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: (CNN) -- Among the entertainers who have donated their energies to the USO in recent years are Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Scarlett Johansson, Kid Rock, Queensryche, Toby Keith, Lewis Black and Robin Williams. Stephen Colbert's trip to Iraq, facilitated by the USO, was six months in the planning. But when the USO conducts a public opinion survey asking people who they think of when the military service organization is mentioned, one name always comes up. "The first thing out of their mouths is 'Bob Hope,' " said Mark Phillips, the USO's vice president for communications, with an audible shrug. "And if they're not part of the military, the list stops there." As the country celebrates Independence Day and pays tribute to the men and women who serve in its armed forces, the USO is trying to change that mindset. The organization, which was founded in 1941 to bring comfort and entertainment to America's men and women in uniform, has been focusing its support on American troops stationed around the world, particularly those in the military theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan, said Phillips. As part of that initiative, it's paying a great deal of attention to the troops' desires, whether they be for high technology -- the USO recently brought video game/HDTV entertainment centers and satellite-based telephone systems to some areas -- or a diversity of entertainers, including rappers and NFL players. The Colbert trip was a meeting of the minds between the Comedy Central star and the military, said Rachel Tischler, the USO's vice president for entertainment operations. The "Colbert Report" host, who has attested to his interest in Iraq in such venues as Newsweek magazine (he was a guest editor last month), expressed interest in going, a request that made its way up the chain of command to Gen. David Petraeus, the former leader of coalition forces in Iraq. Petraeus liked the idea, said Tischler, and the principals were put in touch with the USO. Colbert's excursion, which the comedian called "Operation Iraqi Stephen," was unusual for the USO, she added. "We try to keep our footprint small," she said, noting that the organization is reliant on the military to feed and house its guests. In "Colbert's" case, the footprint was considerably larger: Colbert's staff and several USO employees -- not to mention 150 volunteers. The trip required six months of planning. But the broadcasts went well, with Colbert paying tribute to the military and the USO's volunteers (as well as his own staff) on the "Report." He also put in a plug for USO donations: "The USO does more than bring my show to Baghdad," Colbert said on the show. "They also deliver much-needed care packages to the troops." (Whereupon, in a care-package primer, Colbert and Tom Hanks filled a box with shaving gel, Tang and a demolished ice sculpture.) The group remains greatly dependent on the kindness of strangers, said Phillips. "We're primarily a volunteer organization," he said, noting the USO has fewer than 400 paid employees and 25,000 volunteers. Though the USO does receive a small congressional appropriation -- $20 million in 2008 -- much of its funding comes from individuals, corporations and in the form of in-kind services. Jamie Masada, the owner of Los Angeles' Laugh Factory comedy club, said the organization is close to his heart. He followed a tour of Laugh Factory comedians with an invitation to service members to visit his club. "What we try to do is give the soldiers -- the people that are out there putting their lives on the line for our country ... we try to say, one day if you come to Los Angeles, if you want to be a comedian, our door is open to you. We want you to send us some material, some jokes," he said. At a recent USO fundraiser, five service members were given the opportunity to compete for the title of "funniest service member." The group was given advice from several notable comedians, including Tom Dreesen and Paul Rodriguez, and the winner received cash, gift certificates and a performance at the club, complete with name on the marquee. A number of performers return again and again. Toby Keith has gone on at least seven USO tours; "He insists on going to the smallest, most remote places," said Phillips. Actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band are also frequent participants. "There aren't enough words to describe just how grateful I am to our nation's troops," said Keith in a press release before this year's tour. "I've participated in several USO tours over the years and I've seen firsthand their sacrifice. And I will not stop doing all I can to show my support and lift their spirits." Many entertainers shy away from publicity, particularly on the home front. "We have celebrities come to Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed ... and they almost always insist we don't talk about [the visits]," said Tischler. At its core, Phillips said, the USO remains dedicated to the needs of U.S. service members. "Service members in Iraq and Afghanistan are frequently at small, remote bases," said Phillips. "There's little in the way of creature comforts. Those are the things we try to deliver."

SOLUTION: USO often brings thoughts of Bob Hope, but organization well beyond that .
Group offers technology, entertainment to troops overseas .
USO played key role in arranging "Colbert Report" from Iraq .

PROBLEM: (CNN) -- A conference of Islamic prosecutors in Iran worked Wednesday to draft an indictment against Israeli leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Palestinian women walk past a building destroyed during Israel's campaign in Gaza. The charges stem from Israel's late-December offensive into Gaza against Hamas militants. The Israeli military has been accused of using excessive and indiscriminate force in civilian areas. Israel is "a regime that only understands the language of violence and force," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the gathering, in calling for the prosecution of Israeli "criminals." "I am confident that there will come a day when all Zionist criminals will be brought to justice," he said on the second day of the conference in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The Iranian president regularly rails against Israel and has called for the Jewish state's elimination. Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said: "The day when this conference will start dealing with human rights in the countries that are members of this organization will be the day that their claims concerning Israel will be deserved to be heard, not before. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, let alone commit suicide bombings." "The accusations themselves are nothing more than the hysterical, hostile coverage of the media in these countries and not based on solid facts," he continued. Human Rights Watch, in a report released last month, said there was evidence that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza by firing white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas. Israel has rejected that claim. Israel also has said that the offensive was to defend against repeated rocket attacks by Palestinians. The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday its forces "operated in accordance with international law" during recent fighting in Gaza, but said there were a few incidents in which "intelligence or operational errors" occurred. This is the conclusion of probes that emerged from Operation Cast Lead, in which Israel was broadly criticized for its actions in Gaza. Phosphorus shells can be used to create a smokescreen for troops. In creating the diversion, the element ignites when exposed to oxygen and can cause severe burns. The Israeli offensive was launched December 27 and ended January 17 with a cease-fire. Of the 1,453 people estimated killed in the conflict, 1,440 were Palestinian, including 431 children, a U.N. report recently said. Thirteen Israelis died -- three civilians and six soldiers were killed by Hamas, and four soldiers were killed by friendly fire -- the report said. A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister called the U.N. report an example of the "one-sided and unfair" attitude of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which had requested it. The two days of meetings in the Iranian capital have included more than 200 senior judicial officials from the Organization of the Islamic Conference -- an association of 56 states. The organization might ask the U.N. International Court of Justice to charge Israeli leaders with crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. The court would not be obligated to act.

SOLUTION: Islamic prosecutors draft indictment against Israeli leaders over Gaza offensive .
Iranian President Ahmadinejad says "Zionist criminals" should face justice .
Human Rights Watch says evidence Israel committed war crimes .
Israeli spokesman says claims are "hysterical, hostile... not based on solid facts .

PROBLEM: (CNN) -- It's no shock that people love to hate Facebook. On Friday, for some, the emphasis shifted to hate as Facebook went public, turning its CEO into a billionaire and, as CNNMoney gracefully put it, making "thousands of millionaires" out of the rest of its staff and stockholders. "Well most Americans are bitter and hateful toward anyone and anything more successful than themselves," one commenter wrote on that story. "Just me or anyone else really hoping for Facebook stock to take a nose dive and never come back up? I want to watch it drop like a rock," one Twitter user wrote on the eve of Facebook's initial public offering Thursday. The anti-social network: Life without Facebook . Here's a rant from one financial analyst, spotted by Time.com, which shares a parent company with CNN and authored a recent post called "Sick of hearing about Facebook? You're not alone." "But do I really need to see another article about how the Ferrari dealers in Silicon Valley have brought in extra inventory in anticipation of all the new millionaires? Or how Menlo Park and Palo Alto housing prices, which were already sky-high, are soaring even higher from all the new money?" the analyst, Tracey Ryniec, wrote. "I can't wait for this week to be over so we can talk about some other companies." Some of the venom online was directed at the Winklevoss twins, those rowing-happy Harvard kids who repeatedly have been suing for part of Facebook. Dubbed "the Winklevii" in the film "The Social Network," Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are set to make millions off of Facebook's IPO despite the fact that some courts have rejected their claims that Zuckerberg stole their idea for his blockbuster website. They could make $228 million for their 6 million shares in the company, according to a CNNMoney gallery on Facebook's new billionaires. At The New Yorker, Silvia Killingsworth writes that we all should give the Winklevii a bit of a break -- especially since they've been good sports about their anti-fame: . "Sure, the Winklevii may sound a little cheesy finishing each other's sentences -- a well-enunciated mix of locker-room pep talk and well-worn entrepreneurial Web-2.0 jargon -- and they will be subject to Al Gore-style Internet-invention jokes until the end of time. But who'd have known they'd be such good sportsmen about it? In the movie, Cameron gets frustrated at one point and hollers. 'Screw it! Let's gut the frigging nerd!' In real life, the twins seem to have become entirely content with chasing the nerd around the courts, and collecting their cut of the biggest tech I.P.O. in history." Others are teasing CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself. The comedian Andy Borowitz posted a fake letter from the 28-year-old to potential investors. It opens: . "For years, you've wasted your time on Facebook. Now here's your chance to waste your money on it, too." It ends like this: . "One last thing: what will, I, Mark Zuckerberg, do with the $18 billion I'm expected to earn from Facebook's IPO? Well, I'm considering buying Greece, but that would still leave me with $18 billion. LOL. Friend me, Mark" According to The New York Times, Facebook's new billionaires may spend their money in subtle (but still over-the-top) ways. On Thursday, the paper looked at spending culture in Silicon Valley, finding that the really rich types spend money in ways that are difficult to detect without a rich-person radar: . "Fabulous home theaters are tucked into the basements of plain suburban houses. Bespoke jeans that start at $1,200 can be detected only by a tiny red logo on the button. The hand-painted Italian bicycles that flash across Silicon Valley on Saturday mornings have become the new Ferrari -- and only the cognoscenti could imagine that they cost more than $20,000," Somini Sengupta writes for the paper. "Even at Facebook, ground zero for the nouveau tech riche, peer pressure dictates that consumption be kept on the down low." Part of the reason some people are frustrated with Facebook this week is that all of us -- the users of Facebook -- are essentially the ones making the company so much money. My colleague Doug Gross looked at this on Wednesday. If you want to make the point really personal, check out this widget, which will tell you exactly how many dollars your Facebook page is making for the company. It's an estimate, of course, but it brings the point home. Here are details on the math they're using to make the calculations, in case you're feeling brainy. Others used the opportunity to gripe about Facebook's privacy settings, which are notoriously complicated (perhaps since the company wants info to be public): . "Why is Facebook going public? They couldn't figure out the privacy settings either," wrote one Twitter user. Not all of the reaction is negative, of course. Many tech bloggers and Wall Street watchers are cheering on Facebook's run at the market, saying it's yet another Steve Jobsian expression of the American Dream. "In 2004, who could have predicted that a Harvard sophomore would be destined to lead his dorm-room creation to a gajillion-dollar IPO eight years later?" wrote Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg at The Atlantic. "The life and times of Mark Zuckerberg are dramatic, even epic, and -- you might say -- lyrical." For more on that, check out this faux-musical about the company's rise. "I'm happy for Facebook, Zuck and others put in their own time efforts and own capital they deserve this reward," another Twitter pundit said. "American Dream!" Some people will see this post and say, "Yeah, yeah yeah. Haters gonna hate." That's the tack Facebook appears to be taking. According to the blog TechCrunch, Facebook's Toronto office created a poster that counters all the negativity by saying "Likers gonna like" -- a riff on the site's mechanism for sharing content with friends. The blog post ends with this little bit of sappy futurism: . "Facebook's mission is 'making the world more open and connected.' Sometimes that means making people uncomfortable at first. You don't have to agree with how Mark Zuckerberg does things, and you can hate if you want to. But remember, Facebook's just the messenger. The message is the future." Feel free to complain about that in the comments section.

SOLUTION:
Facebook IPO is set to create "thousands of millionaires"
That has led some to resent the site, which makes money off its users' data .
Facebook tries to counter all the negativity by saying "Likers gonna like"