(CNN) -- Portuguese football coach Jose Mourinho, ever the headline creator, has caused further outcry this week after he substituted Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari from his Inter Milan side during their Italian Serie A clash with Bari. Inter midfielder Sulley Muntari was substitued Jose Mourinho for his low-energy levels as a result of fasting. Taking a tired player from the field of play was hardly breaking news, at least it wasn't until Mourinho revealed the move had been prompted because the player's perceived "low-energy levels" were as a result of fasting. Muntari is a practicing Muslim who, like many of the same faith around the world, is currently not eating during the hours of daylight to mark the Ramadan holy period .Should fasting footballers be dropped by their managers? Sound Off below. A discipline that clearly irked Mourinho who said in a post-match press conference: "Muntari had some problems related to Ramadan, perhaps with this heat it's not good for him to be doing this (fasting). Ramadan has not arrived at the ideal moment for a player to play a football match." Muslim leaders in Italy have criticized the opinions of the coach known as the "Special One", but Mourinho did not rule out the possibility of dropping the player for the Milan derby between arch rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan this weekend for the same reason. Click here to see our gallery of the top 10 Muslim football stars » Elsewhere in Italy, fellow Muslim and Siena striker Abdelkader Ghezzal added to the debate by revealing he cannot fast and play at the same time. "I've always observed Ramadan but I have had to change my habits for health reasons from the first year that I became a professional. Before that I played at Crotone [while fasting] but after two weeks I felt ill and had to stop." Egypt's Under-20 football squad passed up the chance to break the Ramadan fast to help them prepare for the forthcoming World Youth Championship which they host at the end of September. The Egyptian Football Association confirmed that the Dar al-Ifta, the country's institution which clarifies religious principles and issues edicts, had given specific permission for the players to legitimately avoid fasting. It is not just Ramadan which has caused issues between Muslim players and their clubs. The beliefs of Sevilla striker Freddie Kanoute have conflicted with the demands of his professional career. Kanoute taped over the logo of the Sevilla club's shirt sponsors - internet gaming company 888.com -- in 2006 because he said Islam forbade the promotion of gambling. So is Mourinho right to take account of how religious practices may affect his players' performance? Is it wrong to drop a fasting footballer whose energy levels may be lower than his teammates? Should Mourinho contemplate that a player of faith may perform better in a period of self-enforced discipline? Were the Egyptian players right to carry on fasting even though they were given permission to break the fast? If Kanoute right to bring his religious beliefs into his place of work? And can sport and religion ever be separated in a satisfactory way?Let us know your thoughts in the Sound Off box below.

Who turned down the opportunity to break the fast?

What opportunity did Egypt's national youth team turn down?

Answer: Ghanaian

Answer: Egypt's Under-20 football squad

Answer: chance to break the Ramadan fast to help them prepare for the forthcoming World

Answer: Ghanaian

Answer: Jose Mourinho

Answer: Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari

Answer: Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari

Summary:
Jose Mourinho substituted Sulley Muntari because he had been low energy .
The Ghanaian midfielder is a Muslim and had been fasting during Ramadan .
Egypt's national youth team turned down the opportunity to break the fast .
Let us know if fasting footballers should dropped in the Sound Off below .


(CNN) -- Powered by the same energy produced by a toaster, this weekend 39 solar-powered cars are preparing to race across the Australian outback reaching speeds in excess of 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) along the way.

Setting off from Darwin on Saturday, many of the cars taking part in the biennial, 3,021-kilometer (1,877-mile) Veolia World Solar Challenge to Adelaide look more like ping-pong tables on wheels rather than conventional cars.

However, the spirit of adventure and quest for more energy efficiency is what drives the teams of volunteers, university students and organizers.

"We think about it in terms of the land-based version of ocean yacht racing," says Chris Selwood, the event director.

"Really it's about how much you can do with how little. We're looking for the ultimate efficiency in electric cars."

This year is the 11th race and Selwood is happy to point out that while most of the cars don't resemble anything else that will be rumbling down the Australian highways this weekend, some of the innovations pioneered by the vehicles over the years have made it into the mainstream.

Energy-efficient, "low-rolling resistance" tires that are on the market now were used by Michelin in World Solar Challenge events of the early 1990s, and since the inaugural event in 1987 the electric motors have improved in efficiency by at least 30%, says Selwood.

Some of the motors being used by teams have been engineered to work at 98% efficiency in turning electricity into motor power.

"That could drive a washing machine, ceiling fan or even electric vehicle," says Selwood. "There are many uses for a motor like that in our daily lives across a range of applications."

For the top teams, though, the aim is to get to Adelaide first and worry about the legacy of the technology later.

Nuon Solar Team's Nuna6 car is one of the favorites to win this year's competition.

As winners of the events from 2001 to 2007, Nuon Solar Team, made up of students from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, hope to claim back the crown they lost in 2009 to Japan's Tokai University's team.

To aid their attempt, Nuna6 is made of a carbon fiber also used by some Formula 1 cars, making it 10% lighter than its predecessor in 2009.

And like Formula 1, strategy is expected to be important in giving each team the edge. Each team has to extract enough power from a battery with just 5 kilowatt hours of capacity (10% of the power competitors are anticipated to need to complete the race), while also judging when to charge it up for the next day.

"The biggest challenge is to drive non-stop, but we've got a good chance," says Nuon Solar Team's Nadine Rodewijk.

For others, making a solar car more appealing to the public is a greater priority than seeing the checkered flag first.

To highlight that solar cars are getting closer to the real thing, Bochum University in Germany's SolarWorldGT has shunned the sleek, aerodynamic design seen by Nuna6 and others in favor of something more recognizable with two doors and two seats.

That the SolarWorldGT can still effectively compete the race is thanks in part to improvements in solar and motor technology in recent years, and a new competition rule that has reduced the solar panel capacity allowed on each car by 25% compared to 2009.

"They've got to use that energy wisely to get up hills and get out from under clouds," says Selwood.

"By keeping some reins on some of these keys factors, we're seeing some very clever ways in addressing them."

But for all the goodwill and innovation on offer, when the rubber hits the road it will still be a race.

"Our aim as a team is to win," says Nadine Rodewijk from Nuon Solar Team. "Although personally, for each of us, it's about the experience and adventure, learning and preparing for the future.

which speed will reach cars
what is highlighted
what powered car race
how many teams are compeiting

Answer: in excess of 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour)

Answer: that solar cars are getting closer to the real thing,

Answer: solar-powered

Answer: 39

Summary:
Solar-powered car race from Darwin to Adelaide .
Aim is to highlight the ultimate in renewable energy-efficiency .
Teams from 21 countries compeiting in the 11th competition .
Cars will reach speeds over 100kmph using same power that runs a toaster .


(CNN) -- Prague has not been nicknamed "Zlata Praha" or "Golden Prague" for no good reason. The well-deserved eponym is a tribute to this city that mixes architecture, history, art and beauty like no other.

While not forgetting its more somber communist past, Prague has been one of the first East European cities to get a luxurious makeover. Designer shopping malls, exclusive restaurants and trendy nightclubs abound.

But it is the mystical atmosphere of a Prague of past eras that leaves many visitors craving to come back. Largely untouched by the ravages of WWII, Prague is arguably the only European city with so many century-old buildings left intact for people to enjoy.

All more impressive than the others, these are the historical sites you should not miss in Prague.

Wenceslas Square: In 1348, King Charles IV of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) founded the town of Prague. The King built several open areas for markets, including Wenceslas Square, previously known as the Horse Market.

Named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech state, the square is the largest in the city and was at the center of much of Prague's history, including the Nazi occupation, the Soviet invasion, and the Velvet Revolution.

In 1969, Prague student Jan Palach set himself on fire in Wenceslas Square to protest the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. And in 1989, during the Velvet Revolution that overthrew the Communist regime, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered here to protest.

Today the square has become one of the trendiest and busiest in the country. Lining Wenceslas Square are fashion stores, cafes, bars and kiosks. Above the square is Prague's Museum of Natural History, which was shot at by Communist troops when they mistook it for the Parliament building.

Prague Castle: Kings, Roman Emperors and Presidents have lived in this legendary castle that overlooks the city. The castle is the largest medieval castle complex in Europe and arguable Prague's prime tourist attraction. First built in the 9th century, Prague Castle has survived wars, fires and opposing political powers.

The castle complex consists of the Saint Virtus Cathedral, viewing towers, a monastery, museums and art galleries. The Czech crown jewels are also held here.

After Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, the castle became the seat of the President of the new Czech Republic.

Charles Bridge: This magnificent 14th century gothic bridge over Prague's Vltava river is lined with a series of large stone statues that represent important religious figures and icons.

Its construction started in 1357 under King Charles IV and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. Until the 19th century, the bridge was the only way to cross between the Old Town and adjacent areas, also known as the "Lesser Town."

During the day, thousands of people traverse the bridge to watch the views of the city and enjoy the numerous street performers.

Dancing House: A masterpiece of modern architecture, Dancing House was named after dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Dancing House is also sometimes nicknamed "Drunk House" for its wavy curves.

The building was constructed between 1992 and 1996 by Czech architect Vlado Milunc and world-renowned Canadian architect Frank Gehry. The top floor houses one of the city's most exclusive restaurants, Celeste.

Old Town Square: Located in the heart of the Old Town, this square included Prague's gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn, the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 meters high and topped by small golden spires.

Another fixture of the Old Town Square is the baroque-style St. Nicholas Church.

In the center of the square is a large statue of Jan Hus, a Catholic priest who was burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church for heresy in 1415.

But the most popular attraction for visitors of the square is the famous Astronomical Clock.

Astronomical Clock: Built in 1410, the Astronomical Clock still functions and provides accurate data on a number of astrological events, such as the

What is Pragues nickname because the city mixes history and beauty?

Have Prague's many century-old buildings been left intact during WWII ?

Answer: "Zlata Praha" or "Golden Prague"

Answer: Prague

Answer: Largely untouched by the ravages of

Summary:
"Golden City" is a well-deserved eponym for a city that mixes history and beauty like no other .
Largely untouched by WWII, Prague's many century-old buildings have been left intact .
CNN takes you through the top historical sights not to be missed in Prague .


(CNN) -- Preakness Stakes favorite Rachel Alexandra lived up to her billing Saturday, thundering past an all-male field of competitors and becoming the first filly to win the Triple-Crown's second jewel since 1924. Saturday's victory for Rachel Alexandra, who raced from the 13th and furthest stall, was the filly's fifth straight win. "She's the greatest horse I've ever been on in my life," jockey Calvin Borel said after the race. "She did not handle the track 110 percent and still won." Long-shot Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird fell short in his improbable bid to compete for horse-racing's Triple Crown, but showed his Derby victory was no fluke -- charging hard to finish second. Musket Man finished third. Rachel Alexandra's win was historic for multiple reasons and capped a run of five straight victories that included a blowout of the field in the all-filly Kentucky Oaks. She became the first horse to win from the race's 13th stall -- the furthest from the inside of the track. Borel became the first jockey to ride a winner in the Kentucky Derby -- he steered 50-1 underdog Mine That Bird to the win -- and then choose to ride another horse in the Preakness.  Watch why Preakness was viewed as battle of sexes » She ran at the front of the mile-and-one-sixteenth race for almost the entire time. Mike Smith, Mine That Bird's jockey on Saturday, said Borel gave him advice on how to run the undersized champion on Saturday. The two chatted after a finish in which less than a single horse-length separated the two. "I said if I'd had that rail trip, it might have been a different outcome," said Smith, who'd hoped to take Mine That Bird to the inside of the track just as Borel did in the May 2 Derby. "They knew I was going to do it so everybody was just sticking on it."

Which jockey is the first to ride separate horses to victory in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness?

Which filly is the first to witn the Triple-Crown's second jewel since 1924?

Calvin Borel said what of his horse Rachel Alexandra?

What did jocket Calvin Borel say about Rachel Alexandra?

Answer: Calvin Borel

Answer: Calvin Borel

Answer: Rachel Alexandra

Answer: "She's the greatest

Answer: "She's the greatest horse I've ever been on in my life,"

Answer: Rachel Alexandra

Summary:
Rachel Alexandra is first filly to win the Triple-Crown's second jewel since 1924 .
"She's the greatest horse I've ever been on in my life," jockey Calvin Borel said .
Borel first jockey to ride separate horses to victory in Kentucky Derby, Preakness .


(CNN) -- Preliminary results of an investigation show that Tuesday's massive power outage in Florida was caused by human error, Florida Power and Light President Armando Olivera said Friday. A field engineer was diagnosing a switch that had malfunctioned at FPL's Flagami substation in west Miami. Without authorization, the engineer disabled two levels of relay protection, Olivera said. "This was done contrary to FPL's standard procedures and established practices," he said. Standard procedures do not allow the simultaneous removal of both levels of protection. "We don't know why the employee took it upon himself to disable both sets of relays," he added. A fault occurred during the diagnostic process, and because both levels of relay protection had been removed, the fault caused an outage ultimately affecting 26 transmission lines and 38 substations, Olivera said.  Find out more about power grids and blackouts » One of the substations affected serves three of the generation units at Turkey Point -- a natural gas unit and both of the plant's nuclear units. Both the nuclear units automatically shut down due to an under-voltage condition, he said. Also affected were two other generation plants in FPL's system. The total impact to the system was a loss of 3,400 megawatts of generating capacity. The error affected 584,000 FPL customers, Olivera said. Another 500,000 non-FPL customers also lost power. That translates to about 3 million people.  See photos of the blackout's impact » The employee has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues, he added. "The employee realized something had gone wrong, but I think it's fair to say the employee didn't recognize the extent or magnitude of the problem," Olivera said. The affected region ranged from Miami to Tampa, through Orlando and east to Brevard County, home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.  See a map of the affected areas » E-mail to a friend

What was the number of people that  lost power yesterday

Will the suspended employee still be paid

what happenend on tuesday to 3 million people

what did the employee do that caused him to get into trouble

Answer: two levels of relay protection,

Answer: about 3 million

Answer: suspended with pay

Answer: Tuesday's

Answer: with pay as the investigation continues,

Answer: massive power outage

Answer: Without authorization, the engineer disabled two levels of relay protection,

Answer: was caused by human error,

Summary:
A field engineer disabled two levels of relay protection, Florida Power and Light says .
FPL: Actions were contrary to standard procedures and established practices .
The employee has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues .
About 3 million people lost power Tuesday .


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were dancing their way through 10 official inaugural balls after a day of pomp and circumstance that saw his first presidential address and excitement about her inaugural dress. Michelle Obama, dressed in Jason Wu, and President Obama at the Home State Ball Tuesday night. The Obamas were serenaded by Beyoncé during their first dance at the Neighborhood Ball Tuesday night. Beyoncé sang Etta James' "At Last," from her role in the movie "Cadillac Records" as the couple laughed and took their first spin around the dance floor. Before the dance, Obama addressed the crowd, which erupted in applause when he entered the room. "First of all, how good-looking is my wife?" Obama joked.  Watch the Obamas at the first ball of the night » All eyes certainly were on Michelle Obama, who had kept her choice of a designer and dress style a secret until the moment she entered the dance floor. The first lady was clad in a long white gown designed by up-and-coming designer Jason Wu, 26.  The gown made especially for the first lady is made of ivory silk chiffon, embellished with organza and Swarovski crystal rhinestones and silver thread embroidery, according to one of Wu's publicists. Wu told CNN he didn't know that she had chosen his gown until her first ball appearance Tuesday night. "It's thrilling. ... For a young designer, I couldn't ask for any more than this," said Wu, whose design style combines modern lifestyle dressing and haute couture, according to his Web site. He designed and delivered the dress at the request of Michelle Obama's aides in December, according to fashion expert Mary Alice Stephenson, contributing editor at Harper's Bazaar. Wu -- who has been in the business for three years, according to InStyle.com fashion director Joe Berean -- said he intended the gown to stand for everything that she and President Obama are about.  Listen to Berean critique Michelle Obama's inauguration outfits » "It's about hope. It's about newness," he said. "It's all a little dreamlike, and we're making history, and I wanted to really reflect that." The Neighborhood Ball, a first of its kind and one of the balls open to the public, was the first of 10 official balls that the Obamas were scheduled to attend. For the new president, the first was particularly important. "I cut my teeth doing neighborhood work and this campaign was organized neighborhood by neighborhood," he said. For that reason "this ball is the one that captures best the spirit of this campaign," Obama said. The Obamas then moved to their second ball -- the Home State Ball, for Illinois and Hawaii --  at the Convention Center. After greeting the crowd by saying "Aloha," the president thanked many in the crowd who he said were old friends who had been part of the couple's lives for awhile. "This is a special ball because it represents our roots," he said. The couple laughed and embraced as they danced. President Obama even let loose after his long day, twirling his wife around in a circle -- a move the crowd cheered.  Time: See the glamour of past balls Next, the Obamas made their way to the Commander-in-Chief Ball, attended by many members of the military, including wounded veterans. "It is wonderful to be surrounded by some of the very best and bravest Americans," Obama said. "Your courage, your grace and your patriotism inspire us all." Obama told the crowd that there is "no greater honor or responsibility than serving as your commander in chief."  Watch the Obamas as the Commander-in-Chief Ball » Obama then introduced members of the military from Illinois stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan. After thanking them, Obama took time for lighter banter, polling the members of the military about whether they were Chicago Cubs or Chicago White Sox baseball

Who said there is "no greater honor" than being commander?

Answer: Jason Wu,

Answer: inaugural

Answer: Obama

Answer: white gown designed by up-and-coming designer Jason Wu,

Summary:
Obama thanks youth for helping inspire, energize "improbable journey"
Obama says at military ball there is "no greater honor" than being commander .
Michelle Obama wears silk chiffon Jason Wu gown with crystal rhinestones .
Celebrities attending include Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Faith Hill .


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama announced recently that about 100 U.S. troops are being deployed to Central Africa to help "apprehend and remove" the elusive Joseph Kony and his top commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army.

It's not the first time the United States has gone in to help put an end to the marauding, murdering gang known as the Lord's Resistance Army -- LRA, for short.

The LRA has butchered, enslaved and displaced people in Uganda and Central Africa for two decades. Although its brand of terrorism doesn't target the United States, Washington has listed it as a terrorist group. The U.S. decision to help go after Kony is a strategic -- as well as a humanitarian -- one. Africa is a frontier for terrorism. Uganda is fighting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia -- which helps the United States -- so in turn, the U.S. is helping Uganda fight the LRA.

The Lord's Resistance Army began in northern Uganda in 1987 as an opposition force to leader Yoweri Museveni. Kony sees himself as a prophet who has said he wants to rule by following the Ten Commandments.

Instead, he has ruled -- and thrived -- by breaking a lot of those commandments. The Ugandan army -- with the help of the U.S. military -- has tried for years to take him and his leadership out. The International Criminal Court has had a warrant out for him since 2005.

The Lord's Resistance Army replenishes its ranks by abducting villagers -- men, women and children -- brainwashing them and forcing them to fight. Or to serve as sex slaves for commanders. LRA members survive by staying on the move constantly and stealing food and provisions. Last month, according to researchers, an LRA band raided a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo soon after the World Food Programme had distributed food supplies there.

So what is LRA leader Kony's secret? How has he evaded justice to operate his band of marauders and murderers with impunity for decades?

Here are five reasons some experts give:

1. He uses terror strategically.

You've probably seen photos of children whose noses or ears were cut off -- because they didn't obey the LRA's orders. He's forced children he's abducted to kill their siblings or parents. (More: Woman recalls harrowing tale of captivity)

"They use very carefully thought-through strategies to have the biggest impact," said Tim Allen, a professor at the London School of Economics and co-author of "The Lord's Resistance Army: Myth and Reality."

"In northern Uganda in 2004," Allen said, "they took some 20-odd women with their babies out of the displacement camp, laid them on the ground with their babies on their backs and smashed their brains in."

And they did it at the edge of the camp -- so that everyone in the camp would see.

"They didn't do that very often," Allen said. "But you don't have to do that sort of thing very often to have a large impact on a lot of people."

2. Kony exploits regional politics and borders.

He got support from the Sudanese government for years. And the LRA uses borders as a defense: It hasn't been in Uganda for years. That's made it hard for the Ugandan army to pursue Kony. The militia is split and is constantly moving between the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and southern Sudan.

3. Uganda's efforts to get Kony have flagged.

Uganda's army has been stretched to the hilt, fighting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia as part of an African Union force.

4. Kony is a smart strategist.

His band travels in small groups, and they're a moving target. And he has informants -- with cell phones. The last time the U.S. military helped Uganda go after Kony, in 2008, it used a traditional air and ground assault. Kony and his leaders escaped, then massacred hundreds of people in revenge. This time, the United States is bringing Special Forces (and probably other intelligence agents

Where has Lord's Resistance Army terrorized people?

Answer: Joseph Kony

Answer: Uganda and Central Africa

Summary:
Lord's Resistance Army has terrorized people in Africa for two decades .
The group is led by the elusive Joseph Kony .
Experts point to Kony's strategies and politics as some reasons why he is still at large .


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama headed to the Czech Republic on Wednesday night to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and sign an arms control agreement that reduces the nuclear stockpiles of both nations.

The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to be signed Thursday by the two leaders builds on a previous agreement that expired in December.

Obama has called the treaty the "the most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades" and said it would cut the nuclear weapons of the United States and Russia by about a third.

After meeting with Medvedev and attending the signing ceremony in Prague, the Czech Republic capital, Obama will have dinner with heads of government from 11 countries -- Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The highlight of the two-day trip is the new treaty with Russia, which is another step in nuclear arms relations between the former Cold War adversaries. Its signing comes two days after the Obama administration announced a new U.S. nuclear weapons policy and four days before Obama convenes a summit of 47 nations on nuclear security issues.

"It significantly reduces missiles and launchers," Obama said of the new treaty, which lasts for 10 years. "It puts in place a strong and effective verification regime. And it maintains the flexibility that we need to protect and advance our national security, and to guarantee our unwavering commitment to the security of our allies."

Obama has made nuclear non-proliferation a major priority of his presidency, prompting criticism from conservatives who fear the president will weaken the U.S. nuclear deterrent against possible attack.

"We believe that preventing nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation should begin by directly confronting the two leading proliferators and supporters of terrorism, Iran and North Korea," according to a statement issued Tuesday by Arizona's two Republican U.S. senators, John McCain and Jon Kyl. "The Obama Administration's policies, thus far, have failed to do that and this failure has sent exactly the wrong message to other would be proliferators and supporters of terrorism."

According to information released by the White House, the new treaty limits both nations to "significantly fewer strategic arms within seven years" of its signing. One of the limits: 1,550 warheads.

"Warheads on deployed ICBMs (Intercontinental ballistic missiles) and deployed SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles) count toward this limit and each deployed heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments counts as one warhead toward this limit," the White House said.

There also are limits on launchers.

The treaty also lays out a "verification regime" that includes on-site inspections, data exchanges and notifications, the White House said.

"The treaty does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs or current or planned United States long-range conventional strike capabilities," according to the White House.

Obama said the agreement is part of the U.S. effort to "reset" the U.S. relationship with Russia.

"With this agreement, the United States and Russia -- the two largest nuclear powers in the world -- also send a clear signal that we intend to lead," the president said. "By upholding our own commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we strengthen our global efforts to stop the spread of these weapons, and to ensure that other nations meet their own responsibilities."

Negotiators have been working since April 2009 to wrap up the "follow-on" to the 1991 START agreement. Talks were difficult, with disagreements over verification, including on-site inspection of missiles that carry nuclear warheads.

A U.S. official with knowledge of the talks earlier said that negotiators had found "innovative" ways to verify what each side has. Verification will be a top issue politically because the U.S. Senate and the Russian parliament will each have to ratify any agreement.

Russian officials at one point objected to the Obama administration's plans to build a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe. Specifically, they were angered by news leaks from Romania that it had agreed to allow missile interceptors

It is the most comprehensive arms control agreement in what time?

Who will the president have dinner with?

Answer: both nations to "significantly fewer strategic arms within seven years"

Answer: "the most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades"

Answer: builds on a previous agreement that expired in December.

Answer: nearly two decades"

Answer: heads of government from 11 countries

Answer: 11

Summary:
Obama: "Most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades"
President will also have dinner with heads of government from 11 countries during trip .
Treaty limits both nations to "significantly fewer strategic arms"


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama made a previously unannounced visit Thursday to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, which is dealing with widespread flooding in the region.

Obama made the stop after a speech on health care reform in Portland, Maine, and before two fundraising appearances in Boston.

At the emergency agency's facility, Obama met with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a fellow Democrat and political ally, as well as local officials and workers combating flooding from recent storms. He spoke with workers coordinating the response to the flooding, saying at one point: "Sounds like at least with some sunshine and sandbags, we can hope for the best."

Family needs boat to get to front door

Later, he began his remarks at the fundraising events by thanking the government workers involved in the flood relief effort.

"It is worth reminding people at a time when folks who work in government don't get enough credit (that) when times are tough, when trouble arises, there are all kinds of civil servants out there who work 24/7," Obama said.

Patrick has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

The worst flooding has occurred in neighboring Rhode Island, where more than 10,000 people were without power and officials said long-term recovery could take months.

See first-hand stories from the flood zone

A rainstorm soaked Northeastern states Tuesday, worsening the effects of a major storm that struck two weeks ago.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will visit Rhode Island on Friday to inspect flood damage and meet with state and local leaders to discuss response and recovery efforts.

In Connecticut, Gov. Jodi Rell said a state of emergency put in place for the earlier storm remains in effect.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the state.

How many fundraisers did the president attend?

Who did the president thank at the fundraiser?

When will Napolitano visit Rhode Island?

Answer: government workers involved in the flood relief effort.

Answer: two

Answer: Barack Obama

Answer: government workers involved in the flood relief effort.

Answer: Friday

Answer: Management Agency,

Answer: Janet Napolitano

Answer: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick,

Summary:
Obama met with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, local officials and workers .
At fundraisers, president thanked government workers involved in the flood relief effort .
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will visit Rhode Island on Friday .


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday challenged Republicans to "fight as hard for middle-class families as you do for those who are more fortunate," telling a Pennsylvania crowd to push Congress to extend the payroll tax cut enacted a year ago.

Obama met with a family in Scranton, the birthplace of Vice President Joe Biden, then spoke at a nearby high school in what will be a battleground state in next year's presidential election.

Sounding the populist themes of his re-election bid so far, Obama complained that congressional Republicans were out of touch with mainstream American support for his jobs bill that included an extension of the payroll tax cut.

He noted Senate Republicans previously blocked debate on the plan, saying that "their actions lately don't reflect who we are as a people."

A loud cheer erupted when Obama described the Democratic proposal to extend and expand the reduced payroll tax rate by saying: "It is paid for by asking our wealthiest citizens to pay their fair share."

Noting the hard-line Republican opposition in deficit reduction negotiations to any tax increases for the wealthy, Obama urged the audience to ask its elected representatives "are you willing to fight as hard for middle-class families as you do for those who are more fortunate?"

"Send your senators a message," Obama said to cheers. "Tell them don't be a grinch. Don't be a grinch. Don't vote to raise taxes on working American during the holidays."

Economists say the payroll tax cut -- part of a congressional spending deal negotiated last December -- has contributed to the nation's economic recovery.

Congressional Republicans have indicated support for extending the lower payroll tax rate for another year, but differ with Obama and Democrats on covering the more than $200 billion price tag.

A Democratic bill under consideration by the Senate would assess a 3.25% tax on income above $1 million a year to cover the cost.

Republicans reject any tax increases and offered their alternative later Wednesday, calling for a freeze of federal salaries, reducing the federal workforce and preventing millionaires from getting food stamps and unemployment benefits.

"Republicans will put aside their misgivings and support this extension, not because we believe as the President does that another short-term stimulus will turn this economy around ... but because we know it will give some relief to struggling workers out there who continue to need it nearly three years into this presidency," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Wednesday on the Senate floor.

The Democratic surtax would hit wealthy Americans who create jobs, McConnell added, arguing such a strategy made no sense.

The debate, he said, is about "whether we should help those who are struggling in a bad economy by punishing the private sector businesses that the American people are counting on to help turn this economy around."

The White House pushed back against the Republican argument.

Spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters traveling with Obama to Pennsylvania that the White House was open to Republican ideas on the legislation. At the same time, Earnest noted that Republicans have defended Bush-era tax cuts for millionaires but now raised questions about helping ease the tax burden of working-class Americans.

On Tuesday, the new chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Alan Krueger, told reporters that the proposed surtax on incomes above $1 million "would hit very few small businesses."

"The vast majority -- one figure I saw was 99% of individuals with small business income -- would not be affected by this," Krueger said.

According to the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 121 million families have benefited from the payroll tax break, with an increase in take-home pay of $934 for the average worker.

Moody's Analytics estimated in August that letting the tax cut expire would reduce growth by as much as 0.5%. It called extending the cut one of the "most straightforward" ways to "reduce some of the coming fiscal restraint."

The Democrats' bill would extend and expand last year's tax

What do republicans propose?
What are Republicans proposing?
What do democrats propose?

Answer: helping ease the tax burden of working-class Americans.

Answer: surtax on incomes above $1 million

Answer: to extend and expand the reduced payroll tax rate

Summary:
NEW: Republicans propose spending, benefit cuts to pay for payroll tax cut extension .
A Democratic proposal would tax millionaires to pay for expanding the payroll tax cut .
Republicans oppose such a surtax and offer an alternative plan .
Failure to extend the payroll tax cut will cost average families about $1,000 a year .


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama used the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to renew his pitch for alternative energy Wednesday, arguing that the unfolding environmental disaster "gives you a sense of where we're going" without comprehensive reform.

The federal government is "going to bring every resource necessary to put a stop" to the spill, the president said during a visit to a solar panel manufacturing facility in Fremont, California.  "We will not rest until this well is shut, the environment is repaired, and the cleanup is complete."

But, he added, "a lot of damage has been done already. The spill in the Gulf, which is just heartbreaking, only underscores the necessity" of seeking alternative fuel sources.

A failure to enact comprehensive energy reform, he argued, would pose a threat to national security and the economy, as well as the environment.

Obama's remarks came two weeks after Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, introduced a sweeping energy and climate change bill intended to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while reshaping the energy sector.

The House passed its own energy bill last year, and Obama has said he backs the efforts by Kerry and Lieberman to move the issue forward in the Senate. The president asked for Senate GOP cooperation on the issue during a closed-door meeting Tuesday with Republicans on Capitol Hill.

However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, has indicated he wants immigration reform to take priority, and the politics of midterm congressional elections in November raises questions about the the possibility of gaining final approval this year of such major legislation as energy reform.

Reid's position caused a potential Republican co-sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, to drop out of the talks with Lieberman and Kerry on drafting the proposal.

The proposal addresses a range of energy issues, including expanded nuclear power production, incentives for the coal industry to seek cleaner methods, money to develop alternative energy sources and programs to help U.S. industry in the transition to a low-carbon system.

On climate change, the measure seeks escalating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades that match the levels set as goals by the Obama administration and contained in the House bill. Among other things, the proposal calls for emissions reductions from 2005 levels of 17 percent by 2020, 42 percent by 2030 and 83 percent by 2050.

The Senate proposal includes expanded offshore oil drilling as part of a strategy to increase domestic production. However, provisions strengthening the ability of states to prevent more drilling off their coasts were added in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

CNN's Tom Cohen and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report.

What did Reid's emphasis on immigration reform do?

Answer: politics of midterm congressional elections

Answer: alternative energy

Answer: expanded offshore oil drilling as part of a strategy to increase domestic production. However, provisions strengthening the ability of states to prevent more drilling off their coasts were added in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Answer: a sweeping energy and climate change bill

Answer: caused a potential Republican co-sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, to drop out of the talks

Summary:
Obama cites Gulf oil spill while promoting alternative energy in California .
Obama's remarks came two weeks after key senators introduced energy reform bill .
Sem. Harry Reid's emphasis on immigration reform raises doubts about bill's future .
Bill includes expanded offshore drilling but gives states more leeway .


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama will make his first overseas trip since taking office at the end of this month, visiting England, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, the White House said Thursday. President Obama wil travel with first lady Michelle Obama to four European nations in the coming weeks. The trip is scheduled from March 31-April 5. Obama, who will be joined by first lady Michelle Obama, will first visit London, where he will attend a summit with other world leaders. He is to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 3. Obama will also attend NATO summit meetings in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, then travel to Prague, Czech Republic, to meet with Czech leaders and leaders of other European Union nations. His first trip outside the United States was to Canada last month.

What will he join in France and Germany?

What org will join Obama in France and Germany?

Answer: Strasbourg, France,

Answer: Barack Obama

Answer: March 31-April 5.

Answer: NATO summit meetings

Answer: NATO

Answer: London,

Answer: March 31-April 5.

Summary:
The trip is scheduled from March 31-April 5 .
Obama first heads to London, where he will attend a summit of world leaders .
He will also join NATO meetings in France and Germany .
His first trip outside the United States was to Canada last month .


(CNN) -- President Bush had a "relaxed" and "friendly" meeting with President-elect Barack Obama after he and first lady Laura Bush welcomed their successors to their future home Monday, a White House spokesman said.

President Bush and Laura Bush welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House on Monday.

"The president and the president-elect had a long meeting, described by the president as good, constructive, relaxed and friendly," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "The president enjoyed his visit with the president-elect, and he again pledged a smooth transition to the next administration."

Perino said the two discussed national and international issues but did not provide specifics of the conversation. Bush also gave Obama a tour of the White House's living quarters, including the Lincoln bedroom.

Bush and Obama held a private meeting in the Oval Office, while the first lady gave incoming first lady Michelle Obama a tour of the residence.

The president and president-elect walked together along the Colonnade by the Rose Garden before entering the Oval Office together. They briefly waved to reporters along the way.

Obama and Bush were not expected to speak on camera after their meeting.

The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour. When President George H.W. Bush hosted President-elect Bill Clinton after the 1992 election, the two talked for nearly two hours.

Monday's meeting was a historic formality, but it was also a time for serious talks. It marked the first time Obama has visited the Oval Office.  Watch Bush welcome Obama to the White House Â»

Bush and Obama "had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation's many critical economic and security challenges," said Stephanie Cutter, spokeswoman for Obama's transition team.

"President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for his commitment to a smooth transition, and for his and first lady Laura Bush's gracious hospitality in welcoming the Obamas to the White House," Cutter said.

A day earlier, a leader of Obama's transition team said the president and president-elect were expected to discuss "a broad range of issues," focusing on the economy.

"It's clear that we need to stabilize the economy, to deal with the financial meltdown that's now spreading across the rest of the economy. The auto industry is really, really back on its heels," transition team leader John Podesta told CNN's "Late Edition" on Sunday.

Podesta said Obama will push Congress to enact "at least part" of an economic package before he takes office in January, but said the problems Americans face need short- and long-term approaches.

The president and president-elect also were expected to talk about national security and the war in Iraq. Go inside the Oval Office

Despite the negative tone of the campaign season -- in which Obama frequently campaigned against what he called Bush's "failed policies" -- Bush has pledged to do everything he can to make sure they have a smooth transition. iReport.com: What's your message for Obama?

"When I called President-elect Obama to congratulate him on his historic victory, I told him that he can count on my complete cooperation as he makes his transition to the White House. Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office," Bush said in his radio address this weekend.

Podesta said cooperation with Bush administration officials has been "excellent" since Tuesday's election.  Watch more on the transition to power Â»

Obama said he was "gratified by the invitation" to meet with the president and his wife.

"I'm sure that, in addition to taking a tour of the White House, there's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president," he said at a news conference Friday.

"I'm going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship and a sense that both the president and various leaders in Congress all

What did President Bush call the meeting?

Answer: President-elect Barack Obama

Answer: welcomed their successors to their future home

Answer: the first lady

Answer: importance of working together throughout the transition of government

Answer: good, constructive, relaxed and friendly,"

Answer: "failed policies"

Answer: national and international issues

Answer: Bush's "failed policies"

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


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

What did Bush say about the meeting with Obama?

What did Laura Bush do while President Bush met with Obama?

What were Bush and Obama expected to discuss?

When did Bush and Obama have a "constructive" meeting?

What did President Bush say about the meeting?

Answer: President-elect Barack Obama

Answer: national and international issues

Answer: President Bush and Laura Bush

Answer: "relaxed" and "friendly"

Answer: good, constructive, relaxed and friendly,"

Answer: a tour of the residence.

Answer: national security and the war in Iraq.

Answer: "had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation's many critical economic

Answer: Monday,

Answer: good, constructive, relaxed and friendly,"

Answer: President Bush and Laura Bush

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


(CNN) -- President Bush is "a disgrace, frankly," film director Oliver Stone said Wednesday, two days before the release of his biopic on the 43rd U.S. president. Director Oliver Stone says he believes the timing was right for his upcoming film, "W." Stone, who has endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president, seems to thrive on controversy, and his latest foray into filmmaking, "W.," will likely hold true to form. In an interview with CNN's Kiran Chetry, Stone discussed the rationale behind the release date, his troubles securing financing for the film, and why he thinks President Bush's relationship with his father, President George H.W. Bush, played a role in the decision to invade Iraq. Kiran Chetry: We had a chance to see the screening of this movie and I want to ask you a little bit about the timing. This is coming out three weeks before our 2008 presidential election. Why did you want to it come out now? Oliver Stone: Those events are beyond my control. We made the movie as fast as we could starting last May. If I couldn't have completed it, it would have come out in January perhaps for the inauguration. It's not about this election. It's about the last eight years with one man, George W. Bush. It's his story, how he became the man that he is, how we elected him -- basically, if you start to think about it, where we are now as a country.  Watch Stone discuss why he finds Bush "fascinating" » Chetry: Is it an anti-war movie? Stone: Of course it's an anti-war movie, because I happen to be an anti-war person. That's not to say I'm a pacifist. I believe you fight for the right reasons. This man has us in three wars right now -- Iraq, Afghanistan, and basically, the war on terror. We have a foreign policy which is a very preventive one, a pre-emptive one. It's a Bush doctrine. It's a very dangerous place. Whoever wins the election, Obama or McCain, I think is going to live in the shadow of the events of these last eight years. This man ... will be around, his influence will be felt for 20 years, 40 years. Chetry: What did you want viewers of your movie to come away with? Stone: ... I can't control that. We made the movie to make people think, to make themselves feel, to walk in the shoes of George Bush and to understand him. This is not a job done with malice. This is a fair portrait of the man. I think it's empathetic. You care for him and your feelings for him. An activist said, "I never thought I could feel something for George Bush. I came out of this movie feeling compassionate for him, and even more important, feeling compassion for our country and where we are now." Chetry: You had trouble getting financing because people felt it was too, I guess, sympathetic for the president. Stone: Not for that reason. No, I think that the issues that we had with the American corporations were essentially that it was an inconvenient subject. They thought, he's gone from office, and they don't want to know, and he's controversial, and blah, blah, blah. These are corporations -- large corporations. They're not going to take risks like this. So, the movie business you've got to make movies with risks, and unfortunately, America's moving away from that in all forms, not just movies. Chetry: It's very interesting. You had a soliloquy, a great monologue, by the character playing Vice President Dick Cheney ... about the rationale for Iraq. It was very detailed and it's safe to say you didn't have Dick Cheney's cooperation. Where did you compile some of these scenes, some of these dialogues from those scenes? Stone: [Writer] Stanley Weiser

Who produced the movie?
Who says he is anti-war?
Who does bush have a rivalry with?
What does the Director insist?
What is the movie called?
What man does W present?

Answer: Oliver Stone

Answer: Oliver Stone

Answer: his father, President George H.W.

Answer: timing was right for his upcoming film, "W."

Answer: "W."

Answer: President

Summary:
Director insists "W." presents "a fair portrait of the man," is empathetic .
Bush's "rivalry to be stronger than his father" helped prompt Iraq war, Stone says .
Stone says he is anti-war, has concerns about torture, "stripping of liberties"
"W.," a biopic of President Bush, hits theaters Friday .


(CNN) -- President Hugo Chavez on Thursday ordered the nationalization of the Banco de Venezuela "to put it at the service of Venezuela" after denying approval for its sale.

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela says the banks owners aren't interested in selling but he's buying anyway.

The leftist president said in a televised address to the nation that he heard "a few months ago" that the bank's Spanish owner -- Grupo de Santander -- was planning to sell the bank, which was privatized a few years ago, to a Venezuelan banker.

The banker had asked the Venezuelan government for permission needed to complete the deal, Chavez said.

"I sent a message to the Spaniards: No. And to the Venezuelan banker: No," Chavez said. "Now the government wants to buy the bank, wants to recover it, because it's called the Bank of Venezuela, to put it at the service of Venezuela."

Chavez said he was told Wednesday that the owners now were no longer interested in selling.

"So now I am telling them I am interested in buying. We are going to nationalize the Banco de Venezuela."

In a written statement issued Friday, Banco de Santander said it had planned to sell the bank to a Venezuelan private investors group, but "found afterward that the Venezuelan government was interested in [acquiring] Banco de Venezuela, and conversations are under way to that effect."

who asked for permission first
What did he ask for permission for?
what will the Bank now be
What did Chavez do?
What happens to the bank now?

Answer: The banker

Answer: to complete the deal,

Answer: put it at the service of Venezuela."

Answer: ordered the nationalization of the Banco de Venezuela

Answer: nationalization

Summary:
Banco de Venezuela's Spanish owner asked for permission to sell, Chavez says .
Chavez refused prospective buyer and seller's request for sale .
Bank now will be "at the service of Venezuela," Chavez says .


(CNN) -- President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday held their first face-to-face meeting since each took power, confronting a range of potentially divisive issues. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama visit at the White House on Monday. At a pivotal moment in the Middle East peace process, the two leaders met at the White House to discuss, among other things, the endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran. The issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions became an increasingly urgent one in recent months. Netanyahu wants a time limit for negotiations relating to such ambitions, with the threat of military action if no resolution is reached. Obama is seen as unlikely to provide a timetable. Both Israel and the United States believe Iran is seeking nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy program; Tehran denies the accusation. Israeli leaders have pointed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's calls for the end of Israel as a Jewish state and argue that quick action is needed. At an Oval Office news conference, Obama again refused to commit to an "artificial deadline" for Iranian negotiations. But he also warned that he would not allow such talks to be used as an excuse for delay while Iran develops a nuclear arsenal. Obama said he expects to accelerate such talks after the June Iranian elections. "I firmly believe it is in Iran's interest not to develop nuclear weapons, because it would trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and be profoundly destabilizing in all sorts of ways," Obama said. It "is important ... to be mindful of the fact that we're not going to have talks forever. We're not going to create a situation in which the talks become an excuse for inaction while Iran proceeds with developing ... and deploying a nuclear weapon." He said the United States is not "foreclosing a range of steps, including much stronger international sanctions, in assuring that Iran understands that we are serious." Netanyahu emphasized that although "the common goal is peace ... the common threat we face are terrorist threats and organizations that seek to undermine [that] peace and threaten both our peoples." The prime minister called Iran the biggest threat to peace in the region. "If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, it could give a nuclear umbrella to terrorists, or worse, could actually give [them] nuclear weapons. And that would put us all in great peril," he said. The divide between the two leaders -- Obama is considered to have a more conciliatory approach to the Arab world than Netanyahu -- was dramatically illustrated shortly before their meeting by Israel's decision to begin construction at the West Bank outpost of Maskiyot. A number of families evacuated from Gaza are now being resettled in Maskiyot; several are living in temporary housing. A government spokesman said the construction's start date and the timing of Netanyahu's trip are a coincidence. Obama wants such outposts dismantled, along with an immediate freeze on settlement expansion. Netanyahu wants to allow natural growth in Jewish settlements in the West Bank -- for example, allowing children who grow up in a settlement to build a home alongside that of their parents. Obama also supports the idea of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Netanyahu has not endorsed the idea, arguing that Israel needs security guarantees and a clear Palestinian partner for peace talks. "I want to make it clear that we don't want to govern the Palestinians. ... [If] Israel's security conditions are met and there's recognition of Israel's legitimacy -- its permanent legitimacy -- then I think we can envision an arrangement where Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in dignity, security and in peace," Netanyahu said. Pressed on the question of a two-state solution, the prime minister said he thinks "the terminology will take care of itself if we have the substantive understanding." Netanyahu and his Cabinet were sworn in March 31. A day later, Israel's new hard-line foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, distanced himself from the Annapolis process

What illustrates the divide between the two?

Who will discuss approach to Mideast peace?

what illustrated the divide between two?

Who will meet for first time as national leaders?

Answer: President

Answer: meeting by Israel's decision to begin construction at the West Bank outpost of Maskiyot.

Answer: Obama

Answer: Israel's decision to begin construction at the West Bank outpost of Maskiyot.

Answer: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama

Answer: to discuss, among other things, the endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran.

Answer: Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Answer: among other things, the endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran.

Answer: endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran.

Summary:
President Obama, Israeli prime minister meet for first time as national leaders .
Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu discuss approach to Mideast peace .
Leaders also touched on Iran's nuclear ambitions .
Israeli settlements illustrate divide between the two .


(CNN) -- President Obama authorized the killing of an American citizen because he had declared war on the United States and encouraged others to bring harm to America. Whatever Anwar al-Awlaki's wrongs -- and there were many -- when America kills its own without a trial, it not only demeans itself but it hands over a propaganda victory to its enemies.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's leader since the death of Osama bin Laden, will chide this great country again for abandoning its values and principles. The White House's authorization of this killing also tells American Muslims that a precedent has been set by their government to kill American citizens abroad without trial if they oppose their country.

This cannot be right -- and is counterproductive to defeating terrorism in the long term because it demolishes the very values that America stands for: the rule of law and trial by jury.

It is abandoning these very same principles of human dignity, underpinned by free and fair trials that led to al-Awlaki's decisive shift after being released from a Yemeni prison in 2007: From being anti-American rabble-rouser, he went to advocating direct violence against the United States. Prison experiences in the Arab world -- being arrested and detained without legal representation and exposed to the worst forms of torture at the hands of fellow Muslims -- change nonviolent extremists to violent extremists. Al-Awlaki's transformation from extremism to violence comes in this context.

His alleged links to 9/11 terrorists were not as significant as some argue. If he was known to be involved in the 9/11 attacks, why was he a guest of the Pentagon, of all places, in 2002?

Al-Awlaki is not alone. Before him, al-Zawahiri was tortured in Egyptian prisons, and during his trial in 1982, he addressed a gallery of Western journalists in English and declared, "So where is democracy? Where is freedom? Where is human rights? Where is justice? We will never forget!"

Without a doubt, al-Awlaki and al-Zawahiri were already radicalized before prison, but the tipping point toward violence came with their prison experiences. And before al-Zawahiri, the intellectual framework for al-Qaeda's destructive worldview was put in place by Syed Qutb in Mazra Tora in prison in Nasser's Egypt. Again, it was torture and the absence of humane treatment that led to Qutb declaring war on the Egyptian government. Qutb's prison writings have inspired every jihadist movement around the globe.

This same movement sees al-Awlaki as a lightweight, not least because he never set foot on the battlefield and his scholarly credentials are open to question. In Egypt or Pakistan, al-Awlaki is not well-known. Little wonder, then, that Al Jazeera Arabic is not as excited by al-Awlaki's killing as Western media outlets.

Al-Awlaki was important among Muslims in the West -- from Yemen, he used the Internet to reach this constituency. But even before the launch of his blog in 2008, al-Awlaki was popular among Muslims in England, Canada and America because of his audiotapes about the history of early Muslim personalities. These tapes were, and many still are, in circulation in mosques and bookshops.

Al-Awlaki could have been discredited before his prison experiences or, now, his perceived martyrdom. By killing al-Awlaki, his message gains new life as words from an American Muslim martyr, the first to join the iconography of underground Muslim culture since Malcolm X.

An easier, cheaper and more effective way of discrediting al-Awlaki and countering his message would have been to disclose his three arrests for the solicitation of prostitutes in San Diego and the Washington, D.C., area between 1996 and 1997. He had even pleaded guilty to the 1997 charge, and was subsequently sentenced to three years' probation and a fine. Among his socially conservative Muslim following in Europe and America, immediately after 9/11, such information would have been dynamite.

The United States cannot kill its way out of terrorism. Just as with the Cold War, the challenge from Islamist extremism and jihadist violence urgently

What can the United States not kill its way out of?

What cannot the United States kill its way out of

Who could have been discredited before being radicalized?

Answer: American citizen

Answer: authorized the killing of an

Answer: United States

Answer: The White House's authorization of this killing

Answer: terrorism.

Answer: terrorism.

Answer: Al-Awlaki

Summary:
Ed Husain: Killing Anwar al-Awlaki demolishes the values that America stands for .
The killing also gives a propaganda victory to America's enemies, he says .
Husain: Al-Awlaki could have been discredited before he radicalized .
The United States cannot kill its way out of terrorism, Husain says .


(CNN) -- President Obama built his push for a sweeping overhaul of the health care system on the premise that reform is essential for economic recovery. President Obama has said overhauling health care is a key part of economic recovery. But with some economists saying the recession shows signs of ending, will that weaken Obama's argument? "If the economy is picking up, then more people are going to get jobs and more people are going to have health insurance, and so they are going to be less concerned with health care reform because they will figure, 'I'm taken care of,' " said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. But Julian Epstein, a Democratic strategist, said a recovering economy will help Obama's push for health care legislation because "it will be a huge shot in the arm for Obama's political capital." "It lessens people's anxieties that are being stirred up by the opponents of health care reform. It gives credibility to the argument that government has an appropriate role to play in solving the nation's problems," Epstein said. Obama ran on a campaign to fix the health care system, and since taking office, the president repeatedly has tried to show how this overhaul fits into his broader economic strategy. In a speech in June before the American Medical Association, Obama warned that inaction could have dire consequences. "Make no mistake: The cost of our health care is a threat to our economy. It is an escalating burden on our families and businesses. It is a ticking time bomb for the federal budget. And it is unsustainable for the United States of America," he said. While the president has said health care is his top domestic priority this year, the public seems to disagree. Eighty-three percent of people are satisfied with their current health care, and 74 percent are satisfied with their health insurance, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released last week. "Health care reform has not been the top priority for voters. No. 1 is jobs. No. 2 is the deficit and government spending. Health care is third," said Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst. But Diana Owen, an associate professor of political science and director of American studies at Georgetown University, said the public isn't as concerned about the economics-driven case to overhaul health care. "I personally think that the vast majority of the public doesn't get that connection between the economy and health care. I think they're seeing it more as a personal issue -- something that could affect them, their families, their friends," she said, noting that because people have an emotional involvement in the debate, the public is not likely to let it drop. That personal anxiety has manifested itself at town hall meetings across the country, where, angry protesters and other citizens have showed up to voice their doubts to their lawmakers. Voters have asked their lawmakers what reform means for them -- and how they can be assured that Obama's proposals are good ideas. The August congressional recess, however, could end up being a blessing in disguise for Democrats, Epstein said. "It may persuade enough of them that they do need to be more moderate and incremental in the approach, and they may actually come up with a package that is even more popular than what would have otherwise been, had they tried to get the bill through before August," he said. If the economy recovers, plenty of Republicans and even a few Democrats will remind voters that Obama was wrong about the importance of reform to economic recovery, Schneider said. "What will Obama say? That the recovery cannot be sustained over the long term without health care reform." Obama sent a similar message in his radio address last weekend, citing the slightly better than expected job numbers as "a sign that we've begun to put the brakes on this recession and that the worst may be behind us." "But we must do more

Who points to some signs economy is recovering?

Who points to signs that the economy may be recovering?

Who says that health care and the economy go hand in hand?

Answer: Julian Epstein, a Democratic strategist,

Answer: the recession shows signs of ending,

Answer: economists

Answer: President Obama

Answer: overhauling health care is a key part of economic recovery.

Answer: economy and health care.

Summary:
President Obama says health care overhaul, economic recovery go hand in hand .
Economists point to some signs economy is recovering .
Better economy may ease push to overhaul health care, some observers say .
Health care failed under President Clinton in '90s, took back burner on the agenda .


(CNN) -- President Obama delivered the commencement address Friday to the U.S. Naval Academy's graduating class, speaking to an audience of 30,000 that included a former presidential candidate and proud parent of one of the graduates in attendance.

Jack McCain shakes hands with President Obama at Friday's commencement ceremony.

John Sidney McCain IV, more commonly known as Jack, on Friday became the fourth McCain to graduate from the Annapolis, Maryland, service academy and the fourth with the same name.

"America, look at these young men and women. Look at these sailors and Marines. Here are the values that we cherish. Here are the ideals that endure," Obama told the crowd.

About midday at the academy's commissioning and graduation ceremony, McCain received a Bachelor of Science degree, taking the oath of office and being commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy 103 years after his great-grandfather did the same.  Watch Obama hug John McCain's son »

With parents John and Cindy McCain watching, he shook hands with the president and then walked back into the crowd to applause and more hugs.

Joe McCain told CNN that his brother plans to join his father and great-grandfather as naval aviators.

"His grandfather, JSM Jr., was in submarines, commanding three different boats in World War II," he said.

That grandfather later became Adm. McCain and was commander of the Pacific Theater during the Vietnam War, when Jack's father, now Arizona Sen. John McCain, was being held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi.

In an interview last year with GoMids.com, Jack McCain reflected on the advice his father gave him on the day he arrived at the Naval Academy.

"My dad told me there is one thing McCains are good at, and that is not giving in to pressure, and honor -- keeping our honor regardless of what happens," Jack McCain said. "He then said, 'Don't lie, cheat or steal -- anything else is fair game.' "

John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, frequently poked fun at his record at the Naval Academy while on the campaign trail, pointing out that he "stood fifth from the bottom" of his class and racked up dozens of demerits.

At a campaign event last October, McCain joked that Jack needed a "DNA check" because he had yet to receive a single demerit. (Jack McCain told GoMids.com that he did accumulate some demerits -- for wearing flip-flops outside and forgetting to shave).

McCain told Fox News on Thursday that his son is graduating "in better class standing than I had, which wasn't hard to do."

"I'm very proud of him," he said.

Meghan McCain, Jack's older sister, sent a message on Twitter Friday saying her younger brother, Jimmy, could not attend because he is serving overseas. McCain told Fox News he is returning home this weekend.

In his remarks to the students, Obama made a vow that he would not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary."

"It's a promise that as long as I am your commander in chief, I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done," he said.

"This includes the job of bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end and pursuing a new comprehensive strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Obama also promised additional assistance to military families, vowing that "we will be with you every step of the way, increasing your pay, increasing child care and helping families deal with the stress and separation of war." And he said new laws will help ensure that veterans are well taken care of.

Obama's commencement address was his third and final of the year. He was also commencement speaker at Arizona State University and the University of Notre Dame.

Where is he the fourth McCain to graduate from

Answer: Annapolis, Maryland, service academy

Answer: Jack McCain

Answer: graduate from the Annapolis, Maryland, service academy

Answer: John and Cindy McCain

Answer: commencement address

Summary:
Son of Sen. John McCain, the former GOP presidential candidate, graduates .
Jack McCain shakes hands with Obama, who delivers commencement address .
He is the fourth McCain to graduate from Naval Academy .
Obama vows to not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary"


(CNN) -- President Obama delivered the commencement address Friday to the U.S. Naval Academy's graduating class, speaking to an audience of 30,000 that included a former presidential candidate and proud parent of one of the graduates in attendance. Jack McCain shakes hands with President Obama at Friday's commencement ceremony. John Sidney McCain IV, more commonly known as Jack, on Friday became the fourth McCain to graduate from the Annapolis, Maryland, service academy and the fourth with the same name. "America, look at these young men and women. Look at these sailors and Marines. Here are the values that we cherish. Here are the ideals that endure," Obama told the crowd. About midday at the academy's commissioning and graduation ceremony, McCain received a Bachelor of Science degree, taking the oath of office and being commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy 103 years after his great-grandfather did the same.  Watch Obama hug John McCain's son » With parents John and Cindy McCain watching, he shook hands with the president and then walked back into the crowd to applause and more hugs. Joe McCain told CNN that his brother plans to join his father and great-grandfather as naval aviators. "His grandfather, JSM Jr., was in submarines, commanding three different boats in World War II," he said. That grandfather later became Adm. McCain and was commander of the Pacific Theater during the Vietnam War, when Jack's father, now Arizona Sen. John McCain, was being held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. In an interview last year with GoMids.com, Jack McCain reflected on the advice his father gave him on the day he arrived at the Naval Academy. "My dad told me there is one thing McCains are good at, and that is not giving in to pressure, and honor -- keeping our honor regardless of what happens," Jack McCain said. "He then said, 'Don't lie, cheat or steal -- anything else is fair game.' " John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, frequently poked fun at his record at the Naval Academy while on the campaign trail, pointing out that he "stood fifth from the bottom" of his class and racked up dozens of demerits. At a campaign event last October, McCain joked that Jack needed a "DNA check" because he had yet to receive a single demerit. (Jack McCain told GoMids.com that he did accumulate some demerits -- for wearing flip-flops outside and forgetting to shave). McCain told Fox News on Thursday that his son is graduating "in better class standing than I had, which wasn't hard to do." "I'm very proud of him," he said. Meghan McCain, Jack's older sister, sent a message on Twitter Friday saying her younger brother, Jimmy, could not attend because he is serving overseas. McCain told Fox News he is returning home this weekend. In his remarks to the students, Obama made a vow that he would not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary." "It's a promise that as long as I am your commander in chief, I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done," he said. "This includes the job of bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end and pursuing a new comprehensive strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan." Obama also promised additional assistance to military families, vowing that "we will be with you every step of the way, increasing your pay, increasing child care and helping families deal with the stress and separation of war." And he said new laws will help ensure that veterans are well taken care of. Obama's commencement address was his third and final of the year. He was also commencement speaker at Arizona State University and the University of Notre Dame.

how many McCain graduate from Naval Academy?

Who vows to not send McCain's son to war unless it is "absolutely necessary?"

How many McCains have graduated from Naval Academy?

Answer: fourth

Answer: Obama

Answer: Annapolis, Maryland, service academy

Answer: Jack McCain

Answer: Friday

Answer: Sidney

Answer: fourth

Summary:
Son of Sen. John McCain, the former GOP presidential candidate, graduates .
Jack McCain shakes hands with Obama, who delivers commencement address .
He is the fourth McCain to graduate from Naval Academy .
Obama vows to not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary"


(CNN) -- President Obama has repeatedly stated, "We are tougher than the times we live in." Although the president may not have intended to signal a whole new approach to our future, the line has Churchillian implications. Speaking of tough times, he could call on Americans to recognize we face at least a decade of rough sledding, ask us to face the challenges and express confidence that we shall prevail.

The tough times approach differs radically from the prevailing wisdom that if we merely did X, Y or Z, we would be rolling in clover again. All we need to do is cut deficits, reduce taxes some more and lighten up on regulations, and the nation will be back on the right course.

Others foresee the bottoming out of the housing market, within two years or so, as the turning point to recovery. Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff argues that intentionally inflating the dollar is the "the only practical way to shorten the coming period of painful deleveraging and slow growth."

In general, politicians prefer President Reagan's manner, which was oozing with optimism. And they are leery of sounding like President Carter, who spoke of malaise and called for sacrifices.

But times have changed. The American people must be prepared for what is coming, or they will lash out with even more anger against failed promises. Take the most elementary issue: Nobody reasonable, on the right or the left, denies that we lived beyond our means for decades, financing our indulgence by taking loans from the Chinese, Japanese and British, among others, as well as hocking the assets of our future generations. Now the time has come that we must pay back, and that means reducing the deficit.

Such payback means, by definition, that while we once could float a lifestyle that cost, say, 120% of what we earned, now we shall have to do with lifestyle that costs, say, 80% of our income, with the rest going to pay down what we owe.

After decades of indulgence and accumulating debt, our accounts cannot be settled in a few years. According to a report in NPR, using recent Congressional Budget Office projections, the debt could reach $13 trillion in 10 years. Even if we get the "grand bargain" and $2 trillion to $4 trillion is cut, that means the 10-year deficit could still remain between $9 trillion and $11 trillion. True, we do not have to bring it down to zero, but we still have quite a burden with which to contend.

If we must pay for that deficit by raising taxes, we will have less money. If we must cut services, such as health care, to pay down the debt, people will have to buy these services themselves. And we should pay down our personal debt for our own future and that of our children.

That means for the next decade or even longer, Americans will have to do with less, from buying new clothes to going on vacations.

I am hardly the only one who foresees a "lost decade." A recent Atlantic magazine article argues that even by 2011, 2012, even 2014, the employment rate may decline very little and describes the current economic climate as "a trauma that will remain heavy for quite some time."

Heidi Shierholtz of the Economic Policy Institute predicts that "many factors are pushing against a quick recovery. ... Things will come back. But it's going to take a long time."

Frustration to such shortfalls is mounting. A recent Bloomberg poll found that 72% of the people who responded think the country is on the wrong course economically. The president's approval rating is tanking, but that of Congress is even lower. A New York Times/CBS poll found that only a paltry 12% of respondents approved of Congress.

As I see it, "Washington" can do relatively little to spare Americans at least 10 years of austerity. But, public leaders can prepare people for what is coming and make a virtue out of doing with less, of paying back what we owe

How long will the sacrifice need to last?

What is Obama quoted as saying about the times?

Answer: for the next decade or even longer,

Answer: "We are tougher than the

Summary:
Amitai Etzioni: Despite promises and proposals, there is no quick fix for economy .
Obama's "We are tougher than the times we live in" should be a policy, he writes .
Etzioni: Americans will have to do with less and sacrifice for at least 10 years .
He says years of indulgence, living beyond our means will take years to redress .


(CNN) -- President Obama introduced a health care plan that he says will bridge the gap between the House and Senate bills passed last year. His proposal is similar to the Senate bill, with a few nods to the House plan.

Here are some of the highlights of his plan, according to the White House.

Basics

The president says his health care proposal will help more than 31 million uninsured Americans get coverage. Obama says his plan includes the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history.

It establishes a health insurance market that would provide the same insurance choices that members of Congress have. Health insurance exchanges, as proposed in the Senate bill, would be created to make it easier for small businesses, the self-employed and the unemployed to purchase less expensive coverage.

There is no public option, an idea strongly backed by liberal Democrats but fiercely opposed both by Republicans and key Democratic moderates.

Like the House and Senate plans, Obama's proposal would bar insurers from charging higher premiums based on a person's gender or medical history or denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Key differences

Obama's plan eliminates the controversial proposal added to the Senate bill that exempts Nebraska from paying increased Medicaid expenses. It also provides additional federal financing to all of the states for the Medicaid expansion.

The president's proposal closes the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole." Under current Medicare limits, seniors must pick up the costs once their drug costs reach $2,830 and pay all costs out of pocket until they reach $4,550, at which point Medicare coverage kicks back in.

Obama's proposal eases the "doughnut hole" in the short term by providing a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who reach the limit in 2010. The plan closes the doughnut hole completely by 2020.

The plan also establishes a Health Insurance Rate Authority to provide an additional level of oversight of insurance premium increase at the federal level, giving the government new authority to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies.

Tax credits

The president's proposal increases federal subsidies to help people buy insurance.

New health insurance subsidies would be provided to families making up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

Compared to the Senate bill, Obama's proposal lowers premiums for families making between $44,000 and $66,000, according to the White House. Compared to the House bill, it lowers premiums for families making between $55,000 and $88,000.

Obama's plan also provides more cost-sharing assistance than the House and Senate bills for families with incomes below $55,000. For families making about $55,000, the president's proposal matches the assistance in the Senate bill.

Penalties and fees

The House and Senate bills both require payments from individuals who choose not to get health care coverage. Obama's plan lowers the maximum penalty for individuals.

Obama's plan also provides $40 billion in tax credits for small businesses to help them provide health care options for their employees.

Like the Senate bill, the president's proposal does not mandate that employers provide insurance.

Under Obama's plan, companies with more than 50 employees would be required to pay a fee of $2,000 per worker if the company does not provide coverage and any of that company's workers receives federal health care subsidies. The first 30 workers would be subtracted from the payment calculation. As with the individual requirement, this represents a compromise between the House and Senate plans.

Obama's proposal delays the $67 billion assessment on health insurers, pushing it to 2014, when exchanges and the new health insurance market will be set up.

The president's proposal also increases the revenue drawn from the pharmaceutical industry to $23 billion over the next three years -- $10 billion more than the Senate bill. It delays the implementation of these fees to 2011.

Waste, fraud and abuse

The president's proposal includes a number of provisions to help eliminate waste and fight fraud.

Some of those provisions include establishing Medicare and Medicaid sanctions databases, increasing access to the health care integrity and protection data bank,

what does the white house release?
What happened in the Senate last year?
Where is the public option?
there are public option?
When was a similar plan passed?
What is the President's Proposal?

Answer: a health care plan

Answer: bills passed

Answer: There is no

Answer: no

Answer: last year.

Answer: a health care plan

Summary:
White House releases "The President's Proposal" for health care .
Plan similar to Senate version passed last year .
No public option; plan offers same insurance choices members of Congress have .
Questions remain over cost, funding, other sticking points .


(CNN) -- President Obama is expected to sign the final health care legislation into law this week, but while the action wraps up on Capitol Hill, the heated debate over reform shows no sign of cooling down.

With lawmakers back in their districts for the spring work period, the conversation just moves to a different platform.

For Democrats, the two-week recess is an opportunity to highlight the immediate benefits of a law the public is not yet sold on. Democrats say the health care law provides all Americans with the opportunity to receive health care and prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to those who need it most.

For Republicans, it's a chance to rally support behind their efforts to repeal what they decry as a "takeover" of the health care system that will saddle future generations of Americans with debt.

What's the one thing you want to ask your representatives?

Republicans have made "repeal and replace" their battle cry, and Obama has said he welcomes the fight.

At an event in Iowa City, Iowa, last week, the president scoffed at the Republicans' strategy, saying, "My attitude is -- Go for it."

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann last week introduced a bill to repeal the health care legislation, as did other Republican lawmakers.

"We need to work together, whether we're Republicans, independents, Democrats, we all have to work together for whatever is in the best interest of the American people. And repeal most certainly is in the best interest of the people because this bill will lead to economic harm if it's left in place," Bachmann told CBS' "Face the Nation."

But Tim Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said he doesn't think efforts to knock down the legislation stand much chance.

"They may want to push forward on a repeal of health care, to tell small businesses you're not going to get tax credits to pay for insurance, to tell families you now can't keep children on your policy until [they]'re 26, to tell folks that you're now subject to these abuses of the insurance industry. I think they'd be unwise to do it. I think the American public will reject it," he told CBS.

Despite the opposing messages, both sides say the public supports them. Republicans say the public opposes the president's plan, but Democrats insist that people will eventually accept the plan now that it is finalized.

And so far, both sides have a point.

Most Americans disapprove of the health care reform law, but that does not translate into majority support for the "repeal and replace" strategy, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday.

CNN Poll: Americans divided over repealing health care law

Meanwhile, polls from both CBS and Quinnipiac University suggest that there has been a slight uptick in approval of the legislation following the vote.

Another survey, a ABC/Washington Post poll released Sunday, indicated that the public's overall view of the health care plan has held steady, with 46 percent supporting it and 50 percent opposed. The percentage of people who said they strongly support the health care legislation, however, increased by 10 points since February, while the percentage who strongly opposed it stayed about the same.

"We'll find out in November who won or lost this battle," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, told CBS.

"What I do next is, I'm trying to replace those who voted for this bill. I want to repeal it. And I want to replace it with some real reform that puts patients in charge of their health care again," he said.

Echoing DeMint, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he was looking forward to an election in November "about whether this health care bill is a real fix or a phony political document trying to grow the government."

Calling the legislation a "giant Ponzi scheme," the Republican senator vowed that the fight "won't wind up just being in Washington."

Following a week of

How long was the lawmaker's spring recess?

Answer: Most Americans disapprove of the health care reform law,

Answer: two-week

Answer: two-week

Answer: to repeal the health care legislation,

Summary:
Lawmakers back in their districts for two-week spring recess .
Republicans, Democrats trying to sell their points of view to their constituents .
Republicans want to "repeal and replace" health care legislation .
Polls show support for legislation up slightly since before last week's vote .