(CNN) -- The Northwest braced for blizzards Friday night while cities from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Boston, Massachusetts, were cleaning up after a major storm delayed air travel and created havoc on the ground. A commuter waits at a Detroit, Michigan, bus stop Friday morning. "This is essentially the reincarnation of the same storm that brought the heavy snow to parts of California, southern Nevada and northern Arizona," Steve Corfidi, lead forecaster with the weather service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, told CNNRadio. Icy roads created from storms this week paralyzed much of the greater Seattle, Washington, area, where schools were closed and bus routes were suspended Friday as roads were too icy to navigate. Two charter buses carrying 80 people that collided and skidded off a road were pulled to safety, CNN affiliate KOMO reported. The buses crashed through a metal railing and hung precariously over Interstate 5 for several hours before tow trucks pulled them back on the road, KOMO reported. "We hit it and everyone is in shock for a minute, and [the driver] says 'go to the back of the bus.' And people threw each other out the windows," passenger Tamera Vasquez told KOMO. Saturday was expected to bring heavy snows in Washington, damaging winds and power outages to a region still recovering from storms earlier in the week. Hurricane-force winds are possible in the eastern foothills of Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties. Further west, several inches of snow are possible in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Everett metro area Saturday afternoon. Toward the Olympic Mountains, they could be measuring new snowfall in feet. Flights at most airports in the Midwest and Northeast were up and running after experiencing delays as long as three hours throughout the day. But storm warnings and watches remained in effect for most of region. Corfidi said the storm is expected to maintain intensity into Saturday, continuing east and "spreading a swath of very heavy snow and freezing rain" into Pennsylvania and New York. "There could easily be up to a foot of snow over parts of Illinois, northern Indiana, perhaps into parts of Michigan and southern Wisconsin, eastward into parts of New York and Pennsylvania," Corfidi said. In Milwaukee, snowfall closed the airport for several hours and cut into local business hours for retail shops during the busiest shopping season of the year. Malls and shopping centers in Milwaukee, Glendale, Wauwatosa and Greendale opened later than usual, dealing another blow to retailers already struggling with a severe economic downturn. To compensate, some stores in the area, including Kohl's, Boston Store, J.C. Penney and Macy's are staying open until midnight on some days, the Journal-Sentinel Online reported. "The snow has me concerned," Southridge Mall manager Mary Wenger told the newspaper. Another four to seven inches of snow is expected over the weekend. In New Hampshire, still reeling from an ice storm last week, crews worked feverishly to restore electricity service to more than 30,000 customers remaining in the dark, CNN affiliate WMUR-TV in Manchester reported. Southern New Hampshire could get 10 new inches of snow before midnight Friday, WMUR said. Elsewhere, police in Buffalo, New York, shut down the city's Skyway highway because of winds and snow, CNN affiliate WGRZ-TV reported. Western New York had several inches of snow on the ground by noon, the station reported. To the north in Ontario, Canada, southbound Highway 400 was shut down outside Toronto after an multivehicle accident in near whiteout conditions, CNN affiliate CTV reported. "Lots of blowing snow. Visibility is next to nothing," CTV senior cameraman Tom Podolec reported from the scene. Ontario Provincial Police reported 70 accidents in less than five hours Friday morning. The system should move quickly, Corfidi said. It was not shaping up as an extraordinary event, he said. "It is December, and winter storms certainly raise their ugly heads this time of year," Corfidi said.

What vehicles were rescued by tow trucks?

How much snow is expected between Illinois and New York?

What weather is anticipated in Washington?

Which city can expect hurricane strength winds?

How much snow is expected from Illinios to New York?

Answer: Two charter buses

Answer: expected to bring heavy snows in

Answer: up to a foot

Answer: 10 new inches

Answer: heavy snows

Answer: Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties.

Answer: Two charter

Answer: a foot of

Answer: Two charter buses

Summary:
NEW: Tow trucks pull two buses to safety after they skidded off road .
NEW: Blizzards, hurricane strength winds anticipated in Washington .
NEW: Snowfall cuts into shopping hours for retailers struggling with downturn .
Up to a foot of snow is expected from Illinois to New York .


(CNN) -- The Obama administration announced this week it is sending hundreds of federal agents and crime-fighting equipment to the Mexican border to try to make sure violence from Mexican drug cartels doesn't spill over into the U.S. Author John Gibler says the "war on drugs" approach with Mexico policy has been an absolute failure. John Gibler, author of "Mexico Unconquered: Chronicles of Power and Revolt," appeared Friday on CNN's "American Morning" to talk about U.S. border security efforts. Following is a transcript of his conversation with CNN's John Roberts:  John Roberts: You spent so much time along the border area there, going back and forth. The last three years, you've been down there pretty intensely. What is the situation like? John Gibler: Right now, in Ciudad Juarez, as you probably know, more than 7,500 army soldiers have arrived in the city and actually taken over the municipal police force. And that has obviously dampened the amount of incredible violence related to drug trafficking in the city, but fears on the ground are that simply the warring cartels packed up and left town for the time being or [have] gone underground while the army is out in the streets, and that they will be back. Meanwhile, the army is doing all of the municipal police force jobs, so they're effectively writing traffic tickets and driving around in cop cars. Roberts: All right, so you know that earlier this week, Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, announced this $700 million program, put more border agents and more [Drug Enforcement Administration] agents on the border along with some high-tech surveillance equipment to try to combat the war on drugs there. How effective do you think that plan will be? Gibler: Sadly, I do not think it will be effective. We're talking about a $30 billion a year industry just moving the drugs across the border. That is way too powerful for three more helicopters or 400 more border agents to really try and address. I think it is a deeply embedded social and economic problem that will have to be addressed with social and economic policy.  Watch Gibler give his views on U.S. security efforts » Roberts: So the president has reserved this idea of putting some troops down on the border there. I know that Gov. Rick Perry in Texas says that he wants to put 1,000 along the border. However, there in El Paso, where you are this morning, the mayor says, "Whoa, we don't need any troops. Things are great here." Who's right? Gibler: Well, really, the mayor is right in a sense. If you look at 2008, 1,600 people were assassinated in Ciudad Juarez, and there were about 15 homicides that same year in El Paso. So, this whole idea of the violence spilling over is really, I think, kind of malformed or a bit sensationalizing the violence in Mexico, which is very real but the violence already exists in the United States, even though there isn't a national kind of political understanding or consciousness, if you will, about how that violence is related to drug trafficking and drug distribution. amFIX: Can the US win the war on drugs? Roberts: You know, we had Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron earlier this week. And he was talking about this idea of legalizing all drugs as a way to combat the drug war there in Mexico. What do you think of that idea? Gibler: I think it's time to consider all options, and I think it's evident -- more than evident that the "war on drugs" approach has been an absolute failure. It hasn't in any way stopped the amount of drugs being consumed in the United States or the drugs flowing over the border or the violence related to the illegal drug-trafficking industry. ... It's not that radical of a proposal. Even The Economist magazine led with an editorial about a week and a half ago about legislating or regulating drugs. Three former presidents of Latin American countries,

Have they been successful US efforts against drugs in Mexico?

What does Gibler say about legalizing drugs?

What are needed to battle Mexico's drug problems?

What is too powerful for U.S. border efforts?

In what country does Gibler want drug legalization?

Answer: "Mexico Unconquered: Chronicles of Power and Revolt,"

Answer: an absolute failure.

Answer: Author

Answer: I think it's time to consider all options, and I think it's evident

Answer: federal agents

Answer: $30 billion a year industry just moving the drugs across the

Answer: Mexico

Summary:
Mexico's huge drug industry is too powerful for U.S. border efforts, John Gibler says .
Author says social, economic policies are needed to battle Mexico's drug problems .
It's time to consider legalizing drugs, Gibler says .


(CNN) -- The Obama administration has unveiled a government "app store" designed to push the federal bureaucracy into the era of cloud computing. The Obama administration is pushing for the government to use cloud-computing technologies. The change means some federal employees will begin using services like YouTube, Gmail and WordPress, which store data on private Internet servers instead of on those paid for with public money. The process will start small but will ramp up quickly, Vivek Kundra, the U.S. chief information officer, said in a blog post on Tuesday. "Our policies lag behind new trends, causing unnecessary restrictions on the use of new technology," Kundra writes in the post on WhiteHouse.gov. "We are dedicated to addressing these barriers and to improving the way government leverages new technology." The app store is designed for federal employees doing official government business and is not intended for use by the public. Also on Tuesday, Google announced the creation of a "government cloud," in which public data will be stored on Google computer servers by 2010. According to a Google blog post, this dedicated space will serve the needs of federal, state and local governments. With "cloud computing," users access applications that exist online instead of on their computers' hard drives. Both projects are designed to save the government money and to give government employees access to tools sometimes used in the private sector. The measures fall in line with the Obama administration's efforts to get the federal government up to speed with the latest technologies. Kundra wrote that the cost savings could be significant. The federal government spends $75 billion per year on data storage and other information technology costs, he wrote. A video on the new app store Web site also says government servers that host government Web sites and infrastructure often waste energy and money because they duplicate the efforts of the private sector. The app store, which is online at apps.gov, is essentially a compilation of Web programs, tools and services available to some government employees. A social media page, for instance, explains the possible uses of Web sites like YouTube, TwitVid and Flickr. People using the site have to log in and submit requests for approval before gaining access. Many of the applications, such as those mentioned, are free. Other business software in the government app store requires payment. "With more rapid access to innovative IT solutions, agencies can spend less time and taxpayer dollars on procedural items and focus more on using technology to achieve their missions," writes Kundra. Ben Parr, associate editor at the social media blog Mashable, said it's smart for the government to turn to third-party tech companies that know their stuff better than federal bureaucrats. "I'm a fan of it, because in most circumstances government is inefficient and this is a big way to really bring government up to speed in terms of computing," he said. "There are a lot of places where the government is far behind." Some privacy experts are concerned about the fact that some public data could end up on private-run computer servers, however. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said people are required to submit information to the government and their data should be protected. "We're not against the cloud computing model but there are real concerns here, both about privacy and security online," he said. He questioned whether Google, for example, would be able to use keywords from heath records to push pharmaceutical company ads at the American public. The details of government agreements about cloud computing need to be more public to ensure proper encryption techniques are taken and privacy laws are upheld, he said. "I think it might make people wonder why government data is being commercialized in this way," he said. Parr said most government data is public anyway. "So I definitely don't expect to see the CIA posting private documents on Scribd," he said, referring to the site where people can publish documents and other writing.

who would the app store be for?
what has Google also announced?
What does the site offer?

Answer: federal employees doing official government business

Answer: creation of a "government cloud," in which public data will be stored on

Answer: a compilation of Web programs, tools and services

Summary:
The "app store" would be for federal workers doing government business .
The site, at apps.gov, seeks to offer and explain cloud computing programs .
The administration says such programs could save the government money .
Google also announces a "government cloud" where public data may be stored .


(CNN) -- The Obama administration said Iran has been "saber-rattling" over its threat to block the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and renewed its vow Thursday to keep the corridor open.

But the Islamic republic's military underscored its intention Thursday to undertake whatever military maneuvers it sees fit on the waterway.

This is the latest in the recent war of words between the United States and Iran over the strait.

It started when Tehran's vice president this week warned that the country could block the strait if sanctions are imposed on its exports of crude oil. The U.S. Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain countered that "any disruption will not be tolerated."

The shipping channel leads in and out of the Persian Gulf between Iran on one coast and Oman and the United Arab Emirates on the other. It is strategically important because tankers carrying oil travel through it.

An Obama administration official, speaking on background because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the government has been "committed to Gulf security for decades and it should come as no surprise to anyone that we'll do what we must to ensure the strait remains open."

Iranian Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami, deputy commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said his country "asks for no other country's permission for the implementation of its defense strategies," state-run Press TV reported on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said, "Iran has total control over the strategic water way," adding that, "Closing the Strait of Hormuz is very easy for Iranian naval forces." The vice president, Mohammad Reza Rahimi, issued his threat on Tuesday.

"Iran has repeatedly warned that in the event of a military attack on the country, it will not hesitate in taking all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty one of which would be to close the strategic oil passage," Press TV said in its report.

The administration official stressed that "the saber-rattling is really all on the Iranian side."

Iran has been holding a 10-day military exercise in an area from the eastern part of the strait out into the Arabian Sea. Western diplomats describe the maneuvers as further evidence of Iran's volatile behavior.

France, Britain and Germany have proposed sanctions to punish Iran's lack of cooperation on its nuclear program. Western powers believe Iran is intent on building nuclear weapons, but Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Physically closing the strait would require means that likely are not available to Iran, said Professor Jean-Paul Rodrigue of Hofstra University.

"At best, Iran can posture and potentially disrupt traffic for a short duration," said Rodrigue, who specializes in global trade and maritime transportation issues.

Rodrigue told CNN that any move by Iran to close the strait would be "suicidal" to the current regime.

In 2009, 15 million barrels of oil passed through the strait every day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

"Keep in mind that countries such as China and Japan are more dependent on Persian Gulf oil than the United States," the professor said.

About 18% of U.S. net petroleum imports come from the Persian Gulf region, while Canada provides 25%, according to Rodrigue.

The scholar, who has written extensively about oil "chokepoints," said there are no other means to move large quantities of oil over long distance than by maritime transportation.

"It is thus an international issue where the United States, for strategic and historical reasons, is spearheading its security," Rodrigue said.

CNN's Phil Gast and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.

What are the sanctions to do with?
What does the official say?
What will the US do?
what did iran say about its defense
Who wants tougher sanctions on Iran?
Which country is mentioned?

Answer: exports of crude oil.

Answer: "committed to Gulf security for decades and it should come as no surprise to anyone that we'll do

Answer: we must to ensure the strait remains open."

Answer: strategies,"

Answer: France, Britain and Germany

Answer: Iran

Summary:
The U.S. will do "what we must" to keep the strait open, official says .
Iran says it will do what it sees fit for its defense .
Europe wants tougher sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program .


(CNN) -- The Obama administration vastly underestimated the tens of thousands of barrels of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, despite contrary information from scientists using better methodologies, a report from a national panel investigating the response said Wednesday.

And, the report said, the White House Office of Management and Budget squelched higher worst-case estimates once government officials accepted them, preventing the public from hearing them.

The staff also sharply criticized later White House estimates that 75 percent of the oil had been scooped up, burned or naturally dispersed, saying an operational tool -- known as the oil budget -- used by responders failed to accurately account for biodegradation and was not peer-reviewed by scientists.

The working paper from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling looked at the government's response to the April 20 explosion that triggered the spill, and whether it accurately and appropriately conveyed information to the public. The explosion claimed 11 lives and led to thousands of barrels of oil being spewed into the Gulf daily for almost three months.

"By initially underestimating the amount of oil flow and then, at the end of the summer, appearing to underestimate the amount of oil remaining in the Gulf, the federal government created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people about the scope of the problem," said Wednesday's report.

Federal officials have stated that the low flow-rate estimates did not negatively affect their operations to stop the oil spill.

"Even if responders are correct, however, loss of the public's trust during a disaster is not an incidental public relations problem," the 29-page report said. "The absence of trust fuels public fears, and those fears in turn can cause major harm, whether because the public loses confidence in the federal government's assurances that beaches or seafood are safe, or because the government's lack of credibility makes it harder to build relationships ... that are necessary for effective response actions."

The report issued Wednesday is considered a working paper. The commission will issue a formal report January 12, 2011.

The president appointed the commission in June and tasked it to provide recommendations on how to prevent future spills and mitigate the impact of any that do occur. The commission is headed by former Florida governor and former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator William K. Reilly.

Government officials, reacting to the report, said the response was "in full force and immediate" and that the government adequately warned the public of worst-case spill scenarios.

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, said BP won't be able to escape liability.

"Low balling the flow rate numbers was BP's attempt to hide both the truth and their wallet from the American people," Markey said.

After the oil rig sank, the U.S. Coast Guard and BP initially put the spill at 1,000 barrels per day.

The administration later derived a 5,000-barrels-per-day estimate, depending on an "unsolicited, one-page document" based on visual operation of the speed at which the oil was leaking from the end of the riser at the bottom of the Gulf.

Despite "inaccuracies" in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist's estimate of 5,000 barrels, the government stuck with that number through May 27, despite estimates from outside experts suggesting a much higher figure, the report said.

The panel's staff wrote that in some cases, nongovernment scientists relied on more refined or better-established methodologies.

"It is possible that the early official flow estimates would have been more accurate if the government had either enlisted greater in-house scientific expertise, or enlisted outside scientific expertise by making available the data on which government estimates were based," the report said. "The government appears to have taken an overly casual approach to the calculation and release of the 5,000 barrels a day estimate -- which as the only official estimate for most of May, took on great importance

Answer: April 20

Summary:
NEW: Government officials says response since April mitigated problems .
Panel's staff said the government response undermined public trust .
Report indicates the White House office refused to air worst-case figures .
The April 20 explosion claimed 11 lives, resulted in millions of barrels of oil going into Gulf .


(CNN) -- The Okavango Delta is one of earth's remote places; it is not easy to get to, and it is quite wild. Independent travel there is not for the inexperienced or the faint-hearted.

There are few roads and those that exist are difficult to drive and navigate and subject to flooding and other hazards; communications are spotty at best and locations are distantly apart.

Winning and losing on Botswana's Okavango Delta

The vast majority of tourists fly into camps in the delta, many from the town of Maun, which is easily reached by scheduled airlines from Botswana's capital, Gaborone (Air Botswana), from Johannesburg, South Africa (South African Airways), from Windhoek, Namibia (Air Namibia), and from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. From Maun, a host of bush plane companies fly tourists to the camps and reserves, most of which, including Kwara, are privately owned and operated.

Most tourists make their arrangements through organized tour companies, and there is no shortage of tour operators in southern Africa who can arrange an all-inclusive visit. More resourceful travelers can save money by making their own arrangements using the Internet to identify individual camps, and arranging transportation and accommodations directly through them. The camps vary from luxury suites to basic pup tents, and prices reflect the differences.

Kwara Camp is mid- to upper range, offering heavy canvas tents on wood platforms with full beds and in-tent plumbed bathrooms, full board and a host of activities, including overland Jeep safaris, dugout canoe trips and motorboat journeys that are included in the basic price.

Less expensive camps, such as Oddballs Camp, feature simple pup tents on platforms, but can be hundreds of dollars less expensive. Some camps are fenced to keep animals out at night, while others such as Kwara are not (if the sound of a two-ton elephant or hippopotamus tramping through the bushes right outside your window unnerves you, you might want to opt for a fenced camp).

Botswana is deliberately expensive, as the government wishes to limit the number of tourists who visit Okavango to lessen environmental impact. Rates during high season (July-October) can be twice as high as during low season (November-June). Try going during low season, just before or after high season, to maximize wildlife viewing but minimize cost.

For most upscale camps, plan on US $900-$1,600 per person, per night in high season, and a low of about $700 in low season. For mid-range camps, plan on about $700-$950 in high season, as low as $350 in low season. For basic camps, looks for rates as low as $340 per person, per night in high season and $240 in low season. Most rates are all-inclusive, including lodging, food and all safaris and other activities. Tourists on tighter budgets might want to consider camps in South Africa, although they tend to be less wild and more tourist-populated.

Large animals including lion, zebra, hippopotamus, wildebeest, elephant and others are abundant in the Delta, and while it is thrilling to see them, tourists must always remember, this is not a zoo. The animals are wild. But as long as visitors follow a few simple rules, there is little danger.

what is difficult to access; most tourists arrive by bush plane?

where did  plan on about $700-$950 per person, per night in high season?

what did plan on about $700-$950 per person?

What kind of camp accommodations are there?

Answer: the government

Answer: Okavango Delta

Answer: $700-$950 in high season, as low as $350 in low season.

Answer: mid-range camps,

Answer: For mid-range camps,

Answer: Okavango Delta

Answer: from luxury suites to basic pup tents,

Summary:
The Okavango Delta is difficult to access; most tourists arrive by bush plane .
Camp accommodations range from luxury suites to basic pup tents .
For mid-range camps, plan on about $700-$950 per person, per night in high season .


(CNN) -- The Pentagon has revolutionized warfare during the past decade, making unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, a staple of modern combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. A USAF technician at Creech Air Force Base, checks Hellfire missile attachments on a Predator. Remotely-controlled drones, such as the Predator and the Reaper, have allowed the U.S. military to spy on and attack enemy combatants without putting their own forces at risk, thereby making UAVs a must-have. "The real advantage of unmanned aerial systems is they allow you to project power without projecting vulnerability," says USAF Lt. Gen. David Deptula at the Pentagon.   But as USAF commanders try to provide enough pilots to take charge of drones, many are considering another aspect of the warfare revolution -- the psychological impact on those controlling the vehicles. As Dr. Kory Cornum, a USAF colonel, explains: "Whereas we have thousands of years of data on what it's like to go to war really, we only have a few years of data on what it's like to go to war virtually. And so we don't have really enough data." Pilots are now dealing with something never experienced before -- a rapid transition from intense combat to home comfort, often in less than an hour. Some describe it as a version of post-traumatic stress disorder, often more associated with soldiers directly in harm's way. Peter Singer, an adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign team and author of "Wired for War," described one encounter with a frustrated non-commissioned officer. "She actually banged the table, saying: 'No one is paying attention to this issue of PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] among my men and women, no one's paying attention to it," Singer says. "And she talked about a scene where they were flying a drone above a set of U.S. soldiers that were killed and the drone was unarmed at the time and they couldn't do anything about it. They just circled above and they watched U.S. soldiers die in front of them."  Watch the debate about the impact of UAVs on pilots » USAF fighter pilots like Major Morgan Andrews remotely control drones from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. Less than an hour after targeting he'll be back in suburban Las Vegas, his drive home more physically dangerous than the combat mission he has just undertaken. Commanders at Creech say that if there is stress, it comes from relentless around-the-clock shift work. Andrews says that like any good pilot he has learned to compartmentalize his life, using his commute to and from work to transition. "I think about work, I think about what happened," Andrews explains, "what I could've done better, anything I maybe did wrong that I could've done differently, how could I do it better next time. I just kind of go through it and usually, by the time I get home, I've sorted it all through my mind and stick it away in a file and go on with life." For Andrews, fighting from Nevada more than outweighs the drawbacks of long overseas deployments, allowing him to enjoy life at home with his family and friends. Cornum adds that the drive home is more of a blessing than anyone realized. "It does give you some amount of time, as opposed to if you lived on base and you could literally walk out of war and into your house," he says. "I don't know if 30 minutes is enough. But it gives you time to decompress." But conducting remote warfare, as Cornum explains, brings with it stress that vary from those usually experienced by troops. "The big difference is that when you are actually deployed, you are with all your battle buddies who are experiencing the thing 24/7. Whereas when you go home, you go home to your family, to your neighbors, who are not in the battle all the time. And that's good and bad."

What does robotic warfare allow pilots to do?

In what time can pilots transition from battlefield to home?

What are military experts now looking at?

What allows pilots to control armed vehicles?

Answer: project power without projecting vulnerability,"

Answer: less than an hour.

Answer: it's like to go to war virtually.

Answer: spy on and attack enemy combatants without putting their own forces at risk,

Answer: unmanned aerial systems

Summary:
Robotic warfare allows pilots to control armed vehicles without risk to themselves .
Military experts are now looking at the psychological impact this may have on pilots .
Pilots now transition from battlefield to home environment in less than an hour .
Some pilots welcome operating from the U.S. rather than being deployed overseas .


(CNN) -- The Pentagon on Wednesday identified two U.S. soldiers who disappeared in Afghanistan this month, announcing the death of one of the men and saying that the whereabouts of the other remain unknown. Both soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division disappeared in the Morghab River near Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan on November 4. The Pentagon announced the death of Army Sgt. Benjamin Sherman, 21, of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Army Sgt. Brandon Islip, 23, remains missing. Islip is from Richmond, Virginia. Both men were on a resupply mission when they disappeared, the Pentagon said. Last week, military divers found Sherman's body. Family members said he jumped into the river when he saw a fellow soldier struggling in the water. "I know, that day, he jumped into the river to try to save his comrade was because he didn't just see another soldier in the water; he saw his brother," Sherman's sister, Meredith, said in a statement to CNN affiliate WCVB in Boston, Massachusetts. "He didn't jump in because he was trained to but because that's what his heart told him to do."

Family said he did what after seeing fellow solider struggle?

Two sergeants disappeared near which border?

Answer: military divers

Answer: Sherman's body.

Answer: members said he jumped into the river when he saw a fellow soldier struggling in the water.

Answer: two U.S. soldiers

Answer: in the Morghab River near Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan

Answer: Sherman's body.

Answer: jumped into the river

Answer: Afghanistan's

Summary:
Two sergeants disappeared near border with Turkmenistan this month .
Divers found body of one last week .
Family said he jumped into river after seeing fellow soldier struggle .


(CNN) -- The Philadelphia Eagles welcomed Michael Vick back into the National Football League on Friday after the quarterback spent almost two years in federal prison on a felony dogfighting conviction. Michael Vick speaks at a Philadelphia Eagles news  conference on Friday. Vick, formerly with the Atlanta Falcons, has signed a two-year deal with the Eagles. "I think everybody deserves a second chance," Vick said at a news conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday. "Now I want to be part of the solution and not the problem." The league suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia. Vick, 29, was freed from federal prison at Leavenworth, Kansas, on May 20 and returned to his Virginia home to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement. iReport.com: Is this a good move? "Everything that happened at that point in my life was wrong," Vick said of his involvement with the dogfighting ring.  Watch bloggers discuss Vick's return to the NFL » "I had to reach a turning point. Prison definitely did it for me," he said. Flanked by Eagles coach Andy Reid and former NFL coach Tony Dungy, who acted as a mentor to Vick after he was imprisoned, the newest Eagle vowed "to do all the right things." "I want to be an ambassador to the NFL and the community," he said. "I'm glad I got ... a second chance. I won't disappoint." Dungy said that he thinks Vick can revive his career and turn his life around in Philadelphia but that the quarterback will be tested by fickle Eagles fans. "He is gonna have a lot of people who do not think he should be playing. He's got to prove them wrong on the field and off the field," Dungy said.  Watch why Dungy thinks Vick will be a positive force » Earlier reaction to Vick's signing was mixed. The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Thursday night in a statement that it was "incredibly disappointed" at the news. "Philadelphia is a city of dog lovers and, most particularly, pit bull lovers," said Susan Cosby, the organization's chief executive officer. "To root for someone who participated in the hanging, drowning, electrocution and shooting of dogs will be impossible for many, no matter how much we would all like to see the Eagles go all the way." However, Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said in a statement that "[NFL] Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Philadelphia Eagles have granted Michael Vick a second chance, and the ASPCA expects Mr. Vick to express remorse for his actions, as well as display more compassion and sound judgment this time around than he did during his previous tenure with the NFL. "We hope that Mr. Vick uses his stature for the betterment of the community and the advancement of the issue of animal cruelty," Sayres said. Reid said he knows that there are some fans who will not accept Vick. "I understand how that works," he said. "But there's enough of them that will, and then it's up to Michael to prove that that change has taken place. I think he's there. That's what he wants to do." He said Vick "seems very focused, and he wants to get his career back on track." It is unclear what role Vick will play in the Eagles' offense. But it was clear that the move had the blessing of Eagles starting quarterback Donovan McNabb. "I pretty much lobbied to get him here," McNabb said. "Because everybody deserves a second chance." The NFL reinstated Vick on a conditional basis last month. Vick "will be considered for full reinstatement and to play in regular-season games by Week 6 based on the progress

When did Vick plead guilty in dogfighting case

Answer: August 2007

Answer: National Football League

Answer: felony dogfighting conviction.

Answer: August 2007

Answer: Vick

Answer: Andy Reid

Answer: in regular-season games by Week 6

Summary:
Philadelphia Eagles introduce Michael Vick at news conference .
Eagles head coach Andy Reid: I know some fans won't accept Vick .
NFL suspended Vick in 2007 after he pleaded guilty in dogfighting case .
Vick won't be able to play in regular season games until October .


(CNN) -- The Philippine Commission on Elections approved fraud charges Friday against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and several other former officials, state media reported.

Arroyo is charged in connection with the alleged manipulation of results during 2007 Senate elections, according to the Philippines News Agency.

The former president has denied any wrongdoing.

Arroyo was stopped from leaving the country Tuesday as she was trying to board a plane at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport, hours after the country's Supreme Court overruled government-imposed restrictions on her travels. The Supreme Court again Friday rejected the government's travel ban, saying she was free to leave as long as she posted a bond and met other requirements, said Jose Midas Marquez, a court spokesman

Arroyo was reportedly boarding the flight to seek medical treatment abroad for her bone disease diagnosed earlier this year, following three unsuccessful spinal operations in the Philippines. She arrived at the airport in an ambulance and was transported to the departure gate in a wheelchair while wearing a neck brace.

Arroyo's lawyer, Raul Lambino, said the former first couple was "subjected to indignity and embarrassment at the airport," calling the government's defiance of the Supreme Court order "abhorrent and in violation of the rights of the individual guaranteed by the (Philippine's) constitution and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda described the situation as "all high drama," according to media reports. "They (the Arroyos) want the public to sympathize with them," he added.

He said that while the Arroyo couple would be treated with dignity, the government would be "firm in our decision not to allow them to leave the country." Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, is also accused of corruption.

The Supreme Court, which is mostly staffed by judges hired under Arroyo, defied current President Benigno Aquino's state mandate of investigating allegations of corruption during Arroyo's 2001-2010 presidential term.

CNN's Karen Smith and Journalist Winona Cueva contributed to this report

Who is accused of manipulating 2007 electives?

when did overrules government-imposed travel restrictions on Arroyo?

Who is accused of manipulating the elections?

Answer: President

Answer: restrictions

Answer: government-imposed restrictions on her travels.

Answer: Tuesday

Answer: 2007

Answer: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and several other former officials,

Answer: The former president

Answer: former President

Summary:
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is accused of manipulating 2007 elections .
The former president denies any wrongdoing .
The Supreme Court overrules government-imposed travel restrictions on Arroyo .


(CNN) -- The Philippine House of Representatives and Senate were meeting Monday to debate the imposition of martial law in the country's south by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the aftermath of last month's massacre of 57 civilians. As required by law, the president issued a report Sunday explaining her reasons for making the proclamation for the province of Maguindanao. "Lawless elements have taken up arms and committed public uprising against the duly constituted government and against the people of Maguindanao," Arroyo said in a 20-page letter to the leaders of the House and Senate. Martial law went into effect Friday night, allowing arrests without a warrant. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said it was necessary to impose peace following what has been called a politically motivated massacre. He added that Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days. The House and Senate might jointly convene on Tuesday to discuss the president's report, House Speaker Prospero Nograles said Sunday, according to the Philippine News Agency. The debate began as elite forces of the Philippine National Police clashed in the town of Datu Unsay with suspected followers of the politically powerful Ampatuan family, which has been implicated in the massacre, the Philippine News Agency reported Monday. Reports said the armed men offered stiff resistance on Sunday against government security forces in a 10-minute firefight, withdrawing after government reinforcements arrived. No casualties were reported on either side. Charges of rebellion will be leveled against many of those arrested since martial law was implemented, Philippine Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Saturday, CNN affiliate ABS-CBN reported. At least six members of the Ampatuan family have been arrested, including Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., according to ABS-CBN. Ampatuan, whose father is governor of Maguindanao, has been accused of directing the killings and has been charged with 25 counts of murder. One of the massacre victims implicated members of the Ampatuan family before she died, the affiliate reported. Over the weekend, authorities raided at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to the family. They confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindinao command, told CNN. The military was looking at arresting at least 100 people tied to the massacre, ABS-CBN reported. The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well, Brawner said. Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings, Cabangbang said authorities "were trying to build a case, a tight case" against suspects. "But it is taking long to build a case, so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects, and allowed us to search, even without warrant. So we really need this declaration of state of martial law." Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the country. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

Who outlined the reasons for martial law?

Answer: At least six members of the Ampatuan family

Answer: Philippine House of Representatives and Senate

Answer: raided at least one warehouse and ranch

Answer: Maguindanao.

Answer: her reasons for making the proclamation

Answer: at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to the family.

Answer: "Lawless elements have taken up arms and committed public uprising against the duly constituted government and against the people of Maguindanao,"

Summary:
Arroyo outlines reasons for martial law declaration in 20-page letter .
Report: House, Senate might jointly convene Tuesday, House Speaker says .
At least six members of Ampatuan family arrested, ABS-CBN reports .
Authorities raid at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to family .


(CNN) -- The Philippine government said Tuesday that fresh rain in Visayas and Mindanao could set off flash floods and landslides, bringing the potential for more misery in places already struggling to recover from a deadly tropical storm.

Eastern Luzon will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain, while the rest of the island will have mostly cloudy skies with light rain, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) predicted.

On Tuesday, the national government offered a new death toll -- 1,453 -- then revised it again based on a count by Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The lower count means the death toll from the storm that lashed the southern Philippines more than a week remained unchanged from Monday: 1,249.

The bodies of people swept out to sea by flash floods from the storm have washed up on nearby beaches and islands, Maj. Reynaldo Balido, the military assistant for operations at the Office of Civil Defense, said Monday.

The authorities have enlisted the help of local fishermen to help the continuing search and rescue efforts for the scores of people who remain missing, Balido said by telephone from the island of Mindanao, the scene of the worst devastation. He added that the fishermen volunteered, since many of them had lost friends and relatives in the disaster.

The unusually heavy rains of Tropical Storm Washi, which churned across the southern Philippines between December 16 and 18, resulted in landslides and flash floods that swept away whole villages. The authorities have had to carry out mass burials in order to deal with the large numbers of dead.

"I've gone through many disasters but this one is the worst as some of the survivors have lost so many family members," said Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross.

"Some have lost as many as 30 relatives," he said in comments posted recently on the organization's website.

The number of people injured as a result of the storm has more than doubled to 4,594 from 1,979 at the weekend, according to the NDRRMC putting more pressure on already stretched relief agencies

The United Nations said last week that the storm has created "huge" humanitarian needs in the region. It has made an appeal to raise $28 million to deal with the immediate problems, with tens of thousands of people displaced in and around the port cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

Many people are lacking food, shelter and clean drinking water, the United Nations said.

"We have also established make-shift camps and relief centers for victims in local schools in the area, but because schools are opening on January 3, we are looking to find them more permanent shelter," Benito Ramos, head of the NDRRMC, said.

The storm, known locally as Sendong, has affected more than 700,000 people in the region, the NDRRMC estimated Tuesday.

President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines has declared a state of national calamity following the storm.

CNN's Jethro Mullen and Aliza Kassim contributed to this report.

Where are flash floods and landslides possible?

Flash floods and landslides are possible in Mindanao and where else?

What did the government do based on a regional count?

The U.N. has made an appeal to raise how much?

How much money does the U.N. appeal to raise?

The government revises the death toll, based on what?

Answer: Visayas

Answer: $28 million

Answer: death toll

Answer: Visayas

Answer: offered a new death toll

Answer: a count by Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Answer: $28 million

Answer: $28 million

Answer: count by Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Summary:
NEW: The government revises the death toll, based on a regional count .
Flash floods and landslides are possible in Mindanao and Visayas .
The U.N. has made an appeal to raise $28 million to deal with the 'huge' humanitarian needs .


(CNN) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins have won the Stanley Cup for a third time after a pair of second-period goals by Max Talbot gave them a narrow 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in the deciding game of the best-of-seven series. The Penguins celebrate with the Stanley Cup after claiming a narrow game seven victory at Detroit. Talbot opened the scoring early in the second period and added a second on a two-on-one break midway through the session to help the Penguins to avenge their defeat to the Red Wings in last year's finals. Jonathan Ericsson pulled a goal back for the home side with just over six minutes remaining in the game but Detroit were unable to prevent Pittsburgh from becoming the first team in 38 years to claim the Stanley Cup with a game seven victory on the road. The Penguins, who last won the title in 1992, were depriving the Red Wings of becoming the first team since Detriot themselves (in 1998) to retain the Stanley Cup. "We're going to enjoy this one. We're going to sit back and relish the moment. We're going to get our names on the Cup, and we'll get our day with it," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma told their official Web site. The result proved a difficult pill to swallow for Red Wings winger Marian Hossa. Last summer, the Slovakian turned down a lucrative long-term contract with the Penguins, thought to be worth in the region of $50 million, to sign a one-year $7.5m deal with Detroit -- thinking they had a better chance of hoisting the Stanley Cup. However, he failed to score once in the finals and cast a lonely figure watching his former team-mates lift the trophy.

Who lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the deciding game of the best-of-seven series

How many times have the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup?

What was the score of the deciding game?

When was the last time the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed the trophy?

Answer: Detroit Red Wings

Answer: Max Talbot

Answer: Detroit Red Wings

Answer: third

Answer: 2-1

Answer: 1992,

Answer: Max Talbot

Answer: Stanley Cup

Summary:
The Pittsburgh Penguins secure Stanley Cup for the third time in their history .
Penguins beat Detriot Red Wings 2-1 in deciding game of best-of-seven series .
Two Max Talbot goals ensures Penguins claim trophy for first time since 1992 .


(CNN) -- The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), a body which represents soccer players in England and Wales, has sent ex-professionals a guide on how to handle mental health issues following the death of Wales manager Gary Speed.

Speed, who made over 500 appearances in the English Premier League during a 22-year playing career, was found dead at his home on Sunday, sending British football into mourning.

Although it is not known whether Speed was struggling with depression or any mental health issues, the PFA, which is linked to a similar body in Scotland, has taken the step of making "The Footballers' Guidebook" available to 50,000 former players.

The guide, which includes comic strip style drawings and case studies from former players, was sent to current players in July.

"Whether you're a king, a prince or a pauper, or a top sports star or the man in the street -- everybody is a human being and can have issues that they need help with," PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor told CNN.

The issue of depression in football was highlighted by the death of German national team goalkeeper Robert Enke, who took his own life in 2009 after a long struggle with the illness.

"The PFA are going to do even more work to try and make sure that people know they can turn to somebody in such times," explained Taylor. "We've got to do all we can."

"The death of Gary is so devastating , we've got to do all we can to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Speed represented Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers in England's top flight, before dropping into the second tier to play for, and later manage, Sheffield United.

The former midfielder is the most-capped outfield player in Welsh history, having played for his country on 85 occasions. As a manager, Speed guided Wales to 45th in the world rankings, their highest position.

A minutes applause will be held before all of this weekend's English Premier League matches in honor of Speed.

What was unclear about the death of speed

How many members were sent advice on coping with mental illness?

Answer: struggling with depression or any mental health issues,

Answer: Gary Speed.

Answer: 50,000

Answer: Gary Speed.

Answer: July.

Answer: 50,000

Summary:
The PFA have sent 50,000 members advice on coping with mental illness .
The decision comes in the wake of Wales' manager Gary Speed's recent death .
It is unclear whether Speed was experiencing depression or any mental illness .
The guide was issued to current professional players in July .


(CNN) -- The Queen of the Blues is dead. Koko Taylor performs in Spain in 2005. Her last performance was in May of this year. Koko Taylor, a West Tennessee sharecropper's daughter who went to Chicago, Illinois, with "35 cents and a box of Ritz Crackers" at 24 and wound up an award-winning blues legend, died Wednesday at her Chicago home at 80. She died of complications from a May 19 surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding, her Web site reported. Just days before the surgery, Taylor won her 29th Blues Music Award, picking up the trophy for Traditional Female Blues Artist Of the Year. She performed her signature song, "Wang Dang Doodle," at the ceremony. Known for her powerful vocals, Taylor was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1997, won the Blues Foundation Lifetime Achievement Ward in 1999 and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship in 2004. She also won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1985 for her album "Queen of the Blues." Taylor was born Cora Walton and picked up the nickname "Koko" because of her love of chocolate as a child. She also displayed a love of singing from an early age. She and her future husband, the late Robert "Pops" Taylor, traveled to Chicago in 1952, where Pops Taylor worked for a packing company while Koko Taylor cleaned houses. By night, the two roamed Chicago's blues clubs, where Koko Taylor sat in with top bands and was soon a popular guest artist. But it took 10 years for Koko Taylor to record on her own, after Willie Dixon got her signed to Chess Records and produced several singles, including "Wang Dang Doodle." Taylor landed a permanent home with Alligator Records when Chess was sold in 1975. Her final performance was the May 7 blues award show, but earlier in the year she performed at the Kennedy Center Honors program honoring actor Morgan Freeman. Throughout her lengthy career, she shared the stage with nearly every blues performer imaginable, from Junior Wells and B.B. King to Taj Mahal and Muddy Waters. She was a strong influence to later performers, including Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin. Survivors include Taylor's husband, Hays Harris, daughter Joyce Threatt, son-in-law Lee Threatt, grandchildren Lee Jr. and Wendy, and three great-grandchildren.

when Taylor dies at Chicago home of complications from?

Answer: gastrointestinal bleeding,

Answer: Queen of the Blues

Answer: Spain

Answer: blues award show,

Answer: died Wednesday

Answer: also won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album

Summary:
Taylor dies at Chicago home of complications from May 19 surgery .
Her final performance was a May 7 blues award show .
She sang her signature song, "Wang Dang Doodle," at the ceremony .
Taylor won Grammy in 1985 for her album "Queen of the Blues"


(CNN) -- The Rancho Bernardo Inn, a San Diego luxury resort, is offering rooms for $19 a night. But there's a catch -- you have to sleep in a tent and bring your own toilet paper. "For $19 a night, a customer gets a shell with a tent inside," says Rancho Bernardo Inn's John Gates. The declining economy has taken a toll on the Rancho Bernardo, a 200,000 acre luxury resort which has three pools, a golf course, three restaurants and a spa that was named No. 1 by Conde Nast in 2008. "During a brainstorming session, we were talking about discounts and promotions and wanted to come up with something different than the same promotions and discounts," said Rancho Bernardo general manager John Gates. "We wanted to do something fun and clever. It's a way of making the best of these bad economic times and trying to give customers an experience." Rancho Bernardo's "Survivor Package" starts at $219 per night, but customers are allowed to customize and pick their price point. Guests can lower the cost by opting to give up breakfast and other luxury items, including toiletries. "For $19 a night, a customer gets a shell with a tent inside," said Gates. The bed, lighting, bed sheets, towels and toilet paper are all removed. "We ran a similar promotion in June which was very popular. About 100 people took the offer." Gates said he has received several phone calls, and 50 customers have already booked a reservation at the $19 price. The promotion will run from August 16 to 31. And don't forget your toilet paper and toothpaste!

Who is the general manager?
How much is the package?
What is the promotion?
Whats the manager of the resort called?
What did John gates say?
What was named number 1 by Conde Naste?
How much doe s it cost to stay there?

Answer: John Gates.

Answer: $219 per night,

Answer: "For $19 a night, a customer gets a shell with a tent inside,"

Answer: John Gates.

Answer: "For $19 a night, a customer gets a shell with a tent inside,"

Answer: Rancho Bernardo,

Answer: $19 a night.

Summary:
Rancho Bernardo Inn, a luxury resort, was named No. 1 by Conde Nast in '08 .
"We wanted to do something fun and clever," general manager John Gates says .
The San Diego resort's "Survivor Package" starts at $219 per night .
Fifty customers have already booked the promotion, which runs August 16 to 31 .


(CNN) -- The Red River at Fargo, North Dakota, reached "major flood stage" early Wednesday as the National Guard and a small army of volunteers filled sandbags to keep the waters at bay.

"Everybody is just focused on battling it once again, and they're doing it with smiles on their faces," said Staff Sgt. Amy Wieser Willson of the North Dakota National Guard.

The river rose to a record 40.8 feet at Fargo in 2009. As of about 7 a.m. Wednesday (8 a.m. ET), the river stood at 30.34 feet, 12 feet above the flood stage of 18 feet and past major flood stage. Floodwaters are forecast to peak at 38 feet this weekend.

Are you there? Send photos, video to CNN iReport

"Major flood stage" is a term the National Weather Service uses to describe flooding causing "extensive inundation of structures and roads" and possibly the "significant evacuations of people and the transfer of property to higher elevations."

"[It's] very stressful for a lot of people, especially after seeing how much damage and how long the flood fight went on last year," Willson said. About 300 people were helping on the sandbag lines as the community raced to fill 1 million of them.

See local coverage of the flooding

Torrey Callies spent a couple of days helping shield his Fargo neighborhood from the rising waters.

"We're making some good headway here," he said at midday Wednesday, as volunteers finished a sandbag dike. The sandbag levee is meant to hold back what's known locally as Meadow Creek, which branches off from the rising Wild Rice River.

"Everybody that lives here went through it last year, so everybody is well-schooled in how to do this," Callies said.

Still, "there's not the sense of deathly emergency that there was last year," he said.

At least 150 volunteers -- most of them high school and college students -- helped in the neighborhood Tuesday, Callies said.

"God bless 'em for showing up, because without volunteer help, we'd never get this done," said Callies, 44, who owns a collection agency with his brother. "In my book, that's a pretty cool thing to do."

The mess it makes of back muscles and backyards is worth it, he said.

"You want to keep your house dry, and that's the main thing," Callies said. "The grass will grow back."

"It's tough because it's awful work and it's hard on the back and it's stressful, but what do you do? You just suck it up and start throwing sandbags."

Last week, warm weather and rain melted snow south of Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, causing the Red River to swell. Upstream, snow and ice have yet to melt, pushing water back toward the two cities.

Meanwhile, along the Eastern Seaboard, utility crews made steady progress restoring electricity after a powerful nor'easter whipped the region over the weekend.

About 125,000 customers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut remained without power early Wednesday.

"We know how difficult this is for our customers, and we appreciate their patience," said John Miksad of Con Edison. "With each reconnection, we focus on restoring the greatest numbers of customers possible."

The outages were due mostly to power lines downed by Saturday's hurricane-force winds, which knocked over trees and utility poles. At least seven deaths were attributed to the storm, five caused by falling trees, authorities said.

CNN's Jim Kavanagh, Sean Morris and Ed Payne and CNN Radio's Michelle Wright and Richard Benson contributed to this report.

what River rises 12 feet above flood stage at Fargo?

Answer: About 125,000 customers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut

Answer: Red

Answer: helping on the sandbag lines

Answer: Red

Summary:
NEW: River rises 12 feet above flood stage at Fargo, North Dakota .
NEW: About 300 workers scurry to fill 1 million sandbags to hold off waters .
Red River expected to peak at 38 feet this weekend .
About 125,000 customers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut still without power .


(CNN) -- The Renault Formula One team have commenced legal proceedings against former driver Nelson Piquet Junior over allegations made by the Brazilian that he was asked by the team to deliberately crash his car in last year's Singapore Grand Prix. Renault boss Flavio Briatore has issued a statement confirming legal proceddings against Nelson Piquet Jr. It has been claimed that Renault boss, Flavio Briatore, in order to maximize the chances of Fernando Alonso winning the 2008 race, planned the crash of teammate Piquet Jr. Renault have hit back against the allegations concerning the event made by Piquet Jr in an official statement on their Web site. "Managing Director Flavio Briatore personally wish[es] to state criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior [have commenced] in France concerning the making of false allegations," the statement read. The statement added the three-times former world champion and his son had also attempted to "blackmail the team" into allowing Piquet Jr to continue to drive until the end of the 2009 season. Renault, who dismissed Piquet Jr as their driver in August, confirmed they have referred the matter to the British police. The French car constructor face being thrown out of Formula One if the allegations are proved by an investigation being conducted by the governing body of world motorsport, the FIA. The team will go before the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in Paris on September 21 to hear the findings of the probe. Double world champion Alonso won the race -- the first for Renault in two years -- despite starting from 15th on the grid. Intriguingly, Renault ran a light fuel load on Alonso's car -- thereby increasing the driver's speed. Just two laps after Alonso came in early to take on more fuel, Piquet's crash forced the deployment of the safety car and the subsequent pit stop of nearly all other drivers, an action that promoted Alonso to fifth from where he went onto to secure victory. Piquet attributed the crash to a simple error at the time. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently warned "there is going to be a lot of trouble" if the allegations are found to be true. The FIA proved with the spygate saga only circumstantial evidence is required for them to impose strict penalties. On that occasion they fined McLaren $80 million for breaching the same article that is now now faced by Renault.

What is  Flavio Briatore accusing the driver of?

Who is taking legal action against Nelson Piquet Jr?

Who did Renault commence legal battle with?

Who won the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008?

Answer: to deliberately crash his car in last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Answer: September 21

Answer: Renault Formula One team

Answer: Piquet Junior

Answer: Fernando Alonso

Answer: Flavio Briatore

Summary:
Renault commence legal action against Nelson Piquet Jr over race-fixing claim .
Team boss Flavio Briatore also accuses driver of "blackmailing" Renault .
Allegations refer to Fernando Alonso's 2008 Singapore Grand Prix victory .
Renault to face findings of FIA investigation into incident on September 21 .


(CNN) -- The Republican National Convention is kicking off in full force Tuesday in the Twin Cities -- the first time the GOP has held a presidential convention there since 1892. Laura Bush and Cindy McCain speak at a shortened first day of the Republican National Convention Monday. The convention, delayed briefly when  Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast, is also being held later in the year than any nominating convention in history. Check out these tidbits of convention history and political trivia. Location The Republican National Convention is being held in the Xcel Energy Center, the home of the National Hockey League team the Minnesota Wild. To prepare the Xcel center for the GOP convention, workers removed 3,000 seats and installed more than 25 miles of cable Sen. Barack Obama gave his first speech as the Democrats' presumptive 2008 presidential nominee at the Xcel Center on June 3. The Twin Cities and Denver have each received $50 million each in federal funds for convention security. No Republican since Richard Nixon has carried Minnesota in a presidential general election -- the longest Democratic streak of any state in the nation. The Delegates About 2,300 delegates and 2,200 alternates delegates are expected to journey to the twin cities for the event, and the Minneapolis/St. Paul economy is expected to benefit to the tune of $150 to $160 million. The Candidates, past and present John McCain turned 72 last week; if elected, he'll be the oldest president sworn in to a first term. Two GOP presidential nominees were older than McCain; Ronald Reagan was 73 in 1984 when he was running for his second term and Bob Dole was 73 in 1996. Dole lost that election to Bill Clinton. John McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam from 1967 to 1973; his service awards include the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit and a Purple Heart. McCain's father and grandfather were both U.S. Navy admirals; they were the first father and son to achieve that rank. McCain represented Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1987; he has served in the U.S. Senate since 1987. McCain was the presidential nominating speaker in 1996 for Sen. Robert Dole. McCain clinched the Republican presidential nomination on March 4 after winning 26 primary season contests. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the second woman to serve on a major party ticket -- in 1984 Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to serve on a major party ticket. Palin is the first woman to serve as Alaska governor; she was elected in 2006, winning the election to the governorship as a maverick reformer willing to distance herself from the Republican Party. McCain first met Palin at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington in February of 2008. Conventions National political conventions were covered on radio for the first time in 1924, and covered on television for the first time since 1948. 2008 marks the fourth time the parties have held back-to-back conventions; it also happened in 1912, 1916 and 1956. The longest convention in history was the 1924 Democratic convention in New York -- It lasted 17 days. The shortest convention in history was the 1872 Democratic convention in Baltimore -- it only lasted six hours.

When was McCain the presidential nominating speaker?

Who will be the oldest president if elected?

How many times have the parties held back to back conventions?

If McCain is elected he'll be the oldest what?

2008 marks the fourth time what has happened involving parties?

What state did Nixon carry that many Republicans could not?

Who was the last Republican to carry Minnesota?

Who would potentially be the oldest president to be in his first term?

Answer: in 1996 for Sen. Robert Dole.

Answer: John McCain

Answer: the fourth

Answer: president sworn in to a first term.

Answer: have held back-to-back conventions;

Answer: Minnesota

Answer: Richard Nixon

Answer: fourth time the parties have held back-to-back conventions;

Answer: Sen. Robert Dole.

Answer: John McCain

Summary:
McCain was the presidential nominating speaker in 1996 for Sen. Robert Dole .
2008 marks the fourth time the parties have held back-to-back conventions .
No Republican since Nixon has carried Minnesota in a presidential general election .
If McCain is elected he'll be the oldest president sworn in to a first term .


(CNN) -- The Rev. Billy Graham, the 88-year-old legendary Christian evangelist, was hospitalized in North Carolina early Saturday for evaluation and treatment of intestinal bleeding. Evangelist Billy Graham speaks at the Billy Graham Library dedication on May 31, 2007, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was admitted to the Mission Health and Hospitals in Asheville, North Carolina, near his home in Montreat, and is listed in fair condition, a hospital spokesman said in a written statement. "Mr. Graham's physicians said the illness does not appear to be life-threatening, as Mr. Graham's condition had stabilized over the hours following admission and treatment. "An upper endoscopy and a bleeding scan showed no areas of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. The physicians say the bleeding may have come from diverticuli, small pouches that can form in the lower intestine. These may become irritated and bleed. A diverticular bleed often begins suddenly and may stop on its own." Graham's wife, Ruth Bell Graham, died in June. E-mail to a friend

who is in fair condition?
What did the physicians say?
What hospital was he admitted to?
Graham is how old?
where was he admitted?

Answer: Rev. Billy Graham,

Answer: the illness does not appear to be life-threatening, as Mr. Graham's condition had stabilized over the hours following admission and treatment.

Answer: Mission Health

Answer: 88-year-old

Answer: the Mission Health and Hospitals in Asheville, North Carolina,

Summary:
Christian evangelist Graham, 88, in fair condition .
Admitted to Mission Health and Hospitals in Asheville, North Carolina .
Physicians say the bleeding may be diverticulitis .


(CNN) -- The Rev. Jeremiah Wright on Monday said the black church, not him, had been subjected to attacks in the 2008 presidential campaign. Speaking before the National Press Club, Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor sought to give insight into the black church and clarify some of his remarks that have sparked a firestorm. Earlier this year, some of Wright's sermons, circulated and widely discussed on the Internet and on television, became an issue in the Democratic presidential race because of the former pastor's ties to Obama. Wright is a retired pastor from the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, where Obama worships. In one sermon, Wright said the U.S. had brought the September 11 attacks upon itself and said "America's chickens are coming home to roost." Asked to explain those remarks, Wright said, "Have you heard the whole sermon? ... No, you haven't heard the whole sermon. That nullifies that question."  Watch as Wright explains his 9/11 comments » Wright said those who heard the entire sermon would have known that he was quoting the ambassador from Iraq and keeping in line with biblical principles. "Jesus said, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic principles," he said.  Watch as Wright questions his critics' patriotism » Wright shot back at the notion that Obama has walked away from him, saying the candidate "distanced himself from some of my remarks. ... He had to distance himself, because he's a politician, from what the media was saying I had said, which was un-American." Obama, when asked what he could do to keep Wright's latest comments from dragging him down, replied: "I think people will understand that I am not perfect and that there are going to be folks in my past like Rev. Wright that may cause them some concern -- but that ultimately, my 20 years of service and the values that I've written about and spoken about and promoted are their values and what they're concerned about. And that's what this camp has been about and what it's going to continue to be about." Wright said sound bites from his sermons were taken out of context and said the black religious tradition, despite its long history, is in some ways "invisible to the dominant culture." The theology of the black church is a "theology of liberation, it is a theology of transformation and it is ultimately a theology of reconciliation," he said. Wright's remarks came a day after he addressed an audience of 10,000 at a dinner sponsored by the Detroit chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  Watch as Wright answers his critics at the NAACP event » Reiterating some of the same points from that dinner, Wright said, "Being different does not mean one is deficient -- it simply means one is different, like snowflakes." Wright said reconciliation means "we embrace our individual rich histories." He said it also means rooting out "any teaching of superiority, inferiority, hatred or prejudice" and recognizing that each person "is one of God's children ... no better, no worse." "Only then will liberation, transformation and reconciliation become realities and cease being ever-elusive ideals," he said. At the height of the Wright controversy, Obama gave a speech on race relations, rejecting his ex-pastor's controversial comments but saying he could not repudiate the man himself. "I'm not here for political reasons," Wright said Sunday. "I am not a politician. I know that fact will surprise many of you because many in the corporate-owned media have made it seem as if I had announced that I'm running for the Oval Office. I am not running for the Oval Office. "I've been running for Jesus a long, long time, and I'm

Who said criticisms come from those who have not heard his whole sermons?

Who seeks to explain theology of black church?

Who seeks to explain the theology of his black church?

What does Obama say that may cause some voters concern?

Who says criticisms come from those who have not heard his whole sermons?

Answer: Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Answer: like Rev. Wright

Answer: Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Answer: Rev. Wright

Answer: "America's chickens are coming home to roost."

Answer: Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Answer: "theology of liberation,

Answer: there are going to be folks in my past like Rev. Wright

Answer: Wright

Summary:
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright seeks to explain theology of black church .
Wright says criticisms come from those who have not heard his whole sermons .
NEW: Obama: "Folks in my past like Rev. Wright" may cause some voters concern .


(CNN) -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson ended a trip to the Ivory Coast on Friday, after he spoke to leaders from the nation's political parties and was honored as a prince by a tribe in the West African nation. Jesse Jackson says ceremony to name him a prince of the Agni people was "very exciting." Jackson said he met with President Laurent Gbagbo and leading members of two opposition parties, Henri Konan Bedie and Alassane Ouattara. Bedie is a former president of the nation and Ouattara is a former prime minister. Jackson said his mission was not to endorse a candidate, "but a process." "I wanted the three of them to agree ... [to] campaign vigorously ... not to create divisive language, to each agree to support the winner, [and] end the [U.N.] sanctions," he said. "I think there's a common agreement on these points. This country has so much to offer the world and Africa." The United Nations imposed sanctions on the nation in 2004, among them, a ban on arms and diamond trades, a travel ban and asset freezes for some individuals. The sanctions, renewed last year, are in effect until October 29. Earlier in Jackson's trip, Amon N'Douffou V, king of the Krindjabo kingdom, named Jackson a prince of the Agni people, news reports said. Jackson said it was a "very exciting ceremony." Jackson's wife, Jacqueline, suffered a broken leg during the trip when a stage she and her husband were on collapsed, Jackson told CNN in a telephone interview. "We had excellent medical care," the pastor said, adding that the collapse was "not the fault of the organizers," but that too many people had gathered on the stage. Official news agency Agence Ivoirienne de Presse reported that the stage collapse occurred in a sports complex in Yopougon, north of Abidjan. A doctor was to accompany them on their Friday night flight back to the United States, Jackson said. The coming elections in the Ivory Coast are being closely watched by U.N. officials. In a July 30 statement, the U.N. Security Council said "any postponement of the elections of 29 November would be inconsistent with a credible process" and with a peace agreement that had followed an armed rebellion in 2002 that had divided the country in two. The Security Council said it would review progress toward elections before October 15. In March, U.S. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said the "United States believes that long-delayed presidential elections are still technically possible in 2009 and calls on all parties to take every step necessary to ensure that credible elections go forward as promised." The statement said more than 5.7 million people had been enrolled as voters on a "preliminary basis."

What are U.N. officials watching closely?

who reportedly names Jackson a prince of the Agni people?

Who did the leader of Krindjabo kingdom reportedly name?

what are being closely watched by U.N. officials?

What did Jackson's wife receive after breaking her leg?

What  group is closely watching the elections?

Answer: President Laurent Gbagbo

Answer: coming elections in the Ivory Coast

Answer: Jackson's wife, Jacqueline,

Answer: Amon N'Douffou V, king of the Krindjabo kingdom,

Answer: too many people had gathered on the

Answer: Rev. Jesse Jackson

Answer: coming elections in the Ivory Coast

Answer: Africa."

Answer: excellent medical care,"

Answer: leg

Answer: Rev. Jesse Jackson

Answer: U.N. officials.

Answer: Ivory Coast

Answer: excellent medical care,"

Answer: Ivory Coast

Answer: of the Agni people

Summary:
Coming elections in the Ivory Coast are being closely watched by U.N. officials .
Jackson meets with president, opposition leaders in trip to West African nation .
Leader of Krindjabo kingdom reportedly names Jackson a prince of the Agni people .
Jackson: Wife received "excellent medical care" after breaking leg in stage collapse .


(CNN) -- The Rev. Rick Warren, often called America's most influential pastor, will be hosting Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain for what's being called the civil forum on the presidency. Rick Warren will be hosting the civil forum on the presidency Warren, who heads up the country's fourth largest church, is also an author whose books have sold more than 30 million copies. The candidates will appear together at Warren's 20,000-member Saddleback mega-church in southern California where they each will be interviewed for an hour. Warren spoke with John Roberts on CNN's American Morning about what he hopes to accomplish at the forum. John Roberts: What do you want to hear from candidates Saturday night? Rick Warren: You know, John, we're going to look at four different segments. One is a segment on leadership. What is the personal character, competence, and experience of each of these guys. One section will be on what I call stewardship -- the role and responsibility of presidency, what they believe about the constitution, the role of America. We're going to look at a section on world view -- all of the minefield questions that no matter how you answer them, somebody's not going to like it. Then we're going to look at America's role internationally. How we've been a blessed nation and how should we bless others. Roberts: Are you going to ask them about issues like abortion and same-sex marriage? Pro-life advocates are hoping you do. There has been some criticism in some corners you have been soft-pedaling political issues that are central to evangelicals. Warren: I think everybody will be surprised. I'm going to ask all of the tough questions. I just intend to ask them in a civil way. This is called a civil forum, which means you can disagree without demonizing the opposition. I think everybody wants to hear questions not just about those "moral issues," but also about a lot of other things, too. I'm trying to stake out a common ground for the common good. Roberts: When you take a look at the evangelical vote in 2004, George Bush captured more than 75 percent of people who identify themselves as either born again or evangelical. Our recent polling, CNN Opinion Research Corporation polls, found when it comes to John McCain, only 67 percent of evangelicals say they'll support him. Are you surprised at the shift? Warren: It's interesting to me. Both of these men have been around for some time. Obama's written two books. Still a lot of people say, I'd like to know the real person. What are they really like? I'm hoping that'll happen in this forum. Evangelicals have never been a monolithic voting base. Never. And the people who try to predict which way they're going to go in this election I think may be surprised after Election Day. You don't really know. I don't know, and I don't think anybody knows. Roberts: As you know, John McCain in 2000 during the primaries ran afoul of evangelicals when he criticized Pat Robinson. He's tried to repair the relationship. Has he gone far enough? Warren: The religious right, fundamentalists and evangelic evangelicals aren't synonyms for each other. I think John may have been talking about certain groups that he was worried about at that time. But he certainly rebuilt bridges among them today. It's just a question of whether they're going to vote on his issues or if they're going to vote on Obama's, and we'll see. Roberts: As for you yourself in the most recent edition of Time magazine on which you're the cover, they've suggested you're evolving into the "superpolitical." Others have suggested you're becoming a spiritual entrepreneur. What do you make of the titles people are ascribing to you? Warren: When you try to line out a middle ground -- common ground for the common good of America -- you get pot shots from both sides

What does the pastor plan to ask candidates?

Whose vote does Rick Warren say may surprise predictions?

What kind of questions will be asked in a civil way?

The forum won't just focus on what kind of issues?

Answer: all of the tough questions.

Answer: all of the tough

Answer: Evangelicals

Answer: tough

Answer: everybody

Answer: "moral issues,"

Answer: Rev. Rick Warren,

Summary:
Those who think they can predict the evangelical vote may be surprised, Rick Warren says .
Pastor plans to ask candidates about America's role internationally .
Warren: Forum won't just focus on "moral issues," but try to find a middle ground .
Tough questions will be asked, but in a civil way, pastor says .


(CNN) -- The Rhode Island school superintendent who last week fired all the teachers and staff from a school whose students were performing poorly said Wednesday she is willing to negotiate now that the union has agreed to support changes. "It is with great excitement that I read the press release from the Central Falls Teachers' Union referencing their proposed comprehensive reform agenda," said Central Falls Schools Superintendent Frances Gallo in a news release. "It so closely mirrors my requests for assurances that I am pleased to reassure the union their place in the planning process. I do so with the belief that everyone has come to understand the meaning of comprehensive school reform." Gallo added the school district will press ahead with its plan for improving Central Falls High School. In a written statement, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said the union was pleased that Gallo has agreed to go back to the table. "The dedicated teachers and staff want nothing more than to continue and improve upon the progress they have made," Weingarten said. "Real, sustainable change will only happen when all stakeholders work together." Gallo's statement came a day after the Central Fall Teachers Union recommended a number of changes, including increasing instructional time for students, enhancing their support and increasing teaching quality. Last week, the school board approved Gallo's plan to discharge 93 people -- classroom teachers, administrators and other personnel -- at the high school. The school is in a low-income area, and many of its students are Latino with English as their second language. The firings, which were to have become effective at the end of the school year, came after the district failed to reach an agreement with the teachers' union on a plan for teachers to spend more time with students to improve test scores. A union spokesman said the firings were drastic and cited a 21 percent rise in reading scores and a 3 percent hike in math scores in the past two years. Another official also pointed to progress at the school. But Rhode Island's Education Commissioner Deborah Gist defended the mass firings, calling them "many years in coming." Gist pointed out that the school's graduation rate is 48 percent, and "only 7 percent of the students are proficient in mathematics." "More than half of the ninth-graders are failing more than two classes, which is an indication that they are frustrated, and what we know about student achievement, when students aren't successful in their class, they're much more likely to drop out of school," Gist said. In remarks Monday to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, President Obama appeared to express support for the firings. "If a school continues to fail its students year after year after year, if it doesn't show signs of improvement, then there's got to be a sense of accountability," he said. "And that's what happened in Rhode Island last week at a chronically troubled school, when just 7 percent of 11th graders passed state math tests -- 7 percent." The AFT said Obama's comments "do not reflect the reality on the ground and completely ignore the teachers' significant commitment to working with others to transform this school."

How many teachers and staffers did she fire?

What percentage of the school's students are proficient in math

At which school were all the teachers sacked

Who is the Rhode Island school superintendent?

Answer: 93

Answer: all the teachers and staff from

Answer: 93 people

Answer: 7 percent

Answer: Central Falls High

Answer: Frances Gallo

Answer: The

Summary:
Rhode Island school superintendent Frances Gallo says she's willing to negotiate .
She fired all 93 teachers and staffers at Central Falls High over academic failures .
Gallo says she'll go back to table now that teachers' union willing to accept changes .
Only 7 percent of the school's students are proficient in math .


(CNN) -- The Saudi lawyer who represented a woman kidnapped and raped by seven men said his license to practice has been reinstated. A protest appeared in India in November against the Saudi sentence. Lawyer and human rights activist Abdul Rahman al-Lahem told CNN's Nic Robertson that the Justice Ministry has reinstated his license. Al-Lahem had previously told CNN that the Saudi judge revoked his license as punishment for speaking to the media about his client's case, which attracted international attention. His client, an engaged teenager, was raped by seven men who found her alone with a man unrelated to her. She has said she was meeting with the man to retrieve a photograph. The attack took place in Qatif in March 2006. The seven rapists were sentenced to two to nine years in prison but she also was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for having violated the kingdom's strict Islamic law by being alone with an unrelated man. The woman's sentence provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabian law. Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. In challenging what he said were his suspension and disbarment, al-Lahem said he had received threats on his life from the religious right. Last month, Minister of Justice Abdallah bin Mohammed al-Sheikh, in a phone call to a Saudi Television newscast, said the lawyer's license had never been revoked. "Such decisions are made through institutions in the kingdom," he said. "The punishment of the lawyer or any lawyer does not come from a reaction; it comes from a carefully examined procedure within a special council in the ministry." He said the council charged with deciding law license revocations had not issued any decisions in the case. E-mail to a friend

Who's  license to practice is reinstated

What caused   Al-Lahem license to be  revoked?

Who was the rape victim convicted of being with?

Who was convicted of being alone with an unrelated man?

What did the Saudi Minister say about his license?

What caused the rape victim to be convicted?

Answer: Abdul Rahman al-Lahem

Answer: his client's case,

Answer: the lawyer's license had never been revoked.

Answer: Abdul Rahman al-Lahem

Answer: Abdul Rahman al-Lahem

Answer: as punishment for speaking

Answer: Abdul Rahman al-Lahem

Answer: an unrelated man.

Answer: an engaged teenager,

Answer: had never been revoked.

Answer: Islamic law

Summary:
Saudi lawyer Abdul Rahman al-Lahem says his license to practice is reinstated .
Al-Lahem says license revoked because he publicized rape victim's conviction .
Saudi minister last month denied license was ever revoked .
Rape victim was convicted of being alone with an unrelated man .


(CNN) -- The Scottish Rugby Union has appointed Andy Robinson, formerly coach of bitter rivals England, as the new national team boss. Andy Robinson will be seeking to revive the fortunes of Scotland's struggling rugby side. The 45-year-old won eight caps as a flanker for England, and was assistant coach in Clive Woodward's 2003 World Cup-winning set-up before taking over for an ill-fated reign himself in 2004, winning just nine of 22 matches. Robinson returned to top-class coaching with Celtic League team Edinburgh in 2007, and has sufficiently impressed Scottish officials in the 20 months since then to win favor as the replacement for Frank Hadden. He had been part of Hadden's backroom staff, and had already been chosen to coach Scotland A this summer. Hadden resigned on April 2 after Scotland again struggled in the Six Nations, finishing second from bottom with just one win from five outings. Robinson was delighted to be given the chance to return to the international stage. "With the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011, I believe we have a crop of players who can really challenge the world's best, and preparation for that starts now," he told the SRU Web site. "I'm looking forward to leading Scotland A into the IRB Nations Cup in Romania next week and thereafter preparing for our Autumn Tests at Murrayfield against Fiji, Australia and Argentina." Robinson is believed to have headed off the likes of South Africa's World Cup-winning coach Jake White and former Australia boss Eddie Jones for the job. Former Scotland captain and British and Irish Lion Gordon Bulloch was part of the interview panel that determined the appointment. "Andy was the outstanding candidate from a quite exceptional shortlist which underlines the allure of coaching the Scotland team," he told the SRU's Web site. "I know from having had the privilege of his coaching and guidance on Lions tours that he is passionate about his rugby, is a skilled communicator and has values and an ethos which are absolutely at one with developing a winning Scotland team." Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie said he was confident Robinson would prove to be successful. "Andy has proved himself at every level of the game and we are thrilled that he will now be leading the Scotland team as we look towards the challenges of the next three years, including the 2011 World Cup," McKie said. "He has been part of the Scottish Rugby family for the past two years and has brought success both to Edinburgh Rugby, with their highest ever Magners League finish in successive seasons, and has also guided the Scotland A team to notable successes."

The 45-year-old has played for and coached?

Who is the new coach of Scotland's national rugby team

Answer: Celtic League team Edinburgh

Answer: Andy Robinson,

Answer: new national team boss.

Answer: Frank Hadden.

Answer: England,

Answer: national team boss.

Answer: Scottish Rugby Union

Answer: Frank Hadden.

Answer: England,

Answer: Hadden

Answer: the new national team boss.

Answer: 45-year-old

Answer: 45-year-old

Answer: Andy Robinson,

Summary:
Andy Robinson appointed new coach of Scotland's national rugby team .
Robinson replaces Frank Hadden, who resigned in April after poor results .
The 45-year-old has played for and coached England's national side .
He rebuilt his career with Edinburgh after being sacked by England .


(CNN) -- The Scottish woman who became an Internet singing sensation after her performance on a British talent show said Friday she doesn't want fame to change her. Susan Boyle at home with her piano. Susan Boyle, 47, has said she's still the same humble girl next door despite her knockout singing on "Britain's Got Talent." She shocked and inspired the audience, judges, and Web watchers with her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Misérables" in the first round of the show. "I wouldn't want to change myself too much because that would really make things a bit false," she told CNN's "American Morning" on Friday. "I want to receive people as the real me, a real person." Boyle's appearance belied her talent, but in the end it was the very reason she won over the audience. There is speculation TV producers might give Boyle a makeover for the rest of the show, but she refused to say whether she'd accept one. iReport.com: Have you been judged on looks? "I can't make a comment on that," she said. Watch Boyle sing a new song for CNN's Larry King » A clip of Boyle's performance on the talent show had more than 15 million views on YouTube by Friday, and the world's media have beaten a path to her door in Blackburn, Scotland.  Watch Boyle's singing wow the world » While she said she's the same person -- the shy girl who has never been kissed -- it's clear that Boyle's life already is changing. In her home are heaps of fan mail and cards from well-wishers. Throngs of fans have been shrieking at her doorstep begging for her autograph. Boyle said she's still in shock and overwhelmed by her overnight stardom.  Watch how Boyle sees herself » "I'm gobsmacked, absolutely gobsmacked," she told CNN on Friday morning. During an earlier interview with CNN's Atika Shubert, Boyle expressed amazement at people's reaction to her -- "the way everyone seems to have embraced me, the way they seem to have apparently fallen in love with me," she said.  Watch young fans flock to Boyle's home » The singer acknowledged she noticed the initial sniggers when she got onstage for her performance on "Britain's Got Talent." But she said she didn't let it get to her. If nothing else, it fueled her motivation. "I just thought mentally, I'll show them, so I did," she said. "If people are cynical, you try and win them 'round and it worked. It must have been a miracle, but it worked." Boyle still has a long way to go -- having just gotten through to the second round of "Britain's Got Talent" after judge Simon Cowell described her first performance as "extraordinary." If she can make her way through the show's final rounds, she will get to sing for Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Show. Boyle has promised to be on her best behavior if she gets that far. "Whatever comes my way, I am ready. It would be lovely to sing for the queen. There would be less of the carry-on from me and more of the singing. "She is a very regal lady, very nice, so I would be nice, too, and just get up there and give it a bit of wellie [try]," Boyle told the show's Web site. Boyle began singing in school productions at 12. She had private lessons and won local competitions, but a professional career never took hold partly because of circumstances at home. Boyle said she cared for her aging parents, both of whom have died. Thoughts of her mother led Boyle to apply to be on the talent show, she said. "She was my inspiration, and she was the driving force behind my application," Boyle told CNN. "

What unexpected star grabs spotlight with more than 15 million Web views?

Which YouTube sensation credits late mother for inspiration to perform?

Answer: "Britain's Got Talent."

Answer: Susan Boyle,

Answer: A clip of Boyle's performance on the talent show

Answer: Boyle

Answer: Susan Boyle,

Answer: her mother

Answer: "Britain's Got Talent."

Summary:
NEW: YouTube sensation credits late mother for inspiration to perform .
Susan Boyle wowed audience, judges on "Britain's Got Talent"
Boyle says, "I wouldn't want to change myself too much"
Unexpected star grabs spotlight with more than 15 million Web views .