Atlanta, Georgia (CNN)  -- As Christmas season went into full swing this year, Glen Fullmer's 7-year-old son came home from school with an assignment: Make a poster illustrating his family holiday traditions. The boy wasn't sure how to proceed because he and his family are Baha'is, not Christians, and they have no holidays during the Christmas season. Thus, Fullmer encountered the "December Dilemma" -- the term used for the quandaries and anxieties non-Christians and interfaith couples face during Christmas season. Fullmer, a Baha'i faith spokesman who lives in Evanston, Illinois, said he saw the poster assignment as a "teachable moment" for his 4-, 7- and 10-year-old sons who associated holiday traditions with Christmas. He reminded his boys that Baha'is have a gift-giving and charity period in February called Ayyam-i-Ha, a stretch of time not unlike the Christmas season. And he helped his son design the poster about that holiday, which precedes a fasting period and then the Baha'i New Year in March. "His classmates asked him questions about the holiday, and one of his friends came up to him and wants to celebrate that holiday," Fullmer said, pleased that his son's peers helped him reaffirm his identity. Navigating the Christmas season can be a challenge for the millions of people who don't celebrate the holiday. Many acknowledge and sometime embrace the season's customs, such as gift-giving and sending out greeting cards, while at the same time they are conscious of maintaining their own religious identities. "They strongly try to maintain their own integrity, but they really want to find bridges across holidays," said the Rev. Dr. Paul Numrich, a professor at the Theological Consortium of Greater Columbus in Ohio. "I think that's the majority." L.S. Narasimhan, chairman of the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, is a Hindu and doesn't celebrate Christmas. But he said he admires the Christian celebrations of his friends and has attended Christmas Eve services at several churches. "Hindus are typically more open-minded and tolerant. Hinduism is very comfortable in accommodating a diversity of ideas," he said. "It is very common for Hindu families to have Christmas trees at their homes, purely as a fun thing to do for their children. When they visit shopping malls, Hindu parents in general are comfortable with a photo-op for their little kids with Santa." But at the same time, there are pressures about the encroachment of Christianity on Hindu life. "Television commercials, good selection of merchandise and great sale prices persuade Hindu-Americans to take advantage of the shopping spree," Narasimhan said. "Several Hindu temples have risen up to the challenge and added some special Hindu prayers and ceremonies to engage Hindus who are on winter holidays but not on overseas vacations." Dr. Shefali Chheda, an Atlanta-area pediatrician, is a Jain -- practicing a religion with Indian roots. Growing up in Houston, Texas, she said her parents "felt comfortable letting us celebrate Christmas," perhaps to help fit into American society and maintain a sense of normalcy. "The spirit and meaning of Christmas, of helping others and of giving, are nice messages. Therefore, it is hard to consciously object to it," Chheda said. "Jains, as a whole, are a minority in India. Many Jains celebrate Hindu holidays, so celebrating Christmas with Santa and a tree and presents is no different. Since Jains wholeheartedly believe in 'ahimsa' -- peace toward all living beings in thought, word and action -- the Christmas spirit is a very Jain-like philosophy." The religious aspect of Christmas -- believing Jesus is the savior and that December 25 is his birthday -- is not celebrated in Jainism, but the customs and symbols are interwoven into daily life, she said. "Now that I have toddlers in the house, they come home with stories about Christmas. They sing songs about Rudolph and Santa, and Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah. But it's Santa that everyone talks

What types of problems do Non-Christians and interfaith couples experience with holidays?

Non-Christians and interfaith couples experience anxiety at what time?

For what reason do interfaith couples face anxieties during holidays?

Answer: Christmas

Answer: "December Dilemma"

Answer: Christmas season.

Answer: maintaining their own religious identities.

Answer: "December Dilemma"

Answer: "December Dilemma"

Summary:
Non-Christians and interfaith couples often face quandaries and anxieties during holidays .
Many acknowledge and sometime embrace customs of the Christmas season .
Others remain conscious of maintaining their own religious identities .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- An elections board certified Kasim Reed on Saturday as the winner of the Atlanta mayoral runoff election by a margin of 620 votes. Barry Garner, director of Fulton County's elections board, told CNN on Saturday that former state senator Reed was declared the winner of last Tuesday's runoff election against City Councilwoman Mary Norwood. Garner said Reed received 42,348 votes compared with Norwood's 41,728. Norwood has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to request a recount, Garner said. He said if a recount is requested, it will begin Wednesday morning. In the initial vote among eight contenders, Norwood received 45 percent of the votes to Kasim Reed's 37 percent. Lisa Borders came in a distant third with 14 percent of the vote, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A candidate needs 50 percent plus one vote to avert a runoff. CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report.

What election board is Kim Reed the winner of?

What is the deadline to ask for recounting?

How long will Norwood have until Tuesday?

Answer: has until 5 p.m. Tuesday

Answer: Fulton County's

Answer: until 5 p.m. Tuesday

Answer: a margin of 620 votes.

Answer: Kasim Reed

Answer: 5 p.m.

Answer: Kasim Reed

Answer: Mary Norwood.

Summary:
Elections board: Kasim Reed is the winner of Atlanta mayoral runoff .
Reed defeated Mary Norwood by 620 votes, elections board director says .
Norwood has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to ask for a recount, elections official says .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- As soon as he heard the news about Haiti's earthquake, Myk Manon began planning to get himself and two fellow power specialists from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association into the heart of the disaster zone.

On January 16, four days after the 7.0-magnitude quake had flattened much of Port-au-Prince and killed more than 200,000 people, the three engineers flew into the Dominican Republic, then drove into Haiti's capital, parked their truck in front of the U.S. Embassy -- where they figured they'd be safe -- and went to sleep.

They would need it -- the city was dark, except for a few lights from private generators, and they knew their expertise would be in demand beginning the next morning.

Here's what they found: All four power plants serving the city were off line; power lines lay on the ground all over the place; the earthquake had tossed 56-ton transformers from their bases. "They literally jumped up 10 inches and tipped over," said Manon, 61, a California native and former Peace Corps volunteer.

After finding $65-per-night rooms in a two-story, wooden hotel that had survived the earthquake, the men set about trying to find out how much of Electricity of Haiti's (EdH) system of substations and generators had also survived.

But they found that the power system had already been in extremis. Before January 12, only 60 percent of Port-au-Prince's 3 million residents had electricity; nationwide, the figure was 40 percent, Manon said.

Many of them were simply stealing it, tapping lines feeding streetlights. Before the quake, the capital had 60,000 paying customers, but there were 150,000 connections to the grid, and the power company was losing $1 million to $2 million per month, he said.

"In Haiti, that's a lot of money," he said.

He credited donations from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for having kept Haiti's lights on. Now, to get them on again, Manon faced the task of replacing thousands of poles, many of which had been crushed by toppling buildings.

Manon and his colleagues, Bud Stanley and Christian Ponce, worked to get live lines to critical sites, like hospitals, water pumping stations and grocery stores.

The men had at their disposal four trucks and 30 EdH workers, some of whom had lost their own families.

As they went to work, the engineers carted what they could from the power company's warehouse, which had been condemned and was to be torn down. But there weren't enough poles, lines and other equipment needed to reilluminate a city the size of Port-au-Prince, he said.

Nor were there any maps that would tell the engineers where the wires went once they left the plant. So they gave their teams GPS units and created the nation's first maps of its electrical grids, Manon said.

The Haitian workers were inventive with the tools they had -- primarily pickup trucks carrying ladders -- but they had a view of safety that concerned their American counterparts.

"Safety is not a primary concern in the Haitian electric sector," Manon said. "It would scare you to death."

Few wore basics, like hard hats, safety goggles or gloves, he said.

Manon recalled a 1970s-vintage Ford truck that had been donated by one of their U.S.-based cooperatives to the Dominican Republic to help restore electricity after Hurricane Georges knocked out power nationwide in 1998. He made a couple of calls and found it sitting in a garage on the Dominican side of the island, paid a mechanic to get it running again, and had it driven to Haiti.

That -- combined with two other trucks from the Dominican Republic and four other Haitian line trucks that "sort of work" and were already in the country -- was it for the specialized equipment needed to make rapid line repairs. The rest of the work is being done by people using pickup trucks and ladders, he said.

They got the first of the capital's four plants back on

Who was flown to Dominician Republic for days after the quake?

What percentage of the capital's residents had electricity before the quake?

Answer: All four

Answer: four

Answer: January 16,

Answer: three engineers

Answer: All four power plants serving the city

Answer: 60 percent of Port-au-Prince's 3 million residents had electricity; nationwide, the figure was 40 percent,

Answer: 60 percent

Summary:
Engineers fly from U.S. to Dominican Republic 4 days after quake, drive to Haiti .
They find 4 power plants off line, power lines down, 56-ton transformers off their bases .
Before the quake, only 60% of capital's residents had electricity; 40% nationwide .
With scant safety supplies and tools, team and Haitians restore service to 25% of customers .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Bernice King, the youngest child of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., has been elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a spokeswoman for the group said Friday. King, 46, was elected as the SCLC's first female president, said Renee Richardson. King's father was SCLC's first president.  The organization was founded in 1957. The other finalist for the post was former Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Wendell Griffen, 57, who lost his recent bid for re-election. Griffen, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, is also pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock. King is a minister at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. She also is a motivational speaker and author. "It is a destiny call," she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. "It is part of my father and mother's legacy and a continuation of the legacy he started in the '50s and '60s through this organization. I believe that the hand of God is leading me." Her brother, Martin Luther King III, was president of SCLC from 1997 to 2004. They and sibling Dexter King were locked in a bitter legal battle over their parents' estates until late September, when a judge ordered them to begin negotiations. The three were able to reach a settlement. King succeeds the Rev. Byron Clay, who has been interim president since the Rev. Charles Steele Jr. resigned earlier this year. The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery led the group from 1977 until 1997. The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy was president from 1968 to 1977. Ralph Luker, a retired history professor at Morehouse College and co-editor of the first two volumes of "The Papers of Martin Luther King," says SCLC's challenge going forward is giving the organization a sense of mission. "There's been ... no real vision, and that's a dramatic change from its early years," he said. "For too long it's been a program here, had a cause there, but the group's rationale for being hasn't been clear." The group, which has chapters and affiliates throughout the country, has lobbied extensively on a variety of issues related to civil rights. CNN's Debra Krajnak and Maria White contributed to this report.

Who was the first organisations president?

Her father was the organizations first what?

Who is the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.?

What is Bernice King the first female president of?

Who is the youngest daughter of slain civil rights leader?

What is she the first female president of?

Who was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's first president?

Answer: King's father

Answer: president.

Answer: Jr.,

Answer: Bernice

Answer: Martin Luther

Answer: Southern Christian Leadership Conference,

Answer: Bernice King,

Answer: Southern Christian Leadership Conference,

Answer: King's father

Summary:
Bernice King is the youngest daughter of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
She is the first female president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference .
Her father was the organization's first president .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Early-morning commuters in much of the Deep South, braced for the possibility of a second round of snow and ice, had an easier-than-expected ride Monday as warmer temperatures kept winter weather at bay.

Most winter weather advisories and warnings were canceled early Monday except for portions of northern Alabama and Georgia at higher elevations. However, the advisories and warnings stretched into Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Forecasters had warned of an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulation in the South on Sunday night into Monday morning. The Deep South had up to 6 inches of snow in some areas Friday.

But "the accumulating snow that was in last night's forecast isn't going to happen," CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said Monday. "It is now too warm."

As of 5:30 a.m. ET, the temperature in Atlanta was 41 degrees, well above the freezing mark, and rain was falling. Forecasters initially had expected the rain to turn into snow after 1 a.m. Monday.

Snow flurries are forecast later Monday as an Arctic front moves through, Morris said, but no accumulation was expected outside mountainous areas. The weather will be "not nearly as bad as what was forecast," CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said.

Hundreds of flights were canceled out of Atlanta in anticipation of the newest round of winter weather.

Delta Air Lines said Sunday that it was canceling 400 flights from early morning through noon Monday, the majority in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia. AirTran Airways canceled 48 flights scheduled to depart or arrive in Atlanta between 8 and 10 a.m. Monday, and a spokesman said more cancellations were possible.

Beleaguered states in the mid-Atlantic region also may catch a break from the heavy snowfall initially predicted.

A snow emergency set to take effect Monday morning in Washington will not happen. The National Weather Service was forecasting a slight chance of snow before noon, then a mix of rain and snow, with an above-freezing high of 36 degrees.

The area already has shoveled itself out of a season record snowfall of 55.9 inches, according to preliminary National Weather Service estimates.

iReport: Share your pictures and videos

Slick conditions in Kansas on Sunday caused at least two massive pileups, one of which involved as many as 30 vehicles. Video showed cars, vans and trucks sandwiched on a small bridge, with emergency workers climbing over vehicles to reach the injured. The extent of injuries was not immediately known. Portions of Interstates 70 and 35 were closed for hours, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Drivers involved in the I-70 pileup described poor visibility conditions to CNN affiliate KSHB in Kansas City, Missouri.

"It happened too fast," said motorist Sam Skramstad, who was driving home to Colorado. "It was just there and I headed for the guardrail and it didn't move. And then I just kept getting nailed from behind."

He said his wife went to the hospital with chest pains after the crash.

Friday's storm system crawled from Texas to the Atlantic Coast, starting before dawn Thursday and lasting until Saturday morning. During that period, 8.8 inches of snow fell on Harkers Island, North Carolina, according to weather service data.

Other notable snowfall totals include: 14.9 inches in Duncanville, Texas; 6 inches in Belleville, Alabama; 6.1 inches in Shreveport, Louisiana; 8 inches in DeKalb, Mississippi; and 7.3 inches in Columbia, South Carolina.

As of Friday, according to the National Weather Service, 68.1 percent of the United States was covered with snow, compared with 51.2 percent in January. Every state except Hawaii had some snow cover.

What are the conditions about cause in Kansas?

Where were most weather advisories not canceled?

Where were flights canceled as the system approached?

What did slick conditions in Kansas cause?

Answer: second round of snow and ice,

Answer: Slick

Answer: Hundreds of flights

Answer: northern Alabama and Georgia

Answer: Atlanta

Answer: Slick conditions

Answer: caused at least two massive pileups, one of which involved as many as 30 vehicles.

Summary:
NEW: Most weather advisories canceled Monday except higher elevations in Alabama, Georgia .
NEW: CNN meteorologist: "Snow that was in last night's forecast isn't going to happen"
Hundreds of Atlanta flights for Monday were canceled as  system approached .
Slick conditions in Kansas cause at least two massive pileups .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- For all the ballyhoo about Black Friday, the crown jewel in the holiday shopping calendar has been something of a bust for retailers. That's led to a shift in how the day is being handled this season.

Historically, nobody outside the retail world was really familiar with the idea behind Black Friday. But sometime in the '90s, it suddenly became the thing to do to camp out overnight the day after Thanksgiving and wait for stores to open with their door-buster deals at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.

But talk about inefficiency. The crowds that waited so long would thin out by 9 a.m., and stores were more like ghost towns the rest of the day. And retailers probably didn't make any money on the stuff they were selling anyway!

Then there have been the actual physical dangers of having large crowds of people mill around and then dash like mad to snatch up deals. During Black Friday 2008, a Wal-Mart employee was actually trampled to death by a mob of shoppers in New York.

All of these factors have prompted retailers to rethink Black Friday. And in a new development, the deals will be available from right now throughout the remainder of the holiday season. No need to freeze your butt off in a long line overnight!

For example, I picked up a laptop at Best Buy for $249 on November 11. It was part of a one-day sale that the electronics retailer held to kick off the holiday shopping season.

You can monitor the best deals out there on any number of Web sites dedicated to Black Friday deals. Some of the ones I've checked in the past have included blackfriday.info, gottadeal.com and bfads.net.

While we're on the topic of holiday shopping, you'll no doubt be asked to buy extended warranties on some of your purchases. I want to reiterate my annual refrain that they aren't necessary and are really just a waste of your money.

Modern electronics seldom fail. In fact, flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs fail at only a 3 percent rate during the first three years of ownership, according to Consumer Reports. Why would anyone buy a warranty when you have a 97 percent chance that your TV will work perfectly for that long?

Yet most people have a strange psychology about what they'll throw their money at. The Journal of Consumer Research found that people are more likely to buy a warranty on something they enjoy than on something they don't. So a business owner may not buy a warranty on operational equipment, but he or she will do so on a big-screen TV!

The reality is that extended warranties have massive costs and just aren't a good investment. For example, The New York Times found one popular Nikon camera where the warranty was 27 percent of the purchase price. For laptops, a warranty can be up to a third of the sale price.

Yet there is a free way to extend a manufacturer's warranty. Many credit card issuers will double the warranty up to one additional year if you use their card to make the purchase.

Now that's the Clark Smart approach to spreading some holiday cheer to your gift recipients and your own wallet!

What is being handled differently this season?

Retailers are rethinking the day because they don't make what?

Answer: Black Friday,

Answer: the best deals out there

Answer: money

Summary:
There's a shift in how Black Friday is being handled this season .
Retailers rethink the day since they don't make as much money .
Deals will be available throughout the remainder of the holiday season .
Monitor the best deals out there on any number of Web sites .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Freedom lovers everywhere over a certain age recall the thrilling news 20 years ago that Nelson Mandela had been released from a Cape Town, South Africa, jail.

After 27 years of isolation and hard labor, the world's most famous political prisoner emerged without bitterness, his humanity intact. When asked what he most missed while in prison, Mandela replied that it was hearing the sounds of children laughing.

Now 92 and frail, Mandela has declined to participate in this week's many celebrations in his honor except one: the opening of Parliament and the address to the nation by South African President Jacob Zuma.

As with all things political in this young and often raucous democracy, politicians and pundits are debating whether Mandela should have skipped this event as well. Zuma's last admission of personal misconduct, fathering his 20th child out of wedlock with the daughter of close friend, has become a national scandal and international embarrassment.

Just two years ago, he confessed to having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive family friend, who then accused him of rape. In a country coping with one of the world's highest incidence of HIV/AIDS, and with a strong official commitment to gender equality, many of Mandela's most fervent admirers don't want him seen anywhere near Zuma.

But Mandela went to jail not to demonstrate personal virtue but in a commitment to freedom, equality and the rule of law, which his appearance in Parliament reaffirms. Zuma is the duly elected president of a nation defined by strict allegiance to a democratic constitution.

Zuma has respected the rule of law and shows no inclination to use his huge parliamentary majority to rewrite the constitution for political advantage.

When Mandela was president, he defied his political advisers and voluntarily appeared before a magistrate so a claim of defamation against him could be adjudicated under due process, available to all citizens. Mandela expects no less from his successors; nor should we.

Preventing abuses of power whether by a privileged minority or by an unrestrained majority is a growing challenge for South Africa's fledgling democracy. The electorate is increasingly restive over policies that have failed to reduce chronic unemployment in excess of 25 percent, curb corruption or address extreme economic and social inequities.

Nor have policies been able to adequately overcome the legacy of damage caused by apartheid to family and community values, education and other basic services. The nation is struggling with a lack of respect for authority and the rule of law, especially among a growing number of alienated youth.

South Africa still has many advantages, including an economy larger than the combined gross domestic products of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa minus Nigeria, and it draws talent and strength from immigrants and political refugees who have created what Kenyan political scientist Ali Mazrui calls "the world's second global nation after the United States."

At issue is whether South Africans can uphold the minimum of shared values necessary for sustaining peace and allowing a decent society to flourish.

Mandela must continue to embody the roles for South Africans that Washington, Lincoln and King serve in protecting and advancing democracy in America. And like them, Mandela's example inspires others and has become a global public good.

President Obama recalls in "Dreams from My Father" how South Africa awakened his interest in politics as a young college student, provoking him to address a public rally for the first time and to describe events there as "a struggle that demands we choose sides. Not between black and white. Not between rich and poor. No, it's a harder choice ... between fairness and injustice. Between commitment and indifference, a choice between right and wrong..."

Mandela rarely talks about his own character but in his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," says he credits any success he has achieved to a trait inherited from his father, "a stubborn sense of fairness." It is an ideal few have upheld to Mandela's standard -- but one we should all seek to emulate.

The opinions in this commentary are solely those of John Stremlau.

Answer: years ago

Summary:
John Stremlau: 20 years ago today, Nelson Mandela was released from Cape Town jail .
Stremlau: After 27 years, Mandela emerged "without bitterness, his humanity intact"
Mandela maintains commitment to democracy, freedom and rule of law, he writes .
Mandela is inspiration in troubled nation that desperately needs it, Stremlau says .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Health officials on Friday reported a slight decrease in H1N1 flu activity nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 43 states now have widespread flu activity, compared with 46 states last week and 48 states at the beginning of November. "It's still much greater than we would ever see at this time of year," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a news conference. Schuchat added that while some parts of the country are seeing a small decline in flu cases, other areas, including Maine and Hawaii, have seen a bit of a surge. It's too early to know if the worst is over in terms of the flu season, she said. "Even though we saw a little bit of a decrease this week, it is still higher than the peak activity in many years," she said. Flu season doesn't usually start until December. But when the H1N1 virus emerged in April, the spread of the flu never stopped, effectively stretching last year's flu season into the new one. The CDC also said 21 more deaths from H1N1 in children were reported in the past week, bringing the official toll of confirmed pediatric H1N1 deaths in the United States to 171. Schuchat said the number doesn't reflect the true picture. "We believe the estimates we provided last week give a better picture of the full toll that the virus has taken in the first six months of the pandemic," she said. Last week the CDC reported that it estimated 540 children had died from complications of this flu virus so far. In an effort to limit further spread of the virus as millions of Americans begin traveling for the holidays, the CDC has launched a public awareness campaign. Schuchat urged everyone to take simple precautions. "Travel only when you are well," she told reporters. "Wash your hands often. ... Cover your cough and sneeze with tissues or with your sleeve. ... And get vaccinated against flu, particularly if you're in a targeted population." Watch why Santa wants a flu shot More people will be able to get vaccinated, according to the CDC, because more vaccine continues to be available. States have been able to order a total of 54.1 million doses of H1N1 vaccine so far, Schuchat said. "That number is 11 million doses more than we were at a week ago." In response to a report from Norway that a couple of people died from a mutated form of the H1N1 virus, Schuchat said the CDC is aware that the mutated form had been identified, but that H1N1 vaccine and antiviral medications still are effective against H1N1. Some cases of H1N1 that show resistance to the antiviral Tamiflu have been identified in North Carolina and Wales. But Schuchat said Tamiflu-resistant influenza viruses have been "quite rare" so far. Tamiflu doesn't cure the flu, but can reduce symptom severity and duration of illness by about a day if taken within the first day or two of getting sick.

States have ordered what amount of doses?

Answer: 54.1 million

Answer: "Travel only when you are well,"

Summary:
43 states have widespread flu activity compared with 48 at beginning of month .
Prevalence still higher than the peak activity in recent years, CDC says .
So far, states have been able to order 54.1 million doses, 11 million more than a week ago .
CDC cautions against traveling if you're sick; suggests getting vaccine, sneezing into sleeve .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- In an attempt to re-create the experience of a manned mission to Mars, an international team of researchers will lock themselves up in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half -- time required for a round trip to the Red Planet.

Starting Thursday, an all-male "crew" of six -- three Russians, a Frenchman, an Italian-Colombian and a Chinese -- will spend 520 days in the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of a special facility in Moscow and will follow a strict regimen of exercise and diet.

Organizers at the European Space Agency and Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems hope the project will shed light on the physical and psychological effects of the long isolation that future Mars astronauts will experience.

"This study is not useful only for Mars, but also for life on Earth," 27-year-old Diego Urbina, the Italian-Colombian participant, said in a news release.

The researchers will communicate with mission control via the internet, with occasional disruptions and a 20-minute delay to imitate the effects of space travel.

They will perform tasks similar to astronauts at the international space station, such as maintenance and scientific experiments, but for a longer period of time. They will follow a seven-day week with two days off, except when special and emergency situations are simulated.

The latest isolation test is the last and longest part of the Mars500 experiment that began in 2007. The first phase was a 14-day simulation that mainly tested the facilities and operational procedures. The second phase followed in 2009, when four Russian and two European crew members were shut into the facility for 105 days.

Missions to the Red Planet have thus far been unmanned. In January, NASA told CNN Radio that the agency was close to a deal to merge its Mars program with the European Space Agency's, a big step toward manned missions.

In the meantime, NASA is preparing for the launch of its newest robotic space exploration vehicle, the Mars Science Laboratory, late next year. It weighs roughly one metric ton and is about the size of a small automobile.

How many men will be in the special facility in Moscow?

Who will be locked up in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half?

Answer: six

Answer: shed light on the physical and psychological effects of the long isolation that future Mars astronauts

Answer: six

Answer: experience.

Answer: a year and a half

Answer: international team of researchers

Answer: re-create the experience of a manned

Answer: for about a year and a half

Answer: six

Summary:
Mars500 team to be locked up in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half .
Six men to be in cramped, claustrophobic conditions in a special facility in Moscow .
They'll talk to mission control via internet, do tasks similar to space station astronauts .
Organizers hope project will shed light on psychological, physical effects of Mars mission .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- In some parts of the South, Friday's rare snowfall didn't pack the punch anticipated, but it still forced the closure of schools and the cancellation of flights.

Cities put emergency crews to work throughout much of the region while state offices and schools were shut down.

An estimated 8 inches fell in De Kalb in eastern Mississippi, while 200 miles south in metro Biloxi, snow fell but didn't stick, the National Weather Service reported.

"We had flurries for about five minutes where I am, that's it," said John DeMiller, owner of the Petit Bois Grocery in Biloxi.

DeMiller's 10th-grade daughter stayed home from school Friday after the Mississippi Department of Education closed all schools due to inclement weather. DeMiller hadn't expected much snow, and when schools were closed in his town without accumulations, he was flabbergasted.

"I'm going, 'they just lost their mind,' " he said.

Share your winter weather photos, stories

Just north of metro Biloxi, though, 1-2 inches fell and black ice could pose a problem as wind chills drop, National Weather Service forecaster Phil Grigsby said.

Officials in Georgia were bracing for enough snow to paralyze parts of the state.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which canceled hundreds of flights, had reported 4 inches of snow, National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Darbe said. Numerous accidents have been attributed to the dangerous conditions, he said.

Temperatures were to fall to the mid- to upper-20s in the Atlanta area after the snow tapered off sometime between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, he said. Traffic accidents were expected to increase as slush turned to ice late Friday, he said.

The clear skies already over parts of western Alabama are expected to move into Georgia later this weekend, Darbe said.

In Louisiana, Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis announced state government offices were closed in 42 parishes.

Earlier in the day, iReporter Susan Sharman in Bastrop, Louisiana, said she couldn't believe snow was falling over her town.

"I haven't seen snow like this in Bastrop in over eight years," she said.

Metro Baton Rouge, Louisiana, saw about an inch of snow on its streets, while the rest of the area got 1 to 3 inches, Grigsby said.

But Mardi Gras revelers don't have much to worry about. The very early morning snow shouldn't interfere with parades Friday evening, he said. Windchills in the 30s, however, mean paradegoers need to bundle up before the fun. Drivers should also be wary of any black ice that may form on bridges and overpasses, he said.

Yasamie Richardson of Alabama Emergency Management said conditions could be "very, very dangerous," in her state and the likelihood of power outages was "very great." She said authorities were encouraging people to prepare for the possibility of losing electricity.

"My husband and I haven't seen snow since we were stationed in Massachusetts and my children have never seen it," Sara Johnson in Wilmer, Alabama, said in a CNN iReport as the first flakes began to fall Friday morning.

The weather system pounded parts of Texas on Thursday, leaving a record 12.5 inches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The National Weather Service said the 24-hour total in the area topped the previous record of 12.1 inches set in 1964.

"For the DFW Metroplex this is amazing," said iReporter Brent Dow.

See Dow's photo of a Texas-size snowman

West of Dallas, in Irving, Texas, Michael Whiteside was awakened at 2:45 a.m. Friday "to the sound of my patio roof collapsing from the weight" of the snow, he said in a CNN iReport.

At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where American and American Eagle canceled about 230 flights, officials were working to ramp up departures Friday. An Airport spokesman said Friday afternoon that most flights were running on time.

There was some relief in sight for the South. Warmer weather was melting the snow Friday in Dallas, and

How much snow did Dallas-Fort Worth get?

How many inches of snow did Dallas-Fort Worth get?

Answer: 12.5 inches

Answer: 12.5

Answer: 4 inches of

Summary:
NEW: Caution advised overnight because lower temperatures may freeze roads .
"This is amazing," CNN iReporter says of snowfall in Dallas-Fort Worth area .
Flights canceled in Atlanta; Dallas-Fort Worth gets 12.5'' of snow, a 24-hour record .
Are you snowed in? Send us your iReports to tell how you're staying warm and digging out .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Jennifer Thomas was looking at life with renewed energy: She had just survived a serious operation, and she was at a crossroads in her career.

After 20 years as a producer in the stressful business of TV news, the challenge wasn't there for her anymore. For eight weeks, as she recovered from the removal of a large noncancerous tumor from her uterus, Thomas thought about her next steps.

"I told myself I was going to work to do the things that I enjoy, things that are related to the news," she said. Thomas had recently conducted news production workshops for kids, so she already knew that she "loved people and talking to people about the news. That made me start thinking that if I could do it all the time and get paid for it, I'd really enjoy it."

Within a year, Thomas had left her job at CNN's HLN network to start a Georgia-based media consulting business with clients such as singer/actress Jennifer Holliday, former Bell Biv DeVoe singer Ron DeVoe, actor Boris Kodjoe, actress Nicole Ari Parker and former supermodel Beverly Johnson.

During her journey, Thomas learned that working for yourself often requires scary first steps, generous friends and mentors, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

She's the first to say that her story is not typical in any way, as she seemed to meet good luck at every turn.

After her surgery, Thomas, who also had worked at CNN and NBC, began saving money and planning her business. As if on cue, HLN offered her a buyout to leave the company as part of a downsizing.

"It was my light bulb 'a-ha' moment," Thomas said. "I was excited because in the back of my mind, it was what I had been praying for."

An opportunity to write a blog for a popular local women's magazine got her some local attention. A journalist friend e-mailed Thomas, saying that he had connected with Johnson and suggesting that they meet.

"She called out of the blue," Thomas said. " 'Hi, Jennifer! It's Beverly -- the model!' I was shocked."

Johnson needed no introduction. Thomas was very familiar with the first African-American model to win a cover on American Vogue magazine. In that year, 1974, Thomas said Johnson's beauty and status spoke volumes to her as a role model.

"When she called, I was like, 'shut up!' We were all like, 'no way!' I didn't think anything would come from it, but eventually, she said she would love to be my client."

Thomas made short work of helping Johnson successfully pitch her women's health campaign to CNN, NBC and ABC.

"It was huge for me," Thomas said. "It showed me that the skills I may have taken for granted were very valuable to others. Here I was doing what just came natural to me -- working with the media -- and I'm helping an iconic figure. It gave me such a feeling of gratification, and it gave me so much more confidence."

But snagging Johnson as her first client wasn't easy. She had to start with smaller steps -- and the first step was a doozy: dealing with the fear.

"For me, it was fear of failure," she said. "Anyone who has worked with me knows I am driven to succeed, and failure is not an option."

"But I'm a woman of faith," said Thomas, a preacher's daughter with strong ties to her church. "Friends told me that 'faith will give you the wings to fly when you jump off that cliff.' "

One way new consultants can boost their confidence is by compiling a list of experience and skills they've gained during the past five years -- including successful projects, implementations and innovations. Experts recommend referring to that list whenever confidence dips.

Thomas said

What is the name of the journalist launching a consulting business?

Answer: Boris Kodjoe,

Answer: Jennifer Thomas

Answer: singer/actress Jennifer Holliday, former Bell Biv DeVoe singer Ron DeVoe,

Summary:
Journalist leaves TV to launch consulting business .
Clients include Beverly Johnson, Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker, Ron DeVoe, Jennifer Holliday .
Her tips: Love your work, save money, find mentors, set goals, take breaks .
Expert: Unemployment has increased number of less-than-qualified consultants .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Kevin Garibo hasn't known life outside a hospital. Born three months ago with respiratory issues, he needed a procedure to breathe on his own. Nurses prod at him, medical machines hum around him and tubes are more present than teddy bears. But in the arms of Chris Haack, who strokes his cheek and speaks in a soft whisper while rocking him in a chair, little Kevin is one blissed-out baby. Haack, a retired nurse from Roswell, Georgia, is a trained volunteer with "Baby Buddies," a program in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. As nurses race around administering medical care, she can comfort the tiny patients and stand in for parents who can't be there all the time to give the positive attention -- not the attention associated with pain or discomfort -- that is key to a baby's development and integral in forming trust. "They need to be touched, they need to be loved, and that face -- that's why I do it," Haack says, peering down with a smile at Kevin, whose eyes are locked on hers. "I get more out of it than I probably give." Studies show that giving, which extends beyond packages wrapped in ribbons, does a person good. In this holiday season, CNN introduces with this story a special series we're calling "Giving in Focus: The 12 Days of Goodness," in which we'll highlight acts of kindness and generosity that we hope will inspire. Has someone done a good deed for you? Share your story One person who can attest to the power of giving is Cami Walker, a 36-year-old woman who received a prescription to give when her multiple sclerosis, a diagnosis she got at age 33, left her a physical and emotional wreck. She could barely get out of bed, and yet Mbali Creazzo, a friend and spiritual mentor, single-handedly killed Walker's pity party. She said, "'Cami, you really need to stop thinking about yourself. ... You're feeding this disease,'" Walker remembers. "She said, 'I have a prescription for you. Give away 29 gifts in 29 days.' " Creazzo, a South African born medicine woman who lives in Oakland, California, explained that the idea, rooted in indigenous practices, was taught to her, although the number of days prescribed may have been different. "Altruism has been going on for thousands of years," said Creazzo, 58. "Why it's so powerful at this moment is because of what's happening in the world today. People are looking for that place inside of them where they are of some use." Walker, who lives in Hollywood, California, dismissed Creazzo's suggestion at first but came back to it when she realized she had nothing to lose by trying. What followed made her a convert to the idea. Whether she simply called a friend to offer support or bought iced-tea for a homeless guy on a hot day, the simple actions made a difference. She said her mood lifted, her ability to get around improved and the progression of the disease stopped. "I don't see it as a cure. I still have MS," said Walker, who went on to write the best-seller "29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life" and create an online community at 29gifts.org, where Creazzo is also involved. "I really don't think about the limitations of my disease. I wake up more focused on what I'm capable of." A long list of scientific and widely accepted studies point to the benefits a giver gets, said Stephen Post, author of "Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life by the Simple Act of Giving." One study looked at preteens who'd first been surveyed in the 1920s in Berkeley, California. Those who displayed generosity and a giving attitude grew up to have lower rates of heart

what can Ripple effect of giving affect?

how many days of giving made MS more bearable for author?

Answer: Your Life"

Answer: A long list of scientific and widely accepted studies point to the benefits a giver gets,

Answer: 29

Answer: that giving, which extends beyond packages wrapped in ribbons, does a person good.

Summary:
Nurturing hospitalized babies serves patients as well as volunteers .
Author says 29 days of giving changed her life, made MS more bearable .
Scientific studies show physical and mental benefits of giving attitudes .
Ripple effect of giving can affect individuals, communities and world .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Love it or hate it, the Hummer came to symbolize American might over the years -- tires the size of Texas, a chrome grill that looked primed to eat up wimpy cars in its path, and its drivers with egos to match their mammoth-mobiles.

But the iconic vehicle -- a symbol for macho men like Arnold Schwarzenegger and ridiculed worldwide by environmentalists -- is headed toward the auto graveyard.

General Motors last week announced the likely end of the Hummer after a deal with a Chinese automaker fell through. The news thrilled many who have protested the guzzler for years: Good riddance!

But for Hummer owners, the reaction remains mixed. Most mourn the impending death of their beloved behemoths but celebrate the fact that the Hummer won't be outsourced to China: Whose harebrained idea was that anyway?! Ain't no Hummer meant to be made in China!

Owners are hoping for a last-minute buyer to emerge before the Hummer joins the maligned Pinto in the scrapyard. GM has said it is trying to salvage the Hummer, setting May 1 as a deadline for other possible deals to be made.

A single sticky note, left on Russ Builta's 2005 Hummer, sums up the emotion stirred by the super-sized SUVs. "You are polluting our air and abusing our national resources," the unsigned note said. "And all because of greed and selfishness. You should be very ashamed of yourself."

Builta, who served in the Marine Corps, still gets mad: "It was not even on recycled paper!"

Builta installed a supercharger that gave his Hummer a whopping 600 horsepower. When he really mashed the pedal, it got 1 mile per gallon. "It would just move," he told CNN iReport.

Check out Builta's mega-ride

After the HMMWV rolled off the AM General assembly line in Indiana on January 2, 1985, it represented a new breed of American military might and toughness.

In 1992, production of the civilian Hummer began, instantly creating a fraternity among owners of the SUV-on-growth hormone. They exchange photos of their trucks, chat over the Internet and plan for their next muddin' sessions.

They laugh at tree huggers who give them the finger as they cruise down the road.

"I hate to see it die," says iReporter Michael Tawdy of Tennessee, who owns a 2006 H3. "You can go anywhere you want."

Hummer: What might have been

The Hummer even shares its name with a sexual term. How many cars can stake that claim? And the vehicle became fodder for late-night comedians and Internet jokes.

"You might be driving a Hummer," says one joke on a Web site devoted to the vehicle, "if you can't reach far enough to slap the person sitting in the passenger seat."

The grass-roots social justice group CodePink created an anti-Hummer campaign during the height of the Bush administration, including a Top Ten Reasons Not To Buy A Hummer. At the top of the list: "The Gas Mileage Alone Will Kill You."

Billy Paniaha of North Carolina gets speechless when talking about his chrome-and-gray-mobile. "I love my Hummer," he told iReport.

In one photo, he's leaning against his mud-caked Hummer, which looks like it just wallowed in a pigpen. "Trust me, these tree huggers in their Priuses. ... If a Prius hits me, I won't get hurt. They will."

Paniaha hot-dogs in mud

Raymond Winbush isn't your ordinary Hummer owner. A lover of his giant SUV, he also owns -- are you ready for this? -- a Toyota Prius.

"People think I'm kidding when I say I have both cars, but I do," said Winbush, an author and the director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University.

"If you combine my carbon footprint ... I don't feel real guilty about it."

A resident

What did the sticky note left on Hummer say?

Answer: "You are polluting our air and abusing our national resources,"

Answer: Hummer

Answer: the Hummer

Answer: "And all because of greed and selfishness. You should be very ashamed of yourself."

Summary:
Hummer came to define machismo in America .
"You should be very ashamed of yourself," sticky note left on Hummer said .
Hummer owners rally behind their beloved behemoths .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Photos of the nude and decapitated body of a murdered hiker, sought by a writer on assignment for Hustler magazine, will not be released, a judge in Georgia ordered Wednesday.

The decision came as state lawmakers considered legislation that would ban public release of graphic photos of crime victims. First Amendment lawyers say the legislation could have a chilling effect on open records requests.

DeKalb Superior Court Judge Daniel Coursey issued a temporary order restraining the Georgia Bureau of Investigation from releasing "any and all photographs, visual images or depictions of Meredith Emerson which show Emerson in an unclothed or dismembered state.

Emerson's family sought the order after learning of the request for copies of crime scene photos of the 24-year-old, attorney Lindsay Haigh said. Emerson's admitted killer, Gary Michael Hilton, received a life sentence in exchange for leading investigators to her body in the north Georgia mountains on January 7, 2008, six days after Emerson disappeared.

The judge's order came on the same day the Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously passed "The Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act," which would prevent gruesome crime scene photos from being publicly released or disseminated, according to Rep. Jill Chambers, the bill's principal sponsor.

House Bill 1322 would prevent the release of photographs of the bodies of crime victims that are "nude, bruised, bloodied or in a broken state with open wounds, a state of dismemberment or decapitation," said Chambers.

"We have to walk the line between open record laws and the constitutional provisions that allow women to be able to be photographed nude or in pornography when they knowingly and willingly offer their bodies for dissemination," she said.

"Meredith isn't in a position to give that kind of permission to have her exploited in that kind of venue," Chambers said. "We're not only protecting future victims of crime, we're protecting the integrity of what happened to Meredith."

The bill allows credentialed journalists, lawyers and law enforcement to view such photographs at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's headquarters, Chambers said, but not make copies of them.

Hustler did not respond to a request for comment on the judge's ruling except to say that it is exploring its legal options.

"Hustler is aware of the GBI's refusal to honor its reporter's request for copies of the Emerson crime scenes photos, which were to be used in a news story about this crime. Hustler and Mr. Flynt disagree with the GBI's position, and are currently exploring all legal options available to them should the decision be made to go forward with the story," the company said in an e-mail.

Members of the state Legislature were quick to condemn the request.

"I think that the request is sickening, disgusting, vile and I think it's very, very hurtful for this family," House Speaker David Ralston said in a Monday press conference.

Current statute prevents the release of autopsy photos without the permission of next of kin, but a "gray area" in the law left open the question of whether crime scene photos could be released, Ralston said.

"I am a big proponent of open government. This goes against the grain for me. But in this case, when you have these kind of photographs that depict victims of crime where there may have been sexual assault or mutilation of the body, I just think it goes beyond the pale," he said. "We're going to narrow it to those situations so we don't have this kind of situation again where we pause and wonder is this something we have to release or not."

"Meredith was a daughter, a friend and a mentor to many. She lived life to its fullest and was taken from us deliberately and maliciously," her family said on www.righttohikeinc.com, the charity Web site established in Emerson's memory.

"Her family and friends live everyday with this tragedy and to know that the possibility of any images, other than those that portray the beautiful, young woman we knew, could be disclosed to the public or may

What type of photos did the reporter seek to find?

What magazine does the reporter work for?

Answer: nude and decapitated body of a murdered hiker,

Answer: DeKalb Superior Court Judge Daniel Coursey

Answer: Hustler

Answer: "The Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act,"

Summary:
Judge blocks release of photos of Meredith Emerson "unclothed or dismembered"
Hustler magazine reporter seeks crime scene photos of Emerson's body .
House panel OKs measure preventing release of gruesome crime scene photos .
Hustler says it is reviewing its legal options .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Snow and ice dealt a major blow to U.S. air travel Thursday, while much of the nation shivered from record low temperatures. At least 400 flights at Chicago, Illinois', O'Hare International Airport were canceled. Arriving flights were being delayed an average of 45 minutes and outgoing flights about 30 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Chicago's Midway Airport and Newark International Airport in New Jersey also reported delays. Those bottlenecks were affecting flights at many other international airports. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service was keeping an eye on a dangerous mix of ice and snow expected in the Southeast, where temperatures have dipped between 10 to 35 degrees below normal for the past two weeks, said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines offered to issue winter weather travel waivers to Delta and Northwest passengers on flights to, from or through five states. Travelers can change their schedule without fees until Saturday if their routes include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi or Tennessee. The arctic blast that began last weekend has been blamed for at least seven deaths across the nation. Share your photos, video of winter weather Record-breaking lows were forecast for two-thirds of the country, for most areas east of the Rockies. For some regions, even lower temperatures are on tap through the weekend, forecasters said. "But the brunt of the cold air will ride down the Mississippi River," said CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano, reporting from Memphis, Tennessee. Marciano said temperatures have been the lowest there in more than a decade. "You have people not used to this weather, and homes are not built for this weather. Yesterday alone, the city [Memphis] went around to turn on the heat for homes when people have not been able to pay [their utility bills]." Alabama issued a warning to drivers Thursday night, urging them to stay off icy roads as driving conditions were "becoming dangerous" with numerous accidents reported. Trooper Curtis Summerville with the Alabama State Patrol said the biggest problem on the roads was black ice on overpasses and bridges. But, he said football was helping keep people at home as University of Alabama fans cheered on their team in the National Championship Game against the University of Texas. A wind chill advisory was in effect until Friday in Arkansas, where readings were expected to drop below zero with winds of over 30 mph. A dusting of snow in Atlanta on Thursday night left roads slick after two weeks of below normal temperatures. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers noted that it was warmer in Fairbanks, Alaska, than it was in Atlanta on Thursday morning, calling the cold front sweeping the nation one that "we probably haven't seen for 15 years." 29-car pileup near Atlanta airport In the Deep South, Florida was under a state of emergency because of the threat to the state's lucrative citrus and vegetable industries. Gov. Charlie Crist issued an order Tuesday aimed at helping farmers salvage what they can by lifting weight limits on trucks so already-harvested crops can more easily reach markets. Also suffering in the cold: sea turtles. Florida Fish & Wildlife officers have rescued 120 sea turtles after water temperatures in the 40s shocked their tropically inclined systems, according to CNN affiliate WPBF. "Their bodies are shutting down because they're too cold," Karrie Minch of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge told WPBF. "If we don't rescue them, they'll end up expiring." Elsewhere Thursday, the high in Bismarck, North Dakota, was around 11 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of minus 35. Forecasters said the wind chill could dip to 52 degrees below zero overnight. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were forecast Thursday for the upper Plains to the Northeast and as far south as Kentucky and Tennessee. Up to 7 inches fell in parts of Illinois. School districts in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, called off classes Thursday and city governments reported burning through their entire snow removal budgets with a full two months of winter left. Jeras said the long stretch

how many deaths have occured during the cold weather

How many deaths were attributed to deep freeze?

How many flights were cancelled at Chicago O'Hare International Airport?

What is the cause of the at least 7 deaths in some areas?

Approximately how many flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport were canceled?

In which city do the city officials turn on heat for those who can't pay utility bills?

Answer: seven

Answer: seven

Answer: least 400

Answer: The arctic blast

Answer: At least 400 flights at Chicago, Illinois', O'Hare International Airport were canceled.

Answer: least 400

Answer: [Memphis]

Summary:
About 400 flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport canceled .
Expected high in Bismarck, North Dakota, minus 11, wind chill as low as minus 35 .
At least 7 deaths attributed to deep freeze, which is reaching record lows in some areas .
In Memphis, Tennessee, city officials turn on heat for those who can't pay utility bills .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Some southern states were getting a second round of unseasonal snow Tuesday, prompting airlines to cancel flights and schools to close for the day.

Parts of several southern states remained under a winter storm warning Tuesday, as a developing low-pressure system threatened to spread snow and rain across portions of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and the Carolinas, the National Weather Service said.

Snow fell north and west of metro Atlanta, Georgia, although the city, with a temperature hovering just above freezing, saw mostly rain.

The weather prompted schools in several northern Georgia counties to close, according to CNN affiliates.

Airlines also canceled flights. AirTran Airways has canceled 69 flights in and out of Atlanta, and is expected to cancel more this afternoon, spokesman Christopher White said.

"Should the [weather] event continue into the evening, there is a possibility of many more cancellations," he said. He said the airline is offering free rebooking and changes for anyone traveling to or from Atlanta.

Delta Airlines said it has made about 250 cancellations for flights leaving Atlanta. "Depending on the severity of the storm some additional thinning may be necessary," spokesman Anthony Black said.

The airline is offering to reschedule Tuesday travel plans for those concerned about the weather, at no fee. Customers will have to pay any increase in fares, according to the Web site.

The National Weather Service said snow will continue Tuesday afternoon across northeast Georgia and the western half of upstate South Carolina, although it will taper off later.

Total snowfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are expected, mainly in areas along and north of I-85.

The same amount of snow is expected from Shelby, North Carolina to Gaffney and Union in South Carolina, the National Weather Service said.

Snow is also possible in Tennessee, Kentucky and northern Alabama, it said.

CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report.

How many flights did Delta Air Lines cancel on Tuesday?

What cities in and out flights were cancelled?

How many flights did AirTran Airways cancel on Tuesday?

Answer: 250

Answer: Delta Airlines

Answer: winter storm warning

Answer: AirTran Airways

Answer: Atlanta,

Answer: southern states

Answer: AirTran Airways

Answer: 69

Summary:
Storm warnings and winter weather advisories issued for the Southeast .
AirTran Airways has canceled 69 flights into and out of Atlanta for Tuesday .
Delta Air Lines cancelled about 250 flights Tuesday .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Staring at the throngs of media representatives who came out to hear and see her Friday, Jessica Colotl took another step into the fight for her future.

The undocumented student from Mexico whose case has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate had been released on $2,500 bond just a couple hours earlier. The 21-year-old student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia surrendered Friday morning to authorities in response to a warrant for her arrest issued Wednesday night by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.

Standing nervously before the crowd, Colotl fought back tears when people cheered for her. The media bombarded her with questions as she tried to give voice to her struggle.

Just a week earlier, she'd been released from a deportation facility in Alabama after being stopped in March for a minor traffic violation.

"If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again," she said. "I'm hoping for the best."

The sheriff's office said she gave a false address when stopped for that violation, a felony charge that her attorney denies.

A spotlight has been trained on Arizona since Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law a bill that requires law enforcement officials to seek proof of legal U.S. residency from anyone whom they have stopped on suspicion of having violated the law.

But advocates working with Colotl point out that a little-understood program already gives local authorities in many states the latitude to act as immigration officials -- a right that is often abused, they say.

"The future of Arizona already exists in Cobb County and Gwinnett County [also in Georgia]," said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.

Near him were other Colotl supporters, some holding signs reading "Education not deportation."

Under the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program, state and local law enforcement can partner with the federal agency to gain some immigration enforcement authority in their own jurisdictions. If they conclude that someone is in the country illegally, they can turn that person over to ICE. Last year, a change to the partnership program prioritized the detention and arrest of those who have allegedly committed crimes.

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is one of 71 law enforcement agencies in 26 states that have entered into this partnership program, according to the ICE website.

Labeling the program a "civil rights disaster," Mary Bauer, legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said it "leads to racial profiling, distracts police from looking for real criminals and destroys families."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia called Friday for an end to the program.

"Jessica's case is yet another outrageous example of the unaccountable local enforcement of immigration laws in Cobb County gone awry," said Azadeh Shahshahani, ACLU of Georgia's national security/immigrants' rights project director.

Colotl's legal problems started in late March when her car was stopped on the Kennesaw State campus.  Born in Mexico but living in the United States since she was 11, she could not produce a driver's license, so she handed over as identification an expired passport from Mexico.

She was arrested the next day and turned over to immigration officials. She spent more than a month in the Etowah Detention Center in Alabama.

Friends came out in force and marched on campus in her defense. Earlier this month, she was released, and her deportation was deferred for a year, which will allow her to finish her studies. She hasn't returned to classes yet, but looks forward to earning her degree.

"I'm just trying to live the American dream and finish my education," she said.

Calling Colotl "a symbol of what's wrong with the immigration system," immigration attorney Charles Kuck thanked ICE for allowing his client to stay in the country for a year to finish her studies. He then set out to educate people about the challenges facing Colotl, providing a reason why she did not have a license.

"Jessica can't start the process to become a U.S. citizen because she

What is the name of the undocumented immigrant?

what the name of the university were she studies?

Answer: Jessica Colotl

Answer: since she was 11,

Answer: since she was 11,

Answer: Jessica Colotl

Answer: Kennesaw State

Answer: undocumented student from Mexico

Answer: "If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again,"

Answer: "If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again,"

Summary:
Jessica Colotl, an undocumented immigrant, was arrested, detained after traffic violation .
In U.S. since she was 11, she is close to graduation from her university in Georgia .
"I'm just trying to live the American dream and finish my education," says Colotl .
Advocates and lawyers for Colotl liken case to "witch hunt" and say system is flawed .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how an international flight into Atlanta's major airport landed on a taxiway instead of a runway early Monday. FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said Delta Flight 60, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, was cleared to land about 6:05 a.m. Monday on Runway 27R but landed instead on Taxiway M, which runs parallel to the runway. The flight had 194 passengers and crew aboard, according to CNN affiliate WXIA. No other aircraft were on the taxiway, and there was no damage to either the taxiway or the plane, a Boeing 767, Bergen said. A runway or taxiway collision, particularly with one plane preparing to take off and carrying a full fuel load, would be catastrophic. Bergen said she isn't sure whether or when other aircraft have ever landed on the taxiway at Hartsfield. Both Runway 27R and Taxiway M are 11,890 feet long, Bergen said, but the runway is marked with white lights while the taxiway is marked with blue lights. Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the airline is cooperating with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation, as well as conducting an internal investigation. The pilots of the flight have been relieved from active flying pending the completion of these investigations, Black said. Bergen and Black said a medical emergency was reported on the plane, but neither offered any details. The incursion came just two weeks after the FAA announced that serious runway incursions were down 50 percent from the year that ended September 30, 2008, over the year ending on the same date this year. The FAA said there were 12 serious incursions in 2009 and 25 in 2008. Only two of the serious incursions involved commercial airliners in 2009, compared with nine in 2008. The FAA defines a serious incursion as one in which a collision is narrowly avoided, or there was a significant potential for collision that resulted in the need to take quick corrective action.

Was the plane damaged?
Where should the plane have landed?
Where did the plane land?
Where is taxiway located?
Was there any damages?
Where did the plan landed?

Answer: no damage

Answer: Runway 27R

Answer: taxiway

Answer: runs parallel to the runway.

Answer: no

Answer: on a taxiway instead of a runway

Summary:
Plane landed on taxiway instead of runway Monday morning, FAA says .
No other plane was on the taxiway; aircraft wasn't damaged .
The taxiway is parallel to a runway, but they're marked differently .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the oldest civil rights groups in the nation, will announce the successor to Chairman Julian Bond on Saturday as the organization strives to prove its relevance and influence to a new generation.

NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as the favorite to fill the seat left by Bond, a civil rights leader who has held the post since 1998.

Bond, a stalwart of the civil rights movement, helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known for its student sit-ins in the early 1960s, and served as the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center. He served in both houses of the Georgia Legislature, totaling two decades in office, before leading the NAACP.

"I think he's been enormously effective; he's just a thoughtful person with a rich history in civil rights struggles," said historian Patricia A. Sullivan, whose book, "Raise Every Voice," chronicled the history of the NAACP.

Sullivan said Bond brought his experiences from the forefront of the civil rights movement to his role as chairman to take on disparities in the criminal justice system, education, housing and unemployment to the national level.

Most recently, amid internal, grass-roots level tensions over whether the NAACP would support same-sex marriage, Bond appeared at the National Equality March in Washington in October.

"I'm fond of saying there's no such thing as saying gay rights or black rights. There's civil rights, and every American deserves civil rights," he said at the time.

"He's very clear on what has long been the NAACP message of civil rights and inclusive democracy," Sullivan said.

Bond also is known for some of his political criticism, doling it out consistently against the Republican Party and the Bush administration in the earlier years of his tenure.

At the 2001 NAACP convention, which was held before the September 11 attacks, Bond sharply criticized some of President George W. Bush's political appointments, saying Bush had "selected nominees from the Taliban wing of American politics, appeased the wretched appetites of the extreme right wing and chosen Cabinet officials whose devotion to the Confederacy is nearly canine in its uncritical affection."

Bush spoke before the NAACP in 2000, during his first run for the presidency, but he did not make another appearance until 2006, during his second term.

Bond has called out Democrats as well, complaining they are too often "not an opposition; they're an amen corner. ... When one party is shameless, the other party cannot afford to be spineless."

"Julian has been very effective," said Mary Frances Berry, former chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. "He came out of a tradition of conflict and advocacy, and has taken on people rather vocally at times.

"Probably, the next person will need to take into account the change in terms of people they're dealing with."

Bond, 70, indicated he was ready to leave the organization in 2008, but stayed on in 2009 as the NAACP celebrated its 100th anniversary.

At the time, there was talk about whether the organization was still relevant in what some observers called a "post-racial" United States. John McWhorter, a linguist and conservative political commentator, spelled it out in a February 2009 column titled, "If the NAACP ceased to exist tomorrow, would it have a significant effect on black America?"

For Bond, the answer was obvious.

"We have for the first time a black man who can open the doors to Air Force One, but we now know his children couldn't go to a pool in Philadelphia," Bond said in July, referring to a decision by a suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, swim club to revoke privileges of a largely minority day care center last year.

"So, as long as this disparity exists, we're not the national association for the advancement of one colored person, we want all colored people to advance," he continued. "And for us

NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as what?

Answer: the favorite to fill the seat left by Bond,

Answer: Vice Chair Roslyn Brock

Summary:
NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as the favorite .
Some question need for NAACP in "post-racial" American .
Bond says group is needed as long as racial disparity exists .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The optimism once held by many Americans has been "beaten out" of them amid a lagging economy, threat of terrorism and two ongoing wars, according to a professor at Emory University.

"All of those things ... have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be," says Patrick Allitt, a British citizen who teaches American history.

Allitt recently wrote about what he describes as "America the miserable" -- the mood swing he has seen in his 30 years in the U.S. -- for The Spectator, a British magazine.

Read the professor's full essay

Allitt spoke with CNN about his perspective. Below is a transcript of that conversation, which has been edited:

CNN: How would you describe the change in America since you first came to America?

Allitt: The change is this: I don't get the same sense of intense self confidence as I used to feel when I first came to America, even though that was a period that's usually remembered as a pretty grim time -- the Jimmy Carter years when there was a lot of stagnation and inflation and a general feeling of malaise. Even so, to me, it seemed incredibly energetic here. People in America worked much, much harder than they did in Britain. They seemed more upbeat. They had faith in progress. And there was this feeling of being intensely wide awake for the first time. But now, I think some of that optimism has been beaten out.

Counter: Why there's reason for optimism

It's been a very tough 10 years since 2001, hasn't it? The attack on the World Trade Center, the growing fear of terrorism, the difficulty of prevailing in the wars, obviously, more recently the recession. All of those things, collectively, have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be.

CNN: Do you attribute it to a change in American mentality or are we exposed to an array of different beliefs through the ever-expanding media landscape?

Allitt: It's certainly true there are far more media than there used to be ... that devote a lot of time to people who are dissatisfied. In other words, if somebody's happy, that isn't news. It's certainly news when they become dissatisfied in some way or they have some kind of problem to deal with. In that sense, I suppose there's an inherent bias in favor of bad news.

But I think it's more than that. I've spent most of the last 30 years in the company of academics, who also tend to be pessimistic people. They tend to have very high ideals for America. When they see it doesn't live up to its ideals, it makes them disappointed and sometimes embittered. So it may be that, if I spent more time with less educated people, I wouldn't have this sense quite so acutely.

I think that's quite possible.

CNN: You write: "The decline of American confidence isn't just a temporary blip on the screen brought on by the recession." Elaborate on that for me.

Allitt: Even before this recession began, I guess it was in October and November 2008 when things really started to go bad. Already by then, I was having a feeling that the general national optimism was less emphatic than it used to be.

In the first five or six years of the last decade, there was this feeling that things were going wrong, particularly that the wars were grinding on interminably and that it was very difficult to prevail. It wasn't the same kind of decisive conflict as World War II where you're fighting against a nation-state and you can clearly detect when you're winning. The dispersal of the enemy and the very shadowy character of terrorism tends to be very depressing to confront. You have to maintain a high degree of vigilance and sometimes you have to take comfort in thinking what's extraordinary is what didn't happen; there wasn't another major attack.

That doesn't feel like a victory.

What is the name of the British professor?

What is the mood like according to Allitt?

what does Patrick Allitt say about u.s. optimism?

Answer: Patrick Allitt,

Answer: miserable"

Answer: have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be,"

Summary:
British professor recently wrote about what he calls "America the miserable"
Patrick Allitt says U.S. optimism has been "beaten out" of country in recent years .
Allitt says mood is like "Avatar," which showed Americans to be "greedy and incredibly violent"


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Tiger Woods has changed his cell phone number and is not talking to some of his famous friends, NBA legend Charles Barkley said, following Woods' sex scandal that erupted last month. Barkley and filmmaker Spike Lee talked about their concern for the golfer during the taping of a one-hour special -- "With All Due Respect" -- to air Sunday on HLN, a CNN sister network. "I think when you have these fires in your life, as I call them, you need to talk to somebody else who is famous who [has] been through things in their life," Barkley said. "I don't think you can talk about it to your family and friends, because your family and friends, they're not famous." Lee said he had hoped Barkley or retired NBA star Michael Jordan could counsel Woods on how to survive the crisis. "He's insulated," Lee said. "If Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan can't get to him, and those are his boys, then other people are making bad moves." Woods, in a written statement that acknowledged "my infidelity," announced last week that he is taking "an indefinite break" from professional golf. The 33-year-old golfer, who tops the sport's world rankings, has been mired in controversy since he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion in late November. The crash prompted authorities to cite him for careless driving and fine him $164.

What did filmmaker say about Tiger Woods?

What famous friends does tiger woods have?

What caused Charles Barkley to know Tiger Woods?

Answer: "He's insulated,"

Answer: taking "an indefinite break"

Answer: Charles Barkley

Answer: sex scandal

Answer: Tiger Woods has changed his cell phone number and is not talking to some of

Answer: Woods,

Answer: Tiger Woods

Answer: Barkley or retired NBA star Michael Jordan could counsel Woods

Summary:
Tiger Woods should lean on his famous friends, NBA legend and filmmaker say .
But Woods has changed his number and isn't talking, Charles Barkley says .
Barkley: "You need to talk to somebody else ... famous who [has] been through things"
Golf star, who acknowledged "infidelity," is taking a break from the sport .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Tiger Woods' comments Friday may become the most scrutinized apology in history, fodder for dinner tables and Internet chat rooms alike: Was he genuine? Was it a PR stunt? Can he do anything to restore people's faith in him?

The biggest knock on golf's biggest star is that it took him three months to utter any words publicly about his infidelity and then did so in a controlled environment. That's a no-no, according to apology etiquette.

"If you have to take time to say 'sorry,' you're not being authentic. We don't need extra time to rationalize whether we're sorry or not," said Glenn Llopis, the founder of the Center for Innovation & Humanity, a California-based think tank.

It seems everyone is apologizing for everything these days. In February alone, there has been a bevy of "I'm sorries," from a tearful John Mayer for his use of the n-word to Toyota's top boss for the automaker's repeated shortcomings.

But do apologies still carry weight, or does the flood of mea culpas dilute their meaning?

Lauren Bloom, a business ethics expert and the author of "The Art of the Apology," says, "It's never too late to say 'I'm sorry.'

"But saying 'I'm sorry' in a tightly controlled environment," she says, "makes it look more and more like an exercise in 'let's check the box and do what my PR people tell me to do.' "

Woods delivered his apology in front of a small hand-picked crowd that was not allowed to ask questions. "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated," he said. "I am the only person to blame."

Read full story about Woods' apology

How would Bloom rate Woods' authenticity?

"I thought he was very authentic," she said, adding with a laugh, "He was most authentic when he was attacking the media."

"But I think he was very sincere. I think he had a very tough thing to say today, and he sucked it up and did well."

Bloom has six essentials to an effective apology: Say sorry sincerely; take responsibility; make amends; express appreciation to fans and friends who have stuck by you; listen to the people affected by your actions; and do better next time.

"He did pretty well. He checked all the boxes," she said. "We now have got to see changed behavior. ... I hope he follows through on it. I think America would love to welcome him back."

Watch Tiger Woods' apology

Bloom says the importance of an apology shouldn't be overlooked. There was a time, she says, when people viewed apologizing for your actions as weak. That perception has since changed, because Americans now recognize that people are inherently flawed.

"Folks are starting to wake up to that," she said. "Most of the time, people are ready to forgive and forget."

Who has given an effective public apology? She says actor Hugh Grant, who hit the talk show circuit immediately after his infamous encounter with a prostitute in 1995.

A bad apology? John Edwards, according to Bloom.

"Serial apologies," she says, "they never work."

In his apology, Woods said that he had undergone 45 days of in-patient treatment and that he would return to therapy Saturday.

"I have a long way to go, but I've taken my first steps," Woods said. "I need to regain my balance and be centered."

Therapist Gregory Jantz, who has treated sex addiction for 25 years, says relapse is common. His Seattle-based facility has seen only a 5 percent "full recovery" of addicts.

"This is not a go-into-rehab-and-be-finished type of addiction."

An apology is important

What did the ethicist say about apologies

Answer: "It's never too late to

Answer: "It's never too late to

Answer: Friday

Answer: "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated,"

Answer: "Serial apologies,"

Answer: "It's never too late to

Answer: Tiger Woods'

Answer: "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated,"

Summary:
"If you have to take time to say 'sorry,' you're not being authentic," ethicist says .
Tiger Woods' apology the latest "I'm sorry" in February .
Society needs apologies, but "serial apologies ... never work," business ethics expert says .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Turn back time, more than 90 years, to a cold case that won't gather dust. It's a classic whodunit, starting with the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl and ending in a lynching. It was grist for a prosecutor's political aspirations, a case that was appealed all the way to the country's highest court and a story hotly debated in the national press. At the center of it all was Leo Frank, a northern Jew who'd moved to Atlanta to supervise the National Pencil Company factory. When the body of Mary Phagan, a white child laborer, was found in the basement, law enforcement homed in on Frank. He was tried and convicted, based on what most historians say was the perjured testimony of a black man, and sentenced to death. But when the governor commuted his sentence in 1915, about 25 men abducted Frank, 31, from the state prison and hung him from a tree in Marietta, Georgia. Considered one of the most sensational trials of the early 20th century, the Frank case seemed to press every hot-button issue of the time: North vs. South, black vs. white, Jew vs. Christian, industrial vs. agrarian. In the years since, it has inspired numerous books and films, TV programs, plays, musicals and songs. It has fueled legal discussions, spawned a traveling exhibition and driven public forums. Who murdered Mary Phagan? What forces were behind the lynching of Frank? Why should we still care? Answers to these questions, or theories, keep coming. "Leo Frank was not a good ole Southern boy. He was different and not ashamed of being different," said Ben Loeterman, whose new documentary, "The People v. Leo Frank," will air Monday on PBS. "The test of us as a society is not necessarily how we treat the best among us but how we treat the most questionable." Mixed in with ongoing analysis of the Phagan-Frank story are the descendants of those involved, people who learned of their connections differently and carry these legacies forward in unique ways. The accused "The story goes that no one in my family talked about it," said Cathee Smithline, a 62-year-old great-niece of Frank. Frank was the one who handed Mary Phagan her check when she stopped by the factory on April 26, 1913, Confederate Memorial Day. The night watchman, Newt Lee, would find the body and call police early the next day. Smithline, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, was 16 when she first heard about the case. Her mother sat her down, told her a story about what a man in the South had been through, said it was based on her uncle and handed over a book: "A Little Girl is Dead." It turns out Smithline's mother got the news in her teens, too, when her boyfriend turned to her after seeing "They Won't Forget," a 1937 Hollywood film. "You know that's about your uncle," he said. She'd grown up hearing Uncle Leo died of pneumonia, and after asking family about it, the truth was revealed, followed by the words, "We will never talk about this again," Smithline said. "I think it was a family embarrassment," she said. "My grandmother [who died when Smithline was 1] was very close to her brother. It cannot be easy to tell someone your brother was lynched and why." The first victim Mary Phagan Kean was 13 when the story hit her. She was in a South Carolina classroom, and her name stopped short a teacher taking attendance. "Mary Phagan, you say?" she recalled the teacher asking, peering up from his list. He wanted to know if she was related to a girl with that name who died in 1913. Confidently, she told him she wasn't. But the boys on the playground taunted her anyway, telling her she was reincarnated from a dead girl

When was Phagan murdered?
Who was convicted of her murder
Who was murdered in 1913?
What year was Mary Phagan's murder
Who was convicted?
What hot buttons did the case hit

Answer: April 26, 1913,

Answer: Leo Frank,

Answer: Mary Phagan

Answer: 1913,

Answer: Leo Frank,

Answer: North vs. South, black vs. white, Jew vs. Christian, industrial vs. agrarian.

Summary:
Mary Phagan's murder in 1913 spawned an Atlanta trial that's still talked about today .
Leo Frank was convicted, later lynched by mob of respected community leaders .
Case hit hot buttons: North vs. South; Jew vs. Christian; black vs. white .
Story continues through new books, films and descendants from all sides .


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Want to boost your spending power? Try giving your wallet a break by shopping at a dollar store. Americans have embraced the four leading chains -- Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and the 99¢ Only store -- in droves during the recession. This year, Dollar General's sales were up almost 10 percent quarter-over-quarter, and they're opening 450 new stores, according to The New York Times. Dollar Tree, meanwhile, planned to open 235 new stores this year. And Family Dollar's early 2009 numbers pointed to sales being up 6.5 percent year-over-year. But despite the booming sales, Consumer Reports' Money Adviser has taken a close look at this hot retail segment and found that not everything is a deal. Before I tell you what they say to stock up on and what to pass on, I want to clarify something. There are important distinctions to note among the chains. Dollar General and Family Dollar both price the majority of their items at $1, but they also offer some merchandise at higher price points. Dollar Tree and the 99¢ Only chain are the only true dollar stores where everything is $1, with no exceptions. So what did Consumer Reports find? Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles, paper bags, composition notebooks, plastic cups, security envelopes, napkins, foam plates and tissue paper are among the best deals. Yet they advised against buying jewelry (too much lead content), electrical products (possibly fake UL labels), medication (expired products) and vitamins (probably not to be from reputable sellers) at any dollar stores. Now, I've routinely bought medication like ibuprofen at dollar stores and have not found it to be past expiration date. Of course, some would argue that I can get a better deal on ibuprofen at a warehouse club. But unless you're in constant pain, who can use all those 12 million pills in the bulk container before they expire?! The research that Consumer Reports did reminded me of a similar report in Good Housekeeping several years ago. At that time, the women's magazine compared four knockoff products from the dollar stores versus four brand name products purchased elsewhere. The products included generic glass cleaner, body lotion, dishwashing liquid and detergent. The brand name products were Windex, Lubriderm, Dawn and Tide, and they proved to better than their generic counterparts. For example, a teaspoon of Dawn washed 19 dishes, while a teaspoon of the dollar brand washed only six! As for the detergent, the dollar brand failed to wash out a mustard stain that Tide did. So the message is, let the buyer beware at the dollar stores. Certainly, there are some deals to be had, but you've got to be picky.

What has recession done for dollar stores?

what has boosted spending at dollar store?

Do some dollar stores have expensive items?

Answer: generic counterparts.

Answer: sales were up almost 10 percent quarter-over-quarter,

Answer: dollar store.

Answer: the recession.

Answer: at a dollar store.

Answer: Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles, paper bags, composition notebooks, plastic cups, security envelopes, napkins, foam plates and tissue paper

Answer: they also offer

Summary:
Recession has boosted spending at dollar stores .
Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles among the best deals .
Not all dollar stores are equal; some have more expensive items .
Some knockoff products from dollar stores failed tests against brand names .


Austin, Texas (CNN) -- A man accused of flying a small plane into an Austin building housing an Internal Revenue Service office last week was one of two people killed in the incident, Texas authorities confirmed Monday.

The man who authorities say was the pilot, Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III of Austin, and Vernon Hunter of Cedar Park have been identified as the two people killed Thursday, according to the Travis County medical examiner's office.

Both men died from blunt force injuries, said Sarah Scott, chief administrative officer for the medical examiner.

Authorities say that on Thursday, Stack flew a single-engine plane into a seven-story building that held offices for nearly 200 IRS workers. Two other people were hospitalized.

Hunter and his wife, Valerie, worked at the IRS office in the building, his brother Harold L. Jackson told CNN affiliate WAAY. Hunter spent the past 15 years as a collections agent and previously served 22 years in the Army.

Jackson said Hunter was the youngest of five brothers. Hunter was adopted as an infant and kept his birth name into adulthood.

"We called ourselves the Jackson Five, the other Jackson Five," Jackson said.

Agents were looking into whether the seats of the plane were removed to accommodate a fuel drum in an effort to cause maximum damage, an official familiar with the investigation said Friday.

The official, who could not speak on the record because of the ongoing investigation, said that the Piper Cherokee PA-28 had several seats removed and that a fuel drum was missing from the airport where authorities say Stack took off.

The single-engine plane has a fuel tank capacity of 38 gallons and is equipped with four seats, according to the Web site risingup.com.

Authorities say Stack also torched his $230,000 home in Austin on Thursday morning before embarking on his fatal flight.

A 3,000-word message on a Web site registered to Stack railed against the government, particularly the IRS.

Read the apparent suicide note (PDF)

"I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different," the online message says. "I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."

Stack's wife, Sheryl Stack, expressed her "sincere sympathy to the victims and their families" in a statement read by family friend Rayford Walker on Friday.

Friends and former colleagues have said they had no inkling of the rage apparently building inside Stack.

"He hid that very well," said Billy Eli, in whose band Stack played bass until a few years ago. "Obviously, he was in some serious distress and had some real despair. I never saw that."

Where did the victim work where the crash happened?

Who set his home on fire before his flight?

Who flew a single-engine plane into a seven-story building?

Answer: blunt force injuries,

Answer: blunt force injuries,

Answer: IRS

Answer: Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III

Answer: blunt force injuries,

Answer: Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III

Answer: single-engine

Summary:
Victim worked in IRS office in building where crash happened, WAAY reports .
Both men died from blunt force injuries, medical examiner's office says .
Authorities: Andrew Joseph Stack III flew single-engine plane into seven-story building .
Stack set his home on fire before his flight, authorities say .