WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Suspected terrorists and foreign fighters held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have the right to challenge their detention in federal court, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

A prefabricated court complex has been erected at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to try terrorism suspects.

The decision marks another legal blow to the Bush administration's war on terrorism policies.

The 5-4 vote reflects the divide over how much legal autonomy the U.S. military should have to prosecute about 270 prisoners, some of whom have been held for more than six years without charges. Fourteen of them are alleged to be top al Qaeda figures.

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said, "the laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times. Liberty and security can be reconciled; and in our system reconciled within the framework of the law."

Kennedy, the court's swing vote, was supported by Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, generally considered the liberal contingent.

At issue was the rights of detainees to contest their imprisonment and challenge the rules set up to try them.  Watch how the 5-4 ruling is a major blow for the Bush administration »

A congressional law passed in 2006 would limit court jurisdiction to hear so-called habeas corpus challenges to detention. It is a legal question the justices have tackled three times since 2004, including Thursday's ruling.

Each time, the justices have ruled against the government's claim that it has the authority to hold people it considers "enemy combatants."

Preliminary hearings have begun in Guantanamo for some of the accused. A military panel this month arraigned five suspected senior al Qaeda detainees, including the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was transferred to the prison camp in 2006.

The Bush administration has urged the high court not to get involved in the broader appeals, saying the federal judiciary has no authority to hear such matters.

Four justices agreed. In a sharp dissent, read in part from the bench, Justice Antonin Scalia said the majority "warps our Constitution."

The "nation will live to regret what the court has done today," Scalia said.

He was supported by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

President Bush, who is traveling in Europe, said he disagreed with the Guantanamo ruling but promised to abide by it.

"Congress and the administration worked very carefully on a piece of legislation that set the appropriate procedures in place as to how to deal with the detainees," he said. "We'll study this opinion, and we'll do so with this in mind to determine whether or not additional legislation might be appropriate so that we can safely say, truly say to the American people, 'we are doing everything we can to protect you.' "

The Pentagon declined to comment, and the Justice Department said it was reviewing the decision and was expected to comment later Thursday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, welcomed the ruling, saying the Supreme Court upheld the Constitution.

"I have long been an advocate of closing Guantanamo, so I would hope this is in furtherance of taking that action," Pelosi said.

The appeals involve noncitizens. Sixteen lawsuits filed on behalf of about 200 prisoners were put on hold pending a ruling last year by a federal appeals court upholding the government's right to detain and prosecute suspected terrorists and war criminals.

An attorney for one of the detainees, Salim Ahmed Hamdan -- Osama bin Laden's alleged driver and bodyguard -- said he would file an appeal asking that charges be dropped against the Yemeni native.

"The clearest immediate impact of this ruling is to remove the remaining barriers for closing Guantanamo Bay. It means, in legal terms, Guantanamo Bay is no different than Kansas," attorney Charles Swift said.

Now the ruling has been issued, a flood of similar appeals can be expected.

The lead plaintiffs are Lakhdar Boumediene, a Bosnian, and

Question: What ruling does President Bush disagree with?

Question: What court won't rule?

Question: Where were the citizens convicted?

Question: What did Justice Kennedy say?

Question: What does President Bush disagree with?

Question: What will the U.S. regret?

Answer: Guantanamo

Answer: federal judiciary

Answer: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,

Answer: "the laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times. Liberty and security can be reconciled; and in our system reconciled within the framework of the law."

Answer: the Guantanamo ruling

Answer: the Guantanamo ruling

Summary:
NEW: President Bush says he disagrees with ruling but he'll abide by it .
NEW: Court says separately it won't rule on case of U.S. citizens convicted in Iraq .
Justice Scalia: U.S. "will live to regret what the court has done today"
Justice Kennedy: Constitution should "remain in force, in extraordinary times"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Suzanne Richard was born to be an actress. Suzanne Richard says that navigating the maze of government aid regulations is a challenge. She was also, however, born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a bone-crippling disorder that can mean a lifetime of health problems and physical disability. But rather than letting her condition hinder her acting ambitions, Richard has embraced it, and now works to encourage other actors with disabilities to do the same. As the artistic director of Open Circle Theatre, a theater founded to "showcase professional artists with disabilities in an integrated setting," Richard offers her actors respite from the challenges they face, and access to an industry that can often discriminate against people like her. "I decided a long time ago that if people were going to stare at me, they were going to pay me for it," she quipped backstage at a rehearsal for her latest production, "Is there ANYBODY OUT THERE?" And at a height of just under 4 feet, with legs encased in metal braces, the 38-year-old Richard said she indeed often attracts curious stares from the public. Richard's condition, also known as Brittle Bones Disease, is a genetic disorder "characterized by fragile bones that break easily," according to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation. The condition is considered rare, thought to affect only about 40,000 Americans, said Tracy Hart, CEO of the OI Foundation. There is no cure, Hart said. While the severity of the disorder varies greatly, common health issues related to OI are a short stature, weak tissues, fragile skin, muscle weakness, loose joints, hearing loss, breathing problems and curvature of the spine, according to the OI Foundation. In Richard's case, OI has meant frequent bone fractures, painful surgeries, leg braces, wheelchairs, and a multitude of symptoms caused by the pressure her weak frame puts on her body. As a child, Richard had to have rods surgically placed in her legs "as infrastructure" -- a painful routine that she repeated as often as she grew. But for Richard, the physical constraints of her condition are only half the battle. When Richard was forced to retire from her job as an accessibility specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts because she was too sick to work, she lost her work-provided private health insurance coverage. She now gets Medicare through her Social Security Income retirement benefits. Social Security Income is a government program that "makes monthly payments to people who have low income and few resources," and are either at least 65 years of age or disabled. Social Security recipients are subject to income restrictions depending on what state they live in, and are only allowed to have resources worth $2,000, with certain exceptions, according to the Social Security Web site (www.socialsecurity.gov). These strict financial eligibility limitations, Richard said, can be nerve-wracking, and can make navigating the system extremely difficult. "If you lose your Social Security benefits because you make too much money, you lose everything. You lose your Medicare, too," Richard said. "So if you're on disability you have to be really careful not to make too much money, which is self-defeating." It is "self-defeating" especially when one considers the massive medical bills Richard accumulates due to her OI. Though Medicare covers 80 percent of her medical costs, Richard said she often comes up short some months. "You can't get blood from a stone. ... I'm on a fixed income. That's why I'm on Medicare," she said. So, Richard constantly finds herself in the precarious situation of having to rely on her loved ones and the government for her financial stability. "I'm hanging on by my fingernails. ...You can never get ahead," she said. It's a frustrating circumstance familiar to Richard's fellow actors at Open Circle, as well as to the millions of disabled Americans in need of expensive medical treatment. It's a system, said Richard, that must

Question: what disorder was she born with

Question: what does richard say

Question: What is Suzanne Richard's job?

Question: What does she encourage disabled actors to do?

Question: What type of disorder did the director have?

Question: what is very difficult

Answer: osteogenesis imperfecta,

Answer: "I decided a long time ago that if people were going to stare at me, they were going to pay me for it,"

Answer: artistic director of Open Circle Theatre,

Answer: embraced it,

Answer: osteogenesis imperfecta,

Answer: These strict financial eligibility limitations,

Summary:
Theater's artistic director was born with bone-crippling disorder .
Suzanne Richard encourages other disabled actors to embrace their art .
Navigating maze of government aid is extremely difficult .
"You can never get ahead" when system punishes earning, Richard says .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The "vast right-wing conspiracy" that attacked him during his presidency has been weakened, but continues to operate against President Obama, former President Clinton said Sunday. Former President Clinton said Republicans won't see a 1994-like surge at the polls in 2010. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Clinton was asked about the term his wife Hillary Clinton, now secretary of state, famously coined. "Is it still there?" host David Gregory asked. "Oh, you bet. Sure it is. It's not as strong as it was, because America's changed demographically, but it's as virulent as it was," the former president replied. "I mean, they're saying things about him [Obama] -- you know, it's like when they accused me of murder and all that stuff they did," Clinton said, in an apparent reference to conspiracy theories surrounding the suicide of White House deputy counsel Vince Foster. "It's not really good for the Republicans and the country, what's going on now," Clinton said. "I mean, they may be hurting President Obama. They can take his numbers down, they can run his opposition up. But fundamentally, he and his team have a positive agenda for America." The nation needs "a credible debate about what's the right balance between continuing to expand the economy through stimulus and beginning to move back to fiscal balance," Clinton said. "We need a credible debate about what's the best way to get to universal [health care] coverage." Clinton was asked whether he is concerned that the 2010 midterm elections could resemble those of 1994, when Republicans took control of the House and Senate two years into his first term. "There's no way" that could happen, Clinton said, adding that "the country is more diverse and more interested in positive action." Also, he said, Republicans had control of Congress for several years under President George W. Bush, "and they know the results were bad." And, he said, "the Democrats haven't taken on the gun lobby like I did." "Whatever happens, it'll be manageable for our president," Clinton said.

Question: Who said attacks not good for country

Question: Who said consspiracy not as strong as it once was

Question: What is not as strong as it once was?

Question: what did clinton say

Answer: President Clinton

Answer: former President Clinton

Answer: The "vast right-wing conspiracy"

Answer: Republicans won't see a 1994-like surge at the polls in 2010.

Summary:
Clinton: Right-wing "conspiracy" not as strong as it once was, but is as virulent .
Obama's popularity may take hit, but attacks not good for country, Clinton says .
Clinton: "No way" that Republicans will enjoy 1994-level success in 2010 elections .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The 2009 presidential inauguration is looking to be historic and, frankly, headache-inducing for the throngs of people descending on the nation's capital to watch Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th president. Workers are putting the finishing touches on the innaugural stage on the steps of U.S. Capitol. CNN has compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers. Q: How crowded will Washington be, and how will I get around? A: Think Times Square on New Year's Eve. Throw in tight security, then multiply that by 12. At least, that's how it will most likely feel. Nearly 2 million people are expected to hit the streets of the nation's capital January 20. Police will be shutting bridges across the Potomac River into Washington, along with a huge chunk of the downtown area. Two of the major routes coming into the city -- Interstates 395 and 66 -- will be closed to inbound traffic, at least for private vehicles. And for those coming from Virginia, all of the bridges between the state and Washington are going to be shut. In order to get in: walk or take public transport, such as the metro area's subway system. Amtrak says that it has increased the number -- and length -- of trains running to Washington on Inauguration Day and that tickets are still available but are going fast. iReport.com: Are you going to the inauguration? Security officials also say charter buses, taxis and car services will be another option for those attending. Q: What can't I bring? A: There are several obvious items that are prohibited, according to the U.S. Secret Service, including: "Firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapons of any kind, aerosols, supports for signs and placards, packages, coolers, thermal or glass containers, backpacks, bags exceeding size restrictions, laser pointers, animals other than helper/guide dogs, structures, bicycles and any other items determined to be a potential safety hazard." Items surrendered to security officials will not be returned. Other items that are being banned include baby strollers and umbrellas. Read more about Secret Service traffic, security plans (PDF) Q: When do the festivities start? A: Saturday, January 17. Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will begin their whistlestop-like train tour, stopping in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware; and then making a stop for an event in Baltimore, Maryland, before pulling into Washington. That evening, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden and their families will hold a free "Kids' Inaugural" concert to honor military families. Sunday, January 18 Obama will kick off the schedule of official inaugural activities in Washington, D.C., with a welcome event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event will be free and open to the public. HBO will exclusively broadcast the event from 7 to 9 p.m. ET. The event will be televised by HBO on an open signal accessible to all U.S. viewers with access to cable, telcos or satellite television. It will also be a star-studded affair, with Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am and Stevie Wonder -- among many others. The Rev. Gene Robinson, an openly gay Episcopal bishop, will deliver the invocation. Monday, January 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) Obama and Biden will honor King's legacy by urging supporters to participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across Washington, according to the Obama transition Web site, Change.gov. On Monday night, Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Rockefeller Foundation will present "A Celebration of America" at the Kennedy Center in Washington. The event -- marking King's legacy and the 56th inauguration -- will be broadcast live on CNN. Special guest stars will be announced shortly. Tuesday, January 20: Inauguration Day

Question: Where are several million expected to descend?

Question: Who will be in Washington?

Question: Who will be sworn is as president?

Question: when will Obama be sworn in as President?

Question: When do activities begin?

Answer: the nation's capital

Answer: Barack Obama

Answer: Barack Obama

Answer: January 20.

Answer: Saturday, January 17.

Summary:
Barack Obama to be sworn in as president January 20 .
Several million are expected to descend on Washington .
CNN has your guide to all things Inauguration 2009 .
Activities begin January 18 with an Obama-Biden whistlestop-like tour .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Air Force is returning F-15E Strike Eagle jets to service over Iraq and Afghanistan after grounding other F-15s, the Air Force said Wednesday.

The Air Force grounded models of its F-15 fleet after the crash of an older model F-15C this month.

The F-15s were grounded after a crash earlier this month in Missouri of an older model that disintegrated in flight.

Each F-15E must pass an inspection of critical parts on the airframe before returning to flying missions, Air Force officials said.

All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection of hydraulic system lines, the Air Force statement said.

The longerons -- molded, metal strips of the aircraft fuselage that run from front to rear -- will also be inspected, according to the Air Force.

The straps and skin panels in and around the environmental control system bay will also be examined, officials said.

The Air Force would not say whether the parts being inspected were part of the problem on the aircraft that crashed.

The investigation into why that plane fell apart in flight is still ongoing and Air Force officials will not say what happened until the investigation is complete, an Air Force spokesperson said.

Air Force officials said the rest of the almost 500 F-15s -- older airframes than the F-15Es -- will remain grounded until the investigation offers a solution to what happened.

The E-model aircraft, the youngest and most sophisticated in the F-15 inventory, is heavily used by Central Command for ground support in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is also used for the homeland security mission over the United States known as Operation Noble Eagle.

On November 3, the Air Force grounded all of its F-15s in response to a November 1 crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C in Boss, Missouri.

The grounding forced Central Command to use other Air Force, Navy and French fighters to fill the gaps, though Strike Eagles did fly to support troops in battle in Afghanistan as an emergency measure while they were still under grounding orders, according to Central Command reports.

The plane that crashed, built in 1980, was one of the older F-15s in the fleet.

The F-15E Strike Eagle is an air-to-ground and air-to-air fighter, making it more versatile than other F-15 models, which are used for only air-to-air missions.

The Strike Eagle is used in Afghanistan and Iraq in its air-to-ground role, using its advanced sensors to drop bombs on targets. E-mail to a friend

Question: Which planes will undergo inspection?

Question: What is the f-15 used for?

Question: Where did crash take place?

Question: What will undergo inspection?

Question: What will undergo a one-time inspection?

Question: what is used for ground support in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Question: What was the date of the crash?

Question: What wars are supported?

Question: Where are F-15s used for ground support?

Question: Which aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection?

Question: All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection

Question: What state did the f-15 crash in?

Question: Where did the F-15 crash?

Question: What kind of vehicle is the F15?

Question: Where is the F-15 being used for ground support?

Question: which is the model aircraft undego a one-time inspection?

Question: What wars did the F-15 provide ground support in?

Question: what grounded after a November 1 crash in Missouri?

Question: Where was the crash?

Question: What plane was grounded?

Question: When was the F-15s grounded?

Answer: F-15E

Answer: ground support in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Answer: Missouri

Answer: Each F-15E

Answer: All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft

Answer: F-15E Strike Eagle

Answer: November 1

Answer: in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Answer: U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Answer: All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model

Answer: of hydraulic system lines,

Answer: Missouri

Answer: Missouri

Answer: F-15E Strike Eagle jets

Answer: Afghanistan

Answer: U.S. Air Force 224 E-model

Answer: Iraq and Afghanistan.

Answer: models of its F-15

Answer: Boss, Missouri.

Answer: models of its F-15 fleet

Answer: November 3,

Summary:
F-15s grounded after a November 1 crash in Missouri .
F-15 is used for ground support in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .
All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush Pentagon tried to find loopholes in the Geneva Conventions for its "ghost detainee" program in Iraq and to delay the release of Guantanamo Bay prisoners to avoid bad press, three human rights groups contend.

The Pentagon considered delaying the release of detainees from Guantanamo Bay because of criticism.

Pentagon documents discuss CIA and Pentagon detention activities earlier this decade and indicate coordination between agencies in hiding internees from the Red Cross.

Amnesty International USA, New York University's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, and the Center for Constitutional Rights obtained the material through a Freedom of Information Act request and released it Thursday.

"It's obvious that Defense officials engaged in legal gymnastics to find ways to keep detainees off the books," said Meg Satterthwaite, faculty director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice.

"A full accounting of all agencies' responsibilities must now take place to ensure that these abuses don't continue under a different guise."

President Obama has signed an order closing the Guantanamo detention facility in Cuba and prohibiting CIA prisons. However, the order allows the CIA to detain people temporarily.

It is not known whether the Pentagon or the CIA still holds "ghost detainees," Satterthwaite said, referring to people housed at secret facilities.

The Pentagon issued an information paper May 28, 2004, on the "applicability of the Geneva Conventions to 'Ghost Detainees' in Iraq." Its purpose was to clarify the law about such detainees.

The Geneva Conventions spell out international humanitarian law and authorize the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit prisoners during armed conflicts.

The Pentagon's information paper said that if "absolute military security" requires it, the conventions permit the holding of persons "who participated in activities hostile to the security of the occupying power."

Specific examples would be "spies and saboteurs," the paper said.

Although the Red Cross must be notified of such detentions, "persons who have committed such acts are considered to have forfeited the rights of communication," the paper said.

"Normally the ICRC has the right to go to all places where protected people are detained," the paper said. But, it added, such visits can be denied temporarily "for reasons of imperative military necessity."

A February 17, 2006, e-mail showed that a State Department foreign policy adviser urged the Pentagon to consider delaying by a month and a half the release of Guantanamo prisoners who were scheduled to be sent home in order to avoid bad press.

This came amid worldwide furor over the Guantanamo detention facility, photos of prisoners being mistreated at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and sharp criticism on the streets and in blogs toward U.S. detention policies.

"We may need to definitely think about checking with SouthCom to see if we can hold off on return flights for 45 days or so until things die down," the adviser wrote to Gen. Norton Schwartz, then head of the U.S. Transportation Command. "Otherwise we are likely to have hero's welcomes awaiting the detainees when they arrive, and we will have problems getting overflight and landing clearance for the flights anyway. It would probably be preferable if we could deliver these detainees in something smaller and more discreet than a T tail" -- apparently referring to a large transport plane like the giant C-5 Galaxy.

SouthCom is the U.S. Southern Command, the American military command covering Latin American and the Caribbean. Schwartz is now the Air Force chief of staff.

The letter appeared to be an e-mail reply to a State Department "hot issues" memo that said the United States was getting "creamed on human rights" and "taking a big hit on the issues of human rights and respect for the rule of law." It pointed to news stories about a U.N. Guantanamo report and coverage highlighting calls from officials to close Guantanamo.

It cited criticism of the United States in blogs and discussion boards.

"America has lost its prestige," a blogger from Yemen wrote. "Every year the world waits for the annual U.S. State Department report on human

Question: What are the detention practices being justified?

Question: Who deleayed the releases?

Question: What did the groups present to the Pentagon?

Question: What did the Pentagon seek to delay?

Question: Who were the communications between?

Question: Which human rights groups are involved?

Answer: people housed at secret facilities.

Answer: Bush Pentagon

Answer: documents

Answer: the release of Guantanamo Bay prisoners

Answer: CIA and Pentagon

Answer: Amnesty International USA, New York University's Center for

Summary:
Military tried to justify detention practices, human rights groups say .
Groups present Pentagon documents to support accusations .
Groups: Pentagon also sought to delay Guantanamo releases to avoid bad press .
Communications came amid criticism over Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration has launched a "significant escalation" of covert operations in Iran, sending U.S. commandos to spy on the country's nuclear facilities and undermine the Islamic republic's government, journalist Seymour Hersh said Sunday. An Iranian flag flies outside the building containing the reactor of Bushehr nuclear power plant, south of Tehran. White House, CIA and State Department officials declined comment on Hersh's report, which appears in this week's issue of The New Yorker. Hersh told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that Congress has authorized up to $400 million to fund the secret campaign, which involves U.S. special operations troops and Iranian dissidents. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have rejected findings from U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran has halted a clandestine effort to build a nuclear bomb and "do not want to leave Iran in place with a nuclear program," Hersh said. "They believe that their mission is to make sure that before they get out of office next year, either Iran is attacked or it stops its weapons program," Hersh said. The new article, "Preparing the Battlefield," is the latest in a series of articles accusing the Bush administration of preparing for war with Iran. He based the report on accounts from current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources.  Watch Hersh discuss what he says are the administration's plans for Iran » "As usual with his quarterly pieces, we'll decline to comment," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told CNN. "The CIA, as a rule, does not comment on allegations regarding covert operations," CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said. Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, denied U.S. raids were being launched from Iraq, where American commanders believe Iran is stoking sectarian warfare and fomenting attacks on U.S. troops. "I can tell you flatly that U.S. forces are not operating across the Iraqi border into Iran, in the south or anywhere else," Crocker said. Hersh said U.S. efforts were staged from Afghanistan, which also shares a border with Iran. He said the program resulted in "a dramatic increase in kinetic events and chaos" inside Iran, including attacks by Kurdish separatists in the country's north and a May attack on a mosque in Shiraz that killed 13 people. The United States has said it is trying to isolate Iran diplomatically in order to get it to come clean about its nuclear ambitions. But Bush has said "all options" are open in dealing with the issue. Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed at providing civilian electric power, and refuses to comply with U.N. Security Council demands that it halt uranium enrichment work. U.N. nuclear inspectors say Tehran held back critical information that could determine whether it is trying to make nuclear weapons. Israel, which is believed to have its own nuclear arsenal, conducted a military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean in early June involving dozens of warplanes and aerial tankers. The distance involved in the exercise was roughly the same as would be involved in a possible strike on the Iranian nuclear fuel plant at Natanz, Iran, a U.S. military official said. In 1981, Israeli warplanes destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor. Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, warned other countries against moves that would "cost them heavily." In comments that appeared in the semi-official Mehr news agency Sunday, an Iranian general said his troops were digging more than 320,000 graves to bury troops from any invading force with "the respect they deserve." "Under the law of war and armed conflict, necessary preparations must be made for the burial of soldiers of aggressor nations," said Maj. Gen. Mirfaisal Baqerzadeh, an Iranian officer in charge of identifying soldiers missing in action. Journalist Shirzad Bozorghmehr in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

Question: What was the subject of the article?

Question: Where is the programs being staged from?

Question: What did Congress authorize?

Question: What did Seymour Hersh say?

Question: What did the U.S. officials decline to comment on?

Question: Who declines comment?

Question: Where were these covert ops authorized?

Question: What did Congress authorize up to $400 million for?

Question: What amount of money was authorized for covert ops?

Answer: "Preparing the Battlefield,"

Answer: Afghanistan,

Answer: up to $400 million to fund the secret campaign,

Answer: in Iran, sending U.S. commandos to spy on the country's nuclear facilities and undermine the Islamic republic's

Answer: Hersh's report,

Answer: White House, CIA and State Department officials

Answer: Iran,

Answer: the secret campaign,

Answer: $400 million

Summary:
New Yorker article says Congress authorized up to $400 million for covert ops in Iran .
Journalist Seymour Hersh says program is being staged from Afghanistan .
U.S. officials decline comment, deny the U.S. is launching raids from Iraq .
Iranian general says troops are building graves for invaders in the event of war .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Central Intelligence Agency hired the private security firm Blackwater USA in 2004 to work on a covert program aimed at targeting and potentially killing top al Qaeda leaders, according to a source familiar with the program. CIA Director Leon Panetta canceled the covert program this year when he learned of its full scope. The existence of the program, which began in 2001, came to light earlier this year when CIA Director Leon Panetta canceled the effort, but it is only now that Blackwater's involvement has become known. That development was first reported Thursday in The New York Times. The program was part of a broader effort inside the CIA to develop the capacity to conduct training, surveillance and possible covert operations overseas, according to the source. The program was outsourced to contractors to "put some distance" between the effort and the U.S. government. By mid-2006, Blackwater's involvement in the program had ended, according to a U.S. official. Other contractors were brought in for other parts of the program, another source said. The total program cost "millions," a U.S. official said. It is not known how much Blackwater was paid. The company -- now known as Xe -- did not return CNN's calls seeking comment. "The program ebbed and flowed. There were different phases to it. There may have been different folks involved," the source said. U.S. officials have previously acknowledged that Panetta canceled the entire program this year when he learned of its full scope. At the time of the cancellation, officials said, renewal of the program was being considered. At that point, it had been brought to the new CIA director's attention. Panetta canceled the effort in part because Congress had not been notified about it, officials said. Also, some in the intelligence community were worried there could be a diplomatic disaster if contractors were caught performing such work in foreign countries. Former CIA Director Michael Hayden, who ran the agency from 2006 to 2009, downplayed the program during a speaking engagement in Washington. "This was not a very prominent thing during my time as director," Hayden said. "What you had were three separate efforts under three different directors to deal with an issue that everyone understood was a problem in a capacity that everyone agreed we should have." A spokesman for the CIA would not comment on the details of the still-classified program. "Director Panetta thought this effort should be briefed to Congress, and he did so," spokesman George Little said. "He also knew it hadn't been successful, so he ended it. Neither decision was difficult. This was clear and straightforward. "Director Panetta did not tell the committees that the agency had misled the Congress or had broken the law. He decided that the time had come to brief Congress on a counterterrorism effort." Blackwater's extensive involvement in U.S. operations overseas, particularly in Iraq, has been controversial. The Iraqi government says that in a shooting in September 2007, Blackwater security guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians. Blackwater says its employees were returning fire after they were attacked by armed insurgents, but an Iraqi investigation concluded that the guards randomly fired at civilians without provocation. The incident led to the Iraqi government's refusal to renew the firm's operating license in the country when it expired in May. Although it lost the Iraq contract, the company, which changed its name to Xe earlier this year, continued to get multimillion-dollar contracts from the U.S. government for work in Afghanistan.

Question: What was part of the CIA effort?

Question: When did the program begin?

Question: Who was trying to develop possible covert operations overseas?

Question: When did Blackwater's involvement in the program end?

Question: Who said "This was not a very prominent thing during my time as director"?

Question: Who said "Blackwater's involvement in program had ended by mid-2006"?

Question: Who worked to develop possible covert operations overseas?

Question: What did the US official say?

Answer: targeting and potentially killing top al Qaeda leaders,

Answer: 2001,

Answer: Blackwater USA

Answer: mid-2006,

Answer: Hayden

Answer: U.S. official.

Answer: Blackwater USA

Answer: The total program cost "millions," a U.S.

Summary:
Program, begun in 2001, came to light this year, when it was canceled .
It was part of CIA effort to develop possible covert operations overseas .
U.S. official says Blackwater's involvement in program had ended by mid-2006 .
Ex-CIA director: "This was not a very prominent thing during my time as director"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Chinese government increased its harassment of religious minorities before the Olympic Games, according to a U.S. State Department report released Friday. A Tibetan Buddhist monk in southwest China's Sichuan province. The State Department's Annual Report on Religious Freedom singled  out China, Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan to "blacklist" because they are "countries of particular concern" when it comes to religious oppression. Over the past year, "repression of religious freedom intensified in some areas" in China, including in the Tibetan region and in Xinjiang province, where the Uighur Muslims live. As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games approached, some unregistered Protestant religious groups in Beijing reported intensified harassment from government authorities and said the government cracked down on home churches, the report says. The State Department found that over the past year, Chinese officials also detained and interrogated several foreigners about their religious activities, alleged that the foreigners had engaged in "illegal religious activities" and canceled their visas. The government also undertook a "patriotic education campaign," which required monks and nuns to sign statements personally denouncing the Dalai Lama. As a result, the reports says, protests led to violence in Lhasa, Tibet, in March, and the government detained an unknown number of monks and nuns or expelled them from monasteries. In addition to its continued crackdown on groups such as the Falun Gong, which China considers a "cult," the government harassed Uighur Muslims and confiscated some of their passports to prevent their taking part in the hajj, the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Once again, the U.S. criticized the government of Myanmar, saying its "repressive, authoritarian military regime" had "imposed restrictions on certain religious activities and frequently committed abuses of the right to freedom of religion." Most followers of registered religions were permitted to worship as they chose, but the government infiltrated and monitored activities of virtually all organizations, including religious ones. The report says that although the North Korean constitution provides for religious freedom, "genuine religious freedom does not exist, and there was no change in the extremely poor level of respect for religious freedom" over the past year. In Iran, the report says, "continued deterioration of the poor status of respect for religious freedom" last year. "Government actions and rhetoric created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shia religious groups, most notably for Baha'is, as well as Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, and members of the Jewish community," the report says. "Government-controlled media intensified negative campaigns against religious minorities, particularly the Baha'is. Reports of imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination based on religious beliefs continued." The State Department found some progress in Saudi Arabia. "While overall government policies continue to place severe restrictions on religious freedom, there were incremental improvements in specific areas," the report says. However, the report goes on to note that "Non-Muslims and Muslims who do not adhere to the government's interpretation of Islam continued to face significant political, economic, legal, social, and religious discrimination." It also criticizes U.S. allies in Pakistan and Jordan for aggressiveness toward religious minorities. The governments of Iraq and Afghanistan were praised for endorsing religious freedom, but the State Department found that the war-torn countries have problems. In Afghanistan, "the residual effects of years of Taliban rule, popular suspicion regarding outside influence of foreigners, and weak democratic institutions hinder the respect for religious freedom." In Iraq, "violence conducted by terrorists, extremists, and criminal gangs restricted the free exercise of religion and posed a significant threat to the country's vulnerable religious minorities." In releasing the report, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States is "concerned by efforts to promote a so-called defamation of religions concept," which has been the focus of numerous resolutions passed at the United Nations. She was referring to the Organization of Islamic Conference, a grouping of 57 Muslim states that does not recognize the right of individuals

Question: What did the State Department say about China?

Question: What did China detained foreigners for?

Question: What countries have been "blacklisted"?

Question: Which countries had been "blacklisted"?

Question: Which region stepped up oppression of Muslims?

Question: Who stepped up oppression of Muslims?

Question: What  did Tibet and the Xinjiang province step up?

Question: Which countries were blacklisted?

Question: What State Department said about China?

Answer: The Chinese government increased its harassment of religious minorities before the

Answer: "illegal religious activities"

Answer: Uzbekistan

Answer: Uzbekistan

Answer: China, Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia

Answer: Chinese government

Answer: "repression of religious freedom

Answer: China, Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan

Answer: "repression of religious freedom intensified in some areas"

Summary:
Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan "blacklisted"
Tibetan region and in Xinjiang province in China stepped up oppression of Muslims .
State Department: China detained foreigners for their religion .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Chinese military continues to increase spending on efforts to break into U.S. military computer systems, expand its Navy, and invest in intercontinental nuclear missiles and weapons to destroy satellites, according to the latest U.S report on China's military power.

Chinese military officers after a meeting about the People's Liberation Army in 2007.

The annual report from the Pentagon to Congress says China's total military spending in 2007 was between $97 billion and $139 billion, but it is hard to tell exactly how much was spent and on what.

In comparison, the U.S. military budget request for 2008 is $481.4 billion, not including war requests.

Pentagon officials said a chunk of China's spending went to cyberwarfare, because 2007 saw several "intrusions" believed to be from the Peoples Liberation Army. In the incidents, unclassified U.S. military computer systems were broken into and information was taken, according to Pentagon officials.

While the information taken was not classified, Pentagon officials said the worry is the Chinese hacking required many of the skills and capabilities that would also be required for a computer network attack.

Last summer, a cyber-attack on Department of Defense computer systems took down the e-mail capability of hundreds of staffers for weeks, but the Pentagon still will not comment on who initiated the attack. It is widely believed among the military to have been the Peoples Liberation Army.

China is also investing heavily in and fielding improved nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles and antisatellite missiles, according to the report.

The United States expressed its concern last year after China fired a missile at one of its old satellites and destroyed it, sending thousands of dangerous pieces of space debris into orbit.

The United States conducted a similar strike last month on a broken U.S. spy satellite before it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. U.S. officials said the satellite was hit and broke into thousands of small pieces that burned up as they re-entered Earth's atmosphere.

The United States is also concerned about the purchase of more submarines by the Chinese navy as well as plans for more aircraft carriers. The Chinese once had a small Navy. Now the United States is keeping an eye on the growing service amid concerns over Taiwan.

The concerns include "China's near-term focus on preparing for contingencies in the Taiwan Strait, including the possibility of U.S. intervention, which is an important driver of its modernization," the report says.

Additionally, the Chinese have placed about 100 more short-range missiles on the shore opposite Taiwan in the past year, it says.

Pentagon officials worry the continued increase in Chinese military spending is slowly tipping the balance of power between China and Taiwan in China's favor. The United States has said it would help defend Taiwan if China invaded.

The report also says the Peoples Liberation Army is "pursuing comprehensive transformation from a mass army designed for protracted wars of attrition on its territory to one capable of fighting and winning short-duration, high-intensity conflicts along its periphery against high-tech adversaries."

Such an army, the report says, would have "the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States and field disruptive military technologies that could, over time, offset traditional U.S. military advantages."

The United States says the lack of transparency by the Chinese on its spending poses "risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation," and that China has yet to explain to the international community the purpose of its military expansion, Pentagon officials said. E-mail to a friend

Question: What have already happened?

Question: What do officials worry China is trying to hack into?

Question: What are officials worried about?

Question: Was classified info accessed?

Question: What is the Chinese Navy doing?

Question: What is expanding its Navy, investing in weapons?

Question: What have already happened according to officials?

Answer: placed about 100 more short-range missiles

Answer: military computer systems,

Answer: the continued increase in Chinese military spending is slowly tipping the balance of power between China and Taiwan in China's favor.

Answer: not

Answer: expand

Answer: The Chinese military

Answer: unclassified U.S. military computer systems were broken into and information was taken,

Summary:
Pentagon: Chinese military expanding its Navy, investing in weapons .
Officials worry China is trying to hack into U.S. military computers .
"Intrusions" have already happened, officials say, though info was not classified .
Pentagon: China's lack of transparency makes it hard to know the extent of activity .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Dalai Lama, accepting a human rights prize from a U.S. foundation Tuesday, chastised the United States for not fully addressing the economic divide between its poorest and richest citizens. The Dalai Lama sits with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the awards ceremony on Tuesday. "Huge gap, rich to poor. This is unhealthy," he said. "You have to think seriously about those less-privileged people. They're also human beings." The "real greatness of America," he said, "is your ancestors' principles," and he urged the nation to preserve those principles. "When I think of America, I think of the idea -- concept of freedom, liberty, equality. I think these are real human values," he said. The inaugural Lantos Human Rights Prize, presented to the 74-year-old Dalai Lama by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, honors his commitment to ending global injustice. The Dalai Lama called the award, from the New Hampshire-based Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, "a great privilege, especially because it is named after an individual I admired deeply." He was referring to the late Rep. Tom Lantos, D-California, whom the foundation describes as a champion of human rights during his 27 years in Congress. Lantos, who was the only Holocaust survivor in Congress, died of cancer in February 2008. His image is on the large medal. Before presenting the award, Pelosi said people continue to be inspired by the Dalai Lama's messages of peace and nonviolence. The medal, the California Democrat said, contains the words "The rights of one are the rights of all." "The Dalai Lama is one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time," she added. Tuesday's program focused largely on the work of Lantos, who co-founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus about 20 years ago. The name of the caucus has been changed to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and part of its mission is to "promote, defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms in a nonpartisan manner," according to its Web site. The group is a formal entity of Congress, said Howard Berman, D-California, who was at Tuesday's event. Also at the ceremony was Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who called Lantos "an inspiration." "When he died we lost one of the better angels of our national conscience," McCain said. According to the foundation, created by Lantos' daughter, Katrina Lantos Swett, the Lantos Prize is meant to focus attention on the "often unsung heroes of the human rights movement." The foundation's Web site says the prize "will be awarded on an annual basis to the individual or organization that best exemplifies the foundation's mission, namely, to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom and justice in every corner of the world." The Dalai Lama is visiting Washington this week for a conference and to meet with Undersecretary for Global Affairs Maria Otero, who has just been named as President Obama's special coordinator on Tibet, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Monday. The Dalai Lama won't meet with Obama, who instead plans to visit with him after a presidential trip next month to China, Kelly said. The Dalai Lama and Tibet are dicey issues in Washington, since Beijing considers the Himalayan province a part of China and accuses the spiritual leader of advocating Tibetan independence. The Dalai Lama -- whose name is Tenzin Gyatso -- has repeatedly said he seeks autonomy for the region, not independence, and advocates the "middle way" of nonviolence. China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending troops to "liberate" the region from what it said was serfdom under the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama's emissaries have held sporadic talks with Chinese officials. But the talks, encouraged by the United States and other countries, have failed to break the impasse. In a 2007 trip to Washington, the Dalai

Question: Pelosi called who "one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time"?

Question: Who will he not meet when he visited Asia next month?

Question: Who won't meet with Obama?

Question: What does Dalai Lama decrie?

Question: What is Dalai Lama in Washington for?

Question: What did Pelosi call Lama?

Question: Where is Lama?

Question: What does Pelosi call Dalai Lama?

Answer: "The Dalai Lama

Answer: Obama,

Answer: Dalai Lama

Answer: the United States for not fully addressing the economic divide between its poorest and richest citizens.

Answer: accepting a human rights prize from a U.S. foundation

Answer: is one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time,"

Answer: Washington

Answer: one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time,"

Summary:
NEW: Dalai Lama lauds U.S. founding principles, decries gap between rich and poor .
Pelosi calls Dalai Lama "one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time"
Dalai Lama is in Washington for conference and to meet U.S. officials .
He won't meet with President Obama, who plans to visit him next month in Asia .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later.

Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq.

The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq.

In a sharply worded letter,  Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen.

"Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family.  Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said.

CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records.  Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days.   Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general.

He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority."

Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

"Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing.  Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors Â»

Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret.

Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting."

But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market.

But Waxman appeared unmoved.

"Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?"

"I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied.

Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?"

"As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said.

"It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund.

The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies.

In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position

Question: What did Henry Waxman accuse the State Department of covering up?

Question: What did Rep. Henry Waxman demand?

Question: What did Waxman accuse the state department of doing?

Question: Who demanded documents on Iraq Contractor?

Question: Who demanded documents?

Question: Who demands documents on Iraq contractor?

Question: Who accuses State Department of covering up "an epidemic of corruption"?

Answer: "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq.

Answer: Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen.

Answer: covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq.

Answer: Rep. Henry Waxman

Answer: Rep. Henry Waxman's

Answer: Waxman

Answer: Rep. Henry Waxman

Summary:
NEW: Rep. Henry Waxman demands documents on Iraq contractor .
Waxman accuses State Department of covering up "an epidemic of corruption"
State Department says it will provide information if it is kept classified .
Ex-Iraqi official estimates the total lost to corruption at $18 billion .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter,  Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family.  Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records.  Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days.   Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing.  Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position "

Question: What did the State Department do?

Question: Who demands documents?

Question: What did Waxman accuse the State Department of covering up?

Question: Who estimated the corruption toll?

Question: Who demanded documents on the Iraq contractor?

Answer: is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq.

Answer: Waxman

Answer: "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq.

Answer: Rep. Henry Waxman

Answer: Rep. Henry Waxman


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will bypass environmental and land-management laws to build hundreds of miles of border fence between the United States and Mexico, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday. A border fence stands at Juarez, Mexico. More than 360 miles of fence are supposed to be finished by year's end. "Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation," Chertoff said. "These waivers will enable important security projects to keep moving forward." Chertoff cited a congressional requirement that 361 miles of fence be completed by the end of the year. He also pointed out that Congress had given him the authority to bypass laws. But the executive director of the Sierra Club, an environmental group, said the move "threatens the livelihoods and ecology of the entire U.S.-Mexico border region." "Secretary Chertoff chose to bypass stakeholders and push through this unpopular project on April Fools' Day. We don't think the destruction of the borderlands region is a laughing matter," said Carl Pope. The Sierra Club says the waivers will affect a range of federally protected lands, including national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests and wilderness areas. The Sierra Club says the waivers themselves are unconstitutional and has asked the Supreme Court to rule on the question. This is the fourth set of waivers issued by the department, and is the most sweeping. Chertoff's orders Tuesday affect two areas. First, the department proposes to place fencing, towers, sensors, cameras, detection equipment and roads along a 470-mile stretch of the border in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Second, it plans to integrate a concrete wall into proposed levee reinforcements along a 22-mile section of the Rio Grande in Hidalgo County, Texas. The department said it is committed to working in an environmentally sensitive manner and cooperating with resource agencies so it does as little damage as possible. E-mail to a friend

Question: Who says border waivers are unconstitutional?

Question: What will enable security projects to progress?

Question: What did Michael Chertoff say?

Question: What did the Sierra Club say?

Question: Who said Waivers will enable security projects to move forward?

Question: What will enable security projects to move forward?

Question: Who said border waivers are unconstitutional?

Question: What did Michael Chertoff say gave him the authority to bypass laws?

Question: Who said that Congress has given him the authority to bypass laws?

Question: Who says that border waivers are unconstitutional?

Question: Who says that waivers will enable security projects to move forward?

Answer: The Sierra Club

Answer: waivers

Answer: laws to build hundreds of miles of border fence between the United States and Mexico,

Answer: "threatens the livelihoods and ecology of the entire U.S.-Mexico border region."

Answer: Chertoff

Answer: waivers

Answer: The Sierra Club

Answer: Congress

Answer: Chertoff

Answer: The Sierra Club

Answer: Secretary Michael Chertoff

Summary:
NEW: Sierra Club says border waivers are unconstitutional .
Homeland Security chief: Waivers will enable security projects to move forward .
Environmental, land-management laws will be bypassed for U.S.-Mexico fence .
Michael Chertoff says Congress has given him the authority to bypass laws .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin Thursday citing an alleged claim of responsibility by al Qaeda for former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a DHS official told CNN. An Italian news agency says al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri began planning Bhutto's killing in October. But such a claim has not appeared on radical Islamist Web sites that regularly post such messages from al Qaeda and other militant groups. The source of the claim was apparently Italian news agency, Adnkronos International (AKI), which said that al Qaeda Afghanistan commander and spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid had telephoned the agency to make the claim. "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen," AKI quoted Al-Yazid as saying. According to AKI, al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri set the wheels in motion for the assassination in October. One Islamist Web site repeated the claim, but that Web site is not considered a reliable source for Islamist messages by experts in the field. The DHS official said the claim was "an unconfirmed open source claim of responsibility" and the bulletin was sent out at about 6 p.m. to state and local law enforcement agencies. The official characterized the bulletin as "information sharing." Ross Feinstein, spokesman for Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, said the U.S. intelligence community is monitoring the situation and trying to figure out who is responsible for the assassination. "We are not in a position to confirm who may be responsible," Feinstein said. Feinstein said that the intelligence community "obviously analyze(s) open source intelligence," but he would not say whether the community believes the claim has any validity. For now, he said, there is "no conclusion" as to who may be responsible. Earlier, DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said Bhutto's assassination had not prompted "any adjustments to our security posture." "Of course, we continue to closely monitor events as they unfold overseas," he said. E-mail to a friend CNN's Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report.

Question: Who will issue a bulletin?

Question: Who says the claim has not been confirmed?

Question: Who does the bulletin say made the claim to a news agency?

Question: what did fbi do

Question: Which associates made claim to news agency?

Question: what are dhs officials comments

Question: What day is the bulletin from?

Question: What has not been confirmed?

Question: When will the bulletin be issued?

Question: When was the bulletin issued?

Question: Which official says the claim has not been confirmed?

Answer: The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security

Answer: DHS official

Answer: al Qaeda Afghanistan commander and spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid

Answer: an alleged claim of responsibility by al Qaeda for former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination,

Answer: Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid

Answer: an alleged claim of responsibility by al Qaeda for former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination,

Answer: Thursday

Answer: responsibility by al Qaeda for former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination,

Answer: Thursday

Answer: Thursday

Answer: The DHS

Summary:
FBI, Department of Homeland Security issue bulletin Thursday .
Bulletin says two al Qaeda associates made claim to news agency .
"We terminated the most precious American asset," associate says .
DHS official says the claim has not been confirmed .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI says it found child pornography on a computer used by the man charged with the fatal shooting of a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum June 10. Museum shooting suspect James von Brunn remains in a Washington hospital. In court documents filed Wednesday, an investigator says the pornography was found on a desktop computer during a search of an Annapolis, Maryland, apartment where 88-year old James von Brunn had been living for the past two years. The documents did not provide details about the pornography, but investigators requested permission to make a more extensive search of the computer and others found in von Brunn's home. Von Brunn has been charged with the murder of museum security guard Stephen Johns. The white supremacist was shot in the face after two other security officers returned fire. He remains in a Washington hospital. The FBI also searched a red Hyundai that law enforcement officials say von Brunn left double-parked in front of the museum right before the shooting. In separate documents also filed on Wednesday, investigators say they found 35 rounds of live ammunition for a .22 caliber rifle. Officials allege von Brunn used a .22 caliber rifle, which was found at the scene, to shoot Johns in the chest. According to paperwork detailing the car search, investigators found business cards advertising a USS Liberty Web site that claims Israeli forces "suddenly and brutally" attacked the U.S. Navy vessel in international waters in 1967. Investigators also found business cards for von Brunn's own Web site, which hosts postings of white supremacist writings. Among other items found in the car were a disabled parking permit, mouthwash, a salt shaker and a roll of quarters totaling $7.25. Earlier this week investigators filed papers saying among the items discovered in von Brunn's apartment was a painting that appeared to depict Hitler and Jesus. They also found a .30-30 rifle, ammunition and a handwritten will.

Question: What did FBI find in von Brunn's car?

Question: Who was searching?

Question: What was found in his apartment?

Question: FBI wanted more extensive search of what?

Question: What did they find in his car?

Question: Where was the computer found?

Question: Who wants an extensive search to continue?

Answer: child pornography on a computer

Answer: The FBI

Answer: child pornography

Answer: of the computer and others found in von Brunn's home.

Answer: 35 rounds of live ammunition for a .22 caliber rifle.

Answer: an Annapolis, Maryland, apartment

Answer: investigators

Summary:
Computer found in apartment of 88-year old James von Brunn .
FBI asks for more extensive search of the computers found in von Brunn's home .
FBI also searches von Brunn's car; finds ammunition for .22 caliber rifle .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday proposed fines against two of the nation's largest airlines, saying the airlines flew planes on hundreds of occasions in violation of FAA or airline safety standards. US Airways says the problems are in the past. United notes it self-reported its problem. The FAA is seeking a $5.4 million fine from US Airways and a $3.8 million fine from United Airlines for unrelated violations. Both airlines issued statements Wednesday assuring the public of their commitment to safety. US Airways blamed its problems on the difficulties of merging US Airways and America West maintenance operations in 2007. United, meanwhile, said it self-reported the incident leading to its proposed fine and has since taken steps to ensure that safety standards are met. The US Airways case involved the greatest number of planes -- eight. The FAA alleges US Airways operated the eight aircraft on a total of 1,647 flights last fall and winter while the planes were in a potentially unsafe condition. Three of the planes were flown while not in compliance with FAA rules known as Airworthiness Directives, or ADs. The FAA issues ADs when it discovers a potentially unsafe condition on a type of aircraft, and it wants airlines to inspect their fleets or conduct preventive maintenance. The FAA said it issued an AD requiring airlines to inspect Airbus A320 aircraft for possible cracking of a landing gear part. But US Airways operated two Airbus A320s on a total of 43 flights without complying with the ordered inspection. The airline also operated an Embraer 190 aircraft on 19 flights without performing an inspection to prevent a cargo door from opening during flight, according to the FAA. The remaining five cases involve the airline's failure to follow its own maintenance procedures, the FAA said. In a letter to its employees, US Airways Chief Operating Officer Robert Isom called the FAA announcement disappointing. "It is important to remember that today's announcement references situations that are in the past, and in several cases, date back to two years ago," he wrote. "Our team has worked cooperatively with the FAA to investigate and correct any discrepancies to the FAA's satisfaction." The United Airlines case involves one aircraft, a Boeing 737. According to the FAA and the airline, a pilot noticed a low fuel pressure indication while on a flight from Denver, Colorado, on April 28, 2008. The pilot shut down an engine and returned to the Denver airport. United mechanics who inspected the engine found that two shop towels had been used to cover openings in the oil sump area, instead of protective caps. The FAA said the aircraft had flown more than 200 times in the unsafe condition before the problem was discovered. A United spokeswoman said the airline reported the incident to the FAA and has taken several measures to prevent a recurrence, including additional training of maintenance workers. Both airlines have 30 days to respond to the FAA's proposal for fines. In March, Southwest Airlines agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a complaint that it flew unsafe planes.

Question: How much do they seek?

Question: Who issued the statement?

Question: WHo is being hit with the fine?

Question: What did the plane fly with?

Question: What was used to cover openings in oil sump area of a plane?

Question: How much is the fine that the FAA seeks?

Answer: a $5.4 million fine from US Airways and a $3.8 million fine from United Airlines

Answer: Both airlines

Answer: US Airways

Answer: possible cracking of a landing gear part.

Answer: two shop towels

Answer: $5.4 million

Summary:
FAA seeks a $5.4 million fine from US Airways, $3.8 million fine from United Airlines .
Airlines issue statements assuring public of their commitment to safety .
US Airways case includes planes not complying with Airworthiness Directives .
United plane flew with shop towels covering openings in oil sump area .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Food and Drug Administration approved a second vaccine intended to protect against cervical cancer. GlaxoSmithKline has manufactured a vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer. Cervarix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, was approved Friday for prevention of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. The vaccine is approved for use in girls and women ages 10 to 25 years and is to be administered in three doses. After the initial shot, the second and third doses are to be given within six months. "The licensure of Cervarix adds another option in the prevention of cervical cancer," said Dr. Karen Midthun, acting director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "It has the potential to save lives from cervical cancer as well as reduce the need for biopsies and invasive procedures associated with the necessary follow-up from abnormal Pap tests." According to GlaxoSmithKline, the vaccine is 70 percent effective against pre-cancerous lesions, regardless of HPV type. "The vaccine contains two HPV types (16 & 18) responsible for the majority of cervical cancers in North America," said Sarah Alspach, a GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman. "But approximately 25 percent of cervical cancers are caused by other cancer-causing HPV types. Cervarix has been shown to reduce the incidence of pre-cancers resulting from cancer-causing virus types beyond 16 and 18." The vaccine will be available this year, according to GSK, which did not divulge the price. Cervarix will be competing with Merck & Company's Gardasil, the first cervical cancer vaccine, which won FDA approval in June 2006. Gardasil, for girls and women ages 9 to 26, prevents against cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers and protects against HPV types 11, 16 and 18. Gardasil's approval has been broadened by the FDA to include an indication for boys and young men ages 9 through 26 for prevention of genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11. "This vaccine is the first preventive therapy against genital warts in boys and men ages 9 through 26, and, as a result, fewer men will need to undergo treatment for genital warts." Midthun said. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the nation. More than 40 types of HPV can infect genital areas, according to the disease agency. But because many of them are not visible to the naked eye, most people who become infected don't know it.

Question: what is Cervarix designed for?

Question: what does GlaxoSmithKline says about Cervarix?

Question: When will Cervarix be available?

Question: What does the FDA approves?

Question: Who approved the hpv vaccine?

Question: What is designed to prevent cervical cancer?

Question: What is the drug competing with?

Question: What is Cervarix designed to prevent?

Answer: prevention of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18.

Answer: vaccine is 70 percent effective against pre-cancerous lesions, regardless of HPV type.

Answer: this year,

Answer: cervical cancer.

Answer: The Food and Drug Administration

Answer: vaccine

Answer: Gardasil,

Answer: cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18.

Summary:
FDA approves GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine .
Cervarix is designed to help prevent cervical cancer .
Drug will compete with another HPV vaccine Merck & Company's Gardasil .
Cervarix will be available later this year, according to GlaxoSmithKline .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The H1N1 flu virus could cause up to 90,000 U.S. deaths, mainly among children and young adults, if it resurges this fall as expected, according to a report released Monday by a presidential advisory panel. The report urges speedier production of the H1N1 vaccine and the availability of some doses by September. The H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu virus, could infect between 30 percent and 50 percent of the American population during the fall and winter and lead to as many as 1.8 million U.S. hospital admissions, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reported. The report says 30,000 to 90,000 deaths are projected as part of a "plausible scenario" involving large outbreaks at schools, inadequate antiviral supplies and the virus peaking before vaccinations have time to be effective. Up to 40,000 U.S. deaths are linked to seasonal flu each year, with most of the fatalities occurring among people over 65. With seasonal flu and H1N1, this fall is expected to bring more influenza deaths and place "enormous stress" on intensive care units nationwide, which normally operate near capacity, the report says. An H1N1 resurgence may happen as early as September, at the beginning of the school year, and infections may peak in mid-October, according to the report. However, the H1N1 vaccine isn't expected to be available until mid-October, and even then it will take several weeks for vaccinated individuals to develop immunity, the report says.  Watch more on H1N1 predictions for this fall » The potential "mismatch in timing" could significantly diminish the usefulness of the H1N1 vaccine, the report says. "Even with the best efforts, this will cause some illness, some severe illness and unfortunately, some deaths," Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday. "But a lot so far has gone remarkably right," Frieden said. "There's a vaccine well on its way to being distributed, diagnostic tests available in well over 100 laboratories, treatments pre-positioned around the country ... and guidance issued for health care providers, schools, businesses and other communities." Among the report's recommendations are for government agencies to: • Prepare several "planning scenarios" to determine demand for supplies and care. • Set up surveillance systems to track information about influenza-like illnesses. • Develop plans to protect the public's most vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and those with pre-existing medical conditions. • Speed up the production of the H1N1 vaccine and have an initial batch -- enough to vaccinate up to 40 million people, especially those who are at risk of serious disease -- by mid-September. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the government's preparation and guidance for the public was based on the need to strike a balance "on a continuum of being paralyzed with fear versus complacency." So far, clinical trials for the H1N1 vaccine have not indicated adverse side effects beyond what are experienced with the seasonal flu vaccine, Sebelius said. However, there would be no formal decision to launch a vaccination campaign until those trials were complete, she said. That decision would be hers, she said, and she emphasized that any vaccination program would be strictly voluntary. Pregnant women, health care workers and parents or guardians of infants under 6 months of age are among the most vulnerable segments of the population, Sebelius has said. Adults under the age of 65 with an underlying health condition -- such as asthma -- are also considered to be more at risk from the H1N1 virus. H1N1 preparation guidelines for the nation's businesses and school systems were released three weeks ago. The plans are available at the Web site www.flu.gov. The H1N1 vaccine would require two shots, the second three weeks after the first. Immunity to the virus would not kick in until two weeks after the second shot. The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 virus a global pandemic on June 11. More than 1,490 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged this spring, a WHO

Question: In what month are vaccines expected?

Question: When does the panel urge that availability of the vaccine should be made available?

Question: What percentage of the U.S. population cold be infected?

Question: When is vaccine expected?

Question: How much of the US population may be infected?

Question: When is the vaccine expected?

Question: Approximately what percentage of the U.S. population could be infected by the fall and winter?

Question: H1N1, plus seasonal flu, could place "enormous stress" where?

Answer: September.

Answer: September.

Answer: between 30 percent and 50 percent

Answer: mid-October,

Answer: between 30 percent and 50 percent

Answer: September.

Answer: 50 percent

Answer: on intensive care units nationwide,

Summary:
Panel: Up to 50 percent of U.S. population could be infected this fall, winter .
H1N1, plus seasonal flu, could place "enormous stress" on hospitals .
Vaccine expected in mid-October, but too late to help many, panel says .
Panel urges availability of some doses by mid-September .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives on Tuesday night passed an energy bill clearing the way for more oil drilling off U.S. coasts, but not nearly as much as Republican leaders wanted. The bill was passed by a vote of 236-189. Many Republicans opposed the bill because it would allow new oil drilling only between 50 and 100 miles offshore. Republicans generally want to allow new drilling starting 3 miles from shore. Republicans also objected to provisions repealing tax cuts for the oil industry and what they said was a lack of incentive for states to allow drilling on their land. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters Tuesday: "The American taxpayers have been ripped off for years on offshore drilling. This bill changes that." Before the vote, Pelosi said the bill presented a choice between "the status quo, which is preferred by Big Oil," and "change for the future to take our country in a new direction." Fifteen Republicans voted for the largely Democrat-backed bill. Thirteen Democrats voted against it. The Senate, meanwhile, could vote on various energy proposals, including more offshore drilling, as early as this week. The House bill would require states to give their permission for drilling on their land. It also would offer incentives for renewable energy, require the government to release oil from its emergency reserve, and force oil companies to drill on federal lands they already lease from the government. Democratic leaders had previously opposed Republican-led efforts to repeal a 1981 law barring most offshore drilling. But they changed course over the August recess, saying their new plans would allow some expanded drilling.  See where U.S. offshore drilling is banned » But Republicans say the House bill wouldn't expand offshore drilling enough. Before the vote, Rep. Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican, called the bill "a charade," denying it would do what its backers claim. "This is not 'yes' to drilling. This is 'yes, but,' " he said. "This is 'yes, but no drilling in Alaska, no drilling in the Eastern Gulf, no drilling inside 50 miles,' " Pence said. "This is 'yes, but no litigation reform that will prevent radical environmental attorneys from tying up leases even before a single shovel of dirt is turned.' " Democrats and Republicans traded harsh words on the House floor Tuesday in the debate over the bill. Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York Democrat, said President Bush's "idea of an energy policy is holding hands with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, embracing him with a big smooch." When the Republicans "controlled Congress, [they] passed their own energy bill, signed into law by the president. We got into this mess," Weiner said. But Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a Texas Republican, shot back that the Democrats' bill is a "sham" and a "fraud." "This is a bill designed to ensure Democrats' re-election, not designed to ensure affordable energy in America," Hensarling said. Hensarling also complained about how the bill was brought to the floor: "No amendments, no substitutes, no committee hearings. Is this democracy? No."

Question: Who said "This is not 'yes' to drilling."?

Question: How mny votes did the bill pass?

Question: What would the Democrats plan expand?

Question: What was the result of the bill vote?

Question: What would the Democrat's drilling plan do?

Question: What vote did the bill pass by?

Question: What would the Democrats' plan do?

Question: Who fought the proposal?

Question: What is the Republican response to the Democrats' drilling plan?

Question: How many votes did the bill pass by?

Question: What do democrats plan to expand offshore?

Answer: Rep. Mike Pence,

Answer: 236-189.

Answer: more oil drilling off U.S. coasts,

Answer: of 236-189.

Answer: only between 50 and 100 miles offshore.

Answer: 236-189.

Answer: allow new oil drilling only between 50 and 100 miles offshore.

Answer: Many Republicans

Answer: opposed the bill

Answer: 236-189.

Answer: oil drilling

Summary:
NEW: Bill passes by 236-189 vote .
Democrats' plan would expand offshore drilling, but Republicans not satisfied .
Some Republicans fought proposal, saying too many areas still would be banned .
Republican representative: "This is not 'yes' to drilling. This is 'yes, but' "


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives passed a $3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 Thursday night, capping off weeks of acrimonious partisan debate and a long day of voting marked by the defeat of several alternative plans. The U.S. House passed a $3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 Thursday night. The House version of the budget passed by a margin of 233-196 in a virtual party-line vote. All but 20 House Democrats supported it; no House Republican voted in favor. In London, England, where he has been attending the Group of 20 summit, President Obama lauded the House vote. "Tonight, the House of Representatives took another step toward rebuilding our struggling economy," he said in a statement. "And by making hard choices and challenging the old ways of doing business, we will cut in half the budget deficit we inherited within four years. With this vote comes an obligation to pursue our efforts to go through the budget line-by-line, searching for additional savings. Like the families we serve, we must cut the things we don't need to invest in those we do." The Senate plans a vote on its $3.53 trillion version of the budget later Thursday night. That vote, too, is expected to fall on party lines. Moderate GOP Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, who voted in favor of Obama's stimulus bill last month, intend to vote against what is essentially the blueprint of Obama's economic policies going forward. The House budget largely tracks Obama's initial proposed spending plan, with the exception of a decision to drop his $250 billion request for potential future bailouts of struggling financial institutions.  Watch more on Obama's budget details » Fiscally conservative House Democrats, known as Blue Dogs, also negotiated with House Democratic leaders to cut $7 billion from the president's $540 billion request for nondefense discretionary spending. Under the House Democrats' plan, the federal government will run an anticipated deficit of $1.2 trillion in the next fiscal year. Their plan promises to cut the deficit by more than half by 2013. House Democrats agreed to extend the middle class tax cut that was included in the recently passed economic stimulus plan, but failed to specify how the cut would be paid for after 2010. They also included language that allows for the controversial procedure called "budget reconciliation" for health care, a tool that would limit debate on major policy legislation. Senate Democrats did not include reconciliation in their version of the budget. The matter is guaranteed to be a major partisan sticking point when the two chambers meet to hammer out a final version of next year's spending plan. If it passes, it would allow the Senate to pass Obama's proposed health-care reform without the threat of a Republican-led Senate filibuster. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyoming, speaking for most of his GOP Senate colleagues, warned Tuesday that if a health-care "reconciliation winds up in the budget bill, it'll be like a declaration of war. ... I hope that that wedge doesn't get thrown in there." Both the House and the Senate version of the budget allow former President George W. Bush's tax cuts for couples who make more than $250,000 to expire in 2010, and both plans let Obama's signature tax cuts -- $400 for individuals and $800 for couples -- expire as well, unless the White House finds a way to pay for them. Under the House plan, the cuts would expire in 2010; in the Senate plan, they would expire in 2012. Key differences between House and Senate include deficits and nonmilitary discretionary spending. The House budget would reduce the deficit from $1.7 trillion in 2009 to $598 billion in 2014, House Democrats said, while the Senate Democrats say their plan would bring the deficit down an additional $80 billion. The House rejected an alternative proposal put forward by the GOP leadership, which called for $4.8 trillion less in overall spending over the next decade,

Question: Where does President Obama praise House vote?

Question: What does the budget pass by?

Question: On what does the Senate plan to vote?

Question: what Senate plans vote on its $3.53 trillion version of budget?

Question: What did Obama praise in England?

Question: How much was Obama's request for potential financial institution bailouts?

Question: What does Obama drop?

Answer: In London, England,

Answer: a margin of 233-196

Answer: $3.53 trillion version of the budget

Answer: U.S. House

Answer: the House vote.

Answer: $250 billion

Answer: his $250 billion request

Summary:
NEW: In England, President Obama praises House vote .
Budget passes 233-196 in party-line vote; no House Republican voted in favor .
Budget drops Obama's $250 billion request for potential financial institution bailouts .
Senate plans vote on its $3.53 trillion version of budget later Thursday night .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday to try to recoup bonuses paid to Wall Street executives with taxpayer money. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House members Wednesday announce tax proposals affecting bonuses. The measure passed, 328-93; most Democrats supported the measure, while Republicans were sharply divided. A two-thirds majority among all members voting was required for passage. The measure would tax individuals on any bonuses received in 2009 from companies getting $5 billion or more in money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Bonuses for people with incomes over $250,000 would be taxed at a 90 percent rate. "Today's vote rightly reflects the outrage that so many feel over the lavish bonuses that AIG provided its employees at the expense of the taxpayers who have kept this failed company afloat," President Obama said. "I look forward to receiving a final product that will serve as a strong signal to the executives who run these firms that such compensation will not be tolerated." The measure now moves to the Senate, which is considering a bill to tax retention bonuses paid to executives of companies that received federal bailout money. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday failed to get that bill passed by unanimous consent when Republican Whip Jon Kyl objected. Kyl wants "to understand the root and cause of what happened here before we haphazardly rush and approve what we think is the remedy," his spokesman Ryan Patmintra said. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel, D-New York, told reporters Wednesday, "We can't have any concept of we're getting even, but we must have a concept that we're trying to show that Congress ... cannot tolerate that." The vote comes one day after AIG chief executive Edward Liddy testified before Congress that he has asked employees of the bailed-out insurer who took home more than $100,000 in bonuses to return at least half. Liddy, saying he knew that the public's patience is "wearing thin," said some employees have decided on their own to return their entire bonuses to the company. More than $165 million has been slated for bonuses to AIG's senior executives; the federal government rescued the company from financial ruin with more than $170 billion in taxpayer assistance. Referring to the AIG executives who received bonuses, Rangel said, "I don't think these are the type of people to [whom you can] make an appeal to equity and justice. I don't think they really know the difference. I don't really think they've had life experience to allow them to believe the pain that they've caused for millions of Americans." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said the bill was necessitated by the poor judgment shown by firms receiving bailout money. "We must stabilize the financial system in order to strengthen our economy and create jobs," she said. "We must also protect the American taxpayer from executives who would use their companies' second chances as opportunities for private gain. "Because they could not use sound judgment in the use of taxpayer funds, these AIG executives will pay the Treasury in the form of this tax." A similar proposal in the Senate would attempt to recoup bonuses by taxing both individuals and companies, but Rangel said House leaders decided against penalizing companies because they could simply ask for more taxpayer money. Earlier Wednesday, President Obama also lashed out at the bonuses given to AIG executives, calling them "outrageous." "People are right to be angry. I am angry. ... People are rightly outraged about these particular bonuses," he said. "But just as outrageous is the culture that these bonuses are a symptom of, that [has] existed for far too long; a situation where excess greed, excess compensation, excess risk-taking have all made us vulnerable and left us holding the bag." CNN's Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

Question: Who does this affect?

Question: What did the house pass?

Question: What percentage will people with incomes over $250,000 pay?

Question: What percentage would people with incomes $250,000+ be taxed?

Question: what does the bill do?

Question: What does a similar senate bill aim for?

Question: what does a similar bill do?

Question: what was the vote?

Question: Bill would tax bonuses of people in firms who received at least how much?

Answer: individuals on any bonuses received in 2009 from companies getting $5 billion or more in money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.

Answer: legislation Thursday to try to recoup bonuses

Answer: 90 percent

Answer: 90 percent

Answer: tax individuals on any bonuses received in 2009 from companies getting $5 billion or more in money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program,

Answer: attempt to recoup bonuses by taxing both individuals and companies,

Answer: would attempt to recoup bonuses by taxing both individuals and companies,

Answer: 328-93;

Answer: $5 billion

Summary:
NEW: House passes measure to recoup bonuses with a vote of 328-93 .
Bill would tax bonuses of people in firms that received at least $5 billion in bailout .
People with incomes over $250,000 who received bonuses would be taxed at 90% .
A similar Senate bill aims to recoup bonuses by taxing individuals and companies .