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(CNN) -- Consumers who bought "Caylee Sunshine" dolls and Michael Vick dog toys were misled into believing that a portion of their purchases would go to charity, according to a lawsuit filed this week. The "Caylee Sunshine" doll cost $29.99 before Showbiz Promotions halted its production. The Florida Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit Thursday against Showbiz Promotions and its owner, Jaime Salcedo, seeking $10,000 in penalties for each violation under the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. But Salcedo denies the allegations, saying he has been trying to resolve the disputes and compensate charitable organizations. The Jacksonville-based entrepreneur claims he has been working with the attorney general's office for more than one year to settle the issue. The suit also asks that Salcedo stop running the Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, his short-lived vehicle for selling dolls that critics said were modeled after slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. Salcedo says the doll was not meant to be Caylee, but rather a tribute to her memory. The dispute began with the attorney general's investigation into complaints about dog chew toys in the likeness of suspended NFL star Michael Vick, who is serving a federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. Consumers said they ordered and paid for merchandise from the company but did not receive the items, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also claims that Showbiz Promotions told consumers that a portion of the proceeds would go to local animal shelters, another promise Salcedo allegedly never made good on. "Defendant Salcedo began cooperating with the Attorney General and made attempts to either make delivery on consumer orders for the Vick Dog Chew Toy or to provide refunds. However, numerous consumer complaints remain unresolved," the complaint alleges. But Salcedo claims the scope of the damage is less extensive. Of 200 complaints that he says the attorney general's office received, all but 10 were resolved. "Those people purchased on PayPal, so the only way I had to get in touch was going though e-mail. If they don't respond, then I can't help them," he said in a telephone interview Friday. Salcedo also insists that his company made donations to animal shelters in forms of merchandise, including Vick chew toys, T-shirts and hats. "They'd rather have $100 in toys because they can sell them or auction them off," he said. "We said they could have either and every time they said they wanted the toys." The suit also addresses Salcedo's promotion of the Caylee Sunshine Doll and other members of the Sunshine Doll Collection, including Gracie Sunshine and Hope Sunshine. The dolls set off a firestorm of controversy with its launch in January, drawing allegations that Showbiz Promotions was attempting to profit off the death of Caylee Anthony, whose mother is facing trial for her murder. Members of the public, media pundits and the Anthony family called for production of the dolls to be halted. One month later, Showbiz Promotions pulled the plug on the Sunshine Collection, citing high manufacturing costs and tepid consumer response. The company had fulfilled just five orders and provided refunds for 20, according to Salcedo. The lawsuit alleges that the product's Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, falsely claimed that "100% of the profits" from the Sunshine Doll Collection would go to charity, accusing Salcedo of fabricating a donation receipt and posting it on the site so visitors could view "the first donation" made to charity. The receipt -- a purported screen grab from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site -- shows an "online credit card donation confirmation" for $5,000 in the name of Showbiz Promotions, according to the lawsuit. Salcedo says he never posted any such image on the site. The alleged receipt is attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit, along with another purported receipt in Salcedo's name that the attorney general's office says is the only existing NCMEC donation associated with Salcedo or Showbiz Promotions. See exhibits attached to the lawsuit "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that their records showed that a

What is the owner accused of ?

4d842d4d0b564dceb655ea1da0f48ee0

(CNN) -- Consumers who bought "Caylee Sunshine" dolls and Michael Vick dog toys were misled into believing that a portion of their purchases would go to charity, according to a lawsuit filed this week. The "Caylee Sunshine" doll cost $29.99 before Showbiz Promotions halted its production. The Florida Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit Thursday against Showbiz Promotions and its owner, Jaime Salcedo, seeking $10,000 in penalties for each violation under the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. But Salcedo denies the allegations, saying he has been trying to resolve the disputes and compensate charitable organizations. The Jacksonville-based entrepreneur claims he has been working with the attorney general's office for more than one year to settle the issue. The suit also asks that Salcedo stop running the Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, his short-lived vehicle for selling dolls that critics said were modeled after slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. Salcedo says the doll was not meant to be Caylee, but rather a tribute to her memory. The dispute began with the attorney general's investigation into complaints about dog chew toys in the likeness of suspended NFL star Michael Vick, who is serving a federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. Consumers said they ordered and paid for merchandise from the company but did not receive the items, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also claims that Showbiz Promotions told consumers that a portion of the proceeds would go to local animal shelters, another promise Salcedo allegedly never made good on. "Defendant Salcedo began cooperating with the Attorney General and made attempts to either make delivery on consumer orders for the Vick Dog Chew Toy or to provide refunds. However, numerous consumer complaints remain unresolved," the complaint alleges. But Salcedo claims the scope of the damage is less extensive. Of 200 complaints that he says the attorney general's office received, all but 10 were resolved. "Those people purchased on PayPal, so the only way I had to get in touch was going though e-mail. If they don't respond, then I can't help them," he said in a telephone interview Friday. Salcedo also insists that his company made donations to animal shelters in forms of merchandise, including Vick chew toys, T-shirts and hats. "They'd rather have $100 in toys because they can sell them or auction them off," he said. "We said they could have either and every time they said they wanted the toys." The suit also addresses Salcedo's promotion of the Caylee Sunshine Doll and other members of the Sunshine Doll Collection, including Gracie Sunshine and Hope Sunshine. The dolls set off a firestorm of controversy with its launch in January, drawing allegations that Showbiz Promotions was attempting to profit off the death of Caylee Anthony, whose mother is facing trial for her murder. Members of the public, media pundits and the Anthony family called for production of the dolls to be halted. One month later, Showbiz Promotions pulled the plug on the Sunshine Collection, citing high manufacturing costs and tepid consumer response. The company had fulfilled just five orders and provided refunds for 20, according to Salcedo. The lawsuit alleges that the product's Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, falsely claimed that "100% of the profits" from the Sunshine Doll Collection would go to charity, accusing Salcedo of fabricating a donation receipt and posting it on the site so visitors could view "the first donation" made to charity. The receipt -- a purported screen grab from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site -- shows an "online credit card donation confirmation" for $5,000 in the name of Showbiz Promotions, according to the lawsuit. Salcedo says he never posted any such image on the site. The alleged receipt is attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit, along with another purported receipt in Salcedo's name that the attorney general's office says is the only existing NCMEC donation associated with Salcedo or Showbiz Promotions. See exhibits attached to the lawsuit "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that their records showed that a

Who denied allegations?

b14775a5dcb74b5eb53825f4c817bff9

(CNN) -- Consumers who bought "Caylee Sunshine" dolls and Michael Vick dog toys were misled into believing that a portion of their purchases would go to charity, according to a lawsuit filed this week. The "Caylee Sunshine" doll cost $29.99 before Showbiz Promotions halted its production. The Florida Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit Thursday against Showbiz Promotions and its owner, Jaime Salcedo, seeking $10,000 in penalties for each violation under the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. But Salcedo denies the allegations, saying he has been trying to resolve the disputes and compensate charitable organizations. The Jacksonville-based entrepreneur claims he has been working with the attorney general's office for more than one year to settle the issue. The suit also asks that Salcedo stop running the Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, his short-lived vehicle for selling dolls that critics said were modeled after slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. Salcedo says the doll was not meant to be Caylee, but rather a tribute to her memory. The dispute began with the attorney general's investigation into complaints about dog chew toys in the likeness of suspended NFL star Michael Vick, who is serving a federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. Consumers said they ordered and paid for merchandise from the company but did not receive the items, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also claims that Showbiz Promotions told consumers that a portion of the proceeds would go to local animal shelters, another promise Salcedo allegedly never made good on. "Defendant Salcedo began cooperating with the Attorney General and made attempts to either make delivery on consumer orders for the Vick Dog Chew Toy or to provide refunds. However, numerous consumer complaints remain unresolved," the complaint alleges. But Salcedo claims the scope of the damage is less extensive. Of 200 complaints that he says the attorney general's office received, all but 10 were resolved. "Those people purchased on PayPal, so the only way I had to get in touch was going though e-mail. If they don't respond, then I can't help them," he said in a telephone interview Friday. Salcedo also insists that his company made donations to animal shelters in forms of merchandise, including Vick chew toys, T-shirts and hats. "They'd rather have $100 in toys because they can sell them or auction them off," he said. "We said they could have either and every time they said they wanted the toys." The suit also addresses Salcedo's promotion of the Caylee Sunshine Doll and other members of the Sunshine Doll Collection, including Gracie Sunshine and Hope Sunshine. The dolls set off a firestorm of controversy with its launch in January, drawing allegations that Showbiz Promotions was attempting to profit off the death of Caylee Anthony, whose mother is facing trial for her murder. Members of the public, media pundits and the Anthony family called for production of the dolls to be halted. One month later, Showbiz Promotions pulled the plug on the Sunshine Collection, citing high manufacturing costs and tepid consumer response. The company had fulfilled just five orders and provided refunds for 20, according to Salcedo. The lawsuit alleges that the product's Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, falsely claimed that "100% of the profits" from the Sunshine Doll Collection would go to charity, accusing Salcedo of fabricating a donation receipt and posting it on the site so visitors could view "the first donation" made to charity. The receipt -- a purported screen grab from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site -- shows an "online credit card donation confirmation" for $5,000 in the name of Showbiz Promotions, according to the lawsuit. Salcedo says he never posted any such image on the site. The alleged receipt is attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit, along with another purported receipt in Salcedo's name that the attorney general's office says is the only existing NCMEC donation associated with Salcedo or Showbiz Promotions. See exhibits attached to the lawsuit "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that their records showed that a

Who fabricated the receipt?

80792fd78c7a48b5ac6bbae5434c654c

(CNN) -- Consumers who bought "Caylee Sunshine" dolls and Michael Vick dog toys were misled into believing that a portion of their purchases would go to charity, according to a lawsuit filed this week. The "Caylee Sunshine" doll cost $29.99 before Showbiz Promotions halted its production. The Florida Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit Thursday against Showbiz Promotions and its owner, Jaime Salcedo, seeking $10,000 in penalties for each violation under the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. But Salcedo denies the allegations, saying he has been trying to resolve the disputes and compensate charitable organizations. The Jacksonville-based entrepreneur claims he has been working with the attorney general's office for more than one year to settle the issue. The suit also asks that Salcedo stop running the Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, his short-lived vehicle for selling dolls that critics said were modeled after slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. Salcedo says the doll was not meant to be Caylee, but rather a tribute to her memory. The dispute began with the attorney general's investigation into complaints about dog chew toys in the likeness of suspended NFL star Michael Vick, who is serving a federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. Consumers said they ordered and paid for merchandise from the company but did not receive the items, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also claims that Showbiz Promotions told consumers that a portion of the proceeds would go to local animal shelters, another promise Salcedo allegedly never made good on. "Defendant Salcedo began cooperating with the Attorney General and made attempts to either make delivery on consumer orders for the Vick Dog Chew Toy or to provide refunds. However, numerous consumer complaints remain unresolved," the complaint alleges. But Salcedo claims the scope of the damage is less extensive. Of 200 complaints that he says the attorney general's office received, all but 10 were resolved. "Those people purchased on PayPal, so the only way I had to get in touch was going though e-mail. If they don't respond, then I can't help them," he said in a telephone interview Friday. Salcedo also insists that his company made donations to animal shelters in forms of merchandise, including Vick chew toys, T-shirts and hats. "They'd rather have $100 in toys because they can sell them or auction them off," he said. "We said they could have either and every time they said they wanted the toys." The suit also addresses Salcedo's promotion of the Caylee Sunshine Doll and other members of the Sunshine Doll Collection, including Gracie Sunshine and Hope Sunshine. The dolls set off a firestorm of controversy with its launch in January, drawing allegations that Showbiz Promotions was attempting to profit off the death of Caylee Anthony, whose mother is facing trial for her murder. Members of the public, media pundits and the Anthony family called for production of the dolls to be halted. One month later, Showbiz Promotions pulled the plug on the Sunshine Collection, citing high manufacturing costs and tepid consumer response. The company had fulfilled just five orders and provided refunds for 20, according to Salcedo. The lawsuit alleges that the product's Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, falsely claimed that "100% of the profits" from the Sunshine Doll Collection would go to charity, accusing Salcedo of fabricating a donation receipt and posting it on the site so visitors could view "the first donation" made to charity. The receipt -- a purported screen grab from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site -- shows an "online credit card donation confirmation" for $5,000 in the name of Showbiz Promotions, according to the lawsuit. Salcedo says he never posted any such image on the site. The alleged receipt is attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit, along with another purported receipt in Salcedo's name that the attorney general's office says is the only existing NCMEC donation associated with Salcedo or Showbiz Promotions. See exhibits attached to the lawsuit "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that their records showed that a

What is the owner called?

ab65bdf5b6434cd5855e6e56789d2493

(CNN) -- Consumers who bought "Caylee Sunshine" dolls and Michael Vick dog toys were misled into believing that a portion of their purchases would go to charity, according to a lawsuit filed this week. The "Caylee Sunshine" doll cost $29.99 before Showbiz Promotions halted its production. The Florida Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit Thursday against Showbiz Promotions and its owner, Jaime Salcedo, seeking $10,000 in penalties for each violation under the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. But Salcedo denies the allegations, saying he has been trying to resolve the disputes and compensate charitable organizations. The Jacksonville-based entrepreneur claims he has been working with the attorney general's office for more than one year to settle the issue. The suit also asks that Salcedo stop running the Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, his short-lived vehicle for selling dolls that critics said were modeled after slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. Salcedo says the doll was not meant to be Caylee, but rather a tribute to her memory. The dispute began with the attorney general's investigation into complaints about dog chew toys in the likeness of suspended NFL star Michael Vick, who is serving a federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. Consumers said they ordered and paid for merchandise from the company but did not receive the items, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also claims that Showbiz Promotions told consumers that a portion of the proceeds would go to local animal shelters, another promise Salcedo allegedly never made good on. "Defendant Salcedo began cooperating with the Attorney General and made attempts to either make delivery on consumer orders for the Vick Dog Chew Toy or to provide refunds. However, numerous consumer complaints remain unresolved," the complaint alleges. But Salcedo claims the scope of the damage is less extensive. Of 200 complaints that he says the attorney general's office received, all but 10 were resolved. "Those people purchased on PayPal, so the only way I had to get in touch was going though e-mail. If they don't respond, then I can't help them," he said in a telephone interview Friday. Salcedo also insists that his company made donations to animal shelters in forms of merchandise, including Vick chew toys, T-shirts and hats. "They'd rather have $100 in toys because they can sell them or auction them off," he said. "We said they could have either and every time they said they wanted the toys." The suit also addresses Salcedo's promotion of the Caylee Sunshine Doll and other members of the Sunshine Doll Collection, including Gracie Sunshine and Hope Sunshine. The dolls set off a firestorm of controversy with its launch in January, drawing allegations that Showbiz Promotions was attempting to profit off the death of Caylee Anthony, whose mother is facing trial for her murder. Members of the public, media pundits and the Anthony family called for production of the dolls to be halted. One month later, Showbiz Promotions pulled the plug on the Sunshine Collection, citing high manufacturing costs and tepid consumer response. The company had fulfilled just five orders and provided refunds for 20, according to Salcedo. The lawsuit alleges that the product's Web site, www.cayleedoll.com, falsely claimed that "100% of the profits" from the Sunshine Doll Collection would go to charity, accusing Salcedo of fabricating a donation receipt and posting it on the site so visitors could view "the first donation" made to charity. The receipt -- a purported screen grab from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site -- shows an "online credit card donation confirmation" for $5,000 in the name of Showbiz Promotions, according to the lawsuit. Salcedo says he never posted any such image on the site. The alleged receipt is attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit, along with another purported receipt in Salcedo's name that the attorney general's office says is the only existing NCMEC donation associated with Salcedo or Showbiz Promotions. See exhibits attached to the lawsuit "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that their records showed that a

Who is accused of misleading customers?

d8a5ed1111284aae8c3ed756e9332b5b

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession. George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to police. Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody. Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone, and a relative also said he was released. He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day. Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as bhang, and resisting arrest, Inspector Augustine Mutembei said. He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said. But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped. Police would not comment on that. Speaking from behind bars on Saturday, Obama denied the allegations. "They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me." George Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known. CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father. In the memoir, Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child. Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old. And like his half brother, George hardly knew his father. George was his father's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year. Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in western Kenya, George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008. The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was "earning less than a dollar a day." The reports left George Obama angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything. "I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said. Obama, who is in his mid-20s, said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can.

what has been dropped?

1e64b022e92e4134b700ce7ce8ecc75a

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession. George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to police. Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody. Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone, and a relative also said he was released. He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day. Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as bhang, and resisting arrest, Inspector Augustine Mutembei said. He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said. But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped. Police would not comment on that. Speaking from behind bars on Saturday, Obama denied the allegations. "They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me." George Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known. CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father. In the memoir, Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child. Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old. And like his half brother, George hardly knew his father. George was his father's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year. Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in western Kenya, George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008. The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was "earning less than a dollar a day." The reports left George Obama angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything. "I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said. Obama, who is in his mid-20s, said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can.

who won't confirm the statements?

ccd982536dd2425a9c2eb86fc349be60

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession. George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to police. Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody. Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone, and a relative also said he was released. He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day. Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as bhang, and resisting arrest, Inspector Augustine Mutembei said. He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said. But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped. Police would not comment on that. Speaking from behind bars on Saturday, Obama denied the allegations. "They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me." George Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known. CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father. In the memoir, Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child. Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old. And like his half brother, George hardly knew his father. George was his father's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year. Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in western Kenya, George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008. The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was "earning less than a dollar a day." The reports left George Obama angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything. "I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said. Obama, who is in his mid-20s, said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can.

What will Kenyan police not confirm?

4dd7b09191cc46af9958f83e6f7531b2

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession. George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to police. Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody. Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone, and a relative also said he was released. He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day. Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as bhang, and resisting arrest, Inspector Augustine Mutembei said. He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said. But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped. Police would not comment on that. Speaking from behind bars on Saturday, Obama denied the allegations. "They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me." George Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known. CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father. In the memoir, Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child. Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old. And like his half brother, George hardly knew his father. George was his father's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year. Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in western Kenya, George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008. The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was "earning less than a dollar a day." The reports left George Obama angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything. "I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said. Obama, who is in his mid-20s, said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can.

who was arrested?

b2636b7611e8472e800d1727b430a7e7

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession. George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to police. Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody. Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone, and a relative also said he was released. He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day. Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as bhang, and resisting arrest, Inspector Augustine Mutembei said. He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said. But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped. Police would not comment on that. Speaking from behind bars on Saturday, Obama denied the allegations. "They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me." George Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known. CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father. In the memoir, Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child. Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old. And like his half brother, George hardly knew his father. George was his father's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year. Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in western Kenya, George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008. The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was "earning less than a dollar a day." The reports left George Obama angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything. "I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said. Obama, who is in his mid-20s, said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can.

Who says he's out of jail, that charges have been dropped

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NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession. George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to police. Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody. Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone, and a relative also said he was released. He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day. Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as bhang, and resisting arrest, Inspector Augustine Mutembei said. He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said. But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped. Police would not comment on that. Speaking from behind bars on Saturday, Obama denied the allegations. "They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me." George Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known. CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father. In the memoir, Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child. Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old. And like his half brother, George hardly knew his father. George was his father's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year. Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in western Kenya, George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008. The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was "earning less than a dollar a day." The reports left George Obama angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything. "I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said. Obama, who is in his mid-20s, said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can.

Who is now out of jail?

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NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession. George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to police. Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody. Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone, and a relative also said he was released. He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day. Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as bhang, and resisting arrest, Inspector Augustine Mutembei said. He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said. But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped. Police would not comment on that. Speaking from behind bars on Saturday, Obama denied the allegations. "They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me." George Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known. CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father. In the memoir, Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child. Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old. And like his half brother, George hardly knew his father. George was his father's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year. Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in western Kenya, George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008. The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was "earning less than a dollar a day." The reports left George Obama angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything. "I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said. Obama, who is in his mid-20s, said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can.

What is the relationship to President Obama?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What did the EU announce?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What chemical was blamed?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What was blamed for the deaths of four children?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What did EU announce a ban on?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

How many products did the Japanese company recall?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

How many products were recalled?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What chemical was the culprit in deaths of kids in China?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

How many children died as a result of the chemical?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What imports were banned by the EU?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What procuts were banned from the EU?

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

What did five recalled products contain?

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(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

What triggered the disasters?

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(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

what triggered disasters?

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(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

What killed the people?

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(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

At least how many people were killed?

f1cafc7b5616475caf065248d864be0a

(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

what is the fear of forecasters?

c8d14d400a174c86a6a5330096ff9d42

(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

Where were they?

4d317b9339a24bc6b6daa075af3955dd

(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

what killed 100 people in vietnam?

fdc801c74af3419a93aa4ce70c32d389

(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

What do forecasters fear?

01a1299f2e7548b98c6671ddb3bc6057

(CNN) -- A report from Canadian researchers published Monday says there is not enough sound evidence to support routine screening of children for autism, but several autism experts are questioning the paper's conclusions. The article, published in the journal Pediatrics, is based on a review of existing studies. Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics -- which publishes the journal -- recommends that doctors screen children for autism during regular checkups at the ages of 18 and 24 months. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 110 children has some form of autism, a handful of different neuro-developmental disorders that cause mild to severe social, communication and behavioral problems. Monday's report questions whether screening for autism is the right approach. "Good screening tools and efficacious treatment [for autism] is lacking," it says, adding that "none of the autism screening tests currently available has been shown to be able to fulfill the properties of accuracy." The report's authors are cerebral palsy experts at McMaster University in Ontario. But several leading autism experts -- who diagnose, treat and study children with autism -- said they were puzzled and concerned by the new report's conclusions. "By screening for autism at an early age, children are able to begin intervention as soon as possible," said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the Autism Speaks advocacy group. "Studies have shown that early intervention results in significant increases in cognitive and language abilities, and adaptive behavior, and gives children the best chance for a positive outcome." Dr. Patricia Manning-Courtney, a developmental pediatrician and the director of the autism center at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said the study goes completely "against the experience in this field" in which experts have said early intervention or therapy can yield the most benefits for a child later in life. "I have never, ever met a family that regretted being told their child may have symptoms -- not a single family," she said. If a diagnosis of autism is later found to be inaccurate, the child isn't harmed by the therapy given in the interim, she said. But Manning-Courtney said she's met thousands of parents whose children were diagnosed at an older age "who wished they were listened to sooner." Dr. Charles Cowan, medical director of the Seattle Children's Autism Center, echoed Manning-Courtney's concerns, saying the report's conclusions seem to negate well established research and recommendations from people who treat children with autism, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. More research is needed, he said, but just because all the necessary research hasn't been done yet, it "does not negate the benefit of screening." Dr. Paul Lipkin, who chaired the academy's 2006 committee that recommended the screenings at 18 and 24 months, said the conclusions in Monday's report overlooked significant benefits to screening. Doctors are also identifying problems beyond autism, including a wide range of developmental disorders, he said. Lipkin, the director of the Center for Development and Learning at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, acknowledged that screening tools aren't perfect, but noted that doctors combine them with continuous surveillance. "We are hoping that the combination can then overcome any of the limits of the tests or surveillance. The combination is better than either one of them," he said, adding that some newer studies, not cited in the Canadian study, suggest that "it does look like we're on the right track." Despite the apparent criticisms of screening in Monday's article, study author Dr. Jan Willem Gorter said he and his co-authors were not specifically referring to "the surveillance that is happening in doctors' offices" at 18 and 24 months. They were recommending against a population-wide screening program that would require screening every child at a certain age level for autism, he said. Nobody is conducting such a study at this time in the United States. Results from a South Korean study of that nature published last month in the American Journal

A new paper says

669c1cce70b148fd89339bf63002853a

(CNN) -- A report from Canadian researchers published Monday says there is not enough sound evidence to support routine screening of children for autism, but several autism experts are questioning the paper's conclusions. The article, published in the journal Pediatrics, is based on a review of existing studies. Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics -- which publishes the journal -- recommends that doctors screen children for autism during regular checkups at the ages of 18 and 24 months. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 110 children has some form of autism, a handful of different neuro-developmental disorders that cause mild to severe social, communication and behavioral problems. Monday's report questions whether screening for autism is the right approach. "Good screening tools and efficacious treatment [for autism] is lacking," it says, adding that "none of the autism screening tests currently available has been shown to be able to fulfill the properties of accuracy." The report's authors are cerebral palsy experts at McMaster University in Ontario. But several leading autism experts -- who diagnose, treat and study children with autism -- said they were puzzled and concerned by the new report's conclusions. "By screening for autism at an early age, children are able to begin intervention as soon as possible," said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the Autism Speaks advocacy group. "Studies have shown that early intervention results in significant increases in cognitive and language abilities, and adaptive behavior, and gives children the best chance for a positive outcome." Dr. Patricia Manning-Courtney, a developmental pediatrician and the director of the autism center at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said the study goes completely "against the experience in this field" in which experts have said early intervention or therapy can yield the most benefits for a child later in life. "I have never, ever met a family that regretted being told their child may have symptoms -- not a single family," she said. If a diagnosis of autism is later found to be inaccurate, the child isn't harmed by the therapy given in the interim, she said. But Manning-Courtney said she's met thousands of parents whose children were diagnosed at an older age "who wished they were listened to sooner." Dr. Charles Cowan, medical director of the Seattle Children's Autism Center, echoed Manning-Courtney's concerns, saying the report's conclusions seem to negate well established research and recommendations from people who treat children with autism, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. More research is needed, he said, but just because all the necessary research hasn't been done yet, it "does not negate the benefit of screening." Dr. Paul Lipkin, who chaired the academy's 2006 committee that recommended the screenings at 18 and 24 months, said the conclusions in Monday's report overlooked significant benefits to screening. Doctors are also identifying problems beyond autism, including a wide range of developmental disorders, he said. Lipkin, the director of the Center for Development and Learning at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, acknowledged that screening tools aren't perfect, but noted that doctors combine them with continuous surveillance. "We are hoping that the combination can then overcome any of the limits of the tests or surveillance. The combination is better than either one of them," he said, adding that some newer studies, not cited in the Canadian study, suggest that "it does look like we're on the right track." Despite the apparent criticisms of screening in Monday's article, study author Dr. Jan Willem Gorter said he and his co-authors were not specifically referring to "the surveillance that is happening in doctors' offices" at 18 and 24 months. They were recommending against a population-wide screening program that would require screening every child at a certain age level for autism, he said. Nobody is conducting such a study at this time in the United States. Results from a South Korean study of that nature published last month in the American Journal

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends

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(CNN) -- A report from Canadian researchers published Monday says there is not enough sound evidence to support routine screening of children for autism, but several autism experts are questioning the paper's conclusions. The article, published in the journal Pediatrics, is based on a review of existing studies. Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics -- which publishes the journal -- recommends that doctors screen children for autism during regular checkups at the ages of 18 and 24 months. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 110 children has some form of autism, a handful of different neuro-developmental disorders that cause mild to severe social, communication and behavioral problems. Monday's report questions whether screening for autism is the right approach. "Good screening tools and efficacious treatment [for autism] is lacking," it says, adding that "none of the autism screening tests currently available has been shown to be able to fulfill the properties of accuracy." The report's authors are cerebral palsy experts at McMaster University in Ontario. But several leading autism experts -- who diagnose, treat and study children with autism -- said they were puzzled and concerned by the new report's conclusions. "By screening for autism at an early age, children are able to begin intervention as soon as possible," said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the Autism Speaks advocacy group. "Studies have shown that early intervention results in significant increases in cognitive and language abilities, and adaptive behavior, and gives children the best chance for a positive outcome." Dr. Patricia Manning-Courtney, a developmental pediatrician and the director of the autism center at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said the study goes completely "against the experience in this field" in which experts have said early intervention or therapy can yield the most benefits for a child later in life. "I have never, ever met a family that regretted being told their child may have symptoms -- not a single family," she said. If a diagnosis of autism is later found to be inaccurate, the child isn't harmed by the therapy given in the interim, she said. But Manning-Courtney said she's met thousands of parents whose children were diagnosed at an older age "who wished they were listened to sooner." Dr. Charles Cowan, medical director of the Seattle Children's Autism Center, echoed Manning-Courtney's concerns, saying the report's conclusions seem to negate well established research and recommendations from people who treat children with autism, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. More research is needed, he said, but just because all the necessary research hasn't been done yet, it "does not negate the benefit of screening." Dr. Paul Lipkin, who chaired the academy's 2006 committee that recommended the screenings at 18 and 24 months, said the conclusions in Monday's report overlooked significant benefits to screening. Doctors are also identifying problems beyond autism, including a wide range of developmental disorders, he said. Lipkin, the director of the Center for Development and Learning at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, acknowledged that screening tools aren't perfect, but noted that doctors combine them with continuous surveillance. "We are hoping that the combination can then overcome any of the limits of the tests or surveillance. The combination is better than either one of them," he said, adding that some newer studies, not cited in the Canadian study, suggest that "it does look like we're on the right track." Despite the apparent criticisms of screening in Monday's article, study author Dr. Jan Willem Gorter said he and his co-authors were not specifically referring to "the surveillance that is happening in doctors' offices" at 18 and 24 months. They were recommending against a population-wide screening program that would require screening every child at a certain age level for autism, he said. Nobody is conducting such a study at this time in the United States. Results from a South Korean study of that nature published last month in the American Journal

What did the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended?

b56060242e494a9a8fc7ae6cc897d6ae

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend

Who is Jake Gotthard?

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CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend

what did doctors say

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CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend

who testified against him

92b8bc79bf854aaa879ece069d1510c4

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend

What was the court's decision?

9c6be1f0365d4212af64441398de6fc8

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend

who was acting in self defense

22c9ae4d74d442c4a2327e37e90059eb

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend

when is he heading to prison

b455f9e5ee2a4253ac68b88235be52be

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend

who is headed to prison

73e25d6a21d04bc9a1821028456b0600

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The New York State Assembly passed a same-sex marriage bill Tuesday evening, bringing New York one step closer to legalizing such marriages. Gov. David Paterson has said he'd sign a same-sex if it's passed by the New York Senate. The bill, which passed 89-52, will now go on to the state Senate for a vote. If it is passed there, it will go to Gov. David Paterson, who has made it clear he will sign the bill. "I applaud ... members of both parties for moving this historic legislation forward," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement released by the mayor's office. "I hope New York will soon become the latest state to adopt a law whose time has come." State Sen. Thomas K. Duane, a Democrat, said in a statement, "I am confident that this year my Senate will uphold this fundamental legal principle and vote for my right, our right, to be married this year." This is the second time New York's Marriage Equality Legislation has been approved by the State Assembly -- it passed in 2007, but subsequently stalled in the then Republican-controlled Senate.

Which bill will go to the state Senate?

bc966a559aad43ec82f9c630bb7b9b59

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The New York State Assembly passed a same-sex marriage bill Tuesday evening, bringing New York one step closer to legalizing such marriages. Gov. David Paterson has said he'd sign a same-sex if it's passed by the New York Senate. The bill, which passed 89-52, will now go on to the state Senate for a vote. If it is passed there, it will go to Gov. David Paterson, who has made it clear he will sign the bill. "I applaud ... members of both parties for moving this historic legislation forward," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement released by the mayor's office. "I hope New York will soon become the latest state to adopt a law whose time has come." State Sen. Thomas K. Duane, a Democrat, said in a statement, "I am confident that this year my Senate will uphold this fundamental legal principle and vote for my right, our right, to be married this year." This is the second time New York's Marriage Equality Legislation has been approved by the State Assembly -- it passed in 2007, but subsequently stalled in the then Republican-controlled Senate.

Who is the mayor of New York City ?

35dcfff9b7b64db49d9126fe9d9a555f

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The New York State Assembly passed a same-sex marriage bill Tuesday evening, bringing New York one step closer to legalizing such marriages. Gov. David Paterson has said he'd sign a same-sex if it's passed by the New York Senate. The bill, which passed 89-52, will now go on to the state Senate for a vote. If it is passed there, it will go to Gov. David Paterson, who has made it clear he will sign the bill. "I applaud ... members of both parties for moving this historic legislation forward," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement released by the mayor's office. "I hope New York will soon become the latest state to adopt a law whose time has come." State Sen. Thomas K. Duane, a Democrat, said in a statement, "I am confident that this year my Senate will uphold this fundamental legal principle and vote for my right, our right, to be married this year." This is the second time New York's Marriage Equality Legislation has been approved by the State Assembly -- it passed in 2007, but subsequently stalled in the then Republican-controlled Senate.

did many oppose it?

7222a0e8e9ac49e4af1877a704610531

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The New York State Assembly passed a same-sex marriage bill Tuesday evening, bringing New York one step closer to legalizing such marriages. Gov. David Paterson has said he'd sign a same-sex if it's passed by the New York Senate. The bill, which passed 89-52, will now go on to the state Senate for a vote. If it is passed there, it will go to Gov. David Paterson, who has made it clear he will sign the bill. "I applaud ... members of both parties for moving this historic legislation forward," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement released by the mayor's office. "I hope New York will soon become the latest state to adopt a law whose time has come." State Sen. Thomas K. Duane, a Democrat, said in a statement, "I am confident that this year my Senate will uphold this fundamental legal principle and vote for my right, our right, to be married this year." This is the second time New York's Marriage Equality Legislation has been approved by the State Assembly -- it passed in 2007, but subsequently stalled in the then Republican-controlled Senate.

Which State Assembly passes bill?

93b16c15b7ba4416b94e01104f9bc985

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The New York State Assembly passed a same-sex marriage bill Tuesday evening, bringing New York one step closer to legalizing such marriages. Gov. David Paterson has said he'd sign a same-sex if it's passed by the New York Senate. The bill, which passed 89-52, will now go on to the state Senate for a vote. If it is passed there, it will go to Gov. David Paterson, who has made it clear he will sign the bill. "I applaud ... members of both parties for moving this historic legislation forward," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement released by the mayor's office. "I hope New York will soon become the latest state to adopt a law whose time has come." State Sen. Thomas K. Duane, a Democrat, said in a statement, "I am confident that this year my Senate will uphold this fundamental legal principle and vote for my right, our right, to be married this year." This is the second time New York's Marriage Equality Legislation has been approved by the State Assembly -- it passed in 2007, but subsequently stalled in the then Republican-controlled Senate.

will the bill go to the senate

7cb74c0fb0b14f60924b900d923b76c0

Editor's note: The following story about "The Reader," by necessity, contains spoilers. If you'd rather not know about the plot, stop reading now. Kate Winslet and David Cross star in "The Reader," which has received criticism from some quarters. LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- One major contender's chances at Oscar gold may be damaged due to its sensitive subject matter. "The Reader," which is up for five Oscars -- including best actress (for star Kate Winslet) and best picture -- is being slammed by "Explaining Hitler" author Ron Rosenbaum, who's asked Academy members to shun the post-World War II drama because the film "asks us to empathize with an unrepentant mass murderer." Rosenbaum, who wrote his commentary for Slate.com, said that's not his only reason. "It gives the impression that ordinary German people only learned the terrible things that happened in the death camps in the East after the war," he said in an interview with CNN. "In fact, ordinary German people participated in Hitler's final solution, the extermination of the Jews -- it was no secret." Read Rosenbaum's essay Based on the German book with the same title, "The Reader" stars Winslet as Hanna Schmitz, a former Nazi prison guard living in postwar Germany. She meets and has a secretive affair with teenager Michael Berg (David Cross), who often reads aloud to her at her request. Unbeknownst to Michael, Hanna is illiterate. Their affair ends abruptly when she mysteriously disappears. Eight years later, Michael is a law student. One day, while observing Nazi war criminals on trial, he's shocked to find Hanna as a defendant in the courtroom. The court finds her guilty of killing 300 Jewish women during the war and sentences her to life in prison. While behind bars, Michael sends her books on tape, which, over time, help Hanna finally learn to read. Therein lies the problem for Rosenbaum. "What essentially it did," said Rosenbaum, "was celebrate the enrichment of a life of a mass murderer when she learned how to read. ... Imagine if there were a film about Charles Manson learning how to play chess and what a better guy it made him." However, others in the Jewish community are applauding the film, including Ken Jacobson, deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League. Jacobson says "The Reader" opens itself up to criticism, but is worthy of an Oscar at the same time. "I think it conveys a series of messages that actually are very powerful about the Holocaust, and it's not in the usual way," Jacobson told CNN. "As time goes on, as we have Holocaust deniers emerging more and more, we need people to be able to relate personally to what happened," said Jacobson. "I think this film does this in a very powerful way." The Weinstein Company, the studio behind "The Reader," says it is proud of the film. "It is sad that some people misinterpreted the film's message," the company said in a statement. "It is not about the Holocaust," the company added, "it is about what Germany did to itself and its future generations." Will Rosenbaum's piece, and the backlash he touched off, affect "The Reader's" Oscar chances Sunday? Entertainment reporter Tom O'Neil, who follows awards shows for the Los Angeles Times' TheEnvelope.com, doesn't think so. Given "The Reader's" five nominations, he believes Hollywood has already embraced the film. "Oscar has taken special notice of 'The Reader' because it's not just your average Holocaust movie," said O'Neil. "It doesn't beg for forgiveness when dealing with Nazis. It makes you think." Still, Rosenbaum says any further accolades for the drama would be unfortunate. "I would be very disappointed in the intelligence level of Hollywood if it gave the best picture award to 'The Reader,'

What does the plot involve?

3622369c886a49e69ce7e5c4b3471e1e

Editor's note: The following story about "The Reader," by necessity, contains spoilers. If you'd rather not know about the plot, stop reading now. Kate Winslet and David Cross star in "The Reader," which has received criticism from some quarters. LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- One major contender's chances at Oscar gold may be damaged due to its sensitive subject matter. "The Reader," which is up for five Oscars -- including best actress (for star Kate Winslet) and best picture -- is being slammed by "Explaining Hitler" author Ron Rosenbaum, who's asked Academy members to shun the post-World War II drama because the film "asks us to empathize with an unrepentant mass murderer." Rosenbaum, who wrote his commentary for Slate.com, said that's not his only reason. "It gives the impression that ordinary German people only learned the terrible things that happened in the death camps in the East after the war," he said in an interview with CNN. "In fact, ordinary German people participated in Hitler's final solution, the extermination of the Jews -- it was no secret." Read Rosenbaum's essay Based on the German book with the same title, "The Reader" stars Winslet as Hanna Schmitz, a former Nazi prison guard living in postwar Germany. She meets and has a secretive affair with teenager Michael Berg (David Cross), who often reads aloud to her at her request. Unbeknownst to Michael, Hanna is illiterate. Their affair ends abruptly when she mysteriously disappears. Eight years later, Michael is a law student. One day, while observing Nazi war criminals on trial, he's shocked to find Hanna as a defendant in the courtroom. The court finds her guilty of killing 300 Jewish women during the war and sentences her to life in prison. While behind bars, Michael sends her books on tape, which, over time, help Hanna finally learn to read. Therein lies the problem for Rosenbaum. "What essentially it did," said Rosenbaum, "was celebrate the enrichment of a life of a mass murderer when she learned how to read. ... Imagine if there were a film about Charles Manson learning how to play chess and what a better guy it made him." However, others in the Jewish community are applauding the film, including Ken Jacobson, deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League. Jacobson says "The Reader" opens itself up to criticism, but is worthy of an Oscar at the same time. "I think it conveys a series of messages that actually are very powerful about the Holocaust, and it's not in the usual way," Jacobson told CNN. "As time goes on, as we have Holocaust deniers emerging more and more, we need people to be able to relate personally to what happened," said Jacobson. "I think this film does this in a very powerful way." The Weinstein Company, the studio behind "The Reader," says it is proud of the film. "It is sad that some people misinterpreted the film's message," the company said in a statement. "It is not about the Holocaust," the company added, "it is about what Germany did to itself and its future generations." Will Rosenbaum's piece, and the backlash he touched off, affect "The Reader's" Oscar chances Sunday? Entertainment reporter Tom O'Neil, who follows awards shows for the Los Angeles Times' TheEnvelope.com, doesn't think so. Given "The Reader's" five nominations, he believes Hollywood has already embraced the film. "Oscar has taken special notice of 'The Reader' because it's not just your average Holocaust movie," said O'Neil. "It doesn't beg for forgiveness when dealing with Nazis. It makes you think." Still, Rosenbaum says any further accolades for the drama would be unfortunate. "I would be very disappointed in the intelligence level of Hollywood if it gave the best picture award to 'The Reader,'

What is the film up for?

3fef8fb2bf9a4ab5ab46efbf37a69d64

(CNN) -- After her crowning in January, Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, went from beauty queen to traveling machine -- within minutes. "The moment they put that crown on my head I started work...literally," she told CNN. Miss America Katie Stam is constantly on the road. The Indiana native will spend a year crisscrossing the country promoting her platform of community service. "I change locations every two or three days, and that's exactly how it's going to be all year," Stam says. From visiting children in hospitals in Pennsylvania to flipping pancakes for charity in California, Miss America lives a life on the road. And with such a hectic schedule, she has picked up a few tips on how to stay sane while traveling. "The most important tip I could offer anybody who does a lot of traveling is to stay as organized as possible," Stam says. To keep from losing items on the road, Stam keeps everything in the same place in her suitcase, including her crown. "It's really funny, but it helps me kind of keep a clear mind," she explains. She also unpacks a little as soon as she arrives in her hotel room. "You realize when you get on the road, and that's your life, your hotel becomes your home," Stam says. "And so you really need to feel that you're coming home to your room, to your place where all of your things are." Stam also stresses the importance of a good night's sleep. "It's absolutely essential to get a full night's rest or at least quality rest," she says. However she also acknowledges the difficulties of sleeping a full eight hours while traveling. But the ever chipper Miss America has a trick for getting around the wonky work hours: "If you know you only have 10 minutes, you take a quick 10 minute nap." With airplanes being her primary mode of transportation, the beauty queen also has advice for the frequent flyer on how to stay fresh while on the go. "It's tricky," she says. "A lot of people lose their luggage and stuff. So I always keep my makeup with me, put on a little powder before I go somewhere." And when you're Miss America, somewhere could be anywhere.

When does she unpack a little?

311b17749a5f441ca2b085a4363eb43f

(CNN) -- After her crowning in January, Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, went from beauty queen to traveling machine -- within minutes. "The moment they put that crown on my head I started work...literally," she told CNN. Miss America Katie Stam is constantly on the road. The Indiana native will spend a year crisscrossing the country promoting her platform of community service. "I change locations every two or three days, and that's exactly how it's going to be all year," Stam says. From visiting children in hospitals in Pennsylvania to flipping pancakes for charity in California, Miss America lives a life on the road. And with such a hectic schedule, she has picked up a few tips on how to stay sane while traveling. "The most important tip I could offer anybody who does a lot of traveling is to stay as organized as possible," Stam says. To keep from losing items on the road, Stam keeps everything in the same place in her suitcase, including her crown. "It's really funny, but it helps me kind of keep a clear mind," she explains. She also unpacks a little as soon as she arrives in her hotel room. "You realize when you get on the road, and that's your life, your hotel becomes your home," Stam says. "And so you really need to feel that you're coming home to your room, to your place where all of your things are." Stam also stresses the importance of a good night's sleep. "It's absolutely essential to get a full night's rest or at least quality rest," she says. However she also acknowledges the difficulties of sleeping a full eight hours while traveling. But the ever chipper Miss America has a trick for getting around the wonky work hours: "If you know you only have 10 minutes, you take a quick 10 minute nap." With airplanes being her primary mode of transportation, the beauty queen also has advice for the frequent flyer on how to stay fresh while on the go. "It's tricky," she says. "A lot of people lose their luggage and stuff. So I always keep my makeup with me, put on a little powder before I go somewhere." And when you're Miss America, somewhere could be anywhere.

What is Miss America's name?

82b8724b63cd49d69a81b37a5c752fca

(CNN) -- After her crowning in January, Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, went from beauty queen to traveling machine -- within minutes. "The moment they put that crown on my head I started work...literally," she told CNN. Miss America Katie Stam is constantly on the road. The Indiana native will spend a year crisscrossing the country promoting her platform of community service. "I change locations every two or three days, and that's exactly how it's going to be all year," Stam says. From visiting children in hospitals in Pennsylvania to flipping pancakes for charity in California, Miss America lives a life on the road. And with such a hectic schedule, she has picked up a few tips on how to stay sane while traveling. "The most important tip I could offer anybody who does a lot of traveling is to stay as organized as possible," Stam says. To keep from losing items on the road, Stam keeps everything in the same place in her suitcase, including her crown. "It's really funny, but it helps me kind of keep a clear mind," she explains. She also unpacks a little as soon as she arrives in her hotel room. "You realize when you get on the road, and that's your life, your hotel becomes your home," Stam says. "And so you really need to feel that you're coming home to your room, to your place where all of your things are." Stam also stresses the importance of a good night's sleep. "It's absolutely essential to get a full night's rest or at least quality rest," she says. However she also acknowledges the difficulties of sleeping a full eight hours while traveling. But the ever chipper Miss America has a trick for getting around the wonky work hours: "If you know you only have 10 minutes, you take a quick 10 minute nap." With airplanes being her primary mode of transportation, the beauty queen also has advice for the frequent flyer on how to stay fresh while on the go. "It's tricky," she says. "A lot of people lose their luggage and stuff. So I always keep my makeup with me, put on a little powder before I go somewhere." And when you're Miss America, somewhere could be anywhere.

What does Miss America like to do when she arrives at her hotel?

02557877117340f8acb6db9a61b0f554

(CNN) -- After her crowning in January, Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, went from beauty queen to traveling machine -- within minutes. "The moment they put that crown on my head I started work...literally," she told CNN. Miss America Katie Stam is constantly on the road. The Indiana native will spend a year crisscrossing the country promoting her platform of community service. "I change locations every two or three days, and that's exactly how it's going to be all year," Stam says. From visiting children in hospitals in Pennsylvania to flipping pancakes for charity in California, Miss America lives a life on the road. And with such a hectic schedule, she has picked up a few tips on how to stay sane while traveling. "The most important tip I could offer anybody who does a lot of traveling is to stay as organized as possible," Stam says. To keep from losing items on the road, Stam keeps everything in the same place in her suitcase, including her crown. "It's really funny, but it helps me kind of keep a clear mind," she explains. She also unpacks a little as soon as she arrives in her hotel room. "You realize when you get on the road, and that's your life, your hotel becomes your home," Stam says. "And so you really need to feel that you're coming home to your room, to your place where all of your things are." Stam also stresses the importance of a good night's sleep. "It's absolutely essential to get a full night's rest or at least quality rest," she says. However she also acknowledges the difficulties of sleeping a full eight hours while traveling. But the ever chipper Miss America has a trick for getting around the wonky work hours: "If you know you only have 10 minutes, you take a quick 10 minute nap." With airplanes being her primary mode of transportation, the beauty queen also has advice for the frequent flyer on how to stay fresh while on the go. "It's tricky," she says. "A lot of people lose their luggage and stuff. So I always keep my makeup with me, put on a little powder before I go somewhere." And when you're Miss America, somewhere could be anywhere.

What helps her stay organized?

245903a7191e476c95b9be8d23f20a9a

(CNN) -- After her crowning in January, Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, went from beauty queen to traveling machine -- within minutes. "The moment they put that crown on my head I started work...literally," she told CNN. Miss America Katie Stam is constantly on the road. The Indiana native will spend a year crisscrossing the country promoting her platform of community service. "I change locations every two or three days, and that's exactly how it's going to be all year," Stam says. From visiting children in hospitals in Pennsylvania to flipping pancakes for charity in California, Miss America lives a life on the road. And with such a hectic schedule, she has picked up a few tips on how to stay sane while traveling. "The most important tip I could offer anybody who does a lot of traveling is to stay as organized as possible," Stam says. To keep from losing items on the road, Stam keeps everything in the same place in her suitcase, including her crown. "It's really funny, but it helps me kind of keep a clear mind," she explains. She also unpacks a little as soon as she arrives in her hotel room. "You realize when you get on the road, and that's your life, your hotel becomes your home," Stam says. "And so you really need to feel that you're coming home to your room, to your place where all of your things are." Stam also stresses the importance of a good night's sleep. "It's absolutely essential to get a full night's rest or at least quality rest," she says. However she also acknowledges the difficulties of sleeping a full eight hours while traveling. But the ever chipper Miss America has a trick for getting around the wonky work hours: "If you know you only have 10 minutes, you take a quick 10 minute nap." With airplanes being her primary mode of transportation, the beauty queen also has advice for the frequent flyer on how to stay fresh while on the go. "It's tricky," she says. "A lot of people lose their luggage and stuff. So I always keep my makeup with me, put on a little powder before I go somewhere." And when you're Miss America, somewhere could be anywhere.

Who is miss america?

6055fdd2f0a64de1a78d044ddea1051e

(CNN) -- After her crowning in January, Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, went from beauty queen to traveling machine -- within minutes. "The moment they put that crown on my head I started work...literally," she told CNN. Miss America Katie Stam is constantly on the road. The Indiana native will spend a year crisscrossing the country promoting her platform of community service. "I change locations every two or three days, and that's exactly how it's going to be all year," Stam says. From visiting children in hospitals in Pennsylvania to flipping pancakes for charity in California, Miss America lives a life on the road. And with such a hectic schedule, she has picked up a few tips on how to stay sane while traveling. "The most important tip I could offer anybody who does a lot of traveling is to stay as organized as possible," Stam says. To keep from losing items on the road, Stam keeps everything in the same place in her suitcase, including her crown. "It's really funny, but it helps me kind of keep a clear mind," she explains. She also unpacks a little as soon as she arrives in her hotel room. "You realize when you get on the road, and that's your life, your hotel becomes your home," Stam says. "And so you really need to feel that you're coming home to your room, to your place where all of your things are." Stam also stresses the importance of a good night's sleep. "It's absolutely essential to get a full night's rest or at least quality rest," she says. However she also acknowledges the difficulties of sleeping a full eight hours while traveling. But the ever chipper Miss America has a trick for getting around the wonky work hours: "If you know you only have 10 minutes, you take a quick 10 minute nap." With airplanes being her primary mode of transportation, the beauty queen also has advice for the frequent flyer on how to stay fresh while on the go. "It's tricky," she says. "A lot of people lose their luggage and stuff. So I always keep my makeup with me, put on a little powder before I go somewhere." And when you're Miss America, somewhere could be anywhere.

Where is Miss America spending a year?

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(CNN) -- Actor and author Hill Harper wants you to live your life and understand what true wealth is. "The word courage, one of my favorite words, the root or the etymology of that word is 'cour,' which means heart," he said. "I think true courage is actually following your heart and not getting or succumbing to what other people's definition of what your life should be. Live your life." Harper, who once wanted to be a professional football player, tells me the story of how he accomplished that himself, thanks to the advice of an uncle. "I had all this student loan debt, and I had this six-figure legal job offer in corporate law coming out of Harvard Law School. There were job opportunities there, particularly out of this high-end law firm," he said. Harper has a bachelor of arts degree from Brown University, where he studied acting, and a masters in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government, which is a part of Harvard. He says many people told him to take the legal job offer to pay off his debt. They advised him to pursue his passion of acting later. His Uncle Frank recognized he was only looking at the legal job for the salary. "'Let me tell you, if you're ever making a decision and the principle reason you'll do it is because of money, then it is absolutely the incorrect decision,'" Harper said his uncle advised. Harper emphasizes that money can be a factor, but it should not be the primary one. "I went on to take a job waiting tables from 11 at night to 7 in the morning at a diner. Fighting rush hour traffic to get home by 8 to go to sleep. Wake up at noon or 1 to audition for films and go to acting class in the evening and maybe come home and get a nap between 9:30 and 10 and go to work again at 11," he said. "I certainly wasn't making as much money as I would have at a law firm, but I was following my heart." Known for his roles in "CSI: NY " and "Beloved," Spike Lee gave Harper his first big acting break when he hired him to play one of the leads of his movie "Get on the Bus." Harper has written three books that have been on The New York Times best-seller list. His first one, "Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny," won the American Library Association Award for Best Books for Young Adults in 2007. "You know it was funny, just a few years before, I was in grad school at Harvard, and Spike was teaching a theater class or film classes at Harvard," he said with a laugh. "I went down there and I was an extra in his film 'Malcolm X.' I stood in this big huge line and auditioned to become an extra." Harper's definition of wealth changed while he was filming "For Colored Girls" in Atlanta and writing a book about money and finance to encourage people to stop using a lack of money as an excuse to defer their dreams. Harper has also had his brushes with harsh realities in life. "So one day, I wake up in my hotel room and I can't swallow. I knew I wasn't sick. I didn't have a fever. Something inside me told me that something was wrong," he said. He describes undergoing tests that involve enduring 16 needles in his neck. Yet, he managed to have fun by posing for pictures with the nurses and doctors. When he returned a week later for his pathology, no one was laughing and joking. He says he knew then he had thyroid cancer. "What I realized very clearly through that journey was that it doesn't matter how much celebrity you have or how much money you have or how well you've saved or if your 401(k) is solid, if you don't have your

What does Hill Harper said?

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(CNN) -- Italy's MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian MotoGP Sunday. The tragic accident happened when Simoncelli came off at Turn 11 of the Sepang circuit while in fourth place. His Honda bike swerved across the track and he was hit by fellow competitors Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Simoncelli, 24, had his helmet knocked off in the crash and he lay motionless on the track. American Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury, while former multi-world champion Rossi returned unhurt to the pits on his Ducati. The race was abandoned and Simoncelli was given emergency treatment at the track's medical center, but it was to no avail. "Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the Malaysian MotoGP," read a short statement on the official MotoGP website to confirm the fatality. It came just a week after the tragic death of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon at a race in Las Vegas. On the same day, 2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed as he warmed up for last week's round in Australia and sustained a serious hand injury. Lorenzo's misfortune meant Australian Casey Stoner wrapped up the world title with two races still to go, Sunday's race in Malaysia, and the final round in Spain. Rossi, a seven-time world champion in motorcycling's elite category, left the track devastated by the accident involving his fellow Italian and "good friend" Simoncelli. Rossi's team manager at Ducati, Vittoriano Gureschi, gave his reaction. "Valentino is shocked by this incident. Valentino is a strong man but this incident is a big tragedy. He has lost a good friend," he said. The Italian sports community was left stunned by Simoncelli's death and a minute's silence was held at all major events, including Serie A football games.

Who died after an accident at Malaysia Grand Prix?

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(CNN) -- Italy's MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian MotoGP Sunday. The tragic accident happened when Simoncelli came off at Turn 11 of the Sepang circuit while in fourth place. His Honda bike swerved across the track and he was hit by fellow competitors Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Simoncelli, 24, had his helmet knocked off in the crash and he lay motionless on the track. American Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury, while former multi-world champion Rossi returned unhurt to the pits on his Ducati. The race was abandoned and Simoncelli was given emergency treatment at the track's medical center, but it was to no avail. "Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the Malaysian MotoGP," read a short statement on the official MotoGP website to confirm the fatality. It came just a week after the tragic death of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon at a race in Las Vegas. On the same day, 2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed as he warmed up for last week's round in Australia and sustained a serious hand injury. Lorenzo's misfortune meant Australian Casey Stoner wrapped up the world title with two races still to go, Sunday's race in Malaysia, and the final round in Spain. Rossi, a seven-time world champion in motorcycling's elite category, left the track devastated by the accident involving his fellow Italian and "good friend" Simoncelli. Rossi's team manager at Ducati, Vittoriano Gureschi, gave his reaction. "Valentino is shocked by this incident. Valentino is a strong man but this incident is a big tragedy. He has lost a good friend," he said. The Italian sports community was left stunned by Simoncelli's death and a minute's silence was held at all major events, including Serie A football games.

What place was he in on the second lap?

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(CNN) -- Italy's MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian MotoGP Sunday. The tragic accident happened when Simoncelli came off at Turn 11 of the Sepang circuit while in fourth place. His Honda bike swerved across the track and he was hit by fellow competitors Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Simoncelli, 24, had his helmet knocked off in the crash and he lay motionless on the track. American Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury, while former multi-world champion Rossi returned unhurt to the pits on his Ducati. The race was abandoned and Simoncelli was given emergency treatment at the track's medical center, but it was to no avail. "Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the Malaysian MotoGP," read a short statement on the official MotoGP website to confirm the fatality. It came just a week after the tragic death of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon at a race in Las Vegas. On the same day, 2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed as he warmed up for last week's round in Australia and sustained a serious hand injury. Lorenzo's misfortune meant Australian Casey Stoner wrapped up the world title with two races still to go, Sunday's race in Malaysia, and the final round in Spain. Rossi, a seven-time world champion in motorcycling's elite category, left the track devastated by the accident involving his fellow Italian and "good friend" Simoncelli. Rossi's team manager at Ducati, Vittoriano Gureschi, gave his reaction. "Valentino is shocked by this incident. Valentino is a strong man but this incident is a big tragedy. He has lost a good friend," he said. The Italian sports community was left stunned by Simoncelli's death and a minute's silence was held at all major events, including Serie A football games.

What did the official MotoGP website report?

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(CNN) -- Italy's MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian MotoGP Sunday. The tragic accident happened when Simoncelli came off at Turn 11 of the Sepang circuit while in fourth place. His Honda bike swerved across the track and he was hit by fellow competitors Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Simoncelli, 24, had his helmet knocked off in the crash and he lay motionless on the track. American Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury, while former multi-world champion Rossi returned unhurt to the pits on his Ducati. The race was abandoned and Simoncelli was given emergency treatment at the track's medical center, but it was to no avail. "Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the Malaysian MotoGP," read a short statement on the official MotoGP website to confirm the fatality. It came just a week after the tragic death of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon at a race in Las Vegas. On the same day, 2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed as he warmed up for last week's round in Australia and sustained a serious hand injury. Lorenzo's misfortune meant Australian Casey Stoner wrapped up the world title with two races still to go, Sunday's race in Malaysia, and the final round in Spain. Rossi, a seven-time world champion in motorcycling's elite category, left the track devastated by the accident involving his fellow Italian and "good friend" Simoncelli. Rossi's team manager at Ducati, Vittoriano Gureschi, gave his reaction. "Valentino is shocked by this incident. Valentino is a strong man but this incident is a big tragedy. He has lost a good friend," he said. The Italian sports community was left stunned by Simoncelli's death and a minute's silence was held at all major events, including Serie A football games.

Where was Marco Simoncelli from?

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(CNN) -- Italy's MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian MotoGP Sunday. The tragic accident happened when Simoncelli came off at Turn 11 of the Sepang circuit while in fourth place. His Honda bike swerved across the track and he was hit by fellow competitors Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Simoncelli, 24, had his helmet knocked off in the crash and he lay motionless on the track. American Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury, while former multi-world champion Rossi returned unhurt to the pits on his Ducati. The race was abandoned and Simoncelli was given emergency treatment at the track's medical center, but it was to no avail. "Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the Malaysian MotoGP," read a short statement on the official MotoGP website to confirm the fatality. It came just a week after the tragic death of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon at a race in Las Vegas. On the same day, 2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed as he warmed up for last week's round in Australia and sustained a serious hand injury. Lorenzo's misfortune meant Australian Casey Stoner wrapped up the world title with two races still to go, Sunday's race in Malaysia, and the final round in Spain. Rossi, a seven-time world champion in motorcycling's elite category, left the track devastated by the accident involving his fellow Italian and "good friend" Simoncelli. Rossi's team manager at Ducati, Vittoriano Gureschi, gave his reaction. "Valentino is shocked by this incident. Valentino is a strong man but this incident is a big tragedy. He has lost a good friend," he said. The Italian sports community was left stunned by Simoncelli's death and a minute's silence was held at all major events, including Serie A football games.

What lap was he on?

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(CNN) -- Italy's MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian MotoGP Sunday. The tragic accident happened when Simoncelli came off at Turn 11 of the Sepang circuit while in fourth place. His Honda bike swerved across the track and he was hit by fellow competitors Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Simoncelli, 24, had his helmet knocked off in the crash and he lay motionless on the track. American Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury, while former multi-world champion Rossi returned unhurt to the pits on his Ducati. The race was abandoned and Simoncelli was given emergency treatment at the track's medical center, but it was to no avail. "Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the Malaysian MotoGP," read a short statement on the official MotoGP website to confirm the fatality. It came just a week after the tragic death of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon at a race in Las Vegas. On the same day, 2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed as he warmed up for last week's round in Australia and sustained a serious hand injury. Lorenzo's misfortune meant Australian Casey Stoner wrapped up the world title with two races still to go, Sunday's race in Malaysia, and the final round in Spain. Rossi, a seven-time world champion in motorcycling's elite category, left the track devastated by the accident involving his fellow Italian and "good friend" Simoncelli. Rossi's team manager at Ducati, Vittoriano Gureschi, gave his reaction. "Valentino is shocked by this incident. Valentino is a strong man but this incident is a big tragedy. He has lost a good friend," he said. The Italian sports community was left stunned by Simoncelli's death and a minute's silence was held at all major events, including Serie A football games.

What was he struck by?

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

Which actor died?

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

What type of test is the coroners office waiting on

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

What did Mark Heaslip say?

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

What did the autopsy show?

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

What did Haim struggle with for decades

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

When did Corey Haim die?

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

Haim struggled with what for decades?

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In

What did he suffer from?

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(CNN) -- Newburgh, New York, was a main military headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolution. More recently, authorities say, it was the birthplace of a foiled terrorist plot. If Mayor Nick Valentine gets his way, the town of 30,000 will host the terror trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices. "We've got nothing to lose," said Valentine, who also runs a tailor shop. About 60 miles up the Hudson River from New York City, Newburgh struggles with poverty, unemployment and crime. In 2004, the town was dubbed the third worst metropolitan area in the country. "Sometimes, we're the top five in crime, which is not a very good recognition," said Valentine, a lifelong resident. "We struggle with everything." That's why, he said, the trial would be a boon for his town. The influx of security personnel would chase the bad people out; journalists and lawyers in town for the trial would provide a much-needed economic boost. "People have said: If you have a trial, bad guys will come. My comment back to them: We've got bad guys right now," the mayor said. "If I had a police presence here for an extended period of time, this place would be a safer place. And in the end ... the city of Newburgh would be up a couple notches than where it was before." The White House has said it is considering changing the current plan to hold the 9/11 trial in lower Manhattan after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials expressed concerns about security, costs and disruption to the city. Four alternative locations around New York have been discussed: Governors Island, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a prison complex in Otisville and Newburgh. Three of the sites, including Newburgh, fall within Orange County, which lost 44 residents in the 9/11 attacks. The top county official is doing everything he can to make sure the trial stays out. "I don't want to be known as the terrorist capital of the world," said Orange County Executive Edward Diana. "I don't want them here. Nobody wants them here." This is one battle, he said, "I will fight tooth and nail." "If I have to shut down roads, if I have to sue the federal government, I will do just that. ... That's my stance, and I will never back off from there." Several senators on Tuesday lined up against a civilian 9/11 trial, saying that they would try to cut off funding for it and that it should take place in a military court. Mayor Valentine said he would allow the trial in his town only if Newburgh received the estimated $200 million needed for security. "If it's going to cost us money, then forget it," he said. He also agrees with many lawmakers -- that the accused terrorists don't "deserve a trial like any other citizen in the United States." "But if the president of the United States wants a trial, let me put together a jury of peers from the Hudson Valley area," he said. The town recently built a $22 million courthouse, mandated by the state, and is struggling to pay its bills as a result, Valentine said. The federal funds would help get the town out of a mountain of debt. Ever since he's spoken up for Newburgh, he said, people have been abuzz in his tailor shop. "Customers have come in saying, 'You give it your best shot.' " He added, "I've had a couple of negative, but very, very few." The town has a diverse population -- 36 percent Latino, 34 percent African-American and 28 percent white -- with a median household income of roughly $30,000. The town is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Within its four square miles, there

What reason did Newburgh make headlines?

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(CNN) -- Newburgh, New York, was a main military headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolution. More recently, authorities say, it was the birthplace of a foiled terrorist plot. If Mayor Nick Valentine gets his way, the town of 30,000 will host the terror trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices. "We've got nothing to lose," said Valentine, who also runs a tailor shop. About 60 miles up the Hudson River from New York City, Newburgh struggles with poverty, unemployment and crime. In 2004, the town was dubbed the third worst metropolitan area in the country. "Sometimes, we're the top five in crime, which is not a very good recognition," said Valentine, a lifelong resident. "We struggle with everything." That's why, he said, the trial would be a boon for his town. The influx of security personnel would chase the bad people out; journalists and lawyers in town for the trial would provide a much-needed economic boost. "People have said: If you have a trial, bad guys will come. My comment back to them: We've got bad guys right now," the mayor said. "If I had a police presence here for an extended period of time, this place would be a safer place. And in the end ... the city of Newburgh would be up a couple notches than where it was before." The White House has said it is considering changing the current plan to hold the 9/11 trial in lower Manhattan after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials expressed concerns about security, costs and disruption to the city. Four alternative locations around New York have been discussed: Governors Island, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a prison complex in Otisville and Newburgh. Three of the sites, including Newburgh, fall within Orange County, which lost 44 residents in the 9/11 attacks. The top county official is doing everything he can to make sure the trial stays out. "I don't want to be known as the terrorist capital of the world," said Orange County Executive Edward Diana. "I don't want them here. Nobody wants them here." This is one battle, he said, "I will fight tooth and nail." "If I have to shut down roads, if I have to sue the federal government, I will do just that. ... That's my stance, and I will never back off from there." Several senators on Tuesday lined up against a civilian 9/11 trial, saying that they would try to cut off funding for it and that it should take place in a military court. Mayor Valentine said he would allow the trial in his town only if Newburgh received the estimated $200 million needed for security. "If it's going to cost us money, then forget it," he said. He also agrees with many lawmakers -- that the accused terrorists don't "deserve a trial like any other citizen in the United States." "But if the president of the United States wants a trial, let me put together a jury of peers from the Hudson Valley area," he said. The town recently built a $22 million courthouse, mandated by the state, and is struggling to pay its bills as a result, Valentine said. The federal funds would help get the town out of a mountain of debt. Ever since he's spoken up for Newburgh, he said, people have been abuzz in his tailor shop. "Customers have come in saying, 'You give it your best shot.' " He added, "I've had a couple of negative, but very, very few." The town has a diverse population -- 36 percent Latino, 34 percent African-American and 28 percent white -- with a median household income of roughly $30,000. The town is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Within its four square miles, there

In what state is the city of Newburgh located?

cc0edbef0e1f487aa5713777e964b2ac

(CNN) -- Newburgh, New York, was a main military headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolution. More recently, authorities say, it was the birthplace of a foiled terrorist plot. If Mayor Nick Valentine gets his way, the town of 30,000 will host the terror trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices. "We've got nothing to lose," said Valentine, who also runs a tailor shop. About 60 miles up the Hudson River from New York City, Newburgh struggles with poverty, unemployment and crime. In 2004, the town was dubbed the third worst metropolitan area in the country. "Sometimes, we're the top five in crime, which is not a very good recognition," said Valentine, a lifelong resident. "We struggle with everything." That's why, he said, the trial would be a boon for his town. The influx of security personnel would chase the bad people out; journalists and lawyers in town for the trial would provide a much-needed economic boost. "People have said: If you have a trial, bad guys will come. My comment back to them: We've got bad guys right now," the mayor said. "If I had a police presence here for an extended period of time, this place would be a safer place. And in the end ... the city of Newburgh would be up a couple notches than where it was before." The White House has said it is considering changing the current plan to hold the 9/11 trial in lower Manhattan after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials expressed concerns about security, costs and disruption to the city. Four alternative locations around New York have been discussed: Governors Island, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a prison complex in Otisville and Newburgh. Three of the sites, including Newburgh, fall within Orange County, which lost 44 residents in the 9/11 attacks. The top county official is doing everything he can to make sure the trial stays out. "I don't want to be known as the terrorist capital of the world," said Orange County Executive Edward Diana. "I don't want them here. Nobody wants them here." This is one battle, he said, "I will fight tooth and nail." "If I have to shut down roads, if I have to sue the federal government, I will do just that. ... That's my stance, and I will never back off from there." Several senators on Tuesday lined up against a civilian 9/11 trial, saying that they would try to cut off funding for it and that it should take place in a military court. Mayor Valentine said he would allow the trial in his town only if Newburgh received the estimated $200 million needed for security. "If it's going to cost us money, then forget it," he said. He also agrees with many lawmakers -- that the accused terrorists don't "deserve a trial like any other citizen in the United States." "But if the president of the United States wants a trial, let me put together a jury of peers from the Hudson Valley area," he said. The town recently built a $22 million courthouse, mandated by the state, and is struggling to pay its bills as a result, Valentine said. The federal funds would help get the town out of a mountain of debt. Ever since he's spoken up for Newburgh, he said, people have been abuzz in his tailor shop. "Customers have come in saying, 'You give it your best shot.' " He added, "I've had a couple of negative, but very, very few." The town has a diverse population -- 36 percent Latino, 34 percent African-American and 28 percent white -- with a median household income of roughly $30,000. The town is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Within its four square miles, there

What is considered a potential sit for 9/11 trial?

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(CNN) -- Newburgh, New York, was a main military headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolution. More recently, authorities say, it was the birthplace of a foiled terrorist plot. If Mayor Nick Valentine gets his way, the town of 30,000 will host the terror trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices. "We've got nothing to lose," said Valentine, who also runs a tailor shop. About 60 miles up the Hudson River from New York City, Newburgh struggles with poverty, unemployment and crime. In 2004, the town was dubbed the third worst metropolitan area in the country. "Sometimes, we're the top five in crime, which is not a very good recognition," said Valentine, a lifelong resident. "We struggle with everything." That's why, he said, the trial would be a boon for his town. The influx of security personnel would chase the bad people out; journalists and lawyers in town for the trial would provide a much-needed economic boost. "People have said: If you have a trial, bad guys will come. My comment back to them: We've got bad guys right now," the mayor said. "If I had a police presence here for an extended period of time, this place would be a safer place. And in the end ... the city of Newburgh would be up a couple notches than where it was before." The White House has said it is considering changing the current plan to hold the 9/11 trial in lower Manhattan after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials expressed concerns about security, costs and disruption to the city. Four alternative locations around New York have been discussed: Governors Island, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a prison complex in Otisville and Newburgh. Three of the sites, including Newburgh, fall within Orange County, which lost 44 residents in the 9/11 attacks. The top county official is doing everything he can to make sure the trial stays out. "I don't want to be known as the terrorist capital of the world," said Orange County Executive Edward Diana. "I don't want them here. Nobody wants them here." This is one battle, he said, "I will fight tooth and nail." "If I have to shut down roads, if I have to sue the federal government, I will do just that. ... That's my stance, and I will never back off from there." Several senators on Tuesday lined up against a civilian 9/11 trial, saying that they would try to cut off funding for it and that it should take place in a military court. Mayor Valentine said he would allow the trial in his town only if Newburgh received the estimated $200 million needed for security. "If it's going to cost us money, then forget it," he said. He also agrees with many lawmakers -- that the accused terrorists don't "deserve a trial like any other citizen in the United States." "But if the president of the United States wants a trial, let me put together a jury of peers from the Hudson Valley area," he said. The town recently built a $22 million courthouse, mandated by the state, and is struggling to pay its bills as a result, Valentine said. The federal funds would help get the town out of a mountain of debt. Ever since he's spoken up for Newburgh, he said, people have been abuzz in his tailor shop. "Customers have come in saying, 'You give it your best shot.' " He added, "I've had a couple of negative, but very, very few." The town has a diverse population -- 36 percent Latino, 34 percent African-American and 28 percent white -- with a median household income of roughly $30,000. The town is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Within its four square miles, there

Who is the Mayor?

bb92fdb326dd4ae4b63cef4b2118933c

(CNN) -- Newburgh, New York, was a main military headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolution. More recently, authorities say, it was the birthplace of a foiled terrorist plot. If Mayor Nick Valentine gets his way, the town of 30,000 will host the terror trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices. "We've got nothing to lose," said Valentine, who also runs a tailor shop. About 60 miles up the Hudson River from New York City, Newburgh struggles with poverty, unemployment and crime. In 2004, the town was dubbed the third worst metropolitan area in the country. "Sometimes, we're the top five in crime, which is not a very good recognition," said Valentine, a lifelong resident. "We struggle with everything." That's why, he said, the trial would be a boon for his town. The influx of security personnel would chase the bad people out; journalists and lawyers in town for the trial would provide a much-needed economic boost. "People have said: If you have a trial, bad guys will come. My comment back to them: We've got bad guys right now," the mayor said. "If I had a police presence here for an extended period of time, this place would be a safer place. And in the end ... the city of Newburgh would be up a couple notches than where it was before." The White House has said it is considering changing the current plan to hold the 9/11 trial in lower Manhattan after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials expressed concerns about security, costs and disruption to the city. Four alternative locations around New York have been discussed: Governors Island, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a prison complex in Otisville and Newburgh. Three of the sites, including Newburgh, fall within Orange County, which lost 44 residents in the 9/11 attacks. The top county official is doing everything he can to make sure the trial stays out. "I don't want to be known as the terrorist capital of the world," said Orange County Executive Edward Diana. "I don't want them here. Nobody wants them here." This is one battle, he said, "I will fight tooth and nail." "If I have to shut down roads, if I have to sue the federal government, I will do just that. ... That's my stance, and I will never back off from there." Several senators on Tuesday lined up against a civilian 9/11 trial, saying that they would try to cut off funding for it and that it should take place in a military court. Mayor Valentine said he would allow the trial in his town only if Newburgh received the estimated $200 million needed for security. "If it's going to cost us money, then forget it," he said. He also agrees with many lawmakers -- that the accused terrorists don't "deserve a trial like any other citizen in the United States." "But if the president of the United States wants a trial, let me put together a jury of peers from the Hudson Valley area," he said. The town recently built a $22 million courthouse, mandated by the state, and is struggling to pay its bills as a result, Valentine said. The federal funds would help get the town out of a mountain of debt. Ever since he's spoken up for Newburgh, he said, people have been abuzz in his tailor shop. "Customers have come in saying, 'You give it your best shot.' " He added, "I've had a couple of negative, but very, very few." The town has a diverse population -- 36 percent Latino, 34 percent African-American and 28 percent white -- with a median household income of roughly $30,000. The town is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Within its four square miles, there

What doe the official not want to be known as?

def4a9ac2014465494d1855f56a589ac

(CNN) -- Newburgh, New York, was a main military headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolution. More recently, authorities say, it was the birthplace of a foiled terrorist plot. If Mayor Nick Valentine gets his way, the town of 30,000 will host the terror trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices. "We've got nothing to lose," said Valentine, who also runs a tailor shop. About 60 miles up the Hudson River from New York City, Newburgh struggles with poverty, unemployment and crime. In 2004, the town was dubbed the third worst metropolitan area in the country. "Sometimes, we're the top five in crime, which is not a very good recognition," said Valentine, a lifelong resident. "We struggle with everything." That's why, he said, the trial would be a boon for his town. The influx of security personnel would chase the bad people out; journalists and lawyers in town for the trial would provide a much-needed economic boost. "People have said: If you have a trial, bad guys will come. My comment back to them: We've got bad guys right now," the mayor said. "If I had a police presence here for an extended period of time, this place would be a safer place. And in the end ... the city of Newburgh would be up a couple notches than where it was before." The White House has said it is considering changing the current plan to hold the 9/11 trial in lower Manhattan after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials expressed concerns about security, costs and disruption to the city. Four alternative locations around New York have been discussed: Governors Island, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a prison complex in Otisville and Newburgh. Three of the sites, including Newburgh, fall within Orange County, which lost 44 residents in the 9/11 attacks. The top county official is doing everything he can to make sure the trial stays out. "I don't want to be known as the terrorist capital of the world," said Orange County Executive Edward Diana. "I don't want them here. Nobody wants them here." This is one battle, he said, "I will fight tooth and nail." "If I have to shut down roads, if I have to sue the federal government, I will do just that. ... That's my stance, and I will never back off from there." Several senators on Tuesday lined up against a civilian 9/11 trial, saying that they would try to cut off funding for it and that it should take place in a military court. Mayor Valentine said he would allow the trial in his town only if Newburgh received the estimated $200 million needed for security. "If it's going to cost us money, then forget it," he said. He also agrees with many lawmakers -- that the accused terrorists don't "deserve a trial like any other citizen in the United States." "But if the president of the United States wants a trial, let me put together a jury of peers from the Hudson Valley area," he said. The town recently built a $22 million courthouse, mandated by the state, and is struggling to pay its bills as a result, Valentine said. The federal funds would help get the town out of a mountain of debt. Ever since he's spoken up for Newburgh, he said, people have been abuzz in his tailor shop. "Customers have come in saying, 'You give it your best shot.' " He added, "I've had a couple of negative, but very, very few." The town has a diverse population -- 36 percent Latino, 34 percent African-American and 28 percent white -- with a median household income of roughly $30,000. The town is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Within its four square miles, there

What site is being considered for the 9/11 trial?

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(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday. The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said. Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said. Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA. Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said. Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor. Thirty journalists were among those killed. The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN. Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN. Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

What is Maguindanao part of?

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(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday. The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said. Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said. Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA. Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said. Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor. Thirty journalists were among those killed. The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN. Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN. Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

When was the massacre?

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(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday. The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said. Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said. Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA. Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said. Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor. Thirty journalists were among those killed. The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN. Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN. Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

What day was the massacre in Maguindanao province?

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(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday. The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said. Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said. Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA. Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said. Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor. Thirty journalists were among those killed. The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN. Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN. Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

Order lifting martial law was due to be effective at what time?

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(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday. The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said. Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said. Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA. Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said. Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor. Thirty journalists were among those killed. The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN. Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN. Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

how many member are involved

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(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday. The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said. Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said. Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA. Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said. Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor. Thirty journalists were among those killed. The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN. Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN. Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

Maguindanao is in what region?

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(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday. The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said. Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said. Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA. Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said. Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor. Thirty journalists were among those killed. The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN. Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN. Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.

When is the law due to be effective?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday. First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee. His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning. Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington. He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor. Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records. It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan. His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He jointed the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008. According to his records, his position in the Army was automated logistical specialist, but it was unclear in what capacity he was serving while in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a 60-year-old soldier was killed in Iraq, becoming the oldest U.S. service member killed in either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.

who was killed

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday. First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee. His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning. Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington. He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor. Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records. It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan. His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He jointed the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008. According to his records, his position in the Army was automated logistical specialist, but it was unclear in what capacity he was serving while in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a 60-year-old soldier was killed in Iraq, becoming the oldest U.S. service member killed in either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.

where was he killed

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday. First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee. His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning. Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington. He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor. Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records. It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan. His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He jointed the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008. According to his records, his position in the Army was automated logistical specialist, but it was unclear in what capacity he was serving while in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a 60-year-old soldier was killed in Iraq, becoming the oldest U.S. service member killed in either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.

Wat killed Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday. First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee. His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning. Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington. He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor. Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records. It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan. His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He jointed the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008. According to his records, his position in the Army was automated logistical specialist, but it was unclear in what capacity he was serving while in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a 60-year-old soldier was killed in Iraq, becoming the oldest U.S. service member killed in either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.

what killed him

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday. First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee. His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning. Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington. He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor. Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records. It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan. His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He jointed the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008. According to his records, his position in the Army was automated logistical specialist, but it was unclear in what capacity he was serving while in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a 60-year-old soldier was killed in Iraq, becoming the oldest U.S. service member killed in either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.

In what other war did Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo serve?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday. First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee. His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning. Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington. He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor. Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records. It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan. His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He jointed the Army in 1969 and retired in 1993, then volunteered to serve again in 2008. According to his records, his position in the Army was automated logistical specialist, but it was unclear in what capacity he was serving while in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a 60-year-old soldier was killed in Iraq, becoming the oldest U.S. service member killed in either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.

When did Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo rejoin the army?

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

Who sells out arenas?

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

Who is Person of the Year?

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

Where is the money going?

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

What does the money go to?

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

Who won the award?

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

Who received the honor?

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

Who had a no 1 album

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The day I interviewed Neil Diamond, he was sitting in a little room to the side of a studio, and a makeup artist was smacking him in the face with a powder puff. He was wearing a white wife-beater T-shirt and looked like he wanted to flee. Neil Diamond is riding high with a huge world tour, a successful album and a humanitarian award. It was November, and Diamond had just come off the first two legs of his biggest world tour yet -- with 64 shows in 50 cities and nine countries already under his belt. In a moment, he would step in front of a camera to begin a round of 70 or so interviews -- beamed via satellite to local television stations -- to talk up the remaining 20 dates, where he'd thrill diehard fans with such nuggets as "Cherry Cherry," "Song Sung Blue" and "Sweet Caroline." Ours was the only in-person interview he -- or someone in his camp -- had agreed to do. The singer-songwriter (who turned 68 on January 24) stepped into the studio, a man ready for his close-up. He had slipped a black button-down shirt over his T-shirt, and suddenly he looked like Neil Diamond -- the same Neil Diamond who next week will be feted by The Recording Academy as its "2009 MusiCares Person of the Year," joining an elite club that includes Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Sting, Bono and Quincy Jones. He's working on a follow-up to last year's CD, the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" -- which earned Diamond his first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. That album came after 2005's "12 Songs," also produced by Rubin, which re-invigorated his recording career. As for live performance, he's rarely had problems filling arenas -- but he remembers when he did. Watch Diamond talk about giving back » CNN: The man in black. This has become quite the trademark. Neil Diamond: Yeah. I still wear black, but I got sparkly somewhere along the way -- especially if you are playing in an 18,000-seat arena, you like to be seen by somebody in the back. CNN: I've been to a Neil Diamond concert, and everybody stands up, and they sing every word to every song. Don't you ever want to tell them, "I'm singing -- listen!" Diamond: No, I don't -- but I did in the very beginning when I first realized on my first few records that people were singing along. I thought, "You shouldn't be singing. That's my job. Let me sing and you listen." But then I realized that it's a compliment. They knew the music, they loved it and they wanted to sing. So I said, "All right, let's sing together." [chuckles] CNN: Whenever you hit the road, you're one of the year's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour. [Diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008, taking in $60 million in ticket sales.] Diamond: It's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down. You are relaxed with it, you are not worried about the intricacies of the show, and the last shows are always the best and the most fun. CNN: After 40 years in the business, do you still get nervous? Diamond: I don't know if it's nerves. I get excited. I want things to go right. I want the audience to love the show. CNN: For this tour, you've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales [T-shirts, programs and other souvenir items] to the victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas. We're talking about a figure that's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars. Diamond: Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so

What was the award offered?

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Plans to rejuvenate a dilapidated London icon -- known worldwide to movie and music fans -- were unveiled last week. The redevelopment of Battersea Power Station includes a new eco-dome and a solar chimney. Battersea Power Station, which has dominated the west London skyline since 1933, will -- subject to planning approval -- undergo an $8 billion redevelopment including shops, homes, a hotel, offices and a striking 300 meter eco-tower. The building appeared on the cover of the 1977 Pink Floyd album "Animals," complete with a giant pig floating above its four distinctive towers. It has also appeared in numerous movies including sci-fi drama "The Children of Men", new Batman feature "The Dark Knight" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Sabotage." Real Estate Opportunities Ltd (REO), who currently own the 38 acre site say the defunct and crumbling edifice will be: "brought back to life in the most spectacular way. It will be a place to live, work and play". An Irish development company, REO is planning to spend $300 million repairing the old coal-powered station and get it working again -- this time producing energy from biofuels, waste and other renewable energy sources. At the heart of the regeneration stands a vast new chimney and eco-dome, which as well as housing apartments and offices will act as a vast solar ventilation system cutting down the building's energy demand by two thirds. Managing Director of REO's development manager, Treasury Holdings UK, Rob Tincknell describes it as "a power station for the 21st century...supporting a truly sustainable, zero carbon development". Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly whose daunting job it was to come up with a workable new design for the much loved site describes the old power station as a "remarkable architectural presence". In creating a vast transparent chimney Vinoly hopes that it will contrast with what he describes as the "monumental mass" of J. Theo Halliday and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's original design. Of course, we've been here before. Since the turbines were shut down for the final time in 1983 the power station -- situated on the south bank of the river Thames -- has been the subject of several failed redevelopment ventures. In 1983, a scheme proposed by UK businessman John Broome promised to turn the power station into a gigantic theme park. But by the decade's close and despite the enthusiastic backing of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher his funding package for redevelopment, much like the site itself, were in a ruinous state. In 1996, development company Parkview International headed up by Victor Hwang acquired the freehold for the site. By the time its current owners REO bought the site a decade later another over ambitious redevelopment scheme -- which included a single table restaurant atop one of the four chimneys -- had come and gone. By now the entire site was in a pretty parlous state -- the chimneys being declared beyond repair and threatened with imminent demolition. This new proposal has already provoked a chorus of dissent. Writing in London's Evening Standard newspaper, architecture critic Rowan Moore described the idea as: "spectacularly, riotously, extravagantly nuts," telling the developers and planners to: "Forget it. Do not try to compromise with a tower two-thirds as high. Do not build a tower. Aim for zero-carbon and beautiful buildings...". The Guardian's resident architecture expert Jonathan Glancey gave the designs a cool reception describing them as; "more than a little over the top". CNN spoke to Keith Garner, an architect and member of the Battersea Power Station Community Group about the new proposals. He didn't mince his words. "If you take it as a serious proposal, it's immensely harmful," he said. "It is a massive tower -- about the same size as the gherkin. Battersea Power Station is a Grade II* listed building. If you put a tower of that mass next to it, you are going to diminish its significance. "If you are serious about rescuing this building

what are the plans to rejuvenate for?

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Plans to rejuvenate a dilapidated London icon -- known worldwide to movie and music fans -- were unveiled last week. The redevelopment of Battersea Power Station includes a new eco-dome and a solar chimney. Battersea Power Station, which has dominated the west London skyline since 1933, will -- subject to planning approval -- undergo an $8 billion redevelopment including shops, homes, a hotel, offices and a striking 300 meter eco-tower. The building appeared on the cover of the 1977 Pink Floyd album "Animals," complete with a giant pig floating above its four distinctive towers. It has also appeared in numerous movies including sci-fi drama "The Children of Men", new Batman feature "The Dark Knight" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Sabotage." Real Estate Opportunities Ltd (REO), who currently own the 38 acre site say the defunct and crumbling edifice will be: "brought back to life in the most spectacular way. It will be a place to live, work and play". An Irish development company, REO is planning to spend $300 million repairing the old coal-powered station and get it working again -- this time producing energy from biofuels, waste and other renewable energy sources. At the heart of the regeneration stands a vast new chimney and eco-dome, which as well as housing apartments and offices will act as a vast solar ventilation system cutting down the building's energy demand by two thirds. Managing Director of REO's development manager, Treasury Holdings UK, Rob Tincknell describes it as "a power station for the 21st century...supporting a truly sustainable, zero carbon development". Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly whose daunting job it was to come up with a workable new design for the much loved site describes the old power station as a "remarkable architectural presence". In creating a vast transparent chimney Vinoly hopes that it will contrast with what he describes as the "monumental mass" of J. Theo Halliday and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's original design. Of course, we've been here before. Since the turbines were shut down for the final time in 1983 the power station -- situated on the south bank of the river Thames -- has been the subject of several failed redevelopment ventures. In 1983, a scheme proposed by UK businessman John Broome promised to turn the power station into a gigantic theme park. But by the decade's close and despite the enthusiastic backing of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher his funding package for redevelopment, much like the site itself, were in a ruinous state. In 1996, development company Parkview International headed up by Victor Hwang acquired the freehold for the site. By the time its current owners REO bought the site a decade later another over ambitious redevelopment scheme -- which included a single table restaurant atop one of the four chimneys -- had come and gone. By now the entire site was in a pretty parlous state -- the chimneys being declared beyond repair and threatened with imminent demolition. This new proposal has already provoked a chorus of dissent. Writing in London's Evening Standard newspaper, architecture critic Rowan Moore described the idea as: "spectacularly, riotously, extravagantly nuts," telling the developers and planners to: "Forget it. Do not try to compromise with a tower two-thirds as high. Do not build a tower. Aim for zero-carbon and beautiful buildings...". The Guardian's resident architecture expert Jonathan Glancey gave the designs a cool reception describing them as; "more than a little over the top". CNN spoke to Keith Garner, an architect and member of the Battersea Power Station Community Group about the new proposals. He didn't mince his words. "If you take it as a serious proposal, it's immensely harmful," he said. "It is a massive tower -- about the same size as the gherkin. Battersea Power Station is a Grade II* listed building. If you put a tower of that mass next to it, you are going to diminish its significance. "If you are serious about rescuing this building

What is this project about?

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Plans to rejuvenate a dilapidated London icon -- known worldwide to movie and music fans -- were unveiled last week. The redevelopment of Battersea Power Station includes a new eco-dome and a solar chimney. Battersea Power Station, which has dominated the west London skyline since 1933, will -- subject to planning approval -- undergo an $8 billion redevelopment including shops, homes, a hotel, offices and a striking 300 meter eco-tower. The building appeared on the cover of the 1977 Pink Floyd album "Animals," complete with a giant pig floating above its four distinctive towers. It has also appeared in numerous movies including sci-fi drama "The Children of Men", new Batman feature "The Dark Knight" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Sabotage." Real Estate Opportunities Ltd (REO), who currently own the 38 acre site say the defunct and crumbling edifice will be: "brought back to life in the most spectacular way. It will be a place to live, work and play". An Irish development company, REO is planning to spend $300 million repairing the old coal-powered station and get it working again -- this time producing energy from biofuels, waste and other renewable energy sources. At the heart of the regeneration stands a vast new chimney and eco-dome, which as well as housing apartments and offices will act as a vast solar ventilation system cutting down the building's energy demand by two thirds. Managing Director of REO's development manager, Treasury Holdings UK, Rob Tincknell describes it as "a power station for the 21st century...supporting a truly sustainable, zero carbon development". Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly whose daunting job it was to come up with a workable new design for the much loved site describes the old power station as a "remarkable architectural presence". In creating a vast transparent chimney Vinoly hopes that it will contrast with what he describes as the "monumental mass" of J. Theo Halliday and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's original design. Of course, we've been here before. Since the turbines were shut down for the final time in 1983 the power station -- situated on the south bank of the river Thames -- has been the subject of several failed redevelopment ventures. In 1983, a scheme proposed by UK businessman John Broome promised to turn the power station into a gigantic theme park. But by the decade's close and despite the enthusiastic backing of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher his funding package for redevelopment, much like the site itself, were in a ruinous state. In 1996, development company Parkview International headed up by Victor Hwang acquired the freehold for the site. By the time its current owners REO bought the site a decade later another over ambitious redevelopment scheme -- which included a single table restaurant atop one of the four chimneys -- had come and gone. By now the entire site was in a pretty parlous state -- the chimneys being declared beyond repair and threatened with imminent demolition. This new proposal has already provoked a chorus of dissent. Writing in London's Evening Standard newspaper, architecture critic Rowan Moore described the idea as: "spectacularly, riotously, extravagantly nuts," telling the developers and planners to: "Forget it. Do not try to compromise with a tower two-thirds as high. Do not build a tower. Aim for zero-carbon and beautiful buildings...". The Guardian's resident architecture expert Jonathan Glancey gave the designs a cool reception describing them as; "more than a little over the top". CNN spoke to Keith Garner, an architect and member of the Battersea Power Station Community Group about the new proposals. He didn't mince his words. "If you take it as a serious proposal, it's immensely harmful," he said. "It is a massive tower -- about the same size as the gherkin. Battersea Power Station is a Grade II* listed building. If you put a tower of that mass next to it, you are going to diminish its significance. "If you are serious about rescuing this building

what do the critics think of plan?

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Plans to rejuvenate a dilapidated London icon -- known worldwide to movie and music fans -- were unveiled last week. The redevelopment of Battersea Power Station includes a new eco-dome and a solar chimney. Battersea Power Station, which has dominated the west London skyline since 1933, will -- subject to planning approval -- undergo an $8 billion redevelopment including shops, homes, a hotel, offices and a striking 300 meter eco-tower. The building appeared on the cover of the 1977 Pink Floyd album "Animals," complete with a giant pig floating above its four distinctive towers. It has also appeared in numerous movies including sci-fi drama "The Children of Men", new Batman feature "The Dark Knight" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Sabotage." Real Estate Opportunities Ltd (REO), who currently own the 38 acre site say the defunct and crumbling edifice will be: "brought back to life in the most spectacular way. It will be a place to live, work and play". An Irish development company, REO is planning to spend $300 million repairing the old coal-powered station and get it working again -- this time producing energy from biofuels, waste and other renewable energy sources. At the heart of the regeneration stands a vast new chimney and eco-dome, which as well as housing apartments and offices will act as a vast solar ventilation system cutting down the building's energy demand by two thirds. Managing Director of REO's development manager, Treasury Holdings UK, Rob Tincknell describes it as "a power station for the 21st century...supporting a truly sustainable, zero carbon development". Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly whose daunting job it was to come up with a workable new design for the much loved site describes the old power station as a "remarkable architectural presence". In creating a vast transparent chimney Vinoly hopes that it will contrast with what he describes as the "monumental mass" of J. Theo Halliday and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's original design. Of course, we've been here before. Since the turbines were shut down for the final time in 1983 the power station -- situated on the south bank of the river Thames -- has been the subject of several failed redevelopment ventures. In 1983, a scheme proposed by UK businessman John Broome promised to turn the power station into a gigantic theme park. But by the decade's close and despite the enthusiastic backing of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher his funding package for redevelopment, much like the site itself, were in a ruinous state. In 1996, development company Parkview International headed up by Victor Hwang acquired the freehold for the site. By the time its current owners REO bought the site a decade later another over ambitious redevelopment scheme -- which included a single table restaurant atop one of the four chimneys -- had come and gone. By now the entire site was in a pretty parlous state -- the chimneys being declared beyond repair and threatened with imminent demolition. This new proposal has already provoked a chorus of dissent. Writing in London's Evening Standard newspaper, architecture critic Rowan Moore described the idea as: "spectacularly, riotously, extravagantly nuts," telling the developers and planners to: "Forget it. Do not try to compromise with a tower two-thirds as high. Do not build a tower. Aim for zero-carbon and beautiful buildings...". The Guardian's resident architecture expert Jonathan Glancey gave the designs a cool reception describing them as; "more than a little over the top". CNN spoke to Keith Garner, an architect and member of the Battersea Power Station Community Group about the new proposals. He didn't mince his words. "If you take it as a serious proposal, it's immensely harmful," he said. "It is a massive tower -- about the same size as the gherkin. Battersea Power Station is a Grade II* listed building. If you put a tower of that mass next to it, you are going to diminish its significance. "If you are serious about rescuing this building

What plans have been unveiled?

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