NEW YORK (CNN)  -- When filmmaker Roman Polanski was arrested Saturday in Switzerland, he was on his way to accept an award for Lifetime Achievement at the Zurich Film Festival.

Peers of Roman Polanski have praised him for his talent and lamented his arrest.

Polanski's friend, Swiss filmmaker Otto Weisser, was among the first to publicly run to his defense.

"This is for me a shock. I am ashamed to be Swiss, that the Swiss is doing such a thing to brilliant fantastic genius, that millions and millions of people love his work," Weisser said upon learning the director had been detained by Swiss authorities. "He's a brilliant guy, and he made a little mistake 32 years ago. What a shame for Switzerland."

By Tuesday, more than 130 heavyweights in the movie industry had taken up Polanski's cause.

An online petition has been signed by directors such as Marin Scorsese, Woody Allen and Pedro Almodovar, as well as actors.

Studio chief Harvey Weinstein told CNN in a statement: "We are calling every filmmaker we can to help fix this terrible situation."  Watch a report on celebrities' feelings about Polanski's arrest »

Roman Polanski first stormed Hollywood with his psychological thriller, "Rosemary's Baby," in 1968. He remains one of the most celebrated directors in Hollywood and the world, despite not having set foot in the United States in more than three decades.

"We stand by and await his release and his next masterwork," said Zurich Film Festival Jury President Debra Winger on Monday on behalf of Polanski.

Adrien Brody, who Polanski directed in 2002's "The Pianist," had glowing words when it came to his experience working with Polanski.

"If you have the guidance from someone you admire, like Roman Polanski, who not only is a gifted director and actor, but who knows the subject matter and in my opinion the character that I portray, implicitly, then, it's a huge gift," Brody said.

"I learned a great deal about film and the process," the Academy Award winning actor added. "I spent six weeks without another actor on the set, just Roman and I and a crew -- and that's, that's a dream come true for an actor. I cherished those memories."

"He is sweet and very strong and is very, very demanding, in the tradition of an auteur," said Sigourney Weaver about being directed by Polanski in 1994's "Death and the Maiden."

It's a reputation Polanski's earned and maintained, despite his 1977 guilty plea on a statutory rape charge of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.  Watch the mixed reaction in Switzerland to Polanski's arrest »

The celebrated director fled the United States and settled in France to escape jail, but by the standards of those in Hollywood, the case is ancient history.

"We hope today that this latest order will be dropped," Winger said. "It is based on a three decade old case that is all but dead, except for a minor technicality."

Matthew Belloni, who has has been following the Polanski case for The Hollywood Reporter's  legal blog, said the outpouring of support from the film industry is not surprising.

"It is a criminal conviction of a terrible crime, but it is something that the industry is willing to look the other way on," Belloni said. "If Hollywood really gets to look at itself and judge the personal character of a lot of the artists in the community, there would be a lot of empty seats at the Oscars because a lot of people have personal problems. This sort of is at the extreme level of that."

As Polanski's star rose after his Oscar-winning hit, "Rosemary's Baby," the world got to know the director's back story.

He was the son of Polish Jews whose mother died in a concentration camp even as a young Polanski escaped the Nazis.

Polanski grew up to become a famous director and married

What did the film festival president say?

Who supported Roman Polanski after his arrest?

Answer: "We stand by and await his release and his next masterwork,"

Answer: Peers of Roman Polanski have praised

Answer: "We stand by and await his release and his next masterwork,"

Answer: Switzerland,

Answer: Swiss filmmaker Otto Weisser,

Summary:
Some industry heavy hitters support Roman Polanski after his arrest .
Many in the international film community continue to hail him as a hero .
Polanski has remained a Hollywood insider while living as a fugitive .
Film festival president: "We hope today that this latest order will be dropped"


NEW YORK (CNN) -- "Guiding Light" will go dark in September after 72 years and 16,000 episodes, CBS announced Wednesday. Gina Tognoni is one of many performers who have appeared on "Guiding Light" over the years. The daytime soap opera's declining viewership led to the decision, according to a CBS spokeswoman. The show, which the Guinness Book of World Records lists as the longest-running television drama, first aired on NBC radio in 1937 as a 15-minute serial, the spokeswoman said. It moved to television on the CBS network in 1952. The last episode is set to air on September 18, she said. The show is produced in New York.

When did "Guiding Light" first appear on TV?

Answer: television on the CBS network in 1952.

Answer: to television on the CBS network in 1952.

Answer: first aired on NBC radio in 1937 as a 15-minute

Answer: September 18,

Answer: NBC

Answer: 1937

Answer: September 18,

Answer: 1937

Summary:
"Guiding Light" originally was radio serial on NBC, debuted in 1937 .
Show moved to CBS, which put it on TV in 1952 .
Last episode of show to air September 18 .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- "Late Show With David Letterman" bandleader Paul Shaffer is a walking Wikipedia of rock 'n' roll history -- and now he's added his own story to the mix. Paul Shaffer has been David Letterman's bandleader for 27 years. Shaffer's new memoir, "We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Showbiz Saga" (Flying Dolphin Press) offers his take on a colorful career, from piano lessons in his native Canada to a "Saturday Night Live" stint to the gig he's had, and relished, for 27 years -- Letterman's sidekick. Oh yeah, and he co-wrote the hit disco song "It's Raining Men." Shaffer appeared this week at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble to sign books and give a performance. Among those who dropped by were the Beach Boys' Al Jardine -- who joined in for "Help Me, Rhonda" -- Martin Short and girl group belter Darlene Love. Shaffer also took questions from the audience. Though the topic of Letterman's recent troubles was off-limits, one audience member did ask Shaffer what the host was really like -- emphasis on "really." Shaffer responded that the boss he's respected and admired for nearly three decades is "very transparent on the air and you can see exactly what he's like." Shaffer talked to CNN about how he picks songs to introduce guests, his renowned Passover celebrations and his chance to be on "Seinfeld." The following is an edited version of the interview: CNN: When guests are introduced on the "Late Show," you usually add a musical accompaniment that's an obscure reference to their name. My favorite was when Dustin Hoffman was a guest, and you played "Dust in the Wind." Can you tell me how you come up with those, and what some of your favorites have been? Paul Shaffer: We think of them in rehearsal before the show. I have about 15 minutes, and I often throw it open to the floor. And by the floor, I mean the musicians, the band [the "Late Show's" CBS Orchestra members]. And I say "Who has an idea for this?" And I pick the one that I like the best. [Once we] had a new actor named Aziz Ansari, and one of the guys in the band says, "I'm Sorry" [referring to the Brenda Lee song]. So we did it, and it cracked Dave [Letterman] up so I know that I got my one laugh -- and the most important laugh. CNN: What's the story behind using Ray Charles' "Busted" for Tom Brokaw? Shaffer: He was particularly difficult to come up with something for because he's on all the time, and we didn't want to play a news theme or a song about the news. So Will Lee, my bass player, suggested "Busted" ... "I'm broke, aw -- I'm busted." And Brokaw asked about it once: "Why do you play Ray Charles' 'Busted' when I come on?" He asked on camera, and I said, "I'm broke -- aw -- I'm busted." CNN: What is your favorite song of all time? Shaffer: As far as favorite "overall package" record of all time, I'd have to say "My Girl" by The Temptations. I like everything about it, not only the composition -- but the arrangement, the production, the lead vocals, the background vocals, the horns, the strings. That one I listen to over and over again. And, of course, "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes. Maybe that's my favorite song, and "My Girl" is my favorite record. CNN: For some reason I thought it was "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals. Shaffer: Well that's way up there. I consider that my national anthem. When I hear "He's

Does Shaffer have a new memoir?
What does Shaffer's new memoirs have?

Answer: "We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Showbiz Saga"

Answer: his take on a colorful career,

Summary:
Paul Shaffer: The David Letterman viewers see on air is who he really is .
Shaffer's new memoir has stories of "Saturday Night Live," Letterman .
Shaffer was offered chance to play Jerry Seinfeld sidekick at one point .
Bandleader legendary for his "Celebrity Seders"


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A $15.5 million payout made by oil giant Shell to settle a lawsuit brought against it by relations of executed Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and other activists will allow the families of the victims to move on with their lives, Saro-Wiwa's son has told CNN. Saro-Wiwa said the settlement would allow the families of the victims to draw a line under the past. The New York lawsuit -- brought to court by the Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of Saro-Wiwa's family and others in 1996 -- accused Shell's Nigerian subsidiary of complicity in the writer's 1995 hanging and the killings or persecution of other environmental activists in the Niger Delta. Nigeria's Ogoni people have complained for years that Shell was allowed to pollute its land without consequences. Saro-Wiwa's death sparked a worldwide outcry, and his movement ultimately forced Shell out of the oil- and gas-rich Ogoniland region. "It enables us to draw a line under the past and actually face the future with something tangible, some hope that this is the beginning of a better engagement between all the stakeholders in this issue," Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. told CNN. Shell said it "had no part in the violence that took place" but called the settlement "a humanitarian gesture to set up a trust fund to benefit the Ogoni people." Shell fought the lawsuit until last week, when a federal appellate court ruled that the plaintiffs could sue the company's Nigerian subsidiary in American courts, overturning a March decision in the company's favor. Saro-Wiwa said the case set a precedent for oil companies operating in regions such as West Africa by demonstrating that they could "be brought to trial in America for human rights violations in Africa."  Watch Saro-Wiwa discuss how he hopes the case will set a precedent » "Justice is always hard won... It took 13 years to go through the legal process but clearly before we started this corporations throught they could almost operate with impunity but now the legal landscape has changed," he said. Roughly half of the settlement will go into a trust fund to help the people of Nigeria's Ogoni region, according to court papers.

Residents have long complained that which company was polluting the land?

Half of the settlement will go to help who?

Executed environmental activist's family sued what type of company?

Who's son says Shell payout will let families move on with lives?

What will let families move on with their lives?

Answer: Shell

Answer: that Shell was allowed to pollute its land without consequences.

Answer: the people of Nigeria's Ogoni region,

Answer: oil giant

Answer: executed Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa

Answer: Nigeria's Ogoni

Answer: $15.5 million payout

Answer: "It enables us to draw a line under the past and actually face

Summary:
Ken Saro-Wiwa's son says Shell payout will let families move on with lives .
Executed environmental activist's family sued oil company .
About half of settlement will go to help people of Ogoni region .
Residents have long complained that Shell was polluting land .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 15-year-old boy remained in a psychiatric facility Tuesday after Monroe, New York, police arrested him in connection with a plot to attack his former high school on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, police said.

Police say the boy targeted Monroe-Woodbury High School, although he was no longer a student there.

He was charged as a juvenile and faces two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon, Monroe Police Chief Dominic Giudice said.

Police withheld the name of the teen, who was arrested Monday after police executed a search warrant at his residence.

There they found four bottles filled with gasoline, a torch, machete, black trench coat, three propane tanks, two computers, items that could be used as fuses and several other electronic devices, according to a Monroe Police Department press release issued Tuesday.

The supplies were found in the garage, Giudice said, but the teen's parents had been unaware of their son's intentions until he told police what he had planned to do.

Police also discovered the teen had actively been seeking a military assault-type weapon that could "hold as many rounds as possible."

The boy told police investigators he had been bullied by fellow students and had been told that he resembled Columbine shooter Eric Harris, the press release said.

A detective on the case told Giudice that the teen appeared to be composed during the interview, as if he were just having another conversation.

Police said the plot was planned for April 20 at Monroe-Woodbury High School, which is the anniversary of the Columbine shooting in Colorado, in which 12 students and a teacher were killed. The date also is Adolf Hitler's birthday.

"He said that he had a lot of hatred toward a lot of the kids who attend that school," the press release said.

The boy had attended the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District but recently began attending another school, police said.

In a statement released by the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District today, superintendent Joseph DiLorenzo indicated that students had come forward with information that may have averted the alleged plot.

"We are working closely with law enforcement to do everything possible to keep our children safe," he said.

Which statement about the teen did police release?

Answer: the boy targeted Monroe-Woodbury High School, although he was no longer a student there.

Answer: Columbine shooter Eric Harris,

Answer: 15-year-old

Answer: at his residence.

Summary:
Monroe, New York, police say boy, 15, had bomb materials .
Police: "He had a lot of hatred toward a lot of the kids" at his former school .
Police say boy had bottles of gasoline, a torch, black trench coat, other items .
Teen had been told he resembled Columbine shooter, police say .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 15-year-old girl with a 500-texts-a-day texting habit thumbed her way to the $50,000 grand prize at the L.G. National Texting Championship in New York on Tuesday. Kate Moore, 15, of Des Moines, Iowa, out-texted more than 250,000 participants for the texting title in New York. Over 250,000 participants of all ages entered the competition, whose championship rounds were held in New York on Monday and Tuesday and won by Kate Moore of Des Moines, Iowa.   Some challenges were straightforward tests of speed and accuracy, but others required a little extra texting savvy. In one round, texters had to send texts while blindfolded. Another round quizzed contestants' knowledge of texting acronyms. The only acronym to stump every texter was PAW -- parents are watching. The fourth-place finisher, 21-year-old Jordan Rowe, saw her dreams of texting glory vanish in the "pressure cooker" round, where actors dressed as emoticons attempted to distract contestants tasked with texting tongue-twisters. Rowe failed to accurately text "Which wicked witch wished which more wicked witch in the well?" while a human emoticon talked trash about her sister. Riffing off texters' sometimes dangerous tendency to text while performing other tasks, another round required contestants to complete an obstacle course while firing off difficult-to-type texts. "I felt like I was gonna die," the eventual champion said of the texting gauntlet, getting a big LOL from the audience. The finals on Tuesday afternoon pitted Dynda Morgan, 14, of Savannah, Georgia, against Moore. The two went head to head in a best-of-three showdown to see who could most quickly pound out lengthy texts predetermined by the judges -- with no errors. Morgan, whose stepsister also made it to the championships, took the first round. Faced with a do-or-die situation in the second round, Moore seemed to bet on accuracy over speed, finishing well behind her opponent but winning the round. In the tiebreaker, the two girls furiously raced to thumb the final text: "Zippity Dooo Dahh Zippity Ayy...MY oh MY, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine Comin' my way....Zippitty Do Dah Zippity Aay! WondeRful Feeling Wonderful day!" The pregnant pause before the winner was announced stretched into a seeming eternity because Moore apparently forgot to hit send after finishing her text. But then Moore's phone began to vibrate, signaling that she was the grand champion. Kate's beaming mother, Claire, acknowledged that she has confiscated her daughter's phone on occasion, but said she appreciates that her daughter's texting habit means she's in constant touch. "I can get ahold of [her] at all times," she said. Nor does Moore's mother have to foot an appallingly large phone bill each month, because her daughter is on an unlimited texting plan. She did concede that the texting portion of one of Moore's recent phone bills stretched to 294 pages. Moore's victory was all the more awe-inspiring because she got a phone with text capability less than a year ago. Moments after her victory, Moore agreed to an exclusive text message interview with CNN. CNN: OMG U r ltrlly the wrld's bst txter. How does it feel? Moore: It feels the best! Im so prd of myself & it feels aswm that ive gottn so far! :) CNN: How mny txts do u snd a day? A month? Moore: Uhhh about lyk 400-500 in a day, an avrg of 12014 thousand a month? CNN: Wht r u going to do w the 50 k? Moore: Idk yet! Prlly spend a good amount of the $$$......but ya gotta save some 2 b smart of course! CNN: Do u ever get in trubl in skwl 4 txting 2 much? Moore: haah just once or 2ce, teachers hv seen it and taken it away...lol that sux when that

what Text messaging competition includes texting?

What kind of competition included blindfolding?

what Kate Moore of Des Moines, Iowa, says?

how much Of the $50,000 prize, Moore texts she'll "prlly spend?

Answer: the eventual champion

Answer: Championship

Answer: L.G. National Texting Championship

Answer: "I felt like I was gonna die,"

Answer: $50,000

Answer: Des Moines, Iowa,

Answer: a good amount

Answer: L.G. National Texting Championship

Summary:
Kate Moore of Des Moines, Iowa, says "I felt like I was gonna die"
Of the $50,000 prize, Moore texts she'll "prlly spend a good amount of $$$"
Text messaging competition includes texting while blindfolded .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 31-year-old Ecuadorean man who was beaten last Sunday in what New York City authorities say may have been a hate crime has died at a Queens hospital, his brother said Saturday.

Jose Sucuzhanay was beaten after leaving a party at a Catholic church.

Jose Sucuzhanay and his brother, Romel, had left a party on December 7 at St. Brigid's Roman Catholic Church when several men approached them in a car in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, police said. The men allegedly began shouting anti-gay and anti-Latino vulgarities at the two men.

Jose Sucuzhanay suffered severe head trauma and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital. He died Friday night from his injuries.

Romel Sucuzhanay, 38, escaped with minor scrapes and has talked with detectives on the case.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she was "horrified to learn that anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual) and anti-Latino slurs were used by one or more of the assailants, raising this event to the level of a hate crime."  Watch how attack has outraged the Latino community »

Quinn said she was in touch with the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force. According to police, however, the attack has not been categorized as a hate crime.

"This is a wake-up call and shows how far we still must come to address the devastating problem of hate crimes in our communities," said Diego Sucuzhanay, Jose's brother, in a written statement. "Only by exposing these crimes and working together will we be able to make a difference."

No arrests have been made in the case. Police are offering a $22,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the attack.

Sucuzhanay's mother arrived Saturday in New York from the family's home outside Quito, Ecuador, only to learn that he son had died, said family spokesman Francisco Moya.

He said the victim had lived in the United States for more than a decade and was a legal resident, working as a real estate broker.

A news conference is expected to be held Sunday afternoon.

What is the name of the person assaulted?

From which county did the mother of the victim arrive

Answer: Quito, Ecuador,

Answer: hate crime

Answer: has died

Answer: Quito, Ecuador,

Answer: Jose Sucuzhanay

Answer: Jose Sucuzhanay

Answer: Quito, Ecuador,

Answer: anti-gay and anti-Latino vulgarities

Summary:
Immigrant dies from injuries sustained in possible bias attack .
Jose Sucuzhanay, brother assaulted by group of men after leaving party .
Group allegedly yelled anti-gay, anti-Latino vulgarities at men .
Mother learned of son's death shortly after arriving from Ecuador .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor was found strangled Thursday in his Upper East Side apartment, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner said Friday. Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 party marking his 90th birthday. Felix Brinkmann, a native of Latvia,  escaped death for a year while he was in the Nazis' Mauthausen, Ebensee and Auschwitz concentration camps. Five times he had been slated for the gas chambers, but each time he used his fluency in German to talk his way out. After the war ended, he was stunned to discover that his wife, who had also been shipped to Auschwitz, was alive and well in Poland. The Brinkmanns immigrated to America, where Felix spent years in the bar and nightclub business, co-founding in 1971 Adam's Apple disco in Manhattan. In recent years, he had served as the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx, working "seven days a week, without fail," said his son Rick Brinkman, who spells his last name differently than his father. On Thursday, the building's superintendent grew concerned when Brinkmann did not show up to work. He notified Brinkmann's son and received permission to enter the father's apartment, where he had lived alone since his wife died last year. Brinkmann's body was found lying face down in his bedroom, his hands bound, his body showing blunt-force trauma wounds, police said. Brinkmann's blue 2009 Honda Civic may have been stolen and a safe in his apartment tampered with, police said. A police spokesman said authorities were looking for "a man and a woman" in connection with the homicide. Rick Brinkman speculated that the killing was random in nature. "Anybody who knew him really liked him," the son said. "He was not the kind of guy who had enemies."

Brinkmann was a survivor of how many concentration camps?

Who are being sought in connection with the homicide?

Where did Felix Brinkmann live before his death?

Where did Mr and Mrs Brinkmann  emigrate from?

Answer: Latvia,

Answer: last year.

Answer: in the Nazis' Mauthausen, Ebensee and Auschwitz

Answer: Felix

Answer: "a man and a woman"

Answer: Upper East Side

Answer: Latvia,

Answer: A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor

Summary:
Felix Brinkmann, a native of Latvia, was a survivor of three concentration camps .
Brinkmann spent  years in the nightclub business after he and his wife immigrated .
He had lived alone in an Upper East Side apartment since his wife died last year .
Police: "Man and a woman" being sought in connection with the homicide .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Bronx woman has been charged with murder and robbery in the death of an 89-year-old Nazi concentration camp survivor, and police said a man is still being sought in connection with the death. Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 birthday party. "He was not the kind of guy who had enemies," his son says. Angela Murray, 30, was arrested Saturday, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office, and is accused of strangling Guido Felix Brinkmann on Thursday in his Upper East Side apartment. Murray was arraigned Sunday and charged with one count of murder in the second degree and three counts of robbery. Brinkmann, a native of Latvia, was a Holocaust survivor who escaped death for a year while he was in the Mauthausen, Ebensee and Auschwitz camps. He had been slated for the gas chambers five times, but each time, he used his fluency in German to talk his way out, said his son, Rick Brinkman, who spells his last name differently. After the war, he was stunned to discover his wife, who had also been shipped to Auschwitz, alive and well in Poland. The Brinkmanns immigrated to America, where Brinkmann spent years in the bar and nightclub business, co-founding the Adam's Apple disco in Manhattan in 1971. In recent years, he had been the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx, working "seven days a week, without fail," Rick Brinkman said. On Thursday, the building's superintendent grew concerned when Brinkmann did not show up for work. He notified Brinkmann's son and received permission to enter the father's apartment, where he had lived alone since his wife died last year. Brinkmann was found face-down in his bedroom, his hands bound behind his back and his body showing blunt-force trauma wounds, police said. Brinkmann's blue 2009 Honda Civic had been stolen, along with one of two safes in his apartment, police said. The vehicle was later recovered in the Bronx. Rick Brinkman speculated that the killing was random. "Anybody who knew him really liked him," the son said. "He was not the kind of guy who had enemies." CNN's Jason Kessler contributed to this report.

What is the name of the woman charged with murdering Guido Brinkmann?

What is the sex of the person being sought by the police

Answer: Angela Murray,

Answer: Felix Brinkmann

Answer: Latvia,

Answer: Bronx

Answer: Latvia,

Answer: 89-year-old

Answer: Felix Brinkmann

Answer: Angela Murray,

Answer: a man is still

Answer: random.

Summary:
Bronx woman charged with murder, robbery; police say a man is still being sought .
Guido Felix Brinkmann, 89, was found strangled Thursday in Manhattan apartment .
Latvia native had lived alone since wife died last year; son suspects killing is random .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Fort Drum soldier has been arrested in the deaths of two fellow soldiers found stabbed in an apartment near the upstate New York military base, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said. The suspect, Joshua Hunter, 20, is being held at an undisclosed location in Ohio after being charged with two counts of second degree murder, Undersheriff Tim Dowe told CNN. The sheriff's office identified the victims as Spc. Waide T. James, 20, of Cocoa, Florida, and Spc. Diego A. Valbuena, 23, of Port St. Lucie, Florida. The two men were found dead with multiple stab wounds Tuesday in an apartment at Meadowbrook Apartments in LeRay, New York, Dowe said. The complex houses mostly military families near the main entrance of Fort Drum, he said. The motive is unknown at this time, Dowe said. Sheriff's deputies were called to the apartment complex after the soldiers were reported missing for duty, but the sheriff's office could not say when that report was filed. James and Valbuena, who joined the Army in 2007, worked as motor transport operators with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, according to a Fort Drum press release. Both had served in Iraq, it said. Police and Fort Drum officials would not release information about the suspect, including his rank or relationship to the victims. CNN's Evan Buxbaum contributed to this report.

What is the number of soldiers found stabbed?

Who was charged with 2 counts of second degree murder?

Answer: Spc. Waide T. James, 20, of Cocoa, Florida, and Spc. Diego A. Valbuena, 23, of Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Answer: in an apartment at Meadowbrook Apartments in LeRay, New York,

Answer: 20,

Answer: two

Answer: Joshua Hunter,

Answer: two counts of second degree murder,

Summary:
Soldier Joshua Hunter, 20, charged with two counts of second degree murder .
Two soldiers were found stabbed at apartment near Fort Drum base .
Victims identified as Spc. Waide T. James,and Spc. Diego A. Valbuena .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Latino group Tuesday expressed outrage over the slaying of an Ecuadoran man, allegedly at the hands of seven teenagers in what police are calling a hate crime.

Marcello Lucero, 37, was stabbed to death in an attack that police say was a hate crime.

The teens' parents bear some of the blame, along with community leaders who have created an inhospitable environment for immigrants, Fernando Fernando Mateo, founder of Hispanics Across America, said at a news conference.

"We understand that some may not welcome us in their neighborhoods, but killing us will not drive us away," Mateo said. "Those that hate us allow us to cut their lawns, build their homes, paint their homes, cook for them, serve their children -- and yet they teach them hate."

Marcello Lucero, 37, was walking to a friend's apartment in Patchogue, New York, when he was attacked late Saturday, police said. He was stabbed in the chest and died of his injuries. A friend walking with Lucero was not injured.

The seven teens were trying "to find Latinos and to assault them," said Suffolk County Police Detective Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick. "That was what they went out to do that night, and that's exactly what they did do. ... They were actively seeking victims."

At a court hearing for the seven Monday, a prosecutor quoted the youths as saying, "Let's go find some Mexicans to f--- up."

Jeffrey Conroy, 17, faces charges of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime in the attack, police said. He and the other six -- Jordan Dasch, Anthony Hartford, Nicholas Hausch, Christopher Overton, Jose Pacheco and Kevin Shea -- also face charges of first-degree gang assault.

The additional charge against Conroy stems from authorities' belief that he was the one who stabbed Lucero. All of the suspects are 17 except for Overton, who is 16, according to police.

The "hate crime" designation would enhance any sentence imposed upon conviction.

Upon their arrest, all seven of the youths "admitted their involvement and their role in this crime," said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer.

However, all seven pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned Monday in Suffolk County Criminal Court.

Mateo said that Hispanics Across America and Lucero's relatives have retained a law firm and may file suit against the youths' families "to make sure the parents of these seven kids pay the consequences."

But he and other community leaders also laid blame at the feet of Steve Levy, Suffolk County executive.

"He has brought this hate that exists here amongst the Hispanic community," Mateo said. "He has legislated over and over again against Hispanic immigrants. ... He should be the person not welcome in this community."

The Rev. Alan Ramirez of Brookville Reform Church said, "We all know that Mr. Levy, along with these seven young men, has blood on his hands. And we consider that unacceptable. We ask a responsible Democratic Party to seek Mr. Levy's resignation or removal from office. We do not need our communities to be separated by hatred, intolerance and racial discord."

Attempts by CNN to contact Levy on Tuesday were unsuccessful, as his office was closed for the Veterans Day holiday. On Sunday, however, Levy issued a statement saying Lucero's death "wasn't a question of any county policy or legislation; it was a question of bad people doing horrific things," according to Newsday, which reported that Levy answered no further questions.

In a statement issued by police Sunday, Levy was quoted as saying, "This heinous crime that led to the death of an individual because of his race will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. The suspects will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

New York Gov. David Paterson, in a statement Monday, also condemned Lucero's death.

"Suffolk Police tell us that Mr. Lucero and a friend were attacked late Saturday by seven teenagers who were driving around

Did all seven teenagers plead not guilty?

Answer: Marcello Lucero,

Answer: seven teenagers

Answer: seven

Answer: 37,

Answer: pleaded

Answer: Marcello Lucero,

Answer: first-degree manslaughter

Summary:
NEW: Officials condemn attack, fatal stabbing of Ecuadoran in Long Island .
Marcello Lucero, 37, and a friend were attacked late Saturday night .
Jeffrey Conroy, 17,  was charged with manslaughter as a hate crime .
Six other teenagers charged with gang assault; all seven plead not guilty .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A New York Post cartoon Wednesday drew fire from civil rights activist Al Sharpton and others who say the drawing invokes historically racist images in suggesting an ape wrote President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package.

Al Sharpton says he wonders whether the cartoon "is making a less-than-casual inference" to a form of racism.

The artist, Sean Delonas, called Sharpton's reaction "ridiculous," and the newspaper defended its decision to run his cartoon. But other African-American leaders joined Sharpton, who has been the butt of previous Delonas panels, in attacking what they called the cartoon's racial overtones.

"Sean Delonas' cartoon in today's New York Post is insensitive and offensive," National Urban League President Marc Morial said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon. "Comparing President Obama and his effort to revive the economy in a manner that depicts violence and racist inferences is unacceptable."

The cartoon showed two police officers standing over the body of a chimpanzee they just shot, a reference to this week's mauling of a Connecticut woman by a pet chimp, which police killed after the attack. In the cartoon, one of the officers tells the other, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." New York Post: See cartoon

The nearly $800 billion stimulus package was the priority for Obama, the first African-American U.S. president, who signed it Tuesday.   Watch Sharpton raise racism concerns, and see the cartoon Â»

"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best, given the racist attacks throughout history that have made African-Americans synonymous with monkeys," Sharpton said.

Sharpton questioned whether Delonas "is making a less-than-casual inference to this form of racism."

"The Post should at least clarify what point they were trying to make in this cartoon, and reprimand their cartoonist for making inferences that are offensive and divisive at a time the nation struggles to come together to stabilize the economy if, in fact, this was yet another racially charged cartoon," he said.

In a brief phone interview with CNN, Delonas called the controversy "absolutely friggin' ridiculous."

"Do you really think I'm saying Obama should be shot? I didn't see that in the cartoon," Delonas said.

"It's about the economic stimulus bill," he added. "If you're going to make that about anybody, it would be [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, which it's not."

Col Allan, the Post's editor-in-chief, said the cartoon "is a clear parody of a current news event."  Watch CNN panel discuss the cartoon Â»

"It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist," Allan said in a written statement.  But Sharpton and Morial were not alone in their criticism. Barbara Ciara, president of the National Association of Black Journalists, said the Post showed a "serious lapse in judgment" by running the cartoon.

"To think that the cartoonist and the responsible editors at the paper did not see the racist overtones of the finished product should insult their intelligence," Ciara said in a written statement. "Instead, they celebrate their own lack of perspective and criticize those who call it what it is: tone deaf at best, overtly racist at worst."

Jeff Johnson, a former activist turned Black Entertainment Television host, said provocative cartoons are good, but that "none of this is appropriate on any level."

"The Post ultimately has to answer ... [for] a specific reference to the president of the United States to violence and to his connection to an animal likeness," Johnson said.

In California, civil rights leader Earl Ofari Hutchinson called on the Post to apologize.

"In times past, that depiction of African-Americans has been vigorously condemned as racially offensive," Hutchinson said in a statement issued from his Los Angeles Urban

What did the cartoonist say about Sharpton's objections?

What does the cartoon make references to?

What invokes historically racist images?

Who called Sharpton to be a publicity opportunist?

What cartoonist drew the criticized image?

Answer: The artist, Sean Delonas,

Answer: reaction "ridiculous,"

Answer: a form of racism.

Answer: A New York Post cartoon

Answer: Col Allan,

Answer: this week's mauling of a Connecticut woman by a pet chimp,

Answer: African-American leaders

Answer: Col Allan,

Answer: Sean Delonas,

Answer: Sean Delonas,

Summary:
NEW: Others join Al Sharpton in saying cartoon invokes historically racist images .
Cartoon makes references to recent chimp attack, stimulus bill .
Cartoonist calls Sharpton's objections "ridiculous"
Newspaper's editor: Sharpton showing himself to be a "publicity opportunist"


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A New York appeals court Thursday overturned terrorism convictions for a Yemeni cleric and his personal assistant, saying they did not receive a fair trial. Sheik Mohammed Ali al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Zayed, were sentenced in 2005 to 75 and 45 years in prison, respectively, after being convicted of conspiring to provide material support and resources to foreign terrorist organizations. They now can have new trials under a different judge. The lawyer for al-Moayad, Robert Boyle, said, "I'm extremely gratified at the court's decision. I believe it is legally and factually correct. I hope my client, who is elderly and not in good health, will be given the opportunity to return to his family in Yemen." The three-judge panel was unanimous in its decision, citing evidentiary errors that likely influenced the outcome of the trial. The judges found that certain pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors were prejudicial and had the effect of denying al-Moayad and Zayed a fair trial. Zayed and al-Moayad were arrested in 2003 in a sting operation that culminated in Germany. The government's case relied largely on secretly videotaped conversations between the defendants and a pair of undercover FBI informants at a Frankfurt hotel in 2003. One of the informants, Mohamed Alanssi, testified that al-Moayad boasted about giving money, weapons and recruits to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The charges were brought in the Eastern District of New York because al-Moayad allegedly collected terrorist funds at the al-Farooq mosque in Brooklyn. Now that the appeals court has vacated the convictions, prosecutors have the option of appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court if they feel there is a constitutional issue. They can retry the case or move to dismiss. Al-Moayad, who is in his 60s, is incarcerated at the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, as is Zayed. Boyle said he had called the prison and as of 4 p.m. Thursday was still waiting to speak to his client. CNN's Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.

Who did al-Moayad boast about giving money to?

Who was convicted of supporting terrorism?

Answer: a Yemeni cleric

Answer: not receive a fair trial.

Answer: al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Answer: Sheik Mohammed Ali al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Zayed,

Answer: al-Moayad

Answer: prosecutors

Answer: they did not receive a fair trial.

Answer: Sheik Mohammed Ali al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Zayed,

Summary:
Mohammed Ali al-Moayad, aide were convicted of supporting terrorism .
Court says prejudicial evidence denied pair a fair trial .
Al-Moayad, Zayed may be retried or cases may be dismissed .
Witness said al-Moayad boasted about giving money to Osama bin Laden .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A New York nightclub hostess identified by a supermarket tabloid as Tiger Woods' mistress has called allegations that she is romantically involved with the golf superstar false and "ridiculous."

In an interview published Tuesday, Rachel Uchitel told The New York Post that a disgruntled acquaintance sold the story to the National Enquirer and that "not a word of it is true."

"I work in clubs, and I am a businesswoman," Uchitel said. "I do not have sex with celebrities, and I have not had an affair with Tiger Woods."

Speculation has swirled around Woods since a wreck outside his Florida home early Friday left him with minor injuries and a citation for careless driving. The Florida Highway Patrol said Tuesday that its citation closes its investigation of the crash.

Woods was not required to talk to state police about the wreck and did not sit for an interview with investigators. He issued a statement Sunday saying he alone was responsible for the crash and denouncing "the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me." Opinion: Woods is only human

The 33-year-old golf phenomenon has won the Masters tournament and the PGA tournament each four times, as well as three U.S. Open titles.

Investigators have said they don't have details on why Woods was driving away from his home at such an early hour. A police report says the wreck was not alcohol-related.

Uchitel said she has met Woods twice, once in her capacity as the VIP director at a club in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District and another time through a mutual friend.

"That's my job: to know these people, to have a relationship with them, to hang out with them," she told the Post. "It doesn't mean I am having sex with them or an affair with them."

She said the allegations "must feel horrible" to Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren.

"The worst part of it, it's not true," Uchitel said.

Who said the allegations came from a disgruntled acquaintance?

The false rumor must feel horrible to who?

What did Rachel Uchitel tell New York Post?

Answer: National Enquirer

Answer: Rachel Uchitel

Answer: Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren.

Answer: she is romantically involved with the golf superstar

Answer: "not a word of it is true."

Answer: twice,

Answer: that a disgruntled acquaintance sold the story to the National Enquirer and that "not a word of it is true."

Summary:
NEW: Rachel Uchitel to New York Post: I met Woods only twice .
Nightclub hostess says tabloid allegations came from disgruntled acquaintance .
False rumor "must feel horrible" to Woods' wife, Uchitel says .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Somali suspect in the hijacking of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama has been charged with piracy, a count that carries a minimum life sentence. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse arrives in the United States on Monday. He was charged with piracy Tuesday. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse also has been charged with conspiracy to seize a ship by force, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and two firearm charges, according to a criminal complaint released by the U.S. attorney's office in the southern district of New York. Muse "conducted himself as the leader" of the pirates who allegedly took over the Maersk Alabama, according to the criminal complaint. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Muse could be tried as an adult. U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck had ordered the media and public out of the courtroom earlier while he evaluated Muse's age. Muse's father in Somalia told defense attorneys the young man was born on November 20, 1993 -- making him 15, the defense attorneys said. However, the prosecution argued otherwise, saying Muse made statements that suggest he is older. Before Peck closed the courtroom, Muse wiped his hand over his face at one point, and it appeared he was crying. He had worn a broad smile late Monday when he arrived in New York escorted by a phalanx of law enforcement officers.  See timeline of events that led to piracy case » Muse was arrested in the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship that pirates attacked on April 8 about 350 miles off the Somali coast.  See an interactive map of 2009 pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa » Peck read the young man his rights and said attorneys had been appointed to represent him because the suspect did not have the resources to hire representation himself. Muse said through an interpreter that he understood and said, "I don't have any money." Pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship, on April 8 about 350 miles off the Somali coast. According to the criminal complaint, two of the 20 crew members -- all Americans -- saw lights heading toward the Maersk Alabama around 4:30 a.m. on April 8, while the ship was in the Indian Ocean. After a "brief time," the lights disappeared, the complaint said, but about two hours later, the same crew members saw a small boat approaching and later heard "what sounded like" gunshots, the complaint said. Crew Member 1 then heard the ship's captain -- later identified as Capt. Richard Phillips -- on the radio saying that two pirates were on the ship's bridge. A third crew member, Crew Member 3, also heard the radio message and began shutting down the ship's power, the complaint said. The complaint said Muse, who was carrying a gun, was the first alleged pirate on the ship, and said the attackers used a portable ladder to climb on board. According to the complaint, Muse had fired his gun at Phillips, the captain said, and then took $30,000 from the ship's safe after he forced Phillips to open it.  Watch Muse being hauled into court » Muse demanded that the Maersk Alabama be stopped and that the crew give him the number of the ship's owner, the complaint said. The captain then ordered the crew to the bridge after Muse ordered him to do so, the complaint said, citing Crew Member 2. Muse then began canvassing the dark ship with Crew Member 2 as a guide, the complaint said. While they were going through the ship, Crew Member 3, who had not come to the bridge, tackled Muse to the ground, the complaint said. Crew Member 2 helped subdue Muse, and the two tied the young man's hands with wire and took him to the ship's safe room, where several crew members were hiding. After several hours, the remaining pirates said they would leave the ship if Muse was returned to them, and if a lifeboat was given to them. Phillips boarded the lifeboat with them and the ship's crew freed Muse, who then boarded the lifeboat,

The judge made what ruling with regards to the piracy suspect?

What is the name of the person who also faced conspiracy charges?

Who is conducting himself as the leader?

What did the father say regarding the suspect's age?

What did the judge rule about piracy suspect?

Answer: U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama has been charged

Answer: Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse

Answer: Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse

Answer: Maersk Alabama

Answer: Muse

Answer: Muse

Answer: making him 15,

Answer: Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse also has been charged with conspiracy to seize a ship by force, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking

Answer: Muse could be tried as an adult.

Summary:
NEW: Criminal complaint says pirate suspect "conducted himself as the leader"
Judge rules piracy suspect will be tried as an adult .
Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse also faces conspiracy charges .
Suspect's father says he's 15; prosecution says boy indicated he's older .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Staten Island Ferry lost power and hit a pier Wednesday at full speed, resulting in one serious injury and nine minor injuries, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The New York Fire Department estimates that 750 to 800 passengers were aboard the Staten Island Ferry.

Coast Guard boats were on the scene, the St. George Terminal on the north shore of Staten Island.

The Coast Guard spokesman compared the ferry's loss of power as it neared the pier to a car losing its brakes.

The hard landing occurred at 7:10 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. The New York Fire Department estimated that 750 to 800 passengers were aboard. The impact did not send any passengers overboard, the spokesman said.

Emergency responders were transferring the injured to Staten Island's Richmond University Medical Center.

Representatives for the Staten Island Ferry did not respond to calls for comment.

What loses power and hits a pier at full speed?

What Coast Guard said about the incident?

Answer: the St. George Terminal on the north shore of Staten Island.

Answer: lost power

Answer: A Staten Island Ferry

Answer: Staten Island Ferry lost power and hit a pier

Answer: St. George Terminal

Answer: compared the ferry's loss of power as it neared the pier to a car losing its brakes.

Answer: A Staten Island Ferry lost power and hit a pier

Summary:
Ferry loses power and hits a pier at full speed, Coast Guard says .
1 person injured seriously, 9 others hurt .
Accident happens at St. George Terminal on north shore of Staten Island .
Impact did not send any passengers overboard, spokesman says .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Syrian arms dealer was sentenced to 30 years in a U.S. federal prison for conspiring to sell weapons as part of a plot to kill Americans in Colombia, according to prosecutors. Syrian-born arms dealer Monzer al-Kassar, seen in a file photo, tried to sell weapons to undercover U.S. agents. Monzer al-Kassar was also ordered Tuesday to forfeit all of his assets, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Al-Kassar's co-defendant Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy received a 25-year prison sentence for his role in the conspiracy. Both men were convicted in November of five charges, including conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, conspiracy to provide support for FARC guerrillas in Colombia, and money laundering. The federal indictment paints al-Kassar as an international arms dealer with a hand in conflicts in nearly every part of the world, with a web of bank accounts and front companies across Europe and the Middle East. Al-Kassar was arrested in Spain in 2007 on a U.S. warrant and his associate Moreno Godoy was arrested in Romania. Both were extradited to the United States. The arrests stemmed from an undercover sting operation involving U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents posing as members of FARC. During the 16-month operation, the agents arranged to buy more than 12,000 weapons from the two men, according to the indictment. Al-Kassar agreed to provide surface-to-air missiles for the FARC to shoot down American helicopters, and also offered to send 1,000 men to fight with the FARC, plus explosives and men who could train the FARC in how to use them, the indictment charged. Al-Kassar demanded 3,500,000 euros ($4.4 million) as "partial payment" for the weapons, it said. Justice Department officials say al-Kassar has been a source of weapons and military equipment for armed combatants since the 1970s. Kassar had told journalists before he was arrested that he had retired from arms dealing, but the United States says he had been involved since the 1970s, providing weapons and military equipment to armed factions in Nicaragua, Cyprus, Bosnia, Croatia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and elsewhere. CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden contributed to this report.

Who did the US Drug Enforcement Agency arrest?

How long was the co-defendant's sentence?

Answer: to sell weapons as part of a plot to kill Americans in Colombia,

Answer: sell weapons as part of a plot to kill Americans in Colombia,

Answer: Monzer al-Kassar

Answer: 25-year prison

Answer: Monzer al-Kassar,

Answer: Syrian-born arms dealer

Answer: 25-year prison

Answer: to sell weapons as part of a plot to kill Americans in Colombia,

Summary:
Syrian sentenced in conspiracy to sell weapons in a plot to kill Americans .
Co-defendant gets 25 years; plan was to kill Americans in Colombia .
U.S. calls Monzer al-Kassar an international dealer arming many wars .
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency arrested arms dealers in sting operation .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A construction company and three supervisors were indicted Monday on manslaughter and related charges in the deaths of two firefighters battling a 2007 blaze at the Deutsche Bank building in lower Manhattan. Firefighters Joseph Graffagnino, left, and Robert Beddia died in the Deutsche Bank building blaze. Prosecutors also reached an agreement with the city of New York requiring the implementation of new fire safety measures. "Our goal is to put in place procedures which will prevent a disaster of the magnitude of the Deutsche Bank fire and to make sure that firefighters are never again exposed to the risks they faced in that fire," Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said. The indictments against the John Galt Corp., Jeffrey Melofchik, Mitchel Alvo and Salvatore DePaola also allege negligent homicide and reckless endangerment. The indictment is the result of an investigation into an August 18, 2007, blaze that consumed nine floors of the Deutsche Bank building. The building had been scheduled for demolition after being contaminated by debris, asbestos and other hazardous substances after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center buildings. The two firefighters killed in the blaze -- Robert Beddia, 53, and Joseph Graffagnino, 33 -- were caught in a smoke-filled stairwell that prosecutors say was improperly blocked off by barriers erected to seal off floors being stripped of contaminants. In addition to the deaths of Beddia and Graffagnino, 105 other firefighters were injured combating the blaze. The agreement with the city of New York mandates the creation of a new civilian inspection unit at the city's fire department, the sole purpose of which will be to perform inspections at construction sites throughout the city. "The regulatory measures we have put in place and the additional reforms set out today are designed to prevent any firefighter again confronting the conditions that firefighters faced at the Deutsche Bank building that tragic day," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a written statement. The father of one of the firefighters killed in the blaze, Joseph Graffagnino Sr., said the indictments did not go far enough. "I don't understand if the [city] agency can't be indicted, why can't individuals be indicted who we already know should have been responsible for doing their jobs and did not do their jobs," he said to reporters. Graffagnino was referencing the lack of criminal charges brought against employees of the city fire department, the city's department of buildings and the building's landlord, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.

who died when caught in smoke-filled stairwell?

who alleged that doorway was improperly sealed?

What made Prosecutors determined that the alleged doorway was improperly sealed?

Answer: Robert Beddia

Answer: Firefighters Joseph Graffagnino,

Answer: 105

Answer: prosecutors

Answer: blocked off by barriers erected to seal off floors being stripped of contaminants.

Answer: three

Answer: 105

Summary:
John Galt Corp., three supervisors indicted; city to change procedures .
Firefighters died when caught in smoke-filled stairwell .
Prosecutors allege doorway was improperly sealed .
105 other firefighters were injured fighting blaze .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A crude bomb made from a water bottle was used in an explosion that damaged a Starbucks coffee shop on New York's posh Upper East Side, New York police said. Monday's explosion shattered glass at the Manhattan Starbucks coffee shop. No one was injured. The Memorial Day explosion damaged the shop, but no one was injured and no motive has been identified for the bombing. "We believe it to be ... a six- to 10-ounce water bottle that was wrapped in black tape," New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told CNN on Wednesday. He said the bomb's powder may have come from fireworks components, including a fuse. The powder was placed inside the bottle in a way that made it "more powerful," Kelly said. He said a forensics unit is working on finding fingerprints. The homemade bomb, which went off around 3:30 a.m., shattered glass, but no one was injured. The store was not open. Police have said the device was planted under a wooden bench outside the coffee shop. "We have a witness who believes he saw two young people he describes as teenagers, both white males," the commissioner said. One is described as blond, wearing a red shirt, and the other had brown hair and wore a gray shirt. Kelly said the witness saw the two approach the Starbucks, then looked away. After the witness heard the blast, he said he saw the two young people run away from the building. Kelly said that for now, it's impossible to say whether the bombing was politically motivated. "We don't know if they were a corporate target or somebody had a problem [with] what was going on on that corner, in general ... we're not ruling anything out." In 1999, a Starbucks in Seattle, Washington, was vandalized during a world trade conference. In February 2008, a Vancouver Starbucks and another restaurant were damaged by an overnight explosion. New York police say they're aware of both incidents, but Kelly says it is too early to draw any conclusions. "In the past, they [Starbucks] sort have been identified with the globalization movement. ... We're not saying that this is the case in this matter."

where did the blast take place
what time did the blast take place
Who tried to blow up  a starbucks?
Where was the bomb?
What was it mnade from?
What time did the blast occur?

Answer: coffee shop on New York's posh Upper East Side,

Answer: 3:30 a.m.,

Answer: teenagers, both white males,"

Answer: coffee shop on New York's posh Upper East Side,

Answer: fireworks components, including a fuse. The powder

Answer: 3:30 a.m.,

Summary:
New York police say the bomb outside a Starbucks was made from a water bottle .
The Memorial Day explosion damaged store but injured no one .
The blast happened about 3:30 a.m. on the posh Upper East Side of Manhattan .
Suspects and motive -- including possibility of political motivation -- still being sought .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A day after publishing a cartoon that drew fire from critics who said it evoked historically racist images, the New York Post apologized in a statement on its Web site -- even as it defended its action and blasted some detractors.

A New York Post cartoon has sparked a debate over race and cartooning this week.

Many of those critical of the cartoon said it appeared to compare President Obama to a chimpanzee in a commentary on his recently approved economic stimulus package.

"Wednesday's Page Six cartoon -- caricaturing Monday's police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut -- has created considerable controversy," the paper said about the drawing, which shows two police officers standing over the body of a chimpanzee they just shot.

The drawing is a reference to the mauling of a woman by a pet chimpanzee, which was then killed by police. In the cartoon, one of the officers tells the other, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

The Post said the cartoon was meant to mock what it called an "ineptly written" stimulus bill.

"But it has been taken as something else -- as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism," reads the statement. "This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize."  Watch reaction to Post's apology »

But the statement immediately swerves to fire back at some of the image's critics.

"However, there are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past -- and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback," the statement says. "To them, no apology is due. Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon -- even as the opportunists seek to make it something else."

Several African-American leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, attacked the image, which was drawn by artist Sean Delonas.

Sharpton said Thursday he and the leaders of "various groups" would respond at 5 p.m. Friday outside The Post's offices in midtown Manhattan.

"Though we think it is the right thing for them to apologize to those they offended," the statement appeared to blame those who raised the issue "rather than take responsibility for what they did," Sharpton said.

He accused the newspaper of having "belatedly come with a conditional statement after people began mobilizing and preparing to challenge the waiver of News Corp in the city where they own several television stations and newspapers."

Delonas has made Sharpton the butt of previous cartoons in The Post.

In a brief phone interview with CNN, Delonas called the controversy "absolutely friggin' ridiculous."

"Do you really think I'm saying Obama should be shot? I didn't see that in the cartoon," Delonas told CNN.

"It's about the economic stimulus bill," he added.

Col Allan, the Post's editor-in-chief, said Wednesday that the cartoon "is a clear parody of a current news event."

"It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist," Allan said in a written statement.

But Sharpton was not alone in his criticism. Barbara Ciara, president of the National Association of Black Journalists, said The Post showed a "serious lapse in judgment" by running the cartoon.

"To think that the cartoonist and the responsible editors at the paper did not see the racist overtones of the finished product should insult their intelligence," Ciara said in a written statement. "Instead, they celebrate their own lack of perspective and criticize those who call it what it is: tone deaf at best, overtly racist at worst." iReport.com: Share your reaction to the N.Y. Post cartoon

"Comparing President Obama and his effort to revive the economy in a manner that depicts violence and racist inferences is unacceptable," said National Urban League President Marc Morial in a statement issued Wednesday.

The nearly $

who drew the cartoon
Who would respond at 5pm?
What was cartoon meant to do?
what was on the website
who is responsible for the website
Who has apologized?
Who apologises on Web site?
What was the cartoon meant to mock?

Answer: Sean Delonas.

Answer: leaders

Answer: it called an "ineptly written" stimulus bill.

Answer: racist images,

Answer: the New York Post

Answer: New York Post

Answer: the New York Post

Answer: it called an "ineptly written" stimulus bill.

Summary:
Sharpton: "Various groups" would respond at 5 p.m. at Post headquarters .
New York Post apologizes on Web site; blasts some "opportunist" detractors .
Paper said cartoon was meant to mock what an "ineptly written" stimulus bill .
Paper also said "no apology is due" to those who want payback for the past .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A federal judge on Monday ruled against a Web site operator who was seeking to publish an encyclopedia about the Harry Potter series of novels, blocking publication of "The Harry Potter Lexicon" after concluding that it would cause author J.K. Rowling "irreparable injury." Steven Vander Ark speaks to the media outside the U.S. District Court on April 15, 2008 in New York City. U.S. District Judge Robert P. Patterson awarded Rowling and her publisher $6,750 in statutory damages and permanently blocked publication of the reference guide. Harry Potter fan Steven Vander Ark sought to publish the book, a reference guide to the Harry Potter series, through a small Michigan-based publishing house called RDR Books. Vander Ark operates a Web site called "Harry Potter Lexicon." Rowling sued RDR Books in 2007 to stop publication of material from Vander Ark's Web site. Vander Ark and RDR Books claimed the book should not be blocked from publication because it was protected by the "fair use" doctrine, which allows for commentary and critique of literary works. Patterson, in his ruling, said the defendants failed to demonstrate fair use. Rowling issued a statement after Monday's ruling, saying, "I took no pleasure at all in bringing legal action and am delighted that this issue has been resolved favorably." Vander Ark did not immediately return calls from CNN on Monday. "We are obviously disappointed with the result, and RDR is considering all of its options, including an appeal," attorney David S. Hammer said. Rowling, who said she has long planned to publish her own encyclopedia, and Warner Brothers Entertainment, producer of the Potter films, filed suit to stop RDR from publishing the book. Warner Brothers is owned by Time Warner, CNN's parent company.

What has Rowling long planned to publish?

WHat does the website operator want to publish?

What does the author say she plans to do

What does Rowling say she has long planned?

What does the web site operator want to publish?

Who is the author of the Harry Potter books

How much did the judge awars J.K.Rowling?

Answer: her own encyclopedia,

Answer: an encyclopedia about the Harry Potter series of novels,

Answer: publish her own encyclopedia,

Answer: to publish her own encyclopedia,

Answer: $6,750

Answer: an encyclopedia about the Harry Potter series of novels,

Answer: Rowling and her publisher

Answer: J.K. Rowling

Answer: $6,750

Summary:
Web site operator wants to publish encyclopedia about Harry Potter novels .
Judge awards "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and publisher $6,750 in damages .
Rowling says she has long planned to publish her own encyclopedia .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A female marketing executive is suing the chief executive officer of a famous toy manufacturer, accusing him of sexually harassing and assaulting her. Steiff CEO Martin Frechen denies all the allegations. Both the company, known as the makers of the original Teddy bears, and another executive named in the lawsuit also deny the allegations in the lawsuit. The plaintiff, Jane Collins, now 32, joined Steiff as a temporary receptionist in 2000. She became Frechen's executive assistant in 2002, when he was named CEO of Steiff North America. Collins' lawsuit, filed Monday in New York state Supreme Court, contends that the harassment began in fall 2004, shortly before Frechen was to leave for Germany. After Collins rebuffed Frechen's advances in a hotel room and parking lot, he asked for her assistance in moving his wife's car to a storage unit, where he raped her, Collins alleges in her court filings. Collins' attorney, Chris Brennan, said his client was afraid that reporting the assault could jeopardize her job. She did not call police. "I was a single mom at the time, and I simply couldn't afford to lose this job," Collins said in a statement issued by her attorney. The suit alleges that Frechen's unwanted advances continued after the assault, until as recently as February 2009. "I had put it out of my mind, because I thought there was nothing I could do," she said. Brennan said, "The company had in place no policies and procedures to inform her otherwise. "This is a company that makes millions a dollars a year here in North America, and they didn't invest a dollar in training or educating their employees on sexual harassment policy." Collins is seeking $80 million in damages. In addition to the allegations against Frechen, the suit alleges that the company, Margarete Steiff GmbH, Steiff North America Inc. and the company's head of U.S. operations, James Pitocco, are culpable for failing to take appropriate measures to stop Frechen's harassment after Collins reported his behavior. "Steiff North America is committed to providing a safe and comfortable working environment for all of its employees. It does not comment on pending litigation. However, Steiff North America, Margarete Steiff and James Pitocco resolutely deny the allegations in Ms. Collins' complaint and will vigorously defend the claims made by her in court," David Rosenthal, an attorney for the company, said in a statement. "They are confident that when all of the facts and circumstances relevant to this case are revealed during this litigation, Ms. Collins' claims will fail." Michael Rosen, attorney for Frechen, issued a similar statement on behalf of his client. "Mr. Frechen believes the plaintiff's claims are entirely without merit," he said. "He intends to vigorously defend himself against these claims and believes he ultimately will prevail." Founded by German seamstress Margarete Steiff, the Steiff toy company produced its first plush animal, a felt elephant pincushion, in 1880. In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt was president when Steiff launched the plush bear that would become the company's signature. Quickly dubbed "Teddy's bear," 3,000 Steiff bears -- now collectors items -- were sold worldwide that year. Collins, a mother of two, continues to work for Steiff as an assistant marketing manager.

Who is suing Steiff CEO alleging sexual harassment and assault?

Did the company do anything about the harassment after she complained?

Answer: sexually harassing and assaulting

Answer: A female marketing executive

Answer: failing to take appropriate measures to stop Frechen's

Answer: Steiff CEO Martin Frechen

Summary:
Female manager sues Steiff CEO, alleging sexual harassment and assault .
Lawsuit also claims company did not stop the harassment after she complained .
Steiff and CEO Martin Frechen deny all allegations .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A few hundred people on Sunday marched in Brooklyn to protest last week's fatal beating of a 31-year-old Ecuadorean man -- an incident authorities say may have been a hate crime.

Jose Sucuzhanay was beaten December 7 after leaving a party at a church.

The demonstrators -- holding signs reading "No more hate crimes" -- walked a half-mile in the neighborhood where police say Jose Sucuzhanay was hit in the head with a bottle and beaten with an aluminum baseball bat on December 7.

Sucuzhanay died of his injuries Friday at Elmhurst Hospital, hours before his mother arrived in New York from Ecuador, his family said.

Police said Sucuzhanay's attackers yelled racial slurs; no arrests have been made in the case. One of his brothers, Diego Sucuzhanay, said Sunday he is convinced the attack was a hate crime.

"Nothing was taken from him," said Diego Sucuzhanay, who didn't join the demonstration, opting instead to help his mother make arrangements to return the body to Ecuador.  Watch marchers protest against hate crimes »

Police said Jose Sucuzhanay and his brother Romel had left a party at a church when several men approached them in a car in Brooklyn's Bushwick section, about a block from the brothers' home. The men shouted anti-gay and anti-Latino vulgarities and attacked the brothers, police said.

Romel, 34, escaped with minor scrapes and has talked with detectives. Police have released a sketch of one possible suspect in the case.

Police are offering a $22,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the attack.

In a statement, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the attack "a pointless and gutless crime." He promised authorities would find and prosecute those responsible.

Family spokesman Francisco Moya said Jose Sucuzhanay had lived in the United States for more than a decade and was a legal resident.

Diego Sucuzhanay said Jose set up a successful real estate business in a low-income area, thinking he could make a difference there.

He said his brother wanted to help everyone and hired a diverse team, including four African-Americans and two Latinos. He was raising two children: a 9-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.

"We were proud of him," Diego Sucuzhanay said.

He said the family had wanted Jose's mother to get to his bedside before he died. Doctors told them Jose was brain dead since the attack, and that machines kept him alive until his heart failed Friday.

At a press conference Sunday outside the hospital, Diego Sucuzhanay touched his chest and said: "My heart is broken, but my brother's [memory] will live on. "

Asked in an interview with CNN how his brother would be remembered, he paused several seconds and answered: "For being the victim of a hate crime."

Though he didn't participate in the demonstration, he said he was grateful to those who did, and that everyone needs to practice tolerance.

"We definitely have to speak out," he said.

Whose beating on December 7 may have been a hate crime?

What did attackers shout, according to authorities?

Who will be remembered as a victim of a hate crime?

What were his brother's thoughts on the crime?

Answer: December 7

Answer: Jose Sucuzhanay

Answer: Friday

Answer: racial slurs;

Answer: 31-year-old Ecuadorean man

Answer: Jose Sucuzhanay was hit in the head with a bottle and beaten with an aluminum baseball bat on December 7.

Answer: wanted to help everyone and hired a diverse team,

Answer: he is convinced the attack was a hate

Summary:
Police say December 7 beating of Jose Sucuzhanay may have been a hate crime .
Authorities say attackers shouted racial slurs; Sucuzhanay died Friday .
Brother: He'll be remembered as "a victim of a hate crime"


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A former New York City bouncer was sentenced to life without parole Wednesday for the brutal slaying of a graduate student from Boston, the Brooklyn district attorney's office said. Darryl Littlejohn, 44, is already serving prison time for the attempted kidnapping of another student in 2005. Darryl Littlejohn, 44, was convicted of first-degree murder last month in the 2006 death of Imette St. Guillen, 24, who had been studying criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Littlejohn, who is already serving 25 years to life for the October 2005 attempted kidnapping of a 19-year-old Queens college student, will serve out the sentences consecutively, said Sarah McNaughton of the Brooklyn district attorney's office. During the trial, witnesses said they saw Littlejohn and St. Guillen leaving The Falls bar in lower Manhattan together early February 25, 2006. Littlejohn was working as a bouncer at the bar. Hours later, St. Guillen's nude body was found in an isolated lot in Brooklyn. Her face was covered with strips of packing tape, and a sock was stuffed into her throat. She died of asphyxiation, and investigators determined she had been raped. Littlejohn was charged with murder after investigators linked his DNA to blood found on plastic ties used to bind St. Guillen's hands behind her back. Littlejohn's attorney, Joyce David, has filed an appeal on behalf of her client and maintains his innocence. She said that although Littlejohn has a long criminal record, he has no history of violence against women. The horrific incident spread shockwaves through New York City nightlife, which relies heavily on unlicensed bouncers to keep order in the city's bars and nightclubs. Littlejohn is being held at New York's Rikers Island maximum security facility. CNN's Chris Kokenes and Kristen Hamill contributed to this report

What was Darryl convicted of?
What date were they seen leaving a bar?
who is leaving Manhattan bar?
Who is Darryl convicted of killing?
what is name of bouncer?
who was convicted?

Answer: of first-degree murder last month in the 2006 death of Imette St. Guillen, 24,

Answer: February 25, 2006.

Answer: Littlejohn and St. Guillen

Answer: Imette St. Guillen,

Answer: Darryl Littlejohn,

Answer: Darryl Littlejohn,

Summary:
Darryl Littlejohn was convicted last month of murdering Imette St. Guillen, 24 .
Witnesses saw the two leaving Manhattan bar the morning of February 25, 2006 .
Investigators linked his DNA to ties used to bind St. Guillen's hands behind her back .
Lawyer for the former bouncer says he is innocent .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A grand jury Tuesday indicted three New York police officers on charges related to the alleged sodomy of a man on a Brooklyn subway platform in October.

Michael Mineo says New York Police officers sodomized him inside a Brooklyn subway station.

The indictments came after two other officers told the grand jury they saw Officer Richard Kern assault 24-year-old Michael Mineo with a police baton in October, authorities said.

"I think that both officers who stepped forward acted in a responsible, if not a heroic, way," Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said Tuesday. "I think both of them deserve a great deal of praise for doing that."

Kern, 25, faces charges including aggravated sexual abuse, a felony that could put him in prison for up to 25 years if convicted.

Officers Andrew Morales and Alex Cruz, both 26, face charges including hindering prosecution. Both are accused of trying to cover up the incident by falsifying records.

All three pleaded not guilty Tuesday at their arraignment before Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge John Walsh.

Authorities say Kern and Morales approached Mineo, a Brooklyn tattoo artist, on October 15 after seeing him walking down a street smoking what they believed to be marijuana.

As the uniformed officers approached Mineo, he fled. The officers chased him into a Brooklyn subway station, where they apprehended him on the platform, authorities said.

Cruz and a transit policeman, Kevin Maloney, joined the other officers and helped to subdue Mineo, who was then handcuffed with his hands behind his back, according to authorities.

Mineo claims Kern used his retractable police baton to sexually assault him on the subway platform. Witnesses said they heard Mineo's cries.

Mineo's lawyers said he showed officers he was bleeding, but they provided no medical attention and didn't call a supervisor as Mineo requested.

Kern gave Mineo a summons for disorderly conduct, and Mineo was released, authorities said. Mineo sought treatment at an area hospital, and hospital staff notified police that they treated a patient who claimed to be a victim of police brutality.

Hynes said that based on forensic information gathered by a medical examiner and the police lab, there was enough evidence to move the case to a grand jury.

The grand jury started hearing testimony October 28. Maloney and another officer testified that they had seen Kern assault Mineo with his baton.

After Tuesday's arraignment, Kern was released on $15,000 bail; the other two officers were released on their own recognizance.

Cruz's defense attorney called the case "paper thin."

Kern's attorney said Mineo's accusations were motivated by money, saying Mineo is planning to file a civil suit.

Mineo's attorneys would not explain why their client ran from police. The attorneys said they plan to file a civil suit, but they did not give information on the damages they plan to seek.

Mineo said he still suffers the effects of the attack.

"I relive this every day," Mineo said Tuesday. "Nobody should have to go through something like this."

How many other officers are accused of trying to cover it up

At which station did the incident take place

Does the officers deserve to be praised for what they did?

Who did the two officers who witnessed the assault tell

Were accused of covering the incident up?

Answer: sodomy

Answer: two

Answer: Brooklyn subway

Answer: three

Answer: a great deal of praise

Answer: "I think that both officers who stepped forward acted in a responsible, if not a heroic, way," Brooklyn

Answer: told the grand jury

Answer: Andrew Morales

Summary:
Officer accused of assaulting man with police baton at Brooklyn subway station .
Two other officers accused of trying to cover up the incident .
Two officers who aren't charged told grand jury they saw assault .
District attorney: Testifying officers "deserve a great deal of praise"


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A lawsuit filed January 30 by baseball great Roberto Alomar's ex-girlfriend alleges he engaged in unprotected sex with her while suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Roberto Alomar's ex-girlfriend says he had unprotected sex with her while infected with HIV.

Ilya Dall is asking for $15 million for "personal injuries" suffered due to Alomar's negligence. She and her two children lived with the former New York Mets slugger for three years.

She alleges that he started exhibiting signs of HIV as early as 2005, but twice refused recommendations for an HIV test by his doctor, saying that earlier tests for the disease had come back negative, according to court papers.

Alomar's lawyer, Charles Bach, was not available for comment, but attorney Luke Pittoni, who also represents Alomar, said, "We believe this is a totally frivolous lawsuit -- these allegations are baseless, he's healthy and he'd like to keep his health status private. We'll do our talking in court."

Anthony Piancentini, who is representing Dall, said he has "no comment" at this time.

Dall says in court papers that Alomar told her "I don't have HIV." She alleges he "lied and purposefully misrepresented his physical condition" and "that he was endangering the health and well being of [Dall] by continuing to have unprotected sexual relations with [her]," according to the lawsuit.

Court papers list several physical ailments that Dall says Alomar exhibited from early 2005 on, including white spots on his mouth and throat, extreme fatigue, back and vision problems, and shingles.

In early 2006, Alomar submitted to an HIV test that, according to court papers, confirmed he was HIV positive in February 2006. Dall says she went for an HIV test shortly afterward and the results were negative.

The couple visited a disease specialist shortly after Alomar's diagnosis, who found a mass in Alomar's chest and advised the couple that he was suffering from full-blown AIDS, according to the lawsuit. Dall alleges that a few days later, Alomar's skin was turning purple and he was foaming at the mouth; a spinal tap on February 21, 2006, confirmed he had full-blown AIDS, court papers said.

Dall claims in the lawsuit that Alomar's negligence caused her severe "emotional distress" over the health of her children. Court papers say that because the couple lived with the children, they may have been exposed to Alomar's saliva or blood in the bathroom, through things like toothbrushes and other items.

Dall claims to suffer from "permanent emotional distress" even after repeatedly testing negative for HIV. The lawsuit claims her fear of contracting the disease is known as "AIDS phobia" and that she suffers from permanent post-traumatic stress disorder.

Alomar requested Tuesday that the suit be moved to Brooklyn, New York, federal court. It was originally filed in Supreme Court in Queens, New York. An initial conference on the case is expected on April 15 in Brooklyn federal court.

Alomar is the son and brother of major leaguers -- father Sandy Alomar was a second baseman with several teams between 1964 and 1978 and brother Sandy Alomar Jr. is a former catcher who played from 1988 to 2007.

Roberto Alomar retired in 2004 with a .300 lifetime batting average, 12 All-Star game selections and 10 Gold Gloves. He was the All Star Game MVP in 1998 and played on two Toronto Blue Jays World Series champion teams.

Alomar, then playing for the Baltimore Orioles, is also known for an incident in 1996 during a game against the Blue Jays when he spat in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck following a heated argument over a third strike. After the incident, Alomar claimed the umpire uttered a slur to him during the argument.

What did the ex-girlfriend say he denied having?

What did the court papers say about the tests in 2006?

Answer: he had unprotected sex with her while infected with HIV.

Answer: unprotected sex with her while suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Answer: he had unprotected sex with her while infected with HIV.

Answer: confirmed he had full-blown AIDS,

Answer: ex-girlfriend

Answer: sex with her while suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Summary:
Ex-girlfriend says he denied having HIV/AIDS, had unprotected sex with her .
Woman says Alomar endangered her health by lying to her about disease .
Court papers say tests in 2006 showed Alomar had full-blown AIDS .
Alomar's representative says claims are part of "frivolous lawsuit"


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A letter penned by George Washington praising the new Constitution sold for $3.2 million at an auction, the highest price for a letter by America's first president.

The four-page letter in Washington's slanting penmanship was written to his nephew Bushrod Washington in November 1787, according to Christie's, the company that auctioned it.

It was in the possession of an unidentified British descendant of his family, Christie's said.

Washington led the Philadelphia Convention, at which the Constitution was drafted in 1787. After the Constitution was produced, a nationwide debate ensued on whether to ratify it.

In the letter written from Washington's Virginia estate, Mount Vernon, he endorses the Constitution and highlights the benefits of compromise and of states merging into one nation.

"The central issues must be consolidated -- and local views as far as the general good will admit, must be attended to," he says in the letter, according to Christie's.

The company said the president confided in his nephew.

"Washington professed neutrality in public, but to Bushrod expressed his unequivocal conviction that the new Constitution must be ratified, in spite of opposition from many special-interest groups," Christie's said.

The buyer was not identified.

Christie's had earlier estimated that the letter would fetch $1.5 million to $2.5 million at Friday's auction.

Washington served from 1789 to 1797, then died of a throat infection two years later. He died at his beloved Mount Vernon at age 67, plunging the nation into months of mourning.

Last year, a 1864 letter in which President Abraham Lincoln replies to the abolitionist pleas of youth sold for $3.4 million.

How much did Washington's letter sell for?

Which president's letter sold for highest price ever?

Answer: four-page

Answer: penned by George Washington praising the new Constitution

Answer: $3.2 million

Answer: November 1787,

Answer: $3.2 million

Answer: Christie's,

Answer: George Washington

Answer: A letter

Answer: November 1787,

Answer: Bushrod Washington

Answer: four-page

Answer: $3.2 million

Answer: $3.2 million

Answer: George Washington

Answer: $3.2 million

Answer: George Washington

Answer: 1787,

Summary:
Highest price ever paid for a letter penned by America's first president .
Four-page letter sold for $3.2 million at auction by Christie's on Friday .
Letter was written to his nephew Bushrod Washington in November 1787 .
Last year, a 1864 letter by President Abraham Lincoln sold for $3.4 million .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A long line of hospital staff wraps around the corridor outside a small conference room in New York to catch a glimpse of the precious cargo. A worker looks at the mummified skull of King Tut in November 2007. Inside are the three frail bodies in open wooden crates causing all the commotion. Another body -- a prince no less -- is a few rooms down in a computer tomography scanner. The bodies are part of the Brooklyn Museum's collection of 11 Egyptian mummies, transported to the North Shore University Hospital to be scanned. The goal: Find out who they are, how they might have died and establish a chronology of advances in ancient Egypt's mummification techniques. The process is not necessarily new. Egyptian mummies have been exposed to radiographic study since 1896 and CT scans, which conducts imaging by sections, for more than two decades. Perhaps the most famous of them, King Tutankhamun (c. 1355-346 B.C.), was scanned in 2005 right outside the vault that holds his sarcophagus. The scan resulted in more than 17,000 images that were analyzed by an international team of radiologists, pathologists and anatomists, led by the world-renowned Zahi Hawass, the secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. The scope and ability of CT scan technology are proving invaluable in learning more about the funeral rituals of ancient Egyptians and the mummies themselves. Whereas conventional X-rays cannot clearly distinguish soft tissue from bone and can see only two planes, CT scanning can differentiate among the various types of bone and soft tissue, and reconstruct three-dimensional images that "show fine detail inside coronary arteries down to 0.6 millimeters" said Amgad Makaryus, director of cardiac CT and magnetic resonance imaging at North Shore, providing a better chance at diagnosis and differentiation among diseases. "CT has proved to be exceptionally well-suited for studying the fragile, wrapped figures of Egyptian mummies, especially those still contained within their decorated plasterlike shells, or cartonnages," according to an article by a team of eight researchers, led by Derek N.H. Notman, published in the American Journal of Roentgenology. CT scanning is fast and non-invasive, Makaryus agrees. A scan of one of the four bodies brought to North Shore quickly revealed that the mummy named Lady Hor was actually a man. The body never had to leave its cartonnage for the procedure. In the case of King Tut, initial X-rays of his mummy decades ago showed fragments of bone inside his skull, causing speculation that he might have been killed by a blow to the back of the head. The scan immediately revealed that his skull was intact; and the team found no other indication of foul play, according to its report. "King Tut is the icon of Egyptian history, but he is only one of thousands of mummies we can study. Through CT scans, we can, in a way, bring the dead back to life," Hawass told National Geographic magazine. In another famous case, a CT scan helped identify the mummy of the Pharaoh Ramses I (1293-1291 B.C.) in 2000. It had been bought from a Canadian museum by the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Heidi Hoffman, a former radiology resident at Emory now practicing in Chicago, Illinois, and part of the team of scientists who analyzed the pharaoh's body, was able to observe a type of bone erosion, and "coalescence of air cells can be seen in cases of chronic mastoiditis," an inflammatory condition usually due to chronic ear infections. Though easily treatable with antibiotics today, the pharaoh's untreated ear infection could have spread and caused his death. At North Shore, Jesse Chusid, director of Imaging Informatics at the Department of Radiology, said the 64-slice CT scanner takes 0.6 mm-thick sectional scans and combines and magnifies them to provide extraordinary detail. Curators of the Brooklyn Museum reached out to North Shore for the first time in 2007, to scan Demetrios, a 2,000-year-old mummy, before he was to join a traveling exhibit called "To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures From

What have they found?
what was analized
What did recent scan reveal?
what does the ct testing allow
What does CT testing allow?
what was revealed
What is being analysed by radiologists?

Answer: that his skull was intact; and the team

Answer: the pharaoh's body,

Answer: that the mummy named Lady Hor was actually a man.

Answer: Find out who they are, how they might have died and establish a chronology of advances in ancient Egypt's mummification techniques.

Answer: differentiate among the various types of bone and soft tissue, and reconstruct three-dimensional images

Answer: the mummy named Lady Hor was actually a man.

Answer: 17,000 images

Summary:
Radiologists at NY hospital analyze Egyptian mummies .
CT testing allow radiologists to study mummies without doing damaging procedures .
Recent CT scan reveals Egyptian mummy named Lady Hor was actually a man .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A man brutally beaten in New York City was targeted because he is openly gay, the New York Police Department said Monday. Two men shouting "anti-gay remarks" viciously beat Jack Price, 49, as he left a 24-hour deli on College Point Boulevard in Queens early Friday morning, police said. No further details where available about the attack. Price is being treated at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, where "he is in fair condition and his vital signs are stable," said hospital spokeswoman Camela Morrissey. Police arrested Daniel Aleman, 26, and charged him with assault and aggravated assault as a hate crime. "When someone is attacked for being who they are, and for being proud of who they are, there is no other explanation for that attack than hatred and bigotry," said New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the first openly gay speaker of the city council. "I know the Queens community is outraged that hate has tainted their streets, and I know they will join with us in helping the local authorities find the second suspect." The police department's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident. No court date has been set for Aleman.

What group is investigating?
Where is Jack Price being treated?
What is Aleman charged with?
What is Jack Prices age?
What is Daniel Aleman charged with?

Answer: Hate Crimes Task Force

Answer: New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens,

Answer: assault and aggravated assault as a hate crime.

Answer: 49,

Answer: assault and aggravated assault as a hate crime.

Summary:
Jack Price, 49, who is being treated at New York Hospital, "is in fair condition"
Daniel Aleman, 26, is charged with aggravated assault as a hate crime .
Second assailant sought; Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating .


NEW YORK (CNN) -- A man who allegedly set off a small bomb at a Starbucks coffee shop was arrested after he made the mistake of bragging about his exploit to friends, police said Wednesday. An NYPD officer stands guard outside a Starbucks where a bomb went off on Memorial Day. New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters that Kyle Shaw, 17, was arrested Tuesday night at his Manhattan apartment after a police investigation revealed that he bragged to his friends about planting the explosive outside an Upper East Side Starbucks on May 25. Shaw allegedly told his friends prior to the explosion that "Project Mayhem" was about to begin, Kelly said, and that they should watch the news on Memorial Day. Shaw was a fan of the movie "Fight Club" and imitated Brad Pitt's character from the film, the police commissioner said -- although he apparently failed to adhere to Pitt's famous line in the film: "The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club." The movie, released in 1999, also includes a scene in which a Starbucks is destroyed. Kelly said there is no evidence at this time to suggest that Shaw was behind other recent small explosions in the city, such as the bombings at the Times Square Army recruiting center and the Mexican consulate. Shaw made the small explosive out of a plastic bottle, firework powder, a metal cap and electrical tape, Kelly said. The blast, at 3:30 a.m. on Memorial Day, damaged a nearby bench and shattered the store's windows, the commissioner said. No one was injured in the explosion, but the bomb was powerful enough to have caused serious injuries if anyone had been nearby, Kelly said. Shaw has been charged with arson, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal mischief, he added.

Was anything damaged in the Memorial Day bombing?

Where did the Memorial Day bombing take place?

Answer: Shaw was a fan of the movie "Fight Club"

Answer: a nearby bench and shattered the store's windows,

Answer: "Project Mayhem"

Answer: 17,

Answer: Kyle Shaw,

Answer: Starbucks

Summary:
Police: Suspect, 17, wanted to launch "Project Mayhem" with bomb .
Suspect is fan of Brad Pitt film "Fight Club'
Memorial Day blast damaged a bench outside a Manhattan Starbucks .