until this fever breaks. Washington is looking to your lead at the voting booth. These are the stakes. Now it is your decision. Go out and vote on November 6. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Avlon.

John Avlon: Election 2012 will be a test that determines future of American politics . He asks: Will extreme partisanship be rewarded at the polls? If so, it will continue . Leading GOP figures decided on obstructionist tactics against Obama from the start, he says . Avlon: Message from rank-and-file voters -- stop fighting, start fixing .

(CNN) -- It wasn't easy for David Kizelewicz to make ends meet as a single father of four on a construction worker's salary after his first divorce. But he did his best to cook dinner each night and to spend quality time with his kids on weekends, and somehow, "they ended up smarter than me," he jokes. Fast forward a few decades and Kizelewicz, now 63, is raising another family. He still makes dinner most nights but now he has a bigger home, a stable job and a wife whose additional income makes things much easier. Some people cautioned him against remarrying at 49, saying he was too old to start a new family. He had two complicated marriages behind him when his now-wife Natalie -- his son's coworker -- agreed to a date. He was 48 and dating for the first time since his children left the home; she was 29 and had just ended what she described as an emotionally abusive marriage to her first husband, with whom she had a daughter. She resisted at first because of the age difference, but when she finally gave in they immediately hit it off during their first date at Olive Garden. Now, 13 years and one child later, David and Natalie say they're happier than they ever were in their previous marriages. They know what they want from the relationship and from each other. Lifetime friendship is medicine for the soul . "In your first marriage, you're starting out and struggling," said Kizelewicz, now a construction supervisor who lives north of Orlando. "It's a lot easier to raise kids when you have money to raise them and give them the things they want." It's been a long road to happiness. David Kizelewicz was married to the mother of his children and another woman after that, but both relationships ended in divorce. With this his third marriage and Natalie's second, in some ways the couple is beating the odds. A 2009 study found that, because boomers divorce and remarry in such large numbers, it is more likely that later-in-life remarriages will end in divorce. But the Kizelewiczs and others say lessons learned from past marriages can help nurture future relationships. "We're just so grateful to have a good marriage this time that there's nothing to really fight over," Natalie Kizelewicz said. "We rarely argue and I think it's because we get along so well." They also draw upon David's experience raising children. "All the tricks the kids try to pull, if they try to lie or pull the wool over our eyes, he already knows and he knows what to do," she said. Second marriages often fail because individuals don't take the time to figure out what went wrong in the first union or acknowledge their role in the unhappy marriage, said psychotherapist and relationship specialist Lisa Brateman, who has a private practice in New York. "Everyone likes to blame the other person and say he did this or he was too controlling, but were you so passive that you let it continue?" she said. "What were you so fearful of that you lost your voice for so many years?" Dating after 50 . For some women, being on their own after years of financial dependency causes them to rush into relationships without considering whether the person is right for them, she said. The more you know yourself, your wants and your needs, the healthier your decisions will be if you're 18 or 55. "Relationships are about enhancing your life rather than giving you a life," she said. As divorces rates among couples over 50 have doubled in the last 20 years, many are remarrying and starting new families. In 1980, 19% of married people ages 50 and older were in remarriages compared with 30% in 2009, according to a study by the National Center for Family & Marriage Research. Not everyone is looking for marriage, but the desire for love and companionship is still alive and well, said Terri Orbuch, psychologist and relationship expert at OurTime.com, a dating website for the 50-and-over crowd. But for those who have done a bit of soul-searching, the approach to finding a new mate often is more refined. "Baby boomers are more settled in their behaviors and patterns of life. They are concerned about whether it is worth changing ... to allow someone new into their life," she said. "And, the majority of baby boomers are more focused on compatibility, and finding someone who makes them happy, than they were when they were younger." Boomers who spoke with Orbuch for her forthcoming book, "Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship," had three major takeaways from unsuccessful marriages, she said. The first is that communication is key, and not just "maintenance communication." "You can't only talk about work, family, who does what around the house or your relationship. To communicate well, partners need to reveal more about themselves." On turning 40 . Second, make sure you partner knows that he or she is important to you. "Life gets busy and stressed and it is important that your spouse knows you don't take them for granted. Give them frequent affirmation, though simple gestures (hug, kiss, turn on the coffee pot in the morning, bring in the newspaper) and words (thank you, you are the best partner, you look so beautiful today)." And last but not least, talk about money, early and often, she said. Fifty percent of the divorced singles in her study said that they fought so much about money in their first marriage that they anticipated money will be a problem in their next relationship. "Divorced singles said they have learned that they would discuss money with their partner early on and more often, so that it isn't such an issue. They would devise a plan they both could live with," she said. David and Natalie Kizelewicz both had jobs when they started dating and still do, which helps them maintain a comfortable lifestyle with some money left over for a vacation each year. They were also able to buy a car for Natalie's daughter and help her with living expenses while she's in college, something David was unable to do for his first four children. "My older kids might be a little resentful of the younger kids because they can see that they have an easier life," he said. "But I gave them the best years of my life. If they wanted to go to college, they could, and now they're all happily married or own homes and have good jobs. They're successful in life." In order to maintain their lifestyle, he estimates he'll be working for at least another 10 years until their youngest goes to college. But, that's OK, he said. "I hate being bored." When it comes to a blended family, they have it all: adult children from previous marriages and grandchildren who are older than their 13-year-old daughter. Plus, they've had custody of Natalie's 7-year-old nephew since he was an infant. The staggered ages and familial ties are confusing to outsiders, but everyone gets along, he said. His grandchildren play with his children younger as if they were cousins. When David's grandson was in the same school as his daughter, he got a kick out of telling everyone she was his aunt, he said. The do's and don'ts of dating after 50 . It wasn't much of a stretch for David's adult children to adjust to Natalie, especially since his oldest son set them up, the couple said. Early on, Natalie's family and daughter approved of him despite the age difference because he treated her so well, she said. "They said he was the best thing that ever happened to me," she said. "I saw how he raised his kids and doted on them, so I knew he would be a good father." The Kizelewiczes have also dealt with medical problems, a common issue for couples marrying late in life. Two weeks after the birth of their daughter, David had prostate surgery after being diagnosed with cancer a month before the baby's due date. Years later, he has it under control as a result of the couple's combined efforts to stay on top of appointments and medications, Natalie said. Otherwise, Natalie no longer feels the age difference as much as she used to, she said. David has slowed down a bit, but so has she. Their 7-year-old nephew seems to notice, asking how old David will be when the boy reaches his age. "He tells him, 'I'm going to live until I'm 100; don't you worry,'" she said. David also thinks about it sometimes -- when Natalie is 60, he'll be 80. "Though we have a really good life right now, that's the only thing I kind of worry about," he said. "That's time to come, but so far it's been great. Age hasn't really caught up to us." Follow CNN Living on Facebook and Emanuella Grinberg on Twitter . CNN's Toby Lyles contributed to this report.

David and Natalie Kizelewicz have been married 13 years; it's his third marriage, her second . They say they are happier now because they know what they want from the relationship . Many baby boomers have learned from mistakes in previous marriages . "Relationships are about enhancing your life rather than giving you a life," specialist says .

(CNN) -- When I was in seventh grade, my grandmother informed our extended family that I was a pervert. Mind you, I was as squeaky clean in thought and deed as you'd expect a badly permed, brace-faced, Catholic school spelling bee winner would be, but that didn't mean I wasn't curious about a few things. I'd often give my bedroom over to visiting relatives, and this time, my grandmother had decided on a little light reading -- in this case, my copy of Judy Blume's "Then Again, Maybe I Won't." It might seem downright quaint in this age of instantly accessible porn and e-book readers, but an awful lot of ladies who came of age in the '70s and '80s and into the '90s got a significant chunk of our sex education from young adult books. More specifically, they were paperback books with cracked spines, decoy paper covers and pages dog-eared at the juicy bits. These weren't even necessarily acts of depraved, wildebeestly humping and sexytime (V.C. Andrews novels aside) but rather some thoroughly non-judgmental plot points about the gross, weird, lusty wonder of puberty and adolescence. In the pre-Amazon era, it was nearly impossible to just sidle into the local bookstore or library and nab one without fear of being branded a slut or a skank -- labels that both intrigued and confused us, and which we hurled with ignorant abandon. We relied on someone's cool aunt, older sister or slightly oblivious mom to get the goods and coordinated their circulation with military precision: "OK, Lisa gets 'Deenie' tonight, and she'll hand off 'Forever' to Jenny B., who will give 'Up in Seth's Room' to Jenny P." Woe was the girl who got caught flipping through the contraband in class, though. All blame and shame was on her, and it was understood that she'd have to get another copy into rotation. Because we were starving then, aching for information and affirmation that the feelings and odd body hairs were nothing out of the ordinary. Ordinary is all we wanted to be. A brief history of young adult literature . Judy Blume's Margaret Simon taught us the musts of bust expansion exercises and menstruation, while Deenie Fenner explored her "special place" during shower time. (Confession: It was years before I realized she was talking about masturbation, and I thought she had a ticklish spot in her underarm like I did.) Blume's Tony Miglione (of the grandma-scandalizing "Then Again ...") had his first wet dreams and found increasingly baroque ways to hide his boners, and the much-banned virginity-busting "Forever" gave a generation of women a reason to giggle every time they met a man named Ralph. Though Blume was the captain of the genre, plenty of other authors chummed the waters of teen girls' curiosity about sex, often bumping up against boundaries of shame and fear. We were grateful to have those maps. For me, that book that broke through was Bette Greene's "Morning is a Long Time Coming," the sequel to her classic "Summer of My German Soldier." By eighth grade, I was roughly aware of the mechanics of the act, thanks to a bare-bones and thoroughly grudging syllabus laid out by my local Catholic diocese, teaching essentially: Don't, and shame on you for even thinking about it without a wedding ring on your finger. It was a relief and a revelation to see Greene's protagonist, Patty Bergen, echo that struggle. She met a handsome young Frenchman, thought for a hot second about the preachers who'd made her feel like a filthy sinner all her untouched life and opted for pleasure over guilt. Though it would be some years until I came to that particular crossroads in my own life, having sex celebrated, rather than demonized, by an author I'd come to trust was tremendously freeing. Washington-based writer Carol Blymire found a guidepost in "Go Ask Alice," the "anonymous diary" of a drug-addicted runaway (later revealed to be the fictional work of novelist Beatrice Sparks), and veered from the course. "I grew up in a family that didn't talk about sex. Ever," Blymire wrote in an e-mail. "Everything I learned about boys and sex, I learned from my older girl cousins, friends, friends' moms, and books." One Sunday morning in sixth grade, Blymire swiped her older cousin's copy of the book after hearing her go on and on about how cool it was. "The drug stuff was way over my head. Didn't bother me, didn't scare me. The sex parts were totally intriguing, because she seemed so disconnected to it all. Having read 'Forever' around that same time, where it was all about Katherine and Michael's love, the main character in 'Go Ask Alice' seemed a little more like me -- weird, immature, not the kind of girl boys were interested in," Blymire wrote. "It made me think that sex was, at some point, something I was going to do -- just to get it over with to see what it was like, and then decide if I was ever going to have it again or just be done with it. That it would be that easy to be disconnected from emotion. "I'm glad I was wrong," Blymire concluded. The new names on the banned book list . And for all the care and caution of Blume, Greene and even "Anonymous," there was the lurid, creepy abandon of V.C. Andrews' 1979 "Flowers in the Attic." There's no polite way to describe the plot, so I'll just rip off the bandage. For various complicated reasons, four siblings (two older and two younger) are kept locked in an attic by their wealthy, sadistic grandmother, who slowly poisons them with arsenic-powdered doughnuts. The two eldest eventually do what a healthy, normal, well-adjusted brother and sister would never even dream of doing: they begin a sexual relationship. Yes, it's as disturbing as it sounds, an icky emulsion of lust, taboo, sexual violence and moral fervor. It's also sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and spawned multiple sequels, a theatrical release and a made-for-television version that will air on the Lifetime network on Saturday. It was the single hottest ticket on the underground book swap when I was a freshman in high school. We were not alone in this; many smart explorations have been made on the topic of "Flowers'" intense appeal to adolescent girls (though it was never strictly marketed to them). But if I had to venture a guess, I'd say it's the one-two whammy of hormones and horror. First, the overheated soap-opera plotting gave otherwise shy, book-loving girls an excuse to to talk to one another on a "literary" level (eventually getting down to the nitty gritty) and bond in a way they might never over "Call of the Wild." Second, and perhaps even more significant, is the sharp relief into which it threw any real-life palpitations they might be experiencing. Made out with your lab partner under the bleachers or wondering if over-the-sweater is a base too far? At least you're not sleeping with your brother. San Francisco-based author Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic found the descriptions of the couplings so disturbing, she admits it might have caused her to hang on to her virginity than she might have otherwise. The phrase from the novel that Lucianovic said was "quite the bucket of cold water on my teenage ardor" is (ahem): "It drove into my tight resisting flesh, which tore and bled." In a written exchange, she admitted to some confusion, saying she "initially thought (for some reason) that it was her thigh flesh that tore and bled ... but then I realized what it really meant. Either way, it made sex seem scary and painful and while I knew I wasn't going to get raped by a brother while living in an attic surrounded by tempting arsenic-laced doughnuts, I carried with me the belief that sex (when it happened) was bound to be painful." Painful or not, because of these battered, dog-eared, passed-around volumes, none of us had to go through the mess of adolescence solo. We had Margaret, Deenie, Patty, Tony, Anonymous and even ol' Ralph alongside us to make us feel a little more normal in a hormone-frenzied world. And I find these days, reminiscing with women my age, that I have an urge to reunite with these fictional friends again. Maybe I will. Which YA books were you reading while nobody was looking? Share your memories in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter @CNNLiving!

For people of some generations, sex ed came from young adult literature . Books by Judy Blume and V.C. Andrews can still make grown women blush . A film based on Andrews' "Flowers in the Attic" debuts on Lifetime on Saturday .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- They came from all corners of the world, braved fiercely cold temperatures and stood together on the Mall in Washington to share in one historic moment -- when Barack Obama became the 44th president and the first African-American elected to the post. Crowds at the inaugural parade cheer and snap photos of President Obama on Tuesday. Millions of people packed the Mall early Tuesday to watch Obama's inauguration and later hit the parade route to catch a glimpse of the new president. For many, the inauguration was the realization of a dream they never thought could be fulfilled. This is America happening," said Evadey Minott of Brooklyn, New York. "It was prophesied by [the Rev. Martin Luther] King that we would have a day when everyone would come together. This is that day. I am excited. I am joyful. It brings tears to my eyes." Obama's speech: How did he do? L.J. Caldwell of Somerset, New Jersey, said Obama's inauguration capped five decades of struggle for African-Americans. "When you think back, Malcolm [X] fought. Then we come a little further, Rosa Parks sat. Then come up a little further, and Martin [King Jr.] spoke. Then today, President Obama ran, and we won." Watch Obama say Americans have "chosen hope over fear" » . iReporter Barbara Talisman, 48, of Chicago, watched Tuesday from a spot on the Mall near the American Museum of Natural History. "The historical significance of today and importance of our work made it necessary for me to be here and not at home. I want to be a witness," Talisman said. Kim Akins, 43, of Chicago, Illinois, who lives just blocks from Obama's home, made the trek to Washington with her 8-year-old daughter, Chloe. Vanessa Reed of Centerville, Virginia, took her daughters to a spot on the inaugural parade route. "I was going to take my daughter here if it was the last thing I did," she said. "It's breathtaking. ... It's overwhelming." Vanessa Reed of Centerville, Virginia, who brought her two young daughters to the inauguration, reflected on Obama's speech as she sat with her daughters across from the presidential reviewing stand at the end of the parade route. "It was beautiful. It spoke to the issues of the moment," said Reed, who worked for the Obama campaign. "I am proud this country saw what we saw in him." Patrick Bragg, 44, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, contemplated the day as he tried to stay warm standing over steam vents on H Street. Patrick Bragg says he rode a bike 18 miles to get to downtown Washington on Tuesday morning. "I've been sitting here thinking -- it's really beautiful," said Bragg, who rode a bike 18 miles from Bethesda, Maryland, to attend Tuesday's ceremonies. "This is what I would consider the true representation of all of America. Obama gives everyone space at the table." Some of those attending Tuesday recalled how they were part of the effort that culminated in the historic day. "You remember why you are doing it all, why you were working so hard on the campaign making phone calls, knocking on doors and getting slammed in the face sometimes," said iReporter Vanessa Palmer of the University of South Florida in Tampa. Howard University student Shakuwra Garrett, 18, said she felt like "a part of history." "I can carry this with me the rest of my life," Garrett said. "It's an accomplishment for all of us." The accomplishment crossed borders and oceans for some of those at Tuesday's inauguration. "The dream came true," said Fatima Cone, 39, who came to the U.S. from Ivory Coast, where her mother wears an Obama T-shirt. She conveyed the excitement her family feels in West Africa. "The fight is the same for all blacks. It's the same story. It's the same fight wherever you come from," Cone said. Canadians Peter and Susan Butler drove down from Toronto, Ontario, to see the event and "support the American people." iReport.com: Are you in Washington? Share your story . "This is a world event," Susan Butler said. "We can tell our grandchildren we were here." Briton Simon Ginty called the Obama inauguration "an international moment." Simon Ginty of Manchester, England, said the world was celebrating Tuesday. "This is an international moment as well as an American moment. I'm excited to see how Obama changes things. I imagine things are gonna be on the up," Ginty said. Eli Bracken, an iReporter from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, drove into Washington early Tuesday to try to see the inauguration, but large crowds kept him away from the Mall. Watch a satellite image of the crowd » . Instead, he watched on TV from a McDonald's restaurant on E Street near the Canadian Embassy. The eatery went silent during the inaugural prayer, he said. "It was just cool that everybody knew they were witnessing something awesome," Bracken said. "There were people gathered around every car they could just to hear it." Dartmouth College student Amarita Sankar, 18, watched Obama's speech on the grounds of the Washington Monument. "Whenever I hear him speak, I want to be a better person. That's what you want in a leader, " Sankar said. Margaret Trowelle of Jersey City, New Jersey, gets strangers to autograph an inauguration hat Tuesday. Margaret Trowelle of Jersey City, New Jersey, showed off a hat she had signed by others she's met in the nation's capital. "Everyone is so friendly," she said. Benica Tripleti from Eastern Kentucky University was among a group of 54 people headed to the Mall. She said she had one goal: "to see Obama's head." Kathie Easom and Christine Hannon of upstate New York were looking to plant themselves on the Mall and watch the proceedings on a screen. "It's a once in a lifetime event," Easom said. Eight rows behind the inauguration stand, Sylvia Schoen of Phoenix, Arizona, waited in the morning cold. "It's freezing. It's worth it. It's worth it," she said. Watch the atmosphere surrounding the inauguration » . "Obama's cause is all about the future. I think that's why everyone's so excited right now," Schoen said. "It's like we can do anything. Look what we just did, the people. The people did this. Not the politicians. We did it." Harvard University student Megan Starr, 21, was impressed with the crowd. "I've never seen people excited about politics before," she said. "Usually they are politically apathetic, but people are getting involved." Woodie Lee Durham of Buffalo, New York, says Tuesday marks a milestone for African-American influence. In a seating section for the disabled on the Mall, Woodie Lee Durham of Buffalo, New York, said Tuesday was a landmark for African-American influence on America. "It is no longer a question; this is the answer," Durham said. Of the millions who came to hear Obama speak, many made sure to hit the parade route, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the new president. "Obama! Obama!" throngs of people cheered as the limo carrying the new president made its way down the street. Obama and his wife, Michelle, stepped out of the presidential limo for a couple of minutes and walked the parade route, waving to supporters as they passed. Meghann Curtis, 30, of New Jersey was at the Mall for the inauguration but also managed to snag a seat at the parade. "It was majestic. That's the word that keeps coming to mind," she said. "They are elegant and tall and gorgeous," Curtis said of the Obamas. "There is something breathtaking about the two of them." Many reached for their cameras, trying to capture a permanent memory of the moment. Supporters waved American flags, and some even sang as they waited for their chance to greet President Obama. See photos of Obama's inauguration » . After 12 hours of waiting, many of them in the cold, Karin Riggs, 29, of Seattle, Washington, and her bandmates marched into history. The trumpet player was one of 177 participants, from 26 states, performing with the Lesbian and Gay Band Association -- the first lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group in history to be invited to march in a presidential inaugural parade. "We were not just making history for our organization. We were making history for the LGBT community," she said by phone. Danielle Davis and son Carson, 6, of Chantilly, Virginia, got into their parade seats at 10:40 a.m. Davis said the experience was worth dealing with freezing weather and a long wait. "It was exciting, thrilling," she said. "I am so glad to be a part of history." CNN's Adam Levine, Ed Hornick, Valerie Streit, Scott J. Anderson and Kristi Keck contributed to this report.

New Jersey woman calls inauguration, parade "majestic" "This is America happening," says New York woman . Barack Obama's election shows American people "can do anything," woman says .

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The brazen shooting of a defiant teen blogger has stirred the conscience of Pakistan, a nation plagued for decades by violent extremism. An angry chorus of voices in social media, on the street, in newspapers and over the airwaves has decried the attack against 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai as cowardly and an example of a government unable to cope with militants. "I blame the Taliban, first and foremost," columnist Sami Shah wrote in The Express Tribune, a local English daily. "I blame the government. All of it." Malala was slowly recuperating Wednesday after surgeons worked for three hours to remove a bullet lodged in her neck. Opinion: Girl's courage, Taliban's cowardice . On Tuesday, Taliban militants stopped a van carrying three girls, including Malala, on their way home from school in northwestern Pakistan's conservative Swat Valley. One of the gunmen asked which one was Malala Yousufzai. When the girls pointed her out, the men opened fire. The bullets struck all three girls. For two of them, the injuries were not life-threatening. For Malala, it was touch-and-go for a while. "We are happy that she survived, but are worried too about her health condition," said her uncle, Faiz Muhammad, who is with her at a military hospital in Peshawar. On Wednesday, police took the van driver and the school guard into custody for questioning. They also said they'd identified the culprits. Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and issued an ominous threat. "If she survives this time, she won't next time," a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said. "We will certainly kill her." "I have the right of education," Malala said in a 2011 interview with CNN. "I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk. I have the right to go to market. I have the right to speak up." In fact, many of Malala's courageous words during that interview take on an even more defiant context. "When your people need you, you should come up," she told CNN's Reza Sayah. "You should come and stand up for their rights." Malala also encouraged other young people to take a stand against the Taliban -- and to not hide in their bedrooms. "God will ask you on the day of judgment where were you when your people were asking you, when your school fellows were asking you, and when your school was asking you that I am being blown up?" Read more: 14-year-old girl wins Pakistan's first peace prize . Mian Iftikhar Hussein, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa information minister, said he was declaring a bounty of $100,000 for the capture of the culprits in the attempt on Malala's life. Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Malala in the hospital and delivered a simple message: "We refuse to bow before terror." He also noted that the Taliban lack respect for the "golden words" of the Prophet Mohammed -- "that the one who is not kind to children is not amongst us." "In attacking Malala, the terrorists have failed to grasp that she is not only an individual, but an icon of courage and hope," the general said. The chief minister of Punjab said he would bear the cost of Malala's treatment, calling her "the daughter of Pakistan." The head of PIA, the national airline, said he was putting a plane on standby to take the teenager "anywhere in the world if needed" for treatment. Two neurosurgeons, one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom, have also offered to fly to Pakistan if needed, the interior minister said. Throughout the country and around the world, Pakistanis, hurt and angry, prayed. "Malala is what Taliban will never be," said Murtaza Haider, the associate dean of research and graduate programs at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto's Ryerson University, in an opinion piece in the Dawn newspaper. "She is fearless, enlightened, articulate, and a young Muslim woman who is the face of Pakistan and the hope for a faltering nation that can no longer protect its daughters." "If the Taliban wants to fight, then they should pick on someone their own size," a girl said on a local news channel. Shamila Chaudhary, a former U.S. National Security Council director for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told CNN the incident reverberates among women and girls and even conservative Muslims. "The Pakistani Taliban don't have a lot of support in the Pakistani society," she said. "They don't offer social services and justice, they don't offer any alternative to weak government." This latest incident "makes them more unpopular" among masses of people who view the aspirations of Malala and the Taliban's resistance to them as a "fight between good and evil," said Chaudhary, a senior South Asia fellow at the New America Foundation. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the act "heinous and cowardly" on Wednesday and said the attackers must be brought to justice. "The secretary-general, like many around the world, has been deeply moved by Malala Yousufzai's courageous efforts to promote the fundamental right to education -- enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," a representative for Ban said. iReport assignment: Girls + Education = ... Twitter, the closest thing to a barometer of public opinion, likewise lit up. "Wasn't the brute who put a gun to Malala's little head born to a woman?" wrote Kamran Shafi. "Did he have sisters, aunts, a wife or four? Bloody filthy terrorist!" Pakistan's picturesque Swat Valley was once one of Pakistan's biggest tourist destinations. The valley, near the Afghanistan border and about 186 miles (300 kilometers) from the capital city of Islamabad, boasted the country's only ski resort. It was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and visitors to the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area. But that was before militants -- their faces covered with dark turbans -- unleashed a wave of violence. They demanded veils for women, beards for men and a ban on music and television. They allowed boys' schools to operate but closed those for girls. It was in this climate that Malala reached out to the outside world through her blog posts. She took a stand by writing about her daily battle with extremist militants who used fear and intimidation to force girls to stay at home. Malala's online writing led to her being awarded Pakistan's first National Peace Prize in November. "I was scared of being beheaded by the Taliban because of my passion for education," she told CNN at the time. "During their rule, the Taliban used to march into our houses to check whether we were studying or watching television." She said that she wanted to be a political leader, that her country "needs honest and true leaders." The Taliban controlled Malala's valley for years until 2009, when the military cleared it in an operation that also evacuated thousands of families. But pockets remain, and violence is never far behind. For Pakistani public officials, Chaudhary said, the incident is a reminder of the Taliban's ends -- keeping girls from going to school and imposing hard-line religious and cultural values. Many are in denial and haven't accepted "the extent the Taliban will go to impose their cultural values." There have been other examples of violence against women, Chaudhary said, including the Taliban flogging of a woman caught on video a few years ago. That was "a trigger event -- it pulled a lot of the political elite out of their denial," she said. "I see this instance as something similar." Chaudhary said there's a misconception across the world that the political elite sympathize with the Taliban. That's untrue, she said. They are afraid of them and the possibility of violent retribution against officials and government installations. If the government doesn't talk about this latest issue and have justice served, it will be a "step back," she said. Sami Shah, the columnist, said the ruling Pakistan People's Party shares blame. "There can be a million excuses why the Taliban can still operate with impunity in Pakistan, a lot of them legitimate. But if you are the ruling party, then you must accept responsibility for your failures. And the PPP has resoundingly failed." Setback for Pakistani teen facing blasphemy charges . Explainer: Pakistan's blasphemy laws . Pakistan's top court investigates use of girls to settle tribal dispute . CNN's Nasir Habib and Shaan Khan reported from Islamabad, and Joe Sterling from Atlanta. CNN's Noreen Shams and Saeed Ahmed also contributed to this report.

NEW: "When your people need you, you should come up," said defiant teen activist in 2011 . Malala Yousufzai is called an "icon of courage and hope" "We refuse to bow before terror," the army chief says . Police say they have identified the attackers .

Cairo, Egypt (CNN)It was news Lois Greste hoped to hear for more than a year. "I sort of dreamed about it quietly, not daring to think about it too much," she said Monday, grinning as she described her relief at learning her son was released from prison and safely out of Egypt. Australian Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste had been behind bars since December 2013. On Sunday, family members learned he was finally free. "I'm ecstatic, you know, I just can't say how happy I am about it all," his mother said. "I'm very excited and pleased, and thank goodness this is all over." But as they thanked government officials, journalists and supporters around the world for helping push for his freedom, the Greste family also told reporters at a press briefing in Australia on Monday that there's more to be done. "On a more somber note, we also -- and I know Peter sincerely wanted me to mention this point -- we want to acknowledge that Peter's two other colleagues are still there," Andrew Greste said. "They also deserve to be freed. Peter won't rest until they're released from prison, and we hope that will follow in the very near future." Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, fellow Al Jazeera journalists, remain behind bars. All three were convicted of supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood, but have maintained their innocence. Al Jazeera demanded their release, as did a chorus of many other international journalists. Egypt's highest court recently accepted the appeal of the three journalists and granted them a retrial. On Sunday morning, Greste's family started to hear rumors that something might happen, then checked with their contacts. It seemed like it could be true. "But Egypt is a very uncertain and unpredictable place, and until he was on that plane, anything could have happened. ... He wasn't out of there until he was out of there," Andrew Greste said. Now Peter Greste is in Cyprus, "gathering his thoughts," his brother said. "He's safe, healthy and very, very happy to be on his way home." After his release, family members said he enjoyed a meal of beer and pork. Now, his family members say they're giving him time to figure out where he'll go -- and what he'll do -- next. "He needs that space to start with," Lois Greste said, "but we're sure he's going to be fine." Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Greste had been released "unconditionally," but will need some time to adjust to life outside prison. "He was somewhat bewildered. He was only given short notice by Egyptian authorities that he was to be released unconditionally. We moved as fast as we could to collect him from the prison and escort him to the airport and make arrangements for his immediate departure," she said "He will make his way home, in his own time. I think he wants a little bit of rest and recreation, but he also wants to be reunited with his family and friends as soon as possible." Greste left Egypt around 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) Sunday, Egyptian Interior Ministry spokesman Hany Abdel Latif said. But one of Greste's lawyers suggested there could be more legal issues ahead for Greste. "According to Egyptian law, this is considered an extradition," lawyer Amr Eldib, said. "Peter must be tried in Australia and authorities there must determine if he is guilty or not." Al Anstey, the managing director of Al Jazeera English, said he spoke with Greste earlier Sunday. The journalist " sounded strong." "He sounded immensely relieved -- perhaps not celebratory but immensely relieved," Anstey told CNN's "Reliable Sources." Anstey sought to keep attention on Fahmy and Mohamed. "It's very unclear what's happening to Baher and what's happening for Mohamed," he said. "But we just need to bring this injustice to an end and to get them out." At the time of their arrest in December 2013, Egypt was mired in political turmoil surrounding the removal, by coup, of President Mohamed Morsy in his Muslim Brotherhood-backed government. After Morsy was ousted, the longstanding political party was declared a terrorist organization by the military, which had staged the coup. Greste described in a January 2014 letter how he and his colleagues were detained, saying that interior ministry officials burst into a hotel room that he and Fahmy were using. Officials rushed Baher Mohamed's home, he said. "I am nervous as I write this," the letter read. "I am in my cold prison cell after my first official exercise session -- four glorious hours in the grass yard behind our block and I don't want that right to be snatched away." "That is why I have sought, until now, to fight my imprisonment quietly from within, to make the authorities understand that this is all a terrible mistake, that I've been caught in the middle of a political struggle that is not my own," he wrote. "But after two weeks in prison it is now clear that this is a dangerous decision. It validates an attack not just on me and my two colleagues but on freedom of speech across Egypt." Read the letter Greste wrote while in prison . Amnesty International and other observers have long held that Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed were pawns in a geopolitical dispute between Egypt and Qatar, the small Middle Eastern country that finances Al Jazeera. Qatar has long been perceived as a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt is the sixth leading jailer of journalists in the world, according to a census the non-partisan Committee to Protect Journalists took in December 2014. The jailing and sentencing of the Al Jazeera journalists generated outrage from colleagues and activists around the world. A campaign led by Al Jazeera declared that "Journalism is not a crime." For Egypt, Al Jazeera prisoners were PR disaser amid bigger problems . Many tweeted under the hashtag #freeajstaff and journalists, including CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour, who held up a sign with the campaign on her show. On Sunday, CPJ called on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to "pardon and release Greste's Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, and the other journalists still behind bars for doing their work." Human Rights Watch did the same. Al Sisi issued a law last November giving him the power to deport foreign defendants. It brought hope to two of the Al Jazeera defendants' families, but stoked concerns for others. Greste is Australian. Fahmy, who used to work for CNN, has dual nationality, with Egyptian-Canadian citizenship. Mohamed is Egyptian. Some worried that the case would lose its international appeal if Greste and Fahmy were released, leaving the Egyptian defendant behind bars. Jihan Rashed, Baher Mohamed's wife, told CNN that she couldn't believe Greste has been released. Why him and not her Egyptian husband? "Because they were all three in the same case, I don't know (how) only one got released. I don't know why they released him (Greste) now after a year. What's special about this timing?" she demanded. "Are the foreigners more important in our country? We used to hear that the three would be pardoned, but does this mean that only foreigners will be released?" Rashed is worried but optimistic because she's confident that Greste will tell the world that their imprisonment is unjust, she said. "No one will be silent. We won't be silent," she said. "Peter won't be silent." Rashed said that releasing Greste proves that the case isn't about terrorism as the Egyptian government claimed, but about targeting journalists. "(Mohamed) was doing his job," she said. "He was relaying news, saying what the Muslim Brotherhood said and what the government said. Do I need to explain what a journalist should do?" Fahmy's mother, Wafa Abdel Hamid Bassiouni, appealed to Al Sisi in a statement that an Egyptian news outlet published Sunday, telling the President that her son is ill with Hepatitis C and an injured shoulder. "As a mother and an Egyptian citizen I appeal to you, Mr. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to pardon my son... It hurts me to see his health deteriorating while I have little access to him," she wrote. "My father and uncles have served in the highest ranks of the police force and the military. They have spent their lives defending Egypt... It breaks my heart that the son of a patriotic family like ours has been wrongfully framed as a terrorist in a trial that produced no evidence to (support) the accusations." Read her full letter . CNN's Ian Lee and Sarah Sirgany reported from Cairo, and Ashley Fantz and Catherine E. Shoichet reported and wrote this story in Atlanta. CNN's Hilary Whiteman, Josh Levs and Brian Stelter also contributed to this report.

Australia's foreign minister says journalist Peter Greste was released "unconditionally" Greste is "safe, healthy and very, very happy to be on his way home," his brother says . He says the Australian Al Jazeera journalist "won't rest" until his colleagues are also freed .

(CNN)Millions of people have now seen the video. Eric Garner, standing on a sidewalk, asks the NYPD officers surrounding him, "What did I do? What did I do?" Garner, 43, raises both hands in the air and tells the officers not to touch him. Moments later, he's on the ground while a plain-clothes officer places him in an apparent choke hold. Garner gasps, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe." His words are muffled as his face is pressed into the pavement. By the end of the video, Garner is lifeless on the Staten Island sidewalk. The video went viral. Garner's death sparked protests across the country, thrusting into the spotlight the issue of police brutality on unarmed citizens. Citizens who, in increasing numbers, have taken to arming themselves with their own kind of weapon -- their cell phones. "The police out here [are] crazy. Nobody trusts them. So I decided to pull out my camera every time they come over here," said Ramsey Orta, who filmed the July 17 incident on his cell phone. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that acts of police force have not increased dramatically in recent years. Their Police Public Contact Survey found that in 2008, only 1.4% of those who reported contact with police had force used or threatened against them, with no statistically significant increase since 2002. What has changed is the prevalence of cell phones equipped with cameras. Cell phone videos of alleged police misconduct have proliferated online, flooding social media websites and provoking questions about law enforcement behavior. Luis Paulino's August 2012 beating by NYPD officers was captured on video and posted online. The video shows officers throwing Paulino to the ground. Several officers punch him repeatedly. According to Paulino, the officers started in on him after he saw them violently beating another young black man on the sidewalk. In the background, an unidentified male can be heard encouraging people to record what was happening and yelling, "He didn't do nothing!" For Paulino, the video proved to be vindicating. He was initially charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing a government official, but all charges were dropped. Without the video, "there wouldn't have been anything but my word against 15 police officers," Paulino told journalist Soledad O'Brien. Paulino has filed a lawsuit against the city. The NYPD will not comment on the case, citing the legal proceedings. "When you are in public spaces, where you have a right to be, you can photograph anything that is in plain view," said Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union. Stanley's research focuses on technology-related privacy and civil liberties issues. The ACLU says that photographing things that are plainly visible from public spaces is a "constitutional right" and that this includes "federal buildings, transportation facilities, and police and other government officials carrying out their duties." Law enforcement officials also do not have the right to confiscate any video or photographs being taken, nor can they ask to view it without a warrant. "If you are not interfering in any real way with legitimate police operations, they don't have the right to interfere in any way," Stanley said. Still, even with the perceived ubiquity of cell phone videos showing alleged acts of police misconduct, it seems that some errant officers aren't deterred by the cameras. Stanley said he believes authorities are simply still adjusting to the availability of new technology and the knowledge that they may be recorded at any time. "For police officers, it can take a while to sink in [that they may be filmed]. As police officers do take in that new reality, we may see a revolution in terms of a drastic reduction in brutality. We may not, but it's too early to tell," he said. Paul Callan, a CNN contributor and former prosecutor, said he believes that drastic reduction has already begun. "I believe that the existence of cell phone video and social media postings has substantially reduced police brutality over the long run. Although the intensity of news coverage of cases such as [George] Zimmerman and Michael Brown makes it feel like there is more police brutality, my sense of the situation as a lawyer who is in court several times a week is that the number of cases is diminishing," Callan said. Some police departments are embracing camera technology and are even utilizing it to strengthen transparency and accountability between their officers and the community. Police departments in Rialto, California, and Mesa, Arizona, have implemented body-camera programs for their officers. The initiative seems to be working. A 2014 study by the U.S. Department of Justice cites both departments, noting an 88% reduction in citizen complaints and a 60% reduction in officer use-of-force incidents after one year of camera deployment in Rialto. In Mesa, there were 40% fewer complaints for officers with cameras and 75% fewer use-of-force complaints overall. On September 4, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton announced that the police department would be testing two types of body cameras that would allow officers to record audio and video during their patrols. "The NYPD is committed to embracing new and emerging technology in order to continue to keep New York City safe," Bratton said. "Having patrol officers wear body cameras during this pilot demonstrates our commitment to transparency while it will also allow us to review its effectiveness with the intention of expanding the program." The statement came less than a week after it was announced that officers in Ferguson, Missouri, had adopted the use of body cameras after the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed teen who was fatally shot by an officer. In New York, cameras will be distributed to officers patrolling in precincts that reported the highest number of "Stop, Question, and Frisk" encounters in 2012. The policy -- in which police stop, question and frisk people they consider suspicious in an effort to deter crime -- has been widely criticized for unfairly targeting young, male minorities. Police-community relations in such precincts, with predominantly black and Latino residents, have been tenuous. Police department figures showed that nearly nine out of 10 people "stopped and frisked" in 2011 were African-American or Hispanic, though New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has said 90% of those stopped were innocent. In mid-November, the NYPD said the body-camera program is still in the planning stages. In the four months since Garner's death, the New York Medical Examiner's Officer ruled it a homicide. Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who is seen on the video choking Garner, was put on modified assignment and stripped of his badge and gun amid the investigation, the NYPD said. In a statement, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick J. Lynch called Pantaleo's reassignment "a completely unwarranted, knee-jerk reaction for political reasons." He said the move "effectively pre-judges this case and denies the officer the very benefit of a doubt that has long been part of the social contract that allows police officers to face the risks of this difficult and complex job." CNN's attempts to reach Pantaleo for comment were unsuccessful. A second police officer was placed on desk duty. The NYPD also announced new mandatory training for officers on the proper use of force when engaging a suspect. Garner, a grandfather with six children, had a lengthy criminal history, including more than 30 arrests, and had previously been arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes in May. Police said they initially approached him on July 17 because they believed he was selling cigarettes illegally again. The case is now in the hands of Manhattan's district attorney. Citing the legal proceedings, Bratton declined to comment further on the case. In early October, Bratton spoke to a conference of NYPD officers, publicly stating that there were "a few" officers in the department who "just don't get it." "They're not the right fit for the NYPD in 2014. My intention going forward is to ensure that we will aggressively seek to get those out of the department who should not be here. The brutal, the corrupt, the racist, the incompetent," Bratton said. Bratton told Soledad O'Brien that policing is "a balancing act." "How do you have the appropriate level of policing to reduce crime, and prevent it, to reduce disorder and prevent it, but do it in a way that the law-abiding in that community don't feel they need to be fearful of the police?" It's a balance that Paulino wonders if the NYPD will ever achieve. It has been two years since the incident, but Paulino, a former college football player, still goes to physical therapy every week to rehabilitate his injured shoulders. "Every time I'm asked about the incident, I close my eyes and I can see myself there again. I can see myself on the floor getting punched, getting kneed and asking why?" Paulino said. "Every day I wake up and I've got aches and pains in both my arms. I'll never be the same."

Death of Eric Garner, 43, was captured on cell phone video . Video went viral and sparked protests . Cell phone videos of alleged police misconduct have proliferated online .

(CNN) -- West, Texas, isn't just a town. It's a family. That's why it hurt so much one year ago Thursday when an enormous explosion at a fertilizer plant claimed 15 lives while destroying 120 homes and damaging 200 others across 37 blocks, shattering windows well beyond that. The blast was earth-shattering, registering on seismographs as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake and shaking homes 50 miles away. The 10-foot crater the blast left behind pales in comparison to the holes left in the hearts of the town's 2,800 residents. "No one's life was untouched," says Mimi Montgomery Irwin, owner of the Village Bakery, a local gathering spot. Everyone felt the blast: Those who buried loved ones and the neighbors who consoled them. The displaced students learning Shakespeare in trailers because their schools were condemned. Homeowners left without a home and the friends who took them in. Mayor Tommy Muska is "not surprised at all" by how his community came together. Some might attribute this spirit to the resiliency of the Czechs who helped settle and still help define the community. Others may credit the strong faith of its residents. Or it may be a product of life in a place where everyone knows everyone and won't leave their neighbors behind. It's telling that, in a town of 2,800, very few left. "(Residents) pulled themselves up, shook themselves off and started moving forward." Muska says. "They just did what needed to be done." Thanks to this hard work, this unity, these values -- not to mention well-placed, much-needed government assistance -- the mayor says, "We're going to have a new normal someday." But that day isn't here. And the old normal in West isn't coming back. Newly released video shows moment of deadly blast . War zone now a construction zone . Still, the evidence is everywhere that West is rising again. It is happening brick by brick, shingle by shingle, prayer by prayer. What once looked like a war zone is a construction zone. Already, 25 new homes are finished, with about 60 others nearing completion, according to the mayor. A new emergency services facility has replaced a tiny construction trailer. Work has begun on rebuilding the West Rest Haven, a nursing home and once one of the town's biggest employers. Downtown storefronts, which last year had boarded windows, are bustling with business. "We can see something happening," says Dr. George Smith, West's director of emergency medical services. "There is light at the end of the tunnel." The view was hard to envision that fateful Wednesday night last spring. Smith was in West Rest Haven, where he is medical director, when the building's ceiling and windows collapsed on him. Somehow, he and the facility's residents were able to escape. The very next morning, city officials, including the mayor and several council members who themselves had been left homeless, went to work. Nonprofit groups from the Red Cross to faith-based groups to volunteers who just wanted to help flocked to the small town. In the three days after the blast, the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team treated more than 120 animals -- horses, sheep, chickens and a cow and her calf in the field, household pets like dogs, cats, rabbits, even a bearded dragon -- says spokeswoman Angela Clendenin. Twelve months later, authorities still haven't pinpointed the cause of the blast, but an electrical malfunction, a spark from a golf cart or an intentional act haven't been ruled out. For now, the state fire marshal's office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will only say their joint investigation "is active and ongoing." While nothing publicly has changed on the investigative front since May, the status of federal assistance took a big step forward in August when President Barack Obama's administration issued a disaster declaration that paved the way for funding for things like new infrastructure and millions of dollars for new schools. When they open in fall 2015, those new school buildings will be better than what they replaced. There will also someday be a park and memorial. The 120-bed nursing home is expected to be state-of-the-art. New infrastructure and homes likewise will be improvements. As Smith notes, "In the long run, we're actually going to be better" as a town in many ways. Muska concurs, while in the same breath adding: "Anything we get as a benefit for this is too much a price to pay for the 11 firemen, two civilians who helped out and two civilians killed." Loss of lives hits small town hard . In a community full of strong people, the mayor said among the strongest are the 13 women who lost their husbands. "They are doing as well as can be expected," Muska says, acknowledging that Thursday's memorial may reopen some of the wounds. "It's not going to ever go away. The sting of losing a loved one radiates long after they are gone." Adds Montgomery Irwin, whose bakery specializing in kolaches and other Czech foods is a frequent meeting place for residents, "Time does heal. But you don't forget." Even with reconstruction abounding, she adds, "From an emotional standpoint, it seems like it was just yesterday." Some say the tragedy contributed to more than the initial loss of life. West Rest Haven's residents dispersed to about 10 facilities after the explosion, leaving their friends and caretakers behind. Over the past year, these elderly people died at about twice the rate that would have been expected, Smith says. "People ask me if it had anything to do with the explosion," he says. "And I say, 'Yes, it certainly does.'" The loss of the nursing home didn't just affect its residents. Emil "Sonny" Fridel, 91, misses his almost daily trips to visit friends at West Rest Haven and misses the weekly masses there, according to his daughter, Mary Ann Kubacak. A reunion a few months ago cheered up the nursing home's former residents, as did the recent groundbreaking on the new facility. Their feelings are similar to many others displaced by the blast, Smith says: "Most of them want to get back to West as soon as possible." Ray Snokhous lost two cousins, both firefighters, in the explosion. A lawyer who returned a decade ago to West, where his father had been the town blacksmith, Snokhous says, "It's difficult to put into words" how his and other families are able to rebound emotionally. But reflecting on the town's history of settlers who fled oppression in Europe and of sending men like himself, a Korean War veteran, to serve in the U.S. military, Snokhous said the people of West have shown their resilience time and again. "We're survivors," said Snokhous, who is the Czech Republic's honorary consul general in Texas. "And we are also fighters. ... God gives us a wake-up call every so often, and we respond to it." 'We will put it back together' Residents say their faith has been instrumental in understanding and dealing with last April's tragedy. Montgomery Irwin says the anniversary falling so close to Easter -- with its message of resurrection and renewal -- is especially appropriate for the people of West. Snokhous lauds not just his own Catholic church, but churches of other denominations that helped heal the mourning community. "What I have seen is a community come together like (one) could have never imagined," he says. "... We have the blessings of the life remaining. And we will put it back together." Whoever one talks to, that word -- community -- comes up again and again. Notes Kubacak, who grew up in the town and still visits regularly, "The people of West have always helped each other." Montgomery Irwin was living and working in New York, where she was a vice president in Macy's marketing division, after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The scale of the destruction and suffering was immense, but even then there were many people in the city who didn't know anyone personally affected. That's not true for West, to which Montgomery Irwin returned seven years ago after her father's death. It's still a place where everyone seemingly runs into each other every day, be it at her bakery, the supermarket, the hardware store or church. A lot of people don't readily complain or ask for help, but they now more than ever realize their neighbors will open their doors, wallets and hearts when it's needed. What's most different now is that, through this terrible tragedy, people the world round have gotten to know West. It's not just a town on the east side of I-35, a dot on the map between Dallas and Austin. "People know now that West is truly a place," says Montgomery Irwin. "And actually, quite a special place." CNN's Jason Morris and Jessica Ravitz contributed to this report.

15 died, hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged in West, Texas, blast last April . Official: Death rate higher for displaced nursing home residents after explosion . Since then, many homes have rebuilt; so, too, will the nursing home, 2 schools . "We're going to have a new normal someday," mayor says .

(CNN) -- "Beyond the hedonism of tasting these wines -- and the hedonism of tasting these wines is going to be off the charts -- I think there will be two very important ideas that come out of this," says wine educator and "The Wine Bible" author Karen MacNeil as we share a bottle of Stony Hill 2012 Napa Valley Gewurztraminer over lunch. "To see if the vintners themselves believe there is some reason that these wines scored as highly as they did; and to see if the people enrolled in the event think there is a ribbon going through the wine. "Is there a commonality that causes a wine to be considered great?" MacNeil is one of the top wine authorities in the United States -- "The Wine Bible" has sold 700,000 copies since 2000 -- and we're two of a privileged few taking part in a 1,000-point wine tasting event, featuring 10 Napa Valley wines that each received a perfect 100-point score from Robert M. Parker Jr. of "The Wine Advocate." "Since Robert Parker began, there have been 369 wines in the world that have been given a perfect 100 score. "Something like 130 of these are in the U.S. Of that 130, 119 are in California and of the 119, 68 are from the Napa Valley," says MacNeil. Located 60 miles northeast of San Francisco, Napa Valley is around 30 miles long and ranges from one to five miles wide -- about one-eighth the size of Bordeaux. Despite a 6.1-magnitude earthquake on August 24 that resulted in damage ranging from a few broken glasses to structural damage to some buildings and equipment, 2014 is already looking to be another excellent and abundant vintage. September is the most exciting time to visit. Fruity pickings . As wineries gear up for harvest, pickers move through sun-drenched vineyards, hand-dropping fruit to improve the quality of the final crop; equipment, already cleaned and prepared, stands idle at winery buildings, ready to process the fruit. The Napa Valley Experience -- organized by the nonprofit, 500-member Napa Valley Vintners association from September 7-10 -- is arguably the most sensational event taking place this harvest season. The experience includes tastings at some of the valley's most scenic and most celebrated wineries; home visits with prolific personalities; wine blending workshops; farm-to-table dining; and, the climax, the first public 1,000-point tasting ever to be held anywhere, as far as MacNeil or Napa Valley Vintners are aware. The vintages selected represent a cross-section of appellations. They were chosen exclusively from the 2000s; vintners rather than winemakers will attend the tasting, ensuring discussion is philosophical rather than chemical. The story of each wine -- and the magic of the experience -- are central to the experience. When I eat with celebrated vintner Michael Honig at Michael Chiarello's Bottega in the foodie mecca of upscale Yountville, he has a treat to share -- a bottle of the Honig 2010 Westside Trio Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited edition Premiere Napa Valley auction label, which he cradles in the crook of one elbow. "We work with a number of different vineyards around the valley, as well as own our own, so when it comes to Premiere we take grapes from three different vineyards," says Honig. "We call it the Westside Trio. We do not make this wine normally." Marked Auction 16, lot 15, the label is also hand-initialed by winemaker Kristin Belair. "Only 240 bottles were made," he adds, pouring the ruby red liquid into my glass. During a pit stop at my lodging for the next three nights -- the stunning, vintner-owned, forest-cocooned Meadowood property in St. Helena -- I have time to appreciate the events of the day and the beauty of my surroundings. From lush lowland orchards to lofty terraces overlooking lush green alleys, Napa is filled with pretty views. Real farmland . When I join vintner Agustin Huneeus at his terra-cotta-colored home within Quintessa's vineyards, he offers me a cup of tea and explains why the aesthetics of the region -- accentuated by Valley's organic development and agricultural land trust -- are special. "There is real farming here, it's not Disneyland -- it's real," he says. "Vines started developing, the people starting coming, then Napa started something that in the world now is pretty prevalent -- opening the cellars to tourists. "Bob Mondavi and Mike Martini ... a couple of them started it, and then everybody did it." We embark on an ATV tour of the vineyards that produce Quintessa's single blend, crafted to be the perfect expression of the terroir. "Napa is unique in the world and in America, particularly. The hills, the climate -- we have a great climate, by the way -- and the beauty of the place." Located on Pritchard Hill, Chappellet is another vineyard where spectacular views and a feeling of being connected to the landscape are integral to the experience. Marketing manager Blakesley Chappellet greets me at the foyer to its cavernous wooden winery pyramid. "Artist Ed Moses crafted a cardboard pyramid in the Sixties and then engineers figured out how to build it," she explains, before leading me to a vintage Swiss Army Pinzgauer truck. She revs the engine and we start climbing through the original 1967 terraces to the meadow, a springy carpet of lush grass shaded by breeze-stirred towering trees above vines that sweep down the slope to the lake at the bottom of the valley. This will be the setting for a private Napa Valley Experience harvest party on the final night of the event. "I could go into family-owned, solar-powered, certified organic, but I really want people to feel this place and to come away and realize that they've been somewhere really special, both because of the stewardship and because of the magic of the property itself," says Chappellet. Vine tastings . Looking over the vines, especially in the slight lull before harvest, it's easy to forget that this is a working farm designed to ensure the grapes have everything they need to produce world-class wines. St. Supery CEO Emma Swain and vineyard manager Josh Anstey show me what happens out among the Dollarhide Ranch vines on a day-to-day basis. As early morning sun turns the vines on the slopes to gold, we stop at cabernet sauvignon vines. Anstey hands me a booklet based on Lucie Morton's study of ampelography so that I can compare a leaf to the blown-up illustration on the page. "She says it looks like a monkey face or mask -- see its hole-punched appearance?" she says, before greeting a team precision-grafting rootstock and bud to produce new sauvignon blanc vines come spring. We try the grapes from one vine, then one adjacent, tasting the difference in sweetness in vines before squeezing a berry onto a refractometer for a more precise measurement of the sugars. Then we cruise up a grassy ridge to where guest experience manager F. Scott Tracey -- former wine director at Michelin-starred La Toque -- has already laid a table with sky blue linen, five wines and bite-size pairings overlooking the mirror-like lake. There was just one more aspect of winemaking to experience -- the blending. At Hall Rutherford, after a discussion of the philosophy behind the winemaking process, Mike Reynolds, Hall Wines Napa Valley president and winemaker, and owner Kathryn Hall, pose a challenge -- to blend my own version of the Kathryn Hall cabernet from the barrel provided. I follow the team into a futuristic-looking barrel room where a red neon art installation reflects off hand-etched trapezoid Geiger barrels and along the cool corridors to the tasting room. "Mike and Mrs. Hall will award a prize to the winning blend," says manager Laura Garrow. Game on! Napa Valley Experience; only 24 spots available; $6,000 per person or $10,000 per couple (double occupancy); September 7-10, 2014 . Gemma Price is a freelance travel journalist based in the U.S., the UK and Vietnam. She was given a preview of this year's Napa Valley Experience.

Nearly 20% of wines scored "perfect" (100 points) by Robert Parker are from Napa Valley, which produces 4% of all wine globally . Napa Valley Experience offers tastings of 10 perfect wines . Meadowood resort has a Michelin-starred restaurant, tennis courts, golf course, fitness center, spa .

(CNN) -- Over the past week, I've been inundated with questions about swine flu, via Facebook, Twitter, CNN blogs and e-mail. So this week I'm empowering people with information about swine flu: how to protect yourself, what all the numbers mean and why you shouldn't freak out. The most recnt advice from the CDC is that non-essential travel to Mexico should be avoided. 1. Hasn't swine flu been around for a while? Yes. Swine flu was first identified in 1930 when researchers isolated the virus in a pig. In 1976, more than 200 soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey, got swine flu. From 1976 until 2005, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received approximately one report every year or two of humans with swine flu. From December 2005 until January 2009, there were 12 cases of swine flu reported. 2. The folks who have it now, did they get it from pigs or people? It appears that no one in the United States with swine flu had any contact with pigs. Dr. Richard Besser, the acting director of the CDC, said in a news conference Friday that among the first seven cases, no one had contact with pigs. In another press conference Monday, he added that investigators have looked to see whether any of the infected people had contact with pigs, and "we're not finding that linkage here." 3. Swine flu is transmitted from animals to humans. Does that happen a lot? Yes. More than 200 "zoonotic diseases" are transmitted from animals to humans, including illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. Rabies and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (better known as "mad cow disease") are two well-known examples. 4. Should I cancel my trip to Mexico? Yes, you should, unless it's essential. That's the advice from a recent CDC travel warning. Watch Elizabeth Cohen answer your questions » . 5. Should I be freaking out? A new virus spreading quickly around the world. Young, healthy people struck dead in Mexico. Should we all be panicking? "Absolutely not," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Swine flu, he said, "is not spreading all that rapidly. Take the St. Francis School in New York. There's been very little transmission from the schoolchildren to family members, and it certainly hasn't spread throughout Queens." iReport.com: Share your thoughts, concerns about swine flu . But, Schaffner added, this doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention to swine flu. "We should be alert, keep up with the information coming out daily, and take control by being attentive to your hygiene. Wash your hands very, very frequently and avoid people who are coughing and sneezing." 6. How close do you have to be to a sick person to get swine flu? "You can acquire this infection if you're within the 'breathing zone' of a sick person, which is about three to six feet," Schaffner said. "And we usually mean being this close to someone in a confined space. We're not talking about fleeting contact. We're not talking about walking past someone in the street. You need sustained contact." If you think you might have sustained contact with someone who's ill, read this guidance from the CDC's Web site. 7. Yikes! Every day I'm that close to countless people -- at work, on the bus, at church, in a movie theater. Could I get swine flu from them? Yes. "If you're standing next to someone on a bus, or sitting next to someone or in front of someone in a theater, you could acquire the infection in that fashion," Schaffner said. That's why people with the symptoms of any kind of flu -- fever, diarrhea, body aches, vomiting, etc. -- are urged to stay home and away from groups of people. 8. Wasn't there a vaccine at one time? Is there one now? Yes, a swine flu vaccine was given to 45 million people in 1976. There is no vaccine now, although researchers are working on one. The 1976 vaccine wouldn't be helpful anyway, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy & Infectious Diseases. "That was a completely different virus than the virus we are dealing with right now, completely different in the sense that the genes are different, and it doesn't have any relationship," said Fauci. "The designation of each one was called the swine flu, but from a viral standpoint and spreading it is quite, quite different." Here are two scientific articles about the swine flu outbreak and vaccination program in 1976: . •Reflections on the 1976 Swine Flu Vaccination Program . •Swine Influenza A Outbreak, Fort Dix, New Jersey, 1976 . 9. Many young, healthy people have become sick in the United States. Many of the dead in Mexico have been young and healthy. What's going on? Usually we think of flu as affecting the very young and the very old. This sometimes happens with new viruses. For example, in 1918 when a new flu virus emerged, many of those stricken were young and healthy. One theory is that young people, who have strong immune systems, mount a particularly vigorous response to new viruses. But there's a potential side effect to the response: the body releases dangerous levels of signaling proteins, called cytokines, which can damage the lungs. Scientists believe these "cytokine storms" can be fatal. Here is a scientific article about the proposed mechanism of cytokine storms. 10. Why are large numbers of people dying in Mexico, but not in other countries? This is the big mystery doctors are trying to solve right now. Many infectious disease experts say it's most likely a matter of numbers: with more illnesses in Mexico, there are also more deaths. Other explanations: that in Mexico people have, in addition to swine flu, other viruses that make for a more deadly combination than swine flu alone. It's also possible that the virus infecting the rest of the world is a weaker version than the one in Mexico. Among the swine flu mysteries: Why only deaths in Mexico? 11. Could this new swine flu virus have been manufactured by bioterrorists? That's the theory on some conspiracy theorists' Web sites. But experts don't believe it. "If you were a bioterrorist you'd want to create something that's a lot more deadly than this," said Dr. Gerald Evans, an associate professor of microbiology at Queen's University in Canada. "The problem with influenza is that the second you put it into people, it replicates and mutates very quickly. Even if you created the perfect bioweapon, within a few generations of transmissions, it wouldn't do what you planned for it to do." 12. I get a flu shot every fall. Will that help protect me against swine flu? "The short answer is that the CDC says it's very unlikely," Schaffner said. But he said it might be possible. "I think it's a bit of an open question whether repeated flu shots over years would provide a measure of protection." 13. I was in Mexico two weeks ago. Could I have contracted swine flu, and the symptoms just haven't shown up yet? No. The incubation period of the swine flu is one to seven days. "If you just traveled to Mexico and you're home and feeling well you should get on with your daily life and not worry about it," Evans said. 14. Can the swine flu virus live on inanimate objects? If someone with swine flu touches a doorknob, then I touch it, could I get swine flu? Flu viruses can live on inanimate surfaces. So theoretically, you could get swine flu from touching a doorknob that was just touched by an infected person. However, that's pretty unlikely, according to Dr. Arthur Reingold, head of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. "I personally would not have a major fear of environmental contamination," he said. "Virtually all influenza is transmitted from sneezing and coughing." Schaffner agrees, adding that flu viruses don't survive in large numbers on surfaces. "A doorknob isn't a warm, nourishing environment for a virus," he said. 15. What should I do if I develop symptoms of swine flu? Call your doctor -- don't just drive on over, Schaffner advised. "Follow the instructions of your doctor. He might not want you in the waiting room spreading germs to others," he said. CNN Medical Producer John Bonifield contributed to this report.

The emergence of the swine flu has raised many questions; here are some answers . Swine flu was first identified in 1930 when researchers isolated the virus in a pig . Why people are dying in Mexico but not in other places is still a mystery . While the virus can live on surfaces, transmission is unlikely .

(CNN) -- Over the past week, I've been inundated with questions about swine flu, via Facebook, Twitter, CNN blogs and e-mail. So this week I'm empowering people with information about swine flu: how to protect yourself, what all the numbers mean and why you shouldn't freak out. The most recnt advice from the CDC is that non-essential travel to Mexico should be avoided. 1. Hasn't swine flu been around for a while? Yes. Swine flu was first identified in 1930 when researchers isolated the virus in a pig. In 1976, more than 200 soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey, got swine flu. From 1976 until 2005, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received approximately one report every year or two of humans with swine flu. From December 2005 until January 2009, there were 12 cases of swine flu reported. 2. The folks who have it now, did they get it from pigs or people? It appears that no one in the United States with swine flu had any contact with pigs. Dr. Richard Besser, the acting director of the CDC, said in a news conference Friday that among the first seven cases, no one had contact with pigs. In another press conference Monday, he added that investigators have looked to see whether any of the infected people had contact with pigs, and "we're not finding that linkage here." 3. Swine flu is transmitted from animals to humans. Does that happen a lot? Yes. More than 200 "zoonotic diseases" are transmitted from animals to humans, including illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. Rabies and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (better known as "mad cow disease") are two well-known examples. 4. Should I cancel my trip to Mexico? Yes, you should, unless it's essential. That's the advice from a recent CDC travel warning. Watch Elizabeth Cohen answer your questions » . 5. Should I be freaking out? A new virus spreading quickly around the world. Young, healthy people struck dead in Mexico. Should we all be panicking? "Absolutely not," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Swine flu, he said, "is not spreading all that rapidly. Take the St. Francis School in New York. There's been very little transmission from the schoolchildren to family members, and it certainly hasn't spread throughout Queens." iReport.com: Share your thoughts, concerns about swine flu . But, Schaffner added, this doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention to swine flu. "We should be alert, keep up with the information coming out daily, and take control by being attentive to your hygiene. Wash your hands very, very frequently and avoid people who are coughing and sneezing." 6. How close do you have to be to a sick person to get swine flu? "You can acquire this infection if you're within the 'breathing zone' of a sick person, which is about three to six feet," Schaffner said. "And we usually mean being this close to someone in a confined space. We're not talking about fleeting contact. We're not talking about walking past someone in the street. You need sustained contact." If you think you might have sustained contact with someone who's ill, read this guidance from the CDC's Web site. 7. Yikes! Every day I'm that close to countless people -- at work, on the bus, at church, in a movie theater. Could I get swine flu from them? Yes. "If you're standing next to someone on a bus, or sitting next to someone or in front of someone in a theater, you could acquire the infection in that fashion," Schaffner said. That's why people with the symptoms of any kind of flu -- fever, diarrhea, body aches, vomiting, etc. -- are urged to stay home and away from groups of people. 8. Wasn't there a vaccine at one time? Is there one now? Yes, a swine flu vaccine was given to 45 million people in 1976. There is no vaccine now, although researchers are working on one. The 1976 vaccine wouldn't be helpful anyway, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy & Infectious Diseases. "That was a completely different virus than the virus we are dealing with right now, completely different in the sense that the genes are different, and it doesn't have any relationship," said Fauci. "The designation of each one was called the swine flu, but from a viral standpoint and spreading it is quite, quite different." Here are two scientific articles about the swine flu outbreak and vaccination program in 1976: . •Reflections on the 1976 Swine Flu Vaccination Program . •Swine Influenza A Outbreak, Fort Dix, New Jersey, 1976 . 9. Many young, healthy people have become sick in the United States. Many of the dead in Mexico have been young and healthy. What's going on? Usually we think of flu as affecting the very young and the very old. This sometimes happens with new viruses. For example, in 1918 when a new flu virus emerged, many of those stricken were young and healthy. One theory is that young people, who have strong immune systems, mount a particularly vigorous response to new viruses. But there's a potential side effect to the response: the body releases dangerous levels of signaling proteins, called cytokines, which can damage the lungs. Scientists believe these "cytokine storms" can be fatal. Here is a scientific article about the proposed mechanism of cytokine storms. 10. Why are large numbers of people dying in Mexico, but not in other countries? This is the big mystery doctors are trying to solve right now. Many infectious disease experts say it's most likely a matter of numbers: with more illnesses in Mexico, there are also more deaths. Other explanations: that in Mexico people have, in addition to swine flu, other viruses that make for a more deadly combination than swine flu alone. It's also possible that the virus infecting the rest of the world is a weaker version than the one in Mexico. Among the swine flu mysteries: Why only deaths in Mexico? 11. Could this new swine flu virus have been manufactured by bioterrorists? That's the theory on some conspiracy theorists' Web sites. But experts don't believe it. "If you were a bioterrorist you'd want to create something that's a lot more deadly than this," said Dr. Gerald Evans, an associate professor of microbiology at Queen's University in Canada. "The problem with influenza is that the second you put it into people, it replicates and mutates very quickly. Even if you created the perfect bioweapon, within a few generations of transmissions, it wouldn't do what you planned for it to do." 12. I get a flu shot every fall. Will that help protect me against swine flu? "The short answer is that the CDC says it's very unlikely," Schaffner said. But he said it might be possible. "I think it's a bit of an open question whether repeated flu shots over years would provide a measure of protection." 13. I was in Mexico two weeks ago. Could I have contracted swine flu, and the symptoms just haven't shown up yet? No. The incubation period of the swine flu is one to seven days. "If you just traveled to Mexico and you're home and feeling well you should get on with your daily life and not worry about it," Evans said. 14. Can the swine flu virus live on inanimate objects? If someone with swine flu touches a doorknob, then I touch it, could I get swine flu? Flu viruses can live on inanimate surfaces. So theoretically, you could get swine flu from touching a doorknob that was just touched by an infected person. However, that's pretty unlikely, according to Dr. Arthur Reingold, head of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. "I personally would not have a major fear of environmental contamination," he said. "Virtually all influenza is transmitted from sneezing and coughing." Schaffner agrees, adding that flu viruses don't survive in large numbers on surfaces. "A doorknob isn't a warm, nourishing environment for a virus," he said. 15. What should I do if I develop symptoms of swine flu? Call your doctor -- don't just drive on over, Schaffner advised. "Follow the instructions of your doctor. He might not want you in the waiting room spreading germs to others," he said. CNN Medical Producer John Bonifield contributed to this report.

The emergence of the swine flu has raised many questions; here are some answers . Swine flu was first identified in 1930 when researchers isolated the virus in a pig . Why people are dying in Mexico but not in other places is still a mystery . While the virus can live on surfaces, transmission is unlikely .

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney traded accusations on tax policy Thursday, with both claiming at campaign stops in battleground states that the other's strategies have failed. Romney used a rally in Golden, Colorado, to unveil a simplified campaign message called for by some Republican strategists, laying out a five-point plan that he said would put the nation back on the correct economic path. The proposals are traditional conservative stances on domestic energy production, trade, job training, deficit reduction and boosting small businesses, with Romney promising that, if elected, he would deliver on them to unleash the full potential of the U.S. economy. "His policies have not worked. They have not gotten America back to work again," Romney said of Obama, citing 41 straight months of unemployment over 8%. "I'm going to get America working again." In particular, Romney challenged Obama's call for extending lower tax rates, set to expire at the end of this year, only for income up to $250,000 for families or $200,000 for individuals, which would allow the rates on income above those marks to increase to 1990s levels. Calling that plan a tax increase, Romney said it would inhibit the job creation needed for economic growth and described the Obama policy as being "like a dog trying to chase its tail." In Orlando, Florida, Obama attacked Romney's call for more tax cuts as an example of long-standing Republican policy that was most recently enacted by his predecessor, helping bring the recession that was in place when Obama took office. "They have tried to sell us tax cut fairy dust before," Obama said. "It is not a plan to move our economy forward. It takes us backward to a place we don't need to be." Obama blasts Romney tax plan in Ohio . The president also made a campaign visit to Virginia, while Romney joined Republican governors -- including several potential running mates -- at an Aspen, Colorado, conference. In a format resembling a celebrity "roast" -- but one with blue blazers and verbal bouquets instead of vulgar put-downs -- the seated governors rose one-by-one to praise Romney. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called Romney a man of "fabulous ingenuity" and "great integrity." "We need you, we're looking forward to your services as president," said Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma. "I really appreciate your focus on middle class families," Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell told Romney. In a hint that Romney's decision on a running mate might come soon, his longtime adviser Beth Myers, who heads up the campaign's search for a vice presidential candidate, will be traveling with Romney to Colorado. Polls show that Romney and Obama are statistically even in Colorado and Virginia, while Obama holds a small lead in Florida. All three states are among the eight or so considered vital to the chances of both candidates in November. The CNN Electoral Map . Reviving the American dream of equal opportunity has been the central theme of Obama's campaign, and Romney's new five-point message Thursday was an effort to blunt the president's middle class outreach. In general, it rehashes Romney's previously stated stances on energy, taxes, deficit reduction, trade and small business development but offers few details . For example, the energy component involves easing regulations to expand domestic production of oil, coal and natural gas. A conference call by Romney's advisers made no mention of alternative sources such as solar or wind energy championed by Obama, but Romney included continued pursuit of such programs in his later remarks in Colorado. The tax component came under heavy criticism from Obama, who cited a study by the Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center that says Romney's proposals would provide large cuts to the very wealthy while increasing the burden on the lower and middle classes. Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior Romney campaign adviser, called the report "a joke" on Thursday's conference call, while Romney economic adviser Kevin Hassett said it fails to include the projected revenue increase from an expanded employment base that Romney's policies would bring. "Eliminating that from your analysis means you're going to have a very, very biased result," Hassett said. Romney officials also complained that one of the study's three authors was a former member of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. In his Florida remarks, Obama ridiculed the Romney team's criticism of the report, noting another of the co-authors was an economist in the administration of Republican President George H.W. Bush. "They said (the report) didn't take into account the economic growth that would result from tax cuts," Obama said, drawing laughter when he added: "We all know how well that worked the last time they tried it." Romney calls for cutting today's rates by 20% as well as eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax and limiting current deductions, exemptions and credits available to top-level income earners. However, Romney has yet to say which specific tax breaks he plans to eliminate, and the Tax Policy Center report indicated the result of his plan would force the tax burden to shift toward lower- and middle-class Americans. In its study, the Tax Policy Center did not score Romney's plan directly, saying it lacked sufficient details. Instead, the center said the plan represented a number of Republican proposals. The Romney campaign officials said Thursday that the specifics of the tax proposal remain to be worked out, with deputy policy director Jonathan Burks adding that Romney, if elected, "would write a tax bill that would achieve those goals." "It's not a question of today we have a 2,000-page tax plan," Burks said. Tax policy has become a central economic issue, with Congress deadlocked over proposals to extend most or all of the Bush-era tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year. House passes Republican tax-cut plan . Romney and Republicans want to extend all the Bush tax cuts for now to prevent any increase, while Obama says the lower rates should not continue for the wealthiest 2% of Americans to bring more fairness to the system. Both sides call for comprehensive tax reform after the election as part of necessary deficit reduction steps. The issue touches on the foundations of the nation's political divide, with Republicans driven by their conservative base seeking to shrink government to reduce deficits while Democrats want a blend of spending cuts and more tax revenue in order to maintain what they consider essential services and entitlement programs. With just over three months until the November election, the race has become a contentious struggle to convince voters that the other guy would take the country in the wrong direction. In anticipation of Obama's Florida trip Thursday, the Romney campaign released a new ad in the state that blames the president for a stalling economy there. Romney ad hits Obama on Florida economy . Florida, currently rated a "toss up" on CNN's Electoral Map, has been hard hit by a weak housing market. Its unemployment rate of 8.6% is higher than the national average, but down from a high of 11.4% in 2010. A Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll released Wednesday showed Obama with a 51%-45% lead in Florida, which has 29 electoral votes. Another new Romney ad Wednesday hammered Obama over unemployment and other economic problems, saying: "Americans need a change. We need a new president." Campaigns turn to economy ahead of jobs report . Obama's campaign responded to the ad by citing Romney's opposition to the auto industry bailout. "Let's get this straight -- the very person who argued for the U.S. auto industry to go bankrupt, something that would have caused more than a million jobs lost and utter economic devastation in the Midwest, is now trying to attack the president on how it was handled?" campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said in a written statement. Meanwhile, the liberal group MoveOn.org will run a 30-second television spot in battleground states mocking the amount of money spent on Rafalca, the dressage horse competing at the London Olympics that is co-owned by Romney's wife, Ann. Looking a dressage horse in the mouth . The group said the ad to air in Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania is told from the perspective of the horse, pointing out that the Romneys spend $77,000 a year for its upkeep. "After Mitt Romney repeals health care and ships your jobs overseas, I daresay your life won't be nearly as pampered as mine," it concludes. "After all, you're not one of his horses." In a statement, MoveOn.org's executive director said the group was not lampooning the horse itself. "There's nothing wrong with taking good care of a horse, but there's something messed up about a millionaire who spends twice what most Americans make in a year caring for a horse, but wants to take away people's health care and offshore their jobs," Justin Ruben wrote. CNN's Tom Cohen, Peter Hamby, Kevin Liptak and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

NEW: Mitt Romney appears on stage with some potential VP nominees . Romney lays out a five-point plan for the country . President Obama ridicules what he calls Republican "tax cut fairy dust" Both candidates campaign Thursday in battleground states .

Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- In a ruling read to a tension-filled courtroom, an Italian jury on Monday cleared Amanda Knox of murder and other charges, nearly four years after she was arrested on suspicion of having killed her roommate in this picturesque Italian university town. There was an audible gasp in the courtroom as the verdict was read, then an eruption of emotion, prompting the judge to call for silence. Knox herself was nearly hysterical, according to CNN's Matthew Chance, and had to be assisted out of the courtroom by two people. The jury evidently believed Knox's impassioned final statement to the court, delivered in a voice trembling with emotion. "I am not what they say I am -- perverse, violent. ... I haven't murdered. I haven't raped. I haven't stolen," Knox said in the most important speech of her life. Her co-defendant, Raffaele Sollecito, was also cleared of involvement in the 2007 death of Meredith Kercher, a British exchange student and Knox's roommate in Perugia. "We're thankful that Amanda's nightmare is over," Knox's sister, Deanna, said on the courthouse steps, getting a roar of approval from the crowd. "She suffered for four years for a crime she did not commit." Deanna Knox thanked her sister's attorneys and "people who took the time to research the case and could see that Amanda and Raffaele were innocent," for supporting the Knox family. The same jury, however, upheld Knox's conviction on the charge of defamation against Patrick Lumumba, an early suspect in the case. She had accused club owner Lumumba of killing Kercher. Lumumba was arrested, but released after his alibi checked out. He later sued Knox, winning 40,000 euros ($54,000) in damages. Knox was sentenced Monday to three years on the defamation charge , but received credit for the years she has already spent behind bars, said her attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova. "We're satisfied with the decision of the court," Dalla Vedova told CNN. "We were expecting the rectification of this mistake." He said Knox is ready to go home, but has said she will return to Italy. "She always confirmed she was a friend of Meredith," he said. As the verdict was read in court, Kercher's family grew emotional. "We respect the decision of the judges but we do not understand how the decision of the first trial could be so radically overturned," the Kerchers said in a statement, issued through a journalist close to the family, after returning to their hotel on Monday. "We still trust the Italian judicial system and hope that the truth will eventually emerge." Some of those gathered outside were unhappy with the ruling, shouting "Shame! Shame!" Among those outside the court were a handful of college-age Italians and Americans, including two young Italian men who told CNN they disagreed with the ruling and believe Knox and Sollecito are guilty. One of them, Frederico Finali, 18, is a student at the same university Kercher attended. Finali said he is studying international communications. "I am very upset with Italian justice," said a woman who gave her name as Veronica and said she is a fourth-year law student in Perugia. The legal process, she said, had gone "very, very bad." "This family needs some justice," she said of the Kerchers, "and more important, you know, the real truth of the story." She said a majority of those in Perugia "absolutely" agree with her, adding, "I'm not satisfied." Knox and her defense team succeeded in overturning a conviction handed down two years ago by a different jury, which found her and Sollecito guilty of killing of Kercher, who was sexually assaulted and her throat slashed. "I am innocent," Knox said Monday. "Raffaele is innocent." Sollecito put his claim simply in his own closing statement before Knox spoke. "I have never hurt anybody," he said. As he concluded, he dramatically removed his plastic "Free Amanda and Raffaele" bracelet, saying: "I have never taken it off since it was given to me. ... I think now is the moment to take it off." His voice almost inaudible, he concluded, "I hope this is part of history and that Amanda and I have a future." Knox was expected to go back to jail to complete her release paperwork and gather her belongings before leaving for the last time. As one van pulled up outside the prison, the sound of cheering could be heard from inside. A few minutes later, a black van pulled away from the prison and was chased by photographers. Rocco Girlanda, a member of the Italian parliament who became an advocate for Knox, confirmed that Knox was inside. "Amanda was incredibly happy," Girlanda said, adding that Knox will leave Tuesday for Seattle, her hometown. She was greeted at the prison by cheers and shouts of "well done," prompting her to jump for joy, he said. Knox was headed to meet her parents nearby after leaving the prison, he said. "Her first desire is to lie down on a green field." In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, "The United States appreciates the careful consideration of this matter within the Italian judicial system." The U.S. Embassy in Rome will continue to provide consular assistance to Knox and her family, she said. "I am glad that the appeals court gave Amanda the fair hearing that she deserves," said U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, who had helped push for the appeal, in a statement. "All countries must live up to their international commitments to provide a fair trial by an impartial tribunal to those accused of crimes. "Amanda's parents, family and friends have been through an incredible ordeal," Cantwell said. "We are all thankful that she will be free to return to Seattle as soon as possible." Sollecito's father, Francesco, told CNN in a brief conversation the family was driving towards home. "We are now starting to talk," he said. "I can't say more. Raffaele is very spaced out." Knox's lawyer Luciano Ghirga reminded the jury Monday that they had to be convinced "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Knox and Sollecito were guilty if they were to uphold the conviction. At least four members of the jury -- composed of six members of the public and two judges -- must have concluded they did, indeed, have doubts about her conviction. A majority ruling was all that was needed to throw out the conviction, with a tie favoring the defense. The actual vote will remain secret, but the main judge, Claudio Pratillo Hellman, will file a statement explaining the jury's reasoning within 90 days of the ruling. Knox and Sollecito were convicted of murder, sexual assault and related crimes related to Kercher's death in December 2009. A third man, drifter Rudy Guede, was convicted separately of involvement in the killing and is serving 16 years. In the appeal, lawyers for Knox and Sollecito picked apart DNA evidence that played a role in the original conviction. Part of the original prosecution case was based on DNA evidence found on a knife and on a bra clasp belonging to Kercher. During the appeal, experts for the two sides battled over whether the DNA evidence was reliable. They also fought over the character of Knox. The lawyer for a man falsely accused of the crime called Knox "Lucifer-like, demonic, Satanic," while Sollecito defense counsel Giulia Bongiorno insisted that, like the buxom cartoon temptress Jessica Rabbit in the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Knox is not bad, just "drawn that way." Knox herself acknowledged the debate Monday in her closing statement. "People always ask 'who is Amanda Knox?'" she said. "I am the same person I was four years ago. ... The only thing that now separates me from four years ago is my suffering. "In four years, I've lost my friends in the most terrible and unexplainable way. My trust in the authorities and the police has been damaged. I had to face charges that were totally unfair, without any basis. And I am paying with my life for something I haven't done." Knox was 20 and Kercher was 21 years old, studying at Perugia's university for foreign students, when Kercher's semi-naked body was found in the house they shared. Sollecito, 23 at the time, was Knox's boyfriend, studying computer science at another university in Perugia. Either side can appeal this court's ruling to Italy's High Court, but such an appeal would be on narrow technical grounds only. CNN's Hada Messia, Antonia Mortensen, Matthew Chance, Paula Newton and Chelsea J. Carter and journalist Livia Borghese contributed to this report.

Knox's first desire, friend says, is to "lie down on a green field" Knox will leave Italy for Seattle on Tuesday, friend says . She is greeted at a prison with cheers and shouts of "well done" The jury deliberated for more than eight hours .

(CNN) -- The Clash was falling apart. More specifically, says guitarist Mick Jones, the band's original master tapes were falling apart. "A bit like nitrate film," he says in a phone interview from Britain. Except, instead of burning up, the oxide layers to such records as "London Calling," "Sandinista" and "Combat Rock" were disintegrating. To save them and make proper digital masters, the tapes had to be baked in an industrial oven and transferred to other media. "It has been a bit of a restoration," says Jones. "I don't think it was a moment too soon, because the tapes were rotting -- mold in the boxes and stuff." But the ultimate result was worth it: spanking-new releases of the band's catalog in a new boxed set called "Sound System." The collection, which is shaped like a boombox, contains newly remastered versions of the group's five official albums, as well as three CDs of demos and singles, a DVD of video footage, a new edition of the "Armagideon Times" fanzine, and even some buttons for that classic 1979 look (denim jacket not included). The box will be released Tuesday along with a 2-CD best-of called "Hits Back." The band, of course, broke up long ago -- 1985, two years after Jones was fired. Though relations were soon repaired, there was never a reunion. Singer and lyricist Joe Strummer died in 2002. A year later the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their legacy is indisputable -- and not just in the punk movement. Indeed, calling the Clash a "punk band" is like calling the Beatles a "Merseybeat combo." Their music included dollops of rockabilly, reggae, country, rap, soul and jazz, a true mix of styles that made for some of the most exciting records and live shows of the rock 'n' roll era. The boombox, says bassist Paul Simonon, symbolizes the way the four would share music and ideas. "When we would go out on tour, each member of the band had one of these boomboxes, so in a hotel room or backstage or on some street corner we could play music," he recalls. "Everybody was playing something." Jones and Simonon talked about the Clash's career in separate interviews with CNN. The following has been edited and condensed. On their influences: . Mick Jones: The Big Five groups over here -- the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks, the Who and the Small Faces. I was lucky enough to grow up at the time when they were doing their most fantastic music. When you do music yourself, it's interesting -- it's like a two-way highway. You go back and find out what influenced the people you liked, so you're going backwards, at the same time you're in the present trying to do something. It led us back to so many American artists -- blues, soul and rock and roll. Paul Simonon: Reggae and rockabilly. And mostly reggae, because that's what I grew up on, and that's the only music that seemed to me at that time that had something to say for itself. Whereas Led Zeppelin, progressive rock, it didn't speak to me. I couldn't relate to it. On being labeled as a punk band: . Simonon: I don't care about it. People are going to say what they want to say anyway. Some people are going to say, 'They're rubbish.' I don't really care, because I know in my mind what we were. We initially started out as a punk band, but we evolved. We evolved into quite a magnificent rock and roll band, I daresay. Jones: We can't really deny that's where we come from, but we always hoped to be more. A lot of our contemporaries, if they did make more than one record, they made the same record. And of the people I liked, I was really looking forward to their new record coming out, because I knew they were doing something different. I knew they weren't going to do the same thing every time. That was like a given with us. That was only natural -- I always knew we were never going to make the same record twice. On their fashion choices: . Simonon: That was my department, really. If you go see a band and they look amazing, you get really inspired. But if the band looks not very well-dressed, it's hard to get inspired by the music. As our manager said, if somebody goes to see a band, and the audience is better dressed than the band, then why should the audience listen to what the band have to say? There's a like-minded thought process going on at this time anyway. We don't want flares, we want straight-leg trousers. The whole world's got flares. And everybody's got long hair -- (so) we want short hair. It was very tribal, too. You had the mods, you had the rockers, you had skinheads, you had hippies, people were very defined by how they looked, and it reflected the music they liked, too. On "the only band that matters": . Jones: The record company came up with that; it wasn't us. We weren't like trying to blow our own trumpets. It was kind of a moniker and it stuck. Every group wants to be the best group when you're young. On becoming stars: . Jones: I remember once, I was talking to Pete Townshend (at a stadium show). I said I know what "quadrophenia" means now, because if you look in one direction, you're ignoring 50,000 people! He just looked at me like I was mad. It was a big thing, but we had something we wanted to say, so it was interesting to see how we'd get on in that environment. Simonon: In the early days when we first started out in a hotel room, it wasn't a great hotel room, but the hotel was better than where I lived. Then as the journey continues you get more successful, suddenly the hotel rooms have one big bed in it rather than two narrow beds that you have to share. So it's a gradual thing. When you do get to the point where you're in the lap of luxury, it's easy to lose contact with yourself and where you're from. In some ways it's not a bad thing that the Clash split up when they did, because we would have become "the only band that mattered" and very pompous. So maybe in some ways cutting your own throat was a good idea at the time. Who knows what sort of people we would be now? On writing songs with Joe Strummer: . Jones: It started off as, "We need another song." "OK, give us five minutes," and we'd go upstairs to rehearsals and bang something out. At the other end of the scale would be, I don't want to see him, just post the lyrics through the post box. (Sometimes) he would sit at the typewriter and bang it out like a guy who worked at the newspaper, and he'd pull it out of the typewriter and hand it across the table. It was always pretty quick. It usually comes naturally, especially with Joe's lyrics. Even the tune was there sometimes. It was the words, really, and the music was kind of a vehicle for those words. On feeling Strummer's presence while preparing "Sound System:" Jones: Yeah, it's impossible not to. (Because) it was his words that carried the whole thing, or was the most important thing to it, I like to think he was with us. He's definitely with us through his music, and somehow with us in spirit, as well. (sounds a little choked up) I feel that, anyway. Simonon: No. The reason I say that, is because it's like each person in the band was an individual. There was no leader. We spent seven intense years working together, so you get a pretty good idea of how each other is. Getting along: . Jones: We became friends very soon after, that was the main thing. I've had a great time these last couple years while we've been putting this box together. It's been wonderful to spend time with the guys, and have complete creative control over all our work. Simonon: I see Mick and we do things. We went to a play once (in which) they wanted to use the song "Know Your Rights." They invited us to the play. What they didn't realize was that back when the record was being recorded me and Mick had like a two-hour argument in the studio about the bass sound. I said it needed to be not louder, but a bit deeper. So we went to see this play. And I heard the song being played back, and it sounded really tinny. And I turned to Mick and said, "I told you I was right!" There's no antagonism anymore. We're sort of grown up now. We know that we were really fortunate to be working together at the time that we did.

New Clash boxed set collects albums, video, ephemera . Group was a leader in UK punk movement and incredibly versatile . Albums include "London Calling," "Combat Rock" Boxed set's packaging -- a boombox -- symbolizes sharing of ideas, says Paul Simonon .

(CNN) -- "A 13-year-old girl called me an ape." Adam Goodes was not impressed. One of the most successful proponents of a sport that is more Australian than any other, a hero in a country where its stars are gods, he was not going to take such an insult lightly. "I stopped, I called her out, got her escorted out of the ground, and from that point the awareness and the conversations that have been had around racism in this country have just skyrocketed," he tells CNN's Human to Hero series. Goodes is a star of Australian Rules Football, best described as an often-confusing mix of the two rugby codes, basketball, and its close Gaelic football cousin. "Aussie Rules," also known as AFL, reflects the nation's continuing battle with the aftermath of its colonial past. On one hand it sometimes highlights appalling attitudes towards indigenous peoples -- after the incident with the girl, the president of the host team's club joked on radio that Goode should be used to promote a stage production of King Kong, effectively ending their friendship. On the other, it has made great efforts to welcome indigenous players; there are 68 registered at the 18 Premiership teams this year, and their 9% total of the sport's overall list is greater proportionally than the 2.5% they make up of the country's total population. So it was all the harder for Goodes to accept being abused during a game that was part of the AFL's 2013 "Indigenous Round" -- and played at arguably the country's most iconic sporting venue, the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground. "I hope I'm a person people look up to and say, 'I remember the day Adam Goodes did that at the MCG. Today is the day I'm going to stand up for myself or stand up for somebody else who might not have a voice for themselves,' " he says. "Since last year, a lot more cases have come through, and I think that's what needs to happen for it to improve. A lot more people need to call it out, need to say no to racism ... and we're going to improve as a community from there." In recognition of his work helping Aboriginal youth and battling racism, Goodes was named "Australian of the Year" in January, the same month he turned 34. "It's a very humbling experience," he says. "It's been an amazing platform for me this year to talk about things I'm passionate about -- like eliminating domestic violence and trying to get recognition in the constitution for Aboriginal people. "It was quite dumbfounding for me to find out that we weren't part of (Australia's) constitution -- this is a document that's over 112 years old that doesn't recognize its first people." When European settlers came to Australia in the 1800s, they took land from the indigenous people and forced the nomadic tribes to accept new ways of living, often splitting up families under a government policy of "assimilation" -- as highlighted in the acclaimed 2002 film "Rabbit Proof Fence." Australian politicians have since apologized for the past mistreatment, but Aborigines remain disadvantaged socially and economically compared with the overall population. Goodes, like many modern Aborigines, is from a mixed-race family, with a father of British descent. Born in South Australia, his tribal name is Adnyamathanha -- the people who live in the Flinders Ranges, the largest in Australia. His place of birth (Wallaroo, on the York Peninsular near Adelaide, first settled by Europeans in 1836) means he is also Narungga. "Growing up, I didn't know what it meant to be Aboriginal," Goodes recalls. "My mum was taken away from her family when she was five years old and we weren't really taught anything about what it meant to be Aboriginal -- no language, no culture, no ceremonies, no nothing. "What we did know was where we came from, and that was Adnyamathanha and Narungga, so I've had to do a lot of that journey, to find out information about that, in the last 10 years. "So for us, growing up, we just thought we were just like any other normal family. We didn't really see ourselves as mixed race. I copped stuff from people at school because of the different color and whatnot, but I had good support that helped me get through those tough times." His parents separated when he was young, and he moved state to Victoria with his mother in his early teens, and they settled in another small country town. Up until that stage, Goodes was a big fan of basketball star Michael Jordan, while his own talents were in soccer. However, there were no teams in his new hometown -- so his mum suggested having a go at AFL. "I was very athletic, so the running part of it was good," he says. "Grabbing the ball was quite difficult because it could bounce everywhere, but I was able to pick that up pretty easily." The main premise of AFL is simple: kick the oval-shaped ball between the two central posts to score maximum points; if it goes through the two outside posts, the score is lower. It results in basketball-size scorelines, and with 18 players on each team -- wearing sleeveless tops known as "guernseys" and notoriously short shorts -- all kicking, passing, running, jumping and jostling at high intensity for two hours, it can be a confusing spectacle, as Goodes admits. "You might come and watch a game and not know what's going on. That's because the players, the coaches, the supporters and even sometimes the umpires don't know what's going on either," he says. "I still think that I'm learning things and improving because it is a game that you can never truly master." While it was started by European settlers in the 1850s, the game has strong links to an ancient Aboriginal sport known as Marngrook. "We used to play a game where we'd have a possum skin filled with charcoal and they'd kick it around, hand-pass it around, 50-a-side, up and down these massive bits of land, and they would play for days," Goodes says. He has won two AFL titles, once as captain, and twice been awarded the game's highest individual honor, the Brownlow Medal. His biggest challenge becoming an AFL player, he says, was not being an Aboriginal in a white man's world, but having to uproot from his family at the age of 17 and chase his sporting dream in Sydney, where he had been drafted by the city's AFL club the Swans. "In the first year, I didn't look even close to playing in the senior side, I played reserves all year," Goodes says. "It was really a tough year for me and it wasn't until the next year that I actually really committed and decided, 'this is what I want to do, this is what I wanted to be.' I started to make those real sacrifices and really working hard, making all the right choices to be a professional athlete." He was inspired by Aboriginal teammate Michael O'Loughlin, nearly three years his senior. "The way our kinship system works, he's actually my nephew -- something I only just found out recently," Goodes says. O'Loughlin was the first Sydney player to pass 300 games, and Goodes broke his club record in 2012 when he made his 304th appearance. He is now the most-capped indigenous player, having beaten Andrew McLeod's record of 340 games for Adelaide this year -- the most by any player is 426. "To have him there to help mentor me, and show me the way, has just been an ideal situation for me and that's what I would want for my brothers and any other people when they go to a football club," he says of O'Loughlin, who retired in 2009. Having had a long spell on the sidelines with injury last year, missing the club's run to the preliminary final, Goodes says he is determined to extend his career for as long as possible. "I know I can still improve and I think that is what drives me," he says ahead of this weekend's opening playoffs, where Sydney will take on Fremantle after finishing the regular season as the top team. "A lot of people would say I'm past it, but I still believe I have a lot to offer." When he finally hangs up his boots, Goodes aims to focus on the foundation he set up with O'Loughlin, which provides school scholarships for Aboriginal children in Sydney. "I've committed a lot of my time to my sport and there's going to be a big void for me to fill," he says. "It'll be nice to have a bit more spare time for me."

Adam Goodes is a leading AFL player who has battled against racism . He is the most-capped indigenous player in the Australian sport . The 34-year-old has won two AFL titles and been named top player twice . Goodes has helped Sydney into 2014 playoffs as minor premiership winner .

(CNN) -- Alex Ferguson's decision to step down as Manchester United manager after more than a quarter of a century in charge leaves the club's hierarchy with the unenviable task of replacing the Scot, given his phenomenal success at Old Trafford. Ferguson has won more than 30 trophies, including 13 English league championships and two European Cups. It is a record that most managers might wilt under given the level of expectation that will inevitably accompany Ferguson's successor. "It's impossible to emulate Ferguson and deliver what he has done," according to former Monaco technical director and chief executive Tor-Kristian Karlsen. "The brief for manager is to keep winning trophies. But United want to re-establish themselves as the No. 1 club in the world and they are a long way from that," Karlsen told CNN. "The club is a massive worldwide brand and is now judged on its European performance. On a worldwide basis the Champions League is the Holy Grail. "Perhaps the one criticism that could be made of the current squad is that it doesn't have a Lionel Messi, a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Radamel Falcao." Jose Mourinho and David Moyes are two of the potential candidates in the frame to fill Ferguson's shoes -- CNN profiles the duo below and asks Karlsen to give a boardroom view on the two men's chances at Old Trafford. David Moyes . Mourinho has been heavily backed to succeed Ferguson despite hinting at a return to Chelsea, but Everton manager David Moyes is the favorite to take over from the 71-year-old Scot. Appointed by the Liverpool-based club in March 2002, Moyes is very much in the Ferguson mold. Both were born in Glasgow, though Ferguson played for Rangers while Moyes featured for city rivals Celtic at the start of his playing career. The steely-eyed, taciturn Moyes is now the third longest-serving manager in the English Premier League, behind Ferguson and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger. Despite a lack of financial resources, Everton have consistently exceeded expectations under Moyes and in 2005 the club qualified for the Champions League, while also reaching the FA Cup final four years later. Prior to joining Everton, Moyes managed Preston North End, winning promotion from the third tier of English football to the brink of the Premier League. The question mark against the 50-year-old is that he has never won any of the three major English trophies -- the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup. Remarkably his Everton side has never been able to win at Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool in 44 attempts. His record in the transfer market is mixed. While Marouane Fellaini and Kevin Mirallas have been notable successes, the likes of Per Kroldrup, Andy van der Meyde and Andy Johnson were underwhelming acquisitions. How would he cope with a bigger budget and better players at his disposal? There is also the question of Moyes' relationship with one of United's star players -- Wayne Rooney. In 2008, the Everton manager accepted "substantial" undisclosed libel damages when he sued Rooney, his co-author Hunter Davies and HarperCollins, the publishers of "Wayne Rooney -- My Story So Far," following allegations that he leaked details of a confidential conversation with the player. A year later Rooney phoned Moyes personally to apologize. If the United board do plump for Moyes, they will not have to pay any compensation as the Scot's Everton contract runs out at the end of the season and no agreement has been reached over a new deal. Karlsen's verdict: "Moyes is the favorite, but I think he is the conservative option. "If Moyes is appointed, the club would be in good hands. He's a balanced and sensible option. "I don't think he would have a problem in taking charge of a club of United's size. He would also have the advantage of Ferguson potentially mentoring him. "On the flip side, there is Moyes' lack of European experience. There is also the lack of experience of working with star players. The bigger the ego, the harder they are to manage -- that is a special art. "Having said that, Moyes deserves a big job -- arguably it wasn't realistic for Everton to qualify for the Champions League." Jose Mourinho . Over the last few weeks the coach of Spanish club Real Madrid has been strongly linked with a return to the English Premier League as his old team Chelsea seeks to replace interim manager Rafael Benitez. Mourinho offers the complete package as manager -- an unparalleled track record of success allied to an ability to motivate players that inspires loyalty long after he has moved on to new teams. He has the knack of getting journalists to eat out of his hands as he delivers a succession of quotable quotes. No coach gives better press conferences than Mourinho, evidenced by his pre-match briefing ahead of Real's game with Malaga this week as he skilfully squashed criticism from one of his own players and defiantly gave away no clues about his future. However, given he is the only coach to win European football's top three leagues, Mourinho's time at the Bernabeu has been mixed. The 50-year-old Portuguese has won one La Liga title, last season, but looks set to miss out to archrivals Barcelona this time around. He has also guided Real to a Spanish Cup win, while his team will play city rivals Atletico in this year's final. But Mourinho's quest to win the European Champions League for a third time in his career has faltered at Real, losing in the semifinals for three years in a row -- last month being beaten 4-3 on aggregate by German club Borussia Dortmund. Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to return to England, with media reports claiming he has already negotiated a return to Chelsea at the end of the season. His previous spell in charge saw him lead the Blues to their first top-flight title for 55 years in 2005. He won five trophies in his three seasons in London. Mourinho forged his reputation when his Porto side famously knocked Manchester United out of the European Cup at Old Trafford in 2004, running down the touchline to celebrate the late clinching goal. Porto went on to win the Champions League that year. After Porto and then Chelsea, Mourinho coached Inter Milan, winning the Champions League, the Italian league title and the Italian Cup in his second and final season with the club, before leaving to join Real. But with that unimpeachable track record of success, comes volatility. As well as the incendiary media conferences, Mourinho has occasionally overstepped the mark -- no more so than in his 2011 altercation with the now Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova, when the Portuguese coach poked his opponent in the eye when the Catalan was Pep Guardiola's assistant. "I'm there to win," Mourinho, who often refers to Ferguson as "The Boss", told CNN last year as he reflected on his coaching philosophy. "I'm there with my team to try to win. I'm there and I live the game, I live the match as if it was the last match of my career. "So people look at me and they see what they see. After that, in press conferences, it's the other place where people know me. "In press conferences, there is still a match to play. Before the match, press conference is pre-match and after the match, press conference is post-match, but it's a match." Karlsen's verdict: "Mourinho is the ideal candidate. He is the only manager who can offer you a guarantee of success. "With a manager with a lesser profile, if the next season doesn't start well then they will come under immense pressure. "But given Mourinho's track record no-one can criticize Mourinho. He has proven that he could work under the most intense pressure. "That is the biggest threat to a manager -- the environment that they are working in -- and when the pressure becomes too much, you become reactive rather than sticking to the plan. "You would never have that problem with Mourinho. "As for whether Mourinho's combative personality would damage the United 'brand,' he is clever enough to tone it down. Don't forget that Ferguson often thrived on conflict as a way of putting pressure on United's opponents. "The United job is a role where your persona is almost as important as your man-management skills -- it is about the statement that you make. "Mourinho fits the bill. He has that charisma that made Ferguson so special."

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is retiring after 26 years in charge . Everton manager David Moyes is the frontrunner to succeed Ferguson . But one expert says Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho is the perfect choice . Tor Kristian-Karlsen: "It's impossible to emulate Ferguson"

(CNN) -- As what might be the final battle rages in Libya, another is looming: the political battle to create a functioning democracy. As Libyan rebels try to consolidate their military gains in Tripoli, the National Transitional Council in Benghazi is trying to activate plans for a political transition. What role the United States will play in Libya's future isn't yet clear, but most believe it will be a major partner in an international effort. Getting an interim government in place in Libya as soon as possible is critical, the U.S. State Department says. That government would lead the process of writing a constitution and getting to elections, the building blocks of democracy. But international assistance will be necessary to put the other blocks in place. The priority is security, "because we don't need any more civilian lives lost in Libya," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. U.S. officials said they're encouraged by reports the rebels have set up checkpoints around public buildings to promote public safety. "Tripoli does not look like Baghdad looked after the fall of Saddam Hussein," with widespread looting, said Jeffrey Feltman, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Confusion over the reported capture of one of Moammar Gadahfi's sons by the opposition raised questions about whether the Libyan people and the international community can trust the council with Libya's future should Gadhafi fall. Observers say the reported arrest -- and prompt reappearance -- of Saif al-Islam are at the least an embarrassing distraction for the rebels as they seek to take control of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Mahmoud Shammam, minister of information for the NTC, acknowledged the situation over the reported capture was confusing. "We admit our communication was not clear," he said, saying it had been representatives in Benghazi who stated Saif al-Islam was under arrest, rather than the prime minister. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Tuesday that the rebels had the confidence of the American government despite the conflicting information over Monday's arrests. "We have definitely found them to be credible and reliable interlocutors," she said. Professor Daniel Serwer of Johns Hopkins University has met with the NTC and said the opposition seems acutely aware of the need to establish the rule of law. "From what we know, they want a democratic Libya, an Islamic state but a state that is clearly a multiparty state, that is clearly a liberal state. It would not be unique perhaps in the world, but it is certainly an experiment for Libya, which has not had a state at all." The rebels who NATO assisted in routing Gadhafi forces are not professional soldiers and would need help in securing the huge stockpiles of Gadhafi's weapons and ammunition, including weapons of mass destruction like mustard gas. There also are reports of Gadhafi loyalists shedding their uniforms and melting into the crowds to fight another day. They will have to be tracked down. "All along we've been talking about the inevitability of some foreign boots on the ground. That will take place, whether the fighting assumes what we would call street-to-street, block-to-block type of engagements that are characterizations of urban warfare or, more importantly, during these periods of transition," said retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. James "Spider" Marks. "There will be a transition and it's coming up shortly. You've got to be able to lock down Gadhafi's military forces so they don't grow legs and go elsewhere and that takes some degree of a force on the ground." While the United States has contributed substantial assets and intelligence to NATO-led efforts to oust Gadhafi, President Obama declared that no U.S. ground troops would be used in that effort nor in the aftermath. Referring to the rebels, a White House official said on Tuesday, "They haven't asked" for U.S. boots on the ground and "they don't want" U.S. boots on the ground. The official suggested any support of that nature would have to come from international partners. The NTC's stabilization team said it is considering asking several Arab states -- including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan -- for a force of several hundred troops to help protect important installations in Tripoli. Gadhafi's stockpiles of mustard gas and possibly other chemical weapons and surface to air missiles constitute a threat that would go beyond Libya's borders. "Well, I'm worried about it as are many others," said Nicholas Burns, a former U.S. undersecretary of state and ambassador to NATO, "...because if they were to get out and proliferate, it could do untold damage on the United States." Robert Kagan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said while he had faith in the good intentions of the rebels, "I don't know what their capacities are to find this stuff and to secure it. And we are going to start having to talk about some of the issues that are a little bit more difficult like what kind of international role is going to have to be played in Libya once Gadhafi has fallen ... we're going to be facing questions pretty early on about whether there has to be something more, including perhaps some international forces that can go in and secure weaponry if the rebels are unable to do so." Marks said he still has concerns about Libya's one-time nuclear weapons program; even though Gadhafi gave up the program, the intelligence behind it is still dangerous. "The smart technical brains I would imagine are still in place, and what side are they on? Where do their loyalties lie?" The NTC has already agreed to a timetable for a new government. The next step would be an "interim authority," broadening the TNC from 33 members to 60 to include newly liberated parts of the country. A 15-person panel will draft a constitution over 45 days. The constitution would then be voted on in a national referendum and legislative elections would be held four months later. A presidential election would be held two months after that. NTC officials estimate the process will take 10 to 15 months. "(It would) become an interim government that would represent a broad cross-section of Libyans from different walks of life, different parts of the country, different political backgrounds," Nuland said. But tribal loyalties, control over oil revenues and disputes over Libyan government assets -- including $30 billion frozen by the United States -- could cause rifts in the opposition. Then things could turn ugly. I think we're going to have to expect to see a slow transition, perhaps a chaotic transition, perhaps, even, unfortunately a violent transition that wouldn't be surprising at all given the degree of disinfection and disunity that this country has suffered for so long." Burns said. The U.S. is working with the United Nations to release $1 billion to $1.5 billion in frozen assets, Nuland said Tuesday, and give the money to the NTC for humanitarian purposes and to "help it establish a secure, stable government." Burns said the same international effort that carried out the military effort should now carry out the economic one. "The Obama administration made a big point of saying the Europeans and the Arabs should be leading. And I think now that needs to extend to the aftermath of the fighting," he said. "If there is going be a major international economic effort to help stabilize Libya, to rebuild the shattered cities, of course the United States should participate, but the Europeans should lead and do more because France and Italy and Spain have greater historical social economic interests than we do, and certainly the Arab countries should do more to help the Libyans. "President Obama was criticized, as you remember, by some of his critics for having been too solicitous of the allies, for not having had the United States in front. It turns out to have been a very wise policy. It does spread the burden and the burden should still rest on the issue of weapons and other -- and on economic aid, I think, with the European allies and with the Arab neighbors." William Cohen, a former secretary of defense and U.S. senator, called the international effort against Libya "an important geopolitical statement." "Other countries have to step up and carry some of the burden. It can't be the United States leading every effort and you have other countries, whether it's the British or the French or the Italians or others who have strong ties, historically, to Libya, they have to play a bigger role," Cohen said. "The United States can bring its power to bear in the form of intelligence, surveillance, direct munitions or precision guiding munitions. We can do all of that, but it's time for others to step up and bear some of the load that we've been carrying for many, many years now." CNN's Jill Dougherty, John Helton, Chris Lawrence, Tim Lister, Dan Lothian and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.

Next battle ahead for Libyans is forming government and securing the country . Confusion over reported capture of Gadhafi son calls opposition's credibility into question . First mission for National Transitional Council will be to provide security . International community wants Gadhafi's stockpile of weapons secured .

Washington (CNN) -- CNN has reported President Obama has personally met with four leading candidates for the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy. The president is expected to announce his nominee in coming days so the Senate can complete the confirmation process in time for the new Supreme Court session in the fall. Justice John Paul Stevens, who turned 90 last month, announced that he will retire shortly after the Supreme Court's term ends in late June. Here are summaries of the four people believed to be finalists for the Stevens seat, and a list of arguments for and against their nominations: . Elena Kagan . U.S. Solicitor General . Year born: 1960 . Hometown: New York (Manhattan) Experience: Solicitor general; Harvard Law School dean; White House associate counsel . Education: Princeton University; Oxford University; J.D., Harvard Law School . Fun fact: Former law clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, who nicknamed her "Shorty" Top cases argued as solicitor general (in support of federal laws or executive action): . • Campaign finance reform (Citizens United v. FEC, 2009): Congressional efforts to restrict "independent spending" by corporations and unions in federal political campaigns. Supreme Court ruled against the government in January. • Terror support (Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, 2010): Whether the government's power to criminalize "material support" of a terrorist organization goes too far in restricting civil liberties. Supreme Court ruling pending. • Religious monuments (Salazar v. Buono, 2009): Can a war memorial shaped like a cross remain on government parkland, or does it violate the constitutional separation of church and state? Justices ruled for the government, saying the cross should remain. Why she may be chosen: Her lack of a substantive paper trail on hot-button issues may blunt initial conservative criticism over where she stands on these topics. She has a reputation as a political pragmatist and consensus-builder who enjoys the support of liberal and conservative academics. That perceived ability to reach across the aisle could help Kagan on a divided high court. Her relative youth (she would be the youngest member of the court) could give Obama a longer judicial legacy. She also would provide greater gender diversity to the bench. Why she may be passed over: That lack of judicial experience may raise concerns about whether she would be a "reliable" vote on the left. Some liberal groups have also raised concerns that Kagan -- as solicitor general -- has articulated a more robust defense of executive power by the White House than many civil rights and human rights groups would like. Judge Diane Wood . 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Chicago, Illinois . Year born: 1950 . Hometowns: Plainfield, New Jersey; Houston, Texas . Experience: Federal appeals judge; University of Chicago law professor; government lawyer in the Carter, Reagan and Clinton administrations . Education: B.A., J.D., University of Texas . Fun fact: Talented oboe player who plays in local orchestras . Top cases as federal appeals judge: . • Abortion protests (National Organization for Women vs. Scheidler, 2001): Wrote the opinion allowing extortion and anti-racketeering (RICO) laws to be used against a group of anti-abortion protesters. The case was reversed twice by the Supreme Court, 8-1 and 8-0. • First Amendment (Doe v. Lafayette, 2004) -- Dissented in a case that ruled a convicted sex offender could be banned from an Indiana city's parks. The offender admitted observing minors there but left without molesting them. • Religious displays (Bloch v. Frischolz and Shoreline Towers Condominium Association, 2008): Disagreed in a ruling allowing a condominium association to prevent a Chicago family from putting up a Jewish decoration on their doorpost. Her strong dissent prompted Wood's entire court to reconsider, which then reversed and adopted her views on the issue. Why she may be chosen: Sharp intellect and consensus-building skills have served her well on a court dominated by conservative judges. Her gender, Midwest base, non-Ivy league education and long academic record would bring diversity to the high court. She also would be the only Protestant on the bench. Wood's working mother status would be seen as a political plus for a White House courting female voters. Why she may be passed over: Her judicial record on abortion, religion and immigration cases could present serious roadblocks. Conservatives have privately said she would be the least acceptable of the top contenders, and vow a political fight over her nomination. Her age (she turns 60 on July 4) also could hurt her chances. Judge Merrick Garland . D.C. Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, Washington . Year born: 1952 . Hometown: Chicago . Experience: Federal appeals judge; Justice Department lawyer in the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations . Education: B.A., J.D., Harvard University Law School . Fun facts: Met President Richard Nixon as a 17-year-old high school student as part of Presidential Scholars program. Later, as a top government lawyer, supervised the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombing and Unabomber defendants. Top cases as federal appeals judge: . • Terror detentions (Parhat v. Gates, 2008): Wrote opinion that concluded the government improperly classified a Guantanamo detainee as an enemy combatant. • Discrimination (Barbour v. WMATA, 2004): Allowed a Washington, D.C., government worker to sue for disability discrimination. He was supported in the ruling by then-colleague and good friend John Roberts, now chief justice. • Environment (Rancho Viejo v. Norton, 2003): Parted ways with Roberts by refusing to rehear a case over federal protection for the rare arroyo toad, and sided against a California developer who challenged the Endangered Species Act. Why he may be chosen: Little controversy is noted in his personal and professional lives. Colleagues call him a brilliant legal mind, well-respected by nearly everyone. He is viewed as a liberal moderate, and many conservative activists say they could support his nomination. That tacit endorsement could erase any protracted political fight, if the White House seeks a smooth, swift confirmation. Why he may be passed over: Many liberals question his ideological credentials, and fear that as the replacement for the left-leaning Stevens, Garland could move the court incrementally to the right on a number of key issues. He would add little diversity to the court, being a white male with an Ivy League background. Judge Sidney Thomas . 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, San Francisco, California; he is based in Billings, Montana . Year born: 1953 . Hometown: Bozeman, Montana . Experience: Federal appeals judge; private attorney . Education: Montana State University; J.D., University of Montana Law School . Fun fact: Enjoys skiing and hiking with his wife and two sons, friends say . Top cases as federal appeals judge: . • Strip searches (Bull v. City and County of San Francisco, 2006): Wrote opinion striking down San Francisco's body-cavity strip search policy for all newly arrested inmates. Full appeals court later reversed. • Student rights (Harper v. Poway Unified School District, 2006): Supported a San Diego high school that banned a student from wearing a T-shirt reading "Homosexuality is Shameful," saying such expressions are disruptive and that gay students and school personnel have a right to be free of such messages, especially in school campus settings. • Terror prevention (Public Citizen v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2009): Dissented in this national security case, where the majority said federal regulators could not be ordered to require greater safety measures at nuclear power plants. The commission "owes the public a rational and reasonable explanation why it would exclude from its [safety] rule consideration of terrorist air attacks," Thomas said. Why he may be chosen: Western roots would add real regional diversity to the court, and his home-state education may be seen as a plus for a bench dominated by Ivy leaguers. Little is known about him inside the Beltway, but colleagues praise his low-key demeanor, plain-talking intelligence and quiet sense of humor. Why he may be passed over: On a court with a majority of five white males, Thomas would not add much diversity, if the president deems that an important quality. His low profile may not give him many strong supporters among the president's closest aides. Friends privately say Thomas himself is downplaying his chances, and that he is surprised just to be considered among the finalists and to have had a personal meeting with Obama on the vacancy. CNN Political Research Director Robert Yoon contributed to this report.

Elena Kagan known as a political pragmatist, but lacks judicial record . Confirmation battle for Diane Wood might be tough . Merrick Garland viewed as a liberal moderate . Sidney Thomas' Western roots would add regional diversity to the court .

(CNN) -- If the last several years have taught us anything, it's that the world is in constant flux. Regimes topple, borders are redrawn, whole countries are born anew. While the fighters are remaking their world, however, the lovers are evidently stuck in the 1800s. Ask anyone what the world's most romantic cities are and they'll likely reply in kneejerk fashion, "Paris..." "Venice..." "New York..." But what's so romantic about coffee breath, crumbling infrastructure and the smell of urine? And what is romance, anyway? Is it a ride on a unicorn over a rainbow through a glitter storm? Or is it the excitation of the senses that forms the preamble for the box spring bustle? Dispensing with the typical fairytale travel planning, we've opted for a more results-oriented approach to crowning the world's most romantic cities. Because while a romantic city should grab hold of your heart, it shouldn't stop there. Sure, there's an element of magic to a romantic city, but that magic is supposed to beget love or at least the making thereof. And these cities are municipal Viagra. New Orleans, Louisiana . Place: This former French colony on the Mississippi River offers all of the ornate architecture, rich food and freely flowing booze of Paris, without the Parisians. But belying the carefree geniality of its gumbo of assorted peoples is a dark mantle of sinful abandon and occult worship that makes the Crescent City colorful, crass and occasionally creepy. 7 under-the-radar cultural destinations . People: Once the fifth-largest city in America, New Orleans has been content for decades to rest on its leisure laurels, promoting an atmosphere of laissez faire inhibition that provokes many visitors to spontaneous fits of nudity. Adjust gazes accordingly. Things: The charm, fun and filth of the French Quarter; the mist and mystery of the bayou; the pomp and botany of the Garden District; the majesty of the mighty Mississippi. Moscow, Russia . Place: Seldom included on lists of romantic things: fear. But it's an exciting feeling all the same, just one among many aroused in the former capital of communism. It's all here: the derelict and the opulent, the authoritarian and the lawless, the oligarchic and the proletarian. Generations of strife and triumph abound: a Tzarist palace beside a Stalinist square beside a capitalist Starbucks. People: Loving is romantic but fighting can be too, and Muscovites are historically adroit at both. For those who find romance in power, there's always plenty on display, as well as a notorious live-for-today attitude that has yet to find the envelope. Things: The intellectual arousal of its late night bookstores; the metamorphosed grandeur of Gorky Park; old factories and warehouses transformed into galleries, clubs and performance spaces; countless monuments to lovers; vanishing vestiges of the Soviet era. Victoria, Seychelles . Place: You know what's romantic? A beach. You know what's not romantic? Barf-discharging college kids, shrill children (shrilldren?) and sunburnt albinos in socks and sandals, making coastal mainstays like Phuket, Honolulu and the Bahamas as enchanting as hair on soap. There's nothing more romantic than being as far from other people as possible, and no other capital city offers this kind of isolation with this kind of beachfront. Travel on the cheap: 5 times to go . Plus, the architecture of this former British colony often mimics that of its former empire. It's like they put England somewhere good. People: It's 80 degrees (27 C) almost every day of the year -- warm and cool enough to keep clothes and sweating respectively minimal. Things: The transcendence of its pristine beaches; the prehistoric beauty of Vallée de Mai (the reputed original Garden of Eden); the eroticism of moutya dancing, which increases as the rhythm quickens. Buenos Aires, Argentina . Place: Assimilating generations of native Argentines, German expats and Italian and Spanish immigrants, Buenos Aires is a petri dish of fiery European and South American culture. But, contrasting their showier Brazilian brethren to the north, the flash and passion of Porteños simmers without boiling over, yielding a city renowned as much for art and architecture as it is for spherical backsides. People: Porteños are an amorous lot, with some of that Parisian poutiness, only supplemented by actionable desire. It's a sentiment that often transfers osmotically to visiting tourists. Things: The electrostatic sensuality generated by tango -- watched or danced; the lawns full of frisky youth at Tres de Febrero Park; the unparalleled showcase for the city's passion and potency that is soccer at La Bombanera. Also: always order the steak. Amsterdam, Holland . Place: The canals of Venice. The art of Paris. The laws of Gomorrah. Even if you don't partake of the Dutch capital's approved vices, there's a romance that accompanies the freedom to do so. You know what's not romantic? Bus fumes. Which is why anything in this city is accessible by boat, bike or boot. People: The town is to professionals what Vegas and Bangkok are to amateurs, offering at the front door the sex and drugs everyone else keeps in back. Amsterdammers are the sinful world's grown-ups. Things: The titillation of women twisting in the windows of the Red Light District; the puritanical eye of the RLD's carnal storm that is Oude Kerk ("old church"); 10 p.m. summer sunsets; a kiss under the Magere Brug ("skinny bridge"), ensuring fidelity. Havana, Cuba . Place: Think old stuff is romantic? Well, it's still 1959 in the capital of Cuba, where the development -- and commercialism -- of the outside world has yet to sneak past the bouncers. The resultant sensations of risk and antiquity in this forbidden time warp make romance unavoidable. So if you ever wanted to have sex in the 1950s, here's your chance -- but time's running out. 7 ways to go local while traveling . People: Just about everyone in Havana is an artist of some kind, underscored by live music -- and dancing -- everywhere. While not as outwardly sexual as some Latin American capitals, this populace is as carnal as they come. Things: The bars 'n' cigars of Hemingway's Havana; the intimacy of dinner at an in-home paladar; the unspoiled virginity of the Eastern Beaches; the fear- and awe-inspiring Plaza de la Revolución. Barcelona, Spain . Place: If having nowhere to be is your idea of romance, the capital of Catalonia wins on two counts: it's easy to get happily lost and no one wakes up until 8 p.m. Like Los Angeles or Sydney, Barcelona is dense, cultured and cosmopolitan, and is also a beach town, offering fickle lovers a broad romantic spectrum. One avenue that's no longer available to paramours? Public nudity. It was finally -- in some cases, mercifully -- banned in 2011. People: Trend-centric, cocksure, proud and partying, Barcelonans will steal your heart if not your wallet. Things: The weird feeling in one's pants upon beholding Gaudí architecture; the corpuscle of seemingly endless branching alleyways housing the galleries, cafés, bars, restaurants and museums of the Born neighborhood. No two trips are ever alike. Paris, France . Place: OK. Fine. Hard as it is to admit, even the laziest "romantic cities" lists are right -- the Big Baguette is still among earth's most enchanting municipalities. Paris is an urban engineering conundrum: its architecture all differs vastly, yet simultaneously adheres to a singular, uniform vision, making the world's most visited city also probably its most beautiful. There, we said it. People: Pouty, self-righteous, indolent, aloof, tempestuous, hot. The contemptibility of Parisians is exceeded only by the self-hatred among those of us who lust for them. Things: The stupid views of the entire city from Montmartre; the lousy majesty of the Champs-Élysées; the crummy uplifting Wall of "I Love You's"; the idiot engineering marvel of the Eiffel Tower; the rotten eroticism of Pigalle; the insufferable grandeur of the River Seine. Where's the most romantic place you've ever taken a sweetheart? Please share in the comments below.

A former French colony on the Mississippi offers the rich food and booze of Paris without the Parisians . A former British colony offers offers a beautiful beachfront with plenty of distance from spring break crowds . The capital of Argentina offers a petri dish of fiery European and South American culture .

(CNN) -- He founded modern South Africa. The boy who grew up herding cattle in the hills of the rural Transkei area and attended a Methodist missionary school where he was given the name "Nelson" has dedicated his adult life to opposing the racist and segregationist policy of apartheid. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela at first advocated peaceful opposition to white rule in early work with the African National Congress, a liberation movement. But the stubbornness of the apartheid regime increasingly frustrated him, until he turned to armed struggle shortly after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 in which police killed some 69 black protesters, shooting many of them in the back. Shortly after the protest the regime banned the African National Congress and another liberation movement, the Pan Africanist Congress. In 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment for carrying out acts of sabotage. In prison he became an international symbol of opposition to apartheid. Over the decades that followed, as the movement against white rule in South Africa began to grow and unrest inside the country became increasingly violent, it became clear to the white government that they could no longer continue to govern without consulting the African National Congress and, in particular, Nelson Mandela. In the 1980s, Mandela worked from prison to facilitate talks between the apartheid government and the ANC. He was unconditionally released from prison in 1990, just days after the ban on the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress was lifted. After spending 27 years in prison, on his release Mandela pursued a policy of reconciliation between black and white in South Africa. Many of the apartheid laws were repealed in the early '90s, but a few of the apartheid era laws are controversially still on the books. Mandela became president of South Africa in 1994, but he stood for only one term before stepping down and continuing to foster national reconciliation. Some have criticized Mandela for placing too much emphasis on reconciliation and not transforming the country enough, but the vast majority of South Africans revere his legacy and its meaning in the society they inhabit today. Visitors to the stunning nation at the tip of the continent can retrace many of Mandela's most significant moments, among them his release from prison 23 years ago, on February 11, 1990. CAPE TOWN AND SURROUNDS . Robben Island . Robben Island is one of South Africa's premier tourist destinations The ferry ride from the Cape Town waterfront alone is worth doing for the beautiful view of the city and Table Mountain from the sea. But "the Island," as it was known during the days of apartheid, gives the visitor an eerie sense of desolation. To really understand Nelson Mandela's struggle and the sacrifices he made for the freedom of his people, you need to take a tour of the prison where he was held. Walking through the now silent empty jail cells, you bear witness to the loneliness and suffering he overcame to become a world icon of reconciliation. Groot Drakenstein Prison (Victor Verster Prison) Set incongruously in beautiful vineyards near Paarl, the Drakenstein Prison is where Mandela spent the last 14 months of his imprisonment. Here he was treated with greater respect by the authorities and eventually was moved into the warden's rather comfortable suburban house. Shortly after his release, Mandela built a house at Qunu, his birthplace in the Transkei, based on the layout of his prison lodgings. It has been said that the one thing he missed from his prison experience was the solitude and the chance to reflect, and the house reminds him of that feeling. Mandela was released from Drakenstein on February 11, 1990, and images were broadcast around the world of him and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela walking hand-in-hand toward the crowds, their fists clenched. Today, outside the main gate, there is a dramatic bronze statue of Mandela that commemorates that event. Stand on the road on the way to the prison gates and stop to imagine the excitement that erupted among the crowd in 1990 as Mandela finally emerged after 27 years. JOHANNESBURG AREA . Soweto . Now a fascinating small museum, Mandela's old house in Vilakazi Street in Orlando West in Soweto shows just how black people lived under apartheid. Even relatively well-to-do people like the young Nelson Mandela, who was a lawyer, lived with their families in small four-room brick "matchbox" houses. Mandela returned to this house a few days after he was released from prison, and many journalists interviewed him in the tiny garden, but after his release he never really lived there again. Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived here, too, just down the road, so it is the only street in the world where two Nobel Prize winners have lived in separate houses. Up the hill from Mandela's house is the Hector Pieterson memorial and museum. This is the point where the famous Soweto Riots began on June 16, 1976, and where the iconic picture was taken of a dying Hector Pieterson being carried while his sister ran crying alongside. The museum is excellent and well worth a visit. Apartheid Museum . While not only about Nelson Mandela, this fascinating museum recreates what life was like for both black and white South Africans under apartheid. It gives an excellent idea of what Mandela and other activists were fighting against and of their ideals for the future. Walking into the museum is an eerie experience as the entranceway is divided -- a gateway for blacks and a gateway for whites. It seems hard today to believe that such a system existed, but this museum lays it all out. Constitution Hill . Constitution Hill is the site today of South Africa's Constitutional Court, which is regarded as a post-modernist architectural icon. If you're lucky, you might be able to listen in briefly on a constitutional hearing in the main chamber, and the court has a celebrated art collection. The older buildings have a more ominous history. Built in 1892 under the old Boer Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, many of South Africa's most famous political prisoners, including Boer war leaders, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, spent time in the Old Fort Prison Complex. A tour through the old prison gives you a sense of South Africa's layered and complex past. Liliesleaf Farm . Out in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg is the famous Liliesleaf Farm. It was some 12 miles outside the city in the 1960s and was purchased by the South African Communist Party with secret funds smuggled in from the Soviet Union. Arthur Goldreich, a white communist, fronted as the owner of the farm while Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and other prominent ANC activists hid from the police in the outbuildings. Many political discussions were held in the main house and by 1963, it was becoming clear to the ANC that they were putting themselves under too much risk. It was too late, on July 11 of that year, the police swooped in and arrested a number of top ANC leaders. Mandela was already on Robben Island for a previous conviction when the raid happened, but many still say today that his gun was buried on the farm and lies somewhere hidden in the earth. NATAL AREA . Howick If you are driving down to Durban from Johannesburg, you might want to make a short visit to the site at Howick where Nelson Mandela was arrested. Set in the beautiful Natal Midlands, the spot is only a few minutes off the main highway, the N3. Though there's not a great deal to see, a sculpture recently has been erected to mark the spot. An ongoing mystery is tied to the place, though, as some activists have said the CIA tipped off the South African security forces, pinpointing Mandela at this spot. No one has proved the claim, and it remains uncertain. EASTERN CAPE . Qunu . Qunu, on the Eastern Cape, is Nelson Mandela's hometown. His house -- which you cannot visit -- is right on the N2 between Durban and East London. If you're on the highway, the small museum at Qunu is certainly worth a stop. If you find the right people at the museum, they will grab a small piece of plastic chair and you can slide down the vast curved rock that Nelson Mandela slid down when he was a young boy playing hooky from his duties as a cattle herder. If you're lucky and have the time, you may be able to sit with a group of elders and sip the local sorghum beer known as Umqombothi. There is a tiny, reasonably priced bed and breakfast called Lili's where you can sleep in a typical Xhosa hut and try Xhosa food. The surrounding area is extremely poor but there are interesting things to see and do. Nelson Mandela's life and legacy are layered into the life and landscape of South Africa, and as the years go by, his stature grows.

Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years on February 11, 1990 . His struggle against apartheid in South Africa is marked by many historic sites . Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned, is one of South Africa's top tourist destinations .

(CNN) -- Even for an employed schoolteacher like Narinder, it is hard to find a bride these days. Narinder is a shy, slender 36-year old with a certain anxiety about him -- as if he has resigned to a fate that he is unable to change. He is very polite and at first, reluctant to talk about his situation. Narinder is one of four sons and only one of his brothers has managed to get married. In his district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, there are only 858 girls born for every 1,000 boys, a ratio that doesn't occur naturally without medical intervention. The northwestern state of Uttar Pradesh is home to one of the largest skewed sex ratios in India. INFOGRAPHIC: India's gender gap . "Only the rich and men with government jobs manage to get a bride these days," he says. "Anyone who earns less cannot find a bride here anymore." In India's conservative society, remaining a bachelor is not an option. A new bride would help his parents, he says. "They would have had an easier life. They would have had someone to cook and to take care of them." She should clean. She should run the household. She should bear children. And Narinder plans to share her with his two unmarried brothers, who live in the same house. But he cannot find a bride in his village, where so few exist. So, he contacted an agent to find one from another state. Narinder may be a victim of the heavily-skewed male sex ratio in his community; more broadly, the desire to buy a bride is also fueling bride trafficking. Decades of sex-selective abortion have created an acute lack of women in certain parts of India. Traffickers capitalize on the shortage by recruiting or kidnapping women ensnared in poverty to sell as brides. It's a cycle influenced by poverty and medical technologies, but one that ultimately is perpetuated by India's attitude towards women. India grapples with rape and sexual violence . Where India's trafficked brides come from . Across the country, in the northeastern state of Assam, the sobs of a couple fill a hut made of mud and bamboo. An aging couple cannot hold back their tears when they look at a passport-sized image of a dark-haired teenager, whose expression is washed out by water spots. This faded photo is all what's left of Jaida, their 16-year-old daughter. Jaida's family ended up in the village of mud houses at a safe distance from the Brahmaputra River, after floods had destroyed their livelihood. The family retains a few of their possessions: pots, pans, a few goats and two Indian daybeds. They had no access to farmland and Jaida's father earned a living by weaving baskets and mats out of straw. Jaida disappeared more than two years ago from their makeshift settlement along the Brahmaputra River. She was last seen talking to a stranger on a rainy day. Her parents' hopes rest with Shafiq Khan, a human rights activist, who has come to find out why more than 3,000 women went missing in the state of Assam in 2012. The National Crime Records Bureau estimated in 2012 that about 10 women are kidnapped in Assam every day. Some of these women are found again. Some go missing forever. Eastern Indian states like Assam, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha turn into source areas for bride trafficking, because they have much more balanced sex ratios. Meanwhile, India's northwestern states are more conservative and also more affluent, meaning they're able to afford ultrasound scans and selective abortions. Halida, a 14-year-old girl, lives in a neighboring village, near Jaida's family. In December 2012, as a violent gang rape in Delhi shocked the world, Halida was fetching water when she was kidnapped by a man on a motorbike. He took Halida to a house, locked her up and raped her over two days. Only when the man said that he would sell her in Delhi, did Halida muster the courage to escape. Opinion: India can learn respect for women . While Halida managed to escape her captor, she could not escape the blame her community cast on her. When her village found out about the attack, children started to tease her, making school a nightmare. Nobody would hire her father, a day-laborer, so he has to venture ever further afield in search of work. During the interview, Halida's mother sat quietly in a corner, but didn't hide her opinions: That her daughter had brought shame on the whole family. Shafiq Khan, the human rights advocate, says there is a cruel logic to this: Rape is a means for the trafficker to exert power over their victims. And the social stigma attached to rape puts the victim in an even more vulnerable situation. India's northeastern states have all the ingredients for turning poor women into traffickers' prey. The question is why? Opinion: Where have India's females gone? When everyone wants a son . India's preference for sons transcends all religions and castes. "As fertility declines, people choose not only the number of children they have, but also choose the sex of the child," says Poonam Muttreja, a prominent campaigner for women's rights and an adviser to the government. "And everyone wants a son." The skewed sex ratio is due to what Puneet Bedi, a Delhi suburb gynecologist, calls "mass murder on an unprecedented scale." Census data shows some districts in India have fewer than 800 girls born for every 1,000 boys, leaving male-heavy villages. A maverick amongst India's medical community, Bedi accuses his colleagues of helping parents use ultrasound scans to determine the sex of the baby and abort females, because of a cultural preference for sons. If this practice doesn't stop, Bedi fears the worst for the future of India. "The social fabric of society we accept as normal is unimaginable when a good 20 or 30% of the women are missing," he says. Opinion: How terrible is it to be born a girl? Why such a strong preference for sons exists is a matter of heated debate. Some point out that it is expensive to marry off daughters, because of the practice of dowry. Although dowry is outlawed in India, this practice persists. Others maintain that daughters only look after their in-laws, instead of their birth parents, when they grow old. Muttreja calls this pure myth. Women have been shown to be much more reliable when it comes to looking after relatives or using their earnings responsibly, she says. "While working women send money back to their families, men hold back money for liquor, cigarettes and perhaps going to sex workers, too," she says. The middle-class especially selects for sons, suggesting that economic development isn't likely to solve the problem, according to recent census data. When brides are sold . Although women are outnumbered by men in northwestern states, trafficked brides do not arrive into their new homes as prized wives. They have a name for the purchased brides -- paro -- which is derogatory for foreigner or stranger. We met 32 of them in a village of less than 1,000 people in the northeastern state of Haryana. Tasleema and her sister Akhleema are originally from Kolkata. Their family was so poor, they decided to sell them to a trafficker. The sisters are married to two brothers in a dusty village in Haryana. During their childhood in Kolkata, they recalled, on a few lucky days, there was money to go to the cinema. After being sold as brides, their lives are spent cooking, cleaning and working in the fields. They tell us of beatings and abuse. "Even the village children talk to us like dogs," the sisters say. Faced with the allegations, the husbands maintain they paid more than $2,000 to traffickers, before they married the sisters. They emphasize that the men are stigmatized too, because they didn't manage to find a bride locally and instead had to buy one of the "paro" women. "Patriarchy is so entrenched in our society. Girls are unwelcome visitor(s) in our own homes, and that's how they are treated," says Muttreja, the activist. The men and women alike speak of their situation with surprising frankness. The public outrage after the Delhi rape case has shown India's ability for self-criticism and the willingness of a significant part of its society to leave behind a deeply entrenched patriarchy. But this vicious cycle of aborting girls, kidnapping women and selling off brides continues -- the byproduct of a culture that sees sons as a blessing and daughters as a curse.

Employed schoolteacher seeks to purchase bride and with the intention of sharing her with unmarried brothers . Bride trafficking is part of a vicious cycle that aborts females and causes a shortage of women . Fewer than 800 girls are born for every 1,000 boys in certain Indian states leaving male-heavy villages . Shortage fuels bride trafficking where women are kidnapped and sold .

Foss Lake, Oklahoma (CNN) -- It began as routine training with new sonar equipment on an Oklahoma lake. But what highway patrolmen found from their boat was macabre. It was a car. And, as they were to discover later, there were bones and skulls inside. Then, equally surprising, they found another car. And it had bones inside it, too. Rusted and caked with mud, a 1952 Chevrolet and a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro held as many as six bodies. The recovery of the vehicles and remains Tuesday have residents near Foss Lake, a reservoir about 110 miles west of Oklahoma City, wondering whether two mysteries -- involving disappearances that the town of Sayre never forgot -- can finally be put to rest. Investigators say they believe one car may have belonged to a teenager who disappeared with two friends in 1970, and the other car could be linked to the disappearance of a man in the 1960s who a federal official says was with a sibling and a friend, officials told CNN and its affiliates KFOR and KOCO. Darrell Splawn, a diver with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, was sent down on Tuesday, one week after the sonar located the corroding vehicles. They were right next to each other, at a depth of 12 feet and 50 feet from a marina. Visibility was almost nil. He, like others, had no idea how the vehicles -- which faced in different directions -- came to be in the lake. Splawn located an open door and felt a shoe. "It didn't really cross my mind as to a body being there. It could have just been a shoe," the trooper told CNN on Wednesday. Skeletal remains were seen when the car was brought to shore. Now authorities are trying to positively identify the remains, a process that could take years, and try to learn what happened. So much time has passed in the two cases that the son of one missing person is now 85 and struggling with dementia. Young motorist was supposed to go to football game . Custer County Sheriff Bruce Peoples told KOCO that one of the cars, the Camaro, may have belonged to 16-year-old Jimmy Williams, a Sayre teenager who disappeared in 1970 with two friends: Thomas Rios and Leah Johnson, both 18. Rios had just moved to Sayre from Oklahoma City with his mother and stepfather about four months before his disappearance, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System website said. The three teenagers went missing the night of November 20, 1970, when they went for a ride around Sayre in Williams' blue Camaro with a white top, according to the Doe Network, a volunteer organization helping law enforcement in solving cold cases. Williams was supposed to be going to a football game in Elk City, but he may have instead gone hunting on a road called Turkey Creek with Rios and Johnson, the Doe Network website said. The website includes photos of the Camaro and cites Williams' family as its source of information. The three teens never returned home. The car was never found, and its vehicle identification number never surfaced on any databases. Williams' Social Security number was never used, the Doe Network said. Sayre residents were horrified after the disappearances and held a candlelight vigil for the teens as recently as four years ago. "A lot of people showed up, and it brought awareness," said Dayva Spitzer, co-editor and publisher of The Sayre Record & Beckham County Democrat weekly newspaper. "It was very nicely done." Police Chief Ronnie Harrold told CNN that local residents have been making up their own theories about what became of the three teens for the 26 years he's been there. A grandfather disappears and leaves no trace . Debbie McManaman said she believes the older car contains the remains of her grandfather, John Alva Porter. Porter, then 69, was traveling in a green Chevy with a sibling, Alrie Porter, and friend Nora Marie Duncan, 58, on April 8, 1969, when they all went missing, said Mike Nance, regional system administrator for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. "It's been so long -- 44 years. There are a lot of things in between there we can't answer, because we don't know," McManaman told CNN on Wednesday. "His bank account was there, his house was locked up. Utilities were on. He just walked away." John Porter used to ride bulls and take part in Wild West shows. At the lake, Ervie Porter, the son of John Porter, watched as investigators crawled around the cars. Now 85, the younger Porter suffers from dementia. He told CNN he has spent a long time searching for his father. "Still looking for him. But this is going to help me a whole lot." Divers search in, around vehicles . After the two cars were pulled out, dive teams with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol scoured the lake bottom again. "The divers then went back in the water and searched around," said spokeswoman Betsy Randolph, "and found a skull." Splawn said he found a skull, femur and some smaller bones during the additional search. "This is the first time this has ever happened to me," he said. After thorough searches, both vehicles were towed away Wednesday evening. Trooper George Hoyle was operating the sonar equipment that last week spotted the two vehicles. Foss Lake is down substantially because of a drought and that could have been a factor in the discovery, officials said. Hoyle said he hopes families now will receive answers. "It feels very good to us to be able to help them get that closure so they can have some resolve and serenity in their own lives," he said. Taken: The oldest cold case ever solved . Identification of remains will take time . The Oklahoma chief medical examiner's office will examine the remains once they are removed from the vehicles and "will possibly try to match DNA of those remains with known surviving family members," a Custer County Sheriff's Office statement said. The remains will be first evaluated by using any identification cards, jewelry and teeth found on the bodies, said Chief Medical Examiner Eric Pfeifer. A muddied wallet, a purse and two corroded rifles were among the items recovered. Authorities cautioned Wednesday, however, that positive identification could take years. The state anthropologist, Angela Berg, will examine the remains. "Scientific identification of these remains will be attempted using anthropological and if necessary, forensic pathological methods," Chief Administrative Officer Amy Elliott said in a written statement. "Depending on the features of these remains and their state of preservation, identification can take anywhere from days to years. In some cases, if the DNA is degraded, positive identification using scientific means may not be possible. Evidence in killing of former beauty queen points to ex-priest . In December, state anthropologist Berg coincidentally began looking into the cold case of the Porters and Duncan and then contacted Nance after she discovered that another cold case existed about a second vehicle with three missing teens in the same area, Nance told CNN. When authorities discovered the two cars and remains of six people, Berg called Nance for information on the six missing persons, which the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System maintains, he said. NAMUS recently coordinated with law agencies the collection of DNA from the family of Duncan, the woman who went missing along with the Porters, and the federal agency posted her name on its website, Nance said. A topic of discussion, speculation since 1970 . Sayre, a town of about 4,000 residents, largely depends on gas, oil and agriculture. A prison with about 2,400 beds is just outside of town, which is in Beckham County. Foss Lake is in adjoining Custer County. Three or four sheriffs have tried to solve the 1970 disappearance of the teens, said Spitzer, the newspaper editor. "It was just a cold case that ran out of clues," she said. "There were no leads or clues." Jimmy Williams worked at a mom-and-pop grocery store, and everyone expected him to return to work the day after he disappeared, said Spitzer. "There are theories from A to Z, literally. Most people think they ran into bad guys, somebody who apprehended them or something." Williams' brother, Gary, told a KFOR reporter that he felt positive that his brother's body has been found and that the discovery was made in God's timing, after so many local prayers. "To the family, it is fresh to them, opening wounds," said Spitzer. "For Sayre, it is at least some closure." Four females brought back to life by new images, DNA tests . Daughter tracks down suspect 26 years after dad's killing . CNN's Jason Morris and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report from Foss Lake, Oklahoma. Michael Martinez wrote and reported from Los Angeles. Michael Pearson and Phil Gast contributed from Atlanta.

Diver describes searching the two vehicles . One man, then 69, went missing with sibling and friend in 1969 while in a 1953 Chevy . Routine police training with sonar gear leads to macabre discovery at lake bottom . One car contains bones and skull; a second car also has bones .

(CNN) -- Concerns about the Ebola virus were heightened Sunday when a health care worker in Texas had a positive preliminary test for the disease. If confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the worker's case would mark the first known transmission of Ebola in the United States and the second-ever diagnosis in the country. With developments pouring in from all corners of the world, here's what you need to know to quickly get caught up: . WEST AFRICA . No relief in sight: . The number of deaths attributed to the current Ebola outbreak has climbed to 4,033, the World Health Organization reported Friday. The tally brings the total number of confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola to 8,399. The numbers were reported from Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain and the United States. A possible $32 billion hit: . The outbreak could cost the African economy $32 billion over the next two years if it spreads to its larger neighbors, the World Bank estimates. The steps some countries have taken to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus amount to "putting a towel under the door of a building on fire," World Bank president Jim Kim told CNN's Richard Quest on Thursday. Complete coverage on Ebola . Liberia postpones election: . Liberia's President on Thursday postponed a senatorial election that had been set for this week, citing the Ebola outbreak in the country. The nation's election commission had recommended the delay, saying the prevalence of the virus, authorities' efforts to combat it and citizens' efforts to isolate themselves weren't conducive to a free and open election. Officials have not yet revealed any new date for the election, which had been set for Tuesday. U.S. troops arrive in Liberia: . A group of 90 U.S. Marines and airmen arrived in Liberia on Thursday to help Ebola response efforts, along with four V-22 Osprey aircraft and two C-130 transport planes. Their arrival brings the total number of U.S. troops deployed in Liberia to 334, military spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Doherty said. There are more coming. In late October, 700 troops from the 101st Airborne Division are scheduled to deploy to Liberia. U.S. troops battle invisible enemy in Liberia . U.S. CASES . New case in Texas: . A person who helped to treat Thomas Eric Duncan may be the first person to contract the disease while in the United States. The health care worker from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital tested positive in a preliminary test Saturday after reporting a low-grade fever Friday. The CDC is working to confirm the diagnosis. 'Modest improvement' for NBC cameraman: . The family of NBC cameraman Ashoka Mukpo, who contracted Ebola while working in Liberia, is cautiously optimistic after doctors said his condition at a Nebraska hospital has improved slightly. Mukpo, an American citizen, has shown "very modest improvement," according to The Nebraska Medical Center, where he is being treated. Mukpo is receiving an experimental drug called brincidofovir, or CMX001. "Mr. Mukpo's condition is slightly improved," medical director Dr. Phil Smith said. "He's been taking in some fluids and drinking Gatorade. But everyone needs to be reminded that this is still a very serious illness we're dealing with and no one has a lot of experience treating it." Thomas Duncan dies: . Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, died Wednesday, 10 days after he was admitted to Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. His family wonders whether the outcome would have been different if doctors had admitted him to a hospital on September 25, the first time he showed up with a fever and stomach pain. Duncan's family has criticized the care he received. The Dallas hospital that treated him says staff members did everything they could. Ebola test negative for Dallas deputy: . An Ebola test was negative for a Dallas deputy who was hospitalized with possible symptoms of the deadly virus, officials said. The deputy, Sgt. Michael Monnig, didn't have any direct contact with Duncan but had reported contact with Duncan's family. Physicians at Texas Health Presbyterian discharged him Thursday, soon after the negative test came back, hospital spokeswoman Candace White said. New travel screening: . Five of America's biggest, busiest airports are beefing up measures. On Saturday, people arriving from the three nations hardest hit by Ebola started getting special screening, including having their temperature taken, at New York's JFK airport. Washington's Dulles, Newark, Chicago's O'Hare and Atlanta international airports will begin screening Thursday. Ebola worries spread: . In New York, fire officials said a patient in Brooklyn with Ebola-like symptoms had recently returned from the North African country of Sudan, the New York Daily News reported. The patient was undergoing tests, but the New York Health Department said there were no patients in the city suspected of having Ebola. The patient was "never at risk for Ebola and never met the definition of an Ebola suspect," the Health Department said. Sudan is far removed from the West African center of the outbreak -- as far away from it as Atlanta is from Los Angeles. Still, fear of the often deadly disease has bred much caution. "I have seen several people who had acute illnesses worried that they may have Ebola," said Dr. Mark Reiter, an emergency room physician in Tennessee and president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. Reiter said many patients in his state are unlikely candidates, not having been to West Africa, nor having had any contact with a symptomatic Ebola patient. "But it has gotten a tremendous amount of media coverage and some people are especially concerned about it, even if it is highly unlikely," Reiter said. In Los Angeles, a patient who was isolated at Centinela Hospital's emergency room after being transported from Los Angeles International Airport earlier this week has undergone all necessary tests required by the CDC and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The patient was approved for discharge. Linda Bradley, hospital CEO, said the patient, who had traveled recently from Liberia, underwent numerous tests, which came back negative. Cuban doctors train, then fight Ebola in Africa . IN OTHER COUNTRIES . Spain Ebola patient has no significant change in condition: . Teresa Romero Ramos, a nurse's assistant in Spain who is the first person to contract Ebola outside Africa, "is conscious and talking" but was in "stable but serious" condition Saturday after taking a turn for the worse earlier in the week. She has been treated with the anti-influenza drug Avigan, hospital sources with knowledge of the case said. Spain ramps up response: . After Romero became the first person to contract Ebola outside Africa, 16 people related to the case were being monitored in a Madrid hospital, including an emergency room doctor, the neighborhood doctor who saw her before the case was confirmed, and the nurse's husband, according to a government source. A special committee created by the Spanish government to tackle the Ebola crisis reported no significant changes in her condition. The committee, which will include representatives from government and health care, will coordinate national efforts to control the virus and establish protocols to deal with it, the source said. A nurse under observation at the hospital tested negative for the Ebola virus, the committee said. The nurse has been discharged but will remain under observation outside the hospital until her quarantine ends on October 16, the committee said. Sporadic infections unavoidable, the WHO says: . Sporadic Ebola infections will be unavoidable in some European countries because of direct travel from their hubs to hotspot areas in West Africa, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. But the risk of spread, it said, is avoidable and extremely low. Australia scare: . A 57-year-old woman who returned to Australia after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone has been isolated at a hospital and is undergoing tests, including one for the deadly virus, authorities said. She had isolated herself at home and checked her temperature twice daily since her return, as recommended by national guidelines. The Queensland Department of Health announced early Friday that initial tests on the woman came back negative for Ebola. United Kingdom: . The UK's Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Eurostar railway terminals will begin screening passengers arriving from Ebola-affected Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, a government spokesman said. Screening will involve assessing passengers' recent travel history, who they have been in contact with and future travel arrangements, as well as a possible assessment performed by medical personnel. CNN's Steve Almasy, Joe Sutton, Ray Sanchez, Greg Botelho, Alexander Felton, Khushbu Shah, Saskya Vandoorne, Richard Quest, Brent Swails and Nima Elbagir contributed to this report.

NEW: Texas health worker reports fever Friday, preliminary positive test for Ebola on Saturday . Airport screenings started Saturday at JFK airport in New York . Spokesman: US Airways followed CDC guidelines after health scare on Dominican flight . Hotel closed in Macedonia after sudden death, ministry says .

(CNN) -- Within weeks of British student Meredith Kercher's death in the vibrant college town of Perugia, Italy, prosecutors and police declared the case closed. They'd seized two knives in their search for the murder weapon. They took DNA from the room where Kercher was killed. And at least one suspect had confessed to being at the murder scene. Or so they said. Kercher had been stabbed in a sexual misadventure, officials said. And they knew the killers. American Amanda Knox, Kercher's roommate; Italian Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend; and Ivory Coast native Rudy Guede, a drifter known in the area, had their pictures splattered across the world's media. Knox's photo was even hung in the police plaza alongside Italy's most infamous mobsters and criminals. The prosecution case seemed a sensational slam-dunk, almost too good to be true. Knox's supporters say that's because it is. "In the beginning, all of this supposed evidence was being leaked, showing what sounded like a pretty convincing case," Anne Bremner, a lawyer and former prosecutor working with the group Friends of Amanda, told CNN. The case couldn't look more different depending on where you stand. Knox's murder trial is entering its final stages, with closing arguments beginning November 20. The jury will begin deliberating December 4. But there is still no agreement on the key pieces of evidence that prosecutors say convict her and the defense says clear her. Behind the Scenes: How we examined the evidence . In Knox's corner: her friends and family from Seattle, Washington. For them, she is the victim - railroaded by an overzealous Italian prosecutor, who faces charges of prosecutorial misconduct in another case. Knox's supporters say he's tried to force the evidence to fit his theory of what happened. And with negative and often false details about the case appearing in the press - all for the jury to read - Knox supporters fear she could be convicted regardless of the facts. On the other side: Perugia's prosecutor Giuliano Mignini. For him and his colleagues, the answer is simple - Guede, Knox and Sollecito are all responsible for leaving Kercher partially clothed, strangled and with her throat cut on November 2, 2007. See a timeline of the case . The knife . The crime scene was gruesome. The 21-year old British student was found under a duvet on the floor by her bed, covered in blood. A bloody handprint was streaked on the wall above her. A source close to the prosecution says Kercher was held down while she was strangled and stabbed. The source says Sollecito's 6 ½-inch kitchen knife was used to slit her throat and then taken back to his apartment. It is perhaps the biggest piece of evidence the prosecution has presented against Knox. Knox's DNA is on the handle and that of Kercher is on the blade, said a source close to the prosecution who did not wish to be identified discussing an ongoing case. Kercher had never been to Sollecito's apartment and wouldn't have come in contact with the knife, he said, yet there was her DNA. Those "unmistakable facts" show the knife played a role in the murder, the source said. Bremner and experts testifying for the defense say there is no way the knife could be the murder weapon. Dr. Carlo Torre, a leading forensics expert in Italy, testified that the knife taken from Sollecito's apartment wouldn't have made the wounds on Kercher's body. "It doesn't match the size or shape [of the wounds,]" Bremner told CNN. "And Sollecito's knife also doesn't match a bloody outline of a knife left on the bedding." Bremner, who offered her legal advice pro bono to the Knox family, questioned the validity of the DNA evidence, saying the knife had been "improperly transported in a shoe box." Watch Amanda Knox's parents discuss the case . Furthermore, Bremner said the jury heard from defense expert Sarah Gino, a geneticist and private coroner in Italy, who said that the DNA sample was too small to be definitive. Bremner said the presence of Knox's DNA on the knife handle was no surprise, as the couple had dinner at his house occasionally. Prosecutors say just because the knife doesn't match everything doesn't mean it wasn't used. The source close to the prosecution said it was possible, based on the wounds, that several different items made them. Damning DNA or 'Fellini Forensics' On the night Kercher was killed, Knox and her boyfriend say they were at his house watching a movie and smoking hashish. Their recollection of events, they admitted, was hazy from the drugs, but both swore they went back to the house the next morning. Knox says she was unable to gain entry - and called police. For their case, prosecutors had to prove that Knox and Sollecito - who had recently started dating - were lying and place them at the home when Kercher was killed. Some reports spoke of a scurry of people - more than one - on the night of the murder around the house. It was a positive lead for prosecutor Mignini - but came to nothing in court. But the prosecution had more evidence in the form of a bra clasp, one that fell to the floor after the murderer cut Kercher's bra in half before she was killed. And on it was Sollecito's DNA. Bremner says that evidence on the clasp is fundamentally flawed, like much from the crime scene collection, calling the work "Fellini forensics." "In the [crime scene] video, you can see it went from being white in color to nearly black because it got so dirty being moved around," Bremner said of the clasp, noting that tainted the only evidence that placed Sollecito at the scene. Bremner described other errors she saw on the crime scene video. "They were putting their fingers in Kercher's wound, they were shaking out evidence, picking up hairs and dropping them," she said. "Some people didn't wear gloves or had their hair draping on the floor, they crashed into a window at one point and threw aside evidence. It was just wrong on all levels." The prosecution source maintains the crime scene was handled properly, and the evidence shows what it shows. The source says it's up to the defense to prove otherwise. Biggest case for Italy or the 'greatest travesty' ever? Knox's introduction to the world came in a whirlwind of tabloid headlines. The prosecution touted hard evidence early that they said unquestionably showed they had their killers. There was a footprint in Knox and Kercher's bathroom that was attributed to Sollecito - though later analysts admitted it belonged to Guede, who was convicted of Kercher's murder in 2008. The prosecution also presented what they called a confession by Knox, but Knox later said any apparent admission she was at the scene was made when investigators told her to imagine what she might have seen if she had been there. The argument became moot when a higher court ruled the alleged confession could not be used because the statement was made without an attorney or translator present. The tabloid headlines continue as the trial closes. Media around the world focus on Knox's sexual history, what clothes she wears to court and whether a bump on her lip means the girl they dubbed "Foxy Knoxy" has herpes. It's all a distraction from the lack of evidence, Bremner said. "It's the greatest travesty of a prosecution ever," Bremner said. "It's so ludicrous. You've got to have a theory, or a motive, but the theory has to fit the facts somehow. And in this case, there's no solid evidence, no motive and no match whatsoever." Knox's supporters maintain that the prosecution did get one thing right - putting Guede behind bars. He chose a fast-track trial, separate from Sollecito and Knox, and was convicted of murder and attempted sexual assault and sentenced to 30 years. They believe he was Kercher's sole killer. He is appealing the verdict. They believe Knox and Sollecito are only being prosecuted because they were flaunted so publicly as the killers, and it would look bad for officials to admit they got it wrong. The prosecution source rejects that, and portrays Knox, Sollecito and Guede as three people who together ended the life of the young British woman. And they say the way Knox originally pointed the finger at another man - who was cleared with an alibi - shows she had something to hide. Both sides agree the truth is in the evidence, and it will soon be for the jury to decide which version they believe. CNN's Hada Messia and Amy Sahba contributed to this report.

Trial of Amanda Knox, accused of murdering fellow student in Italy, is nearing end . Key pieces of evidence that once seemed to signal closed case are disputed by defense . Opposing sides argues over what is revealed by alleged murder weapon, DNA evidence .

(CNN) -- Rivalry, dislike, even hatred are common emotions in the workplace. Add testosterone and adrenaline to the pot, stir and you have a potentially combustible concoction -- just ask Boris Becker and Michael Stich. In August 1992, Becker and Stich had much to celebrate as the duo became the first German tennis team to win Olympic gold -- beating South Africa to claim the men's doubles title in Spain. The Spanish night was young and Becker had arranged a dinner that night for Stich and a couple of other German athletes, but Becker says his partner preferred to take the first plane out of Barcelona rather than toast their success. Twenty years on, two of Germany's most celebrated tennis players -- whose personal relationship was limited by an intense rivalry -- have still to raise a glass to their historic win. "When we won, all I remember was just hugging each other, like we were brothers, but believe me -- that would have been impossible a week prior to the tournament," Becker told CNN. "Hopefully, one day we will be mature enough to sit down, have a bottle of red wine and just talk (about it). "You know, I won it because of him and he won it because of me. It's never going to go away so hopefully, we'll be able to celebrate this great achievement one of these years." The Olympics had come at the height of the duo's rivalry, says Becker, with the pair not just the best tennis players in Germany but also the world, as they vied with one another for major honors. Only a year earlier, Stich had beaten Becker in the first all-German men's final at Wimbledon. Yet although the partnership's strength was tested on repeated occasions in Spain, with their last three matches all going to five sets, Stich and Becker came through -- a result of single-minded ambition in their two-man team, says a British sports psychologist. "Research has shown that their rivalry would not necessarily have affected the outcome because they would still have wanted to win for themselves," says Dan Abrahams. "There may have been hostility on a social level but it was only what happened on court -- and coming together to achieve their task -- that mattered." Becker says it was during the quarterfinal against Spain's Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez, who were both higher-ranked and playing at home, that the German team finally put their egos aside, once they realized that only teamwork could pull them through. "When I'm working with teams as a psychologist, I reinforce the concept that if we are going to set team goals then everyone needs to be working together," says Abrahams, who is currently working for Premier League football club Queens Park Rangers. "It is not the end of the world if players are not friends. Research in sports psychology suggests that players do not have to like each other for a team to be successful." Down the rabbit hole: Depression in the Premier League . There can be fewer finer examples of that across any discipline than the on-field relationship between former Manchester United strikers Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham. During their four years at United, the pair formed a fluid forward partnership that contributed to three league titles, one FA Cup and a European Champions League crown. All of this was achieved despite the fact that they never talked to one another, with Cole having taken grave offense to a perceived slight from Sheringham during the former's England debut in 1995. Cole, who is still the Premier League's second highest scorer of all time, said in 2010 that he would rather socialize with a player who broke his leg in two places than "with Teddy Sheringham, who I've pretty much detested for the past 15 years. "We played together for years. We scored a lot of goals. I never spoke a single word to him.'" One reason why Sheringham and Cole could channel their enmity for the good of the team was the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Manchester United manager has handled countless dressing room rows during his time -- and he is not afraid to drop players in a bid to promote competition, as he did last month when benching Wayne Rooney in favor of new signing Robin van Persie. "Team sports can often be individual sports because each individual is trying to be chosen for the team and garner the manager's attentions, so team sports lend towards some rivalry within the team," says Abraham. "That can be a good thing for management because if you have two players vying for a place, that brings out the best of them in training, their focus and in matches. "However, it can be detrimental to their performance on the pitch if they are not working cohesively so it can be a double-edged sword." Football's most poisonous rivalry? Liverpool and Manchester United's tempestuous past . There are a host of examples of teams that have suffered when protagonists have clashed -- with Dutch footballers regularly falling out before suffering premature exits at major international competitions, their French counterparts doing their best to emulate them in recent tournaments while teams in golf's Ryder Cup and Formula 1 have been undone by feuding stars down the years. The 2004 Ryder Cup was a case in point as U.S. captain Hal Sutton made an enormous gamble as he paired two very contrasting figures together, in the hope that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson could set aside their differences to create a "Dream Team". A pairing described as making "oil and water look like a perfect match" duly lost both their matches as they helped the Europeans retain the trophy in comprehensive fashion. Meanwhile, intra-team rivalries have ruined partnerships in F1, with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost repeatedly at loggerheads during their time together at McLaren in the late 1980s. Although their two years together resulted in a championship apiece, their frequent clashes -- some of which came on the track -- prompted the Frenchman to leave McLaren, no doubt regretting his decision to persuade the stable to sign Senna as he did so. Earlier that decade, when one feuding F1 driver (Argentina's Carlos Reutemann) had suggested to a team colleague (Alan Jones) that they bury the hatchet, the Australian's reply -- "yeah, in your back" -- typified the emotions when rivalries run deep. They have of course spilled over into premeditated physical violence before, most notably when American figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding clashed in 1994. Three years on from winning medals as teammates at the world championships, Harding's bodyguard and ex-husband hired an assailant to break one of Kerrigan's legs ahead of the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships -- a feat Shane Stant failed to achieve, even if he did inflict enough damage to ensure Kerrigan withdrew from a tournament that Harding went on to win. Despite denying any involvement, Harding was later stripped of her title and banned for life from participating in any further figure-skating events in the United States. Amid all this dressing room tension as players try to be the main man and with enmity between teammates potentially sinking any team, Abrahams warns that strong friendships between players can also bring complications. "An element of closeness between players can become a problem for a manager in that they won't demand more from each other. You need to be very robust to be best mates with someone but give them a rollicking from time to time. "My experience suggests that players who are good mates will give each other a grilling, but they need to be better at their style of communication as this can create trouble." The "Secret Footballer", a current player who writes anonymously about life at the top of the English game, is in agreement, saying how he has played "in teams where it could be argued that some players were too close to each other and so were unable to really deliver a bollocking when the situation called for it." Behind the scenes with Graf and Agassi . Abrahams believes the individual nature of tennis, where players are so accustomed to winning and losing by themselves, enables them to deal with any hostility when playing doubles better than those who take part in team sports. But he does not discount the players' strength of mind. "Strong characters like Becker and Stich can deal with an intense rivalry but the less robust cannot," says Abrahams. Indeed, the German duo -- who had a grudging respect for one another -- were admirably successful in temporarily shelving their differences as they united to win gold for their nation. "Because of our rivalry, we were not that close on a private level," admits Stich. "But the good thing was we both had one goal. We wanted to win that medal. "After we both lost in the singles, that was the only chance we had -- as a team. We wanted to win the medal so we had to do well in doubles and we were professional enough to just go on that path." 15-love: Top tennis romances .

Boris Becker says he has still to celebrate his 1992 Olympic gold medal with doubles partner Michael Stich . German duo managed to win gold despite an intense tennis rivalry at the time . Top-flight sport is inundated with examples of teams that have suffered when protagonists have clashed .

(CNN) -- Brooklyn noise-pop duo Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss, aka Sleigh Bells, may have just released "Reign of Terror," the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, "Treats," but, believe it or not, they have only written one song together so far. "Comeback Kid," the lead single and last song that made it to "Reign of Terror," was their first collaborative effort. As Sleigh Bells' story of origin goes: Miller, a former guitarist for the Florida hardcore band Poison the Well, was writing what would become "Treats" while waiting tables in New York. He served Alexis Krauss, a former teen-pop singer, and her mother. Miller mentioned he was looking for a singer for his unfinished demos and Krauss' mom stepped in to broker the deal. Miller and Krauss recorded "Treats" and, within a year, they went from strangers to the pair behind one of the best albums of 2010. At the same time the group was taking off, Miller was struggling with both the sudden death of his father in a motorcycle crash and his mother being diagnosed with cancer. He wrote everything but "Comeback Kid" during this dark period. "'Reign of Terror' isn't a clever title," he has said. "That's what I felt like I was going through the last two years." Now, things are looking up. Miller's mother is doing well, the album has scored top reviews, Sleigh Bells performed on "Saturday Night Live" and Miller is already working on new material. For their third album, he says, Krauss' influence will be much more obvious. In the meantime, the band is opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on tour and they have announced more summer shows. CNN: How did coming up through the Florida hardcore scene affect what we hear in Sleigh Bells today? Derek Miller: That's the music that was happening in my backyard and it was a great outlet for all of the directionless anger and aggression that young men have when you hit puberty. Just angry at the world for no g--d--- reason. Hardcore was perfect for me. Up until that point, I was as determined to become a professional surfer, but after I got a guitar, it took over my entire life. I just never left my room. And it hasn't really changed since. I mean, I've since become a producer and gotten into beat making, but that was it. That was the shift. CNN: Since you hadn't worked with Alexis before "Treats," was there a particular a-ha moment when you knew there was something to your collaboration? Miller: I could hear it. I'm not saying that I knew the music was really good, I'm just saying that I knew it deserved to exist. I didn't how it would be received, but I knew that, at the very least, I had broken through that wall of mediocrity that I had been smashing myself against for so long. I knew it. I was like, oh my God, finally. This is what I've been waiting for. I can't tell you how excited I was. It came at a very dark time and I just completely made it my life. The whole thing seemed so improbable. I had been waiting tables for four years. I was the waiter who was going to make records and I'd tell anyone and everyone. And they were like, yeah, yeah, that's nice. An old Poison the Well fan came in to the restaurant and recognized me. He had a Poison the Well tattoo and I showed my manager; I was like, look, this is my old band! See? And he'd be like, that's very nice Mr. Miller, but can you please bus table 22? CNN: It seems like from the moment you two hooked up, success with Sleigh Bells came very quickly. Did it feel that way for you as well? Miller: I'm comfortable with the perception that it happened very quickly, even though I know how hard I worked on it for so many years and how much growing I had to do, how many horrible mediocre songs I wrote and threw away. But nobody needs to hear about that. From the outside looking in, it looks like it happened very quickly. I think the reason we've been able to really sustain it and turn it into something other than a flash in the pan is because there's a lot of work and a lot of serious focus. I was working very hard for it for a long time and failing. CNN: What did you learn from the success of "Treats" that you brought into "Reign of Terror"? Miller: Creatively, it was as simple as having a guitar in my hands every night. That is a boring answer, but before we went on tour for "Treats," I hadn't been on tour since I was 22 and I got into production. All I was thinking about was rhythm and I was making a lot of beats, then suddenly I'm on tour for 15 months playing guitar on stage every night. It was just by proximity that I just started writing on guitar again. CNN: What were some of your influences? Miller: Lyrically, I worked through a lot of the stuff that was f--king my head up on "Reign of Terror" and it helped me grow. This is borderline corny, but it was really therapeutic. It was like one long therapy session for me, just sort of working out some things. "Hysteria," the Def Leppard record, had a really strong grip on me. I love the songs, but especially the production as well. What Mutt Lange put on that record, I was obsessed with. But I'm moving away from those influences. I've been working on a ton of new stuff and branching out so it's an exciting time. I'm in a much better headspace and I think that that's reflected in the new stuff, which obviously won't be out for a little while, but the spark is there. CNN: What direction will the new material be taking? Miller: I'm going to be collaborating a lot more with Alexis this time around. We got a lot closer on "Reign of Terror," but really the last song we worked on was "Comeback Kid." I sort of just gave her the instrumental. I had the lyric and half an idea for a melody, but that's our first true collaboration and it's my favorite song on the record. I think really we have not utilized any of her talents. She is incredibly gifted when it comes to coming up with really memorable melodies, what I consider to be great melodies. There's so much of her in "Comeback Kid" and I love it. I happen to play in a band with her, but I'm also a fan. CNN: So you don't ever resent her getting more attention than you even when you created the whole band and the music initially? Miller: I actually push that, to be honest. We just did the cover of Spin magazine. When I saw that it's just a beautiful portrait of her, I was like, yes! Thank God! I'm not self-loathing or particularly insecure in my day-to-day, but I really hate being photographed. I hate looking at pictures of myself. I immediately just start tearing it apart. It's a lot like the creative process as well. I'm just really, really hard on myself. I like having her be the face of the band. She loves performing and she loves being photographed and she loves making videos. She looks great and she's confident. I'm the polar opposite. Even live, I'm never front-lit. I prefer to have the music speak for me. CNN: How was it for you to perform on "Saturday Night Live"? Miller: I didn't want to do "SNL," but we couldn't say no. You're a total a**hole if you turn it down. The only reason not to do it would be fear of failure. Like I said before, I know failure very well. I don't want to get into it, but I was particularly unimpressed by our performance. I watched it once and I'll never watch it again. But "SNL" was an incredible experience. CNN: How did opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on tour come about? Miller: Flea came out to a show in New York City and somebody introduced him to me. He was like, hey, I'm Flea. I obviously knew who he was. He was incredibly nice and he was like, would you guys be interested in playing shows with my band? I was like, you mean the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Sure! It was literally that simple. There was no politicking, no agents or anything. It was just dude to dude. I really appreciated that. I think they're all going to be really great people and I'm pretty psyched on it. They're one of the biggest touring bands on Earth, which is a strange sentence. They're, like, top two or three on the planet. I'm interested to see how a production like that works.

Sleigh Bells has released their second album, "Reign of Terror" "Comeback Kid" is the lead single and last song that made it to "Reign of Terror" Derek Miller spoke to CNN about the album and going on tour .

Washington (CNN) -- In rural southern Virginia, 14-term Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher says he's never had an election enemy quite like the ones he's facing this year. Its not his opponent, but instead it's what he calls a "shadowy" group that is funding television ads against him. "Rick Boucher is trying to deceive you ... Boucher has failed to protect our jobs. Now it's time Rick Boucher loses his," the ad's narrator says. The 30-second commercial was paid for by Americans for Job Security, a conservative-leaning group which, according to the nonpartisan watchdog group OpenSecrets.org, has spent nearly $8 million against Democratic candidates nationwide. On its website, Americans for Jobs Security states that its members are "businesses, business leaders and entrepreneurs from around the country," but blatantly states it will not disclose the names of its individual members or donors. Boucher, who says he's spent $300,000 of his campaign funds to counter the ad, rails against the secretive nature of the organization. "We have no idea who these individuals are," Boucher said. "It could be someone who has a corporate identity in the United States. It could be a very wealthy individual who has some grudge against me and is putting this advertisement on the air as a consequence." Americans for Job Security identifies itself on its website as a 501(c)(6) business league. That's a tax status for a nonprofit operation that can be involved in politics but not as its primary purpose. This particular tax status also means it does not have to disclose its donors. Read IRS regulations on 501(c)(6) business leagues . Groups such as Americans for Job Security are outside the Democratic and Republican parties and are likely benefiting from a Supreme Court decision earlier this year. That ruling, made on free speech grounds, allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited money to help defeat or promote candidates. That means even watchdog groups that track money flowing through elections can't find out who funds the groups. "When you're just trying to figure out who is truly behind that television message that you're seeing on TV, you don't know who's behind it, and that makes it more difficult as a voter to actually have the requisite information to go into the voting booth and make an informed choice," said Dave Levinthal of OpenSecrets.org. Republican sources have told CNN that Americans for Job Security has only one full-time employee, Steve DeMaura. His office is in Alexandria, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington. CNN left multiple phone messages for DeMaura, but he did not return the calls. Conservative-leaning outside groups have already spent $121.6 million this election season compared with $79.1 million spent by liberal-leaning outside groups, according to OpenSecrets.org. Another conservative group, Americans for Prosperity, expects to raise and spend about $35 million this election. "We simply educate the public," said Tim Phillips, the group's president. Part of that money is funding a television ad running in Colorado targeting first-term Democratic Rep. Betsy Markey, which says, "To small businesses, Betsy Markey is the same as Nancy Pelosi." Who are Americans for Prosperity's donors? The Texas billionaire Koch brothers are the group's founders and give significant dollars. But besides them, it's unclear. Phillips also makes no apologies for not revealing donors. "Most of it is private individuals, but we're glad to have their support and we do tell them, 'Look we're going to protect your privacy as the law allows us to do.' " President Obama has made it a regular practice lately to call out Americans for Prosperity by name in his effort to attack outside groups for spending tens of millions against Democrats without disclosing donors. "They are now allowed to spend as much as they want, unlimited amounts of money, and they don't have to reveal who is paying for these ads," Obama said at a recent Democratic fundraiser. "Millions of dollars being spent by groups with harmless-sounding names, Americans for Prosperity, the Committee for Truth in Politics, or Moms for Motherhood." Phillips said the president's attacks have actually helped Americans for Prosperity raise more money. "If the president wants to use us as a punching bag, let him," he said. "It does help funding, and it helps generate new grassroots support." Despite tough talk from Obama targeting Republican-backed outside groups, it's a mutual election-year undertaking. Democrats have their own groups supporting them, such as Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and Citizens for Strength and Security Action Fund, which are not disclosing their donors. In New Mexico, where former Rep. Steve Pearce is running for his old seat, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is running an ad against him. As eerie music plays in the background the narrator says, "Congressman Steve Pearce, named one of the most corrupt members of Congress." In Washington state, Citizens for Strength and Security Action Fund is running an ad promoting Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. And Democrats have smaller outside groups aimed at getting Democratic voters to the polls. Our Community Votes was originally started by veteran union strategist Steve Rosenthal. This year, according to an official familiar with the organization, it is running programs in Missouri, Maryland and Pennsylvania to encourage Democratic voters to go the polls. They're targeting African-American voters and "drop-off voters," those who went to the polls for Obama in 2008 but may not be likely to return for this year's midterm election. Our Community Votes is yet another Democratic group that does not disclose its donors. Democrats are also using a new weapon in the big money game of politics: the super PAC. Super PACs work independently of candidates. Unlike regular political action committees, they can raise and spend unlimited money to try to defeat or promote candidates. But super PACs must disclose their donors. Patriot Majority is one of the biggest of these new groups, and it is concentrating its efforts in Nevada, spending at least $5 million so far on ads against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's opponent, Republican Sharron Angle. The television ad's narrator begins, "For a victim of rape or incest, Sharron Angle would force her to have the baby." The ad then plays audio of Angle. "Two wrongs don't make a right." Craig Varoga, a longtime Democratic strategist who runs Patriot Majority, told CNN his group will significantly step up spending in the final three weeks before the election. Varoga expects to raise and spend as much as $10 million on the Reid race and other key Democratic races around the country. Varoga says his group is funded mostly by labor unions, in-state individual supporters and nonunion progressive groups, but he did not provide the names of these groups. Watchdog organizations say transparency is still a problem with these groups. "They don't have to do it [reveal donors] in real time," said Levinthal of OpenSecrets.org. "If they put a television ad up, there's no disclaimer at the end of the advertisement saying that this ad was paid for by these different corporations or these different unions. "In fact, since Patriot Majority raised most of its money in the past few months, recent Federal Election Commission filings don't reveal the majority of its donors. Patriot Majority's third quarter FEC filing is due this week -- three weeks before the election -- and will list the more recent donors." Varoga laments that Democrats are lagging behind Republican efforts to use these new political identities to raise large sums of money. "They are Goliath, and we are David," he said. "We are fighting back, and we're going to use the slingshot that we have in order to fight this fight." Another super PAC is American Families First Action Fund. It's an outside group organized primarily by a Democratic insider, who once headed up Democratic Party efforts to elect members to Congress. He helped start the group five weeks ago to compete with Republicans. And although American Families First Action Fund is required to disclose who funds it, CNN is told that the group itself was one of the secret donors to the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund in its ad against Pearce. It is a hard trail to follow, which underscores the point that Democrats, too, are trying to play carefully in what the president calls a shadowy world. In fact, while American Families First Action Fund may be a super PAC that must disclose its donors, it has a sister organization, Americans Families Fund Inc., which does not. Multiple Democratic sources tell CNN there is great frustration in some Democratic circles with the president's attacks on Republican groups. These sources say the president has made it harder to persuade Democratic donors to contribute to their outside groups, which for better or worse, are emerging as significant players in this year's election.

Political groups operate outside parties and do not have to reveal members or donors . It's difficult for voters to figure out who is behind messaging, watchdog group says . President Obama has attacked groups for spending millions without disclosing donors . Democratic-leaning groups are also cloaking their funding sources, however .

(CNN) -- A stuffy, overcrowded cell. At times, two or three men to a single bunk. Lockdown for 23 out of 24 hours. Is this what awaits South Africa's Oscar Pistorius if he is not released on bail while he awaits trial for the murder of his girlfriend? Some of South Africa's prisons are better than others. But whichever one might house Pistorius, there's no question that conditions would be a far cry from those in his $560,000 home in the luxury Silverwoods Estate, on the outskirts of Pretoria. South African prisons are frequently overcrowded, putting a strain on sanitation, ventilation and medical care, according to Nooshin Erfani-Ghadimi, project coordinator for the Johannesburg-based Wits Justice Project , a civil society group. The overcrowding means three men may share a single cell, or communal cells for 40 people are jammed with double the number they were intended to hold, with men sleeping in double or triple bunks, she said. "We heard of one person who for the first year in remand detention slept on the floor and then 'graduated' to a bunk," she said. Remand is the term used for pretrial custody. Many inmates are kept locked up for 23 hours a day, with only an hour outside their cell. Some prisons go into lockdown as early as 3 or 4 p.m., leaving prisoners cooped up for 12 hours or more at a stretch. "It's not a pretty picture," Erfani-Ghadimi said. Overcrowding is a particular problem in remand prisons, where it runs at just over 200%, she said, citing figures from the Department of Correctional Services. Overall, overcrowding in prisons stands at about 133%. And Pretoria Central Prison, perhaps the most likely destination for Pistorius if he doesn't get bail, "doesn't have a very good reputation," Erfani-Ghadimi said. Special treatment? The track star's high-profile case is likely to thrust South Africa's criminal justice system under the spotlight. Questions have already been asked about why Pistorius, a gold medal-winning Paralympian, is being detained in a holding cell at the Brooklyn Police Station -- and not at Central Prison or Newlock, where other defendants awaiting trial are kept. "If there is some special circumstance that permits this, authorities must share this with the public as they are setting a bad precedent," the women's branch of South Africa's ruling party said in a prepared statement. "All should be treated equally before the law no matter your standing in society." Pistorius is getting special treatment, the African National Congress Women's League said, adding that his family can visit him outside visiting hours -- unlike relatives of other inmates. "If Pistorius is denied bail, he must be moved to a proper prison facility with others accused of similar crimes," the statement said. "A strong message must be sent out that wealth and celebrity cannot give you an advantage over the law." The 26-year-old has rejected the murder allegation "in the strongest terms," his agent said in a statement. Pistorius' lawyers requested Brooklyn last week so that they could have access to their client over the weekend, following his arrest Thursday. The state did not object. The case of Shrien Dewani, a British man accused of hiring hitmen to kill his wife on their South African honeymoon, cast the country's criminal justice system in an unflattering light. His lawyers argued last year that his extradition would breach his human rights under European law because he risked being attacked by other inmates in South African prisons. While British High Court judges dismissed that part of Dewani's argument, concerns about potential torture and abuse in detention are warranted, Erfani-Ghadimi said. South Africa is a signatory to the U.N. Convention on Torture, but it has yet to ratify it, so such abuses have not been criminalized. "A legacy of apartheid is that prison cells are still unfortunately a place where prisoners can be abused," Erfani-Ghadimi said. Amnesty International's Annual Report 2012, which looked at human rights around the world, also said that a draft law to make torture a criminal offense had not been presented in South Africa's parliament by the end of the year. Human dignity . Nevertheless, said Erfani-Ghadimi, the problem doesn't lie in South Africa's laws so much as in the ability of the justice system to cope with the number of inmates in the system. South Africa's constitution and its bill of rights, with regard to prisoners' rights, are among the best in the world, she said. "Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily translate into practice." She says she thinks conditions are improving, however, thanks in part to the strength of those constitutional rights and the work of civil society organizations campaigning for change. And Pistorius, if he ends up spending time on remand or is eventually convicted and jailed, should find that his particular medical needs as a double amputee are taken into account, she said. This could mean that he is sent to a prison with better medical facilities or wheelchair access, she suggested. According to the bill of rights, prisoners are entitled to "be detained in conditions that are consistent with human dignity, including at least exercise and the provision, at state expense, of adequate accommodation, nutrition, medical treatment." Correctional Services Department spokesman Koos Gerber said South Africa's detention facilities, whether for remand prisoners or those serving prison terms, "can accommodate people with any disabilities." "We have a general problem of overcrowding but we have learned to live with it," said Gerber, adding that extra bunks have been added to make sure all remand prisoners have a bed. Hospital facilities are also available at all times, he said. According to official figures for 2011 to 2012, there were 158,790 prison inmates in South Africa, a nation of nearly 52 million, of whom about 30% were on remand awaiting trial. This compares with about 2.2 million people in prisons or jails in the United States at the end of 2011, according to U.S. Department of Justice figures. Crowding in U.S. prisons stood at 39% over capacity in 2011, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Long wait for trial . Erfani-Ghadimi blames systemic problems for South Africa's overcrowding. One issue is that police are quick to arrest people, she said, and they have only 48 hours from arrest to bring charges. After they are charged, many suspects cannot afford to make bail or hire a lawyer and so are forced to spend months or even years behind bars awaiting trial, she said. Investigations are often poorly run and courtrooms can be overcrowded, adding to the hurdles faced by those on remand, she said. "Because the system is cumbersome and slow, there's a lot of people stuck waiting -- and that means the conditions are not by any means ideal," she added. A "statement of agreed factual findings" filed in a Constitutional Court ruling in December, in favor of a man who contracted tuberculosis while imprisoned, gives insight into what could lie ahead for Pistorius. The statement describes the conditions Dudley Lee endured in Cape Town's Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison -- where Nelson Mandela was once held -- before he was eventually acquitted and freed. Prisoners going to court appearances were "stuffed into vans like sardines," it said. Holding cells at court were also "jam-packed." Meanwhile, conditions back at the prison were far from pleasant -- though ideal for the spread of disease. Packed, smoky cells . The air inside the communal cells, locked down without cross-ventilation for up to 15 hours a day, was thick with cigarette smoke, the statement said. Even after Lee was diagnosed with TB, he was kept in a cell with other prisoners. He "begged, bullied and bribed" to get the medication he needed. As a world-famous athlete, Pistorius has money to pay for good defense attorneys, unlike many in the South African justice system. He stated his annual income was 5.6 million rand ($631,000) at his bail hearing this week. Nonetheless, his lawyers face an uphill battle on the bail issue, with South African law requiring evidence of "exceptional circumstances" to justify the release of defendants accused of premeditated murder. If they fail, Pistorius could face several months on remand before his case goes to trial. And if convicted of premeditated murder, he would face 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole. His lawyers will be trying to make sure that doesn't happen.

South Africa's prisons are generally overcrowded, says the Wits Justice Project . Some single cells house two or three inmates, and ventilation is often poor . Lockdowns keep prisoners cooped up in cells for long periods . Oscar Pistorius could spend months in custody awaiting trial if his application for bail fails .

(CNN) -- He's made more money at the movies this year than Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, invading aliens and yes, even Justin Bieber. His name is Rango, a strange-looking lizard with the voice of Johnny Depp, and he's the current king of the box office. In 2009, only one fully animated film, "Up," was among the 10 biggest domestic grossers of the year. In 2010, the box office crown was taken by "Toy Story 3," and it was among five films in the top 10. In both years, animated films grossed well over $1 billion. "Rango" isn't alone at the box office this year, either. Live-action/animation hybrid "Hop" has been the No. 1 movie for two weekends running, while the last weekend in February saw Disney's computer-animated romantic comedy "Gnomeo & Juliet" holding its own in its third week in theaters, just barely coming in second to that weekend's new comedy "Hall Pass." "Gnomeo" is approaching a total take of $100 million in the United States. This weekend sees the release of the animated musical "Rio," which has already made more than $50 million internationally. The sequel "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil" is out later this month. Animation as a box office force (despite a few exceptions) couldn't come about only because of families with young kids. Rabid fans of the genre often follow every release and enjoy the artistic aspect of it as well as the fact that so many of the films work on a completely different level for adults. "The output of animated features in the last few years has definitely opened up from when I was a kid 20 years ago," said Michael Howe, a writer for JimHillMedia.com, who has a degree in animation from Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. "There is a variety to the marketplace these days that can allow us to pick and choose from the pop-culture oriented fare from DreamWorks or allow us to seek out the unfamiliar like Studio Ghibli's 'Spirited Away.' " Chicago resident Howe has been inspired since childhood by the medium: "With animation, there is the potential to take us to new worlds or environments that seem somehow familiar, but have been tweaked in little ways. You can see this in the style of the very angular world of the film 'Madagascar,' and even the vehicle-themed environments in the world of 'Cars.'" Twenty years ago, hand-drawn animation experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks to "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," and later, "The Lion King." When the first "Toy Story" was released in 1995, it heralded the eventual takeover by computer animation in feature films. Still, Disney was practically the only game in town. Toronto resident Mike Bastoli is one of many hardcore fans of Disney's Pixar animation studio, which has won the Best Animated Feature Oscar the past four years. "The way they combine the art of storytelling with the technology they use is incredible," said Bastoli, who created the fan site The Pixar Blog in 2007 and was flown out to visit the studio last year. "They really put a lot of attention into their story, more than any film studio out there, be it animated or live action. The story is what makes the movies work." "Pixar is really the only bulletproof brand left in Hollywood," said Boxofficeguru.com editor Gitesh Pandya. "They haven't had a flop yet." David A. Gross, editor and publisher of MovieReviewIntelligence.com, said a big reason for that is the broad appeal of the studio's recent releases. "You hear adults talking about how they were moved by 'Toy Story 3,' and 'Up' was a great story about an older character. When they fire on all cylinders like that, the (box office) can really take off." In 2001, the game changed again, when DreamWorks found success with "Shrek," the first of four movies in that franchise (with the spinoff, "Puss in Boots," due later this year). "We've been very excited to see the growth and popularity of animation," said Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation. In recent years, the studio's hits have included the first two "Madagascar" movies (a third is on the way in June 2012) and "Kung Fu Panda," whose sequel, following the adventures of Jack Black's character, Po, will be released on May 26. Globe pointed out that "Panda's" official Facebook page has had great success, with more than 3 million "likes" from users. "Certainly that is attributable to the popularity of the character," she said. "Po and Shrek are both very popular on Facebook." In 2002, the first of many "Ice Age" movies became a blockbuster for 20th Century Fox's Blue Sky Studios (a fourth film is due next year), and the company hopes to see similar success with "Rio," especially with teens and beyond. The movie's partnership with the popular "Angry Birds" online game has been a huge success, and a performance by two of the movie's stars, Jamie Foxx and Will.i.am, on "American Idol" attempted to attract that show's audience via the soundtrack. "Animated movies have become very unique in that in the last several years, they have become all-audience movies," said Jeffrey Godsick, executive vice president of marketing for 20th Century Fox. Through marketing campaigns like the one for "Rio," he said, "We are able to speak to the widest audience possible and can speak to different audience segments. Adults also know that there are jokes in the movie for them, that there's an emotional story for them." It's hard to find a studio that hasn't jumped into the animation game. "Almost all of the studios have really broken through: Sony did well with 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,' and Fox has done well with 'Ice Age,'" said Gross. "It's no longer just a Disney brand." Paramount is the latest studio fairly new to the animation world to have a smash hit on its hands with "Rango." "When you look at these animated movies like 'Despicable Me,' it was cute but it also had raw humor for adults. It was hip," said Gross. "You see the same thing with 'Rango' now. It's cool looking. Johnny Depp appeals to everybody. These are much bigger than a 'kiddie' movie." DreamWorks also strives to put out movies that will have broad appeal. "It makes for a great audience response to our films," said Globe. "In addition to the family audience, we've had great success with teens and tweens, and we hope to see the same reaction to 'Kung Fu Panda 2.'" Animation is a fact of life in Hollywood beyond "Shrek" and "Toy Story." "(Computer-generated imagery), which is used more and more in normal live action films, is now the bread and butter of the animation world," said iReporter Brett Martin, a film critic for the past 10 years and former entertainment reporter at Atlanta's WAGA-TV. "In fact, CGI has advanced so much it is hard to tell the difference between animation and reality these days." There seems to be no limit to the amount of animated fare we'll see coming out of Hollywood in the near future. "With three major sequels, a prequel and a handful of other nicely timed releases, 2011 animation has the potential for similar growth" to last year, said Martin, who gave his most glowing review of the year so far to "Rango." Aside from "Puss in Boots," other highly anticipated films this year include "Cars 2," "Happy Feet 2," "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn," and the hand-drawn "Winnie the Pooh." DreamWorks recently announced several upcoming animated features, including "How to Train Your Dragon 2," and a new version of "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," for 2012 and beyond. For the "Dragon" franchise, a second movie is just the beginning. "We were thrilled with the response for the first film, and subsequently fans are interested in what the sequel will be," said Globe. "Also, Cartoon Network will be bringing forth a TV series in 2012." (Cartoon Network, like CNN is a Time Warner company.) As long as the big box office numbers keep rolling in, moviegoers will continue to see more. As Pandya put it, "When the movie is well-made and the marketing is done well, the rewards are enormous."

Animated films have dominated the box office more and more in recent years . Many studios are getting in on the action, beyond Disney and DreamWorks . Fans admire the artistry and clever storytelling of these films . Wide appeal helps bring in more than $1 billion a year in U.S. alone .

(CNN) -- "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." Nelson Mandela . For Kevin-Prince Boateng it was a depressingly familiar soundtrack: the monkey noises, the name-calling, the crude racial stereotyping. He'd always ignored it in the past, and for 25 minutes of AC Milan's match with lower league Pro Patria in early January this year he'd done the same. But then something inside him snapped. The 26-year-old picked up the ball and propelled it in the direction of his abusers before storming from the field of play, followed by his teammates. The game was over and Boateng's protest transformed this exhibition match into headline news around the globe, plunging football's authorities into crisis management mode. "I could hear from the crowd some monkey noises and this went on for about 25 minutes. Every time I touched the ball I could hear the crowd," Boateng told CNN. "I said to myself, in this kind of environment, in this situation, I don't want to play football anymore. "I came to the dressing room and I was the first, and saw one (teammate), then the second one and then the whole team came. I was really surprised and then really proud. I thanked all of them for following me. "After not even 10 minutes I had, like, 86 phone calls on my phone and I thought something had happened, but it was just an unbelievable impact. It went all around the world within the first hour." The authorities react . Boateng's actions were applauded and condemned in equal measure but, undeniably, they forced the game's authorities to stand up and take notice. As recently as 2011 FIFA president Sepp Blatter told CNN that on-field racism didn't exist in football and that those who thought they'd been abused during a game should simply shake hands upon the final whistle and move on. He later insisted his comments had been misinterpreted and underlined his commitment to fighting racism in football and society. But while Blatter insisted that walking off the field was the wrong way to tackle discrimination, there's no doubt Boateng's protest provoked the head of world soccer's governing body into decisive action. A task force against racism and discrimination was formed, with Boateng invited to join ahead of its first meeting on May 6. It formulated proposals that would see any player or official found guilty of racism banned for five matches while teams could be docked points, expelled from competition or even relegated for persistent offenses. Those recommendations were ratified at FIFA's recent congress in Mauritius and were hailed by the task force's head Jeffrey Webb as a "defining moment" in soccer's fight against racism. Boateng was also invited to the United Nations, where he told the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that racism was a "dangerous disease." UEFA, European football's governing body, went further than FIFA, implementing a minimum 10-match ban for racist abuse by players or officials and escalating measures for clubs including fines and stadium closures for repeat offenders. But although football's authorities have now adopted a stronger stance to combat what has long been an ugly stain on the game, the picture on the ground is more clouded. CNN contacted more than 15 European football associations asking a series of questions on the prevalence of racism. One of only a handful who replied, the Portuguese FA, said they don't have any record of racist abuse cases in their country. This despite Porto being fined $26,000 by UEFA for racist abuse directed at Mario Balotelli, then a Manchester City player, during a Europa League match in 2012. The English club was later fined $39,000 in the same competition for taking to the field late after halftime. On the ground in Serbia . The situation in Serbia reflects the complex nature of such an explosive topic. The technical director of the Serbian Football Association, Savo Milosevic, told CNN that his country's problems with racism have been exaggerated. "I think people made out of this a much bigger problem than we actually have," he said. "We don't have a strategy to fight against racism in the FA of Serbia, we also don't have a strategy in our government to fight against racism, simply because we don't consider this a problem here." He cited the difficulties they face with crowd violence as a more pressing concern, with Serbia repeatedly warned about the conduct of its supporters, who rioted and caused a Euro 2012 qualifying game with Italy to be abandoned back in 2010. But the Serbian FA was recently fined £65,000 ($84,000) by UEFA after an ill-tempered under-21 match against England in which visiting player Danny Rose claimed he'd been subjected to monkey chants from the crowd. The incident, and the fine, prompted criticism of UEFA from the British government, whose sports minister Hugh Robertson expressed his disappointment at the sanctions in relation to what he called "widespread racist abuse." Milosevic, just like the Serbian FA did at the time, insisted the punishment was related to a brawl between the players and not to do with racism. Passionate fans . On CNN's visit to the Belgrade derby between Partizan and Red Star, notorious for the fervency of both sets of fans, there was violence in the stands, and several fires lit but no audible racism. Reflecting the diverse nature of many playing squads within European football, Red Star's team contained several black players who told CNN they'd experienced no racial abuse since joining the club. But while progress has been made on the field, with players from a wide range of nationalities sharing dressing rooms around Europe and standing together to present a united front against the scourge of discrimination, flashpoints keep occurring in the stands, especially in Italy. Lazio was issued with a $186,000 fine after racist chanting from its fans during three matches in the Europa League: two against English club Tottenham in September and November 2012, and one against Maribor of Slovenia in December. And in May, Boateng, along with Italy striker Mario Balotelli and Ghana international Sulley Muntari, were the targets when a game between AC Milan and Roma was temporarily halted as visiting fans chanted racist abuse at the trio. Balotelli, one of Europe's most high-profile black players, told CNN in an exclusive interview that he would walk off the field if the abuse persisted while Muntari expressed his desire to "kill" all racism in the game. They epitomized a new resolve among the game's top players to stamp out discrimination, sparked by Boateng's actions in the small town of Busto Arsizio in the Lombardy region of the country on that January afternoon. Boateng's resolve . His abusers at Pro Patria were recently handed jail sentences ranging from 40 days to two months and Boateng is convinced the past five months are proof that there is hope for the future. "I'm taking care of these things because I want my son to grow up in a nice place and not in a place where he has to be confronted by racism," Boateng explained to CNN. "But I never ever thought that if something happened like this that I would react the way I did, that was just out of the emotion and anger in that situation. "I would say that it's there every day. It's still there and that's a big problem, because we are in the year 2013 and we still have to face racism. There are so many people who are fighting it now, and I want to be a part of that. "I'm very confident. I had so many talks and so much support from people who want to help, who have offered their help." After years of mixed messages from the top, it appears there is now an appetite to launch an assault on the outdated attitudes that still infiltrate the modern game. But given the recent resurgence of racist incidents in Europe, and the muddled picture in various pockets of the continent, the path towards zero tolerance is sure to prove painstaking. Should the globe's most popular sport manage to forge a way through, perhaps it will be able to point to the events of January 3 as a turning point. As far as Boateng is concerned, had it been a friendly, or one of the planet's most high-profile games his reaction would have been the same. "I think we should not accept and tolerate racism anywhere, in any game, whether it's a friendly game or a World Cup final or it's a Champions League final," he said. "For me I would honestly do it even if it was a Champions League final."

Kevin-Prince Boateng's walk-off protest marked pivotal moment in soccer's racism battle . Milan midfielder left the field after being abused during match with Pro Patria . He now sits on FIFA's anti-racism task force as authorities reacted to his protest . Both UEFA and FIFA have passed new laws to try and eradicate racism from the game .

Washington (CNN) -- On Capitol Hill, the beginning of this year will look a lot like the end of last year. The fight over extending a payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits picks back up Tuesday as Congress returns to work after its winter break. While aides in both parties say it's likely Congress will resolve that dispute, Republicans are still licking their wounds after a public backlash over how they handled those issues and fear that Senate Democrats will drag out the fight to score more political points in an election year. And Democrats are concerned that House Republicans will insist on adding more items to the measures to try to keep conservatives on board. The presidential campaign will take center stage this year. President Barack Obama already has made clear he plans to run against a "do-nothing" Congress and will likely highlight that theme during the annual State of the Union address next week. Facing that high-profile push against them, and with congressional approval ratings in the single digits and the fight for control of both chambers in the balance, lawmakers know they have a heavy lift to convince voters they deserve re-election. Democrats, who run the Senate, and Republicans, who control the House, acknowledge that outside of the payroll tax cut bill no major legislation is expected to make it through Congress this year. However, each party promises a series of bills to advance what it thinks the public wants from Capitol Hill in response to the weak economy. For both sides, these efforts will be more about political messaging than actually legislating because few, if any, are likely to become law. Congressional tensions . This week House Republicans will huddle at their annual three-day retreat in Baltimore to map out their 2012 agenda and strategy for responding to President Obama and Congressional Democrats. But high on the agenda at that meeting for House Speaker John Boehner is likely to be an effort to bridge severe divisions with his own rank-and- file, many of whom questioned his leadership over the course of several showdowns with the White House and Democrats last year. Conservatives want Boehner to be more aggressive in standing for their principles. Tensions between Senate Democrats and Republicans are also high. The president's decision earlier this month to make a recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while the Congress was technically not recessed drew a swift and angry response from Republicans. Top GOP aides privately grumbled the move set a bad tone for the coming year and invited Republicans to be even less cooperative. And with key economic nominees needing Senate confirmation, including a new Director of Office of Management and Budget after Jack Lew was named White House chief of staff, Republicans could cause problems for the president and Senate Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Congress spent months on issues unnecessarily last year, pointing out that President Ronald Reagan raised the debt ceiling 18 times while in the White House. "We've had obstructionism on steroids," Reid said. A top Senate Democratic leadership aide said the party isn't overly concerned. That's because Democrats believe GOP obstructionism is at such a high level now -- where filibusters are routine -- they already expect a major fight on every nominee. Finishing the payroll tax cut bill . When Congress limped out of town before Christmas, it agreed to a two-month extension of a bill that cuts payroll taxes, extends unemployment benefits and prevents a cut in the rate paid to doctors who care for Medicare patients. As they begin talks on an extension for the rest of 2012, both sides remain highly skeptical and suspicious of each other. Questions linger for congressional negotiators -- how to pay for the $200 billion price tag and whether to tighten requirements for unemployment benefits. Democrats are worried Republicans will push for other issues, such as renewing their demand for the approval of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline or the elimination of a range of EPA regulations on businesses. Some in the GOP are wary the White House and Senate Democrats will try again to pass a surtax on millionaires -- something even some Democrats don't support -- as a way of painting the GOP as protectors of the rich. "The only way this process will not go smoothly and through regular order is if the White House chooses to disrupt it for political reasons," said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner. Informal discussions between House and Senate negotiators have already begun. Reid told "Meet the Press" that he hopes the tea party faction in the House doesn't have the same influence on talks that it did in December's impasse, calling that "bad for the country." "I would hope the two Republican leaders would have learned from what took place in the previous year," Reid said. Debt ceiling again . Right out of the gate when Congress returns, lawmakers will have to respond formally to the president's recent request to raise the debt ceiling. As part of the choreography agreed to last summer, members will get a chance to vote against the president's request, but it's mostly for show because the reality is Congress doesn't have the votes to block an increase. Two other significant bills need attention this winter. One is a new Federal Aviation Administration bill that is stalled over disputes on labor rights and a costly government program to subsidize air travel to rural areas. Senators also want to pass a highway bill that would fund road and bridge construction for the next two years. Obama is supposed to formally submit his budget for 2013 in February. Last year, Republicans criticized his budget for failing to reform entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security, which represent the bulk of the nation's massive budget deficit. "If he punts again, it will be clear the White House plans to spend the year on autopilot. We think that would be unacceptable to the American people," Boehner's aide said. On the Keystone matter, the administration already is facing a congressionally mandated deadline on February 21 to approve the project or explain why it won't. Democrats say they expect the White House to reject the plan -- because the administration has said it can't finish its environmental review by then -- but Republicans are promising to continue to hammer the administration on the issue. Bills to help the economy and send a message to voters . In addition to their push for Keystone, House Republicans are planning votes early this year on legislation that would expand domestic energy production and upgrade transportation infrastructure across the country. The bill will include offshore drilling, energy exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), as well as give money to states along with more flexibility to build roads and bridges. The new spending on highway projects would be offset by revenue from oil and gas leases. But the White House is unlikely to support the GOP proposals and they are unlikely to go anywhere in the Democratic-led Senate. Even without much hope for actually passing these bills House Republican aides stress they will continue focusing on measures to boost the weak economy to show they are responding to voters' concerns, and they emphasize that many of these proposals have had Democratic support. "The House is going to continue to work hard to produce results for small businesses, working families and middle class Americans," one House GOP aide told CNN. "If the president wishes to ignore Congress and play political games, that's his decision, but by doing so he will own the gridlock," the aide said. In addition to the bills on jobs, the House also is expected to take up legislation to make more transparent members of Congress' stock trades and other financial transactions. GOP leaders plan to vote on the so-called "STOCK Act" which would ban lawmakers from using any non-public information to trade stocks or make other financial transactions. Senate Democrats want to draw a line to job creation with almost everything they do this year. That starts with the highway and FAA bills, which Democrats say will create thousands of jobs. It will then continue all year with a myriad of bills Democrats think will prove to a wary public they are putting jobs first. A measure to fund school construction is another example of a bill Democrats hope to highlight. Lawmakers from both parties say they are determined before the end of the year to prevent deep cuts to the defense budget as called for after the deficit reduction "super committee" failed to reach a deal to slash the deficit. Aides said serious work to find alternative spending reductions probably won't happen until after the election in November. Control of Congress . As voters go to the polls this year, members are expected to spend less time in Washington and more time in their districts making the case for why their party ought to be steering the country's economic agenda. Democrats need to pick up 25 seats to regain control of the House -- a high hurdle, but one many Democrats feel is within reach because they think voters will blame Republicans for the gridlock in Washington. Senate Republicans feel more confident they can win control of their chamber, especially after the retirements of several key Democratic senators in states that lean Republican. Right now the Democrats hold a 53-47 advantage. But Democrats are defending 23 seats this year while Republicans are working to hold just 10. The recent announcement by Sen. Ben Nelson, a conservative Democrat from Nebraska, that he would not seek re-election is seen by Republicans as another sign Democrats will lose majority control.

Fight over payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits picks back up . Members will get a chance to vote against the president's debt ceiling increase request . Members will spend less time in Washington, more time in their districts during this election year .

(CNN) -- Last June, Glen Campbell stunned fans when he revealed in a press release that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It was not an easy decision to go public with his private struggle, but his family felt it was a decision that needed to be made. "The main thing we were concerned about was during shows he would forget a line or get a little confused," says Campbell's daughter, Ashley. "People would think, 'Is he drunk?' Is he doing drugs again?' So we didn't want people to get the wrong impression." But an interesting thing happened after the Alzheimer's announcement. Instead of fading off into the sunset like a forgotten icon, the 75-year-old entertainer has been catapulted back into the spotlight -- and the music industry can't seem to shower him with enough accolades. In November, he was the subject of a star-studded tribute at the CMA Awards show, and on Sunday night, he'll pick up a Lifetime Achievement trophy at the 54th annual Grammy Awards. Behind the scenes, it's been somewhat of a standoff between the CMAs and the Grammys, with each telecast vying for bragging rights to have Campbell perform. But there's nothing like the pull of the Grammys -- especially when you're a five-time Grammy winner. At the CMAs, Campbell beamed from the audience while Keith Urban, Brad Paisley and Vince Gill serenaded him with his biggest hits, but the Grammys will be a different story. Campbell himself will take center stage for "Rhinestone Cowboy," flanked by Blake Shelton, The Band Perry and his own band -- which features three of his grown children. It'll be his first live television performance since the Alzheimer's diagnosis, and thus, it will also be a bit of a cliffhanger. Last fall, Campbell released his final album, "Ghost on the Canvas," then hit the road on what he's calling his farewell tour. Most of the time, he sails through his set like the charismatic veteran he is. Three teleprompters at the foot of the stage enable him to read his lyrics, and when he flubs a line here or there, he usually laughs it off. But there are rare moments when he'll become a little disoriented, and that's when it helps that he's surrounded by family on stage. Son Cal keeps things steady on drums, while his brother, Shannon, plays guitar nearby. Their younger sister, Ashley, stands protectively to Campbell's left, on keyboards, banjo and violin. "He looks at me sometimes if he is confused, and I just smile at him. I just try to make him feel like he is surrounded by people that love him on stage," says Ashley. While most people with Alzheimer's drift in and out of lucidity without fanfare, you know exactly when Campbell has hit a rough patch. He'll be playing a song on guitar that he's played a gazillion times, like "Wichita Lineman," then all of a sudden hit a bad chord or forget the lyrics. It's like a light switch. In concert, fans are happy to fill in the gaps when he has a senior moment, singing his lyrics back at him until he finds his way again. Campbell's wife, Kim, watches serenely from the soundboard, knowing full-well that these incidents will occur from time to time. But the whole family has made peace with it, including Campbell. He tells CNN, "I am content with it. Don't cry over spilt milk. Get up and be a man and do what you have got to do." CNN recently sat down with Glen and Kim at their home in Malibu, in a room overlooking the California coast. Several guitars were on display within arm's reach. Others laid in cases in the entryway, ready to head out on the road. In another room, platinum and gold records lined the walls, documenting the success of "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Rhinestone Cowboy." Clearly, music has been good to Glen Campbell, and Glen Campbell has been good for music. Now, music is helping him cope with life. CNN: How does it feel to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys? Glen Campbell: I am flattered. I really am. All I wanted to do every since I could remember was play my guitar and sing. CNN: You came out to Los Angeles in 1958 to be a guitarist. Did you ever see yourself becoming a big star? Campbell: I never really thought of it! I'm a musician first. So when I got the job playing guitar with the session players, I said, "Yay, I can play." I was a little scared. I was a little nervous, but when I got in with The Wrecking Crew, I realized that I could cut it out here, and could do it. I played with the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, the Righteous Brothers, the Monkees. CNN: You're known as a great guitar player, but did you ever take a formal lesson? Campbell: No. I can read a chord chart, but I couldn't read a note chart. CNN: Are you nervous about taking the stage these days? Campbell: I realize you are going to make mistakes through life. Just don't make any bad ones, you know. Like all of my records are perfect records, but I did make mistakes on them. I would rather do live than any kind of lip-synching or something like that. I don't like to lip-synch. CNN: What has been the reaction from fans? Kim Campbell: Boy, were we pleasantly surprised. They have been more than understanding. They have really just been rooting him on. It is really encouraging. Glen: I don't see myself any different, though. I'm forgetful. Kim: I actually think he is better than he was a year ago. I think that being out and performing all the time has something to do with it. Music seems to be really good therapy for him. I don't know if it is the vibrations. Maybe they stimulate the brain. Of course he is on some medications today that I think have been helping, too. So we are blessed to be living in a time when there are some treatments. There is no cure, but there are things that can help, and they are helping. Glen: What did they diagnose me as? Kim: Alzheimer's. Glen: Alzheimer's. What is Alzheimer's? Kim: You start losing your memory and your ability to reason. Glen: I just take it as it comes, you know. I know that I have a problem with that, but it doesn't bother me. If you're going to have it handed to you, you have got to take it, anyway. So that is the way I look at it. CNN: You went down to Nashville for the CMA Awards in November. Seemed like you knew a lot of people there. Glen: What is his name -- the one who married that long-legged girl? Kim: Keith Urban. Glen: Yeah, Keith Urban. He is probably the best guitar player in Nashville. Kim: And Brad Paisley. They are two of his favorites. Glen: Just incredible players. CNN: The two of you have been married nearly 30 years. Did you really meet on a blind date? Kim: I was dancing with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Glen: They had a bunch lined up and I thought, "I'll take that one there." No, I'm kidding. CNN: Was it love at first sight? Kim, at that time, he was kind of a hell-raiser. Kim: I really didn't know anything about that, because I was a dancer, and I just had my head into Broadway and I didn't read the tabloids. But I knew he was a singer. And then I went to one of his concerts -- "Oh my goodness, I remember that song. I remember that song." He had a lot of hits. So then I got a little more intimidated, but I really just didn't know much about him. CNN: Glen, did Kim change your life? Glen: Yes, she did change my life in many ways. Before I met her, I didn't know where I was at, or where I was going. And after I met her, I knew where I was going, and I knew where to wanted to go. Do everything according to God, and be nice, and treat other people the way you would like to be treated. We both go on that bit of advice there. CNN: You've had your ups and downs. Glen: I was forgiven for being a dummy, literally. I have been through so many changes. The first part of my career, everything was not in place. CNN: Do you pray every morning? Glen: Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. CNN: What do you ask for? Glen: Mainly thanks. Thank you, Lord, for letting me get up this morning. Let me have a good day. And if you don't, I will come up there and get you! And he laughs at that.

Glen Campbell and his wife Kim talked to CNN about his diagnosis . The country singer says he is content with his life . Campbell will be honored Sunday night on the Grammys .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama and Republican and Democratic leaders engaged in a spirited but civil debate at a health care summit Thursday, finding agreement on some issues but appearing to find little common ground on how to move forward in a bipartisan way. "I don't know, frankly, whether we can close that gap," said President Obama as the day-long meeting closed. If agreement is not reached, he said, there will be "a lot of arguments about procedures in Congress about moving forward," an apparent reference to using a parliamentary shortcut under which a health care bill could be passed with a simple majority instead of the 60-vote supermajority the body requires to overcome the filibuster which Republicans have threatened to use. "My hope had been there might be enough areas of overlap to realistically think about moving forward without a situation in which everyone just goes to their respective corners and this ends up being a political fight," he said. "Frankly, I was discourage by the outcome," Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, told reporters after the meeting. He urged the Democrats to "start over and go step by step and target the areas of possible agreement that we discussed in the meeting today." Sen. John Boehner, R-Ohio, sounded equally unenthusiastic. "I think the American people want us to work together on common steps to make our current system work better," he said. "We can't do it within the framework of a 2,700-page bill." Live updates from the health care summit . "The president let everybody talk and talk and talk," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who called Obama "the most patient man in the world." Though there were areas of agreement, he said, "every Republican used the same talking points." He, too, appeared to raise the specter of attempting to move forward through the parliamentary shortcut, known as reconciliation. "It's time we do something and we're going to do it," the Nevada Democrat said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was "not overly optimistic" that the Democrats would be able to attract Republican votes for the health care bill. Obama said in opening remarks that "it is absolutely critical to begin now moving on what is one of the biggest drags on the economy." The situation affects not just people without health insurance, but also those who have it, he said. "The problem is not getting better," he said. "It is getting worse." Share your reaction to the summit . Obama called on Republican and Democratic leaders at the much-publicized summit to "not focus on where we differ, but focus on where we agree." The differences were evident, though, in what each side believes should happen next. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, who made the opening remarks for his party, said Democrats should scrap existing bills passed by the House and Senate and start over on new legislation. Watch what areas Democrats and Republicans can agree on . That's not going to happen, Democrats answered, saying Americans cannot wait. "For them, they don't have time for us to start over," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. Jon Kyl, the Senate Republican Whip, pointed out that a major philosophical difference between the two sides is who should be in charge of the health care system -- the government or private industry. "There's so much in the bills you have supported that puts so much control in Washington," Kyl said to Obama. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor also highlighted that concern, pointing out that Republicans are nearly unanimous in their opposition to the bills. "There is a reason we voted no," Cantor said to Obama. "It does have to do with the philosophical differences you pointed out. It also has to do with our fear that Washington can define what are essential health benefits." Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin made an impassioned plea for passage of health care reform, saying the current system discriminates against people who are already sick. Watch Harkin's plea for everyone to have insurance . Racial segregation has been outlawed, he said, "however we still allow segregation today on the basis of your health." Fellow Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller urged greater oversight of the health insurance sector, which he called "a shark that swims just below the water." "This is a rapacious industry that does what it wants, unknown to the people of America except on an individual basis," Rockefeller said. Critics had said before the nationally televised summit started that it would amount to a public relations stunt. "This is about theater," said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican. "This is not about substance, unfortunately." Watch what's at stake at the health care summit . Obama addressed that concern in his opening remarks. "I hope this isn't political theater where people are playing to the camera," he said. Obama said Republicans and Democrats seem to agree that costs have to be contained. "It's absolutely true that if all we're doing is adding more people to a broken system, then costs will continue to skyrocket," he said. Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, who is a physician, listed several ways to cut costs, including focusing on disease prevention and management as well as cracking down on fraud. Coburn also blasted what he called the "extortion" behind frivolous lawsuits that make doctors victims of the current legal system. "A large number of the tests we order every day are not for the patients, they're for the doctors," Coburn said. Another Republican physician, Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana, said doctors also would like a plan that would "simplify, streamline and standardize all paperwork that is involved." The cumbersome paperwork, he said, "takes you away from patient care." The discussion took a testy tone when Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona complained about how the Democrats handled the process of approving the legislation. McCain, who lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential race, said candidate Obama had pledged eight times that the health care debate would be conducted in the open and televised by C-SPAN. Instead, McCain said, the legislation was "produced behind closed doors ... with unsavory deals." Obama tried to break in, but McCain asked to be allowed to finish. After McCain was done, Obama seemed to flash some anger when he said, "We're not campaigning. The election is over." Said McCain with a slight laugh, "I'm reminded of that every day." At one point, both men tried to talk over each other. "The focus should not be on the issue of how we get a bill done," Obama said. McCain replied that "the American people care about what we do and how we do it." Obama cut off the discussion when he said, "We can have a debate about process or we can have a debate about how we help the American people." Fact Check: How common is the Senate use of reconciliation? After the meeting, McCain told reporters in a conference call, "A conversation like this is bound to be a good thing. I just wish we had started it a year ago instead of jamming it through." He said he hopes the Democrats will refrain from using reconciliation, urging that "the 60-vote procedure of the Senate be protected." Obama also seemed to take a shot at Cantor, who stacked the voluminous House and Senate health care reform bills on the table in front of him. The president called the display "props" and said, "These are the kinds of political things we do that prevent us from having a conversation." On Wednesday, Sen. Chris Dodd, a key author of the Senate health care bill, told reporters flatly that if Republicans continued to demand that Democrats scrap their health care proposals and start over, "then there's nothing to talk about." But McConnell argued that starting over is exactly what Republicans want. "Unless they're willing to do that, I think it's nearly impossible to imagine a scenario under which we can reach agreement because we don't think we ought to pass a 2,700-page bill that seeks to restructure one-sixth of our economy," McConnell said. Watch as opposing sides protest at health summit . He warned the political consequences would be severe if Democrats moved forward without Republican support. Dodd said Democrats and Republicans could find common ground in some areas, such as the Republican push to allow insurers to sell insurance across state lines. He called the GOP proposal "a legitimate issue," but said Democrats already have a version of that proposal in their legislation. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs expressed confidence Thursday that a bill will pass. "We're very close to health care reform for the American people," he said. Three top Democratic sources privately told CNN the new goal is to pass the final legislation by the end of March or else Congress will have to move back to other issues like job creation and unfinished spending bills. The meeting took place across the street from the White House, in the Garden Room at Blair House. The summit discussions were based around four themes -- controlling costs, insurance reforms, reducing the deficit and expanding coverage. CNN's Dana Bash, Ed Henry, Kristi Keck and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller: "This is a rapacious industry that does what it wants" Sen. Tom Harkin says health care system discriminates, segregates people . President Obama tells Sen. John McCain: "We're not campaigning. The election is over" GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander urges Democrats to scrap bills, start over on health care .

(CNN)Futuristic superstructures, shimmering glass facades and fuzzier lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. These are some of the major trends expected in the coming year as the global aviation industry strives to meet ever-increasing demands. With few major projects scheduled for completion in 2015, it's likely to be seen as a transition year as many airports upgrade facilities or begin new building projects to cope with a forecast 3.6 billion global air passengers in 2016. Here's what to expect over the next 12 months. China . China's efforts to rapidly expand its airport infrastructure are expected to reach a peak in 2015 with scores of regional airstrips scheduled for opening. Official government plans have previously claimed that the number of airports will expand from 175 in 2010 to 230 in 2015 as the country ramps up its aviation industry in step with economic expansion. While many of these are smaller facilities have yet to be officially announced, several larger projects have been widely publicized. In Beijing, work gets underway in earnest this year on a $14 billion international airport in the city's southern Daxing district. The facility is scheduled to come online in 2017 and is reportedly expected to handle up to 72 million passengers annually by 2025. Meanwhile, at Chongqing Jianbei International Airport, serving the largest city in southwestern China, a new terminal three is expected to become operational this year. It's claimed the facility, designed for further expansion to meet expected growing demand, will be able to handle up to 55 million people annually, the largest capacity of any single terminal. In the same Chinese province, the city of Wulong is expected to get to work on its own airport scheduled for completion in 2017. Japan . With low-cost carriers on the rise in Japan, Tokyo's Narita International Airport is adding a new terminal dedicated to exclusively to no-frills flights. Terminal 3, designed to handle 50 million passengers a year, is expected to open in March or April. It'll contain plenty of places where those budget passengers can spend their savings, including a vast duty free shopping area and Japan's largest airport food court. Singapore . Once again Changi Airport Singapore, considered by many to be the world's best, appears to be raising the bar with a futuristic new complex that's likely to revolutionize terminal design. After breaking ground in December, work begins in earnest this year on Jewel Changi Airport, an impressive-looking palace of glass that will shroud retail, entertainment and leisure outlets as well as a multi-level gardens and walking trails. The centerpiece will be the Rain Vortex, a 40-meter-tall waterfall cascading from the roof of the glass dome. Mexico . Construction on another eagerly anticipated international airport gets underway in 2015 in Mexico City. Mexico City International Airport, a collaboration between world-renowned architects, Briton Norman Foster and Mexico's Fernando Romero, is designed to be the world's most sustainable when it opens in 2018. Foster & Partners says that because the structure will be one massive terminal housed under vast canopies of glass, it'll require fewer materials and less energy than the standard multi-building airport. Brazil . New management is taking over and re-branding Rio Galeao -- Tom Jobim International Airport. The country's second-busiest airport after Sao Paolo is undergoing a long overdue facelift in anticipation of the 2016 Olympics. About $2 billion is going into infrastructure construction, which covers everything from restrooms to runways. The upgrade to four decades-old facilities should allow the airport to increase annual capacity from 18 million passengers to 30 million without the need for an extra runway. The Netherlands . Mainly aimed at increasing retail opportunities, a revamp of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's Terminal 2 departure lounge is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2015. Without going into detail, information from the airport trumpets the renovated area's six themed sections, titled "luxury," "family," "travel and culture," "modern Dutch," "see buy fly," "fashion and lifestyle" and "care and wellness." On a more boozy note, it'll get Europe's first Johnnie Walker House luxury retail concept store and, naturally, a Heineken bar. Germany . Munich Airport's new satellite facility to expand its Terminal 2 should be complete by the third quarter of 2015, potentially increasing annual capacity to 17 million passengers. After work is complete, there'll be an operational test phase to make sure everything's working. If it is, Star Alliance member airlines (including Lufthansa, Air China, Singapore Airlines and United) will move some flights over to the new building. During similar test phases, safety concerns emerged at Berlin's Brandenburg International Airport, originally slated to open around 2011 or 2012. Despite appearances of having been completed, it's still not open. A string of management and engineering setbacks have dogged the project and doubled its initial projected cost. Brandenburg will not open in 2015, and latest reports say it may be 2017 before it's fully up and running. Saudi Arabia . Also not opening in 2015 is an expansion project at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport, now slated for completion early in 2016 after originally being scheduled for a 2014 delivery. The expansion is part of a project to up Saudi Arabia's passenger capacity to 100 million passengers annually by 2020. Jeddah's airport was recently ranked the world's second worst in an annual survey by the Sleeping In Airports website. Trends . As these facilities come on line, passengers may begin to notice new trends emerging in airport design -- chiefly a greater sense of space and place. Angela Gittens, director general of Airports Council International, says the changes are all about meeting passenger demands, with surveys indicating they're looking for a greater sense of orientation, control, safety, visibility and openness. In real terms this means bringing the outdoors into the picture. Changi Airport Singapore has been a leader in this area, with its butterfly garden and rooftop green spaces, while passengers with a stopover at Munich Airport can wander through an outdoor plaza hosting exhibits and performances, or visit an outdoor terrace. Updated facilities are also incorporating glass facades to bring natural light inside. This strategy, says Gittens, also improves energy efficiency. "Not only do these new windows allow for the use of natural light," she adds "but they are made with energy efficient materials that can repel heat and insulate against cold." 'A sense of place' David Stewart, head of airport development for the International Air Transport Association, says airport authorities are increasingly understanding that passengers want to get a feel of what's local. "They're craving a sense of place," he says. Gittens says fashioning an airport to better represent the city it serves is becoming an important point of differentiation. One of the easiest ways to do this is with food and big name chefs. While McDonald's and Starbucks outlets will continue to exist, more airports are dishing out regional cuisine made by local chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food at London Heathrow and Carles Gaig's Catalan-inspired Porta Gaig in Barcelona. It's not just high-end eateries bringing local to the airport. Hung's Delicacies in Hong Kong International favors braised meats and regional dishes. Airbrau in Munich Airport Plaza is a Bavarian brewery that serves its own beer, along with time-honored dishes like schnitzel, suckling pig and sauerkraut. New music, old masters . National culture is also making its way into airports. While many international airports have at least a little space devoted to displays of art, some are taking it up a notch. At the Traditional Korean Cultural Experience Zone at Seoul's Incheon Airport, passengers can learn about calligraphy or fan-making, or check out handicrafts while listening to live musicians. Workshops, demonstrations and performances are scheduled on a regular basis. Amsterdam's Schiphol was the first airport to house its own art museum beyond passport control. Currently under renovation, the pioneering Schiphol outpost of the Rijksmuseum provides a glimpse into local life through special exhibitions and the artworks of Dutch masters. Airports are also literally being connected to the cities they serve by modern mass transit. Airports as far flung from the cities they serve, including Washington Dulles and Xian Xianyang (among the 10 busiest airports in China), are developing linking train lines in order to accommodate travelers looking to make local connections.

China said to be increasing its operational airports to 230 in 2015 . Tokyo and Munich to open new terminal facilities, Amsterdam and Rio will get upgrades . Beijing, Mexico City and Singapore press ahead with impressive new projects . More delays for Berlin's long overdue new Brandenburg airport, originally slated for 2012 .

(CNN) -- In 1980, in the pre-Internet, pre-download days when R.E.M. formed in Athens, Georgia, there was no alternative. There was no Americana. There was no grunge. If you listened to pop music, there were essentially three divisions: Top 40 of the type you heard on the rapidly fading AM radio, the corporate rock of album-oriented FM and what was then called college radio -- a catch-all for the punk, new wave, electronic, low-fi and oddball music that almost never crossed over to the mainstream. R.E.M. helped to change all that. They weren't the only ones -- the New York art-punks of the late '70s, notably Talking Heads and Blondie, had hit the Top 40, and fellow Athens scenesters the B-52's had established a national following with their party-down rave-ups. But it was R.E.M. that, in the words of Allmusic.com's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "transformed the American underground." If, in the '60s, teenagers gathered in their parents' garages in the hopes of being the next Beatles, in the '80s young adults knocked around dormitories in hopes of being the next R.E.M.: melodic, guitar-based and determined not to sell out to the corporate-music crowd. R.E.M. was the great hope of fame-fantasizing, used-record-store clerks everywhere. "They did this grass-roots thing that nobody had ever done," said Angie Carlson, a former member of the band Let's Active, which toured with R.E.M. in the mid-'80s. "They sort of bypassed big marketing, and were at the clubs networking with the cool fellow record-store people." In R.E.M.'s wake came a breadth of artists who turned college radio into a home for guitar-based rock and power-pop: the Replacements, Jason and the Scorchers and the Del Fuegos, among many others. Years later, Nirvana emerged and the whole world broke open. Kurt Cobain, in fact, was a big R.E.M. fan. Now R.E.M. has come to an end. "To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band," read a message posted on the group's website Wednesday. "We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening." The band didn't easily fit labels. Its early sound, led by Peter Buck's ringing guitar arpeggios, might best be described as folk-rock, equal parts Byrds-ian harmony and punk snarl. Alongside was lead singer Michael Stipe's reedy vocals and, more distinctively, his resonant, nonsensical lyrics, full of phrases such as "Cages under cage" and "Hear the howl of the rope." (Pre-Internet, a popular music-geek parlor game involved deciphering R.E.M. lyrics.) And underneath Buck and Stipe was the rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry, filling spaces with melodic bass lines and powerhouse percussion. R.E.M. may have had its artsy flourishes, but the band also -- in "American Bandstand" parlance -- "had a good beat you could dance to." The band formed at a time when "underground" really meant something, said Carlson, now of Figure Eight Publicity. "You couldn't trade (music) on the Internet. You had to know somebody or you had to go the club," she said. "And that's the other reason a band like that was able to thrive -- people went to see live music. "And they had such a cool vibe in person. They were smart, they were funny, they were charismatic. All of that played into it." Moreover, the band worked hard, providing a model for others to follow. In the '80s, starting with the 1982 EP "Chronic Town," there was a new record almost every year, each one followed by a never-ending tour of theaters and clubs. "Nobody wanted to play the kinds of bars we played," Berry recalled in "Party Out of Bounds," Rodger Lyle Brown's chronicle of the Athens music scene. "Just by being an out-of-town band that played this new kind of music, we were stars." They had a personal connection with their fans; after all, Buck was a record-store clerk once, too, and had a deep appreciation of music history. Decades on, they have maintained their ties to Athens. Their management office is still in town. With each album the band's sound grew deeper and wider, developing the basics on "Murmur" -- Rolling Stone's 1983 album of the year -- and "Reckoning," exploring folk on "Fables of the Reconstruction," and getting back to their roots in 1986's "Lifes Rich Pageant." R.E.M. finally broke through to mainstream success with 1987's "Document," which contained the band's first Top 10 hit, "The One I Love," as well as the radio favorite "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." "Document" changed things, for the band and its audience. With its success came a major-label deal with Warner Bros. and a change in venue from theaters to arenas. "It's weird being a media figure, to be recognized everywhere by somebody," Stipe told Rolling Stone in 1992. The members of R.E.M. always seemed aware of their status and took pains to remain true to their muse. "That would be my worst fear, that we would turn into one of those dumb bands who go into their second decade and don't know how bad they are and don't know when to give it up," Stipe told Rolling Stone. Despite the concerns of many fans -- who, as a 2003 Slate article observed, have been claiming the band's decline since 1984 -- the early-'90s albums included some of R.E.M.'s best work. "Out of Time" (1991) featured one of the band's best songs, "Losing My Religion"; famed indie DJ Vin Scelsa was so taken with the song that he played it repeatedly during one radio show. Perhaps the best of the run -- and, to some, the band's best album, period -- was 1992's elegiac "Automatic for the People," which hit all the right notes: somber ("Drive"), humorous ("The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight"), angry ("Ignoreland") and hopeful ("Everybody Hurts"). The band even managed to work in the F-word in "Star Me Kitten," their knockoff of 10cc's "I'm Not in Love." But the rest of the '90s proved difficult. With the million-selling albums and gigantic tours, they risked becoming what fans had feared: a corporate behemoth. More dramatically, drummer Berry suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm while on tour in 1995. He left the group in 1997, becoming a gentleman farmer in Watkinsville, Georgia, south of Athens. The band continued, but it wasn't the same. The albums, such as "Up" (1998) and "Reveal" (2001), were a mixed bag. "Not as bad as it first sounds, but also not as good as they thought when they released it," critic Robert Christgau said of "Reveal." They toured, on and off. Buck hung out with pal Scott McCaughey's band, the Minus 5. The buzz moved on. Hopes were raised with the band's most recent release, "Collapse Into Now." "Song for song, the best thing we've ever done," Buck told Rolling Stone earlier this year. "We surprised ourselves with this record. We're all really thrilled with it," said Stipe in a June CNN interview. But the album was also the end of something -- the final record in their current Warner Bros. deal. It was time for the circle to close. "We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together," Stipe told CNN. Perhaps that's enough. "You can talk to any band. They owe a debt to them, somehow," Carlson said. After all, as the band sang in "Talk About the Passion," "Not everyone can carry the weight of the world."

R.E.M. helped lead the way for generation of American bands . Group was formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia . "They did this grass-roots thing that nobody had ever done," says fellow musician . Group stayed true to muse, even after becoming million sellers .

(CNN) -- Animated television specials are among the most cherished holiday traditions of yuletide revelers young and old. Mention "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965), "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964) or "Frosty the Snowman" (1969) and people light up like Charlie Brown's tree (after the kids gave it a little love), Rudolph's nose, or the hot sun that melted poor Frosty. You can thank "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" -- the first animated Christmas special -- for that holiday gooeyness. It premiered 50 years ago this month. "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" originally aired on December 18, 1962, on NBC at 7:30 p.m. For the first time since 1967, the special will air on a major network -- once again on NBC -- Saturday, December 22 at 8 p.m. ET. While the major networks have aired the aforementioned holiday staples, including "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" (1966) every year since their airdates, "Magoo" hasn't aired outside of syndication for 44 years. Now that "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" has hit he half-century mark, this often overlooked, underappreciated, somewhat obscure Christmas special is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. CNN spoke to animator Darrell Van Citters, author of "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol: The Making of the First Animated Christmas Special," about how "Magoo" paved the way for Christmas specials yet to come. "Because this was such a huge success," said Van Citters, "it inspired other people to follow in its footsteps, especially 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,' which was the next one." Van Citters couldn't pinpoint why "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" fell by the wayside, but he did note that the character began to dwindle in the years following the Christmas special. Your Christmas traditions . "'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' had a book attached to it," said Van Citters, "'Charlie Brown' had all of those books, all of those specials. These were constantly in the forefront of peoples' minds during the holidays. And 'Rudolph,' well, who doesn't know that song? Between all of these other specials getting all of this promotion, and Mr. Magoo kind of fading, it really got lost for a long time." As far as adaptations of Charles Dickens' 1843 tale "A Christmas Carol" go, many have tried, many have failed, and -- arguably -- a handful have succeeded. Most people would count "Magoo" among the successful renditions. "I think this is one of the stronger versions because it's quite loyal to the original," said Van Citters. "They are reciting lines from the book, and on an emotional level I think it's one of the strongest -- even over live-action -- because the songs really emphasize the emotional aspect of it. They know exactly where to go to tell their story." That's right -- "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol' is a musical as well as an animated special. "To take a classic story like that," said Van Citters, "and then to mix in Mr. Magoo, and then make it a musical, it's kind of a big leap. And he didn't just make it a musical; he went after the best Broadway songwriters of the time. It's one of the stronger, if not the strongest, musical interpretations of Dickens." Composer July Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill, who were developing "Funny Girl" at the time, wrote the songs for "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" while ensconced at the Beverly Hills Hotel in March and April of 1962. The Styne-Merrill team created Broadway-caliber songs like "Alone in the World" and "Winter Was Warm," which gave "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" an emotional quality which made it more theater than the cartoon it was. Cleverly presented as a play-within-a-play, the special features the character of Mister Magoo starring in a Broadway production of "A Christmas Carol." That little technique solved the producers' dilemma regarding whether or not audiences would buy Quincy Magoo as Ebenezer Scrooge. "Mister Magoo had kind of changed over the years," explained Van Citters. "He had started out as this crotchety old man and over the years he had become softer. [Producers] thought it would be kind of weird to put this character in a role with no explanation. Nowadays people do it routinely and you don't think twice about it, but at the time it was a big leap. Originally, Mr. Magoo was going to be in a small community theater production, but as the songs got bigger, they decided to make it a Broadway production with him as a well-known actor." Although "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" was released on Blu-Ray/DVD as a special anniversary edition, Van Citters is the first to admit that the animation isn't what resonates with longtime fans of the special. "The animation fills the bill, but there isn't anything in the way of nice motion or defining the characters through the way they move," said Van Citters. "It's all about simply hitting their marks to tell the story. It's a little rough around the edges, but it works, too. The songs are so good that you overlook stuff like that." Van Citters pointed out that the important thing is that the special "has a lot of heart." In fact, the instant the special ended on the night it premiered, producer Lee Orgel's phone rang. Walt Disney had phoned to tell Orgel how wonderful it was. Van Citters wrote about the conversation in his book. "Let me tell you something, Lee," Disney told Orgel. "Not only is this generation going to watch it, but your children, your children's children and your children's children's children will watch this show. That's how good it is." Walt Disney's stamp of approval was the ultimate gold star. "Here's this guy that practically invented animation as we know it," Van Citters told CNN, "who takes the time out of his day to watch it and call this guy up and tell him how much he liked it." Much to the dismay of fans, a "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" soundtrack has never been released. Plans for a storybook record were scrapped, and the audio master tapes are long gone. Van Citters said there's a chance they've simply been mislabeled and are somewhere in the vaults. "We're still looking for them and hopefully one day there will be a CD release," he said. Van Citters also explained that the cast and crew had no idea that "Magoo" was destined to become a classic. "Everyone who worked on this simply thought they were doing a special for that year," he said. "Nobody thought it was going to last as long as it did. Everyone was surprised it did as well as it did. They were so happy with it they aired it for the next five years and it was still getting good ratings. The second year it got better ratings than the first." The Baby Boomer fans of "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" remain dedicated to keeping their beloved special's memory alive. At a December 2009 screening at The Paley Center For Media in New York City, many of those in attendance sang along and called out lines similar to midnight screenings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." (But with far fewer fishnets, one would imagine.) "The fans are very dedicated," said Van Citters. "Those who remember it remember it very well and are very passionate about it. So it's exciting that NBC is putting it back on and it will be exposed to a whole new generation of viewers." That whole new generation of viewers may never grasp the concept of a television event. "It's funny, isn't it, that TV specials have kind of disappeared," said Van Citters. "At one time a special was special. There used to be just three networks and when someone did something unique, everyone knew about it and they set aside time to watch it. But now we have access to everything at any time of the day, at any place in the world, and you can watch it on a postage stamp or a screen almost as big as a movie theater screen." But back in the 1960s of course, Van Citters pointed out, if you missed your favorite Christmas special you were forced to wait for the next airing. "You only had that one chance, and then 52 weeks later you could see it again."

First animated Christmas special, "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol," is 50 . "Magoo" paved the way for "Charlie Brown," "Grinch," "Frosty," "Rudolph" Though it has fallen into relative obscurity, the fan base remains solid . "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" will air tonight for the first time since 1967 .

(CNN) -- One priceless car was crushed. Another, mashed; a third, pancaked. Now, Vette City faces a sinkhole summer. A total of eight vehicles at Bowling Green, Kentucky's National Corvette Museum remain just as wrecked as they were when the earth swallowed them whole more than two months ago. Workers fished the last car out of the monster sinkhole on April 9 and so far, not one coat of paint has been applied to any of the cars. Not one dent has been removed. Nothing. Why? Museum officials were shocked by the damage. "The last three or four cars that came out of the sinkhole ... we didn't expect them to come out looking quite that bad," said Dana Forrester, lead Corvette restoration member of the museum's board of directors. Among the worst-damaged was a custom-made, one-of-a-kind speed demon that can zoom-zoom at more than 175 mph. ... Well, it could. The sinkhole reduced it to — as one museum official put it — "just a tire." The whole dirty mess has been enough to make any grease-smeared gear-head cry. Next month, the museum's board of directors plans to meet with independent restorers and Chevrolet's parent company General Motors to consider new strategy on how to save the cars. "We'll listen to what they say about it, and then we'll make a decision as to which car gets restored and to what degree," Forrester told CNN on the phone. Surprisingly, the museum may choose not to restore the worst-smashed cars at all. And then there's another problem: what to do about that 40-foot-wide, 60-foot-deep sinkhole. Thank goodness nobody got hurt when it desecrated the museum's cathedral-like Skydome in the early morning hours of February 12. The idea of a giant hole suddenly opening up inside a museum and stealing away with some of the crown jewels of the auto world grabbed global attention. Reports estimated the total value of the cars at more than $1 million. Passionate owners and fans still feel the pangs. Even for folks who don't care about cars, the Corvette matters. It's historic. Experts call the Corvette the most collected car in America. We're talking about the "world's longest-running, continuously produced passenger car," according to General Motors. Since the 'Vette's 1953 debut, more than 1.5 million have rolled off Chevrolet assembly lines, creating jobs for generations of Americans. The sleek silhouette has transformed into a pop culture icon across TV, films and advertising. Although GM announced back in February that it would "oversee" restoration of the Corvettes, more options are on the table now. "Recent discussions have changed what the original thoughts were," said Forrester, who's also an officer of the National Corvette Restorers Society. Restoration of some of the cars "may not be possible," he said. Or for some of the cars, "it may be best" that an independent restorer other than GM do it. Related story: Check out the 625-horsepower Corvett Z06 . The privately funded, not-for-profit museum is governed by the board of directors - but driven by its donors and 28,000 members. Don't think 'Vette-heads around the world aren't watching closely. They are. And they care about the details. "I think they should do it the right way and deliver a finished product like it wasn't damaged at all," said longtime New York Corvette owner Frazer Bharucha, 47, of the Long Island Corvette Owners Association. "When it's all said and done, it should look the way it was when it first entered the museum." To outsiders, restoring a Corvette "correctly" might seem -- well -- kind of anal. Attention to detail sometimes includes specific engine bolt heads, or original headlights, or even a $10,000 set of original tires. Will the sinkhole cars get that same level of treatment? "I don't believe they'll go that far," Forrester said. GM's goal is "sensitive restoration," said its Corvette communications manager, Monte Doran. Doran is expected to take part in meetings with museum officials where he anticipates a "serious talk to see if they want us to restore all the cars." Final Corvette raised from sinkhole . GM designer says: Save their 'souls' Just be careful, advised Tom Peters, GM's director of exterior design for performance cars. Respect the vehicles. They have "souls." They have "character" and "being." Replacing too many key original parts might result in "re-creations" rather than restorations, he said. Peters described himself as a passionate museum supporter who's not at all involved in the restoration project. "You have to ask, what is it going to take to bring some of these cars back to being authentic? It's just terrible, but the last two they pulled out are basically pancakes," he said. It's hard to know for sure -- and too soon to tell, but "maybe they're better off just leaving them as they are." Decisions about which cars to restore might be based on some of these questions: . Did enough of the car's unique body panels survive? Does the car still have structural integrity? Did its fundamental framework suffer too much damage? Worst damaged: . - 2001 custom-made, one-of-a-kind Mallett Hammer Z06 racing car . - GM-owned 1993 ZR-1 Spyder; fewer than 12 were ever built . Significantly damaged: . - 1984 PPG Pace Car; a one-of-a-kind car for Indy Car World Series . - 1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary model; more than 6,000 were built . - 1992 '1 millionth' Corvette to come off the assembly line . - 2009 '1.5 millionth' Corvette to come off the assembly line . Least damaged: . - 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil, among GM's fastest production cars . - 1962 tuxedo black Corvette, the oldest sinkhole car . Related story: GM reveals most powerful drop-top Corvette . Institutional memory . The black '62 poses another big question: Does GM still have enough institutional memory to best restore a car that's more than a half-century old? Should independent specialists be brought in to help? "It may be best that there's some other restorer to do it," Forrester said. "I know GM's got the expertise to go back and take the [two] cars they still own and work on them to a certain degree, but as far as structural work ... I don't know. I'm sure that will enter into the discussion." Oh, about that 60-foot-deep hole in the floor... In an apparent masterstroke of marketing genius, the museum has put the wrecked cars on display for visitors -- sort of a sports-car version of a carnival freak show. Also, the museum plans to allow visitors close access to the hole this weekend on a temporary basis. They'll be able to stand in the Skydome three feet from the edge, where they can get a good look at the natural forces that crushed the cars. See how the museum is showcasing the sinkhole . The new exhibits appear to be popular. March attendance spiked by more than 50%. Donations following the sinkhole collapse have already topped $75,000. "It's the rubberneck effect," said museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli. The whole mess is now "part of the museum's history -- and part of Corvette's history," said Forrester. The idea is, why not embrace it? Museum officials haven't decided on a long-term strategy to deal with the sinkhole. There's talk about leaving the hole open as a permanent exhibit, and building stairs so visitors could walk down into it. Another option would be to return the Skydome to its original condition by filling the sinkhole with dirt and replacing the collapsed floor. "I personally lean toward securing the hole -- but not filling it -- and creating something like a bridge across it so people can actually look down into it," said Forrester. An accomplished artist, Forrester has painted a watercolor canvas depicting the hole and the 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil rising out of it. If there's a bright side to the sinkhole collapse, Forrester thinks he's found it. "Millions of people in the Corvette culture have pulled together over this," he said. "Now more people outside the community are discovering how special this culture really is."

No major repairs have begun on Corvettes recovered from a giant sinkhole . Worse-than-expected damage to priceless Chevrolets prompts strategy shift . Museum board member: restoration of some cars now "may not be possible" Board considers which cars to save and whether to use independent restorers .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Thursday placed the United States squarely on the side of democratic reform in the Middle East and North Africa, declaring in a major policy speech that the wave of change sweeping the region "cannot be denied." Addressing a global audience, Obama condemned the use of force against Arab Spring protesters by longtime allies and adversaries alike. He also said the eruption of demands for greater opportunity in Arab nations could be used to kick-start stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. At the same time, Obama applied his own pressure by declaring as policy the long-held idea that a future Palestinian state should be based on borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war. In the past, the United States has unofficially supported a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict based on the borders in place prior to the war 44 years ago in which Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula. Obama became the first president to formally endorse the policy, but he acknowledged the need for modifications through the negotiating process due to conditions on the ground. Obama also dismissed the notion of al Qaeda-style extremism appealing to future generations of Muslims, asserting that the organization was "losing its struggle for relevance" long before the killing of Osama bin Laden on May 2. The president's speech -- the subject of intense speculation in recent days -- was a long-promised overview of America's changing Middle East policy in the wake of the Arab Spring that started unfolding in Tunisia last December. In recent months, Washington has often appeared to struggle to keep up with the pace of events not only in Tunisia, but also in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, and elsewhere. Administration officials have also wrestled with an Arab suspicion of U.S. motives fueled by decades of American support for the region's autocratic regimes. "Shouts of human dignity are being heard across the region," Obama declared, speaking in front of a group of diplomatic and military officials at the State Department. "We support political and economic reform in the Middle East and North Africa that can meet the legitimate aspirations of ordinary people throughout the region." The president acknowledged that "there will be times" when America's "short-term interests do not align perfectly with our long-term vision." "But we can -- and will -- speak out for a set of core principles" including freedom of religion and expression, and equality under the law, he promised. "It will be years before this story reaches its end," Obama said. But "the events of the past six months show us that strategies of oppression and strategies of diversion will not work anymore." Among other things, Obama accused Iran of hypocrisy for publicly supporting protests in parts of the Arab world after violently cracking down on protests at home. He blasted the Syrian regime for reacting to dissent by choosing "the path of murder and the mass arrests." "The Syrian people have shown their courage in demanding a transition to democracy," Obama said. President Bashar al-Assad "now has a choice: he can lead that transition, or get out of the way." On Wednesday, Obama imposed new sanctions against al-Assad and other top officials in Damascus. Obama also criticized the crackdown against Shiite protesters in Bahrain -- a key Persian Gulf ally and home of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. The president made no mention of struggles for greater rights in neighboring Saudi Arabia, another close ally. A large portion of the president's speech was devoted to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The administration's strategy for a comprehensive settlement has been seemingly derailed in recent months. Former Sen. George Mitchell unexpectedly submitted his resignation as the president's Mideast envoy Friday, and deadly clashes broke out Sunday between pro-Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces. Ongoing Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and Palestinian steps toward a unilateral declaration of statehood have driven the two sides further apart since Obama took office. Additional doubts about the viability of the stalled peace process were raised this month in the wake of a formal reconciliation agreement between the two largest Palestinian factions: President Mahmoud Abbas' party, the West Bank-based Fatah; and the Islamist group Hamas, which rules Gaza. Both Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist organization and have voiced strong opposition to the inclusion of the group in any unity government, demanding that it first renounce violence, recognize the state of Israel and abide by all previous agreements. Nevertheless, the president renewed his push for a two-state solution Thursday, declaring that the borders of Israel and a future Palestinian state should be based on pre-1967 lines "with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states." "The full and phased withdrawal" of Israeli security forces from the West Bank has to be accompanied by evidence of a Palestinian state that can help secure the peace and prevent attacks against Israel, he said. But a continued Israeli presence in the West Bank is inconsistent with long-term dreams of a secure Jewish and democratic state, Obama said. "The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state," the president said. Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis offered a warm response to Obama's speech. Hamas called Obama's remarks "empty of concrete significance" and promised not to recognize "the Israeli occupation." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that Washington should stand by previous U.S. commitments relating "to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines, which are both indefensible and which would leave major Israeli population centers ... beyond those lines." On a broader regional level, Obama stressed the importance of economic development to accompany political reforms. Toward that end, he announced $1 billion in debt forgiveness for Egypt, as well as another $1 billion in loan guarantees for Cairo. He also promised a new "comprehensive" trade and investment partnership initiative with the Middle East and North Africa. Europe will play a key role in moving the initiative forward, he said. Obama also defended U.S. and NATO intervention in Libya, arguing the move was necessary to prevent an imminent massacre. "Time is working against (Libyan leader Moammar) Gadhafi," he asserted. When Gadhafi goes, "decades of provocation will come to an end" and a democratic transition can begin, he said. Thursday's speech came nearly two years after Obama delivered an address in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, that called for "a new beginning" between the United States and the Muslim world. Today, many in the Middle East and North Africa consider the Cairo speech a collection of lofty ideals that lacked sufficient follow-through, and they have been looking for Obama to signal substantive and concrete policies that support the aspirations of the region's people. Marwan Muasher, a former Jordanian foreign minister and longtime advocate of Arab reform, said Wednesday that the Middle East is a new environment now, where young men and women are laying their lives on the line for democracy throughout the region. They need to be told their cause is just and how the United States will support them. If Thursday's address is viewed as just "another Cairo speech, forget it," said Muasher, now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "It was great two years ago, and even then the feedback was mixed, because people wanted to see what he would do. If he doesn't have much to add this time, people will not be fooled by it." Gigi Ibrahim, a 24-year-old Egyptian activist and blogger, predicted Obama's words will have little impact in her country. "At this point, whatever President Obama will address will really be irrelevant to what the situation is now because we're really building democracy from the bottom up," Ibrahim told CNN, adding that "America is not the model of democracy that we are striving for." She called U.S. policy on the Middle East "hypocritical" because, she said, the United States "will support a dictatorship if it's aligned with its interests." That attitude is still rife throughout the Middle East and North Africa, noted CNN senior political analyst David Gergen. With Egypt facing economic crisis, the Libyan conflict at a stalemate, an ongoing harsh crackdown on demonstrators in Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process at a standstill, there is little belief in the region that Obama or the United States can do much to help, Gergen said. "I think it's going to be very difficult in the near term to generate excitement about his policies in the Middle East," Gergen said. Obama's speech came in a week when the White House is strongly focused on Middle East issues. He met Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House, and will meet Friday with Netanyahu. CNN's Elise Labott and Matt Smith contributed to this story.

Events show oppression will not work in the Middle East anymore, Obama says . The president announces $2 billion in assistance for Egypt . He announces a trade plan for the region . A two-state Arab-Israeli solution should be based on 1967 borders, Obama says .

(CNN) -- The videos and photographs are numbered in the dozens, every one of them telling a fragment of a terrible story: toddlers breathing their last gasp, the bodies of children laid out in rows and covered in blocks of ice, their faces pale and expressionless. Elsewhere, dozens of white shrouds appear to hold the corpses of adults, the names of the victims written hurriedly on the cloth. There was some sort of ghastly event in the suburbs of Damascus early on Wednesday: the sheer volume of material uploaded within a short time span and the consistent testimony of medical staff attest to that. But there are as many questions as answers. The victims showed no sign of injury; there was none of the bloodshed associated with artillery attacks, no wounded, dust-covered people being dug from buildings reduced to ruins. It was impossible to know how many had died and exactly where or why. By the end of the day, the Local Coordination Committees were reporting that more than 1,300 people had been killed in areas around Damascus, some 400 in the neighborhood of Zamalka alone. Even by the standards of Syria's remorseless conflict, that would represent a catastrophic day. But there was no way to verify such figures: mass burials began within hours, and of course, there was no access to the area for independent observers. Mistrust between U.S., Syrian rebels hinders military aid . Accusations fly . Opposition activists almost immediately alleged President Bashar al-Assad's regime had used chemical weapons against districts long controlled by rebel groups. It is not the first such allegation; some activists were soon claiming the regime had used sarin, a nerve agent that it is widely thought to possess. Residents spoke of dizziness and choking, convulsions and difficulty breathing, which would be consistent with the symptoms of sarin poisoning. But some victims appeared to have died in their sleep, undisturbed, according to local reports. The Syrian government dismissed the claims of chemical weapons being used as "disillusioned and fabricated." Some opposition activists say the toxin used may have been "Agent 15," also known as BZ. Its full name is 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, and it affects both the peripheral and central nervous systems. The opposition claimed that BZ was used in tank shells fired in the city of Homs last December. A doctor in the city told the online publication "The Cable" soon after that the victims "all had miosis -- pinpoint pupils. They also had generalized muscle pain. There were also bad symptoms as far as their central nervous system. There were generalized seizures, and some patients had partial seizures." Physicians for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization, says that BZ induces a "severely altered mental status (hallucinations, giddiness, confusion); lack of secretions -- dry mucous membranes, dry mouth, eyes, skin; dilated pupils, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting." But the reports from Homs, like so many of the allegations to emerge from Syria, were never confirmed. The next month, the U.S. State Department said it had "found no credible evidence to corroborate or to confirm that chemical weapons were used" in Homs. Some experts doubt the Assad regime possesses BZ. Perhaps more significant is an account from the spring of this year, when Jean-Philippe Remy from the French newspaper Le Monde spent weeks in and around Jobar, the opposition-held district on the edge of Damascus that saw many of the casualties early Wednesday. "No odor, no smoke, not even a whistle to indicate the release of a toxic gas," he reported "And then the symptoms appear. The men cough violently. Their eyes burn, their pupils shrink, their vision blurs. Soon they experience difficulty breathing, sometimes in the extreme; they begin to vomit or lose consciousness." "The people who arrive have trouble breathing," a doctor told Le Monde. "They've lost their hearing, they cannot speak, their respiratory muscles have been inert. If we don't give them immediate emergency treatment, death ensues." "In Jobar, the fighters did not desert their positions, but those who stayed on the front lines -- with constricted pupils and wheezing breath," Remy reported. Syrian refugees stream into Iraq . Outsiders unsure of the cause . Independent experts who studied Wednesday's videos were unsure of the cause. Gwyn Winfield, editorial director at the magazine CBRNe World -- which reports on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosives use -- analyzed the videos and wrote on the magazine's site: "Clearly respiratory distress, some nerve spasms and a half-hearted washdown (involving water and bare hands?), but it could equally be a riot control agent as a (chemical warfare agent)." The allegations that some sort of chemical weapons were used came amid an ongoing government assault on rebel-held areas around Damascus - such as Douma and Mouadamiya - with artillery and air strikes further complicating the picture. The Syrian military's goal is to push the rebels back, thereby reducing mortar attacks on the heart of the capital. That offensive continued Wednesday, according to opposition activists in Jobar and Ghouta. Some analysts speculated that a stockpile of chemical agents may have been hit by shelling, whether controlled by the rebels or the regime. But that would not explain the number of neighborhoods -- some several miles apart -- where the same symptoms were reported among victims. U.N. chemical weapons inspectors in Damascus . There is also the question of motive and timing, if regime forces were responsible. Just a few miles from those terrible scenes, a team of United Nations chemical weapons inspectors -- led by a well-qualified Swede -- were asleep at their hotel. Russia -- an ally of the Assad regime -- made that point immediately. A Foreign Ministry statement from Moscow noted that "the criminal act was committed near Damascus at the very moment when a mission of U.N. experts had successfully started their work of investigating allegations of the possible use of chemical weapons there." But the terms of the inspectors' visit are tightly prescribed; they are only permitted to visit three sites where chemical weapons are alleged to have been used in the past. Government forces did not appear to be in imminent danger of being overrun by rebel factions in the areas concerned; in fact, many observers believe a bloody stalemate has set in around Damascus. And regime forces have also made gains recently against rebels around Homs and elsewhere. Why would it risk an action that would likely kill hundreds in a heavily-populated area and risk stirring up an international appetite for intervention? Would it also have risked using an agent as lethal as sarin just a few kilometers from the heart of Damascus -- to both the southwest and northeast of the city -- on what appears to have been a quite windy night? The European Union believes the Syrian government was the most likely culprit. "We have seen with grave concern the reports of the possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, said the EU's Foreign Policy chief, Catherine Ashton."Such accusations should be immediately and thoroughly investigated." The White House made a very similar statement. In a familiar ritual, Russia quickly pointed the finger at rebel forces, alleging that "a homemade rocket, analogous to that which was used by terrorists on the 19th of March in Khan al-Asal, containing a so-far-undefined poisonous substance, was launched from positions held by the fighters" early on Wednesday morning. The incident in Khan al-Asal, near Aleppo, was reported to have left 19 people dead. Some observers also point to claims on jihadist websites that rebels have seized chemical weapons equipment after overrunning government bases such as one outside Aleppo in July 2012. Supporters of the Assad government claim that Wednesday's reports are very convenient for the opposition as it tries to spur the international community to action just as events in Egypt have claimed the front pages. Little hope for change . George Sabra, president of the Syrian National Council, an umbrella group of Assad opponents, said in Istanbul: "It's not the first time in which the regime used chemical weapons ... but it presents a move by the regime, because they are doing it with impunity....The United Nations will be puzzled, and the U.S. will announce more red lines, and will leave it in the air." Given the stated positions of the great powers, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council seems unlikely to prompt decisive international action. Perhaps the world will never know whether the events of August 21, 2013, around Damascus amounted to the most widespread use of chemical agents since Saddam Hussein's bombardment of the Kurdish town of Halabja 25 years before. CNN's Yousuf Basil contributed to this report.

Videos of suffering and dying Syrians suggest a chemical attack, but verification is difficult . Bashar al-Assad's government, rebels trade accusations, denials about event on Wednesday . Outside experts are unsure if there was a chemical attack, and if so, what agent was used .

(CNN) -- Iran and world powers are resuming talks in Geneva amid high hopes that a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program will finally be reached. But while the P5+1 -- the U.S., UK, France, Russia, China and Germany -- and Iran appear to be closer than ever to striking a deal, there are still a lot of details to iron out. Read our explainer to get up to speed on 60 years' worth of nuclear history in Iran. When did Iran's nuclear program begin? The U.S. launched a nuclear cooperation program with Iran in 1957 -- back when the Shah ruled Iran and the two countries were still friends -- and by the mid-70s Iran began developing its nuclear power program. But the U.S. pulled its support when the Shah was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Why is the West worried about Iran's nuclear program? Since the 1979 revolution the West has worried that Iran could use its nuclear program to produce atomic weapons by producing highly-enriched uranium -- the material needed to make a bomb. Iran has always insisted it only wants to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes. In 2003 nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency announced they had found traces of highly-enriched uranium at a plant in Natanz. Iran temporarily halted enrichment but resumed enriching again in 2006, insisting enrichment was allowed under its agreement with the IAEA. What did the international community do? In late 2006 the U.N. Security Council passed sanctions against Iran for failing to suspend its nuclear program. Sanctions that initially targeted Iran's nuclear capability were greatly expanded over the next seven years to include bans on arms sales to Iran, travel bans on certain Iranians, Western bans on buying Iranian oil, and bans on dealing with Iranian financial institutions, including the country's central bank. Have sanctions worked? No and yes. In 2007 Iran claimed to have 3,000 centrifuges capable of enriching uranium. Today Iran has 19,000 centrifuges and is building more advanced ones, according to Mark Hibbs, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. On the other hand, sanctions have crippled the country's economy. Oil revenues have plummeted, and the local currency had dropped 80% in value by 2012. The Iranian people have faced spiralling inflation and job layoffs within the state sector, according to CNN's John Defterios. Why are Iran and world powers talking now? The U.S. believes these sanctions have left Iran little choice but to compromise its nuclear ambitions in return for relief from the economy-destroying effects of the oil and banking bans. Newly-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is also more moderate than his predecessor, and all sides believe there could now be a window of time to get a deal done. How close is Iran to producing a nuclear bomb? One U.S.-based anti-proliferation group says Iran could potentially produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb in as little as a month if it broke with international laws and went all-out towards production. But Hibbs says most world powers believe Iran is realistically at least a year away. "Most of the people involved in this negotiation are looking at a longer time frame of between 1 and 3 years," he said. "Negotiators have to be concerned about this but they know it's a worst-case scenario." What would a deal on Iran's nuclear program look like? Most importantly, Iran would have to agree to suspend enriching uranium to 20% purity, according to one scenario being considered. While uranium isn't bomb-grade until it's enriched to 90% purity, Hibbs says "once you're at 20%, you're about 80% of the way there." Iran would also have to reduce its uranium stockpiles, stop constructing new centrifuges, and freeze essential work on its heavy-water reactor under development at Arak, which could be used as a source of plutonium -- a second pathway to a nuclear bomb. In return, world powers would have to agree to relax sanctions and allow Iran to enrich some uranium at a low level. Iran also wants the world to acknowledge its right to enrich uranium under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Does Iran have the right to enrich uranium? The U.S. and other world powers say no, but Iran says yes. Iran believes that it has the right to enrich uranium as a signatory to the NPT, but Hibbs says no such right is enshrined in the treaty. "There is a right to the peaceful use of nuclear activities in the NPT," he says, "but there's not a right to enrich uranium specifically." While not conceding the point in principle, Iran appeared to loosen its stance on the issue at the weekend when Foreign Minister Javad Zarif reportedly told the ISNA news agency that Iran's right to enrich "does not need recognition, because it is an inseparable right based on the NPT." Why haven't other countries faced similar sanctions for their nuclear programs? India tested its first nuclear device in 1974, followed by Pakistan in 1998. Israel has always refused to confirm or deny that is has the bomb, although the Federation of American Scientists estimates it has around 80 atomic weapons. Action was never taken against India and Pakistan, partly because they never signed up to the NPT -- and in the latter's case, Hibbs says, "because there was very little that the U.S. could've done to stop Pakistan." Iran, on the other hand, signed up to the NPT and its declared program is being inspected by the IAEA. And Hibbs says the IAEA and world powers "have information suggesting that Iran has carried out activities it hasn't declared in the past." Who's against a deal? Israel is opposed to Iran having any nuclear enrichment capabilities at all and says the current plan is "a bad deal" that won't work. "Iran is practically giving away nothing. It's making a minor concession, which they can reverse in weeks," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN. "I think if you want a peaceful solution, as I do, then the right thing to do is ratchet up the sanctions." CNN's Fareed Zakaria says Saudi Arabia's objections to Iran are existential. "The Saudis regard Tehran as a heretical, Shiite, Persian enemy that must be opposed," he says. "Its antipathy predates Iran's nuclear program and will persist whatever the resolution of it." Hibbs says that as a country with nuclear power ambitions itself, Saudi Arabia is deeply hostile to Iran having a nuclear program that includes sensitive activities like uranium enrichment. Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress have also said they will try to pass new Iran sanctions, despite Secretary of State John Kerry's warning that the move could "destroy the ability to get an agreement" in Geneva. And even if a deal is agreed, the White House faces an uphill battle trying to convince those same Congressional leaders to pass laws to relax sanctions on Iran. Another tough sell will be Iran's hardliners. Zakaria says: "Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards remain deeply anti-American, and they may well oppose the concessions that Rouhani and Zarif would have to make to get a deal." Obama's task is two-fold, says Zakaria: "First he has to get a deal that hardliners in Tehran can deal with. Then he has to get one that the hard-liners in Washington and Jerusalem and Riyadh can abide." How would a deal be enforced? Iran could end up with a program that allows some uranium enrichment in exchange for full cooperation with IAEA inspectors over the next few years, according to Hibbs. Hibbs says: "What's missing is answers from Iran to pressing questions from the IAEA about the scope and extent of the Iranian nuclear program during its history. If the powers are going to relax sanctions, they and the IAEA need to know that the program in Iran is exclusively dedicated to peaceful use. If they can get answers to those questions, that will bring Iran pretty far along." Read more: U.S.-Israel rift over Iran nukes now in the open . Read more: Give Iran talks time, says skeptic . Read more: Why Israel, Gulf states are skeptical of Iran talks .

Iran's nuclear program actually began with cooperation from the U.S. in the 1950s . Sanctions since 2007 hit ordinary Iranians hard but failed to halt country's nuclear program . Most countries involved in talks believe Iran is between 1 and 3 years away from bomb . Israel and Saudi Arabia will reject any deal that allows Iran to keep enriching uranium .

(CNN) -- What did you do this weekend? This seemingly innocuous question from a co-worker makes Sam uncomfortable and anxious. He lies or avoids answering the question altogether. Sam is gay, and in the closet. He has worked at the same place for 27 years, specializing in highway construction, and while he knows that some of his colleagues suspect he is gay, he has never revealed his sexuality at the office. "I couldn't come out in the '80s because it was openly hostile," he said. "I've thought about coming out. The environment has changed, but my decision hasn't. If I came out, I would be the only one." Though he knows of other homosexuals in his 4,000-employee work force, he says no one is openly gay. "It's a problem. I'm somewhat used to it," said the civil engineer, 53, explaining he "filters" what he tells people about his personal life. "When people ask about who I went on vacation with, I tell them, 'A friend.'" Safe to come out? Fear is also what drove Jason, a 25-year-old information technology professional, into the closet. Jason works at a major corporation in one of the 29 states where private companies can legally fire, or not hire, someone because she or he is gay. "There is no protection," said the gay rights activist, conceding that there is some hypocrisy in campaigning for gay rights while concealing his homosexuality. He refrains from answering his partner's telephone calls or talking about him at the office, he said, even going through the trouble of creating two albums of vacation photos, one with his partner and one that excludes his partner to show people at work. "You're at-will employment. So they could point blank say I don't want a gay person working under me. I'm going to let you go. I'm not saying that my managers would do that, but you never know." Such fears appear to be echoed by others in the LGBT community, where according to a recent study by the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT advocacy group, 53% of LGBT workers in the country hide their sexual identity at work and 35% feel compelled to lie about their personal lives while at the office. Another joint study by Deloitte, a consulting and financial services firm, and New York University, found that 83% of lesbian, gay and bisexual workers reported "covering" a part of their sexual identity at work. "It's really downplaying the parts of ourselves that are either our identity or our experiences," said Christie Smith, managing principal of the Deloitte University Leadership Center for Inclusion and one of the authors of the study. "The LGBT community is the population that is most impacted by this concept of covering, hiding their identity when they come to work. They're completely denying, if you will, their sexual identity in order to conform." Of course, there are also LGBT individuals who are not out of the closet because they feel their sexuality is private and doesn't need to be discussed at work. Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly acknowledged Thursday that he is gay, becoming the only CEO of a Fortune 500 company to announce his homosexuality while at the helm of a major company. "I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others," Cook wrote in a Bloomberg Businessweek column. "So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy." Cook's announcement triggered Twitter users to make #proudtobegay a trending topic for several hours. Many people used their 140 characters to celebrate the news, and some saw it as an important moment. "Proud of Tim Cook for using his voice and his influence to help others," tennis legend and openly gay athlete Billie Jean King wrote. "So proud of tim cook. knowing the apple CEO is gay will comfort and inspire so many young people who are afraid. maybe it already has," tweeted Tech Crunch reporter Jordan Crook. The news comes a month after President Barack Obama's executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation, which was welcomed by the LGBT community. The presidential initiative helps to reinforce a changing social and legal landscape where, according to the Human Rights Campaign, 91% of Fortune 500 companies have policies that promote diversity and protect employees against discrimination. Inclusion good for business . Making policy translate to culture is an evolving challenge, says Todd Sears, a former investment banker who founded Out Leadership, a strategic advising company geared toward helping companies focus on LGBT inclusion. "We have become so politically correct that a number of senior leaders are afraid to say anything because they don't want to say the wrong thing," Sears said. "But, point in fact, that is the exact wrong thing to do. What I encourage senior leaders to do is say, 'I am learning. Can you help me? I am going to make a mistake; I want you to help me figure out that I should say sexual orientation not sexual preference.'" Sears says he is encouraged by the strides he sees companies taking. "I actually think corporate America is faster than the federal government, than any state governments, because corporate America sees the business bottom line impact of this," he said, noting that the LGBT market represents about $800 billion in spending power. "It's not just the LGBT market; it is the ally market. It's the people who care about LGBT people," said Sears. "There are economic consequences to discrimination, and you see that play out in the marketplace." Key to increasing inclusion at the office, Sears says, is retaining talent. "It definitely is a deciding factor where I go next. It definitely weighs in on my decision to stay. I mean, just knowing that you have the security and those protections built in is really important," Jason said. "Regardless of who I am outside of work or who I identify as sexually, I've worked to always prove myself as a valuable employee and member of the team." Inclusive policies are not enough to persuade Brandon to come out at his job, where he is a project manager for a medical research firm. "Policy doesn't necessarily create safety," said Brandon, a transgender man. The 33-year-old leads a team of 10 associates and recently opted to work from home, in part because he found it too stressful to go to an office for fear that he would be outed. "The main reason is I don't know whether there would be a negative effect," he reasoned. "I can't risk that. It feels too much like a roll of the dice." 'I'm not ashamed of who I am' Brandon's employment came after an exhaustive nine-month search that included interviews with 20 different companies. In every interview except with his current company he was open about his transition from female to male. "It's better to not be out," said Brandon, who is convinced that being open about his transgender identity and activism may have turned off potential employers. Brandon's concern was backed by a 2011 Harvard study that found in some states, there was significant discrimination against openly gay applicants, with gay job applicants approximately 40% less likely to be offered a job interview than their heterosexual counterparts. Brandon has been with his company for six years, and at this point he's not ready to tell his co-workers that he is transgender. That often leaves him feeling lonely and isolated at work. "I may be perceived as a strange 'other.' That's sad and hurtful," he said. "It's such a huge risk. If I come out, I can't go back. It's a one-way door." Still, it's a door that Brandon may soon walk through, as his yearning to become a parent is greater than his fear of being outed. Brandon, who was born a woman, is considering having a child. A pregnancy would force Brandon out of the closet, as he still routinely meets with his team. "It's not about shame. I'm not ashamed of who I am. It's more about logistically navigating a world that I know to be untrustworthy, and even with policy in place, it's fickle." Life decisions like marriage could prompt Jason to come out, too, but until then he hopes that policy at work will change to reflect the growing social culture of acceptance. "Maybe I'll be the first. We'll see if the time is right and the venue is right. I mean someone has to step up eventually. ... The tides are slowly turning in our favor." CNN's Poppy Harlow, Vivian Kuo and Dorrine Mendoza contributed to this story.

"Jason" says he keeps 2 photo albums; work album excludes photos of him and boyfriend . In 29 states, private companies can legally fire or not hire someone because he/she is gay . Study: 53% of LGBT community conceal sexuality at work and 35% lie about personal lives . Transgender "Brandon" wants to have a child but worries it would force him out of closet .

CHENGDU, China (CNN) -- Rainy weather and poor logistics thwarted efforts by relief troops who walked for hours over rock, debris and mud on Tuesday in hopes of reaching the worst-hit area of an earthquake that killed nearly 10,000 in central China, state-run media reported. Setting out from Maerkang in Sichuan Province at 8 p.m. Monday, the 100 or so troops had to travel 200 kilometers (124 miles) to go before reaching Wenchuan, the epicenter of the quake, also in the province, Xinhua reported. After seven hours, they still had 70 kilometers (43 miles) to go. "I have seen many collapsed civilian houses, and the rocks dropped from mountains on the roadside are everywhere," the head of the unit, Li Zaiyuan, told Xinhua. Added CNN Correspondent John Vause: "The roads here are terrible in the best of times ... right now they're down right atrocious. They've resorted to going in one man at a time on foot." Nearly all the confirmed deaths were in Sichuan Province, but rescuers were hindered because roads linking it to the provincial capital, Chengdu, were damaged, Xinhua reported. Local radio quoted disaster relief officials as saying a third of the buildings in Wenchuan collapsed from the quake and another third were seriously damaged. The earthquake was powerful enough to be felt throughout most of China. Many children were buried under the rubble of their schools. The Chinese government said the death toll was sure to rise. An expert told CNN the 7.9-magnitude quake at about 2:28 p.m. Monday (6:28 a.m. GMT) was the largest the region has seen "for over a generation." Residents as far as Chongqing -- about 200 miles from the epicenter in Sichuan Province -- spent the night outdoors, too afraid of aftershocks to sleep indoors. Local radio in Sichuan quoted disaster relief officials as saying a third of the buildings in Wenchuan collapsed from the quake and another third were seriously damaged. Watch as the death toll rises » . The state-run Zhongxin news agency reported that a survivor who escaped Beichuan county in Sichuan Province described the province as having been "razed to the ground." The Red Cross Society of China, coordinating some of the international aid efforts, encouraged financial donations because of the difficulty of getting supplies to those most in need. At least six schools collapsed to some extent in the quake or aftershocks that followed, Xinhua reported. See a report on rescue operations at the school » . At one school, almost 900 students -- all eighth-graders and ninth-graders, according to a local villager -- were believed to be buried. See workers in Chengdu hiding under their desks during the quake » . At least 50 bodies were pulled from the rubble by Monday night at Juyuan Middle School in Juyuan Township of Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, Xinhua reported. "Some buried teenagers were struggling to free themselves from the ruins while others were calling for help. Eight excavators were working at the site. Devastated parents watched as five cranes worked at the site and an ambulance waited," Xinhua reported. "A tearful mother said her son, ninth-grader Zhang Chengwei, was buried in the ruins." Meanwhile, 2,300 people were buried in two collapsed chemical plants in Sichuan's Shifang city, and 80 tons of ammonia leaked out, Xinhua reported. Six hundred people died there. The plants were among a series of buildings that collapsed, including private homes, schools and factories. The local government has evacuated 6,000 civilians from the area and was dispatching firefighters to help at the scene, Xinhua reported. Much of the nation's transportation system shut down. Xinhua reported there were "multiple landslides and collapses along railway lines" near Chengdu. Quake victims have been sleeping outside in Chengdu » . Sichuan Province sits in the Sichuan basin and is surrounded by the Himalayas to the west. The Yangtze River flows through the province and the Three Gorges Dam in the nearby Hubei Province controls flooding to the Sichuan -- though there were no reports of damage to the world's largest dam. Monday's quake was caused by the Tibetan plateau colliding with the Sichuan basin, Zhigang Peng, an earthquake expert at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, told CNN. "Earthquakes in this part of China are infrequent but not uncommon," he said. The last major earthquake in the region occurred in the northwestern margin of the Sichuan basin when a 7.5-magnitude quake killed more than 9,300 people on August 25, 1933. President Hu Jintao ordered an all-out effort to help those affected, and Premier Wen Jiabao traveled to the region to direct the rescue work, Xinhua reported. "My fellow Chinese, facing such a severe disaster, we need calm, confidence, courage and efficient organization," Wen was quoted as saying. "I believe we can certainly overcome the disaster with the public and the military working together under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the government." Peter Sammonds, professor of geophysics at University College London, called the earthquake "tremendous." "Particularly in the more remote, the more mountainous part where this has taken place, a lot of the buildings are built on sediments that are quite unstable. They're probably liquifying, causing the buildings to collapse. You might expect landslides to occur, which could actually stop the relief efforts going through on the roads, so this could be very grim in the remoter, more mountainous parts of this province." While many of the most immediate efforts were focused on Sichuan Province, Xinhua also reported dead and injured in Gansu, Chongqing and Yunnan provinces. A provincial government spokesman said they feared more dead and injured in collapsed houses in Dujiangyan City in Wenchuan County. A driver for the seismological bureau said he saw "rows of houses collapsed" in Dujiangyan, Xinhua reported. Bonnie Thie, the country director of the Peace Corps, told CNN she was on a university campus in Chengdu about 60 miles from the epicenter, in the eastern part of China's Sichuan province, when the first quake hit. "You could see the ground shaking," Thie told CNN. The shaking "went on for what seemed like a very long time," she said. Bruce Presgrave, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said this quake could cause major damage because of its strength and proximity to major population centers. Also, it was relatively shallow, and those kinds of quakes tend to do more damage near the epicenter than deeper ones, Presgrave said. An earthquake with 7.5 magnitude in the northern Chinese city of Tangshan killed 255,000 people in 1976 -- the greatest death toll from an earthquake in the last four centuries and the second greatest in recorded history, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tangshan is roughly 995 miles (1,600 km) from Chengdu, the nearest major city to the epicenter of Monday's quake. Read an explanation about earthquakes » . After the quake struck Monday, the ground shook as far away as Beijing, which is 950 miles (1,528 km) from the epicenter. Residents of the Chinese capital, which hosts this year's Olympic Games in August, felt a quiet, rolling sensation for about a minute. See CNN's interview with an American in Chengdu » . Thousands of people were evacuated from Beijing buildings immediately after the earthquake. At least seven more earthquakes -- measuring between 4.0 and 6.0 magnitudes -- happened nearby over the four hours after the initial quake at at 2:28 p.m. local time, the USGS reported. A spokesman for the Beijing Olympic Committee said no Olympic venues were affected. The huge Three Gorges Dam -- roughly 400 miles east of the epicenter -- was not damaged, a spokesman said. The earthquake was also felt in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, and as far away as Hanoi, Vietnam, and Bangkok, Thailand, according to the Hong Kong-based Mandarin-language channel Phoenix TV. Impact your world . CNN's John Vause and Jaime FlorCruz contributed to this report.

NEW: China says at least 10,000 dead but it expects figure to rise . NEW: Rain hampering rescue, aid efforts in worst-hit area . Nearly 900 children buried when a school building collapses, 50 bodies found . 7.9 magnitude quake is felt throughout much of China .

Washington (CNN) -- In the words of Judge Roslyn Silver, the situation is "dire." From her chambers in Phoenix, Arizona, the chief judge of federal judicial District of Arizona warns a bulging criminal caseload is being exacerbated by three unfilled bench seats, which the Obama administration and the Senate have, until recently, shown little urgency to address. "We have a crisis, we have vacancies, and we would like to have them filled so that justice can be served," she told CNN in an exclusive television interview. The crisis was thrust suddenly upon the 64-year-old Arizona native. The murder of her predecessor, Chief Judge John Roll in the January 8 Tucson shootings that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords seriously wounded suddenly put her in charge. Losing a colleague and dear friend, while ensuring her court continued to do its job remains a personal and professional challenge for Silver, but she remains quietly confident. "We are doing our job," she said. "That's what we were appointed to do and we will continue to do, and I can't imagine anything falling apart here." A nationwide dilemma . The situation in Arizona is mirrored nationwide, caused by a combination of practical and political forces. The importance of the federal courts is not lost on the ever-rising number of civil and criminal litigants seeking justice, and on the issue advocacy groups that have made the appointment of judges a political rallying cry. That has led to delays of up to 19 months in getting some nominees confirmed. "Government is now not doing it's job, that's what it comes down to, it's just not filling these vacancies in a timely manner and there's enough blame to go around," said Russell Wheeler, a policy analyst with the Brookings Institution. "I think it's going to be harder and harder to get people, good people to be federal judges because who wants to go through this process?" In Arizona, a state with the third highest criminal caseload in the country, the vacancies have left the remaining three Tucson-based judges handling more than 1200 criminal cases each. "And then of course they have civil cases on top of that," said Judge Silver. "And I just learned recently that Judge Roll was carrying about 150 civil cases." Based on its caseload, the judicial district of Arizona is eligible for five additional judgeships. There are now 92 vacancies in the 857 federal district and appeals court judgeships, amounting to about 11%. Just 61 names have been currently put forth by President Obama in the new Congress, many of them renominated -- but never confirmed -- from the past two years. Seventeen candidates have received confirmation since January. The Administrative Office of the U.S. courts predicts at least 23 more vacancies this year. Since Obama took office in 2009, the number of open slots has risen steadily, as judges retire or leave for better-paying jobs. The president has been slow to replace them, compared to his two predecessors. In their first two years, Bill Clinton had a 90% confirmation rate for his nominees, while George W. Bush had a 77% rate. Obama by contrast has only had 58% of his 103 choices clearing the Senate hurdle. His supporters point to a number of factors for the slow start -- including two time-consuming Supreme Court vacancies in the past two years. Yet White House aides proudly note the diversity the president has brought to his nominees: About three-fourths are women or minorities, with a particular focus on Hispanics. By contrast, the current federal bench remains almost 60% white male. Supreme Court choices almost always receive relatively swift attention. Obama's two choices -- Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan -- took their judicial oaths less than three months after being chosen. Some lower court nominees by contrast nominated in 2009 by the president have yet to get a final vote. Wheeler from the Brookings Institution and other court watchers point the finger at all sides: a delinquent White House, stall tactics from conservative Republican senators, and an ever-increasing chorus from interest groups on the left and right. "Both parties may have an institutional reason to get this back to a situation it was before," said Wheeler, "where the government could fulfill a basic government function, which is filling judicial vacancies." There is some hope of that happening. Seven judgeships have been approved in the past month by senators, including two this week. Several more nominees have been promised floor votes in coming days. Government sources say Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, reached an informal agreement earlier this year not to use the same procedural maneuvers that have delayed many judicial nominees over the past few years. Most nominees, said sources, will get up-or-down votes in "an orderly fashion." Most. The Senate Judiciary Committee resumes confirmation hearings Wednesday, with perhaps the most contentious nominee getting another shot. University of California law professor Goodwin Liu has been tapped to sit on the 9thCircuit U.S. Court of Appeals. His outspoken opposition to many of the legal policies and judicial nominees of the second Bush administration has earned him conservative wrath. If confirmed he would be only the second current Asian-American on the federal appeals bench, and many liberals see Liu as a potential candidate for the Supreme Court someday. Cause and effect . The sagging economy has rippled into the federal courts, with ever-increasing bankruptcy filings and civil, financial disputes. Current legal fights over national security, health care reform, and "social" areas like gay marriage have only added to the bulging dockets. In the District of Columbia, hundreds of appeals from terror suspects detained at the Guantanamo military prison have overwhelmed that federal court. As a result, "We plan to try very few civil cases this spring and summer," said Chief Judge Royce Lamberth. Washington's federal district court has three current judicial vacancies. Lamberth is unusually blunt about the situation, saying, "This is as bad as I've seen it." "There's a war between the legislative branches of government and the judiciary is caught in the middle and we are suffering," the 1987 Reagan appointee told CNN. "The Republicans are doing exactly what they accused the Democrats of before. They're stalling and there's no good basis to stall if you have no basis against the nominee." Some courts in some areas of the country report little or no backlog. Other areas like the Southwest see no relief. Operation Streamline has been anything but for those on the judicial front lines. The federal program launched in 2005 requires low-level criminal prosecution and imprisonment of nearly every illegal immigrant caught crossing parts of the U.S.-Mexico border. Judges in the region report being swamped. "The border courts are absolutely overloaded," said Judge W. Royal Furgeson, based in West Texas. "You've got judges handling eight times the number of criminal cases than are normally registered in other courts across the nation. That's a staggering docket. It's amazing." The 1993 Clinton appointee said some decisions by his border state colleagues are made "assembly line fashion, which I think we all find unacceptable." Arizona justice . Silver said criminal prosecutions in her home state have risen by about 70% in the past two years. So in January she declared a judicial "emergency" in Arizona, giving her and her colleagues more time before defendants must face trial. Essentially those criminal trials do not have to take place for 180 days as opposed to the Speedy Trial Act requirement of 70 days. It is a rarely used tactic, but Silver said she and her predecessor, John Roll, had no choice. "He initiated the request for a declaration of the judicial emergency," she said. After his sudden death, "I picked up the reins immediately and accomplished it. He put together all the statistics so all I did was update those statistics and now it has been accomplished." Roll in fact had gone to speak informally with Rep. Giffords at a Tucson-area constituent gathering about the judicial emergency, when the shootings occurred. The 63-year-old judge was caught in the crossfire. "Well we were absolutely shocked and stunned and we're still saddened," said Silver, a 1994 Clinton appointee. "The crisis occurred on January 8, we went back to work on January 10. We did not lose any stride whatsoever. We are dealing with a crisis. We do our best not to think about it and let the sad news overcome us." CNN's Dan Lothian and Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report.

There are now 99 vacancies in the 857 federal district and appeals court judgeships . Just 46 names have been currently put forth by President Obama . The Administrative Office of the U.S. courts predicts at least 15 more vacancies this year .

(CNN) -- It was a golden moment in a depressingly bleak week. Ukraine's female biathletes provided a temporary and joyful distraction from the ongoing troubles at home with a gold medal performance in the women's team biathlon relay on Friday at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The team led from start to finish in the 4x6 km race, taking gold in a time of one hour 10 minutes 2.5 seconds, 26.4 seconds ahead of defending champions Russia with Norway a further 11.2 seconds behind in third. Vita Semerenko, a bronze medalist in the women's 7.5 km sprint earlier in the Games, led Ukraine's women off before handing over to Juliya Dzhyma for the second leg. Valj Semerenko's twin sister Valj lost some time at the shooting range on the third leg but not enough to deny Ukraine their first Olympic biathlon gold as anchorwoman Olena Pidhrushna fell into the arms of her teammates at the finish line. "Before the race people wrote us many messages and wishes, waiting for victory," Pidhrushna said after clinching her country's first Winter Games gold in 20 years. "Until the very last moment, even this morning I read my emails, saying like 'Girls, start and win for us all, for Ukraine.' We are so happy that the people of Ukraine are happy back home and that something good happened for our country." Pidhrushna, who called for a minute's silence at the press conference following the event, was asked about her husband, Alexie Kayda who is a member of the opposition in the Ukrainian parliament. "He talked to me and he said he didn't know how to support me and improve my mood. Before a race, he tells me that he loves me and that he believes in me," she said. "I can only thank for him for trying to protect me from everything that is happening at home. We only know the minimum of what is happening there and that is a good thing." Former pole vault world record-holder Sergei Bubka, who now heads Ukraine's Olympic Committee, couldn't contain his delight. "Ukraine wins gooooold!" he tweeted before praising Pidhrushna and co. for their efforts for winning Ukraine's first biathlon gold. Bubka, who won gold at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, told CNN's Amanda Davies that he was praying for a good result after violence had erupted in Ukraine's capital Kiev causing scores of deaths. "We need this. We need this and we pray for that," Bubka said Thursday. "We discuss with them to give them confidence and eliminate pressure from sport and situation at home. "We tell them we love them and believe in them. 'Do what you do every time. It's your time and it's your day. We need this.' "We want to show to everyone that Ukraine exists and is united through sport and Olympics." Canada breaks U.S. ice hockey hearts again . Canada piled on the agony for U.S. ice hockey fans with a 1-0 victory in the men's semifinal match at the Bolshoy Ice Dome on Friday. Exactly 24 hours after breaking the hearts of the U.S. women's team, Canada's men inflicted more misery on the Americans who, for the second successive Olympics, come off second best to their neighbors. The solitary goal came at the start of the second period -- Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars scoring in the 22nd minute to set up a final meeting with Sweden -- who earlier maintained an unbeaten run in the competition with a 2-1 over Finland. Read more: 24 hours of pain for U.S. ice hockey fans . The Swedes, who have won all their games so far in the tournament, had to come from behind after Finland's Olli Jokinen opened the scoring in the 27th minute. But they weren't ahead for long as Loui Eriksson scored five minutes later before Erik Karlsson scored the winner in the 36th minute. The U.S. will play the Finns in the bronze medal match on Saturday. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took the opportunity to remind President Barack Obama of the result and the bet the pair had made following a meeting in Mexico earlier in the week. Shiffrin skis into record books . U.S. teenager Mikaela Shiffrin became the youngest skier to win the Olympic slalom title, following up her 2013 world championship victory in the same discipline. The 18-year-old raced into the record books with a combined time of one minute 44.54 seconds to finish 0.53 seconds ahead of Marlies Schild of Austria. Kathrin Zettel, also of Austria, finished third. "It is tough to describe my feelings," Shiffrin said. "This has been a dream of mine for a very long time." Colarado-born Shiffrin showed her class under the floodlights at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center. A composed first run saw her finish 0.49 seconds ahead of Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch, with Tina Maze -- seeking her third gold of the Games -- 0.67 seconds trailing in third at the halfway point. But while the Slovenian slid down the standings to eighth and Hoefl-Riesch to slipped to fourth, Shiffrin held her nerve after nearly falling on the icy surface in the second run before skiing home to take gold. "It was a crazy moment. I was going very fast and I thought I was not going to make it, it scared me," Shiffrin said. Ski cross 1-2 for Canada . France's men may have swept the board in the men's event on Thursday, but it was Canada's women who were the big winners in the women's ski cross finals in the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park Friday. Marielle Thompson took the gold with Kelsey Serwa claiming silver, and Sweden's Anna Holmlund winning the bronze medal. "It's crazy. I don't think it's even sunk in yet. I just had a big wave of emotion. I'm so so happy, especially to be up there with my teammate," Thompson said. "We're all about girl power from the start. We're just having fun all day. I know Kelsey and we tried to help each other all the way down the course." Russian short track double . Russia claimed two of the three gold medals up for grabs in the Iceberg Skating Palace on Friday. Victor An sent the home crowd wild as he claimed gold in the 500 meters final, narrowly beating 19-year-old Dajing Wu from China with Charle Cournoyer taking the bronze for Canada. Korea picked up gold and bronze in the women's 1,000m final as Seung-Hi Park became the only female to win two short-track golds in Sochi, taking her overall Olympic medal tally to five. Park's compatriot Suk Hee Shim won the bronze with 20-year-old Kexin Fan from China taking silver. Park said she and Shim hadn't discussed tactics prior to the final. "We didn't have any special plan since every situation is different. We just try to use teamwork and do well together. Fortunately we were able to do really well. We have been practicing the whole season together and it paid off," Park said. In the final short track event of these Games, Russia roused an expectant crowd with an Olympic record in the men's 5,000m relay winning time of six minutes 42.100 seconds as An claimed a sixth career Olympic gold -- a record in his discipline -- while the hosts took their gold medal tally to nine, level with the U.S. and Canada. Canada sweeps to curling double . In the Ice Cube Curling Center, Canada's men matched the gold medal-winning performance of their women 24 hours earlier with an easy 9-3 win over Great Britain in the final. Canadian skip Brad Jacobs said: "I'm ecstatic, it's awesome, amazing. There are a million other words that can explain it, but that's all I can think of right now." His opposite number, David Murdoch was understandably more downbeat. "I'm disappointed," Murdoch said. "It was an opportunity of a lifetime, but it wasn't meant to be today. We did everything we could to try and start well, but we just had a poor start and that gave them a lot of confidence as well. "Going 5-1 (after three ends) there was always going to be an uphill struggle and it didn't matter what we did in the second half." Earlier, Sweden's men claimed the bronze medal following a 6-4 extra-end win over China.

Ukraine's women win gold in biathlon relay at the Sochi Olympics . U.S. men suffer same Canadian pain as American women in ice hockey . U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin creates Olympic history becoming youngest slalom winner . Canada clinches double gold in curling; Russia scores two golds in short track skating .

(CNN) -- Hours after surviving the shelling of a mosque at his presidential palace that killed a Muslim preacher and several guards, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Friday insisted he is in good health and blamed "gangsters" for the attack. The president sustained a slight injury to the head in the Sanaa attack and he is fine, a senior government official told CNN. Prime Minister Ali Mujawar, the parliament speaker, the deputy prime minister, and the Sanaa governor were among seven injured, government spokesman Tareq al-Shami said. It was not clear if that figure included Saleh. A Yemeni official who asked not to be named told CNN that Saleh was in the mosque when two "projectiles" were fired during Friday prayers. He confirmed the death of Sheikh Ali Mohsen al-Matari and said four bodyguards also died. Yemen's official news agency SABA, citing a source in Saleh's office, said three guards and the sheikh were killed. In his televised speech Friday night, the president said the attack occurred as talks were taking place between him and affiliates of Sadeq al-Ahmar, the head of the Hashed tribe whose break with Saleh has been followed by spiraling violence. Protesters upset over what they regard as political oppression and government corruption have poured into the impoverished country's streets for months to demand that Saleh step down. A deal to make that happen, brokered by the regional Gulf Cooperation Council, recently broke down. Fears of all-out civil war in Yemen have spiked since, as government forces and people alleged to be Hashed tribesmen slugged it out in the capital. Their weapons have included missiles, according to witnesses. Eyewitnesses, residents and government officials say Hashed tribesmen carried out Friday's attack on the presidential palace. But the spokesman for Sadeq al-Ahmar denied it. "The Hashed tribesmen were not behind these attacks on the presidential palace and if they were, they would not deny it," according to Abdulqawi al-Qaisi. In his speech, the president said those behind Friday's attacks were not connected with the youth-led movement in Sanaa's Change Square. Rather, he said that "gangsters" perpetrated the strike as part of their bid to overthrow his government and destroy Yemen's economic achievements. "I salute the armed forces everywhere and the courageous security forces who are keen on combating the attacks by a criminal gang that is acting outside of the law and is not affiliated with the youth's revolution present in Change Square," Saleh said. Mohammed Qahtan, the spokesman for the Joint Meeting Parties, Yemen's largest opposition coalition, said that "the attack on the palace was pre-planned by President Saleh to make people forget about the attacks that he has committed over the last two weeks." Qahtan said Saleh's forces have "bombarded most of the al-Ahmar family properties after the palace attack" and have killed hundreds over the past two weeks. "He is the only one benefiting from the attack on the presidential palace," Qahtan said. "He wants people to feel he is oppressed and is defending himself and not attacking others." The United States is monitoring what it describes as a "very fluid" situation in Yemen, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday. The White House also released a statement condemning "in the strongest terms the senseless acts of violence today in Yemen." "Violence cannot resolve the issues that confront Yemen, and today's events cannot be a justification for a new round of fighting," the White House statement said. "We urge all sides to heed the wishes of the Yemeni people, whose aspirations include peace, reform, and prosperity." Catherine Ashton, foreign policy chief of the European Union, called for an "immediate cease-fire" by all sides. She said that she had activated a mechanism to expedite the departure of European citizens from the Arab nation, all while pleading for a resumption of serious talks to end the crisis. "I appeal to all sides to protect civilians," Ashton said. "I have urged President Saleh repeatedly to listen to the demands of the Yemeni people and transfer power. The only answer to the current situation is an immediate and genuine commitment to a peaceful and orderly transition." Elsewhere Friday, government security forces and gunmen protecting protesters fought street battles in Taiz. The security forces began shooting at protesters assembled in that city's Freedom Square, and gunmen supporting the demonstrators burned an armored vehicle belonging to security forces. Abdullah Afti, a youth activist in Taiz, said four anti-government protesters had been shot during Friday prayers. Fighting has rippled across Yemen for months between supporters of Saleh and anti-government forces who want him out of office. According to the independent International Crisis Group, tensions escalated May 23 when fighting erupted between military forces controlled by "Saleh's son and nephews and fighters loyal to the pre-eminent sheikh of the powerful Hashed confederation, Sadeq al-Ahmar." "The personal animosity and competition between the sons of the late Sheikh Abdullah bin Hussein al-Ahmar (Sadeq and his nine brothers) and the sons and nephews of Saleh have been a consistent obstacle to negotiations over a peaceful transfer of power. Now, this animus threatens to drag the country toward a full-scale civil war," the group said. The fighting has focused on these groups but "it could easily escalate, drawing in other tribal factions" and the armed confrontation has already led to the deaths of more than 100 people, the Brussels-based group said in a "conflict risk alert" last Friday. While Saleh has been unpopular among many inside his country, he has been a longtime ally of the United States in the war against terror. The United States has counted on his government to be a bulwark against militants, including al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, but it believes he should transfer power in order to maintain stability in the country. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said that John Brennan, the president's homeland security adviser, just traveled to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for meetings with government officials to "discuss options to address the deteriorating situation" in Yemen. "Brennan said that the United States would continue to coordinate closely with both governments on developments in Yemen in an effort to help bring an end to the violence," according to the White House. With the level of violence escalating, Toner -- the State Department spokesman -- called the situation "clearly concerning," but did not go so far as to refer to the situation in Yemen as a civil war. "We call on all sides to cease hostilities immediately and to pursue an orderly and peaceful process of transferring political power as called for in the GCC-brokered agreement," the White House said. The Pentagon on Friday confirmed that American troops remain in Yemen for now, but may leave "depending on the situation." "We're closely watching the violence in Yemen. We still have some U.S. service members in country, and we're taking the necessary precautions," said Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan. Lapan would not say specifically how many American troops are still in Yemen, but other officials have told CNN there have been about 100 trainers and support personnel rotating in and out of the country, helping to train Yemen's counterterrorism force. The Pentagon denies that those forces have been among troops that have fired on civilians. "We have no evidence the counterterrorism forces we've trained are being used against protesters. We have seen reports they've engaged with armed forces, and we are looking for more information on that aspect," Lapan said. Barak Barfi, research fellow with the New America Foundation, told CNN the fighting in Yemen could destabilize Saudi Arabia by spurring a mass exodus to the neighboring country and emboldening al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to plot attacks. He believes Saudi Arabia, which has great influence in the country, is the only country that can help it avoid the specter of civil war. "Riyadh exerts a strong influence on both Saleh and the tribes that have turned against him through the lavish patronage the monarchy provides Yemeni factions," said Barfi. "If Saleh is compelled to leave Yemen, Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that could possibly offer him refuge. The Saudis have sought to subordinate their role in the crisis under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council, but must now take a firmer stance to prevent the complete breakdown of the Yemeni state, which would have regional repercussions," he said. CNN's Chris Lawrence, Jamie Crawford and Joe Sterling contributed to this report .

NEW: President Saleh says "gangsters," not the "youth's revolution," is behind the attack . NEW: A top EU official urges an "immediate cease-fire" and a swift transition of power . A sheikh and at least three bodyguards were killed, while Saleh was among those hurt . The Hashed tribe denies it carried out the attack on the palace .

Kabul (CNN) -- Afghan voters turned out in large numbers Saturday for historic presidential and provincial elections, undeterred by the threat of violence by the Taliban and poor weather. A heavy security presence in the capital, Kabul, and across the country ensured that the vote went largely smoothly, although some attacks were reported. "Today, I came to here to select my next president and I hope that whoever it is... is a good person, who will help the people and bring changes to Afghanistan," said one voter at a Kabul polling station. Wide participation in voting was observed and polling hours were extended by an hour to allow all those in line to vote, Mohammad Yousuf Nooristani, chief of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission, said at a news conference in Kabul. There were no major attacks in the capital, where cars were barred from the roads, police checkpoints were set up every few hundred yards and searches were carried out on every man, woman and child as they entered polling stations. The strong turnout came despite threats from the Taliban to disrupt the vote and punish all involved in the first democratic transfer of presidential power in the country's turbulent history. Afghan lawmaker Shukria Barakzai, at a polling station in Kabul, told CNN she felt proud and happy because "today is the day ... when the people of Afghanistan can go and vote freely." She said the turnout was a slap in the face for the Taliban and terrorists who have sought to obstruct the elections. "See, wonderful people are coming to practice democracy," she said. "We are not afraid of the threats. As much as they kill us, we get more stronger. As much as they killed our children, our journalists and innocent women, we say no, we will go and vote because we are fed up. We want to see real change, we want to enjoy our democracy." Other Afghans also told CNN that they were determined to vote and that improved security is their main concern, after long years of war. "We need a good president so the bombings and war stops," said a Kabul voter who has two children. "I want my children to go to school without fear." The Election Commission's Nooristani said about 7 million Afghans were estimated to have voted, with around two-thirds of the estimated voters men. Vote counting has started in the polling sites throughout the country and the preliminary results will be announced around April 28. The Independent Elections Commissions is completely ready to hold a second round elections if no candidate wins 50% +1 in the first round. Violence reported . Afghan Interior Minister Mohammad Umer Daudzai told reporters that 20 people were killed in violence across the country Saturday, as insurgents tried to disturb the voting processes. Seven military personnel, nine police and four civilians were killed. Forty-three people were also wounded in attacks targeting mostly voting centers, the minister said, adding that most wounded people were civilians . Meanwhile, Afghan security forces killed more than 80 insurgents across the country and foiled several attacks against voting centers, Daudzai said. Officials in the eastern Afghan province of Khost said a suicide bomber clad in an explosives vest blew himself up near a polling center. No other casualties were reported after the blast. Nearly 1,000 polling sites were closed because of security concerns; another 6,423 were open. Reports of violence and people fleeing polling stations popped up on social media. Outgoing President Hamid Karzai was among those to cast his vote Saturday, adding his voice to those of Afghans across the nation as they chose their next leader. Karzai is constitutionally bound to step down when his term runs out and the next president has been determined. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, then a runoff vote will take place next month. Preliminary results are expected to be announced at the end of April. Electoral officials hope that this election is free of the allegations of fraud that marred the last vote in 2009. Pre-election militant attacks . The relatively trouble-free election day came in welcome contrast to the violence that overshadowed the run-up to the vote and is seen as a credit to the progress made by the Afghan security forces. Taliban militants have carried out multiple attacks in recent days, including on the country's election commission. On Friday, two Associated Press journalists were shot in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province, an attack that left award-winning German photographer Anja Niedringhaus dead and injured Canadian reporter Kathy Gannon. On Wednesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate to the Interior Ministry in Kabul, killing six Afghan police officers. A day earlier, the Taliban killed a provincial council candidate and nine of his supporters. Last month, Sardar Ahmad, one of Afghanistan's most prominent journalists, was among nine people killed in an attack in central Kabul. Less than two weeks earlier, Swedish Radio correspondent Nils Horner was shot dead in broad daylight on a Kabul street. Voter enthusiasm . While formal turnout figures are not yet available, recent polling by the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan found that 75% of Afghans said they wanted to vote despite the threat of violence. Some election workers, whose colleagues were killed, also said the violence would not stop them from performing their duties. Campaigning has stirred excitement, including through substantive televised debates between the leading candidates -- something unthinkable more than a decade ago under Taliban rule, when television was banned entirely. The pre-election violence highlights the need for security in the fragile nation, and the choice of a new president may have an impact on security cooperation with the United States and the rest of NATO. Karzai, who has often taken a contrarian approach to Washington, has refused to sign a U.S.-Afghanistan bilateral security agreement. But the two leading candidates in Saturday's election have said they would, and the third has said that he is in favor of signing the agreement. Without it, Washington has threatened the possibility of withdrawing U.S. troops by the end of the year. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force has roughly 51,000 troops from 48 different countries in Afghanistan. The majority -- about 33,500 -- are from the United States. Despite the string of attacks leading up to the election, violence in Afghanistan is at a two-year low, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said. He has praised Afghan forces for taking the lead in quelling militant violence. The candidates . Afghanistan is a nation of diverse cultures and languages, which harbors potential for ethnic divides. But the two campaigns consistently leading in pre-election polling have crossed ethnic lines to form their tickets. Top presidential contender Ashraf Ghani, who earned his doctorate at Columbia University in the U.S., is from the Pashtun ethnic group. His running mate is Abdul Rashid Dostum, a leader of the Uzbek ethnic group. Ghani was the country's finance minister under Karzai. The other frontrunner is Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who is associated with the Tajik ethnic group. Abdullah is partnered with Mohammad Mohaqeq, a leader of the Hazara ethnic group, and he also has a Pashtun on the ticket, Mohammad Khan, who is affiliated with Hezb-i-Islami, a splinter group of the Taliban. Abdullah is an eye doctor by training, who became Afghanistan's foreign minister under Karzai. He ran against him in 2009, but dropped out in protest of what he saw as large-scale voter fraud. He is considered to be relatively liberal and has made at least one public statement in support of women's rights. Karzai's favorite? Karzai has not publicly endorsed anyone, but the third major contender, Zalmai Rassoul, is widely seen as the establishment candidate. He is a Karzai ally and has backing from the President's brother, Qayum, who withdrew his candidacy and endorsed the former foreign minister. Like Abdullah, he is a doctor. He also has a reputation for honesty despite his years in an administration widely plagued with accusations of graft. His running mate, Habiba Sarabi, is one of only three female vice presidential candidates on the ballot. Her candidacy could appeal to women voters. Karzai was chosen by Afghan leaders to head the country after the fall of the Taliban and won two subsequent presidential elections in 2004 and 2009. The 2009 election was tainted by allegations of manipulation and irregularities. CNN's Anna Coren, Masoud Popalzi and Qadir Sediqi reported from Kabul, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. CNN's Ben Brumfield, Euan McKirdy and Joe Sterling and analyst Peter Bergen contributed to this report.

Twenty killed in violence across the country Saturday, Interior Ministry says . Lawmaker hails day as "when the people of Afghanistan can go and vote freely" Voting was extended by an hour in response to high turnout, election official says . It's the first democratic transfer of presidential power in the country's turbulent history .

(CNN)Is there pixie dust mixed into the food and drink of the happiest places on Earth? Or is it something in the crisp clear air of many of the world's happiest nations? When the United Nations declared March 20 the International Day of Happiness, it recognized the relevance of "happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world." This officially-designated happy date is marking its third year. The happiest of countries -- many of which are in Scandinavia according to the most recent World Happiness Report -- have a robust combination of higher life expectancy, gross domestic product per capita, social support, generosity, freedom to make life choices and lower perceptions of corruption. By analyzing happiness data, officials hope to improve the world's social, economic and environmental well-being. The report is sponsored by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations. The network published the last World Happiness Report in 2013 and expects to release its next report in April. World Happiness Report 2013 (PDF) What about those of us who don't live in the top 10 happiest countries in the world? We can't wave a magic wand and improve our home country's economy or reduce corruption. And the world's greatest beach is ... Maybe if you travel to happy countries with an open mind and a loving heart, you can pick up on that Danish spirit of "hygge," which is sometimes translated too simply as the Danish need for "coziness." It's really a more complex sense of intimacy, community and contentment that generally happens with friends and family. Lest you doubt the Danes and their hygge, remember they live in the happiest country in the world. 1. Denmark . Denmark came in first place as the happiest country in the world in the 2013 happiness report and one of the happiest places in Denmark must surely be Tivoli Gardens. One of the world's oldest amusement parks, Tivoli Gardens will reopen on April 10 for the season to throngs of native and foreign visitors. If a calmer Copenhagen is more your preference, visit the King's Garden at Rosenborg Castle, a popular spot for locals to picnic during the summertime. 10 record-setting U.S. natural wonders . 2. Norway . Dining in the Norwegian capital city of Oslo will make any gourmand smile with joy. The esteemed Michelin food guide 2014 awarded five stars among four restaurants: Ylajali, Statholdergaarden and Fauna each received one star each, while Maeemo held onto two stars. For a more natural experience in Norway, head to Dovrefjell National Park in the Dovrefjell mountain area to spot musk oxen, those shaggy arctic creatures, on a guided tour. You might also spot reindeer at the mountain area, which is the barrier between southern and central Norway. 3. Switzerland . The Swiss town of Zermatt and the 200 miles of ski slopes in the region will delight any avid skier. And serious hikers will enjoy the famous Matterhorn. Even in summer the slopes welcome some of the world's national ski teams to train -- and you, on your relaxing vacation. For a quieter Switzerland experience, head to the car-free village of Appenzell (population 7,000) and its extensive network of hiking trails. Take a warm whey bath and nibble a piece of Alpine cheese. 4. Netherlands . The tulip -- the happiest and most iconic of Dutch flowers -- has already started to bloom at the Keukenhof gardens, which opens March 20 for Holland's spring season. Visitors come from all over Europe to see the different varieties of tulips and other flowers. (Make sure to visit before the gardens close on May 18.) For a more active view of the tulips, take a bike tour through Holland's flower growing region. Fit travelers can bike the Ijsselmeer tour, which winds through the country for about 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) over eight days. If you don't want to stay on your bike for a week, there are shorter trips or you can plan your own. 5. Sweden . Stockholm's Gamla Stan is one of the largest and best preserved medieval city centers in Europe, and one of the top attractions in the city. After exploring Stockholm's medieval past, stroll through the city's Royal National City Park, the world's first urban national park. For a more peaceful attempt at happiness in Sweden, why not book a paddling trip through Western Sweden? Kosterhavet Marine National Park on the Bohuslän coast is an ideal spot for exploration, and the park can be reached from several towns along the coast. No matter where you are, make sure to take a fika, a coffee break, with your new Swedish friends (it's not something Swedes do alone). If you don't drink coffee, any drink will do. It's about relaxing together as a community. 6. Canada . Protecting the land of Banff National Park is one of Canada's happiest and smartest decisions and it is certainly worth your time to explore on skis. Check out Skoki Lodge to see the first commercial ski lodge built in Canada. If you want to go off the beaten path in Canada, consider exploring the Haida Gwaii (Islands of the People), formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands and the home of the Haida Nation. Just a two-hour flight from Vancouver, there's plenty of outdoor activities and exploration of the culture and history of one of Canada's First Nations. 7. Finland . Of course you should see the Northern Lights and even Santa Claus Village (open year round for your convenience). Want to make your trip to Finland a little more special? How about sleeping in a glass igloo at Kakslauttanen? Enjoy an amazing view of the Northern Lights and a starry sky above in your room temperature two-person igloo. (Toilet included. Showers are in a separate building.) If you prefer a small seaside town, head to Hanko where cycling, surfing and diving are all possible during the warmer months. There's a saying in the Finnish language (or so we are told) that when you're really happy, you smile like a cookie from Hanko. (Explanation for that in this pdf.) You can't not be happy in Hanko. 8. Austria . The music at Vienna's Musikverein's famous Golden Hall, is happiness for the ears and having the famed chocolate Sacher torte at the Café Sacher in Vienna is music for the mouth. If you prefer to get away from the hustle and bustle of Vienna, have a meal at the Pogusch Country Inn, the sister restaurant of the famous Steirereck in Vienna. To extend your pleasure, book a room at the inn and enjoy a weekend in the country. 9. Iceland . No one should visit Iceland without taking a dip at the country's famous Blue Lagoon. The airport bus sometimes even offers paying passengers a stop there on the way to and from the airport, and the waters (and food) are divine. Or make sure you take a soak at any of the county's other naturally heated swimming pools. If you're up for an adventure, head to Snæfellsjökull National Park to see a glacier on top of a still active volcano (although the last time it erupted was 1,900 years ago). You will spot Snæfellsjökull (Snæfell Glacier), Saxhóll volcano crater, Lóndrangar massive lava formations and Rauðfeldargjá the hidden waterfall. Snæfellsjökull was made famous by Jules Verne's "A Journey to the Center of the Earth." 10. Australia . One of the seven natural wonders of the world and a site on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Great Barrier Reef is a must-see site for any first-time visitor to Australia. The Great Barrier Reef covers 344,400 kilometers in area and includes the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world. Some 600 continental islands, 3,000 coral reefs and about 150 inshore mangrove islands are included in the area. Yet it could be argued that the residents of Wollongong are among the nation's happiest. Bypass the area's hang gliding and golf (unless they make you happy) and head straight to the Nan Tien ("Paradise of the South" in Chinese) Temple, the biggest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Try one-day or weekend retreats for a better chance at going home more enlightened -- maybe even happier.

March 20 is the United Nations-designated International Day of Happiness . Try visiting some of the happiest countries to catch a bit of their spirit . The Danish spirit of 'hygge" may take over your visit .

(CNN) -- February 26, 2012. That was the day two strangers -- Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager walking back with Skittles and an iced tea he'd picked up at 7-Eleven, and George Zimmerman, a white Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida -- met for the first and only time. It's been nearly a year since Zimmerman shot Martin to death. The incident generated huge outrage across the country for months and led to a wide-ranging conversation about the state of U.S. race relations. Zimmerman acknowledged shooting Martin but said it was in self-defense. Attorneys for Martin's family have accused Zimmerman of racially profiling Martin and shooting him "in cold blood." Attention to the case has died down substantially in recent months, and you may have been focused on other things. Here are a few things you might not know about the case, which is scheduled for a June 10 trial. 1. Photos, evidence trickle out, seemingly helping, hurting both sides . From the beginning, Zimmerman insisted he was a victim: Martin attacked him, then they tussled, he said. At one point, the teenager forced Zimmerman to the ground -- his head hitting the pavement -- and he cried out for help. It was then that Zimmerman, saying he had no other choice, shot Martin. Martin's family members say Zimmerman tracked down and sought out Martin, ignoring a 911 dispatcher's directive, then shot dead the unarmed teen. Unless there's a plea deal, the case is dismissed or there is another unexpected turn of events, the final decision of who is right and wrong will be made by jurors. What happened the night Trayvon Martin died . When they do, they'll delve into mounds of evidence, key elements of which emerged well after the initial hubbub erupted. For example, did Martin handle the gun he was ultimately shot with? No, according to test results made public last May, which showed evidence of Zimmerman's hands on the firearm, but not those of the teenager he killed. And an analysis showed that scrapings from underneath the teenager's fingernails did not contain any of Zimmerman's DNA, as may rub off in a prolonged struggle. Yet Zimmerman has said there was a bloody fight before the shooting, and he's got the pictures to prove it. Those include photos, reportedly taken minutes after the shooting, showing streaks of blood on the back of Zimmerman's head. And in December, a photo posted on Zimmerman's defense web site, one that his lawyers say was taken that same winter night, showed the defendant with blood on his nose and lips. Read police report . 2. George Zimmerman's legal defense fund keeps pulling in cash -- and needs it . As of January 2, the fund had raised $314,099, according to a web site established by Zimmerman's legal team to solicit contributions to help pay for the defense effort. That's up from the $180,000 Zimmerman raised on his own before turning the money over to his lawyer last year. What's the money been used for? The biggest single expense remains the $95,000 bond to secure his release from jail. The fund has also paid $61,747.54 in living expenses for Zimmerman and his wife, who are now living in an undisclosed rental home, at a price his legal team describes as "reasonable," in Seminole County, Florida. Other expenses include $56,100 for security, a little more than $76,000 in expenses for the law firm and the case, and $3,201 in miscellaneous expenses. Those include Zimmerman's GPS monitoring fees, office supplies and the occasional pizza for interns on the case, who work for free, according to the web site. And they say they need much more money. Claiming that Zimmerman's team is already operating "on a shoestring budget, relying on individuals who have been willing to work for free or at a substantially reduced rate," a message on the defense fund's web site predicts the total costs of defending Zimmerman will top $1 million. His two top defense attorneys, Mark O'Mara and Don West, have not been paid yet, the web site states. "The state has virtually unlimited resources to prosecute George," the web site reads. "To finance his defense, however, George relies on the generosity of individuals who believe he is innocent." 3. Zimmerman is not just fighting the prosecution, he's also suing NBC . In December, Zimmerman filed a lawsuit accusing the network of taking his comments to a 911 dispatcher out of context in an effort to sensationalize the case. The lawsuit accuses the network of removing nearly a minute of dialogue and dead air between Zimmerman and the dispatcher to bring comments that Martin appeared to be "up to no good" and "he looks black" closer together. The lawsuit also accuses NBC of falsely claiming Zimmerman used a racial epithet in describing Martin. The network, Zimmerman's suit claims, used "deceptive and exploitative manipulations" to increase ratings. The network's airings of the edited recordings in March 2012 contributed to death threats that forced Zimmerman into hiding, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit alleges that such coverage led to death threats against Zimmerman, who wears a bulletproof vest and was even dismissed from his college because it felt fellow students could be endangered. He also had to move from his neighborhood in Sanford, leading to various unforeseen expenses. "Due to the defendants' journalistic crimes, Zimmerman has been transformed into one of the most hated men in America," the suit said. NBC Universal disputes the accusations. "There was no intent to portray Mr. Zimmerman unfairly," the company said at the time. "We intend to vigorously defend our position in court." 4. 'Stand your ground' law doesn't apply, defendant's lawyers say . The Florida law, passed in 2006, says people who feel threatened don't have to retreat from danger, no matter where they are. And it became a huge point of contention after Zimmerman's arrest, with his supporters saying the incident demonstrated the precise need for the law and critics saying it encourages a "Wild West" or vigilante mentality. But Zimmerman's lawyers say it doesn't apply to his case, at least not exactly. "In this particular case, George did not have an ability to retreat because he was on the ground with Trayvon Martin mounting him, striking blows, therefore the Stand Your Ground 'benefit' given by the statute simply does not apply to the facts of George's case: it is traditional self-defense," Zimmerman's attorneys said on the web site detailing his legal case. But they do intend to ask a judge to apply the immunity provisions of Florida's self-defense law to stave off a trial on the charges. Unstable ground: The fine line between self-defense and murder . The law says people who use fatal force within the guidelines set out by the law are immune from prosecution. A hearing on the issue could happen in April, according to the web site. 5. Trayvon Martin would have celebrated his 18th birthday this month . Martin would have turned 18 on February 5. His supporters marked his birthday with a peace rally in a historically black part of Sanford in central Florida, CNN affiliate WFTV reported. It was a relatively small affair, about 70 people, compared with the thousands who turned out regularly to support Martin's family and demand Zimmerman's prosecution in the weeks immediately after his death. Those rallies, led oftentimes by civil rights leaders from around the country, helped catapult the case into the national limelight. Trayvon Martin's parents ready to let jury decide fate of son's killer . Unlike early demonstrations, where supporters issued loud and relentless calls for justice, the Sanford birthday ceremony was more subdued. This time, supporters wore bracelets reading "Band Together," WFTV reported, and called for healing in the community after the shooting, which divided black and white residents and put the police department in a harsh light for not immediately arresting Zimmerman. "There's something coming out of this, and that's understanding. Sanford will be a better community for it," said lawyer Natalie Jackson, who was among those representing the Martin family in the spring. Two people who were front and center at those earlier rallies -- Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin -- were not in Sanford that day. Instead, they quietly and privately marked their late son's birthday in Miami, WFTV said.

Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman one year ago Tuesday . Zimmerman says it was self-defense, but he's been charged with murder . The case drew national attention, some of it focused on race relations . Photos, evidence and a new lawsuit tied to the case have emerged in recent months .

Washington (CNN)Call it a brief intermission: There's a three-week break in the action after a slew of primaries in May and June and a couple big headlines. The major story line so far this election cycle is the ongoing battle that pits mainstream Republicans against tea party groups and anti-establishment organizations. After a few high-profile tea party victories in late May and early June put to bed premature stories of the death of the 5-year-old grass-roots conservative movement, incumbents and establishment candidates ran the table in last week's contests. Complete coverage: 2014 midterm elections . The calendar ahead doesn't look as promising for outsiders looking to knock off another incumbent in the remaining primaries in the 18 states yet to vote. "The primaries produced only a few fights between the tea party and the establishment wing of the GOP because many congressional Republicans took their primaries seriously and kept their votes consistently conservative," GOP consultant Ron Bonjean told CNN. "The few primary battles we saw produced victories based on combinations of intensity, fund-raising and motivating voters one way or another," said Bonjean, who has been a top strategist and adviser to House and Senate Republican leaders. The resounding defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in his congressional primary in Virginia to a little-known and underfunded anti-establishment candidate rocked the GOP. But two weeks later, the tea party lost out on a golden opportunity to oust a sitting GOP lawmaker when Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi edged out state Sen. Chris McDaniel in a primary runoff. McDaniel, who enjoyed strong support from tea party and anti-establishment groups, narrowly edged out Cochran in the June 3 primary, but with neither man cracking 50% (there was a third Republican candidate on the ballot who grabbed 1.5% of the vote), the contest moved to last week's runoff, which Cochran won by fewer than 7,000 votes. Would Cochran's strategy work elsewhere? The senator's victory was aided by votes from African-American Democrats, who were courted during the runoff campaign by pro-Cochran forces. But McDaniel alleges his team has found voting irregularities and is not conceding. "Interpreting the Cochran win as some kind of 'Empire Strikes Back' moment is an overreach," Republican communications strategist Keith Appell told CNN. "Republican leaders and their establishment backers dodged a bullet in Mississippi, but there is still a deep and active discontent among the grass roots, and it will only continue to manifest until the leadership reconnects with its base. Anyone who seriously thinks otherwise is delusional," said Appell, a senior vice president at CRC Public Relations, a Washington public relations firm that has had many conservative clients. Some victories but a lot of defeats . Anti-establishment forces have scored some victories this season. They knocked off another GOP incumbent, 91-year-old Rep. Ralph Hall of Texas, who lost his congressional primary runoff last month to a tea party-backed candidate. And in May, tea party-backed Ben Sasse came out on top in Nebraska's GOP Senate primary. The same night conservative Alex Mooney, who was supported by anti-establishment groups, won the GOP contest in West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. But those were the major highlights for the tea party in a year when mainstream Republicans have enjoyed most of the victories. Primary challenges from the right shook up the Republican Party in the last two election cycles. But they have also hurt the party's chances of winning back control of the Senate from Democrats, effectively costing the GOP five potentially winnable elections since 2010. So what's happening this cycle? "Establishment Republicans and incumbents have learned to run against tea party-backed candidates," said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, a top campaign handicapper. And outside help is making a difference. "I think the Republican establishment is fighting back more than in previous cycles. There is more organization and involvement from outside groups in some of these primaries," said Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. "I think in the past it was too often an incumbent running against an anti-establishment challenger and a host of outside groups," Inside Politics: The Chamber of Commerce's next target . The battles ahead . Anti-establishment forces still have an outside chance to score an upset in Tennessee and Kansas in early August. "For those folks who are looking to knock off a Republican senator in a primary this cycle, the opportunities are down to Tennessee and Kansas," Gonzales said. "There is still some time for those races to develop, but they will both take work to get the challenger campaigns to the same level as Chris McDaniel in Mississippi." Two-term Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee is an inviting target. He's known as a lawmaker willing to work with Democrats to broker bipartisan deals. He's facing off against a bunch of primary challengers. The one with the best shot of toppling Alexander appears to be state lawmaker Joe Carr. "Make no mistake about it -- the fight that Chris McDaniel started in Mississippi will continue here in Tennessee," Carr said after the Mississippi runoff. But unlike McDaniel, polls indicate Carr's the distinct underdog to Alexander. In Kansas, Sen. Pat Roberts is seeking a fourth term in office. Milton Wolf -- a second cousin (once removed) of President Barack Obama -- touts himself as a conservative activist with the guts to stand up to the GOP establishment. Wolf's campaign has tried to portray Roberts as more about Washington than Kansas, pointing to reports this year that the senator listed his voting address at the home of two longtime political supporters who rent out a room to him. Roberts owns a rental property in his hometown of Dodge City and a home in the Washington suburbs, where he spends much of his time. But Wolf, a radiologist, came under attack over old Facebook postings in which he exposed private patient X-rays and other personal information -- poking fun at the dead or wounded. Wolf was forced to admit he made "insensitive" comments. Like Carr, polls indicate Wolf trails far behind Roberts. But Sal Russo, chief strategist for the Tea Party Express, a national tea party group that backs Wolf, told CNN that the challenger is "able to bring a lot of excitement and enthusiasm among the grass roots. And that's the problem Roberts has. He lives in Washington. He's pretty much out of touch with the people of Kansas. So I think that that frustration with Washington has manifested itself in growing support for Milton Wolf." Winning by losing? The next high-profile primary is Georgia's GOP Senate runoff on July 22, but the tea party doesn't appear to be much of a factor there. Businessman David Perdue and Rep. Jack Kingston advanced to a runoff, but the three more conservative candidates didn't. But regardless of the outcome of the primary contests, tea party leaders said they've changed the conversation in Washington. "The tea party is winning by losing in the sense that you don't see any Republicans saying, 'Let's pass immigration reform that gives a path to citizenship. Let's make it easier for the President to raise the debt ceiling.' Almost all Republicans have shifted right," said John King, CNN's chief national correspondent. Another strategist said this year's contests aren't the final chapter in the struggle between the grass roots and the establishment. "The party remains deeply divided, and both sides have the resources and commitment needed to take the fight into 2015 and 2016," wrote Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the Rothenberg Political Report. "The war is likely to get messier and the division more consequential before the two sides look for ways to bridge their differences. That should please Democrats." What does that mean for November? The candidates who emerge from this year's primaries could have an immediate impact come November. Democrats have a 55-45 majority in the Senate (53 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the party). But in the midterm elections, the party is defending 21 of the 36 seats up for grabs, with half of those Democratic-held seats in red or purple states. In the House, the Democrats need to pick up a challenging 17 Republican-held seats to win back the majority from the GOP. "We learned that Republicans across the board have picked highly electable candidates and have improved their chances of taking over the Senate," said Bonjean, the GOP consultant. But Democrats disagree, and say that even though mainstream Republicans are winning in the primaries, those candidates are moving further to the right to secure victories, which will likely hurt them when they face a more moderate general election electorate in November.

Outsiders vs. insiders is the dominant story line in GOP primaries so far . After knocking off Eric Cantor, insurgents thought they had a sure win in Mississippi . Two more Republican Senate incumbents face challengers but hold lead in polls . Establishment Republicans fear a tilt too far right may hurt party in November .

(CNN) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and the opposition demanded independent investigations Wednesday into countering accusations of the use of chemical weapons, allegations that prompted most members of the U.N. Security Council to call for a probe. The demands, made in writing to the United Nations, came a day after the government and the rebels accused one another of using chemical weapons in fighting in the flashpoint province of Aleppo and a rural suburb of the Syrian capital of Damascus. Even as both sides accused the other of using such weapons, the U.S. ambassador to Syria and other officials said there was no evidence to substantiate the reports. "So far, we have no evidence to substantiate the reports that chemical weapons were used yesterday," Ambassador Robert Ford told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "But I want to underline that we're looking very carefully at these reports. We are consulting with partners in the region and in the international community." Ford, who was pulled from Syria when the United States closed its embassy in Damascus more than a year ago, said he was "skeptical" of Russian reports that the rebel Free Syrian Army had used chemical weapons. Competing calls for investigations . Throughout the civil war, which began in 2011, it has been difficult for the international community to determine the validity of claims by both sides of violence and casualties because access to the country has been severely restricted by the Syrian government. Even so, the United Nations confirmed Wednesday it was studying a written request received from Syrian government officials, who were calling for a neutral party to investigate their claim. A majority of the members of the U.N. Security Council plan to send a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to request an inquiry to "shed light" over the reports, said Gerard Araud, the French ambassador to the United Nations. He made the comments after Wednesday's closed-door meeting of the Security Council. The letter asks Ban to conduct a "swift, thorough and impartial" investigation, Philip Parham, the UK's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said. Parham described the Syrian government's demand as a request for a narrow investigation, looking into only one alleged incident. "The way in which they have framed the request prejudges the outcome of the investigation by alleging it's the opposition that is responsible for that case of use of chemical weapons," he said. The Security Council is calling for a broader investigation. The rebels' coalition government, meanwhile, demanded an international investigation and called for a delegation to visit the sites of the alleged attacks. Military analysts believe the Syrian government may have one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world. Specifically, the supply is believed to include sarin, mustard and VX gases, which are banned under international law. Syria has denied the allegation. The use of chemical and biological weapons are banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria is not one of the 188 signatories to the convention, which bans the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. In recent months, reports have repeatedly surfaced that Syrian forces moved some of the chemical weapons inventories possibly because of deteriorating security in the country, raising fears the stockpile could fall into the hands of al Qaeda-linked groups working with the opposition should al-Assad's government fall. As a result, the United States has been talking with neighboring countries about the steps needed to secure the weapons stockpile should al-Assad be forced from office. Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday reiterated his warning to Syria's government that it would be held accountable for the use of chemical weapons "or their transfer to terrorists." "We intend to investigate thoroughly exactly what happened," Obama told reporters during a joint news conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president said he was "deeply skeptical" of Syrian government claims that the opposition used chemical weapons. Obama has previously said Syria's use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line." "We have been very clear to the Assad regime -- but also to other players on the ground -- that a red line for us is, we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized," he told reporters. "That would change my calculus; that would change my equation." Intelligence agencies pore over the evidence . Intelligence officials around the world were investigating the accusations, U.S. officials told CNN on Wednesday. Investigators were talking to rebels and defectors, poring over medical intelligence regarding symptoms reported by doctors and looking at satellite imagery used to track missiles launched and chemical weapons movements, the officials said on condition of anonymity. They were not authorized to release details to the media. A spokesman for Netanyahu, Mark Regev, told CNN that Israeli officials had no confirmation that chemical weapons had been used. But Regev's comments did not square with those of Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. "It is clear for us here in Israel" that chemical weapons have been used in Syria, and an international response should be on the table, Livni told CNN in an exclusive interview from her home in Tel Aviv. Livni wouldn't say whether there is evidence the Syrian government has directed the use of any chemical weapons. But she said the development would pose a direct threat to Israel, which shares a border with Syria. Their concerns centered on an attack Tuesday in Khan al-Asal in the northern province of Aleppo. State-run media blamed rebels for the attack, which it said killed 25 people and injured more than 110 others. Rebels say they have no chemical weapons . On Wednesday, Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, said the Syrian government has asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to open an investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons by "terrorist groups," which is how the government refers to rebels. But the opposition Free Syrian Army said rebels don't have access to chemical weapons and blamed the casualties on a government missile. Separately, an opposition group said the government attacked the rural Damascus suburb of Ateibeh with "chemical rockets," causing an unspecified number of deaths along with cases of suffocation, nausea and hysteria. There was no immediate government response. The reports ignited a firestorm of reactions, with Russia slamming the rebels and some U.S. lawmakers saying that Washington might need to take action against the Syrian government. Observers: Images are not consistent with a chemical weapons attack . But images posted by Syrian state-run media of the aftermath of the Aleppo incident, which the government blamed on rebels, are not consistent with a chemical weapon attack, some observers said. "There are no images of the site of the attack; just of some affected people. These people do not show outward symptoms of a CW (chemical weapon) attack. Definitely not mustard; definitely not a nerve agent," wrote Jean Pascal Zanders, senior research fellow at the European Union Institute for Security Studies. "There are far too many people, including non-medical staff, around the affected persons. Apart from a surgical mask, nobody wears any protective garment or gas masks. If there would have been a CW attack with one of the agents known (or believed) to be in Syria's arsenal, then most of the people present would have been fatally or seriously contaminated." He added that, during the Arab uprisings, witness reports cited chemical attacks, but none had been confirmed. "People are exposed to a wide range of toxicants in today's battlefield," he said in an e-mail. "Furthermore, once a rumor gets around, people are more likely to think that they suffer from symptoms similar to the ones being rumored." Q&A: What's Syria's chemical weapon potential, and what are the health risks? Not the first round of claims . U.S. officials pointed to previous claims that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, which were found to be false after extensive investigation. The Syrian government did not use chemical weapons against residents of Homs in a December attack, a U.S. State Department investigation showed, but did apparently misuse a riot-control gas in the incident, according to senior U.S. officials. The officials said the State Department launched a probe from its consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, after reports from doctors and activists that dozens of people suffered nervous system, respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments after inhaling the gas in Homs on December 23. The civil war -- which began two years ago after a government crackdown on Syrian protesters -- has left around 70,000 people dead and uprooted more than 1 million others, the United Nations has said. CNN's Tom Watkins, Saad Abedine, Jessica Yellin, Nick Paton Walsh, Jake Tapper and Elise Labott contributed to this report.

NEW: The Security Council asks Ban Ki-moon for a "swift, thorough and impartial" investigation . U.N. Security Council calls for investigation to "shed light" on chemical weapons claims . "We have no evidence" to prove chemical weapons use, U.S. ambassador to Syria says . Medical evidence and satellite imagery are a focus of chemical weapons inquiry, sources say .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Terror attacks have spiked dramatically in Afghanistan and Pakistan as extremists in both countries strengthen their power and expand operations, according to a State Department report released Thursday. The number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, like this bombing in April, has more than quadrupled from 2006 to 2008. But the State Department annual terrorism report notes an overall decline in attacks worldwide and fewer attacks in Iraq. The attacks worldwide have decreased by 20 percent, with 30 percent fewer fatalities, said Russell Travers of the National Counterterrorism Center. The report says al Qaeda and its extremist supporters have moved across the Afghan border "to the remote areas of the Pakistani frontier, where they have used this terrain as a safe haven to hide, train terrorists, communicate with the followers, plot attacks and send fighters to support the insurgency in Afghanistan." In Pakistan alone, the report says, attacks more than quadrupled between 2006 and 2008, with a sharp increase in their "coordination, sophistication and frequency." Last year there were 1,839 terrorist "incidents," compared with 890 in 2007, Travers said. The rise in violence has complicated the Obama administration's effort to implement its strategy of boosting military and civilian programs in both countries. The report says the largest number of attacks occurred in Pakistani provinces near the Afghan border, including Balochistan, the North West Frontier and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, where extremists have sought to challenge the government and extend Islamic law. It also notes the government's inability to get a handle on the extremists. Despite having 80,000 to 100,000 troops in those provinces, it says, "the government of Pakistan's authority in the area continued to be challenged." Ronald Schlicher, the State Department's acting coordinator of counterterrorism, told reporters the Obama administration has "real concerns" that al Qaeda's senior leadership may be operating from those areas and could be plotting attacks against the United States. "We have a real sense that it's happening, but we have imperfect knowledge of what they're doing," he said. Pakistan's military in the past week launched an assault on militants in Taliban-held areas after they seized territory in violation of an agreement signed this year by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. The deal, criticized by the United States, allowed the Taliban to implement Islamic law, or sharia, in the region in exchange for an end to fighting. The recent operations are part of the Pakistani army's intensified drive against the Taliban in its restive tribal regions. The Pakistani government has been criticized for not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan. The strikes have rankled relations between the two countries. Pakistan has asked the United States to supply its forces with helicopters, communication equipment and night-vision technology as part of a U.S. plan to beef up the country's counterterrorism efforts. President Obama told reporters Wednesday night that he is "gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan." Speaking at a news conference capping his 100th day in office, Obama said the United States has "huge national security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable" and doesn't end up a "nuclear-armed militant state." After making two visits to Pakistan in less than three weeks, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is "very alarmed by the growing extremist threat in Pakistan and remains frustrated particularly by the political leaderships' inability to confront that threat," according to his chief spokesman. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have called Taliban gains in Pakistan an "existential threat" to the country. The State Department report notes the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, in November, attributing them to the Pakistan-based Kashmir terrorist group Laskhar-e-Tayyiba and to its fundraising subsidiary, amaat ud-Dawa. Although Pakistan has cracked down on some of the groups' camps and made several arrests, the report warned of continuing tension between India and Pakistan. The report says Afghanistan is plagued by "an insurgency that more and more relied on vicious and increasingly sophisticated terrorist attacks," despite the efforts of NATO forces and the Afghan government. "The anti-government insurgency remained a capable, determined and resilient threat to stability and to the expansion of government authority," the report warns. Although the Taliban continued to suffer heavy combat loses, the report says its ability to leverage support from al Qaeda and recruit soldiers "remained undiminished." "Taliban information operations were increasingly aggressive and sophisticated," it says. "Streams of Taliban financing from across the border in Pakistan, along with funds gained from narcotics trafficking, have allowed the insurgency to strengthen its military and technical capabilities." Iran is also a source of training to the Taliban "on small-unit tactics, small arms, explosives and indirect-fire weapons," the report says. "Since at least 2006, Iran has arranged arms shipments including small arms and associated ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds, 107 mm rockets and plastic explosives to select Taliban members," it says. While terrorists in Iraq still launched attacks last year, "there was a notable reduction in the number of security incidents throughout much of the country, including a decrease in civilian casualties, enemy attacks, and improvised explosive device attacks in the last quarter of the year," the report says. There were 3,258 terrorist incidents in 2008, down almost half from the 6,210 attacks in 2007, Travers said. He added there was a decrease during the first quarter of 2009, although there has a been a spike in terrorist attacks in April. Although the threat from al Qaeda in Iraq "continued to diminish" due to significant defections and a loss of both territory and funding, al Qaeda continued to benefit from safe haven in Somalia and has strengthened its North African operations, the report says. It notes a sharp increase in attacks by al Qaeda affiliates in North Africa. In Algeria, many of the attacks were blamed on al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, whose tactics "appeared to be influenced by [al Qaeda's] experience in Iraq." The report also warns "the security situation in Yemen continued to deteriorate during 2008 and was marked by a series of attacks against both Western and Yemeni interests," culminating in the September 17 suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa that killed 18. "Recruitment for al Qaeda in Yemen (AQY) remained strong, and the use of vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) and suicide vests indicated a high level of training, coordination, and sophistication by Yemen's terrorist leadership," the report says. The report calls the government's response to the terrorist threat "intermittent and its ability to pursue and prosecute suspected terrorists remained weak due to a number of shortcomings, including stalled draft counterterrorism legislation." Although a raid in August on an al Qaeda in Yemen cell in the country uncovered large number of weapons, the report warns the action "did little to deter or disrupt other AQY cells." It was a month later that at least seven assailants dressed in Yemeni security-service uniforms attacked the U.S. Embassy with explosives and suicide vests, launching what the report calls a "sophisticated and well-coordinated" attack. The report says Iran "remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism," including supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, all of which opposed the Middle East peace process, as well as Iraq-based militants and the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. It cites the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as the regime's "primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad." "Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy," the report says. Schlicher also said that the United States is "troubled by indications that the Iranians may be seeking to extend their influence into other parts of the world and expand its military ties into Latin America." The Obama administration has adopted a policy of engagement with Iran in an effort to curb its nuclear ambitions.

Attacks in Pakistan have more than quadrupled between 2006 and 2008, report says . Report: Al Qaeda, extremist supporters moving across Afghan border into Pakistan . Report notes an overall decline in attacks worldwide and fewer attacks in Iraq . Iran "remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism," report says .

(CNN) -- Funny things flags. Essentially they're just pieces of colored cloth, but run any of them up a pole and they become powerful talismans capable of making people behave in peculiar ways. The stories behind national pennants can be inspiring, intriguing and often give an insight into the culture and history of the country. We're all about raising standards and we think some of the tales behind these patriotic pennants are worth saluting. What flags do you love and why? Leave a comment. Canada . Say what you like about over-polite Canadians, at least they've managed to ditch the Union flag of their former British overlords. Canadian leaders debated furiously before finally adopting the resplendent red maple leaf in 1965, an ensign pointedly free of colonial images. Good thing they did, because it gives Americans and Brits a useful flag to slap on their backpacks to stop people hating them. One original proposal, rejected by parliament, featured blue stripes and a maple trefoil that almost completely failed to resemble a cannabis leaf. What to say: "The Canadian flag has saved my bacon a few times." Flag it up: Brockville is birthplace of the flag. Main attraction? Possibly the U.S. border 15 miles away. Nepal . Square flags are for squares. As the only country with an ensign that doesn't have four 90-degree corners, Nepal is in a league of its own. Its double triangle design symbolizes the mighty peaks of the Himalayas where foreign mountaineers have planted so many other national flags. The sun and moon symbols represent calmness and resolve -- character traits needed to tolerate the Everest-sized egos of those flag-planting foreign mountaineers. What to say: "Nepal's 1962 design marked a new a pinnacle for world flags." Flag it up: You can plan a flag-planting exercise of your own via Nepal's trekking agencies. Greece . Few flags evoke the nation they represent as well as Greece's. The blue stripes conjure the cobalt summer skies and azure seas that annually lure millions of vacationers; the white recalls spotless coastal buildings dotting its beautiful coastline. The nine stripes are said to represent ancient muses or possibly the number of syllables in the battle cry "eleftheria i thanatos," meaning "freedom or death," used in wars against the Ottomans. What to say: "Tentative signs of a recent economic recovery are a good excuse to wave the flag." Flag it up: On the gorgeous Cyclades islands the buildings wear the national colors with pride. Bhutan . At first glance, Bhutan's flag appears to bear the image of a dragon on wheels. The reality isn't much less exciting. The beast in question is Druk, a thunder dragon of Bhutanese Buddhist mythology. Rather than riding on castors, he is in fact clutching a spherical jewel in each claw. As flag stories go, this one isn't bad either. The dragon is said to symbolize the origins of religious teachings on which Bhutan was founded. Drukpa Buddhism was so named by its 12th-century founder, Tsangpa Gyare Yeshey Dorji, because he heard the thunderous sounds of dragons while hunting for a monastery site in Tibet. What to say: "Vacations are never a drag-on this side of the Himalayas." Flag it up: It'll cost you a dragon's hoard of silver to travel there, but this isolated kingdom is worth it. United States . Poor Old Glory. Those starry spangles and candy stripes have become a teensy bit overexposed thanks to recent American ventures in overseas troublespots. This is a shame as the modern incarnation of Betsy Ross's purported creation is an oft-imitated design of which Americans are rightly proud. So proud in fact, it's one of the only flags to have a National Anthem ("The Star-spangled Banner") written specifically about it. What to say: Oh long may it wave. Flag it up: Don't get into a flap about whether she designed it or not, just visit Betsy Ross's home in Philadelphia. Brazil . Given Brazil's skills on the pitch, you'd be forgiven for thinking its flag symbolizes a blue soccer ball being booted into space from a grassy stadium. It doesn't. Less excitingly, the green harks back to Portuguese colonial-era royalty, while the slice of night sky represents, even more prosaically, federal regions. It's still a much-loved design, even among non-Brazilians. What to say: "Brazil's success in securing the upcoming soccer World Cup and Olympics justify the flag's 'ordem e progresso' (order and progress) slogan." Flag it up: You can take your own flag to Brazil for next year's soccer World Cup Finals. Indonesia . The simplicity of the Indonesian flag belies an interesting tale (if true). The story goes that as they were shaking off the shackles of Dutch colonial invaders, Indonesian freedom fighters created their flag by tearing the blue strip off a Dutch tricolor. Another version claims the flag's colors are derived from those representing the archipelago's 14th century Majapahit Empire. Either way, it excuses the fact it resembles an upside-down Polish flag. What to say: "Indonesians know how to tear a strip off oppressors." Flag it up: Surabaya's luxury Hotel Majapahit is supposedly the scene of the flag-tearing incident. Mozambique . Mozambique's flag features a gun! Yes, there's a book, symbolizing education, and, yes, there's a hoe symbolizing agriculture. But there's also an AK-47 assault rifle symbolizing the country's bloody struggle for independence. The only national flag bearing a firearm, it's the subject of intense debate in the now largely peaceful country. Many there feel it's time to ditch the weapon. What to say: "The economy is booming, not the guns." Flag it up: Mozambique's flag carrying LAM Airlines is banned in the EU. Panama . Given that it's so widely displayed on ships using the country's emblem as a flag of convenience, it's fascinating to see what they almost used. This rather alarming alternative version, designed by Frenchman Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla, is meant to resemble the country's famous canal. Thankfully, then-president Manuel Amador Guerrero rejected it and hired his son to produce the current ensign, adopted in 1925. The colors represent the country's main political parties. What to say: "The alternative flag would have been a danger to shipping." Flag it up: You can board the Panama-registered Carnival Breeze for a quiet cruise -- just you and 3,689 other passengers. Greenland . Granted home rule from Denmark in 1978, Greenlanders decided they needed something new to fly above their frosty territories. The result, adopted in 1985, is both an exercise in classically minimalist Scandinavian design, and a bold departure from other flags favored by Nordic nations. Many in Greenland had hoped to emulate Denmark and its neighbors by using a Christian cross -- preferably white on green -- but from 555 submitted designs, a committee instead chose a red and white split circle on a contrasting background. The symbolism isn't too hard to read: a red sun sinking down into snow and ice. What to say: "Let's hope global warming doesn't necessitate a redesign." Flag it up: You can witness Greenland's fantastic sunsets for yourself. United Kingdom . The UK's Union Flag has long lived a double life, serving both as national emblem and an erstwhile fashion icon -- although its associations with the Swinging Sixties are these days just as likely to bring to mind Austin Powers' underwear. The flag itself is an exercise in nation building, originally combining the blue and white saltire of Scotland's patron Saint Andrew and the red cross on white of England's Saint George when the two countries united in the 18th century. The red diagonal cross of Ireland's Saint Patrick was added later. Of course, all this could change again if Scottish people vote for independence in a referendum scheduled for 2014. In which case, perhaps Wales might finally get a mention. What to say: "Groovy, baby!" Flag it up: The Union flags may not be so prominent these days, but London's Carnaby Street is still a swinging center for fashion. Which flag do you think has the best design? The most boring? Share your opinion in the comments. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Barry Neild.

Colors clash on Brazil's flag, the ball of stars looks messy ... yet somehow it works . Canada's maple leaf flag is one of the most recognizable in the world . Mozambique's flag features a gun, symbolizing the country's struggle for independence .

(CNN) -- At the 1964 New York World's Fair, people stood in line for hours to look at a strange sight. If only the future looked like "Star Trek," with its nifty gadgets that seem to solve every problem. They wanted to see the "Futurama," a miniaturized replica of a typical 21st century American city that featured moving sidewalks, computer-guided cars zipping along congestion-free highways and resort hotels beneath the sea. Forty years later, we're still waiting for those congestion-free highways -- along with the jet pack, the paperless office and all those "Star Trek"-like gadgets that were supposed to make 21st-century life so easy. Daniel Wilson has been waiting as well. He's looked at the future we imagined for ourselves in pulp comic books, old science magazines and cheesy sci-fi movies from the 1950s, and came up with one question. Why isn't the future what it used to be? "I feel entitled to have all this technology that's been promised at a certain time," says Wilson, author of "Where's My Jetpack?" "I look up and say, 'Where's all this stuff?' '' Some of that futuristic stuff, it turns out, is already here. Visionaries actually invented objects like flying cars, but they could never work out the real world applications, Wilson says. Other inventions had the same problem. Ordinary people didn't want to have anything to do with them. These futuristic follies include everything from "Smell-O-Vision," an invention that helped moviegoers smell as well as see movies; Sanyo's "ultrasonic ultra-squeaky clean human washing machine" (it was dubbed the "human washing machine," but wouldn't fit in an ordinary bathroom) and, of course, the jet pack. "Scientists are OK at predicting what technology is going to happen in the future," Wilson says. "They're really bad at predicting how it's going to affect us." What happened to my jet pack? The jet pack is a perfect example of predicting the future, Wilson says. He says the jet pack first appeared in 1928 in an Amazing Stories comic book, which featured the hero Buck Rogers zooming though the sky in a jet pack. The jet pack was actually developed by 1961, Wilson says. An inventor mounted a rocket onto a backpack and called it a rocket belt. A variation of the rocket belt even appeared in the 1965 James Bond movie, "Thunderball." Today, the jet pack continues to grab inventors' imaginations. A daredevil wearing a jet pack flew across a 1,500-foot-wide canyon in Colorado in November. A Swiss pilot, dubbed "Fusion Man," flew across the English Channel last year using a single jet-propelled wing. And a New Zealand inventor recently invented a jet pack, which weighs about 250 pounds, that reportedly can run for 30 minutes. The jet pack, though, has never really taken off, Wilson says. The problem is its practical application. While a rocket belt could propel a screaming human to 60 mph in seconds, its fuel lasted for only about half a minute, "which led to more screaming," Wilson says. The military couldn't find a useful application for it either. A soldier with a jet pack might look cool, but he's an easy target. Nor could a jet pack be of use to ordinary people who wanted to avoid rush-hour traffic, Wilson says. Jet-packing hordes could transform the skies into an aerial demolition derby, with air rage and drunk drivers turned into wobbly human torpedoes. Yet other bold visions of the future have come true. Remember Rosey the Robot? That was the name of the robotic maid that waited on the Jetsons, the popular cartoon family from the future. Rosey has become "Wakamaru." That's the name of a 3-foot-tall robot with a goofy grin that the Mitsubishi conglomerate in Japan invented to assist elderly people at home by doing everything from reminding them to take their medicine to looking out for burglars. Wakamaru can recognize faces and up to 10,000 words, Wilson says. "Beam me Up Scotty," is a tagline from another television show, "Star Trek". But teleportation has been invented, Wilson says. He says a group of international scientists successfully transported a photon -- a bundle of electromagnetic energy -- from one side of a room to another in 1993. Physicists routinely conduct teleportation experiments today, Wilson says. "Teleporting anything, even elementary particles, is mind-blowing," Wilson says. "Why is it that most people don't know it exists? It hasn't been put into practice yet. In real life, it's always about, 'What can you do for me?' " A darker view of technology's future . People's fascination with technology's imprint on the future didn't start, however, in the mid-20th century with shows like "The Jetsons" or "Star Trek." Joseph Corn, co-author of "Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future," found an inflated optimism about technology's impact on the future as far back as the 19th century, when writers like Jules Verne ("Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea") were creating wondrous versions of the future. Even then, people had a misplaced faith in the power of inventions to make life easier, Corn says. For example, the typical 19th-century American city was crowded and smelly. The problem was horses. They created traffic jams, filled the streets with their droppings and, when they died, their carcasses. But around the turn of the 20th century, Americans were predicting that another miraculous invention would deliver them from the burden of the horse and hurried urban life -- the automobile, Corn says. "There were a lot of predictions associated with early automobiles," Corn says. "They would help eliminate congestion in the city and the messy, unsanitary streets of the city." Corn says Americans' faith in the power of technology to reshape the future is due in part to their history. Americans have never accepted a radical political transformation that would change their future. They prefer technology, not radical politics, to propel social change. "Technology has been seen by many Americans as a way to get a better tomorrow without having to deal with revolutionary change," Corn says. Today, however, a more sober view of technology has sneaked into the nation's popular culture. In dystopian sci-fi films like "Blade Runner," and "Terminator," technology creates more problems than it solves. "Battlestar Galactica,'' the recent television series, is a prime example. It depicts a world where human beings have created amazing technology that has brought them to the precipice of extinction. There's no Buck Rogers zooming blissfully through the sky. The show follows the journey of a group of humans who created a race of robots called Cylons. The Cylons rebel, virtually wipe out humanity with nuclear weapons, and pursue the survivors through space. Mark Verheiden, a Battlestar writer, says the show's writers pay attention to current events when plotting their story lines. The contemporary world is filled with the unintended consequences of technology, he says. "There are so many things you can't anticipate when you create a new technology," he says. "Who would have predicted that the Internet would be taking down shopping malls and wiping out newspapers?'' In Battlestar's finale, human beings abandon their faith in technology's ability to improve the future. They destroy their fancy machines and start again as simple hunter-gatherers. "At some point, you can't expect a miracle to come in the form of technology to save us," Verheiden says. "At some point, the miracle has to come from a change in attitude and a new outlook." That doesn't mean, however, that Verheiden isn't a fan of imagining future technology. He says he grew up watching "Star Trek" and immersing himself in Futurama-like exhibits. The elevated cities and the "Star Trek" voyages of yesteryear may now seem corny, but at least they show humanity has a future, he says. " 'Star Trek' was saying [that] a thousand years from now, people [will] figure out how to get along," Verheiden says. "In some ways, sci-fi says that the future is still optimistic, because no matter how bleak things are, it suggests that we're still here."

Visionaries have long predicted how inventions will alter the future . Some miracle inventions never had impact desired by creators . Why "Beam me up Scotty" is closer than people realize . "Battlestar Galactica" writer: "The miracle" has to come from us, not machines .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Is Congress capable of doing anything right? It's a question worth asking as Democrats and Republicans threaten for the third time this year to shut down the federal government. Americans faced the same prospect during spring budget talks and the summer debt ceiling debate. Now it's happening over what was expected to be passage of a routine bill to fund Washington through mid-November while replenishing disaster relief funds. Friday is the latest deadline to avoid a partial shutdown. The Federal Emergency Management Agency -- tasked with helping states hit hard by Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and a series of recent wildfires and tornadoes -- will likely run out of money even sooner. The details have differed with each threatened shutdown, but the basic plot remains the same. Democrats want to spend more while Republicans are using a series of statutory deadlines to force an agenda of spending cuts. The two sides have proven incapable of compromising until the last possible second. Meanwhile, analysts warn that the repeated partisan brinksmanship is undermining consumer and business confidence, and may help bring on a double-dip recession. Congress bickers and you suffer. They brawl; your 401(k) falls. To make matters worse, there's no one villain to blame. If you want to know why Congress is repeatedly taking Washington to the brink and raising the country's collective economic anxiety, you have to look at a number of factors. Some are political, others perhaps psychological. We have a "political system that looks manifestly broken," Democratic Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said last week. "The gridlock and partisanship in Washington right now is disgusting," Sen. Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts, said Monday. "It's unacceptable for Congress to add more uncertainty to the marketplace by threatening another government shutdown." Jon Krosnick, a professor of political science, communications, and psychology at Stanford University, highlights what psychologists refer to as a "diffusion of responsibility" -- a diminished sense of individual blame when a person acts as part of a much larger group. "When people are told by the leadership of a group to do something, and lots of others are doing it as well, people feel less guilt in doing it," he says in reference to the hyper-partisan "us versus them" culture of Capitol Hill. "In fact, they might feel more guilt if they don't follow orders." People in every corner of the country are disgusted. Congress' approval ratings are abysmal -- hitting a record low of 14% in an August CNN/ORC International Poll. Can't we all just get along? Or at least not inflict pointless pain on ourselves? Barack Obama's campaign slogan was "Yes We Can." But the sad truth is -- no we can't. At least not judging from Congress' performance since the midterm elections. There are a number of explanations for Congress' behavior. None of them bodes well if you're hoping for more cooperation among Washington's power brokers. Start with the politics. Some experts say this year's repeated Capitol Hill showdowns reflect a political culture where the vital center has collapsed. Once upon a time, legislators known as liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats roamed the halls of power. Those days are pretty much gone. Today's congressmen and senators -- particularly on the tea-party-infused Republican side of the aisle -- are more fearful of primary than general election challenges. Growing numbers of federal elected officials are more worried about tending to a political base screaming for radical change than appealing to independent or crossover voters. This is especially true in the House, where districts are drawn with scientific precision to be overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican. Now more than ever congressional elections are a general election incumbency racket. The GOP landslide of 2010? Eighty-five percent of House incumbents won another term, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And that was the lowest percentage since 1970. The changing rules of the political game have policy consequences. Congressmen seeking a long political career are probably better off catering to the wishes of their party's most extreme activists, not some vaguely defined middle-of-the-road voter. "Some Republicans are ideological purists," said Adam Sheingate, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University. But "others are running scared, fearful they could lose a primary challenge to a more extreme candidate." Second, for all the talk of a growing independent electorate, there's evidence that voters themselves are more polarized. The rise of a more partisan, fragmented media may play a role in this development. More choice in news may be good, but it often comes at a cost of viewers and readers seeking affirmation of their opinions rather than a challenge to their world views. In that kind of an environment, analysts note, elected officials are more likely to be punished than rewarded for compromising with the other side. Third, a growing number of congressmen and senators -- especially those backed by the tea party -- are ideological true believers. If economic damage is inflicted by repeatedly taking the country to the brink, it may be seen as unfortunate but necessary in order to start turning the country in the right direction. "There's a surgery metaphor here," says Krosnick. "I have to cut you open to get the cancer out. And any surgery has risks." Wendy Schiller, a Brown University political scientist, says that "the fight now is really about dismantling the New Deal and the Great Society. It is about finishing what Ronald Reagan promised to do, but never really accomplished." Schiller argues that "there is a genuine belief among tea party Republicans that if you shut the government down, all the non-essential things that the federal government does go away, but the essential things -- such as Social Security and defense -- keep flowing. So you strip the federal government to its bare essentials and see how it runs." Tea partiers, Schiller says, "may be hoping that the American people actually accept a stripped-down federal government, and the pendulum on federal spending finally turns their way. Of course, as in (the government shutdown of) 1995, that can backfire and simply remind voters how much they need most of what the federal government provides." Fourth, some congressional Republicans may be calculating that a disgusted, alienated electorate is more likely to blame the incumbent party when they go to the polls in 2012. And while Republicans control the House, the incumbency label is usually tied to the party that controls the presidency. "People are more unhappy with the Republicans than with the president," Krosnick says. Indeed, only 33% of Americans held a favorable view of the GOP in an August 5-7 CNN/ORC International survey -- a lower favorability rating than that for either President Obama or the Democratic Party as a whole. But a lot of congressional Republicans "believe they have to do whatever is necessary to get Obama out of office" and bring about major change, Krosnick argues. "It's to their benefit to be able to communicate that government is stalled, inefficient, and unable to do anything on the average person's behalf," he says. "So they may decide that they're willing to take a hit in public opinion right now if they think Obama will end up taking the hit in 2012." Do members of Congress feel a sense of guilt for engaging in behavior that may be adding to the country's economic woes? "They may very well feel guilty or conflicted," Krosnick says. "No matter what they say publicly, it'd be hard to imagine the folks in Congress who are taking this approach and forcing these repeated confrontations aren't feeling somewhat conflicted if the result is some form of economic pain." But any sense of guilt is likely mitigated -- particularly on the Republican side of the aisle -- by the creation of "shared strategy" and "sense of mutual confidence" for rank-and-file members, Krosnick claims. Krosnick also argues that there's a degree of separation between Capitol Hill and the rest of the country that makes it easier for some congressional officials to take steps that may be exacerbating the country's economic pain. "You've got to work hard to convince people that the economic hit they just took is the direct fault of Washington," he says. "They may draw a connection between Washington and the broader economic outlook in the country, but they rarely tie Washington to their personal financial situation. As for members of Congress, he adds, burning ideological imperatives can trump reports of economic distress among people they don't know and interact with rarely -- if ever. If the prognosis is grim, it may be worth remembering a line from that old congressional critic, Will Rogers. "We cuss Congress," Rogers said. "But they are all good fellows at heart, and if they wasn't in Congress, why, they would be doing something else against us that might be even worse."

Congress is threatening the third potential government shutdown this year . The political turmoil may be contributing to the country's economic problems . Congressmen believe they may benefit from the repeated showdowns, analysts say . Congressmen feel less guilt when they act as part of a group, one analyst argues .

(CNN) -- As thousands of aviation geeks, (oops, sorry, "enthusiasts"), hang out at this week's giant AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the folks at Disney brought a gift: a sneak preview Friday night of the movie "Planes." This is Hollywood's answer to the wildly successful animated film "Cars." "Planes" aims to celebrate the same passion for travel across skyways that "Cars" did for highways. Obviously, it's a safe bet many avgeeks will like it -- it's about planes! But are they gonna respect it? Although aviation enthusiasts tend to appreciate authenticity, attention to detail and accuracy, let's remind ourselves that this is a fantasy movie about planes that talk. With that in mind, when it comes to the aircraft, does the movie bear any resemblance to reality? Well, yes, according to Sean Bautista, a veteran pilot who consulted on the film. Bautista, who has flown planes ranging from small Cessnas to fighter jets to Boeing 747 airliners, spoke with CNN from his home in California's central San Joaquin Valley about his work on "Planes," and he pulled back the curtain to reveal a few behind-the-scenes details. CNN: What does this film offer adult aviation enthusiasts? What can they look forward to? Sean Bautista: At a screening for aviation enthusiasts I went to, the general comments were that, in the air, it was probably the most accurate aviation movie they've seen. That includes animated and non-animated movies. But as you watch the movie after a while, I forgot they were airplanes. You get so into the story. Of course, it's not completely realistic. One thing they did with the movie that's really unique: On the ground, the airplanes are characters. ... But in the air, with John Lasseter executive producing and Klay Hall directing -- they really pushed for accuracy. These have to be airplanes. They have to fly like airplanes. They have to move like airplanes. We can't have them go faster than they would in real life compared to other airplanes. So they really did a good job of holding true to the aviation world. They really did go to great pains -- even down to the dialogue, the radio transmissions and everything -- to keep it as accurate as they could. CNN: Spill the beans: What inaccuracies did you notice? And what did the filmmakers change because of your comments? Bautista: Early on (in the production), I was spending hours watching reels. I would have page after page of comments. I looked at everything, from toys to artwork to script to story to dialogue, everything. I would (point out things that were inaccurate), and it would start affecting the story. And when that happens, everybody including Klay Hall and the writers gets involved in it. For example, Dusty is a crop duster who dreams about being a racer. The problem is: A crop duster is slow by design. So Dusty is physically limited, and he's going to be racing against planes that can go four times his speed. So how do you get around that? It was challenging. I'd say, 'Well, first you've got to get rid of the spray boom on the bottom (of the plane).' There's so much drag from that. In the movie, they treated that almost like a vasectomy. He doesn't want to lose valuable body parts. And I thought that was a pretty hilarious way that they did it. He needed to reduce drag, increase power -- and I don't want to give away too much -- but there was a lot they had to work around. At one point (the filmmakers said), 'OK, (Dusty's) racing an airliner ... to train himself.' And I'm like, 'That particular airliner he will never, ever, ever be able to catch. You need to change that airliner to a commuter turbo prop pulling in the opposite direction so it's eating headwinds ... Mostly, my inputs came in the military flying and the airliner stuff. And then looking at controls and things. I remember there's a scene where a big race starts, and they're starting their engines, and I had them freeze it, and I watched it back again. I told them that Chu -- one of the main characters -- his propeller is turning backwards. They said, "What do you mean it's turning backwards?" I said, "Well, either his engine is rotating in the wrong direction, or his propeller -- the way it's built on him right now, he will go backwards." And then they had me look, start looking at all the airplanes. And sure enough, I said "that one would spin circles, because one engine was spinning backwards; one was spinning forwards." Things like that. They didn't know or understand the relationship between rotation direction and pitch of the propeller. So there are things in the story that were driven by input that I made, where things like that got changed. As an aviation geek, you're going to find very little wrong with this movie. CNN: What actual aircraft are represented in this movie? Or are these characters just amalgamations of planes that might look familiar to us but are not actual aircraft that we might see in real life? Bautista: Some of them are amalgamations. Dusty is an amalgamation of three different types of crop dusters. Some of them are very close to the real thing. Skipper is an F4U Corsair. There are P-51 Mustangs in the movie. But a lot of the planes, especially the more modern airplanes like airliners and things like that, are what I call "esque." They're very 747-esque. Or Airbus A380-esque. The Navy airplanes are very F-18-esque, but they're not F-18s. They're close enough that any aviation enthusiast would recognize them right away. But I think for proprietary reasons, the characters had to be somewhat different. CNN: Do any of the movie characters in "Planes" remind you of yourself? Bautista: There are a few characters who have some of my call signs from the military days. Sparky and Dusty are some of my old fighter pilot call signs. But I kind of relate to all the characters. I really like Skipper because he's an old warrior -- an old fighter plane guy from World War ll. He carries a lot in the soul of his character and in his voice. I can relate to that because of some of the unseen, unknown events in his life in the past that affect who he is. Why is he quiet? Why is he kind of a shut-in? I can relate to Dusty and his energy and wanting to go beyond his limitations. I love the fighter characters Bravo and Echo that intercept Dusty. The military sequence was the most fun to work on. CNN: Tell us about your aviation background. Apparently, the filmmakers found someone who knows how to fly a lot of different kinds of aircraft. Bautista: I'm 55. My dad flew bombers in England and France during World War II and finished his career in Strategic Air Command. My brothers and I were all fascinated by airplanes; we grew up near a military base. My younger brother and I both had our pilot's licenses by the time we turned 17, which was the youngest age to get your pilot's license. I flew anything I could get my hands on. In college, I started flying commercially, hauling boxes for FedEx back when nobody knew who they were. I flew old radial engines, twin-engine aircraft called Beech 18 taildraggers. I ended up flying every single-engine Cessna, Piper and Beechcraft built and most of the light twins that they built, like the Cessna 310, 320, 340, 414, Beechcraft Barons, Piper Navajos. Then I wanted to know if I had what it took to be a fighter pilot. I was fortunate enough to get Air Force pilot training through the Air National Guard. I flew F-4 Phantoms and F-16s before retiring as a major. Then I chased another dream: to fly airliners. I ended up flying 737s, 727s, DC-10s and 747s for United. So I have a background in general aviation and then military fighters for 15 years and then commercial for the past 27 years. My son just got picked by the Air National Guard to fly F-15s, so the aviation legacy is continuing into the third generation.

A pilot/film consultant offers an aviation enthusiast's view of the new Disney film "Planes" Sean Bautista advised animators to make changes that made planes fly more realistically . He suggested an idea for the movie's hero, Dusty, that was "almost like a vasectomy" Executive producer John Lasseter and director Klay Hall "really pushed for accuracy"

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney battled over Medicare and energy policy Tuesday as the November election campaign reached out to battleground states crucial to both sides' chances for victory. In an escalating struggle to seize the advantage on the contentious Medicare issue, the Romney campaign counterpunched with a new ad accusing Obama of cutting more than $700 billion from the government-run health care plan for senior citizens. Romney made the same claim at two Ohio campaign appearances, three days after his selection of House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan brought the issue to the forefront of the campaign spotlight. Ryan is best-known for a conservative budget plan passed by the U.S. House that includes reforms to partially privatize Medicare, which Democrats say will kill the popular entitlement program. To counter consistent Democratic attacks in recent days against Ryan's Medicare proposals, the new Romney ad sought to turn the tables by contending the money senior citizens have paid into Medicare for years will instead fund Obama's 2010 health care reform bill. At a campaign event Tuesday in Ohio, Romney beat the same drum. Follow along on the CNN electoral map . "When he ran for office he said he'd protect Medicare, but did you know that he has taken $716 billion out of the Medicare trust fund -- he's raided that trust fund -- and you know what he did with it?" Romney said of Obama. "He's used it to pay for Obamacare -- a risky, unproven, federal government takeover of health care -- and if I'm president of the United States we're putting the $716 billion back." A July 24 Congressional Budget Office report said that repealing the health care law, as called for by Romney and Ryan, would increase spending on Medicare by $716 billion through 2022. At the same time, the CBO letter said keeping Obamacare in place would not mean a $716 billion decrease in Medicare spending as claimed by Romney and his ad. The Obama campaign called Romney's claim "dishonest and "hypocritical." "The savings his ad attacks do not cut a single guaranteed Medicare benefit, and Mitt Romney embraced the very same savings when he promised he'd sign Paul Ryan's budget," said Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith. David Axelrod, Obama's senior campaign adviser, told CNN earlier Tuesday that Medicare reforms in the president's health care law "took away subsidies, unwarranted subsidies, to insurance companies, and he used that money to help lengthen the life of Medicare by nearly a decade." Dueling appearances by the presidential contenders and their running mates hit states considered up for grabs in November -- Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada and Virginia. Standing in front of helmeted Ohio coal workers, Romney promised American energy independence by 2020 if he is elected to two terms, saying he will promote full development of the nation's oil, coal and natural gas reserves. He accused Obama of opposing coal energy production as part of a policy that favors energy sources "that come from above the ground" -- such as wind and solar energy -- instead of those from below the ground. Since taking office in 2009, Obama has called for a comprehensive energy strategy that includes development of cleaner alternative sources such as wind and solar energy. Republican critics contend the administration uses environmental regulations and other means to hinder development of fossil fuel energy resources such as oil and coal. Paul Ryan's Gen X sensibilities an asset? "He also said you can go out and build a new coal plant if you want, but you'll go bankrupt. That's what he said," Romney told the applauding crowd. Speaking at the same time as Romney, Obama told a campaign event in Oskaloosa, Iowa, that Romney would not support the wind energy industry developing in the state. "Gov. Romney said let's end the tax credits for wind energy production, let's get rid of them. He said that new sources of energy like wind are imaginary," Obama said. The president cited a thriving wind energy industry in the state, noting it supports nearly 7,000 Iowa jobs. "If he knew what you've been doing, he'd know that about 20% of Iowa's electricity now comes from wind, powering our homes and our factories and our businesses in a way that's clean and renewable," Obama said, later calling for a halt to billions of dollars in tax subsidies to oil companies making "huge profits" and instead investing in "the new homegrown energy that's creating jobs here in Iowa." Overall, though, the campaign focus remained on Ryan and his budget plan passed by House Republicans that calls for sharp cuts in non-military spending to shrink government as well as stark reforms to the Medicare and Medicaid entitlement programs that provide health care to senior citizens, the poor and the disabled. Ryan's proposals include the provision that Medicare-approved private insurers would one day compete with traditional Medicare on an exchange. The intention of his plan is to remake Medicare so that it remains financially soluble for future generations, while preserving the benefits of current seniors and those who will qualify in the next 10 years, he told CBS on Sunday. Ryan, campaigning in Colorado, made no specific mention of his Medicare reform plans, instead emphasizing his "regular guy" interests, such as bow-hunting, and promising to restore opportunity for those willing to work for it. "When I was growing up, you know when I was flipping burgers at McDonalds, when I was standing in front of that big Hobart machine washing dishes or waiting tables, I never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life," Ryan told more 2,000 supporters at Lakewood High School in suburban Denver. "I thought to myself: I'm the American dream." A contrast in Catholic politics . Later Tuesday, Ryan attended an event at GOP bankroller Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas hotel. Across the country, Vice President Joe Biden held two events in Virginia, where he challenged the policies of Romney and Ryan. "Look at what they value and look at their budget and what they are proposing," Biden said at his first stop, in Danville. He accused Romney of promising to lift regulations on big banks that would "unchain Wall Street," adding: "He is going to put y'all back in chains." At an event Tuesday evening in Chillicothe, Ohio, Romney attacked Obama and his surrogates, saying they have made "wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency." He pointed to Biden's remark, calling it an outrageous charge. "And the White House sinks a little bit lower," he said. "This is what an angry and desperate presidency looks like." An Obama campaign spokeswoman said earlier the president had no problem with Biden's statement. "We find the Romney campaign's outrage over the vice president's comments today hypocritical, particularly in light of their own candidate's stump speech questioning the president's patriotism," said a statement by Stephanie Cutter of the Obama campaign. Republicans reject the Democratic tactic to tie Romney to the Ryan proposal, saying the former Massachusetts governor has his own budget and tax plans that are similar to Ryan's but also include key differences, such as protecting anyone over 55 from changes to Medicare. "The budget plan, the approach on Medicare and all of that is going to be the Romney plan," senior Romney campaign adviser John Sununu told CNN Tuesday. Pressed for details in a combative interview on "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien," Sununu said Romney "likes the Ryan plan for its guts," but added "he has his own plan out there, which is carefully crafted to protect the seniors from 55 and up." By contrast, Sununu added, the Republican plans are more comprehensive and detailed than proposals by Obama and Democrats that fail to seriously address the nation's deficit-debt problem. The focus of the debate on Ryan's budget plan and Medicare means Democrats are winning the early message war, said Erick Erickson of the conservative website RedState.com. Romney's choice of Ryan means the campaign, for now, "is no longer a referendum on the president," which has been the central GOP strategy, said Erickson, a CNN contributor. "It's a choice between two visions. And a lot of Republican strategists don't have confidence that the Romney campaign is able to sell their choice," Erickson said Monday night. In addition, Erickson noted, the main topic now is Medicare and "Republicans don't necessarily win when you talk about Medicare." Campaign 2012: How low can you go? CNN's Paul Steinhauser, Kevin Liptak, Ashley Killough, Rachel Streitfeld, Peter Hamby and Alexander Mooney, and CNNMoney's Lex Haris contributed to this report.

Romney campaigns in Ohio, calls Biden's Wall Street remark outrageous . A new Romney ad takes on President Obama on Medicare . Obama promotes wind energy in Iowa .

(CNN) -- For a while, it seemed that the threat from ISIS was limited to sparsely populated desert regions in the Middle East. Through brutal tactics and persecution of minorities, the Sunni extremist group brought slaughter and chaos to large areas of Syria and Iraq. But its merciless efforts to establish its version of an Islamic caliphate unsettled the wider region, prompting U.S. airstrikes aimed at stemming its advance. The Islamic militant group has responded by beheading three of its Western hostages in recent weeks, ratcheting up the crisis. It has also amped up the rhetoric, threatening attacks on the United States and its allies. On Monday, several countries quickly rejected the threats, which were made in an audio recording from an ISIS leader who urged attacks on civilians in the United States and other Western nations. The situation underscores the question of what ISIS hopes to gain through the intensifying conflict with the United States and its allies. What has ISIS been saying about the U.S.? ISIS, which calls itself the "Islamic State," has been ramping up its threats against the United States and the West for months. The extremist group publicly warned of "direct confrontation" with the U.S. as far back as January, according to the National Counterterrorism Center. ISIS has also "repeatedly taunted Americans," the center said, notably during the recent videotaped executions of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. The killings of Foley and Sotloff took place after the U.S. military began airstrikes against ISIS positions in Iraq to help Kurdish and Iraqi forces beat back the militants' rapid advance. President Obama has since announced his anti-ISIS strategy, which is expected to involve expanding the airstrikes into the chaotic Syrian battle zone. The U.S. has also been working to build up a coalition of countries to help counter the threat from ISIS, which is also known as ISIL. Why is ISIS so eager to pick a fight with America? This summer, ISIS declared the establishment of a "caliphate," an Islamic state stretching across the territory it has conquered. A former ISIS fighter told CNN this month that the group's main aim is "to establish an Islamic state that will encompass the Arab world." "And after that, we go to other countries," the man said in an interview in Turkey. With that goal in mind, taunting and antagonizing the world's foremost military power may not seem like the wisest way for ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to expand and consolidate his territory in the Middle East. But analysts say that for the group to be seen around the world as locked in battle with the U.S. is an effective means of rallying more fighters to ISIS' banner. "For al-Baghdadi, fighting America and its coalition of 40 countries is a badge of honor, a powerful recruiting tool. It is proof that he and his organization have become the leaders of global jihad, toppling al Qaeda, their rival in that contest," world affairs columnist Frida Ghitis wrote in a commentary for CNN. Will it work? With the U.S. military carrying out strikes against ISIS forces, the extremist group is able to exploit the situation for propaganda purposes. The group said the executions of Foley and Sotloff were in response to the American airstrikes in Iraq. "I'm back, Obama, and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State," the executioner says in the video of Sotloff's beheading. "Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people." The beheadings further intensified attention on ISIS and its efforts to impose its heavy-handed rule on parts of Iraq and Syria. U.S. intelligence officials estimate that more than 2,000 Europeans and more than 100 Americans have flocked Syria to fight with extremist groups there. They say it's unclear precisely how many of them have joined ISIS. But the strategy could backfire. "ISIS is gambling that drawing America and the West into the fight will make it stronger, but if the West is strategic and smart, this move will prove to be ISIS' worst mistake," said Ghitis. What kind of threat does ISIS pose to the U.S.? U.S. officials say that ISIS fighters aren't a direct threat to the U.S. homeland at the moment. "At this point, we have no information that ISIL is plotting an attack inside the United States," Matthew Olsen, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said last week in testimony to Congress. The dangers, officials say, are to U.S. personnel and infrastructure in Iraq -- and from militants with U.S. or other Western passports potentially returning home and staging attacks. "What really worries American counterterrorism officials is that ISIS will prioritize launching attacks against the United States, will train Western recruits in bomb-making and send them back," said CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank. The suspect in the deadly shooting at Belgium's Jewish Museum in May recently spent a year in Syria and is a radicalized Islamist, according to French officials. Prosecutors say that when police arrested the French citizen, they also seized a Kalashnikov rifle wrapped in a flag bearing the ISIS insignia. What about the risk of homegrown attacks? That's what security analysts say is cause for concern -- and what ISIS appears to be urging in its new audio message. Attacks by homegrown terrorists aren't new. In recent years, the United States has experienced the horror of the Boston Marathon bombings and the Fort Hood shooting. Al Qaeda has long urged individuals in the West to mount their own attacks, providing instructions on matters like bomb-making in its magazine, Inspire. The Boston marathon bombers used pressure cooker devices they apparently learned to make online. The National Counterterrorism Center says homegrown violent extremists are "the most likely immediate threat to the homeland." It estimates that the level of activity of such extremists has remained consistent over the past few years, but that ISIS' influence could start to play a role. "We remain mindful of the possibility that an ISIL-sympathizer could conduct a limited, self-directed attack here at home with no warning," the center says. Officials say they are particularly concerned about ISIS' skillful use of propaganda, particularly on social media, to reach an audience in the West. Have there already been any cases of ISIS-inspired attackers in the West? U.S. authorities have alleged that a man who owns an upstate New York food store funded ISIS, tried to send jihadists to Syria and plotted to kill U.S. troops who had served in Iraq. Mufid A. Elfgeeh, 30, was arrested on May 31, though federal officials didn't outline the case against him until last week. Elfgeeh, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Yemen, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include trying "to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization" and attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States. In Australia, whose government has pledged combat aircraft and military advisers to the fight against ISIS, authorities carried out a large-scale anti-terrorism operation last week. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that an Australian high up in ISIS had been calling on his networks in Australia to carry out "demonstration killings." Australian media reported that the alleged assailants planned to kidnap a member of the public, behead the victim and then drape him or her in an ISIS flag. Authorities declined to give details about the threat, citing an ongoing operation. Was the U.S. slow to grasp the scale of the ISIS menace? While ISIS has been taunting the United States for months -- including publishing images of American soldiers engulfed in flames in its online magazine -- some critics have suggested Obama initially underestimated the extremist group. In particular, the President's comments to The New Yorker in January have been singled out. "The analogy we use around here sometimes, and I think is accurate, is if a J.V. team puts on Lakers uniforms, that doesn't make them Kobe Bryant," Obama told the magazine. Months later, Obama ordered airstrikes against the group, which he has described as a "cancer." His defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, said last month the threat from ISIS was "beyond anything we have seen." But senior administration officials have defended Obama's earlier characterization of the extremists. "The President was right," Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken told CNN last month. "They did not pose a threat like al Qaeda central to us in the homeland."

Fighting the U.S. is "a badge of honor" that helps ISIS recruitment, commentator says . But taking on the world's top military power also comes with risks . U.S. intelligence officials have said they're not aware of an ISIS plot inside the U.S.

(CNN) -- Hundreds of citizens and community leaders packed into the Bay Area Rapid Transit board room and two overflow rooms Thursday, demanding the group take responsibility for a subway officer's shooting that left a young man dead. A woman holds a sign demanding justice for victim Oscar Grant at a BART board of directors meeting Thursday. The BART board of directors meeting started with a moment of silence for Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old father who was killed on New Year's Day in a crowded train station, but it quickly turned into a parade of angry speeches by elected officials, activists and outraged citizens. For nearly six hours, according to local media, about 60 people addressed the board. The public asked the BART directors, and they agreed, to set up a committee to review procedures. They also discussed the possibility of creating a civilian review board. Inside the room, people clutched Grant's photo. Some held signs against police brutality. A couple of times citizens chanted loudly and pumped their fists in the air. Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson, dressed in a shirt with her son's face and the words "RIP Oscar," held a news conference Thursday afternoon at the family attorney's office to plead with the public to stop the rioting breaking out in response to the shooting, according to CNN affiliate KTVU-TV. iReport.com: Are you there? Share your photos, video and reaction . "I am begging the citizens not to use violent tactics, not to be angry," an emotional Johnson said at the news conference. "I know it's a very frustrating time, but Oscar would not want to see all the violence that's going on. He would not want to see the fires, he would not want to see this." "You're hurting people who have nothing to do with the situation. You're vandalizing their property, hurting their cars and breaking their windows. Please just stop it, please." Johnson wiped tears from her eyes as her son's friends also pleaded for calm. At the news conference, the Grant family attorney, John Burris, said he understood the frustration that African-Americans, especially those who are young, were feeling. Noting the case of Sean Bell, Burris asked the community to not take away from the tragedy by creating more violence. "That's not what Oscar stood for, that's not the life he led, so don't mar the image of Oscar. He was trying to be a peacemaker on that tape," Burris said referring to a recorded video of Grant's shooting. Footage from KTVU showed demonstrators rampaging through the streets of Oakland, California, on Wednesday protesting Grant's death. iReport.com: Protesters rally against police . The Oakland Police Department made 105 arrests, including a mass arrest of about 80 people at 11 p.m., said Officer Jeff Thomason. The charges include inciting a riot, vandalism, assault on a police officer and unlawful assembly, he said. One officer was injured, but not seriously, Thomason said. Some protesters lay on their stomachs, saying they were showing solidarity with Grant, who was shot in the back as he was face-down on the floor at a train station. Watch angry protesters in Oakland » . Several witnesses caught the incident on camera, and there have been numerous demonstrations this week. The protests turned violent Wednesday night after Grant's funeral and following an announcement by authorities that Officer Johannes Mehserle, who is implicated in the shooting, had turned in his resignation. Videos from witnesses show Mehserle shoot Grant in the back as another BART officer kneels on Grant. A BART spokesman has said there is more to the story than what can be seen on the grainy images. Watch the events preceding the shooting » . Oakland police tried to keep protesters at bay Wednesday night as they smashed car windshields and storefront windows. KTVU footage shows one protester jumping up and down on a police car hood, while another demonstrator pushes a flaming Dumpster up against it. "We live a life of fear, and we want them to be afraid tonight," an unnamed female protester said. iReport.com: BART protests turn violent . The protests began peacefully about 3:30 p.m. with about 500 people gathering at the Fruitvale station, where the shooting occurred last week, Thomason said. Soon, a group of about 150 protesters surrounded a police officer. Fearing for his safety, Thomason said, "the decision was made to use chemical agents to protect that police officer." The crowd calmed down, but then a contingent of protesters turned violent again, smashing windows and setting cars on fire, he said. Police tried to disperse the crowd and warned five times that anyone who didn't leave would be arrested. At about 8:30 p.m., police started making arrests. One person was arrested after carrying a firearm; another faces charges of possessing suspected crack cocaine, Thomason said. The crowd finally dispersed about 11 p.m. after police hemmed in a crowd of rowdy protesters at the downtown intersection of 20th Street and Broadway. There, police cuffed 80 protesters, Thomason said. "If people want to peacefully protest, we're all for that," he said. "If it's peaceful, we're all for it. We're not going to stand in the way of people saying what they want to say." This was not the case Wednesday night, Thomason said, warning that police would be out in force again Thursday night to make sure any protests remain orderly. David Chai, chief of staff for Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, said Dellums was "out and about" in the streets Wednesday, urging protesters to exercise their frustration productively. Dellums also announced that the Oakland Police Department was conducting its own investigation into the matter. "The mayor's involvement was essentially to try to calm everybody down," Chai said. "He obviously expressed some frustration with the process." He said Oakland residents also were "rightfully" frustrated that the investigation has gone on for a week with little development. Thomason said Oakland police will either work alongside BART in its investigation or take the probe over, but no decisions have been made. BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Wednesday that Mehserle's attorney has advised his client not to speak to authorities. BART released a statement Wednesday saying the officer's attorney and a union representative had handed in his resignation letter. Attorney Christopher Miller released a statement confirming his client's resignation, effective Wednesday. "Officer Mehserle's resignation should allow BART to get back to the business of managing regional transportation and allow the Alameda County district attorney to take primary responsibility for reviewing this matter," the statement said. Johnson told CNN on Wednesday that Mehserle had received death threats. District Attorney Tom Orloff told CNN on Wednesday the incident is a "pretty clear" homicide, and his office will focus primarily on Mehserle's mental state before the shooting. Burris is pushing Orloff to press criminal charges against Mehserle. Burris has also filed a $25 million claim with BART, alleging wrongful death. Read the claim (PDF) "Without so much as flinching, the Officer Mehserle stood over Grant and mercilessly fired his weapon, mortally wounding Mr. Grant with a single gunshot wound to the back," the claim alleges. BART has until late February to respond. Burris said that the young men had been celebrating the new year at a popular waterfront tourist spot, The Embarcadero. They were heading home when police pulled them from the train car about 2 a.m. Witness videos show Grant and two other men sitting against a wall in the Fruitvale station after being pulled off the train. BART reported that they had received a report of an altercation on the train. Police are seen putting Grant face-down on the ground. Grant appears to struggle. One of the officers kneels on Grant as another officer stands, tugs at his gun, unholsters it and fires a shot into Grant's back. There have been unconfirmed reports that Mehserle may have mistook his gun for a Taser, but Burris is not swayed. "My view is, this is criminal conduct, period," he said. BART Police Chief Gary Gee released a statement this week expressing condolences for Grant's family and saying the authority is cooperating with Orloff's office. A statement Wednesday said BART "will continue to seek and examine all available evidence and will continue its full cooperation with the ongoing independent investigation by the district attorney." CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin, Augie Martin, Dan Simon and Mallory Simon contributed to this report.

NEW: Victim's mother calls for stop to rioting, CNN affiliate KTVU-TV reports . Police say they made 105 arrests; charges include inciting riot, vandalism . Prosecutor: Office investigating "mental state" of officer accused in killing . Video shows officer shoot Oscar Grant in back as another officer kneels on him .

Washington (CNN) -- As the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial was officially dedicated Sunday, speakers called for carrying on King's ideals and values and confronting issues including bullying and social and economic justice for all Americans. "Nearly 50 years after the March on Washington, our work -- Dr. King's work -- is not yet complete," President Barack Obama said at the dedication ceremony. The nation faces many challenges, he said, including an ailing economy, substandard education, war and tragedy. Progress, he said, can often be a slow and painful process. During the civil rights movement, "progress was purchased through enduring the smack of billy clubs and the blast of fire hoses. It was bought with days in jail cells and nights of bomb threats." Every victory was met with setbacks and defeat, Obama said. Today's America can draw strength from that struggle, from King's belief that we are one people and from his refusal to give up, the president said. "Let us not be trapped by what is," Obama said. "We can't be discouraged by what is. We've got to keep pushing for what ought to be." He noted that King "will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it. A black preacher, no official rank or title, somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideas." "I know we will overcome," the president said. "I know there are better days ahead. I know this because of the man towering over us." The monument to the slain civil rights leader was due to have been dedicated on August 28, the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington when King delivered his world-altering "I Have a Dream" speech, but Hurricane Irene forced the event to be postponed. Perhaps, said the Rev. Bernice King, one of King's daughters, that postponement was due to divine intervention. "Perhaps God wanted us to move beyond the dream into action," she said. "As we dedicate this monument, I can hear my father saying that oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever," she said. "The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself ... I hear my father saying what we are seeing now, all across the streets of America and the world, is a freedom explosion." She called for "a radical revolution of values and reordering of priorities in this nation." She urged attendees to also pay homage to her mother, Coretta Scott King, who even as a grieving widow with four children "raised a nation in my father's teachings and values. It was vitally important to her that his life and principles become institutionalized." The memorial site, which features a striking 30-foot statue of King gazing out on the iconic Tidal Basin, lies between the Lincoln Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial on the National Mall. The statue, representing a "Stone of Hope," sits forward from a "Mountain of Despair." Visitors pass through the mountain on their way to King's statue and an expanse along the basin rimmed with an inscription wall covered with stone carvings of some of his most famous quotes. The four-acre area will also feature the iconic cherry blossom trees that draw thousands of tourists to the Mall each spring. "The very first time that I came to the site, I was almost overwhelmed," Martin Luther King III said. "I really was impressed by this artist. He was able to capture the essence of my dad." On Sunday, he described his father as "a champion of human rights and social justice for all people," regardless of race, gender and ethnicity. "Let us not forget that he paid the ultimate price for our civil rights," he said. But, he said, "we've lost our souls," noting the recent killing of a black man in Mississippi; child bullying; wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and the lack of social and economic justice. The American dream, he said, has "turned into a nightmare for millions." Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather said that while King's main battle was racial injustice, today's fight is against greed and for economic justice. "This time we judge people, not on the content of their character, but the color of their money," he said. "Once again, we have Americans on the outside looking in." "There is heavy lifting to be done again," Rather said. "And in the spirit of Dr. King's lasting legacy, we need to start now." If King were here today, said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, he would tell the Occupy Wall Street protesters to "keep protesting. Remain nonviolent. Stay disciplined. Stay focused." U.S. Rep. John Lewis recalled protesting in Washington 48 years ago. Of those that spoke near the Lincoln Memorial that day, "I'm the only one still around," he said. He recalled that King never asked protesters to do anything he would not do himself. "He was arrested, jailed, beaten and constantly harassed. His home was bombed. He was stabbed. He suffered the slings and arrows of hate." He said he's heard talk that nothing has changed. "Come and walk in my shoes," he told attendees. "Dr. King is telling you that we have changed. We're better people. We're a better nation." Other speakers at the dedication included the Rev. Al Sharpton; the Rev. Joseph Lowery; actresses Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll and 12-year-old Amandla Stenberg; and Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund. Singer Aretha Franklin sang "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," a tune she said King often requested. The Obamas listened intently as she sang. Michelle Obama applauded in spots, while the president closed his eyes. The Obama family toured the memorial before the president's speech. Controversy still lingers around the statue and a quote from King. Sculptor Ed Dwight, who has made seven statues of King, objects to the memorial's depiction of the icon -- and to the artist chosen to create it. "This idea of having this 30-foot-tall sculpture of this man, and this confrontational look, he would not appreciate that, because that was not him," Dwight argues. He also objects to the choice of Chinese artist Lei Yixin. "I feel strongly that the whole thing should've been done here in America," Dwight said. Harry Johnson Sr., head of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Foundation, said: "We got the best man for the job." And Lei, for his part, said America did not have sole claim on King. "Martin Luther King is not only a hero of America, he's also a hero of the world," he said. Celebrated poet and author Maya Angelou has a different objection to the memorial, saying that one of the quotes has been edited to make King appear arrogant. It reads: "I was a drum major for justice peace and righteousness." Angelou says an important clause was taken out of the passage from a 1968 sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. King's original words were: "If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." Leaving out the "if" changes the meaning, Angelou said. "It should not be seen like he was so full of himself. Because he was not. He was a very humble man," she said. "It is not an apt reportage of what Dr. King said. It is an edited statement." The memorial's executive architect Ed Jackson stood by the wording and said there are no plans to alter the structure. Jackson, who oversaw the memorial's design and construction, said in a statement that the memorial foundation "feels comfortable with the choices we needed to make based on the space available and the messages that we wanted to convey to visitors." He said a "council of historians" had been consulted, adding they suggested 14 quotations and two statements for possible inclusion on the monument's granite walls that "best characterize and reflect" King as a leader as well as his values. "In no way do we believe that this paraphrased statement diminishes Dr. King's intent of the words he delivered," Jackson said. "The inscription on the Stone of Hope comes directly from Dr. King's words." Former U.N. Ambassador, former Atlanta mayor and civil rights leader Andrew Young said King was sensitive about his small stature, as he stood only 5 feet 7 inches. "Now he's 30 feet tall, looking down on everybody," Young said. CNN's Athena Jones, T.J. Holmes and Roland Martin contributed to this report.

NEW: Obama: "We've got to keep pushing for what ought to be" King's children urge that his ideals and values be remembered . Speakers at the ceremony urge the pursuit of economic justice . Celebrated writer Maya Angelou says King has been edited to make him seem arrogant .

(CNN) -- Born without the lower portion of his spine, Kurt Fearnley was given just a week to live. Medical staff deemed his condition so severe they even asked his parents if they actually wanted to take him home. Yet Glenn and Jackie Fearnley had no doubts about that, and their youngest son has gone on to claim three Paralympic gold medals, win the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, trek the notoriously-challenging Kokoda Trail and lunch with Britain's Queen along the way. It's a mightily impressive collection but in his earliest moments, the prospect of such an action-packed life looked decidedly slim. "There was quite a period of time when they weren't sure whether I would live out the hour, the day, the week, the month," the Australian, 33, tells CNN's Human To Hero series. "It was slowly after we had been transferred to Sydney that there was the understanding I might be here to hang around, and my parents were then allowed to choose to take me back home -- even though they were offered alternatives." Despite his condition -- sacral agenesis, which affects approximately one in 25,000 births -- young Kurt was constantly told by his parents that he was no different to his four elder siblings and that he could achieve anything he wanted. So they perhaps shouldn't have been so surprised when he informed them of his choice of career. "Telling Mum and Dad that I was turning down my place at university to be a teacher to become a wheelchair racer instead, I could have been sitting across from them saying I wanted to be a professional unicorn hunter," Fearnley recalls. But he was backed to the hilt -- and not just by his family. Growing up in the tiny New South Wales village of Carcoar, whose population even now is little more than 250, Fearnley was much-loved and terrifically supported. Despite having legs so weak that they cannot support his weight, he would enter high jump competitions and play rugby league among other sporting pursuits -- and this indomitable spirit did not go unnoticed. So when he had to turn down an invite to compete in the United States because he knew his family lacked the funds to send him, the people of Carcoar came to the rescue -- raising enough money within a week to buy both his flight and a racing chair. Two decades on, the boy from the backwater has become a byword for bravery and belief -- and he did go on to become a teacher, qualified in physical education, as well. "There were two turning points in my sporting aspirations. One of them would have been when I started to realize that I wasn't going to play cricket or rugby league for Australia as I wasn't competitive in that line," he says with a grin. "Then there was the introduction to what my life is now -- wheelchair sports. I was about 13-14 when introduced to that lifestyle and culture. It changed my world." "It was 1994 and I saw these guys who were just these big men and better than any footballer or cricketer. They were these gladiators and I loved it. "I wanted to be them and here I am 20 years later. I think I'm almost there." Fearnley's modesty grossly belies his herculean feats. This is a man who can boast six silver medals and two bronzes on top of the three golds he has won since first competing at the Paralympics in 2000, on home soil in Sydney. This is a man whose times in his 5,000 meters and marathon category (T54) have never been beaten. And this is a man who has won a staggering 35 marathons out of the 54 he has contested around the world -- finishing on the podium another 14 times. "The thing I love about racing wheelchairs is that when I get into my wheelchair, there is not another person in the world that is more made to do what I do," explains Fearnley, who won 1,500m silver at last month's Commonwealth Games. "There are moments when you are racing that the speed is at a certain level or you're taking a corner at the right speed -- and at that moment, you feel like you are absolutely perfect and that this is what you are meant to do. It's an incredible feeling." And Fearnley, who stands just 4 foot 7 inches and weighs around 50 kg, is an incredible competitor. He won 2004 Paralympic gold after suffering a puncture with five kilometers still left to race, under a fierce Athenian sun. Two years later, he set a record time in the New York Marathon despite falling over when hitting a pothole. "The most important quality any athlete needs is resilience. It's essential for a marathoner," says a man who has also survived two serious car crashes, one of them while in his wheelchair. Yet merely relaying Fearnley's professional exploits doesn't come close to conveying the fullness of his extraordinary drive and ambition. Just consider his approach to the Kokoda Trail, a testing single-file trek that runs 96 kilometers (59 miles) through the mountains of Papua New Guinea. The path's rugged nature and precipitous river crossings are so challenging it can take any able-bodied person anywhere from 4-12 days to traverse it, so one can barely imagine the difficulties endured for someone who chooses -- in Fearnley's own words -- to "crawl" across it. Nonetheless, he took it on for both charitable and patriotic reasons. In 1942, Japan wanted to seize control of what was then New Guinea before launching a direct assault on the Australian mainland lying south, with seven months of intense fighting required before being ultimately repelled. "The Kokoda Trail is the only sport in the world where Australia has really fought for the direct defense of Australia. It holds unlimited important to who we are as a nation," Fearnley says. "It is 96 kilometers of mud and untold amounts of hills. The hills are these mudslides that are covered in a honeycomb of tree routes where you just have to try to keep trudging on. "I crawled it in 2009, and it feels like it was a lifetime ago. I often wonder how it actually took place. When I was asked in the lead-up to it, it was just 'Why not?' If I think I can do something somewhere in the world and I want to, then wouldn't I make that happen?" It's an attitude that sits very comfortably alongside his approach to life. "My motto is probably that struggling is alright, and any struggling is strengthening," he says. For precisely this reason, he chose to spend his Christmas holiday in 2011 on board the 100-foot Supermaxi yacht Loyal as it won the famous Sydney to Hobart race. Being pummeled by waves and tossed around a buccaneering boat is not everyone's idea of fun but for the pragmatic Fearnley -- who also has a love of surfing -- it was all a way of readying himself for the 2012 Paralympics in London. "I have had some incredible experiences outside of wheelchair racing, such as sitting down with 12 other people for lunch two years ago and one of them being the Queen," he smiles, referring to his meeting with visiting British royalty. "Finding myself on board a yacht on the Sydney to Hobart and winning by 300 meters, having crawled around on this thing for 58 hours -- crawling, in the middle of the night, through people's vomit just doing my job and whatever needed to happen." In spite of his unorthodox methods and his intense training regime, Fearnley failed in his objective to win the 2012 Paralympic marathon in his category. Yet he was involved in one of the great Paralympic races, taking bronze even though he finished less than a second by the winner. So he is unequivocal when asked to describe the biggest challenge of what has been a gloriously colorful career. "I would say the next one -- turning up at the Rio Olympics in two years' time to try to get back to that number one position," he ventures. "People may think there is not a lot between first and second (and third) place. In my case it was 0.8 of a second over a marathon, but that 0.8 of a second is absolutely everything in my sport. "So I would say that the biggest challenge that I would ever have come through over the last 20 years will be trying to rectify that 0.8 of a second in the next two years."

Kurt Fearnley is one of the world's most successful wheelchair racers . He has overcome physical limitations caused by rare spinal condition . Australian has crawled Kokoda Trail and crewed in testing yacht race . He is seeking to regain his marathon crown at 2016 Paralympics .

New Braunfels, Texas (CNN) -- Judy Young stoops down to point out her favorite feature of the sidewalk: a thick, bronze ring attached to the curb, about the size of a bracelet, weathered and rusted. The sidewalks of downtown New Braunfels, Texas, are lined with them at inconsistent intervals. They are remnants of the days when European immigrants farmed the lush countryside known as the Texas Hill Country, she says. Farmers of predominantly German heritage rode into town and tied their horses to the rings while they conducted business in stores like Henne Hardware, which still stands, and claims to be "Texas' oldest hardware store in continuous operation" since 1857. Why there's no messing with Texas . The rough, weathered rings are the real deal, products of German ingenuity, says Young, a native of New Braunfels who exudes the requisite boosterism you'd expect from the Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitors Bureau director, but with a genuine sense of pride. "When the Germans built stuff, they built it to last," Young said, laughing. Many residents of this waypoint between San Antonio and Austin grew up speaking German in their homes and remember when the hometown paper, the Herald-Zeitung, was written entirely in German. Some are fifth generation who can trace their roots back to 1845, when the first settlers arrived after Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Germany, founded the town on the Comal River under a German charter. KXAN: Comal River overflowing -- with people . Germans were originally lured to the Republic of Texas when it offered public land to Americans and Europeans to pay off war debt and weaken political ties with Mexico. This offer, combined with political strife in their home country, enticed a group of German noblemen to form an immigration company, and German immigrants began arriving in 1844. But times have changed, and now some residents say New Braunfels, sister city to Braunfels, Germany, isn't "German" enough. Sure, it has a German-American society, a shooting club, polka dances and Naegelin's Bakery, Texas' "oldest continuously operating bakery" since 1868, which serves fresh pfeffernüsse and streussel. The town also has Wurstfest, an annual festival that features German food and music. But as the town grows, 56.4% from 2000 to 2010, it wants more visible evidence to let those from outside the area know what New Braunfels is about: a sign that says "Wilkommen," street signs in German, building facades adorned with fachwerk, or timberframe. What's behind the rise of Texas? "We would like to see the town look a little more German. This town wouldn't be here if it weren't started by the Germans. It's a historical fact," said Diane Moltz, who grew up on a farm 15 minutes outside New Braunfels in a German-speaking home. She cited tasteful examples such as Leavenworth, Washington, and Frankenmuth, Michigan, known as Michigan's "little Bavaria," and less tasteful examples, like Helen, Georgia ("Helen's a little over the top," she said). "San Antonio is predominantly Hispanic, it's their heritage, and you can see it in the streets, the buildings. It's celebrated there. We feel like we could play on our heritage." Guenter Dirks, the owner of the biggest German restaurant in town, Freisenhaus, has been asking the chamber for several years about playing up the town's German roots. "People come here looking for a German town and they're disappointed. People come in here and ask where can I buy lederhosen and I don't know what to tell them. There's nowhere," said Dirks, a tall, imposing businessman who moved to Texas with his wife, Cornelia, and two sons in 2004 from Freisen, Germany. He opened Freisenhaus in 2005. The restaurant serves traditional dishes as well as others like Texas schnitzel, made with spicy jalapeño. Americanizing an ancient faith in Texas . Young said the chamber is responding to feedback such as Dirks' and is working on a larger promotional campaign to play up New Braunfels' German heritage. She acknowledges the impetus comes from a desire to draw businesses and tourists, but it's also just a part of growing and sustaining the community, she said. "We've always had a brochure and used our German heritage as marketing tools, but we've discovered our German heritage is not in your face like people expect it to be," she said. "Our heritage is the combination of 1,500 years of German society and our frontier-immigrant roots married together. Where is it? We're walking it and living it. But we need to show it off more." Case in point: Schlitterbahn, the flagship water park that has sprouted three satellite locations since it opened in 1966. Occupying more than 65 acres on the eastern banks of the Comal River -- and growing -- the business is second-generation family owned and operated. With ride names such as Blastenhoff, Surfenburg and Tubenbach, and a replica of the guard tower in Braunfels looming over the park, visible from blocks away, park spokesman Jeffrey Siebert says kitsch is part of Schlitterbahn's charm, but says it's also part of paying homage to New Braunfels' German roots. Otherwise, authentic evidence of New Braunfels' German roots is subtly tucked into curbs, stamped into building facades and embedded in its civic fabric. The hometown newspaper lists community events in the "Stammtisch" section, which loosely translates to "table reserved for regulars." The best BBQ in Texas . New Braunfels also boasts several organizations dedicated to preserving its German heritage, including the New Braunfels Schuetzen Verein, a shooting club that traces its roots back to 1849, and the German-American Society of New Braunfels, which says it has more than 700 members. The group, a co-sponsor of the Edelweiss Kinder Chor, or children's choir, organizes annual events like Maskenball (costume ball) and Weihnachtsfest (Christmas Party) as well as less formal events like games of ninepin bowling and skat, a German card game. Helgard Suhr-Hollis, a co-founder of the society who moved to New Braunfels from Germany in 1962, said it grew out of a desire to bring together the disparate singing societies and social clubs under the banner of German pride. "Germans are a very proud people. They're known to be hard-working, self-reliant, don't take handouts and they believe strongly in education," she said. Since helping start the society in 1978, Suhr-Hollis' has continued to contribute to German social life in New Braunfels. She is a member of the walking club and a docent at several museums and sites dedicated to the town's German heritage. One of them, the Lindheimer Home, is one of the oldest structures in town and the place where "father of Texas botany" Ferdinand Lindheimer lived and died in 1879. The Lindheimer Home is within walking distance of the Comal River, which feeds into the larger Guadalupe River, providing sources of leisure in the summertime. Families walk down the streets lugging inner tubes to the nearest drop-in point, with Landa Park among the most popular. During the day, families park on the banks of the river under shady oak trees while children wade in the water or ride a train that meanders through the park, or visit the Comal Spring. As Young walked through the park barefoot, picking up trash and spouting off facts about its origins, she waved at the conductor of the train, an elderly man named Harvey Soechting, who she said was following in his father's footsteps. Young revealed that she is not German: "Dutch-Irish." But she said she was grateful for what the Germans had done here. "You don't really start thinking about it until you have children. But it's like my second-grade teacher Mrs. Naegelin (of the Naegelin Bakery) told us: It's our responsibility to preserve and enhance our community so future generations won't have to leave. We have to tell our own story and build up our own community, or people from the outside with lots of money will come in and do it for us."

Residents say New Braunfels, Texas, sister city to Braunfels, Germany, isn't "German" enough . As the town grows, it wants visitors to know what New Braunfels is about . New Braunfels boasts several organizations dedicated to preserving its German heritage .

(CNN)In January 2014, 22-year old Redouane Hagaoui left his home in the Belgian town of Verviers. He was due to travel to Morocco to see his grandparents, but never arrived. Instead, Hagaoui went to Istanbul, called his family from somewhere in Turkey, and then vanished into Syria. His family and friends were stunned. One friend told the local newspaper SudInfo: "He doesn't even speak Arabic very well." On Friday, the day after Belgian police killed two extremists during a raid in Verviers, a CNN crew met Hagaoui's mother and sister at her home, just a few hundred yards from the scene of the shoot-out. At the time, Belgian media were suggesting he may have returned to Verviers and been killed in the police raid. They were too upset to talk; at that moment, they had no idea whether Redouane was alive or dead. The imam of the local mosque, Franck Hensch, told CNN they had not seen Redouane since 2013. He had been a serious but kind boy and had worked in a local restaurant, the imam said. Hensch and the president of the mosque M'Hamed Bouchlagham said that extremism was not common among Muslims in Verviers but that fewer young people were attending the mosque and instead were being influenced elsewhere. While the identities of the two men killed in the police raid have not been disclosed, it now seems Hagaoui is still alive and likely still in Syria or Iraq -- one of dozens of young Belgian men and women who have left their dreary, industrial towns to wage jihad in Iraq and Syria. A recent study by the Brookings Institution in Washington estimated that at least 250 individuals have left Belgium -- fewer than the number from Britain and France but the highest in Europe when measured per capita. Other sources put the number above 300. One of them posted a photograph of himself brandishing an automatic weapon and with an ammunition belt round his neck. Calling himself Fayssal Oussaih, he said he came from Maaseik, a small town on the Dutch border. He was reportedly the fourth resident of Maaseik to leave for Syria. Jihadists' travel tips . Another Belgian jihadist with a high profile is Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 27-year-old Belgian of Moroccan descent from a suburb of Brussels. An ISIS video posted in March last year shows him in a truck towing four dead bodies away in the aftermath of a massacre. Abaaoud's 13-year old brother also arrived in Syria later -- to become reputedly the youngest foreign fighter there. Belgian analyst and historian Pieter Van Ostaeyen says jihadists help each other with travel advice through social media. One posted on Facebook: "Everything you need is available here, be it clothes or things for your home, we have everything." And a tip: "Don't behave like a warrior. Shave your beards, behave like tourists and buy tickets back and forth." Precise figures on the number of Europeans who have gone to Iraq and Syria -- and which groups they have joined -- are hard to come by. The consensus among counter-terrorism analysts is that more than 3,000 have traveled, of whom 500 have returned, including up to 70 who have come back to Belgium. Of those who have gone, there appears to have been a sharp shift toward joining the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the last year. Van Ostaeyen writes: "If there is one important difference between those who left during the first wave and the second it would be their favor to fight for the Islamic State." And ISIS has made it clear it plans to send fighters to Europe, once western forces are, in its words, "defeated" in Iraq and Syria. An outlawed group called Sharia4Belgium is suspected of arranging the travel of some would-be jihadists. Nearly fifty of its members are currently on trial in Antwerp, but almost all are being tried in absentia. Guy Van Vlierden, an investigative journalist with Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws who tracks jihadist networks, told CNN that Sharia4Belgium had disbanded because of prosecutions and the flow of members to Syria. "As an informal network though, I think it still exists. And from time to time, people try some kind of relaunch," Van Vlierden said. One of the group that went to fight is Azeddine Kbir Bounekoub, a Belgian-Moroccan from Antwerp in his twenties who is believed to be in Raqqa -- ISIS's self-declared capital -- and has a Facebook page in the name of Abu Gastbijshaam. After the attack on a Jewish museum in Belgium by a gunman accused of allegiance to ISIS, he wrote on Facebook page: "May Allah raise up more young people who take the example of those who committed the attack in the Jewish museum." "Third generation" Analysts of Islamist extremism in Europe talk of a "third generation" -- Muslim teenagers and men in their early twenties intensely alienated from the countries to which their parents and grandparents immigrated in hope of a better life. A significant minority among them feel marginalized within their own country (they have no experience of any other) and are enticed by ISIS's slick multilingual propaganda machine. Some even see the Kouachi brothers, who attacked the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris as heroes; there were a number of incidents in French schools when the minute's silence for the victims was interrupted. One college teacher in a suburb of Paris with a high Muslim population told CNN that since the Paris attacks some Muslim students had adopted the slogan "JeSuisKouachi," as a riposte to "JeSuisCharlie." Few of them will ever pack their bags, but they could easily be further radicalized at home. Most of those who do make it to Syria are raw recruits with few skills. But they learn fast -- and one worrying dimension of the conflict to Western analysts is the coming together of this "third generation" with veteran jihadists -- men like Abdelkader Hakimi. Now 48, Hakimi left prison in 2011 after serving a long terror sentence. He is thought to have trained in Afghanistan, and as a young man had been condemned to death in his native Morocco for trying to overthrow the monarchy. On Facebook last year he suggested he was in Aleppo, Syria. His current whereabouts are unknown. While European intelligence agencies scramble to tackle the first wave of returnees, some analysts offer a few crumbs of comfort. Among the hundreds who have followed their dream of jihad, some never imagine returning home. Yilmaz, a young Dutchman and former soldier, told a Dutch television network that he did not expect to come home, far less commit an attack in Holland. Others are killed or become suicide bombers; a few return home disillusioned with the violence. Tracking fighters . The Brookings study says the threat posed by foreign fighters could be reduced by better co-operation among European intelligence services. "Intelligence from the communications of foreign fighters, shared open-source monitoring, and other information obtained by one service can prove crucial for discovering transnational networks," it says. Van Vlierden says that given their modest resources, the Belgian security services have been pioneers in tracking fighters. "I truly think, for example, that the Jewish Museum attack wouldn't have happened with a perpetrator from Belgium itself," he told CNN. Four people were shot dead at the museum in Brussels last year. The alleged assailant -- a French national named Mehdi Nemmouche -- was arrested in France, highlighting the additional problem posed by Europe's open borders: 26 European states are part of the Schengen Agreement, which abolished passport and immigration controls between signatories. In Paris, analysts and former officers in the security services have long been critical of the lack of collaboration between France's police and the domestic and foreign intelligence services in the wake of the Paris attacks. That lack of communication became apparent after the Toulouse shootings in 2012, when Mohamed Merah killed seven people across several days in Toulouse. Governments in northern Europe now face threats on multiple fronts, from loosely-organized cells with ready access to weapons, and in many cases the expertise to use them. Last July Chams Eddine Zaougui and Peter van Ostaeyen warned in the New York Times that "Policy makers' unrealistic obsession with foreign fighters could be a distraction from a more serious domestic terrorist threat." The unfortunate lesson to be drawn from recent events in Paris and Belgium is that policy makers now need to focus on both.

At least 250 individuals are believed to have left Belgium to wage jihad in Iraq and Syria . Analyst Pieter Van Ostaeyen says would-be fighters help each other with travel advice through social media . ISIS has made it clear it plans to send fighters to Europe, once western forces are "defeated"

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- As rebel and pro-government forces in Libya maneuvered on the battlefield Wednesday, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi urged U.S. President Barack Obama to end the NATO bombing of his war-torn country. Gadhafi made the appeal in a letter to the American president, a senior administration official said. But the official said there was "nothing new" in the letter, the thrust of which was an appeal for an end to the alliance's air operations. It contained no offers to negotiate or step down, and the official said the administration isn't taking the note seriously. Gadhafi asked Obama to stop the "unjust war against a small people of a developing country" and said those in the opposition are terrorists and members of al Qaeda, the official said. "We have been hurt more morally than physically because of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you," Gadhafi wrote, according to the official. "Despite all this you will always remain our son." The strongman expressed hope that Obama wins re-election next year, the official added. And he wrote that a democratic society cannot be built through missiles and aircraft. "You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action," the leader wrote to the president. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the NATO strikes will stop when Gadhafi steps down and leaves the country. "I don't think there is any mystery about what is expected from Mr. Gadhafi at this time," Clinton said. The letter came amid diplomatic, economic and military developments in Libya, which remains in a deadly stalemate as pro-Gadhafi forces battle opposition fighters demanding democracy and an end to Gadhafi's nearly 42-year-rule. A British airstrike hit an oil field in the eastern Libyan town of Sarir on Wednesday, causing damage to a main pipeline, Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told reporters. A tanker carrying crude oil left the eastern Libyan port of Tobruk on Wednesday in what was the first known export of oil by the fledgling opposition during the conflict, a sign of optimism for them. Rebel fighters and pro-Gadhafi forces have been pushing back and forth between al-Brega and Ajdabiya, while residents in the western city of Misrata are spending their days in fear. Also Wednesday, ex-U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon, who met with Gadhafi within the past decade, paid a visit to the Libyan capital with a cease-fire plan and a clear message to the embattled ruler that he must step down. Former U.S. Congressman Weldon says he will meet with Gadhafi . Weldon, speaking in an interview with CNN affiliate WPIX-TV in New York, said he planned to meet with Gadhafi and Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim. "It's a very solemn time because there's so much at risk here," said Weldon, who led a congressional delegation to Libya in 2004 and is visiting Tripoli at Gadhafi's invitation. Weldon is a Republican who represented a suburban Philadelphia district. "I'm here to tell him face to face it's time for him to leave. It's time for him to step down, allow the people to take over the government of this country." In an opinion piece published Wednesday in The New York Times, Weldon said he is proposing a cease-fire, "with the Libyan Army withdrawing from contested cities and rebel forces ending attempts to advance." There's been seesaw fighting between pro- and anti-Gadhafi troops between al-Brega and Ajdabiya, CNN's Ben Wedeman reported. On Tuesday night, Gadhafi forces moved 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from al-Brega to Ajdabiya, and then Wednesday, the rebels pushed them back 10 kilometers (six miles). At one point, rebels let loose with barrage of rockets, and they were answered by artillery and mortars. Gadhafi paid U.S. firms to polish his image . "It moves back and forth," Wedeman reported. A CNN team saw equipment the rebels didn't have before such as night-vision goggles and two Milan anti-tank missiles. Fighters said they obtained the missiles from the transitional government in Benghazi but didn't know their origin. Rebel leaders have criticized NATO's mission to help protect civilians in recent days, saying residents in Misrata and elsewhere have suffered under horrific attacks from pro-Gadhafi forces with little evidence of NATO air power overhead. "I am extremely sorry to say this, but NATO truly disappointed us," Gen. Abdul Fatah Younis, the opposition's top military official, said Tuesday. "Civilians are being killed every day, including children, women and elderly. If NATO will wait another week, Misrata will be finished. No one will be left alive. Do they want to wait, and watch them die, and let this crime be a shameful disgrace for the international community forever?" NATO Brig. Gen. Mark van Uhm said weather conditions and tactics by Gadhafi regime have hindered their efforts. In addition to using human shields and hiding equipment in populated areas, pro-Gadhafi forces have started abandoning heavy military equipment in favor of the same kinds of cars and light trucks the rebels travel in, making it difficult for pilots to distinguish rebel convoys from those carrying forces loyal to the regime, van Uhm said. Libyan opposition: Compromise with Gadhafi not an option . NATO is operating under a Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force to protect Libyan civilians. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "deeply concerned about the deterioriating situation facing civilians in Libyan cities under military attack," according to a statement. Conditions in Misrata are "especially grave," the statement said, "with reports of the use of heavy weapons to attack the city, where the population is trapped and unable, as a result of heavy shelling that has continued over several weeks, to receive basic supplies, including clean water, food and medicines." But residents in Misrata said this week that Gadhafi forces have trapped the city, with snipers shooting indiscriminately. Access to food has been hampered. "Normal life is a luxury that we don't have," one resident said. "I haven't taken my family out for four weeks now. All schools are closed, my children didn't go to school since the 19th of February. All government offices are closed. Even dead people are buried without death certificates." After weeks of relentless fighting, a military victory for either side seems remote. A political or diplomatic solution might be the only way to end the crisis. Weldon said that in addition to his proposals for Gadhafi's stepping down, a cease-fire on both sides and the withdrawal of government forces from key cities, he is calling for a halt in further advances by rebel forces; the creation of a joint interim government run by Libya's current prime minister and the opposition leader; unfettered humanitarian access; and the establishment of a parliamentary commission that would include U.S., Middle Eastern, European and African politicians helping to establish a new parliament in Libya. Alleged Libyan rape victim thankful for support . As for the Gadhafi family, Weldon's proposals also suggest a possible title for Gadhafi as honorary chairman of the African Union and allowing his second-oldest son, Saif, to stand in elections. On the economic front, the tanker with crude oil that left Tobruk was sailing to Qatar, where the oil will be refined, CNN confirmed. Final destination of the export is not known at this time. The civil war in Libya has severely curtailed oil exports from the North African nation, which produced some 1.6 million barrels per day last year. This move symbolizes the opposition's intent to manage the country's affairs. The U.S. Treasury has frozen more than $32 billion in assets held by Gadhafi and members of his regime. Asked whether the opposition should be able to have access to those funds, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States "is well aware there is an urgency, that the Transitional National Council does need funding if it's to survive, and we're looking at ways to assist that." But Toner said he did not know the status of the $32 billion. CNN's Nic Robertson, Reza Sayah, Ben Wedeman, Elise Labott, Jill Dougherty and Yousuf Basil contributed to this report .

British airstrike hits oil field, Libyan official says . Clinton says Gadhafi must step down for bombing to stop . Gadhafi asks President Obama to stop NATO's bombing . Ex-U.S. Rep. Weldon to urge Gadhafi to step down, calls for cease-fire .

Birmingham, Alabama (CNN) -- Severe weather tore across the Southeast early Monday, killing at least two people, injuring more than 100 and spreading damage through several states, emergency officials said. The two fatalities reported were near Birmingham, Alabama, according to Sgt. Jack Self of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. One was a 16-year-old in Clay, northeast of the city, and the second was an 83-year-old man in the Oak Grove community west of Birmingham, Self said. The two were identified as Christina Heichelbech and Bobby Sims. The teenager was a female, Self said, although the fatality was initially reported as a male. Authorities believe the same storm, which struck about 3:30 a.m., was responsible for both deaths, he said. At least 100 injuries were reported, from cuts and bruises to broken bones, Self said. And at least 211 homes were destroyed and 218 suffered major damage in Jefferson County, according to Alabama Red Cross spokesman Chris Olson. That number is expected to rise. Did you witness the damage? Please share images and footage, if it's safe to do so . Emergency crews were working to locate people who may be trapped or injured and to clear roads, several of which were impassable, the sheriff's office said. Video from the Center Point area, also northeast of Birmingham near Clay, showed numerous downed trees, some on top of homes. People had to step over trees as they made their way down a residential street. An EF-3 tornado struck the town of Clay, the National Weather Service confirmed late Monday. Wind speeds from the twister were estimated at 150 miles per hour. "The whole house just shook," Mary Mann told CNN affiliate WVTM. "We were all in the back bedroom praying to God to put his angels around us. We made it out, but ... the devastation." One resident told WVTM he and his family had sought shelter in his home's basement when the house's front door came "flying by us. We made it just in the nick of time." The man, who was not identified, grew emotional as he told the station, "We've lost our house, but at least ... we've got our family, and that's all that matters right now." A photo from one Clay subdivision showed a number of homes heavily damaged or destroyed, with debris strewn across the neighborhood and trees snapped in half. Several organizations, including the Salvation Army and the Red Cross, said on Twitter they were sending teams to aid storm victims. Several shelters were open in Jefferson County, the sheriff's office said. Terri Nichols spoke to CNN in Clay, where she was helping neighbors sort through the debris. "As bad as it looks, they're fortunate that they have their lives," she said, standing amid piles of wood that had once been homes. Damage was also reported in Perry and Chilton counties, south of Birmingham in the central part of the state. Some 14 homes were destroyed and 38 homes damaged in the Chilton County town of Maplesville, the county's emergency management agency said, but no one was injured. Art Faulkner, director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, told CNN officials are focused on several areas, including Center Point, Oak Grove and the town of Trussville, also northeast of Birmingham, as well as Maplesville. Search and rescue operations were ongoing, he said. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency for all of Alabama's 67 counties, meaning state resources can be called upon to assist local officials, Faulkner said. Seven Alabama counties reported storm damage, with the majority in Jefferson and Chilton counties, said Yasamie August of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. By Monday evening, 12,300 customers statewide were without power -- the majority in Jefferson County -- Alabama Power said on Twitter. The outages peaked about 5 a.m. at 45,400, Alabama Power spokeswoman Hallie Bradley said. Utility poles and power lines were reported down. Several school systems closed for the day, according to officials and affiliate reports. Damage was also reported near Tuscaloosa -- which was devastated by a tornado nine months ago -- as well as south of Birmingham, officials said. Three reports of "minor structural damage" were received, said David Hartin of the Tuscaloosa County emergency management agency. The majority of reports concerned downed trees and power lines, and the damage reports were north of Tuscaloosa, he said. Hartin said he was not aware of any injuries. Tuscaloosa was ravaged by an EF-5 tornado in April 2011. An EF-5 is at the extreme end of the tornado classification scale, with winds of more than 200 mph. The twister was part of a record-breaking tornado outbreak -- 178 tornadoes over April 27-28, the largest recorded tornado outbreak in U.S. history. In Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, 61 people died in the tornado on April 27. At least 243 people were killed by twisters statewide, and 39 of Alabama's 67 counties were designated for disaster assistance. "The one thing that we can say is thank goodness we're not looking at what happened in this state last year in April," Faulkner said. "We do not have that kind of catastrophic damage. However, any loss of life or destruction of property is a bad thing, and we will be there to make sure we're able to assist our citizens with any cleanup that may need to be done after the search and rescue is over." Asked whether the new storms posed a setback to rebuilding efforts, Hartin said he did not believe so. "There's a lot of building going on," he said. Bentley told CNN the state has made a "rapid recovery" from the April storms. He said he had planned to announce a commission Monday set up to provide recommendations on improving the response to severe weather, but the event was canceled with the report of Monday's storms. The Oak Grove community was hit hard by a tornado in April 1998. Thirty-two people were killed in Jefferson County and two more in St. Clair County in that storm, according to the National Weather Service. The storms were moving eastward into Georgia, but were decreasing in intensity because of a stable air mass in place over Georgia, CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said. In Arkansas, an EF-2 tornado touched down on the northern edge of Fordyce, in the south-central part of the state, the National Weather Service confirmed Monday afternoon. An EF-2 tornado has winds of up to 135 mph. The twister caused "significant damage" to homes northwest of Fordyce, along with a country club and a set of transmission towers, the weather service said. One person who sustained minor injuries was treated and released at a hospital, said Jim Johnson of the Dallas County, Arkansas, Emergency Management Office. Another woman was trapped in her home briefly, but she was not hurt, he said. About 40 homes were damaged, with 10 of those destroyed, said Tommy Jackson, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency management. A shelter was set up at a Fordyce hotel, he said. "As we assess the damage this morning, it looks like we dodged a pretty good bullet when you look at places like Alabama," Jackson said. Power outages, which peaked at 3,700, were down to about 1,300 just before daybreak, Johnson said. Crews were doing their best, he said, but "so many of the wires are twisted in the treetops." Possible tornadoes were also reported in Mississippi and Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said one person was reported injured in Bolivar County. Several homes were reported damaged in Bolivar and Quitman counties, and several farm buildings were damaged in Coahoma County. Trees and power lines were reported downed in all three counties, the agency said. "Our sympathies go out to those whose homes were damaged and those who were injured," said Robert Latham, agency director, in a statement. "But while the damages were not catastrophic in our state, we only have to look at the destruction in Alabama from the same storm system to realize we were very fortunate. "I hope many of our residents took time to prepare their families and homes prior to the storms reaching them," Latham said. "The next time we may not be as lucky." CNN's Ashley Hayes, Leslie Tripp, Devon Sayers, Chandler Friedman, Carma Hassan, Sean Morris and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

National Weather Service confirms tornadoes in Arkansas, Alabama . 12,300 customers remain without power statewide, Alabama Power says . Mississippi and Arkansas each report one injury . Alabama EMA director: Damage not as bad as that seen last year .

(CNN) -- This week, health care professionals and scientists from around the world met in Vancouver to present the latest cutting-edge research on Alzheimer's disease for the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference. There was a lot of buzz about new studies, including drug advancements that could be potential treatments in the future. But for the average patient with Alzheimer's, or for their caregivers, it's easy to get lost in the abundance of abstracts and scientific minutia. The ravages of the disease -- memory loss, mood swings, depression and poor judgment, to name just a few -- not only affect the 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's but also the 15 million-plus unpaid men and women who care for them. Symptoms of the disease can manifest themselves differently in each patient, but ultimately most people living with Alzheimer's will end up unable to function independently. They will have to rely on spouses, siblings, children, friends, neighbors or paid professionals for help. "Alzheimer's disease is really difficult for everybody, and families can really struggle," said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services at the Alzheimer's Association. If you're a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's, how can you use the information from the conference? Here are some takeaway messages: . The power of engagement . Mental and social stimulation are key for someone dealing with an Alzheimer's diagnosis. Experts have known for a while that remaining engaged in hobbies or social activities can fend off feelings of isolation and depression, both of which can further the disease's progression. One new study presented at the conference takes this knowledge a step further. Led by Dr. Jeffrey Kaye, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University tracked the amount of time 148 patients with mild cognitive impairment and with an average age of 84 spent outside their homes during a period upward of three years from when their activities were initially measured. Mild cognitive impairment increases a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's but does not guarantee someone will get the disease. Photos: The past and present of Alzheimer's patients . In the abstract, researchers found that participants with mild cognitive impairment "had a greater decline in time out of home over time compared to cognitively intact patients." Put another way, the people who were cognitively impaired eventually spent more time in their homes than the other participants did. More time at home translates to less outside stimulation, and presumably, more isolation and depression. For caregivers, this means two things. First, it's vital that a loved one's engagement in hobbies, social events, projects or community activities does not wane once he or she is diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's or any type of dementia. Second, if a loved one becomes withdrawn or starts to spend less time interacting in ways than he or she used to, it may be a sign of a larger problem. "This study shows the importance -- from the very beginning of someone's diagnosis -- of staying engaged," Kallmyer said. "It really makes a difference in their cognition and therefore their quality of life." Resistance training can improve cognition . Exercise is one of the more promising things people at risk of developing dementia, or who have been diagnosed with it, can do to affect their cognition. But research presented at the conference suggests that not all exercise is created equal for maximum benefit in Alzheimer's patients. Lindsay Nagamatsu of the University of British Columbia and her team conducted a randomized, controlled trial comparing the effects of resistance training, aerobic activity and balance-and-tone training on cognition. Eighty-six women between the ages of 70 and 80 were divided into three groups -- one for each type of exercise -- and they worked out twice a week for six months. The women who had resistance training showed the greatest improvement on cognitive tests. Plus, the study found that resistance training "led to functional changes in three regions of cortex involved in the encoding and memorization of nonverbal associations." Aerobic exercise improved the women's balance and mobility and had a greater effect on their cardiovascular health. "What that translates to for caregivers is that if a person doesn't have an exercise program, this is something to look in to," Kallmyer said. "Exercise program" can sound daunting, but Kallmyer said that even daily walks can help. It's as much about the physical benefit of exercise as it is about the structure it provides. "It will make them feel less overwhelmed," Kallmyer said. "If a person gets exercise, we know exercise may help them sleep better. The longer that patients can maintain that ability (to do things for themselves), the better for them, their self-esteem and their caregivers." Alcohol and dementia don't mix . How alcohol affects the cognition of a person with dementia isn't completely understood, but four new studies presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference shed a little more light on their relationship. One study looked at binge drinking (defined as four or more drinks on one occasion) and followed more than 5,000 people ages 65 and older for eight years. Dr. Iain Lang of Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom led the study. He and his team found that participants "who reported (binge drinking) once a month were 62% more likely to experience the greatest declines in cognitive function and were 27% more likely to be in the group experiencing the highest amount of memory decline." Binge drinking twice a month more than doubles cognitive function decline (147%), and memory decline could increase more than fivefold (149%), according to Lang's study. Rare genetic mutation protects against Alzheimer's disease . Those are alarming numbers since patients with moderate or severe dementia can forget how many drinks they've consumed in a sitting, leading them to binge drink without realizing it. If you're caring for patients in that position, how do you stop them from drinking too much? Since each one is different, Kallmyer said instead of stopping the patient, caregivers need to reframe this question by thinking, "What can I do to keep this person safe?" For example, ensure the person doesn't wander off or can safely navigate a staircase, or don't let him or her drive. For patients asking for a glass of alcohol, Kallmyer recommends some distractions to keep them engaged so they forget about the drink for which they're asking. When it comes to medication, she said caregivers should learn about the disease so they can anticipate those situations and eventually take over the job of distributing pills. Caregivers also need to think about how drugs will interact with alcohol: "Talk to his doctors -- what medications is he on? Can alcohol get in the way? You don't want him intoxicated; he's already impaired." Kallmyer said one of the first steps to take when someone you love has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia is "to get educated about the disease. The more people can plan ahead of time, learn ahead of time, the better you can handle situations later." To help you plan ahead, you can check out a tool from the Alzheimer's Association called the Alzheimer's Navigator. Caregivers must care for themselves, too . "When you're in a caregiving role, it's hard to think about yourself," Kallmyer said. "It's very, very common for people to say, 'This isn't about me.' "But if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be around to continue to take care of your spouse, your mom, whoever it may be." According to the Alzheimer's Association, 15.2 million Americans provide nearly 22 hours of unpaid care per person per week. That's the equivalent of a part-time job. Sixty-one percent of caregivers say the emotional stress of the job is "high to very high," while 43% say the same about the physical stress. "They're not getting enough sleep; they're not eating right; they're not getting enough exercise," Kallmyer said. Kallmyer said it's easy for people to lose touch with their social networks or to lose interest in old hobbies when they're juggling so much. That can lead to isolation, which can be just as dangerous for caregivers as it is for the people for whom they're caring. The Alzheimer's Association has a 24/7 help line for caregivers with questions. The number is 800-272-3900.

There are 15 million-plus unpaid Alzheimer's caregivers in U.S., Alzheimer's Association says . Social interaction can help the cognitively impaired fend off isolation, depression . Resistance training helps dementia patients maintain cognition, research shows . The Alzheimer's Association has a 24/7 help line for caregivers .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama released his long-awaited debt reduction plan Monday, outlining a roughly $3 trillion savings blueprint that was immediately criticized by top congressional and other Republicans. The president's plan includes $1.5 trillion in new revenue generated largely by higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans, a proposal strongly opposed by GOP leaders who insist that any tax increase will undermine an already shaky economy. The measure -- which would add to nearly $1 trillion in savings signed into law under the debt-ceiling deal enacted in August -- does not include changes to Social Security. It would increase Medicare premiums for individuals with higher incomes starting in 2017 -- the year Obama leaves office if he wins a second term. "We are not going to have a one-sided deal that hurts the folks that are most vulnerable," Obama said at the White House, offering a defense of tax hikes on the highest earners. Spending cuts alone "will not solve our fiscal problems. We can't just cut our way out of this hole," he added. "It's going to take a balanced approach. If we're going to make spending cuts -- many of which we wouldn't make if we weren't facing such large budget deficits -- then it's only right that we ask everyone to pay their fair share." Obama explicitly promised to veto any debt-reduction legislation that cuts benefits while failing to include higher taxes on the wealthy. iReport: What do you think about Obama's plan? "I will not support any plan that puts all the burden on ordinary Americans," he insisted. Republicans responded by dismissing the plan as little more than a cheap political gimmick. It's "a thinly veiled attempt to score political points," said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. "By raising taxes on job creators, Obama may win back some support from disgruntled liberal voters, but America will lose even more sorely needed jobs." "Veto threats, a massive tax hike, phantom savings and punting on entitlement reform is not a recipe for economic or job growth — or even meaningful deficit reduction," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. "Pitting one group of Americans against another is not leadership," added House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Key congressional Democrats quickly rallied to Obama's defense, calling the blueprint a serious attempt to take on one of the most contentious issues in Washington. The "proposal is clearly moving in the right direction," said North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. "It represents a significant and balanced plan for bringing our deficits and debt under control." On Monday night, Obama referred to the Republican response as predictable and said the issue shows the fundamental difference between the parties on how the nation should deal with mounting federal deficits and national debt. "What has been clear over the last two and a half years is that we have not had a willing partner," Obama told a New York fundraising event. "Now, we've been able to get some stuff done despite that, and despite a filibuster in the Senate. But at least over the last nine months what we've seen is some irreconcilable differences, let's put it that way." The release of Obama's blueprint is likely to set the stage for a fall dominated by harsh partisan debates over taxes and spending, as well as a 2012 presidential campaign focused on growing economic fears. Under Obama's plan, $800 billion in revenue would be generated by allowing some of the Bush-era tax cuts for high-income households to expire, as the president has repeatedly called for. An additional $400 billion would result from capping the value of itemized deductions and other exemptions for high-income households. Read the White House plan (PDF) The remaining $300 billion would come from closing various tax loopholes, according to a senior administration official. A new tax surcharge could also be imposed on millionaires: the "Buffett Rule," named after investor Warren Buffett, who argues that the richest Americans are not taxed enough. Wealthier Americans often derive much of their income from investments, which are typically taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income such as wages. As a result, they can end up owing a lower percentage of their income in federal taxes than someone who makes less money, especially once payroll taxes are factored in. The concept behind the Buffett Rule is that those earning more than $1 million should not be allowed to pay a lesser percentage of their income in federal taxes than Americans lower down the income scale. Read more: On taxes and debt, left and right dare to agree . In terms of spending, Obama's plan incorporates $580 billion in mandatory cuts, including $248 billion from the politically popular Medicare program. Roughly 90% of those savings will come from reducing overpayments in the system, according to a senior administration official. Any changes to Medicare benefits won't kick in before 2017, the official said. An additional $72 billion will come from Medicaid and other health programs. The president's plan does not include any Social Security reform proposals or changes to the Medicare eligibility age, reforms that have reportedly been put on the table by the administration in the past but are strongly opposed by a number of progressive Democrats. Another $1.1 trillion in savings would be generated by winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the administration is counting savings that would result from spending caps it has proposed on future overseas contingency operations. The administration also estimates interest savings of approximately $430 billion, a result of less borrowing and smaller annual budget shortfalls. Roughly $450 billion in the plan would be used to pay for the American Jobs Act, the economic stimulus measure proposed by Obama last week. Top Republicans call the president's plan a form of class warfare. "When you pick one area of the economy and you say, 'We're going to tax those people because most people are not those people,' that's class warfare," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "We have a difference of opinion on how best to fix these problems," House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, told "Fox News Sunday." "But when the president does things like this, it leads you to believe that he's not in bipartisan consensus-making mood. He's in a political class-warfare mode and campaign mode. And that's not good for our economy." Obama explicitly rejected the class warfare claim Monday. "I reject the idea that asking a hedge fund manager to pay the same tax rate as a plumber or a teacher is class warfare," the president said. "I think it's just the right the thing to do. I believe the American middle class, who've been pressured relentlessly for decades, believe it's time that they were fought for as hard as the lobbyists and some lawmakers have fought to protect special treatment for billionaires and big corporations." Democrats have blamed Republicans for blocking the Obama administration's initiatives purely for what Democrats insist are short-term political gain. "I don't think people like that style of politics, and that's the reality ... we'll be facing in November 2012," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said Sunday. Congressional action on deficit reduction is moving on multiple tracks now. Durbin said the Democratic-controlled Senate would take up Obama's jobs plan next month, while leaders in the Republican-controlled House have rejected some parts of it. Meanwhile, a special deficit reduction commission created under last month's debt-ceiling agreement has started its work amid the longstanding political divisions on key issues. The 12-member committee, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate, has until November 23 to draft a $1.5 trillion deficit-reduction plan that can win congressional approval by December 23. Otherwise, more than $1 trillion in across-the-board spending cuts will go into effect, on top of $900 billion in cuts already mandated under the debt ceiling deal. The special committee "is taking this issue far more seriously than the White House," McConnell said Monday. More than a year of rancorous negotiations on deficit reduction has failed to resolve a fundamental dispute between Republicans and Democrats involving the size of government and whether to raise tax revenue while cutting spending. The brinkmanship of the negotiations, with uncertainty over whether the government might default if no deal was reached, was one reason that ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA-plus in August. CNN's Alan Silverleib, Jeanne Sahadi, Tom Cohen and Kate Bolduan contributed to this report.

NEW: Obama cites "irreconcilable differences" with Republicans . The plan calls for $1.5 trillion in new taxes, including a tax surcharge on millionaires . Over $1 trillion in savings would be realized by ending wars in Iraq, Afghanistan . GOP leaders call the new taxes a form of class warfare .

(CNN) -- Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan hit the campaign trail Thursday to pitch energy policy and defense spending, as new polls showed President Barack Obama maintaining a slight lead in three key swing states after Romney named the conservative House Budget Committee chairman as his running mate. Four days ahead of the Republican National Convention, certain presidential nominee Romney sought to build momentum with a continued focus on his economic policies mixed with attacks on Obama's handling of a stalling recovery. However, the controversy this week over Republican Rep. Todd Akin's incendiary remarks on "legitimate" rape and pregnancy has dominated the political chatter and raised questions about whether the conservative Christian from suburban St. Louis can unseat vulnerable Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri. Threat against Akin being investigated . Seeking to regain control of the campaign message, Romney traveled to New Mexico to discuss a plan that he says will make America energy independent by 2020 -- which would coincide with the conclusion of his second presidential term, if he gets elected twice. Touting the country's newly accessible oil and gas reserves, Romney repeated familiar themes -- fewer federal regulations, more oil drilling -- that he said would wean the country off imported oil and spark an economic boom at home. Democrats: Our convention will stall Romney . He called for states to have control over drilling on federal land within their borders; opening new offshore areas to energy development; starting a fast-track approval process for energy projects including nuclear power, and limiting the ability of environmental groups to file lawsuits. Acknowledging that conventional sources of oil were dwindling, Romney said the new production would come from places like the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Canada's oil sands and shale formations. CNN electoral map: Do the math . In a position paper on the issue, Romney listed benefits from achieving energy independence as 3 million new jobs, $1 trillion in government revenues, a stronger dollar and lower energy prices. However, a recent report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office was less sanguine. The CBO report, which was requested by Ryan, said 70% of the nation's oil and gas reserves already were available for drilling. Opening the rest, it said, would increase government receipts from an estimated $150 billion under current policy to $175 billion to $200 billion over the next 10 years. Strippers count on GOP spending . When asked to explain the difference, a Romney staffer said the campaign's projections were more inclusive and stretched out over a longer time period. Obama has touted increased oil production in recent years, and also opened up new areas for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and indicated he'll issue permits to drill in the Arctic. Obama's troubled solar 'poster boy' At the same time, the administration has increased environmental and safety standards for offshore drilling and tightened emissions rules on power plants. The current administration has also issued fewer permits for drilling than George W. Bush, largely due to the moratorium imposed after the BP spill in 2010. On Thursday, Romney criticized Obama's support for renewable energy subsidies and highlighted companies that have received government funding and then gone bankrupt, such as Solyndra and Ener1. Wal-Mart moms not tipping their hand . The administration has repeatedly defended its decision to invest in renewable energy companies, noting that energy from wind and solar projects have doubled since Obama took office. "The Republican approach is essentially one that is written by or dictated by big oil and it focuses almost entirely on oil and fossil fuels," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Thursday. Romney has said he would not support extending the federal subsidy for wind power, which expires at the end of the year. He called Thursday for the government to support advanced energy development at the basic research level, not at the commercialization phase. Ryan, meanwhile, spoke about about military spending at a defense industry roundtable in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The event came a day after a new CBO report outlined the potentially dismal impact of the impending "fiscal cliff" that includes the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and mandatory reductions in government spending, including defense outlays. Ron Paul, supporters change strategy . The scheduled automatic cuts -- known as sequestration -- came about as a result of a compromise budget measure passed into law after congressional negotiations failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan last year. Ryan voted for the compromise, saying at the time that it represented "a victory for those committed to controlling government spending and growing our economy." Show us your budget, Ryan demands . Now, he and Romney call the looming "fiscal cliff" an example of Obama's failed leadership. Democrats, however, blame what they call Republican intransigence in opposing Obama's push to extend the Bush tax cuts only for income over $250,000 a year for families and $200,000 a year for individuals. "Under a Mitt Romney administration, this will not happen," Ryan said of the automatic cuts to military spending. "We will reverse these reckless, devastating defense cuts that the president is bringing us toward." At the White House, Carney said a quick solution to the issue would come if Republicans ease their rigid opposition to ending tax cuts for wealthy Americans. Rick Warren cancels presidential forum . The new Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times polls showed Obama leading Romney by 49%-46% in Florida and 49%-47% in Wisconsin, which is Ryan's home state. Both results were within the margin of error, meaning the races are statistically even in those states. In Ohio, the poll showed Obama with a 50%-44% lead, just outside the sampling margin of error. Peter A. Brown, assistant director of Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, wrote in a statement accompanying the polls' release that Romney's choice of Ryan has made "small difference" so far in the race. Will money be the difference maker? In Florida, support for Romney ticked up 1 percentage point from a poll taken before Ryan was added to the ticket. In Wisconsin, Romney inched up 2 percentage points. The Ohio numbers remained identical to a Quinnipiac University survey taken prior to the Ryan announcement. With a potential hurricane possibly heading toward Tampa, Florida, the site of the Republican convention scheduled to begin Monday, GOP officials made clear Thursday that Romney would be nominated as the party's presidential candidate next week regardless of whether the storm disrupts proceedings. "We do have contingency plans to deal with weather related and other circumstances that may occur to ensure that the business can go on at the RNC and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will become our nominees," RNC communications director Sean Spicer told CNN. Isaac gains strength by the mile . "While the safety of delegates and others attending next week's Republican National Convention was paramount, the actual business of nominating Romney would not be delayed by bad weather," Spicer said, adding: "There are contingency plans in place and rules of the RNC in place that ensure that will always be able to occur." The storm's path is uncertain, though some computer models show it could move up through Florida, including Tampa. Other models send it farther west, into the Gulf of Mexico. According to the latest forecast map from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the storm -- named Isaac -- will pass near the Florida Keys early Monday as a Category 1 hurricane and northwest of Tampa by Monday evening. The convention is scheduled to run through Thursday evening when Romney will officially accept the nomination and deliver his acceptance speech. The speech is considered a crucial moment for any presidential nominee because many voters are just beginning to tune in to the presidential election. Arrest made after threat to Obama . Neither Obama nor Vice President Joe Biden have any campaign events scheduled Thursday. A new Obama campaign ad released Thursday features former President Bill Clinton -- in increasingly visible surrogate for Obama. In the ad, Clinton attempts to draw a contrast between Republicans and Democrats as the November election approaches. Whither Sarah Palin? "This is a clear choice. The Republican plan is to cut more taxes on upper income people and go back to deregulation. That's what got us in trouble in the first place," Clinton says in the ad. "President Obama has a plan to rebuild America from the ground up, investing in innovation, education, and job training. It only works if there is a strong middle class." He later adds: "That's what happened when I was president. We need to keep going with his plan." In his stump speeches, Obama frequently credits Clinton-era policies for the strong economy in the 1990s. CNN's Tom Cohen, Paul Steinhauser, Dana Davidsen, Kevin Liptak, Gregory Wallace, Ashley Killough and CNNMoney's Jeanne Sahadi contributed to this report.

NEW: Romney calls for more oil drilling, less regulation . Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan hit the campaign trail on Thursday . New polls show President Obama maintaining a slight edge in three key states . GOP officials say a possible hurricane won't derail Romney's nomination next week in Tampa .

(CNN) -- The top ski destinations know that pleasing the downhill crowd is only part of the snow-filled picture. After all, in the United States alone winter at ski resorts is a $6 billion a year industry, according to the National Ski Areas Association. Mountain biking, Frisbee, golf and zip line adventures are a few activities popular at ski resorts during the "green" season, but what's a non-skier to do when the landscape is white? If you've had your fill of snowmobiling, sleigh riding and tubing, here's a smattering of extraordinary pastimes for non-skiers at some of the premier U.S. ski meccas. 7 swanky hotels on the U.S. slopes . ALTERNATE ADVENTURES . Snowkiting in Dillon: If you prefer waterskiing to snow skiing, don't shy away from Colorado's triple-threat of Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin ski resorts — even if it's the middle of winter. In a location centrally located to the three ski areas, Colorado KiteForce is replacing downhill thrills with a new winter sport sure to get your adrenaline pumping. It involves a frozen lake, but no ice skates. Instead, strap skis or a snowboard on your feet and let kite power pull you across the frozen tundra of the Dillon Reservoir. It's like windsurfing on the ocean, but with a frosty twist. A two-hour beginner lesson is $175 per person; group rates are available. 7 stunning European ski lodges . Snow biking in Telluride: Mountain bikers flock to Telluride, Colorado, from spring to fall, but there's no reason to stop riding when the snow falls. Local outfitter BootDoctors offers tours on "fat bikes"-- mountain bikes with oversized wide tires that can be ridden on traditional bike trails but excel in the snow. Rentals are $39 per day, including a helmet. Guided Big Tire Bike and Brew trips, which end with a tour and tasting at Telluride Brewing Co., are $99 for a half-day and $149 for a full day. Newfangled snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe: The option of snowshoeing is nothing new to non-skiers, but at California's Northstar resort, the normally low-key concept is evolving into a competitive sport. Along with tours tailored to families, stargazers and those who want to snowshoe by moonlight, the resort also hosts snowshoe skills and running clinics, a.k.a. intense workouts for the athletes among us. Once you're up to speed in your snowshoes, take part in the Snowshoe Social & Race Series, with upcoming competitions January 27 and March 23. Winter safaris in Yellowstone: Guests at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, may opt for enhanced access to the wildlife of Yellowstone National Park on small-group winter safaris. Five guests at a time can join a wildlife biologist and a naturalist on a four-hour journey tailored to the group's wishes. Gourmet snacks are served inside the Mercedes SUV, and safari riders enjoy the use of Swarovski spotting scopes and binoculars. Included in the price, but not guaranteed: appearances by elk, moose, bears, eagles and bighorn sheep. Cost depends on size of group, starting at $125 per person. FOOD & BEVERAGE BUZZ . Go gourmet in the Green Mountains: Adventure dining may not be an Olympic sport, but you'll wish it were after you indulge in a five-course feast inside the Killington Ledgewood Yurt in Vermont. It's a unique wilderness retreat accessible only by sleigh and may be the closest you'll come to dining in a Hobbit hole. The yurt's executive chef can cater to special diets upon request, but the regular menu includes signature prime cuts of meat and local New England produce. Alcohol is additional and there are set "family nights" with a different menu and lower rates. Make advance reservations for this Friday or Saturday night adventure; regular Friday night rates start at $109. Revel in the Rockies: You won't needs skis, snowboards or skates to enjoy the scenery at 10,700 feet, but you will need to take the Zephyr Express chairlift up the mountain to be wowed at Winter Park. The moon lights the way as you rise above the Continental Divide and the spectacular Fraser Valley, en route to an award-winning parade of Colorado culinary delights in the dining room of The Lodge at Sunspot. A three-course Easter brunch is also an option this year on March 31. Rates vary. Brewing up fun in Breckenridge: If your taste leans more toward choosing small batch bourbon or bitters over green trails or blue, you have reason to head for Breckenridge well beyond the action on the slopes. The awards keep piling up for the spirits made at the Breckenridge Distillery, which bills itself as "the world's highest." A tasting room and tours make this a destination worth checking out -- and here's why it's unique: The bourbon whiskey is made from Rocky Mountain snowmelt, and hand-harvested alpine herbs go into creating the bitters. COOL CLASSES . All about Alta: Give your brain a break and sit down for a fireside chat with historians, musicians, documentary filmmakers and ski experts brimming with local lore about Utah's Alta Ski Area, celebrating its 75th birthday in 2013. Area ski resorts and the Salt Lake City REI store take turns hosting this popular lecture series run by the Alta Historical Society throughout the winter months. The chats are free and run 45 minutes to an hour. Check out the schedule at www.altahistory.org. Trade texting for chopping: That's the goal at the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek, Colorado, where complimentary teen-focused cooking classes are held weekly at the 8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill. Creations include cold weather "mocktails," gourmet pizzas and sushi rolls. Move over Starbucks, here's another perk for parents: There's a class that teaches teenagers the art of making barista-style coffee at home. School at St. Regis: You may yearn for detention once you enroll in these educational sessions held at the elite St. Regis Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah. Three clinics are open to resort guests and the public, with instruction on champagne sabering, chocolate infusion and how to create the perfect Bloody Mary. Champagne Sabering 101 is held every night at twilight and this ritual -- where a sword is used to slice off the top of a champagne bottle -- must be seen to be believed. Attend the clinic and bring home a skill sure to impress friends and family at your next gathering. The nightly sabering demonstration and tasting is free, but a private lesson with a sommelier can be had for $250, including a bottle of Charles de Fere champagne. The Bloody Mary and chocolate clinics are held regularly and cost $16 per person. SNOW SEASON SMARTS . Check with your travel agent, tour operator or hotel if you're on a trip and suddenly decide you've had enough of the slopes. Rules vary by location, and you should always investigate your options. For example, at Sun Valley ski area in Idaho, there's an official lift ticket exchange program that lets you trade in a "downhill" day for a long list of options including a massage, ice skating and lunch or a shopping credit. Après ski is always an option for skiers and non-skiers alike. One spot to try: Tamarack Lodge atop Heavenly Mountain in Lake Tahoe, California -- where December saw a record-breaking 12 feet of snowfall -- and they're celebrating this lofty designation: Forbes named Unbuckle at Tamarack the No. 1 après ski party in North America. Do your pre-trip homework beginning with regional tourism board websites for recommendations on museums and music venues. They are generally open year-round and offer constant cultural respite from the chill of the great outdoors. Aspen, Colorado, is one example of a ski spot that doubles as a cultural destination. It's home to museums, concert halls and music venues such as the intimate Belly Up where shows often sell out faster than an expert skier can speed down a bunny slope.

Non-skiers will find plenty to keep them entertained at U.S. ski resorts . Snowkiting is one alternative for the active traveler . If you prefer something a little less intense, consider a gourmet diversion .

(CNN) -- In an era when shadowy hackers can snatch secret government files and humble big businesses with seeming ease, it's an unavoidable question as Election Day approaches: When we go to the polls, could our very votes be at risk? According to voting-security experts, the answer can be boiled down to a bit of campaign-speak: There are reasons for concern and there is work to be done but, by and large, we're better off now than we were four years ago. "In general terms, the nation as a whole is moving toward more resilient, more recountable, evidence-based voting systems and that's a good thing," said Pamela Smith, president of the Verified Voting Foundation. "We're better off than we were a couple of election cycles ago by a long shot and we're better off than we were in the last election, too. "We're seeing improvement, but we're still seeing immense challenges." Since there have been elections, there has been tampering with votes. Archaeologists digging in a well discovered a dumped stash of 190 broken pottery shards that appear to have been used by ancient Athenians for a vote in 471 B.C. But in 2012, election-security advocates are most worried about the bits and bytes of data stored on the electronic voting machines that millions of Americans will use to cast their ballot. More than 45 million U.S. voters, or one out of every four who go to the polls, will cast a ballot on a machine that stores votes electronically, but doesn't create a paper ballot, according to Verified Voting. Six states -- Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina -- use those machines exclusively and they're used by a "heavy majority" of voters in another five -- including presidential battleground states Pennsylvania and Virginia. Some of these paperless machines are also used in the key states of Ohio, Florida and Colorado, where the presidential race is expected to be close. Hacking the vote: Internet systems remain insecure . Paper trails . Here's the problem, advocates say. When there's no physical ballot, it becomes next to impossible to determine whether there has been tampering, or some other kind of irregularity, in a close election. "If the election is predicted to be a landslide, and then it is, really the problems we're concerned about aren't that big a deal, because everyone knows the election went the way it was supposed to," said Avi Rubin, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University who specializes in computer security. But in cases like 2000's razor-thin Bush-Gore race, "a lot of the Democratic supporters felt like the election was stolen from them. That's a situation you can end up with in a very, very close election, so it's even more important to have confidence in the election machinery." That appears to be the case again in 2012. Most national polls place President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney in a dead heat. Ironically, the electronic machines that experts now worry about began showing up in polling places as a reaction to Florida's messy 2000 vote count, with its butterfly ballots and dimpled chads. In a nightmare for election officials, that race ended in controversy, with the U.S. Supreme Court halting a manual recount and awarding the state, and the presidency, to George W. Bush. In the wake of that election, federal and state money flowed to update voting systems. Election officials acted quickly -- too quickly, some experts say, to see potential problems. Sandy has election officials scrambling . Machine error . As cumbersome and unsightly as Florida's recount was, at least it was a recount. With electronic voting, analysts say that if there's a question about vote totals, there is little to do other than press "Enter" again and let the same computer system that counted the votes the first time count them again. "Spending money on a problem works best for well-understood problems, such as building roads or fixing bridges ...," reads a recent report from the CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project, created by the two schools in the wake of the 2000 election. "Congress gave funds to the states immediately, so the states bought large numbers of voting systems that were then available, before new standards were developed and adopted; it's a good example of the maxim denoting precipitous action, 'Ready, fire, aim!' " Analysts like Smith and Rubin agree that the first concern with these systems is mechanical failure or human error. They cite cases like a 2006 Florida election, in which electronic machines in one county recorded no vote in a congressional race on 18,000 ballots, even though it was the most high-profile contest on the ticket. Or the 2004 election in North Carolina when an overloaded machine lost 4,500 votes, affecting a race for state agriculture commissioner that was decided by fewer votes than that. "Imagine how nervous you would be if the only copy of your term paper was on one disc somewhere," Rubin said. "Now, we're talking about a whole bunch of votes sitting on a cartridge somewhere. Even before we worry about tampering, we have to worry about accidental loss." Vote hacking . While there have been no documented cases of foul play, experts say the potential for malicious hacking is very real. "It would be a simple, high-school level programming project to do something like this," Rubin said. "I've seen the code. A lot of the code has already been seen on the Internet. You could see exactly how to encode a ballot. Someone with a proficient high-school level programming capability would be able to do it. Definitely any experienced programmer could do it." He said a standard, touchscreen voting machine could have its data changed with $20 worth of hardware and a paper clip, a fact that gets more troubling now that expanded early voting has put votes on machines stored in schools, churches and other polling places for weeks before Election Day. As early as 2003, a team of researchers commissioned by the state of Maryland reported that machines from vendor Diebold were poorly engineered and showed a "high risk of compromise." Their findings, as noted by the CalTech/MIT report, included the fact that every one of the company's voting systems used the exact same "secret" encryption key. After a wave of negative press, including a 2006 HBO documentary called "Hacking Democracy" that explored the vulnerability of its electronic voting machines, Diebold removed its name from its voting systems in 2007 and was later bought by another company. Thankfully, critics say, such issues are now being minimized on multiple fronts. However, there are still some concerns in hotly contested states like Ohio. While all machines in Ohio are equipped with printers that create paper ballots, about half the counties in the state use the sort of touchscreen electronic machines that concern observers like Smith. Those machines have been retrofitted with printers, but tampering risks still exist and comparing electronic ballots with separately created paper ones can be confusing, analysts say. More secure? In the short term, observers like California Institute of Technology political science professor R. Michael Alvarez say elections officials are almost universally aware of the security risks that electronic voting presents. "There are security issues associated with both the electronic voting machines that are used in polling places, as well as the ballot reading devices. ... In many cases, those kinds of security vulnerabilities are relatively well known at this point," said Alvarez, whose research includes voting technology. "Many of them have been studied, although certainly new ones may arise," he said. "Over the last four to six years, elections officials throughout the country have tested and really tried to work to better secure those voting systems." With an eye to the future, elections officials throughout the United States have stopped purchasing machines that don't create a paper trail, with a return to optical- or digital-scanner machines using paper ballots being the preferred alternative. Some states are retrofitting electronic voting machines with hardware that creates a paper ballot as well. Smith said it has been about seven years since the last significant purchase of electronic-only voting machines in the United States. "It's not always the newest, shiniest thing that's the best thing and, in voting, that tends to be particularly true," she said. In the meantime, she's got a simple piece of advice for anyone worried about the security of their ballot. "The most important thing for voters to keep in mind is that one way to make sure your vote won't count is to not show up," she said. "Whatever system is presented to you, avail yourself of it."

Experts say voting security in the U.S. is improving, but there's work to do . About 45 million Americans will cast an electronic ballot with no paper trail . "High-school level" coding skills are all that's needed to hack a machine . Election officials are moving back to paper ballots, but money is a concern .

(CNN) -- An attempted breakout by Muslim Brotherhood prisoners left at least 36 dead Sunday as Egypt's military chief urged supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy to quit resisting the new government. "Egypt has room for everybody, and we are keen to save every drop of Egyptian blood," Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the country's defense minister, said after days of clashes between pro-Morsy demonstrators and security forces that left hundreds dead. But he added, "Confrontation will not be in the interest of those who wish to confront us, because we are determined to protect Egypt and its people." New protests against the military-installed interim government popped up around the country after Sunday evening prayers. And at least three dozen jailed members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the long-supressed Islamist movement that brought Morsy to power, were killed during what the Interior Ministry said was an attempted breakout. The inmates were among a group of more than 600 who were being taken to a prison north of Cairo, ministry spokesman Hani Abdel Latif told CNN. They seized a senior officer who was checking out "a commotion" in one of the trucks, he said. "The other officers tried to free him, and in the process, they used tear gas, resulting in 36 detainees killed," Abdel Latif said. The captive officer was seriously injured but survived, the ministry said. The Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political arm, put the number of dead at 52 and demanded an international investigation into the deaths. Al-Sisi and Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim Kamel bear "full criminal responsibility" for the deaths, the party said. An earlier report by the state-run news agency EGYNews said a group of armed men attempted to free the prisoners. Abdel Latif said that report was still being investigated, however. Morsy was toppled in July, triggering weeks of protests by the Muslim Brotherhood and his supporters. The ouster capped weeks of growing protests against Egypt's first democratically elected leader, who had taken office barely a year before. In a nationally televised speech, al-Sisi urged Morsy's supporters "to review their national positions and realize very well that the legitimacy belongs to the people." "The Egyptian people are free to choose whoever to govern them, while the armed forces will remain the safeguard of the will of the people and of their choice," he said. Morsy's supporters say the military-backed interim government instigated the violence that killed more than 700 in the past week, starting with a dawn raid at two pro-Morsy protest camps last week that left more than 500 dead. Scores more were killed in the following days as Morsy's supporters tried to continue their protests. Among the dead were 70 police officers, with more than 600 police, soldiers and other members of the security forces wounded, the Interior Ministry reported Sunday. The government also announced a ban against "popular committees," the neighborhood watch groups that have battled protesters in recent days. The Interior Ministry said Sunday evening that some of those groups were taking advantage of their positions to carry out "criminal acts." But Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghazlan said al-Sisi's comments "are a clear proof that the end of the coup is near," Ghazlan said. Al-Sisi and other government leaders were "trying to beautify the ugly face of this bloody coup," he said. "Woe unto those who will be fooled by all of these lies." The Brotherhood canceled a march planned for Roxy Square in Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo, due to concerns about snipers on routes. But it said demonstrations took place around the country, including in Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast, and in Giza, outside Cairo. In Qena, in southern Egypt, demonstrators chanted, "We are all ready to be martyrs" and "Down, down with the killers." In Atfih, south of Cairo, protesters called al-Sisi a "butcher" and called for his execution. The size of the protests could not be independently confirmed. On Saturday, Egyptian security forces arrested more than 350 people at a mosque where throngs of Morsy supporters were hiding, including a handful from outside Egypt -- three Irish citizens, one Turkish and one Syrian, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said. The ministry also said two automatic rifles and 24 Molotov cocktail bottles were confiscated. Among others in custody was Mohamed al-Zawahiri, the brother of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian court confirmed Sunday. Mohamed al-Zawahiri and another Islamist leader, Mustafa Hamza, were ordered held for up to 15 days for investigation on charges of joining an organization that seeks to disrupt the social peace and national unity in the country, the state-run news service EGYNews reported. Both men are leaders of another Islamist organization, Jamaa Islamiya. Government says news biased toward Morsy, Islamists . Morsy's opponents argued the army needed to step in to protect Egypt's nascent democracy from a leader who was amassing power for himself. The new government urged the global community to listen to its side Sunday, accusing international media of being sympathetic to Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood. In a statement also released Sunday, the interim government said it would set up a National Council for Human Rights and document "all the events that took place during the crisis." But it also said it would set up a National Committee for Media and questioned whether the Qatar-based satellite network Al Jazeera was operating legally inside Egypt. And members of the Foreign Ministry showed journalists a video-and-photo montage Sunday of recent carnage, blaming "terrorists" for the chaos. Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy acknowledged the country is in a state of uncertainty. He said the interim government is "trying to identify the political identity so we can move forward." "We are still open to any ideas or suggestions" from the global community, Fahmy told reporters Sunday. But in the end, "the decision is Egyptian." Fahmy also said he greatly appreciated the foreign aid that Egypt gets. The United States, for example, gives Egypt more than $1 billion a year. "We are very thankful for the aid. But it should not be targeted," Fahmy said. "The threat of stopping aid in this period is not acceptable." Opinion: Why U.S. hasn't cut off aid to Egypt . But the Obama administration is facing new calls from U.S. lawmakers to cut off that aid in the wake of last week's violence. U.S. law bars support of a government that has taken power by extraconstitutional means, but the administration has said it won't make a formal determination as to whether Morsy's ouster was a coup. Sen. Jack Reed, a leading Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the the clampdown is "completely unconscionable." And Sen. John McCain, the committee's ranking Republican, said continued American assistance will add fuel to anti-American sentiments in the region. "With Apache helicopters flying overhead, nothing is more symbolic of the United States of America siding with the generals," McCain told CNN's "State of the Union." Other allies in the region have stepped up to support the current government. Saudi Arabia has pledged $5 billion in grants and loans, while the United Arab Emirates has said it would give $1 billion to Egypt and lend it an additional $2 billion as an interest-free central bank deposit. ElBaradei takes off . Amid the turmoil, Cairo's stock market plunged nearly 4% on Sunday. And Mohamed ElBaradei, who stepped down last week as interim vice president, boarded a flight to Austria, after the interim president accepted his resignation, EGYNews service reported. The former International Atomic Energy Agency chief was one of Morsy's biggest critics. But ElBaradei said in his resignation Wednesday that he didn't agree with decisions carried out by the ruling government and "cannot be responsible for a single (drop of) blood." Egypt: Is it still safe to travel? Meanwhile, the turmoil in Egypt continues to cause ripples overseas. Members of the European Union announced Sunday that the body will "urgently review in the coming days its relations with Egypt and adopt measures" aimed at ending violence, resuming political dialogue and returning to a democratic process. Opinion: Egypt's identity torn in two . CNN's Saad Abedine, Schams Elwazer, Ali Younes, Hamdi Alkhshali, Holly Yan, Ian Lee and Joseph Netto contributed to this report.

NEW: Jailbreak bid kills 36 Muslim Brotherhood prisoners, ministry says . NEW: "The end of the coup is near," Brotherhood spokesman says . Army chief says Egypt "has room for everybody," urges end to resistance . ElBaradei leaves Egypt for Austria after resignation .

(CNN) -- At the 2009 Australian Open, French men's tennis was the talk of the town. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon were being dubbed the "New Musketeers," a reference to the "Four Musketeers" from the same nation who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early '30s. Tsonga was the big-hitting, charismatic leader of the bunch; child prodigy Gasquet, with his smooth one-handed backhand, was likened to an artist; Monfils played defensive tennis like no other but also possessed the requisite punch on his strokes; and Simon owned the rare ability to turn defense into offense in an instant. But five years on, that optimism has lessened. Emulating Rene Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon -- who collected 20 grand slam singles titles, 23 in doubles and helped "Les Bleus" win six consecutive Davis Cup trophies -- looks out of the question. In fact, just one grand slam singles title would do -- France's last by a male player came 31 years ago, courtesy of Yannick Noah. Given the grip of the so-called "Big Four" on the men's game -- and the performances of Tsonga, Gasquet, Monfils and Simon -- even that appears uncertain, although Stanislas Wawrinka's surprise Australian Open victory gives the quartet hope. In Melbourne in January, some members of the French media lamented a familiar pattern at grand slams recently: Handfuls of French men appear in the singles draw but not many reach the quarterfinals or beyond. None landed in the last eight at that Australian Open, and none made the last 16 at last month's Indian Wells Masters in California -- arguably the most prestigious regular-season tournament outside the four majors. "I think it's a mix of different feelings in France," says Patrice Dominguez, tournament director of a men's event in Montpellier and the former national technical director of the French Tennis Federation. "Obviously the expectations were big ... big for a while." When asked if the foursome have lived up to their potential, he replied unequivocally: "No, not yet. I really feel like they haven't reached their maximum." And yet, the path of the four might have been completely different. Novak Djokovic faced Tsonga in the 2008 Australian Open final, each bidding for a maiden major. It was Djokovic who prevailed, and the Serb subsequently posted one of the finest campaigns in tennis history in 2011. Andy Murray and Simon share similar, counter-punching styles. Six years ago, they finished three places apart in the rankings and competed at the year-end championships. Murray beefed up and has since amassed two grand slam titles. Pals Rafael Nadal and Gasquet were born 15 days apart in 1986. Gasquet hasn't appeared in a grand slam final -- and Nadal boasts 13 majors. Like Roger Federer, Gael Monfils bagged the Wimbledon junior title. While Federer tallies 17 majors, Monfils seeks a first semifinal berth at a major outside France. "Gael was probably the most gifted of the four," Dominguez told CNN. "He has everything." Gasquet's mental toughness has been questioned in the past -- something even he is aware of, though he has improved -- and he lacks an overpowering serve. Since gracing the cover of a French tennis magazine as an adolescent, Gasquet has rarely escaped the eye of the public. "He's like the baby brother of the country and the people have been babysitting him since he was nine years old," Carole Bouchard, a tennis writer with French sports daily L'Equipe, told CNN. "They love him. And they want him to succeed. At the same time, sometimes he gets on their nerves. "It's a love-hate relationship but more love than hate." Gasquet, encouragingly, put together his most consistent season in 2013 and made a second appearance at the year-end World Tour Finals. Tsonga's all-action game is deemed high risk, with Dominguez adding that the world No. 12 doesn't win enough matches when not playing at his best. Injuries have consistently hampered the 27-year-old Monfils, who -- despite often preferring a defensive style -- at times seems more concerned about pleasing fans than winning matches. "I think the public still waits for a lot from this generation," Arnaud Di Pasquale, the national technical director of the French Tennis Federation, admitted to CNN. "I think they're waiting for a Davis Cup win and they're waiting for a grand slam win. But we're never far away." Tsonga, Gasquet, Monfils and Simon are four of the dozen French men in the benchmark top 100, so depth isn't an issue for France -- the other three grand slam nations of Australia, Britain and the U.S. have fewer than 12 players combined in the top 100. "We know how to build players and to reach the top 10," said Dominguez. "After the top 10 and inside that, what is making the difference? Not the federation or coach. It's the real wish, investment you put in -- and that's the individual's desire." For Patrick Mouratoglou, who runs an academy outside Paris and coaches women's world No. 1 Serena Williams, the lack of a grand slam champion comes down to "ambition." "I always say we are a great country to build the players," Mouratoglou told CNN's Open Court. "The thing maybe we don't have -- there are exceptions -- is the right mentality to raise champions. "For the French players things are too easy for them. They make a lot of money in tennis quite early and I think we lack ambition. Maybe it's not in the culture of France to have very high ambitions. "Grand slam winners are people who have very high expectations, who simply have the mentality of champions. I'm not sure too many French players have that mentality." Di Pasquale paused before reacting to Mouratoglou's comments. "Is ambition lacking?" he said. "I'm not sure. "Today I think Tsonga wants to win a grand slam, Gasquet is showing more ambition, a more demonstrative side on the court with the crowd -- more rage and enthusiasm. With age, time passes and you become aware of some things. Things move on and you realize there aren't many years left. "I think all of that will come into play. They're going to have to react and say, 'I don't want to stop here, not having won a grand slam.' "Lack of ambition related to the system? It's tough to say but it can't just be reduced to not getting the results that people want from the players. "I think the ambition that we have is to develop a culture of winning. But there is also a side that is very personal." Gasquet, twice a grand slam semifinalist, told Open Court he would "fight" for a first major, and France's Davis Cup captain Arnaud Clement is adamant that one of his charges can break through. Clement and Tsonga are two of the four French men to make a grand slam final since Noah thrilled the home fans at Roland Garros in 1983. "It's going to be tough because tennis is strong in the top 10," Clement told Open Court. "But we saw Wawrinka won. He worked a lot, he's smart, and he did it. "I am sure it's possible for all my players, too." The more realistic target, however, might be to capture the Davis Cup -- it's a major goal for Gasquet and the other leading French players. The drought in the competition isn't 31 years but lengthy nonetheless at 13. France is the favorite against Germany in the quarterfinals at home this weekend, and France versus Federer's Switzerland is a potential blockbuster final in November. "Beware of this generation -- they're not finished," said Di Pasquale, who beat a young Federer to claim bronze at the 2000 Olympics. "I don't think we can draw conclusions. I cross my fingers."

France's tennis federation has long been praised for producing players . Twelve men sit in the top 100, tying Spain and better than the U.S. But despite the depth, its men's grand slam drought extends to 31 years . Tsonga, Gasquet, Monfils and Simon don't look like ending the skid after early promise .

(CNN) -- Drainage tubes. Waterfalls. Bullrings. These aren't features typically associated with hotels, but the most interesting places to stay in Latin America somehow make them work. This group of hotels goes a few steps further than turndown service and a free breakfast lineup to make your stay memorable. Tubohotel (Topoztlan, Mexico) Modeled after the funky Dasparkhotel in Linz, Austria, the Tubohotel has transformed 20 concrete sewer pipes into minimalistic hotel rooms. Artfully arranged in groups of three, the pipes are 8 feet wide and 11 feet long and outfitted with a queen-sized bed, desk light and fan. Claustrophobic or amenities-driven travelers need not apply. Tubohotel, Tlacaltipac Glorieta Kilometer 17 S/N, San Sebastian, Tepoztlan, Mexico; +52 739 395 3613; from $31 per night . Costa Verde (Quepos, Costa Rica) In the dense forest along the western coast of Costa Rica lies the body of an old Boeing 727. It's not the ominous remains of a flight gone wrong, but rather a luxury hotel suite. Dangling over the side of a hill amid a selection of more traditional accommodations, the fuselage of the vintage 1965 jetliner has been remade into a two-bedroom rental complete with dining area, sitting room and a small wooden deck for spotting the toucans, howler monkeys and other jungle creatures. The fuselage that encases the two bedrooms of the "727 Fuselage Home" suite is intact. Apart from the distinctive shape of the portholes and curved ceiling, however, the interior feels more woodsy bungalow than aircraft. Costa Verde, about a half mile from entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park, Quepos, Costa Rica; +506 2777 0584; 727 suite from $250 per night . Encuentro Guadalupe Antiresort (Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico) "Luxury cabin" sounds like an oxymoron, but not when you're talking about the 20 designer shelters that make up this Baja California retreat. Each sparse but chic unit includes king-size beds, ceiling fans and floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel is positioned among craggy terrain, so it blends in with the landscape of this fertile wine-growing region just 90 minutes south of San Diego. Encuentro Guadalupe Antiresort Ctra. Tecate-Ensenada, kilometer 75, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico; +52 646 155 2775; from $175 per night . Lapa's Nest Tree House, Barrio Bonito, Costa Rica . With six stories, four bedrooms, and two bathrooms, Lapa's Nest just might be the world's coolest tree house. Built 60 feet up around a towering guanacaste tree in the rainforest of remote southern Costa Rica, this arboreal perch offers guests unexpected luxuries like warm showers and air-conditioning, not to mention a bird's-eye view of the native wildlife. Lapa's Nest Tree House, 13 kilometers north of Puerto Jimenez, Barrio Bonito, Costa Rica; +508 714 0622; from $1,850 per week . Unique Hotel (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Other than its name, what makes this hotel unique is its shape. The work of Ruy Ohtake, one of Brazil's most talented architects, it's been said to resemble everything from a boat to a slice of watermelon, but the construction was simply an ingenious way to get around the city's building-height codes. Inside, it's not all that different from any other upscale property, except perhaps for the rooms' circular windows and an odd transparent, retractable wall between the bed and the bathroom. Unique Hotel, Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antonio, 4700, Jardim Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil; +55 11 3055 4700; from $370 per night . Canopy Tower (Gamboa, Panama) This 12-room lodge rising above the treetops of Soberanía National Park has an unusual origin. It was built by the U.S. Air Force in 1965 as a radar tower to help in the defense of the Panama Canal, and was later used for everything from controlling air traffic to aiding in the war on drugs. Today, it's a hotel and nature observatory. The rooftop deck offers a 360-degree view of the forest below. It's popular with birders hoping to catch a glimpse of the bicolored antbird, blue cotinga and other species that reside in the forest canopy. Canopy Tower Soberanía National Park, 35 miles north of Panama City, Gamboa, Panama; +507 264 5720; from $120 per night (three-night minimum) Palacio de Sal (Potosí, Bolivia) You may be tempted to lick the walls at this oddball hotel, but please refrain. Especially if you have high blood pressure. That's because the entire thing is made of salt. Billions of tons of it, in fact, all of which came from the nearby Salar de Uyuni salt flat (the world's largest). The unusual building material was used to construct the floors, ceilings and almost everything in between, including the beds and the property's nine-hole golf course. Palacio de Sal, Salar de Uyuni, Uyuni, Potosí, Bolivia; +591 68420888; from $135 per night . Montaña Mágica (Panguipulli, Chile) It's a trek getting to this 13-room retreat in the middle of the Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve, but make it and you'll be treated to a vine-covered, volcano-shaped lodge with daily eruptions that spew water down the side of the property. Step indoors and the woodsy theme will have you feeling like you're inside a hallowed-out tree. Given the look and feel of the place, you might think you'd be surrounded by hobbits, but your neighbors are actually the pumas, pygmy owls and other creatures that make their home in the forest. Montaña Mágica, inside Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve, 530 miles south of Santiago, Panguipulli, Chile; +56 2 233 559 38; from $200 per night . Quinta Real Zacatecas (Zacatecas, Mexico) One look at this luxury hotel and it's not hard to imagine its previous incarnation as the Plaza de Toros San Pedro, a bullfighting arena dating to the nineteenth century. Forty-nine suites now reside where the grandstand once stood and the ring where the matadors once battled beasts is now a charming courtyard. All of it has been remade to appease hotel guests while preserving the structure's classic colonial style. Quinta Real Zacatecas, Av. Ignacio Rayón 434, Col. Centro, Zacatecas, Mexico; +492 922 9104; from $126 per night . EcoCamp Patagonia (Torres del Paine, Chile) Glamping meets sustainability at this cluster of igloo-shaped suites that house visitors exploring the rugged Patagonian plains with adventure outfitter Cascada Expediciones. The domes are designed to mimic the dwellings of the nomadic Kaweskar tribe that once inhabited the area . Green features include low-emission woodstoves and state-of-the-art composting toilets. There's also enough electricity to charge your camera, so you can snap plenty of pics of the incredible Torres del Paine landscape. EcoCamp Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park, approximately 200 miles north of Punta Arenas airport, Torres del Paine, Chile; +56 2 2923 5950; call for rates .

Hotels shaped like volcanoes or built in old passenger jets among more unusual accommodation available in Latin America . The Lapa's Nest Tree House in Costa Rica features rooms perched above the rainforest floor in a guanacaste tree . The floors, ceilings and even the beds in Bolivia's Palacio de Sal are constructed out of salt .

(CNN) -- Yusuke Kirimoto was always overweight. When he visited his relatives in Japan, they would jokingly say, "the sumo wrestler is back." Their comments were meant to be funny, but Kirimoto still felt the sting. Kirimoto and his wife Megumi had their daughter Sara in 2006. Like many toddlers, Sara would run around their Westminster, Colorado, home, and Kirimoto would trail behind her, trying to catch up. But as she got older, keeping up with Sara became a struggle for him, both physically and mentally. "I would oftentimes be so out of breath that I would almost pass out," he said. At this point, his diet mainly consisted of burgers, fries and sub sandwiches, and at least six cans of soda a day. By 2010, the 37-year-old, standing at 5'10, hit his peak weight of 270 pounds. "It was the lowest point of my life," he said. He had to start wearing XXXL shirts because the XXL was too small. Kirimoto became reclusive -- even to his family. Often he would shut himself in the basement where he could be alone to eat while sitting at the computer with the curtains drawn. But Sara, then 4 years old, would find her way down to the basement and beg him to play with her. Seeing the strain he was putting on himself and his family depressed Kirimoto, and by Christmas of 2010, something snapped. He didn't want to miss out on his daughter growing up. He didn't want to be tired and alone anymore. He didn't want to feel bad about himself. He wanted to change his life. But like so many, he had a horrible track record of failed diets and exercise attempts. He had tried countless diets in the past, and had joined a handful of gyms, that he paid for despite never going. "I would try crazy fad diets like eating tofu for two weeks. I would cling on to anything to lose weight with the least amount of work," he said. But those fad diets would never last more than a few weeks, and his weight would rebound. Even his wife was skeptical of his newfound inspiration to lose weight. "She would eat those types of (rich) foods in front of me jokingly, but that skepticism was the fuel. I wanted to prove people wrong," he said. He was determined to not make the same mistakes again. This time, he was going to focus on losing weight by restricting his diet first. Then he would slowly incorporate exercise. Part of that decision came from the fear of hurting himself after spending years without working out. Committing to healthier foods . Kirimoto drastically cut down on his sugar and carbohydrate intake six days a week, and used Saturday as his cheat day where he could eat whatever he wanted. His breakfast burrito was replaced with a light yogurt and a hard boiled egg or an apple. He started taking a salad to work, a dramatic shift from the fast food lunches he used to consume during his workday. Although his dinners at home had always been relatively healthy -- stir fry or cooked vegetables with white rice -- Kirimoto would typically eat too much, sometimes consuming two or three meals' worth of food in one sitting. "I would eat a whole bowl of rice or big servings of stir fry. I would eat 'til I was full, then you sort of become numb to the fullness," he said. That changed as he started making a conscious effort to watch his portion sizes. He remembers the intense feeling of withdrawal. "My body really was asking for richer and fattier foods," he said. It was a struggle to resist delicacies like pizza and pasta, or even pantry staples like rice and bread. But the cravings slowly subsided and he noticed that even on his cheat day he was eating smaller portions. At the start of 2011, Kirimoto began a fitness routine. He started lifting weights three days a week at the gym before work. It felt awkward at first, as he tried to get used to the rhythm of his body, but those feelings dissipated as he gained more energy and confidence. Midway through the year, he incorporated running into his workout routine. He was now running and lifting weights five days a week. It was a momentous step for Kirimoto,who says he used to treat running like a joke. "Unless I was being chased by a bear or axe murderer, it was never something I did," he wrote in his iReport. By December 2011, he had dropped 81 pounds. But Kirimoto felt like his treadmill runs were getting him nowhere -- literally. "I just felt like a hamster on a wheel, the only thing missing was the water bottle," he recalled. He told colleague Anja Snowden about his frustrations. Making fitness an adventure . Snowden, a German-born Colorado transplant, is a fitness enthusiast. She is known around the office for using her lunch breaks at work to escape into the Colorado trails for a quick 30-minute run. She became a person Kirimoto confided in throughout his fitness journey, whether it was about struggles he had at the gym or nutrition advice. "I am a big believer of eating food in its purest form," Snowden said. "He used to make fun of me when I ate an apple or vegetables for a snack, but as he started losing he changed his diet, and started eating pure, natural foods too." When it came to running, Snowden told Kirimoto: "We live in Colorado. One of the most beautiful states with many trails, and you need to take advantage of it," he recalled. That piece of advice inspired him to start running outside. The first run was tough. The ground wasn't as soft as the treadmill's belt back at the gym, and gravity seemed to pull him down, Kirimoto said. What he didn't expect from running outside was the sensory overload. He had lived in Colorado for more than 25 years, and this was the first time he had run outside. The vibrant colors of the leaves, the green grass, the blue sky -- it hooked him. As soon as Kirimoto started running Colorado's trails, he fell in love. Outside, he could finally breathe. His 15 minute runs transformed into 30 minutes and he gradually found himself running longer and faster. By February 2012, Kirimoto ran his first 5K race. "I never entered a race before. I was alone and nervous. I had no idea if I was going to finish," he said. "When I crossed the finish line ... I felt so fantastic." That year he did 10 races. At the end of 2012, he had shed a total of 94 pounds and was now running as far as 6 miles on his running days. The following year, he took his trail runs to a new level and joined a local running group. In January of this year, he encouraged his wife and daughter to partake in physical activities as well. They had a day during the week where they would do short runs around the neighborhood, usually around a mile of jogging. Eventually those 1-milers with his daughter Sara became 2 miles; then she was regularly running 3 miles with him. In March, the father-daughter-duo entered a 4-mile race in Denver. Sara, now 7, was nervous because she had never run more than 3 miles before. But that didn't stop her from crushing the race, Kirimoto said. Sara ran without stopping, clocking a 12-minute and 39-second mile pace. Today, he and his daughter go on 6-mile runs together every Sunday. It's become a father-daughter bonding time for them. "It is a million times more satisfying to run with her. To see my own child run and have fun is incredible," he said. By July, Kirimoto's weight was down to 168 pounds. He has lost a total of 102 pounds since 2010. Through all his achievements, Kirimoto has inspired a lot of his closest friends and co-workers, Snowden said. "I think everyone is very impressed," she said. "He made that choice for himself and for his family." Passing that inspiration on to others is what motivates Kirimoto to continue staying in shape. "So many people supported and inspired me at the beginning of my journey. Inspiration is contagious and a continuous cycle." For others trying to lose weight, Kirimoto says don't forget to enjoy the journey you're on. "Make (exercise) an exciting adventure," he said. "Everyone is different. Consistency is the key to both weight loss and fitness. You may not see results immediately, but keep at it and you will be rewarded."

At 270 pounds, Yusuke Kirimoto's weight was straining him physically and emotionally . He restricted his diet, cutting out sugars and carbohydrates . By incorporating runs into his workouts, he was able to lose 102 pounds .

(CNN) -- Ramiz Rafizadeh was driving past Syria's famous Ummayad Mosque in December when another vehicle abruptly cut him off. Two men got out and shot Rafizadeh to death in front of his deaf daughter, whom he had just picked up from her school in Damascus. "People who live in the neighborhood and witnessed the shooting talked to my mother and sister and said that the shooters were sitting in the car, waiting," said Rafizadeh's cousin Masoud. "The car was carrying pro-Assad slogans, similar to the cars used by Syrian intelligence." Rafizadeh's family wondered whether he was targeted because another cousin, Majid, is a U.S.-based Middle East scholar who has spoken out against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. But that's not the only possibility. 5 reasons Syria's war suddenly looks more dangerous . "Even though the neighbors said the gunmen were pro-Assad, the government told us terrorists killed him," Masoud Rafizadeh said. And that says much about the plight of Syria's Shiite community: a minority with many enemies, including an increasingly radicalized opposition that views them as outsiders and traitors and a desperate regime that questions their loyalty. The Alawite minority that dominates the Assad regime is an offshoot of Shiite Islam, but few Syrian Shiites are among its inner circle. "The minorities in Damascus, they are completely quiet; they don't want to side with any group. The minorities want nothing but to go to their place of worship and practice their faith." Majid Rafizadeh tells CNN. The Syrian government views minorities, including Shiites, Christians and Kurds, as a buffer against the rebels, who in turn have tried to recruit from among these groups. But many within the rebels' ranks are wary of the Shiites, suspecting some may have links to the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, whose fighters have begun appearing in Syria on the government's side. "(Shiites) end up being victims of a proxy war between rebels and the regime and are viewed with suspicion on both sides," said Abbas Barzegar, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgia State University. Barzegar says the Syrian revolution descended into civil war because of the sectarian nature of the opposition's rhetoric and its inability to control its sectarian tendencies. "The religious diversity of Syria was once a point of pride, so the destruction of this ideal has been catastrophic," he said. The Rafizadeh family's tale of horrors includes a niece and a nephew wounded in a car bomb blast, relatives turned refugees, assassinated cousins, kidnapped uncles and a family trapped by fear. "As my uncle left a funeral of a family who lost a teenage son, armed men took him and his sons by force from their car. My cousin who tried to resist was punched," Masoud says. Moyassar Saadi and his two adult sons were released after spending weeks as hostages of armed men claiming to be Free Syrian Army rebels. The family, however, believes the kidnappers were actually government forces posing as rebels in a bid to threaten Majid, the U.S.-based critic of the regime. Two days after his release, the 65-year-old father of four died of a heart attack. And it didn't end there. Kerry announces more aid to Syria . "On the New Years Eve of 2013, our cousin Issam was killed. He was heading back home with groceries where he lived in Sidi Miqdad in Damascus suburbs when armed men approached and shot him dead." Masoud says. "The government told us that the terrorist killed Issam, and those terrorists want to kill all Syrians. Issam was not a member of the public committees or pro-government militias, he was as innocent as Hamza al-Khateeb," Masoud says referring to the fatal torture and mutilation of a 13-year-old boy allegedly by Syrian intelligence during the outset of the uprising. The atmosphere of chaos means many minorities simply cannot know who or what group has attacked their loved ones and why. "You know, here in the U.S., we may ask, well, who did this? But for the families in Syria, it does not matter anymore. All they do is try and follow the kidnappers demands so they can get their relative back." Majid says. More than 1 million Syrians are now registered refugees in neighboring countries. The Rafizadeh family longs to flee the violence but remains trapped in a capital under siege. "I'm worried that the next target will be my mother or my sisters or my brother. I tried to get them out to Lebanon, but my mother is very sick and old; she can't walk." Majid says. "I try to call my family every two days to make sure everything is OK. But when I call, and they don't answer, I think someone has broken into the house and taken them or something." he adds. Majid and Masoud are Syrian Shiites of Iranian origin. Their family comes from a lower-class neighborhood in the Old City of Damascus. "In the Old City, we were close to different religions. We had Christians, Jewish, Sunni, Shiite. Growing up there it was more like a communal and collective society. People were always visiting each other, so there were strong ties between the families." Majid says. The brothers and their two sisters grew up in poverty during the secular regime of Hafez al-Assad. Members of his minority Alawite group were given top government and military positions, but Assad cultivated other minorities as a counterweight to the Sunni majority. Dissent of any sort was not tolerated. While Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria, the Rafizadeh brothers' father was detained and tortured by Syrian security forces for his involvement in a human rights campaign. Majid eventually escaped the crushing poverty and oppression, receiving a Fulbright teaching scholarship in the United States. Masoud remained in Damascus, quitting school by second grade to support his family by selling memorabilia and tea to tourists. When Hafez al-Assad's British-educated son Bashar succeeded him in 2000, Syrians hoped for political and economic reforms. They never materialized, and in March 2011 came the first protests against the regime. Six months later, a radical Sunni preacher issued dire threats against minority groups that did not support the uprising. "By Allah we will chop up their flesh and feed them to the dogs," Adnan al-Arour said in one of his inflammatory broadcasts on satellite station al-Wesal. As the civil war enters its third year, it is no longer a simple case of regime against rebels. There are overlapping and intersecting loyalties, foreign fighters and criminals taking advantage of chaos. "Mounting tensions have led to armed clashes between different armed groups along a sectarian divide. Such incidents took place in mixed communities or where armed groups had attempted to take hold of areas predominantly inhabited by pro-Government minority communities." a recent U.N. report concluded. "The people are being very cautious of all different groups. They are afraid of all groups. They are afraid of any group outside their home." Majid says. "The minorities are scared because there are a lot of rumors that there are some extremist radical Sunni groups. They believe that they have distributed fliers saying if you kill one person from a minority, we will pay 100,000 Lira, and there are videos where they mutilate the person." "The general view is very pessimistic for the minorities; the ones who can are leaving. They are immigrating to European countries. What they hope is that the opposition and Assad can reach an agreement. They don't care about the political structure. They just want the violence to stop," Majid adds. But there is every sign that the violence is becoming more sectarian and even more vicious. Earlier this year, fighters from the Sunni jihadist group Nusra Front, designated a terrorist organization by the United States sang "Just wait Allawi. We will come to slaughter you. Forget about any agreement ... We will come to slaughter you, Shiite." The Rafizadeh family clings to the hope that a political solution can be found. "I believe that most of the Syrians do not want to see violence in their homeland, and they want the safety and security to be back like it used to be. I don't get involved in politics and I don't want to. I want a normal life in Syria, and just want to live in peace," Masoud says.

Shiite family in Syria has endured attacks from all sides in civil war . One cousin was shot dead in front of his daughter; others held hostage . It's unclear whether attackers were with the Assad regime or the rebels . Neither the government nor the rebels trust Shiites in Syria .

(CNN) -- Mom-to-be Maggie Baumann knew she most definitely would not be "eating for two." She couldn't. During her first pregnancy, she was extremely preoccupied with just how many calories she consumed and stuck to a very strict exercise routine. "Getting on the scale at the doctor's office was very triggering for me," said Baumann of Newport Beach, California, who is now an eating disorders specialist and trauma therapist who devotes some of her practice to pregnant women and moms suffering from eating disorders. She gained 32 pounds during her first pregnancy, which is very much in line with the 25 to 35 pounds doctors say, on average, a woman who is expecting should gain. But, during her second pregnancy, she was not going to let "that" happen again, she said in an interview. 'Pregorexia' "I was just like, I am not doing that again, I am not getting that big. I am not getting that out of control," said Baumann, who first went public about her experience in a blog in 2009 and is now co-writing a chapter on pregnancy and eating disorders in a book to be published in 2014. She didn't realize it at the time but she was one of a number of women with an extreme obsession with weight during pregnancy, battling what has become known as "pregorexia." Pregorexia is not a formally recognized medical diagnosis. It is a term coined by the media, public and doctors in recent years to describe the eating disorder behaviors experienced by women while pregnant, which could include intense dieting and exercise, but also binging and purging. 30% of pregnant women in U.S. don't gain enough . While there are no known statistics on just how many pregnant women experience pregorexia, it is estimated that about 30% of American women don't gain enough weight during pregnancy, according to Dr. Ovidio Bermudez, the chief medical officer at the Eating Recovery Center in Denver, Colorado. "I think you've got to be careful not to overdraw conclusions," Bermudez said. He wanted to make clear that not every woman who "struggles with weight gain" during pregnancy has an eating disorder. "But I think there is a significant number for whom this is really another struggle, another manifestation of their eating disorder-related pathology. And those are probably the folks that are going to take it more to an extreme and the folks more likely to suffer their own health consequences as well as putting their pregnancy and the fetus, the baby, at risk," he said. In Baumann's case, she began intense and extended workouts, and she was not eating enough. At 11 weeks, after she experienced bleeding in her uterus, her doctor, fearing she could miscarry, instructed her to stop all exercise immediately. She didn't because she couldn't. At seven months, there were worries the baby was too small and wasn't getting enough nutrients. "It did not register to me like, 'OK, now I need to start trying for this baby,'" said Baumann. "I was like, 'Oh well, I won't go to the gym ... I'll just go and exercise somewhere else. I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing but not really.'" It was her secret. No one knew about the extended workouts, the calorie restriction, the eating disorder behaviors she battled throughout her life and now again as a mom-to-be. No one knew how horrible she felt about herself. "The biggest factor is the shame because what mom ... would be restricting her calories or over-exercising and hurting her baby?" said Baumann. Celebrity media culture plays a role . It has almost become a given now in our tabloid and celebrity media-obsessed culture, said Claire Mysko, spokeswoman for the National Eating Disorders Association, that any time a celebrity is pregnant, there will be a 24/7 focus on how much weight she gains and how quickly she loses it. Think Kate Middleton. Beyonce. Victoria Beckham. "Between 2003 and 2005, the number of baby-related, baby weight-related covers on tabloids doubled and since then, it's almost become an expectation now that if a celebrity is pregnant, there will be a mention of her body during pregnancy and then there's the countdown to how fast she's going to get the weight off," said Mysko, co-author of the book "Does this Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?" In interviews with more than 400 women for her book, Mysko said she and her co-author looked at the impact of this media coverage on women, who increasingly feel the pressure to have the "perfect" pregnancy and quickly get their bodies back. "I think that absolutely has an effect on women and it absolutely fuels, I think, and validates this obsession with weight during pregnancy and after," said Mysko. "We can't necessarily make a direct connection between whether that has increased the rate or the incidence of eating disorders, but certainly it has amped up this anxiety that women feel." Women who had eating disorders more at risk . Women like Baumann, who battled eating disorders earlier in their lives, are much more likely to suffer from eating disorders while pregnant, experts say. "I would say for women who know that they have a history of poor body image and disordered eating to really take that seriously as they enter into pregnancy and to be up-front about that history with your prenatal and post-partum health care providers," said Mysko. Women who might have some concerns can always contact the National Eating Disorders Association helpline, she said. But an eating disorder in your past doesn't guarantee you'll have one during pregnancy. In fact, Mysko, who had an eating disorder in her teens, found that she appreciated her body in a new way during pregnancy. Her daughter is 3 now. I had a similar experience. Like so many, I battled bulimia in college and still have small bouts of binge eating, even now in my 40s. But during my two pregnancies, I felt better about myself and my body than really at any other time in my life. Lack of acceptance should be the "warning sign" that a mom-to-be could be experiencing or on the brink of eating disorder behavior, said Bermudez of the Eating Recovery Center, who is a former chairman of the National Eating Disorders Association. "So, if the dialogue instead of 'Gee, is my baby going to be healthy and what am I going to name him or her?' becomes 'What does this mean for me and what am I going to look like? And are you still going to love me?' especially to an exaggerated degree, one has to begin to say there is an issue with acceptance here," he said. 'I felt like I did this to her' When Baumann delivered her second child, she had gained only 18 pounds, compared to the 32 she gained during her first pregnancy. Her daughter developed seizures during the first months of her life, which her doctor said were possibly connected to the poor nutrition she received in the womb. "'I felt like I did this to her, and I blamed myself and my eating disorder got worse," said Baumann. Nearly 10 years later, she finally got treatment by going to the Remuda Ranch in Arizona, a residential treatment center for women with anorexia and bulimia. Her daughter, now in her 20s and perfectly healthy, was angry at her mother when she found out what she had done during the pregnancy. "I had to let her be angry at me," said Baumann. "She had to process knowing that I did this and thinking, 'Why wouldn't my mom feed me?'" "Even coming from her end, it's unbelievable because if you don't have an eating disorder, it's very hard to understand," she said. Baumann, who devotes most of her time to the issue of eating disorders, is teaming up with the Illinois-based Timberline Knolls Treatment Center next year to launch what she says will be the first Web-based support group for pregnant women and moms with eating disorders. "There are so many moms ... pregnant women, they're so ashamed, they don't want to tell anyone that they are doing what they are doing," said Baumann. But, she says, women should know that they are not alone and that they can be helped. "You can recover from your eating disorder, and you can recover from being a mom or a pregnant woman with an eating disorder, and that shame," said Baumann. "You can recover from that." Follow Kelly Wallace on Twitter, and like CNN Living on Facebook.

"Pregorexia" is used to describe pregnant women who are obsessive about weight gain . 30% of pregnant women in the U.S. won't gain enough weight during pregnancy, doctors say . Focus on pregnant celebrities' weight affects other pregnant women, says one author . Women with past eating disorders are more likely to have food issues in pregnancy .

(CNN) -- The U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding a piece of Arizona's controversial immigration law portends such a "huge" increase in policing for one department that the chief wondered Tuesday if his agency will be able to handle the workload. At a time when the Tucson Police Department is down 160 officers because of a weakened economy, the agency now must make up to 50,000 additional phone calls a year to federal officials to verify the immigration status of persons whom officers have stopped and have reason to believe are in the country illegally, Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor said Tuesday. Other law agencies in Arizona, however, reported "business as usual" a day after the Supreme Court ruling. Just 70 miles from the Mexican border, the Tucson department may have to spend more than $10 million a year to book and jail up to 36,000 arrestees also suspected of being illegal immigrants -- a more than 7% increase to the agency's $130 million budget, Villaseñor said. The police chief said he wonders if his 950-officer agency has been dealt an "impossible mandate." The state law, SB 1070, allows citizens to sue his department or others if they fail to enforce federal immigration laws, the chief said. Romney, GOP struggle with immigration issue . "Just for my agency, it will be a huge workload, just making the calls and waiting for a response on what to do," the police chief of Arizona's second-largest city said. "I'm not sure the federal government is capable of handling all the requests that they will be receiving," Villaseñor added. "I don't know what effect it will have on my agency." Tuesday marked the first 24 hours that state and local law agencies began enforcing the state immigration law since Monday's court ruling, and law agencies were either engaged in training or rolling out the mandatory immigration checks, said Amy Rezzonico, a spokeswoman for Arizona attorney general's office. "I'm pretty sure it will be business as usual to some degree," Rezzonico said. Analysis: Five things learned from high court ruling . That was the case for the more than 3,100 police officers in Phoenix, the state's largest city, located 180 miles from the border. A police department spokesman said Tuesday he had no immediate feedback from officers or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the progress or results of the day's immigration checks. "We're really not attempting a big shift from what we're doing now," said spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson. "I think there's a misconception that police officers in Arizona are going to go out and hunt down people who are illegally in the United States. "I am mandated to make a reasonable attempt to contact ICE," Thompson said. "It's 107 in Phoenix today. How long am I going to stand on the side of the road with someone (awaiting an ICE response)? It's a matter of minutes -- 20 minutes maybe, 30 minutes maybe." Groups say immigration fight is changing Arizona . Concerns by lawmen such as Villaseñor unfolded as President Barack Obama and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer squared off about the impact of Monday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the "show-me-your-papers" provision -- but struck down other portions of the state law intended to deter illegal immigration. Already, the Obama administration has indicated it won't allow Arizona's immigration priorities to become federal priorities. The administration has ended the so-called 287(g) agreements with Arizona, under which state and local law agencies entered into a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and were delegated authority for immigration enforcement within their jurisdictions. Also, the administration recently halted deportations of DREAM Act-eligible immigrants -- young adult undocumented immigrants -- as it will redirect resources to deporting those who are deemed a greater threat, such as criminals. The White House highlighted its tougher approach on criminals in announcing a record number of deportations last year. In denouncing some of those Obama measures, Arizona's Brewer said further lawsuits lay ahead on the immigration status checks, and pledged, "This certainly is not the end of our journey." The portion of the state law validated by the high court is potent, one expert said. "If you read the statute carefully, it literally creates an obligation for all law enforcement agencies to determine status of individuals," said Marc Miller, a vice dean and law professor at the University of Arizona. "By making it a mandate and lining it up against the warnings of the Supreme Court, it's created an impossibly difficult question for police and sheriffs. Are we concerned about racial profiling? Absolutely." But how police will apply the law -- requiring immigration checks while enforcing other laws if "reasonable suspicion" of illegal immigration exists -- is "confusing," CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said. "What does it look like in the real world to have reasonable suspicion that someone is here illegally? What is a police officer supposed to do?" Toobin asked. "How to apply that in the real world is kind of mysterious to me." At least two sheriffs in Arizona said that the law won't result in great change for their departments. A changing national mood on immigration? Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said his deputies will continue to call the Border Patrol to determine a person's immigration status if a deputy suspects that person is in the country illegally. That will result in about 100 referrals a month to the Border Patrol, he said. "We're continuing to do business as usual," said Dupnik, who's been sheriff for 32 years. Dupnik said he opposed SB 1070 because if the entire law had been upheld by the federal courts, it would have resulted in overcrowded jails and overburdened state courts. "The more important thing is how the chief of a law enforcement agency chooses to enforce the law," Dupnik said. For example, other counties do immigration sweeps, but not his, he said. "Law enforcement did not ask for this law," Dupnik said. "Law enforcement did not need this law." Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said the validated portion of the law marked "very little change" for his department. His county shares a 50-mile border with Mexico and is a major corridor for smuggling of drugs and illegal migrants. His 39 officers will continue to call any of the 1,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents in his county to conduct immigration checks, he said. "Our concern is the public perception of what we are doing," he said. He fears Latinos won't ask for help and witnesses won't come forward, he said. "The Hispanics will look at us a little differently, and that concerns me," Estrada said. Merchants and residents of the Latino community reported anxiety and fear among clientele and neighbors. Phoenix taqueria owner Hector Manrique said Tuesday that business has been dropping since the law was proposed in 2010; he predicted it will get worse now that the Supreme Court has ruled. "It's bad for the Hispanic community," said Manrique, a native of Mexico who has been in Phoenix since 1990 and has run the Taqueria Guadalajara since 2003. "It seemed like everybody kind of forgot about it for a little bit and now, all of a sudden, I've got friends who were talking to me yesterday, and they're pretty scared because they've got kids, they've got family to support." Kelly Ramirez, 31, of Tucson, a real estate broker and business owner, said many Latino immigrants don't know the details of the law, but they do know something has changed. "They can't really look into it, so what they'll do is they'll hide," she said. "There's going to be less conversation, less help from individuals that maybe aren't doing anything wrong but know of somebody that is." Russell Pearce, the former Republican state senator who authored SB 1070 and then was ousted from office in a recall election in his suburban Phoenix district last year, told CNN Tuesday that accusations of possible racial profiling were "demeaning to law enforcement." "An officer is trained to pay attention to things that don't fit. All this bill does is allow them to ask the questions they need to ask," Pearce said. Opinion: How Arizona law hurts Hispanic citizens . CNN's Laura Smith-Spark, Melissa Abbey and Kelly Andersen contributed to this report.

Tucson chief worries about $10 million cost and 50,000 immigration checks . Phoenix police begin enforcing law but have no immediate feedback from officers . Two sheriffs report business as usual . Experts raise questions about racial profiling under the immigration check law .

(CNN) -- Cruises are good; cruises with a pool table that levels itself as the ship rolls are awesome. Here are some of the best gimmicks -- which we're defining as not strictly necessary but nevertheless fun things -- to be found in the travel world today. What great innovations have you noticed on your travels? Tell us below. Gyroscopic pool table: Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas . Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas has the perfect solution for those considering a game of pool in rough seas. Its gyroscopic pool table has what's known as gyroscopic self-correcting underpinnings, which means that, in rough seas, when the boat tilts one way, the pool table tilts the other to keep everything on the level. Radiance of the Seas; from $1,155 for 11-night South Pacific cruise . Intelligent elevator: QT Hotel, Sydney, Australia . Traveling between hotel floors is an interactive experience at Sydney's QT Hotel. The hi-tech elevator uses sensors to work out how many people are in the elevator and plays a relevant song from its extensive discography. If you're in the elevator alone, "Are you lonesome tonight?" might play, while groups of three or more will hear party anthems such as Kool and the Gang's "Celebration." QT Hotel, 49 Market St., Sydney; +61 2 8262 0000; from $348 per night . Glass-bottomed pool: Holiday Inn Shanghai Kangqiao, Shanghai, China . Most people probably don't want the whole world to watch them swimming laps, but visitors going for a swim at the Holiday Inn Shanghai Kangqiao don't have a choice. The glass-bottomed pool on the 24th floor measures 30 meters (98 feet) in length and half of the pool protrudes out from the building over the street below. Holiday Inn Shanghai, 899 Dongfang Road, Pudong, Shanghai, China; +86 21 5830 6666; from $110 per night . Blue screen hotel room: Blue Line room at the Gladstone Hotel, Toronto . The Blue Line room's walls are adorned with silhouettes of scantily clad women and cowboys against bright blue walls. However, it's no ordinary blue. The shade is chroma-key blue, the color used for blue screens, allowing guests to video themselves against the walls and digitally insert their own backdrops at a later date. Other rooms include the Felt Room, which resembles a sound-proofed chamber, and the Canadiana room, which has enormous forest murals. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W, Toronto, Ontario; +1 416 531 4635; from $202 per night . Hotel Montaña Magica, Los Rios, Chile . This Chilean hotel is so strange that it's hard to know where to begin. For starters, it's a circular, volcano-shaped hotel in the middle of the jungle. It's also covered with greenery, and at various points throughout the day it erupts, causing water to cascade down the side of the hotel. The lodge was built by craftsmen from local communities who live and work within the 300,000-acre Huilo-Huilo nature reserve in which the hotel is located. Huilo Huilo Montaña Mágica Lodge, Km 55 Camino Internacional Panguipulli, Neltume, Región de Los Ríos, Chile; +56 38 2233559; from $202 per night . Glass-bottomed walkway: Royal Princess cruise ship . This glass-bottomed walkway was unveiled earlier this year, and can be found on Princess Cruises' Royal Princess ship. The walkway extends eight meters (28 feet) beyond the edge of the vessel and is the first of its kind to be found aboard a cruise ship. Those who choose to "walk the plank" have nothing to fear -- the glass is more than an inch thick, or four times the thickness of the average car windshield. Royal Princess; Princess Cruises direct travelers to book through a travel agent; prices from $1,786 for four-day cruise along U.S. West Coast . Revolving hotel: Marmara Antalya, Antalya, Turkey . Marmara Antalya is the world's first revolving hotel. The 2,750-ton building floats in a tank holding 478 tons of water. The hotel's three lower floors are submerged, and it's the three floors above ground which rotate, with the help of six electric motors. So, although visitors will never get tired of the view, guests who suffer from motion sickness might steer clear. Marmara Antalya, Sirinyali Mah. Lara 07160, Antalya, Turkey; +90 242 249 36 00; from $117 per night . Vegetation wall: Changi Airport, Singapore . Located in terminal three, Changi Airport's green wall is the world's largest vertical garden, measuring 300 meters (984 feet) by 14 meters (45 feet) and contains more than 10,000 plants. There are four water features and the plants are secured to metal cables attached to an enormous framework, which allows their position to be altered. The misting system used to water the plants also helps to regulate the internal temperature of the airport. Changi Airport, Singapore; +65 6595 6868 . Wine angels: Radisson Blu Stansted Airport, Essex, UK . Once visitors to the hotel's bar have selected their wine, an acrobatic "wine angel" steps into a harness and retrieves the bottle from among 4,000 in the 13-meter-high (42 feet) wine tower. Radisson Blu Stansted, Waltham Close, London Stansted Airport, Essex, UK; +44 1279 661012 . Cat-obsessed railway: Wakayama Prefecture, Japan . If you need proof of how much the Japanese love their cats, a journey on the Wakayama Electric Railway may be in order. Images of cats adorn the interior and exterior of the train and the Wakayama Electric Railway's official station master is a cat called Tama. Tama is also credited with saving the railway -- before her appointment, the railway was struggling financially, but tourists now come from all over the world to visit Tama and purchase a range of Tama-themed gifts. Wakayama Electric Railway, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan; +81 073 478 0110 . Undersea restaurant: Rangalis Island, Maldives . Ithaa (meaning Mother of Pearl) is an underwater restaurant in the Maldives. The acrylic shell of the restaurant was constructed in Singapore before being shipped to Rangalis island, where it can now be found five meters (16 feeet) below sea level. The transparent roof and walls provide diners with a 270-degree view of the blue waters and marine life surrounding the restaurant. Ithaa Undersea restaurant, sea floor, Rangalis Island, Maldives; +960 668 0629 . Underwater escalator: Hualien Farglory Ocean Park, Taiwan . Visitors to Taiwan's Hualien Farglory Ocean Park can travel through the aquarium on an undulating airtight escalator as sharks, rays and other creatures swim above their heads. Equally impressive is the fact that the escalator is staggered, allowing passengers to ascend and descend into the depths of the aquarium on a single stairway. Hualien Farglory ocean park, Taiwan; +886 3 812 3123 . Restrooms at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Danang City, Vietnam . Bill Bensley, the architect responsible for this Vietnamese hotel, has designed more than 100 resorts and hotels in 26 countries. He was eager to incorporate traditional Vietnamese design when he created the Danang Sun Peninsula resort, and this notion even extended to the restrooms, which are rigged out to look like enormous pieces of antique wooden furniture. InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Bai Bac, Sontra Peninsula, Danang City, Vietnam; +84 511 3938888 .

Pool table on cruise ship Radiance of the Seas levels itself as ship rolls . Elevator at QT Hotel, Sydney, detects people inside and plays different songs accordingly . "Wine angels" at Radisson Blu in England retrieve bottles by flying up on wires .