TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given news articles and you need to generate a highlight, i.e., a short summary, with a maximum length of 10 lines.
PROBLEM: Washington (CNN) -- House Democrats are bracing for a rough election night next Tuesday, and top leaders are making a major push for rank and file members to open their wallets to help save those vulnerable Democrats who are in danger of losing their seats. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep Steve Israel, D-New York, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, held a conference call Tuesday afternoon with House Democrats and told them it was time to pony up -- and gave them a Friday deadline. According to a source on the call, a dozen House members and two Democratic candidates pledged almost $500,000 during the session. Several Democratic sources told CNN that members are expecting Republicans to pick up some seats, but they still believe that many House Democrats in competitive districts are positioned to survive if they get support. The DCCC has invested heavily in field operations with 950 staff in 40 districts. But the surge of outside money from GOP groups on new television and radio spots, combined with contributions from several wealthy GOP candidates, has Democrats concerned. In a memo circulated to House Democrats, the DCCC chairman argued that the uptick in GOP spending by outside groups was something the committee was prepared to counter. Israel wrote that despite the effort by Republicans and their allies, "not a single Democratic incumbent is out of contention. This is a stark contrast from 2010, where many incumbents were already down and out despite our best efforts." But Israel also said, "This climate is incredibly challenging and only getting harder." So, with seven days left before the midterms, the leaders stepped up the pressure on members to give now. The DCCC has consistently out-raised its GOP counterpart over the course of the 2014 election cycle. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, House Democrats have raised over $172 million for the midterms, while House Republicans have raised about $131 million. For Democrats, much of the money has been brought in by top leaders like Pelosi, Israel and Rep Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat. The purpose of the call on Tuesday was to make it clear that they expect others, especially those who were given plum committee posts by their leaders, to lend a hand. There are always members in both parties who sit on money in their campaign accounts at the end of an election cycle. Some of these members might be considering a bid for the Senate or governor, or may be reluctant to share the cash with their colleagues. But the ones who spent hours hosting fundraisers and trekking over to the Democratic headquarters to dial donors for dollars are frustrated with colleagues who don't reach their targets and don't seem to suffer major repercussions. According to a DCCC dues sheet obtained by CNN, about 90% of House Democrats have contributed to the campaign committee, but 77 -- less than half of the House Democratic caucus -- have paid the full amount of dues for the 2014 midterms. Leaders were expected to raise between $450,000 and $800,000 for this cycle, and data from the DCCC shows 37 House Democrats exceeded their goals. Democrats on key committees overseeing banks, telecommunications companies, and other industries who donate to campaigns are also expected to raise significant money -- between $200,000 and $500,000 per election cycle, depending on their committee and seniority. But the 2013-2014 dues sheet shows many of those committee leaders fell short on their fundraising goals. For example, Michigan Rep Sander Levin, who is the top Democrat on the tax writing committee, gave $525,000 -- more than his assigned $500,000. But California Democratic Rep Henry Waxman, who is the most senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce panel, and a close ally of Pelosi's, has sent in $10,000 of his $500,000 in dues. Waxman's office did not respond to an inquiry from CNN. Internal tallies of members' campaign contributions are regularly shared among House Democrats. Making sure fellow Democrats see the spreadsheets that show who is paying up and who isn't is a tool leaders hope will shame those who haven't given significant amounts yet to write checks. But it's also a list leaders keep in mind when they decide who gets to keep slots on powerful committees in the next Congress.

SOLUTION: Democratic leaders seek campaign donations from rank and file representatives .
As midterm vote nears, Democrats want final push for incumbents in tight races .
Representatives are asked to give their extra funds to help in those races .

PROBLEM: NEW YORK (CNN) -- Most New Yorkers and visitors to Times Square know of The Naked Cowboy. The Naked Cowboy is part of the scenery at New York City's Times Square. For the past 10 years, he's the guy you've seen on the sidewalk, with the great body, strumming his guitar and singing, dressed in a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and underwear -- and nothing else, even in the dead of winter. As a native New Yorker, I will admit that at times, it has been my guilty pleasure to walk or drive by The Cowboy to see if he can bear the elements. To my amazement, he's always there and pretty naked -- in rain, sleet, snow, heat or bitter cold. I've even taken pictures.  Watch The Naked Cowboy in his natural habitat » . Well, it seems that Mars Inc., the makers of M&Ms, also knows about Robert Burck (The Cowboy's real name). Burck sued Mars this week for $6 million in federal court in New York. The allegations: trademark infringement under the Lanham Act and violation of his right of publicity under New York Civil Rights Law §51, arising from a video billboard for M&Ms. The video ad depicts an M&M frolicking around New York, in what kind of looks like Times Square, in what kind of looks like The Naked Cowboy's outfit -- briefs and nothing more than a smile. There have been plenty of jokes about the lawsuit, and I'm especially fond of the ones found on The Wall Street Journal Law Blog on Thursday, such as: . All jokes aside, I think he may have a case. In order for him to show trademark infringement, The Naked Cowboy has to be trademarked; has to prove that Mars, without his consent, infringed upon the trademark; and has to show there's a "likelihood of confusion" between his trademark and the allegedly infringing mark -- in this case the naked M&M. To state a claim under New York's civil rights law, Burck has to show that Mars used his name, portrait or picture for purposes of trade or advertising, and without his written consent. Surprising to some -- at least to me -- The Naked Cowboy's name and likeness are in fact registered trademarks owned by Burck. According to the complaint, Burck has licensed The Naked Cowboy name and/or likeness to companies for the purposes of advertising and endorsement. Mars, Inc., had no immediate comment. His character is part of the USA Network's "Characters Welcome" campaign; he appeared in a music video for the song "Rockstar" by the multiplatinum artist Nickelback; and he's featured singing in the video game "True Crime: New York City at Times Square." He also has appeared in several movies and television programs, including "Starship Dave," "Survive This," "Mulva: Zombie A** Kicker," "Steve Harvey's Big Time," "New York Minute," "Creature Feature," "Lonely Planet," "Troma's Edge," "American Icon" and "The Howard Stern Show." He even appeared in a Chevrolet commercial that debuted during Super Bowl XLI. And this isn't the first time a pseudo-celebrity (sorry Cowboy) has sued and won. Remember Vanna White? She was awarded $403,000 when Samsung used a robot, wearing a blond wig, jewelry and a dress, that turned letters on a game board similar to White's role on "Wheel of Fortune," the TV game show. Still laughing? I'm not. At the end of the day, this lawsuit may be the end of the era of the "naked" cowboy. I predict he will be able to afford some very nice duds. E-mail to a friend .

SOLUTION: The Naked Cowboy, aka Robert Burck, registered his trademark .
He has filed a federal lawsuit against Mars Inc., the maker of M&Ms .
His suit seeks $6 million .

PROBLEM: (Mental Floss) -- If you think comic book characters do amazing things in comic books, you won't believe what they can do off the page. For starters, Superman brought down the Ku Klux Klan, and Donald Duck raised ships from the ocean floor. 1. Superman defeats the Ku Klux Klan . In the 1940s, "The Adventures of Superman" was a radio sensation. Kids across the country huddled around their sets as the Man of Steel leapt off the page and over the airwaves. Although Superman had been fighting crime in print since 1938, the weekly audio episodes fleshed out his storyline even further. It was on the radio that Superman first faced kryptonite, met The Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen, and became associated with "truth, justice, and the American way." So, it's no wonder that when a young writer and activist named Stetson Kennedy decided to expose the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, he looked to a certain superhero for inspiration. In the post-World War II era, the Klan experienced a huge resurgence. Its membership was skyrocketing, and its political influence was increasing, so Kennedy went undercover to infiltrate the group. By regularly attending meetings, he became privy to the organization's secrets. But when he took the information to local authorities, they had little interest in using it. The Klan had become so powerful and intimidating that police were hesitant to build a case against them. Struggling to make use of his findings, Kennedy approached the writers of the Superman radio serial. It was perfect timing. With the war over and the Nazis no longer a threat, the producers were looking for a new villain for Superman to fight. The KKK was a great fit for the role. In a 16-episode series titled "Clan of the Fiery Cross," the writers pitted the Man of Steel against the men in white hoods. As the storyline progressed, the shows exposed many of the KKK's most guarded secrets. By revealing everything from code words to rituals, the program completely stripped the Klan of its mystique. Within two weeks of the broadcast, KKK recruitment was down. And by 1948, people were showing up to Klan rallies just to mock them. Mental Floss: 5 memorable moments in comic book censorship . 2. Donald Duck's scientific breakthrough . In 1966, Danish engineer Karl Krøyer developed a method for raising sunken ships off the ocean floor by injecting them with polystyrene foam balls. However, when Krøyer tried to license his invention with the Dutch patent office, he was denied. Donald Duck had beaten him to the punch by 22 years. Indeed, Krøyer's concept could be traced back to a Donald Duck comic conceived by Carl Barks. In addition to being the most celebrated artist of the Donald Duck comics, Barks was known for his scientific prowess. So in a 1944 story, when Donald got a bump on his head that turned him into a genius, the duck managed to mumble, "If I mix CH2 [a methylene compound] with NH4 [ammonium] and boil the atoms in osmotic fog, I should get speckled nitrogen!" Although it sounded like nonsense, it wasn't. In 1963, chemists P.P. Gaspar and G.S. Hammond wrote a technical article about methylene that included a reference to the Donald Duck story. The final paragraph read, "Among experiments which have not, to our knowledge, been carried out as yet is one of a most intriguing nature suggested in the literature of no less than 19 years ago." A footnote revealed that "literature" as the Donald Duck comic. It seems the web-footed children's hero had deduced the chemical intermediate long before it had been proven to exist. Mental Floss: Musicians performing on Sesame Street . But why were these top American chemists looking to comics for inspiration? Apparently, Dr. Gaspar had been a lifelong Donald Duck fan, and he'd rediscovered Donald's early reference to methylene while collecting old copies of the classic adventures. Gaspar never disclosed how much his work owed to Duckburg's most famous resident, but then again, how many scientists would confess that they used comic books to bolster their research? 3. A Spider-Man villain keeps folks out of jail . In a 1977 edition of Spider-Man, Peter Parker has the tables turned on him. The villain, Kingpin, tracks down Spidey using an electronic transmitter that he'd fastened to the superhero's wrist. Although Kingpin loses in the end (he always does), one New Mexico judge saw beauty in his plan. Inspired by the strip, Judge Jack Love turned to computer salesman Michael Goss and asked if he could create a similar device to keep track of crime suspects awaiting trial. In 1983, Goss produced his first batch of electronic monitors. Authorities in Albuquerque then tested the devices on five offenders, using the gadgets as an alternative to incarceration. Today, the transmitters are a common sight in courtrooms across the country, usually in the form of electronic ankle bracelets. Most famously, Martha Stewart donned one while she was under house arrest in 2004. Perhaps she would have felt better knowing that the gadget had once nabbed Spider-Man, too. Mental Floss: Truth about lie detectors (and Wonder Woman) 4. Captain Marvel Jr. saves the bad-hair day . Like most American kids in the 1940s, Elvis Presley fantasized about growing up to be like his favorite comic book superheroes. But it turns out that The King might have been more interested in their fashion statements than their special powers. During his early teen years, Elvis was obsessed with Captain Marvel Jr., known as "America's most famous boy hero." A younger version of Captain Marvel, the character sported an unusual hairstyle that featured a curly tuft of hair falling over the side of his forehead. Sound familiar? When Elvis set out to conquer America with his rock 'n' roll ways, he copied the 'do, thus making it one of the most famous hairstyles of the 20th century. But that wasn't all. Captain Marvel also gets credit for the short capes Elvis wore on the back of his jumpsuits, as well as The King's famous TCB logo, which bears a striking resemblance to Marvel's lightning bolt insignia. Of course, Elvis never tried to hide his love for the Captain. A copy of Captain Marvel Jr. No. 51 still sits in his preserved childhood bedroom in an apartment in Memphis, and his full comics collection remains intact in the attic at Graceland. Plus, the admiration was mutual. Captain Marvel Jr. paid tribute to The King in one issue, referring to the singer as "the greatest modern-day philosopher." For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

SOLUTION:
Several comic book heroes have affected people in real life .
Superman battled the KKK in radio series "Clan of the Fiery Cross"
Something created in Spider-Man comic inspires device that keeps people out of jail .
And Donald Duck blocked a scientist from getting a patent .