California lags far behind comparable states in funding legal services for the poor, a situation so dire that only 28 percent of the civil legal needs of the state's poor and lowerincome residents are being addressed. That figures translates into 2 million people without the ability to access the justice system, according to a new study by the California Commission on Access to Justice, which also found that despite increased spending, the gap between need and services remains substantial. "As a practical matter, in most cases there can be no access to justice without access to legal assistance," said Jack Londen, past commission chair and a partner with Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco. "Whether we like it or not, sometimes landlords illegally evict tenants, children with disabilities are denied proper care, veterans don't get services guaranteed to them, and elderly people need legal assistance to escape the abuse of a caregiver." California has the highest number of people in poverty in the nation - 6.4 million, including nearly one in five children. Half the nation's increase in poverty in the 1990s, when the number of poor jumped 30 percent, occurred in California, and nearly 25 percent of the nation's poverty increase occurred in Los Angeles County alone. Even those with jobs are suffering: 26 percent of California workers earn poverty level wages. The commission's report, "The Path to Equal Justice: A Five-Year Status Report on Access to Justice in California," examined how the legal needs of the state's poor have changed in the last five years as well as both the shortcomings of the justice system and the improvements during that period. Despite increases in state funding to meet the legal needs of the poor, low interest rates (which have reduced the IOLTA fund), high unemployment and the present economic downturn have threatened any gains.

Question: "Who made the following remark: "Whether we like it or not, sometimes landlords illegally evict tenants, children with disabilities are denied proper care, veterans don't get services guaranteed to them, and elderly people need legal assistance to escape the abuse of a caregiver.""

Answer: "Jack Londen"

Response: yes

(CNN) -- Horror-meister, Stephen King calls George Pelecanos "perhaps the greatest living American crime writer." His stories are set in Pelecanos' hometown of Washington, D.C., but this is not the side of the U.S. capitol that you see portrayed on TV with white marble monuments, lawyers and lobbyists. Pelecanos is more interested in working families struggling to get by, the racial tensions in its ethnic neighborhoods and the low-lifes on the edges. His crime-writing peers call Pelecanos the "undisputed poet" of Washington's gritty side. The best-selling and award-winning author is out this week with his 17th and latest novel, "The Cut." It's the first in a new series featuring Iraq war veteran and private investigator Spero Lucas. When he's not working for a Washington defense attorney, Lucas recovers stolen property for a 40% cut. Now, a high-profile crime boss hires Lucas to find out who's been stealing from him, and it could turn out to be Lucas' biggest payday or an untimely end. While Pelecanos made his bones in the noir tradition, there's a definite "Western" feel to "The Cut." The new novel takes place in a morally gray and often violent world. It's peppered with pitch-perfect dialogue and captures the sights, sounds and taste of Washington in rich detail. In short, Pelecanos reads like the real deal. Pelecanos knows a thing or two about capturing the authenticity of urban America with an ethnically and socially diverse cast. In addition to his success as a novelist, Pelecanos is a producer and writer for HBO's New Orleans-set, "Treme." He was previously a producer and Emmy-nominated writer on the hit series "The Wire" and the miniseries "The Pacific." Read an excerpt from "The Cut" CNN recently spoke to Pelecanos about his new novel. The following is an edited transcript. CNN: Tell me more about your new character, Spero Lucas.

Question: "Who recently released the first novel in his series featuring Iraq war veteran and private investigator Spero Lucas?"

Answer: "Pelecanos"

Response: yes

(CNN) -- English club Chelsea have completed the signing of Oriol Romeu from Spanish and European champions Barcelona. The 19-year-old is currently playing for Spain at the World Under-20 Championships in Colombia and has signed a four-year deal with last season's Premier League runners-up. The deal is worth $7 million and includes a buy back clause, set at $14 million after the first year and $21 million after the second. Romeu started his career at Barcelona's city rivals Espanyol before joining the Camp Nou academy in 2004. The midfielder, who can also play in central defence, made his debut for Barcelona in last season's Spanish Supercup match with Seville and got his first taste of league action against Deportivo in May 2010. He has played 90 minutes in both of Spain's games at the World Under-20 Championships, when they beat Costa Rica and Ecuador. Chelsea official web site confirmed the signing and said Romeu is "renowned for his strength and his expansive passing ability." Another player leaving Barcelona is Jeffren Suarez after he agreed to join Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese outfit have paid $5 million for the 23-year-old which, like the Romeu deal, includes a buy back option. Jeffren joined Barca from Tenerife in 2004 and made his debut for the Catalan club in the 2006-07 season.

Question: "How much is the 19-year-old's deal worth?"

Answer: "$5 million"

Response: no

The family across the street has a cat. He is a cute black kitty named Dillon. The cat is about two years old, and the family has had him for about a year. He is an indoor cat who is not allowed to go outside. The children like to play with Dillon because he still acts like a kitten. Dillon jumps around, and chases flies, beetles and spiders. When he plays with the children, he sometimes uses his paws to attack them, but he doesn't try to hurt them with his claws. Dillon is a great cat but he has one problem: he likes to eat bread. The family only feeds him cat food, never human food like steak or potatoes. But the cat likes the smell of bread so much that he tries to find it everywhere he can. Dillon jumps up on the kitchen table when a sandwich is there, and tries to carry it away. He finds loaves of bread from the store on the floor and claws through the wrappers. The cat climbs into the bread cupboard looking for hot dog and hamburger buns. The family tries to make Dillon stop getting into the bread by spraying him with water when he goes after bread. They yell at him when he walks on the table. But Dillon does not listen. The kitty keeps trying to find bread to eat. The family thinks that the man who took care of Dillon when he was a very young kitten must have been a baker or cook, and that's why Dillon likes the smell and taste of bread so much!

Question: "What are the ways Dillon tries to get bread?"

Answer: "By jumping on the table"

Response:
yes