WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There was no shortage of superstars in Washington this week, including the middle school students of Atlanta, Georgia's Ron Clark Academy. Ron Clark Academy students singing their newest song, "Dear Obama," in Washington this week. "There are those Obama kids!" "Those are the kids from TV!" "Sing for us!" The middle schoolers' ode to the political process, "You Can Vote However You Like," set to the tune of rapper T.I.'s "Whatever You Like," has garnered exhilarating fame nationwide. Invited to perform at inauguration events, the boys and girls were stopped along every block in the capital by people who asked them to sing and pose for a picture. "I have a sleepy energy," sixth-grader Kennedy Guest Pritchett said. "I feed off of the crowd and their cheers." The students' new song, "Dear Obama," which they have performed this week, offers advice to the president on energy, taxes, financial regulation and al Qaeda and urges him to "control Ahmadinejad." "Dear Obama hear us sing/We're ready for the change that you will bring/Gonna shine the light for the world to see/to spread peace hope and democracy. ... Fight for health care for the young so that coverage is available to everyone/It's time to find a renewable way to fuel our needs so we don't end up depending on Chavez and the Middle East." Watch the students sing "Dear Obama" » The kids will perform Tuesday at the Africa and International Friends Inaugural Ball, sharing a stage with Usher and Patti LaBelle, one of many events in their packed schedule highlighted by a luncheon gala Monday to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "I want to do good every song we perform. When the crowd cheers, I feel like we did a good job," said Willie Thornton, a seventh-grader. "I feel a lot of adrenaline afterwards." The students have met the Kenyan Boys Choir, who told their American counterparts what kind of animals they might see when the Ron Clark students travel to Kenya on a school trip in June. At another luncheon, the sixth- and seventh-graders were thrilled to catch a glimpse of actor Ed Norton, the man who played the Incredible Hulk. But he didn't compare to singer Beyonce, who closed Sunday's star-studded Lincoln Memorial concert and drew giggles and shouts. The kids gained notoriety just before the election when they appeared on CNN, singing "You Can Vote However You Like." They became media favorites overnight, appearing on several networks and shows. Dressed neatly in their school uniform of khaki pants, light blue shirts and navy blue blazers, they discussed the Iraq war, the economy and taxes with the composure of adults. Their teacher, Ron Clark, known for his innovation, has used pop music to teach his students. He once changed the words of Rihanna's infectious hit "Umbrella" to teach geography. "You have to give students something they can identify with, something that catches their enthusiasm and spirit," he said. "I'm so proud of them all. They've taught me a lot." Before founding his school in the rough neighborhood of South Atlanta, Clark taught in Harlem, where he penned "The Essential 55," a rule-book for educators that caught Oprah Winfrey's eye. She talked about it on her show, and it soon became a New York Times bestseller. This past Christmas, Clark received another gift from the talk show host: $365,000. Winfrey donated $1,000 for each day of the year. Clark has said that the money will help provide scholarships for a year. The teacher said he plans to incorporate Barack Obama's inauguration into lessons throughout the rest of the school year. "Our school is about politics and world issues and helping the kids understand that they have an important role in all of that," he said. CNN's

Question: What song of Ron Clark Academy gained fame?

Question: Who performed at inauguration festivities?

Question: Where is the Ron Clark Academy?

Question: What was the name of the song that the children wrote for the president?

Question: What song offers advise to Obama?

Question: What are the Ron Clark Academy singers famous for?

Question: What singers are known for a song about voting?

Question: What schoolkids performed at the inauguration?

Question: Who performed at the inauguration?

Question: What academy are the singers from?

Question: What is the name of the song?

Question: What city are the schoolkids from?

Question: What teacher or other figure runs the group?

Question: Who performed at festivities?

Question: What kind of energy did the 6th-grader say they had?

Question: What kind of energy did one of the kids mention having?

Question: What is "Dear Obama" about?

Question: What did the singers write?

Question: What did the 6th grader say?

Question: What song did they gain fame for?

Answer: "You Can Vote However You Like,"

Answer: Ron Clark Academy students

Answer: Atlanta, Georgia's

Answer: "Dear Obama,"

Answer: "Dear Obama,"

Answer: The kids gained notoriety just before the election when they appeared on CNN, singing "You Can Vote However You Like."

Answer: school students of Atlanta, Georgia's Ron Clark Academy.

Answer: Ron Clark Academy students

Answer: school students of Atlanta, Georgia's Ron Clark Academy.

Answer: Ron Clark

Answer: "Dear Obama,"

Answer: Atlanta,

Answer: Ron Clark

Answer: school students of Atlanta, Georgia's Ron Clark Academy.

Answer: sleepy energy,"

Answer: sleepy

Answer: offers advice to the president on energy, taxes, financial regulation and al Qaeda

Answer: "Dear Obama,"

Answer: "I have a sleepy energy,"

Answer: "You Can Vote However You Like."

Summary:
Singing Atlanta schoolkids perform at inauguration festivities .
"I have a sleepy energy," one 6th-grader says of the group's packed schedule .
Ron Clark Academy singers gained fame for their "Vote However You Like" song .
They have written another song, "Dear Obama," which offers advice to the president .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thousands of Americans learn a painful lesson in banking every day: Waiting for a check to clear and then getting access to the money from a bank doesn't mean the check has really cleared. When Harry Smith, of New York, responded to an ad on Craigslist for an office assistant, a woman e-mailed him and said her British company was starting to sell its product in the United States, but was having trouble with dealing with checks from customers. Smith said the woman needed someone to collect the checks and then send the money to her company. It was a commission job -- deposit the checks, wait for the funds to become available at his bank, then send cash to her, minus 10 percent for Smith. After Smith checked out what seemed like a legitimate company on the Internet, he started receiving checks totaling several thousand dollars and deposited them in his account. When his bank released the funds, he sent cash to an address outside the country. But after a few weeks, Smith's bank notified him the checks he had deposited had actually been returned, and that he owed the bank all the money he had withdrawn. Smith has not heard from his business partner since and doesn't even know who she really is. He still owes his bank money, is unemployed and doesn't know what action the bank might take against him. What happened to Smith is one example of a wide range of fake check scams carried out in the United States every year. A Consumer Federation of America survey estimates that 1.3 million Americans have been the victim of a fake check scam, with an average loss of $3,000 to $4,000 per consumer. The most common scams are fake sweepstakes or lotteries, phony government sponsored grants and fraudulent work-at-home opportunities, the survey says. The scams follow the pattern of the so-called Nigerian Internet scams, which often involve accepting transfers of money that become obviously phony when it's too late. On Wednesday, the Consumer Federation launched a campaign to combat check scams. Many consumers don't know they are responsible if they deposit a bad check, said Susan Grant, the federation's director of consumer protection. Grant said its survey shows an alarming level of misinformation among consumers, and the problem includes money orders and cashier's checks. Fifty-nine percent of respondents in the survey incorrectly thought that, when you deposit a check or money order, your bank confirms it is good before allowing you to withdraw the money. That number goes up to 70 percent among adults age 18 to 24. More than 40 percent of those surveyed also incorrectly think that the person who gave you the bad check must pay back the bank. American consumers are mostly unfamiliar with the time needed to process checks and money orders, say consumer watchdogs. Government banking rules mandate that money from deposits become available within one to five days. However, it can take weeks, especially with foreign checks or money orders, for the originating institutions to get the checks or money orders back and determine that they are counterfeit. When that happens, scam victims are in for a rude surprise. Publishers Clearing House, which runs legitimate sweepstakes, warns consumers that scammers might claim that you are being given an advance on a prize, but that some fee, tax or other payment needs to be sent before you get the jackpot. That's the heart of the scam, and it's something that a real sweepstakes will never ask for, say legitimate companies. Consumer protection groups, state attorney generals, the Federal Trade Commission and government bank regulators warn consumers that the number of fake checks, money orders and even cashier's checks being used to scam victims is increasing. The bottom line: "There's no legitimate reason why anyone who wants to give you a check or money order for something would ever ask you to send money anywhere in return. It's as simple as that," said Grant of the Consumer Federation of America. Smith said he suspected that his part-time job was not on the up-

Question: what is the scam

Question: what does the study find?

Question: What should you not accept from someone seeking money in return?

Question: how long is needed to process checks?

Question: What are most American consumers unfamiliar with?

Question: what is the time frame

Question: What have more than 1 million Americans have been victims of?

Answer: a fake check

Answer: 1.3 million Americans have been the victim of a fake check scam,

Answer: checks and

Answer: one

Answer: the time needed to process checks

Answer: within one to five days.

Answer: fake check scam,

Summary:
More than 1 million Americans have been victim of fake check scams, study finds .
Experts warn not to accept checks from someone seeking money in return .
Survey: Most American consumers unfamiliar with time needed to process checks .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thousands of visitors lined Constitution Avenue in Washington on Saturday morning for the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. The annual two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival runs through April 12. "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek served as the parade's grand marshal, waving to crowds from the back of a convertible. "American Idol" finalist Kimberly Locke, the cast of the musical "Chicago" and D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton were among the parade's stars. The cherry blossom trees were a gift of friendship to the U.S. government from Japan in 1912, according to the National Park Service. Their blooming has come to represent the definitive beginning of springtime in the nation's capital. The parade is part of the annual two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival, which is timed around the projected peak bloom period of the famous trees. This year, the trees reached their peak bloom this week, according to the park service. Many high school groups and marching bands also participated in the parade. Near the National Mall, large crowds mingled under the branches of the blossoming trees that line the Tidal Basin. On an unusually blustery day, the delicate pink and white blossoms blew from their branches like snowflakes. "It's like being in a fairy tale," said Maria Podonyi, a visiting professor from Hungary. Podonyi brought her parents, who are visiting the United States from Hungary, to the festival. "They haven't seen anything like this before," she said. "It's wonderful. The festival is scheduled to run through April 12.

Question: When is the festival located

Question: what Cherry blossom trees were a gift to U.S.?

Question: what host Alex Trebek serves?

Question: who is Alex Trebek

Answer: April 12.

Answer: friendship

Answer: "Jeopardy!"

Answer: "Jeopardy!" host

Summary:
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek serves as parade's grand marshal .
Cherry blossom trees were a gift to U.S. government from Japan in 1912 .
National Cherry Blossom Festival marks the arrival of spring .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Three Chinese nationals accused of importing thousands of counterfeit luxury handbags in the United States have been arrested in the past two days, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Shoppers sort through counterfeit brand name luxury bags and wallets on a Hong Kong street.

"This was a sophisticated criminal conspiracy that trafficked millions of dollars of counterfeit goods from China, profiting off the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher.

Authorities call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, involving about 300,000 bags and wallets with names like Burberry, Gucci and Coach.

For customers who bought the knockoffs, it seemed like a deal.

They paid a total of about $16 million for what would have been more than $100 million in handbags, purses and wallets in legitimate retail sales.

The alleged leaders of the counterfeit operations are three Chinese citizens living in New York.

Chong Lam, 49, and Joyce Chan, 39, were arrested there Wednesday. Eric Yuen, 39, was arrested Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who made the arrests began investigating the alleged scheme five years ago, after raids turned up counterfeit goods.

The indictment was secretly returned in Richmond, Virginia, in October. The charges were unsealed when the alleged conspirators were taken into custody. Authorities seized and froze 29 bank accounts and three New York properties.

The Chinese defendants will be taken to Richmond, where they will be arraigned at a later date, officials said. E-mail to a friend

Question: Who was responsible for the counterfeiting?

Question: Who called it one of the largest operations?

Question: What was allegedly involved in the counterfeit operation.

Question: Who was living in New York?

Question: what items were counterfitted?

Question: What city do the (alleged) leaders live in?

Question: What number of bags and wallets were involved?

Question: What are authorities calling it?

Question: Who are the leaders?

Question: What was being counterfeited?

Question: Who profited off the backs of legitimate companies?

Question: Who did the Scheme profit off?

Question: What did the scheme profit off?

Question: What source stated that the counterfeit operation  profited "off the backs of legitimate companies"?

Question: Who are the alleged leaders involved with the counterfeit operation?

Question: Which companies were involved?

Question: who led the counterfitting operation?

Question: Where do the threes Chinese citizens live?

Question: What kind of illegal operation was discovered?

Question: what number of items were counterfitted?

Question: Who called it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered?

Question: What are the names of the three Chinese citizens who are living in New York, and are considered the alleged leaders of the counterfeit operation?are  living in New York?

Question: counterfeit what?

Question: Where are the chinese citizens living?

Question: What kind of operation?

Question: What did authorities call it?

Question: What are authorities saying?

Question: How many bags and wallets were involved?

Question: What sort of consumer goods were being illegally made?

Question: What kind of operation do authorities say it is one of the largest?

Question: Where do the leaders of the scheme live?

Question: Where did the leaders live?

Question: Who led the counterfeit operation?

Question: What did the official say?

Question: What did the scheme profit off of?

Answer: Three Chinese nationals

Answer: Authorities

Answer: three Chinese citizens

Answer: The alleged leaders of the counterfeit operations are three Chinese citizens

Answer: luxury handbags

Answer: New York.

Answer: 300,000

Answer: sophisticated criminal conspiracy

Answer: Chong Lam,

Answer: luxury handbags

Answer: Three Chinese nationals

Answer: the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees,"

Answer: the backs of legitimate companies

Answer: Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher.

Answer: Joyce Chan,

Answer: Burberry, Gucci

Answer: three Chinese citizens

Answer: New York.

Answer: importing thousands of counterfeit luxury handbags

Answer: 300,000 bags and wallets

Answer: Authorities

Answer: Joyce Chan,

Answer: brand name luxury bags and wallets

Answer: New York.

Answer: counterfeit

Answer: one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered,

Answer: call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, involving about 300,000 bags and wallets with names like Burberry, Gucci and Coach.

Answer: 300,000

Answer: counterfeit luxury handbags

Answer: counterfeit

Answer: New York.

Answer: New York.

Answer: three Chinese citizens

Answer: The Chinese defendants will be taken to Richmond, where they will be arraigned at a later date,

Answer: the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees,"

Summary:
Authorities call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered .
Official: Scheme profited "off the backs of legitimate companies"
Counterfeit operation allegedly involved 300,000 high-end bags and wallets .
The alleged leaders are three Chinese citizens living in New York .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Three U.S. Navy aviators are missing at sea after a command and control plane crashed over the Atlantic on Wednesday night, Navy officials said Thursday.

The E-2C Hawkeye is a command and control aircraft.

The E-2C  Hawkeye was conducting exercises off the Virginia-North Carolina coast.

The plane crashed after it launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman about 11 p.m. Wednesday, Navy officials said.

Navy officials said they do not know what caused the plane to crash, and search and rescue missions are under way from units on the Truman, the carrier USS Eisenhower and the Coast Guard.

The twin-engine plane usually carries a crew of five, but had only three aboard during the flight.

The plane was part of a training squadron, VAW 120, and is based at the Naval Station Norfolk in southern Virginia. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this report.

Question:
how many crew members are missing?
What number of people are missing?
What was the name of the carrier used?
off what coast did plane crash?
what was name of carrier?
Which ocean did the crash occur in?

Answer: Three

Answer: Three

Answer: USS Eisenhower

Answer: Virginia-North Carolina

Answer: USS Harry S. Truman

Answer: Atlantic

Summary:
Plane crashed over Atlantic Ocean off Virginia-North Carolina coast .
Search under way for three missing crew members .
Command and control plane flew off carrier USS Truman .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Throughout her career, singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper has promoted gay and lesbian rights. She has a personal connection to this cause -- her sister is a lesbian -- but she also believes it's a matter of fairness. Cyndi Lauper worked with Cathy Nelson of the Human Rights Campaign to raise awareness of LGBT issues. "It's always wrong to discriminate," the Grammy Award winner said. "I grew up in the civil rights movement. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now." With her 2007 and 2008 "True Colors" tours, Lauper has helped raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights around the country. She said fellow LGBT activist Cathy Nelson especially motivates her. Nelson worked at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a national LGBT civil rights organization, and her dedication to those issues runs deep. Fighting for fairness and equality, she said, drives her. "I'm a lesbian, and I see the issues very personally," Nelson said. "When it deep-down resonates that you don't have the same rights and responsibilities, or people don't view you the same, it can be demoralizing and empowering at the same time." Nelson's passion for the cause has enabled her to inspire thousands of people across the country to get involved. When she was growing up in rural Illinois, Nelson said, she hadn't imagined following this path. She trained to be a teacher, but on a whim, became a flight attendant with Eastern Airlines to fulfill her "intense desire to travel." In the 1980s, she became involved with labor issues through her flight attendant union. That led to working on women's issues with the National Organization of Women in Washington. In 1989, she started working for the HRC. Since then, she has helped bring LGBT rights out of the closet and onto the national stage. Hired to increase the group's membership, Nelson built a strong volunteer network in communities across the nation. HRC had just 12,000 members when Nelson started. Today it has more than 725,000, making it the largest gay and lesbian rights organization in the country. "Part of my job is getting people to be vocal," Nelson said. "It's important that everyone has an understanding that discrimination is happening every single day against a certain segment of society. And that's just wrong." In 2007, when Lauper worked with HRC for the "True Colors" tour, she and Nelson teamed up to bring gay and straight audiences together on fairness and equality issues. Nelson realized it was also an opportunity to shine the spotlight on an issue she'd worked on for almost a decade -- the passage of a hate crimes bill that would make attacks based on sexual orientation, disability, or gender a federal crime. For Nelson, crimes against LGBT people -- such as the murder of Matthew Shepard -- represent the darkest side of ignorance on these issues. In 2006, more than one in six hate crimes were committed against LGBT individuals, an 18 percent rise over the previous year, according to the FBI. "I learned from Cathy that hate crimes send fear through a community," Lauper said. "You could die just because of who you are."  Watch Lauper and Nelson talk about the "True Colors" tour to raise awareness » At every concert, Lauper spoke passionately about the need to pass the bill, and her song, "True Colors," was used in a public service announcement about the legislation. HRC volunteers distributed information at each venue and had postcards on hand for people to send to their legislators. In the end, more than 15,000 people signed postcards, and both houses of Congress passed the bill by wide margins. Although President Bush never signed the bill, Nelson and Lauper have high hopes for it to soon become law. For Nelson, getting so many people engaged was a key achievement. "The biggest reward for me is when I've played some part in empowering someone to

Question: What did Lauper and Nelson lobby for?

Question: Who campaigned with Lauper for gay and lesbian rights?

Question: What organization did Nelson help get 725,000 members?

Question: What did Lauper and Nelson campaign for?

Question: What did Lauper & Nelson lobby for?

Question: Who helped the human rights campaign increase to 725,000 members?

Answer: Human Rights Campaign to raise awareness of LGBT issues.

Answer: Cathy Nelson

Answer: HRC

Answer: to raise awareness of LGBT issues.

Answer: raise awareness of LGBT issues.

Answer: Cathy Nelson

Summary:
Lauper and Cathy Nelson campaigned together for gay and lesbian rights .
Nelson helped the Human Rights Campaign go from 12,000 members to 725,000 .
Lauper and Nelson lobbied to expand federal hate crimes laws .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Tim Geithner may be the latest political piñata in Washington these days, but -- policy aside -- there may be another reason he is the one fellow everyone is picking on at Treasury: He's there alone. President Obama's ethics code requires that no lobbyist can work for an agency he may have lobbied. Believe it or not, Geithner is the only confirmed official at his department. Some top nominees, even those who have served in government before, have decided to withdraw. Others are still pending as they go through arduous background checks that one pro-Obama Democrat calls "maddening vetting hell." Sure, this is about extensive scrutiny to make sure no one has a tax problem after Geithner's own embarrassing unpaid tax bill. But the staffing problem is not just at Treasury, and it goes way beyond the time-consuming nature of extensive background checks. It's also about overreaching anti-lobbyist rules. Consider Tom Malinowski. He's the advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, an expert on genocide and torture. But when it came time for a top human rights job at the State Department, he was turned away. Why? "Because he lobbied against torture," says one incredulous administration official. "It's crazy." But the rules are the rules: The ethics code requires that no lobbyist can be hired to work for an agency he may have lobbied. So, just to clarify: Someone like Malinowski who lobbied against torture and is a widely acknowledged expert on international human rights law is, er, blackballed. More to the point, he was shown the door precisely because he tried to influence Congress on an issue that both he and the administration agree, and care deeply about. (Malinowski won't comment.) Only in the Alice-in-Wonderland world of Washington would this make any sense. And it still doesn't. It's just a prime instance of the problems that can arise when great-sounding (theoretical) campaign one-liners rub up against the (real) difficulties of trying to staff a government. In other words, the short-term interest in demonizing all lobbyists has led to some very difficult staffing problems. So, if you're an environmental expert and lobbyist, forget about the Environmental Protection Agency. But you might want to think about some work in the health field. That is, unless someone says you're a lucky exception! They're rare, but William Lynn is one. He's a top defense department appointee who once worked as a lobbyist for Raytheon, a military contractor. The White House says that (a) it hasn't had much trouble staffing the government and (b) is willing to make reasonable exceptions. So far we have only seen a handful. The problem has made it difficult to operate at every department. "A lot of good people just can't go into government," says one administration official. "It's a huge departure from the spirit of what they wanted." Indeed, he adds, here's an unintended consequence: "We're setting up a system where the only people who qualify to work in government are the ones who never actually left government." Oh, great. So instead of getting the best and the brightest from finance and elsewhere, we're recycling some folks from Capitol Hill. Not that they're unqualified, but the administration needs input from multiple sources -- outside of Washington. On top of that, the Treasury has another public relations problem: The appointment of anyone with any tie to a bank that has been bailed out or any institution that is tied to the mortgage mess is a non-starter. No wonder it's hard to find the experts. Yet much of this problem is self-inflicted. The no-lobbyist rule could have been "softened" to exclude nonprofit lobbyists. The administration decided against that, one senior official tells me. "We didn't want to label people as 'good lobbyists' or 'bad lobbyists.' " Besides, he adds,

Question: Who can't get into government?

Question: What does administration need?

Question: Whose anti-lobbyist rules are interfering with government?

Question: What do Obama's rules interfere with?

Question: What leads to staffing problems?

Question: What lead to staffing problems?

Answer: Tom Malinowski.

Answer: outside of Washington.

Answer: President Obama's

Answer: that no lobbyist can work for an agency he may have lobbied.

Answer: it goes way beyond the time-consuming nature of extensive background checks.

Answer: the short-term interest in demonizing all lobbyists

Summary:
Obama's overreaching anti-lobbyist rules interfere with governing, Gloria Borger says .
Short-term interest in demonizing all lobbyists leads to staffing problems, she says .
"A lot of good people just can't get into government," says one administration official .
Administration needs all hands on deck during this financial crisis, Borger says .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top Democrats have expressed concern over President Obama's plan to draw down nearly two-thirds of U.S. forces in Iraq by August 2010, while some key Republicans are offering praise.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this week questioned the need to keep 50,000 troops in Iraq until 2011.

At issue: Obama plans to leave between 35,000 to 50,000 residual forces in the war-torn country, serving in a training or advisory role to the Iraqi military.

All U.S. troops have to be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011, under an agreement the Bush administration signed with the Iraqi government last year. There are currently 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, indicated earlier this week that the residual force Obama is planning to leave in Iraq is too large.

Pelosi on Wednesday told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow: "I don't know what the justification is for 50,000, a presence of 50,000 troops in Iraq. ... I do think that there's a need for some. I don't know that all of them have to be in [the] country."

Pelosi clarified her concerns after Obama announced the plan at an event Friday at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. iReport.com: Do you think troops should be pulled, or should numbers increase?

"As President Obama's Iraq policy is implemented, the remaining missions given to our remaining forces must be clearly defined and narrowly focused so that the number of troops needed to perform them is as small as possible," Pelosi said in a press release. "The president's decision means that the time has come at last for Iraq's own security forces to have the prime responsibility for Iraq's security."

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-California, co-founder of the Out of Iraq House Caucus, was critical of the plan.

"I am deeply troubled by the suggestion that a force of 50,000 troops could remain in Iraq beyond this time frame," she said in a statement Friday. "Call such a troop level what you will, but such a large number can only be viewed by the Iraqi public as an enduring occupation force. This is unacceptable."

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, said that while he supports Obama's "step in the right direction," the new troop plan does not "go far enough."

"You cannot leave combat troops in a foreign country to conduct combat operations and call it the end of the war.  You can't be in and out at the same time," Kucinich said in a release Friday.

And top Senate Democrats echoed some of their House colleagues' skepticism.

"That's a little higher number than I expected," Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Thursday.

The third-ranking Senate Democrat, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, said, "It has to be done responsibly, we all agree. But 50,000 is more than I would have thought."

On Thursday afternoon, the president briefed bipartisan leaders from the House of Representatives and Senate -- including Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, at the White House about the troop plan.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that 50,000 is "somewhat larger" than what he expected. However, he said he has always believed "a few tens of thousands" of troops would be needed for noncombat missions such as training and fighting terrorism.  Watch Obama announce the new Iraq plan »

Before the White House meeting, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat and a close Obama ally, said he was anxious to get the troops home. But he defended the administration, saying it is "trying to strike the right balance" between ending the war and maintaining stability in Iraq.

Rep. John McHugh of New York, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said later that Obama assured him the plan to withdraw all combat forces will be revisited if conditions on the ground in Iraq deteriorate.

Question:
what do Democrats question
what is the size of the residual force?
what did obama announce?

Answer: President Obama's plan

Answer: 35,000 to 50,000

Answer: plans to leave between 35,000 to 50,000 residual forces in the war-torn country, serving in a training or advisory role to the Iraqi military.

Summary:
President Obama announces drawdown of combat troops in Iraq by August 2010 .
Some Democrats question size of residual force to remain in Iraq .
Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich says new troop plan does not "go far enough"
Sen. John McCain offers praise, calling Obama's plan "reasonable"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top Obama administration officials outlined several new initiatives to safeguard the country's food supply Tuesday, saying the recent spate of food-borne illnesses is unacceptable. Recent salmonella outbreaks, including one at Nestle, were called unacceptable by federal officials Tuesday. The FDA intends to issue new guidance over the next three months regarding steps the entire food industry can take to more quickly detect contamination sources and remove the unsafe products from stores. A new position at the agency -- deputy commissioner for foods -- will be created for the sole purpose of overseeing food protection. The commissioner will be part of a "unified incident command system" established to address contamination outbreaks and facilitate responses at the federal, state, and local levels, officials said. In addition, they said, food safety information will be more effectively communicated to the public through a revamped Web site: www.foodsafety.gov. The announcement was made near the White House by Vice President Joe Biden, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "There are few responsibilities more basic or more important ... for the government than making sure our families in America eat food that is not contaminated," Biden said. Dozens of people have become sick in recent weeks due to a nationwide E. coli outbreak linked to tainted Nestle cookie dough. Spinach, peanut products, pistachios, peppers, mushrooms, alfalfa sprouts, have also been recent culprits, noted Sebelius. An estimated 5,000 Americans die annually after consuming contaminated food and tens of millions fall ill, she said. J.D. Hanson, a policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety, called the initiatives a good first step. "They are the kinds of things we have been calling on previous administrations to do, and we're glad this administration is moving fairly quickly on these issues," he told CNN. Hanson praised the creation of the position of deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA, saying it should have happened long ago. "You'd think an agency called 'Food and Drug' would have made food a priority a long time ago. They didn't until today." But he said the government still isn't tough enough with the food industry. "Their goal of 90 percent compliance with their new guidelines is not good enough. It needs to be very close to 100 percent compliance." And he said bureaucracy stands in the way of improvement. "Right now there are 13 federal agencies that deal with food safety. We would pull all of those functions into one agency." Making eggs safer New safeguards to protect against salmonella contamination of eggs alone should cut the number of food-borne illnesses every year by roughly 80,000, and generate an annual savings of over $1 billion, according to Sebelius. "Salmonella enteritidis is a major cause of food-borne illness in the United States and eggs are a significant source," Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told reporters in a telephone conference call. The $81 million program will translate into less than a penny per dozen eggs and will yield $1.4 billion in annual public health benefits, the agency said. In all, more than 79,000 of the 142,000 cases of sickness and 30 deaths associated with tainted eggs each year will be prevented, it predicted. Under the rule, egg producers must buy their chickens and hens from producers who monitor for salmonella bacteria, said Dr. Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. If salmonella bacteria or its derivatives are detected, a sample of eggs from the facility must be tested over eight weeks, he said. If any test positive, the producer must process the eggs to destroy the bacteria or divert the eggs to non-food uses. In addition, henhouses must be tested and those that test positive must be cleaned and disinfected, he said. Under current law, eggs do not have to be refrigerated until they are packed for the ultimate consumer, said Nancy Bufano, a food technologist at the agency. "What

Question: what will FDA release?

Question: what will be cut by 80,000 a year?

Question: What number of food-borne illnesses are estimated to be cut by salmonella safeguards for eggs?

Question: What does Department want?

Question: What will FDA do?

Question: What has to be controlled?

Answer: new guidance over the next three months regarding steps the entire food industry can take to more quickly detect contamination sources and remove the unsafe products from stores.

Answer: the number of food-borne illnesses every

Answer: roughly 80,000,

Answer: Making eggs safer

Answer: intends to issue new guidance over the next three months regarding steps the entire food industry can take to more quickly detect contamination sources and remove the unsafe products from stores.

Answer: salmonella outbreaks,

Summary:
Department wants better control of salmonella in eggs, turkey and poultry .
Control E. coli outbreaks by issuing new instructions regarding beef production .
FDA will release new safety standards to help prevent the contamination of produce .
Salmonella safeguards in eggs alone to cut food-borne illnesses by 80,000 a year .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two Supreme Court justices engaged in a late-night exchange of harsh words before the execution early Wednesday of a convicted Tennessee killer who had been sitting on death row for nearly three decades.

Justices John Paul Stevens and Clarence Thomas disagreed over whether to grant a stay of execution for Cecil Johnson Jr.

The stay eventually was denied, and about an hour later, at 2:34 a.m., Johnson was put to death by lethal injection at a Nashville, Tennessee, prison.

The 53-year-old inmate had been convicted of murder in a 1980 shooting spree at a convenience store near the state capital. The victims included 12-year-old Bobby Bell Jr., son of the store owner, who was wounded. Two other men sitting in a nearby taxicab also were shot to death.

Stevens, who was initially presented the last-minute appeal by Johnson's lawyers, would have granted the stay, along with Justice Stephen Breyer. Stevens was concerned that too much time had elapsed between sentencing and the planned execution, amounting perhaps to cruel and unusual punishment.

"Johnson bears little, if any, responsibility for this delay," said Stevens, who said procedural hurdles at the appellate stage for capital defendants created what he called "underlying evils of intolerable delay."

"The delay itself subjects death row inmates to decades of especially severe, dehumanizing conditions of confinement."

It is an issue that the 89-year-old justice has long urged his colleagues to address, with little success.

In his early years on the high court in the mid-1970s he had supported the resumption of the death penalty after a four-year moratorium imposed by the Supreme Court. But in recent years, he has voiced his opposition to capital punishment, particularly in cases involving inmates asserting their right to challenge their sentences.

Thomas reacted strongly to Stevens' statement. The conservative jurist said the inmate had challenged his conviction and sentence for nearly 29 years and "now contends that the very proceedings he used to contest his sentence should prohibit the state from carrying it out."

"In Justice Stevens' view, it seems the state can never get the timing just right. The reason, he has said, is that the death penalty itself is wrong." Thomas said. "As long as our system affords capital defendants the procedural safeguards this court has long endorsed, defendants who avail themselves of these procedures will face the delays Justice Stevens laments."

Then Thomas goes on to say there are "alternatives," citing the custom in England centuries ago to carry out an execution the day after a conviction.

"I have no doubt that such a system would avoid the diminishing justification problem Justice Stevens identifies, but I am equally confident it would find little support from this court."

The high court had been presented with Johnson's emergency appeal early Tuesday afternoon, but apparently the time needed to produce the Stevens and Thomas statements delayed the high court from issuing its denial of a stay until 1:38 a.m. Wednesday.

The execution was carried out as scheduled, with no problems reported by corrections officials.

Question: What was denied?

Question: How long did the inmate challenge the conviction?

Question: Who was put to death by legal injection in Tennessee?

Question: who was put to death?

Question: Who disagreed over whether to grant a stay of execution?

Question: Where was he put to death?

Question: Who disagreed over grant of stay of execution?

Question: what was used to put johnson to death?

Question: Who was put to death by legal injection?

Answer: stay of execution for Cecil Johnson Jr.

Answer: for nearly 29 years

Answer: Cecil Johnson Jr.

Answer: Johnson

Answer: Justices John Paul Stevens and Clarence Thomas

Answer: a Nashville, Tennessee, prison.

Answer: Justices John Paul Stevens and Clarence Thomas

Answer: lethal injection

Answer: Johnson

Summary:
John Paul Stevens, Clarence Thomas disagreed over whether to grant a stay of execution .
Stay was denied, Cecil Johnson Jr. was put to death by legal injection in Tennessee .
Stevens was concerned too much time elapsed between sentencing, scheduled execution .
Thomas: Inmate challenged conviction, sentence for nearly 29 years, which led to delay .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two Supreme Court justices on opposite sides of the ideological aisle exchanged tough words Monday over the fate of a Florida murderer who has been on death row for 32 years. Siding with the court's majority, Justice Clarence Thomas described brutal details of a Florida slaying. The high court has refused to hear the appeal of William Thompson, who had plead guilty twice in the March 1976 kidnapping and torture-murder of a woman. His case and subsequent appeals have been litigated since, but a new execution date has not been set. A key part of his request to be spared lethal injection is that three decades as a capital inmate constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. "Our experience during the past three decades has demonstrated that delays in state-sponsored killings are inescapable and that executing defendants after such is unacceptably cruel," said Justice John Paul Stevens, who disagreed with the court's decision to allow the execution to proceed. He was supported by Justice Stephen Breyer in his objection to the court's ruling on Monday in the case, Thompson v. McNeil (08-7369). But Justice Clarence Thomas took issue with his colleagues' conclusions. "It is the crime and not the punishment imposed by the jury or the delay in execution that was 'unacceptably cruel,'" he responded. Thomas took time in his concurrence to detail the graphic crime that led to the conviction of Thompson and his co-defendant. The men had held Sally Ivester and another woman in a motel room and were demanding money from the victim's families. Ivester had promised she could raise hundreds of dollars but was only able to secure $25. That enraged the men who savagely beat the woman with a belt, chair leg and nightstick, causing internal injuries. She was also burned with cigarettes. The other woman witnessed the murder and said she feared for her life if she tried to leave. Thompson and his co-defendant both pleaded guilty but the state's high court initially tossed out Thompson's sentence. The man's lawyer had told the defendant if he accepted responsibility for the crime, he would not get the death penalty, a crucial mistake. Thompson later pleaded guilty a second time and again received a capital sentence. Then he began a series of appeals, claiming ineffective counsel, trial errors, limited mental capacity and a dysfunctional childhood. All those factors were ultimately rejected by state and federal courts. Stevens noted that during a third penalty hearing, five members of a state advisory jury recommended against lethal injection, but the court again imposed death. The circumstances of his current imprisonment, said Stevens, no longer justify such a sentence. "As he awaits execution, petitioner has endured especially severe conditions of confinement," said Stevens, "spending up to 23 hours per day in isolation in a 6- by 9-foot cell. Two death warrants have been signed against him and stayed only shortly before he was scheduled to die. The dehumanizing effects of such treatment are undeniable." But Thomas said all such inmates are subjected to a "restricted confinement" because of the security risks they pose. And the prisoner had only himself to blame for his prolonged imprisonment on death row. Quoting his conclusions from a similar 1999 capital case, Thomas said, "I remain unaware of any support in the American constitutional tradition of this Court's precedence for the proposition that a defendant can avail himself of the panoply of appellate and collateral procedures and then complain when his execution is delayed." Thomas has long backed the right of states to impose death sentences. Stevens, who as a newly seated justice cast a key 1976 vote upholding the death penalty, has since grown increasingly frustrated with how it its carried out. Last April, he declared his open opposition to it. "I have relied on my own experience in reaching the conclusion that the imposition of the death penalty represents the pointless and needless extinction of life with only marginal contributions to any discernible social or public purposes," he wrote. "A penalty with such negligible returns to the state (is) patently excessive and cruel

Question: What does Justice Clarence Thomas give details of?

Question: What did the court do?

Question: Who claims 32 years on death row is cruel and unusual punishment?

Question: What year was the torture killing William Thompson committed?

Question: How long on death row is cruel and unusual punishment?

Question: What time has he been on death row?

Question: Who is William Thompson?

Answer: described brutal

Answer: refused to hear the appeal of William Thompson,

Answer: Justice John Paul Stevens,

Answer: 1976

Answer: three decades

Answer: 32 years.

Answer: a Florida murderer

Summary:
Florida killer says 32 years on death row is cruel and unusual punishment .
William Thompson faces execution for 1976 torture killing .
Justice Clarence Thomas cites details of brutal crime .
Court rejects Thompson's appeal .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two U.S. Air Force F-15s escorted two Russian Bear long-range bombers out of an air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska, U.S. military officials said Wednesday. Two U.S. Air Force F-15s were dispatched to meet the Russian bombers. U.S. radar picked up the Russian turbo-prop Tupolev-95 planes about 500 miles off the Alaska coast. The U.S. fighters from Elmendorf Air Force Base were dispatched to meet the bombers and escorted them out of the area without incident, the officials said. The United States maintains the air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska, barring unidentified aircraft or aircraft that don't file flight plans inside that area. The last case of Russian aircraft approaching the U.S. coastline or ships in the Pacific was in February. Then, four Bear bombers flew near the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, with one of them flying about 2,000 feet from the Nimitz's deck. Russia's Defense Ministry said at the time there was no violation of flight regulations during the incident. A ministry official described the flights as standard operating procedure for air force training. Meanwhile, U.S. military officials say the incidents are not a concern. They say it's the Russian military flexing its ability and presence. E-mail to a friend

Question: Where did the Russians enter?

Question: Where were the Russian planes detected?

Question: What did U.S. Radar pick up?

Question: When did Russian planes last come near the U.S. coastline?

Question: Where did the Russian planes come near?

Question: What did US radar pick up?

Question: What did the Russians enter?

Question: Who entered an air exclusion zone?

Question: When did Russian planes last come near the US?

Question: What happened to the Russian planes?

Answer: air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska,

Answer: air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska,

Answer: Russian turbo-prop Tupolev-95 planes

Answer: February.

Answer: Alaska

Answer: Russian turbo-prop Tupolev-95 planes

Answer: air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska,

Answer: two Russian Bear long-range bombers

Answer: February.

Answer: meet the bombers and escorted them out of the area without incident,

Summary:
U.S. radar picks up the Russian planes about 500 miles off the Alaska coast .
The Russians entered an air exclusion zone .
They are escorted out of the area without incident .
Russian planes last came near the U.S. coastline in February .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Army ground commanders in Afghanistan say they need help, fast. That's not a request for more troops, but a request from commanders who say the current camouflage uniform is not blending well in the diverse countryside. U.S. Army commanders in Afghanistan say the current uniform does not blend well in the countryside. In response, the Army later this month will field-test two new camouflage color schemes and patterns on about 1,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, where the terrain is extremely varied. Commanders have had problems there because of the numerous changes in environments a soldier can move in and out of in a short period of time -- from woodland to desert to alpine, and to rocky and snowy mountain tops. The current uniform, known as the Army Combat Uniform or ACU, has lighter shades of green and tan, which some commanders have complained does not blend well if soldiers need to stay motionless on a mission, as snipers or reconnaissance troops must. The effort by the Army was recently accelerated, according to Army officials, after U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, told the Army he had a number of complaints from soldiers in Afghanistan who said the current camouflage pattern was not effective in the mountainous regions. Two yet-to-be-identified battalions -- a battalion has about 500 troops -- will test the two patterns, with initial results being turned into Army researchers by the end of October. While deployed, all 1,000 soldiers will have their regularly issued ACUs. In addition, one battalion will also get one of the new camouflage uniforms with a test pattern known as "MultiCam." The pattern is made up of numerous blobs of white, brown, tan, black and greens for a more woodland look, and is already being worn by snipers and special operations forces. The other brigade will test a similar pattern to the ACU, called the Universal Cammo Pattern-Delta or "UCP-Delta." While the pattern is the same, a series of "digitized" blocks of green and tan, the test uniform adds what he Army calls "coyote brown" and a slight color darkening all around to the greens and tans. The look is also designed to blend in the woods. Both battalions will be based in eastern Afghanistan where the terrain is the most rugged and diverse, Army officials said. The Army hopes to have the field input and a decision on what pattern is best by the end of January 2010 and the fielding of the new uniform as early as June 2010. Troops will still keep the existing ACU, and commanders will be able to decide mission by mission what the soldiers should wear, according to Army officials. The testing is part of the Army's long-term development of a permanent alternative to the current ACU, according to Army officials.

Question: What is wrong with the current uniform?

Question: What will the army field-test this month?

Question: How many new camouflage patterns are to be tested?

Question: Who says the current uniforms do not blend well?

Question: When will the decision on new pattern be made?

Question: How many new patterns will the army test in Afghanistan?

Question: What do commandes say the current uniform blends poorly with?

Question: When does the army hope to have the decision by

Question: What will the army field-test

Question: what did commanders say about the current uniform?

Question: What decision do they want

Question: what does the army hope to have  a decision on?

Question: where is gonna be the test field?

Question: how many new camouflage patterns are they field testing?

Answer: is not blending well in the diverse countryside.

Answer: two new camouflage color schemes and patterns

Answer: two

Answer: U.S. Army commanders in Afghanistan

Answer: by the end of January 2010

Answer: two

Answer: diverse countryside.

Answer: the end of January 2010

Answer: two new camouflage color schemes and patterns on about 1,000 soldiers in Afghanistan,

Answer: not blending well in the diverse countryside.

Answer: pattern is best

Answer: pattern is best by the end of January 2010

Answer: Afghanistan,

Answer: two

Summary:
Commanders say current uniform doesn't blend well in Afghanistan's countryside .
Army this month will field-test two new camouflage patterns in Afghanistan .
Army hopes to have decision on new pattern by the end of January 2010 .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Coast Guard planes and ships were searching Friday for a Japanese balloonist who disappeared off the Alaska coast while flying from Japan to the west coast United States.

Missing Japanese balloonist Michio Kanda (R) with Naoki Ishikawa.

Friends of balloonist Michio Kanda, who was on a solo flight, last heard from him via satellite phone at 9 a.m. Alaska time (6 p.m. GMT) Thursday, said USCG Petty Officer Levi Read.

When he missed three subsequent scheduled calls over the next six hours, they called the Coast Guard, Read said.

Read said two Coast Guard C130 Hercules planes conducted searches Thursday 435 miles south of Adak, Alaska, the balloonist's last known position. The searches continued Friday and are ongoing, Read said.

Two Coast Guard cutters are also headed for the area, but both are at least a day away, he said.

Read said the balloonist, who was heading for Portland, Oregon, is equipped with provisions and a survival suit.

Kanda holds the world record for the longest-duration balloon flight, with a time of 50 hours and 38 minutes, according to the World Air Sports Federation.

In that January 1997 flight, he and Hirosuke Takezawa flew from the Canadian provionce of Alberta to the U.S. state of Montana, according to the federation. E-mail to a friend

Question: who is missing on a flight fom japan to US?

Question: Who holds the world record for the longest-duration balloon flight?

Question: Who holds the record for longest flight?

Question: What is Kanda known for?

Question: where are the US coastguard searching?

Question: Who holds the record for longest duration balloon flight?

Question: kanda holds what record?

Question: Who is searcing the area around his last known position?

Question: Where was Kanda's starting point?

Question: Who is missing on flight from Japan to U.S.?

Question: Who holds the world record?

Question: Which flight did Kando go missing from?

Question: Who is searching for Michio?

Question: What is the longest duration for a balloon flight?

Question: what world record does kanda hold?

Question: Are U.S. Coast Guards searching?

Question: ballonist michio kandas was missing in what flight?

Question: What does Michio Kanda do?

Question: Who is missing on a flight from Japan to the U.S.?

Question: Who is missing on flight from Japan to US

Question: Where is the U.S. Coast Guard searching?

Question: Where is the US coast Guard searching?

Question: Who is searching for Kanda?

Question: Where was COast guard searching?

Question: What  was Michio Kando's world record?

Answer: Japanese balloonist Michio Kanda

Answer: Michio Kanda

Answer: Kanda

Answer: holds the world

Answer: 435 miles south of Adak, Alaska,

Answer: Michio Kanda

Answer: the world

Answer: two Coast Guard C130 Hercules planes

Answer: Japan

Answer: Japanese balloonist Michio Kanda

Answer: Kanda

Answer: balloon

Answer: U.S. Coast Guard

Answer: 50 hours and 38 minutes,

Answer: longest-duration balloon flight,

Answer: searches continued Friday and are ongoing,

Answer: solo

Answer: balloonist

Answer: Japanese balloonist Michio Kanda

Answer: Michio Kanda

Answer: 435 miles south of Adak, Alaska,

Answer: 435 miles south of Adak, Alaska,

Answer: U.S. Coast Guard planes and ships

Answer: 435 miles south of Adak, Alaska,

Answer: balloon flight, with a time of 50 hours and 38 minutes,

Summary:
Balloonist Michio Kanda missing on flight from Japan to U.S.
U.S. Coast Guard searching area around his last known position .
Kanda holds the world record for the longest-duration balloon flight .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a deployment order to move an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan next year, according to U.S. military officials. Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, with its high mountain terrain. The troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade, the latest approved by Gates for the expected build-up of U.S. troops in Afghanistan throughout next year. Earlier this year, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, requested at least 20,000 additional troops be sent there to fight the increasing violence by the resurgent Taliban forces in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The officials could not say what units are being tapped to go because those units are now being told of their deployment and the announcement has not yet been made public. The aviation brigade will send a number of much-needed helicopters to the region. Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, where high mountain roads and passes make it difficult for large transport vehicles to move troops and supplies around the country. There are more than 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.  Meanwhile, a Dutch soldier was killed Friday in southern Afghanistan, the NATO command confirmed. The soldier died in an improvised explosive device strike, according to a news release from NATO's International Security Assistance Force. "Our sincere condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends of this brave soldier, especially during this holiday season," said ISAF spokesman Capt. Mark Windsor Royal Navy. "This soldier's death is an irreplaceable loss to all of us who fight for the peace and stability of Afghanistan. ISAF will continue to fight for the cause for which this brave soldier gave his life." Eighteen Dutch troops have died in the Afghan conflict, according to a CNN count of casualty figures.

Question: Who was killed in southern Afghanistan

Question: What will troops be part of?

Question: What killed the soldier

Question: Who has been killed?

Question: What nationality was the soldier

Question: What is expected to be approved for the expected build-up of U.S. troops next year?

Question: What happened to the Dutch soldier?

Question: What did NATO confirm?

Question: who died in an impred explosive?

Question: What will be sent?

Question: What will troops be part of?

Question: Who has been killed?

Question: Who was killed?

Question: What is expected?

Question: what will be part troops?

Question: who was been killed in southern?

Answer: a Dutch soldier

Answer: combat aviation brigade,

Answer: improvised explosive device

Answer: a Dutch soldier

Answer: Dutch

Answer: a deployment order

Answer: died in an improvised explosive device strike,

Answer: a Dutch soldier was killed Friday in southern Afghanistan,

Answer: a Dutch soldier

Answer: at least 20,000 additional troops

Answer: a combat aviation brigade,

Answer: Dutch soldier

Answer: Dutch soldier

Answer: build-up of U.S. troops in Afghanistan

Answer: combat aviation brigade,

Answer: Dutch soldier

Summary:
Troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade; transport helicopters to be sent .
They are latest to be approved for expected build-up of U.S. troops next year .
Dutch soldier has been killed in southern Afghanistan, NATO confirms .
Soldier died in an improved explosive device strike .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Sen. David Vitter returned from a week-long absence from Congress Tuesday, a day after he made a public apology for "a serious sin" as investigators probe an alleged prostitution ring that operated in the nation's capital. Vitter vanished from public view last week after his phone number turned up among those kept by a reputed "D.C. Madam" in records that have become part of her upcoming criminal trial. The Louisiana conservative apologized privately to his fellow Republican senators at their weekly policy lunch Tuesday, senators who attended the lunch said. One described Vitter's his apology as "humble" and "short and to the point." The senator said Vitter was met with a great deal of "empathy" by the senators in the room.  Watch Vitter apologize for his "past failings" » Tuesday morning, Vitter did not visit his Senate office, where the media had camped out in anticipation of his return. He also was not seen at a residential address near the Supreme Court building. He eventually emerged at a scheduled Senate hearing taking place near his office building. He arrived nearly 30 minutes late for the start of the panel, which heard testimony regarding commercial airline service to outlying parts of the United States. At first, only CNN and a local camera crew had learned of his whereabouts. But as word spread among media outlets, Senate officials had to urge order among the gaggle of newspaper writers, photographers and other television crews that began making noisy entrances to record Vitter's return. The senator left the hearing early and tried to ignore shouted questions and camera lights in the hallway. He then turned and stopped. Vitter referred to comments he made Monday evening near New Orleans, Louisiana, then said, "I look forward today to be back at work, really focused on a lot of important issues for the people of Louisiana. I'll leave it at that." Last week, Vitter acknowledged in a statement that his number had turned up in the telephone records of accused "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Vitter, 46, said those calls were made prior to his election to the Senate in 2004, and he and his wife had already dealt with what he termed a "serious sin" privately, through marriage counseling and confession to a Roman Catholic priest. On Monday, Vitter and his wife Wendy spoke to reporters in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, where he lives. "I know this has hurt the relationship of trust I've enjoyed with so many of you and that I have a lot of work to do to rebuild that trust," the senator said. Palfrey is facing money laundering and racketeering charges stemming from her alleged prostitution operation. She had denied the charges, saying her business was a legitimate, legal escort service. At first she tried to sell the phone records to raise money for her defense. After a judge imposed restrictions on the records, Palfrey distributed the records without charge, hoping media outlets would help track down clients who her lawyer believes may help in her defense. Vitter is the first lawmaker entangled in the case, although State Department official Randall Tobias resigned in May after confirming he patronized Palfrey's business. Larry Flynt's Hustler magazine claimed credit for exposing Vitter's connection to Palfrey, saying he came clean only after a journalist working as a paid consultant for the magazine discovered the senator's number in her phone records. E-mail to a friend

Question: Who apologized to fellow Republicans?

Question: Who tries to keep a low profile?

Question: What will Sen. David Vitter do?

Question: What was he linked to?

Question: Where does David resume to work?

Question: Which senator is resuming work on Capitol Hill?

Question: What did the conservative do?

Answer: David Vitter

Answer: U.S. Sen. David Vitter

Answer: rebuild that trust,"

Answer: an alleged prostitution ring

Answer: Senate

Answer: David Vitter

Answer: apologized privately to his fellow Republican senators

Summary:
NEW: Sen. David Vitter resumes work on Capitol Hill .
NEW: Linked to "D.C. Madam," he tries to keep low profile .
NEW: Conservative apologizes to fellow Republicans at lunch .
NEW: Journalists seeking Vitter cause disruption in Senate committee meeting .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor said Monday that her hotly disputed judicial philosophy is, in fact, quite simple: Remain faithful to the law.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor speaks Monday to the Senate panel considering her nomination to the Supreme Court.

"In the past month, many senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy," Sotomayor told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during her opening statement at her confirmation hearings.

"It is simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make law, it is to apply the law. And it is clear, I believe, that my record ... reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms, interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congress's intent and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and by my Circuit Court. In each case I have heard, I have applied the law to the facts at hand."

Sotomayor said the "process of judging is enhanced when the arguments and concerns of the parties to the litigation are understood and acknowledged."

That, she noted, "is why I generally structure my opinions by setting out what the law requires and then explaining why a contrary position, sympathetic or not, is accepted or rejected. That is how I seek to strengthen both the rule of law and faith in the impartiality of our judicial system."  Watch Sotomayor talk about her judicial philosophy »

Sotomayor argued that her "personal and professional experiences help [her] listen and understand, with the law always commanding the result in every case."  Watch Sotomayor's remarks to the Senators »

Some of Sotomayor's critics have argued that she has allowed her rulings to be swayed by factors such as ethnicity and race.

Sotomayor, a federal appellate judge, would be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court if her nomination is approved by the Judiciary Committee and the full Senate. She would be the 111th person to sit on the nation's highest court, and the third woman justice.  Watch Sotomayor take the oath »

Sotomayor, her foot in a cast from breaking her ankle a week after President Obama nominated her in May, sat impassively as senators detailed a deep divide between majority Democrats and minority Republicans on whether she is the best choice to fill the vacancy left by Justice David Souter's retirement.

In an emotional moment in the beginning of her remarks, Sotomayor singled out her mother, who attended the hearing.

"I am here today because of her aspirations and sacrifices," she said. "Mom, I love that we are sharing this together."  Watch Sotomayor credit her mother »

The first Supreme Court confirmation hearing of the Obama presidency began Monday with leading Democrats and Republicans signaling a fierce ideological debate over Sotomayor's qualifications to sit on the high court. It attracted a packed gallery and was disrupted three times by protesters shouting anti-abortion sentiments.

Democrats praised Sotomayor's extensive experience as a judge, which they called the most by any Supreme Court nominee in a century. They insisted her record showed she has been a modest jurist who consistently applied the rule of law.

"Judge Sotomayor's journey to this hearing room is a truly American story," committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, said after gaveling the first session to order. "Let no one demean this extraordinary woman."

Leahy also ripped conservative "ideological pressure groups" for "distorting" Sotomayor's record and opposing a woman who "will be a justice for all Americans."  He noted she was first nominated to the federal bench by a Republican president, George H.W. Bush.   Watch Leahy praise Sotomayor »

However, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the committee's ranking Republican, said Sotomayor represents the kind of activist judge that threatens the traditional foundation of the U.S. legal system.

Sessions, a former attorney general in his home state, challenged the attribute of empathy cited by President Obama in nominating Sotomayor.

"Call it empathy, call it prejudice, call it sympathy -- whatever it is, it is not

Question: what did sotomayor tell the panel

Question: what do republicans say about her

Question: who praise Sonia Sotomayor's experience and dedication to rule of law?

Question: what does Sotomayor told the  panel?

Question: what is her journey described as

Answer: Remain faithful to the law.

Answer: Sotomayor represents the kind of activist judge that threatens the traditional foundation of the U.S. legal system.

Answer: Democrats

Answer: Remain faithful to the law.

Answer: American story,"

Summary:
NEW: Judge's role "not to make law, it is to apply the law," Sotomayor tells panel .
Democrats praise Sonia Sotomayor's experience and dedication to rule of law .
Republicans say she's the kind of activist judge that threatens legal traditions .
Sotomayor's journey "a truly American story," committee chairman says .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. border officers found a wire between two fences along the U.S.-Mexican border that, when stretched taut, could have seriously harmed or even decapitated Border Patrol agents, Congress was told Wednesday. The wire was about 4 feet high when pulled tight, or about neck level for an agent on an ATV, officials say. "It was configured in a way so that, if it was pulled, it would take off the head of a Border Patrol agent riding in an open car," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said at a House budget hearing. The wire was discovered Saturday when authorities monitoring a surveillance camera saw two people on the north side of the border east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, in the San Diego sector. Border Patrol agents sent to the area found a thick metal wire tied to a secondary fence. The wire stretched across the border road and led into Mexico through a hole in the primary fence, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. When pulled tight, the wire would be about 4 feet high -- about neck level for an agent riding on an all-terrain vehicle, CBP said. Officials said they suspected that drug or illegal immigrant smugglers were involved. No arrests were made on either side of the border. The wire was removed, and no injuries or damage took place, CBP said. E-mail to a friend

Question:
When did the agents discover it?
Where did the wire lead to?
When did agents discover it?
Have any arrests been made?
What number of arrests were made
Where was this?

Answer: Saturday

Answer: into Mexico

Answer: Saturday

Answer: No

Answer: No

Answer: the U.S.-Mexican border

Summary:
The thick metal wire stretched across the border road and led into Mexico .
Agents discovered it Saturday after a surveillance camera spotted suspicious activity .
Officials say they suspect that drug or illegal immigrant smugglers are involved .
No arrests have been made on either side of the border .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials are downplaying any imminent threat of a North Korean missile strike or confrontation between the two countries at sea. A U.S. official says North Korean leader Kim Jong Il seems to be "testing the new administration." The U.S. intelligence community does not believe North Korea intends to launch a long-range missile in the near future, a U.S. intelligence official told CNN, despite reports in Japanese media citing intelligence that the North Korean regime intends to fire a missile toward Hawaii on July 4. Shortly after that report, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he was deploying defensive measures around Hawaii. But a recent warning to mariners issued by North Korea suggests the country only intends short- and medium-range missile tests, according to one U.S. intelligence official. The North Korean government issued a warning to mariners to avoid an area in the Sea of Japan at certain times between June 24 and July 9 because of a "military firing exercise," according to a U.S. military communication about the warning provided to CNN. The North Koreans had issued a similar warning prior to testing a long-range missile in April, but that warning indicated two potential danger areas more indicative of a long-range missile test. The official said that these shorter-range missiles can be "rolled out on a dime," but the U.S. intelligence community sees no "readily observable" indication of an imminent long-range missile launch. Vehicular activity had been spotted around a long-range missile site in late May, U.S. Defense Department officials told CNN at the time. But the officials said the activity was very preliminary, with no missile parts seen, and any launch would take a lot more time to prepare. The U.S. intelligence official said there is always concern that a shorter-range test "could go wrong," but for the most part the North Koreans have short and medium missile tests "down pat," and those missiles are "pretty accurate." The official added, "It's not particularly difficult to fire off" short- and medium-range missiles. North Korea recently threatened to "wipe out" the United States if provoked.  Watch the Pentagon reaction to the threat » The official said the United States "assumes" North Korea will "continue its provocations." The official acknowledged this phase of the usual ebb and flow of North Korean behavior seems to be lasting longer. This has been a "protracted period," said the official, with the change in U.S. leadership being a "big factor." The North Korean leadership seems to be "testing the new administration." Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell defended Gates' decision to deploy defensive measures around Hawaii. "Previous long-range ballistic missile tests by the North have been failures. But they obviously are intent on developing that capability, and so long as they are, we need to do responsible, prudent things," Morrell said at a news conference Wednesday. "And in this case [Gates] thinks the responsible, prudent thing is to deploy those assets." The U.S. military has positioned its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system and its X-band radar system in the event a missile were to be launched toward Hawaii. Morrell said that no additional defenses were being deployed in the region because the defenses in place are sufficient. "I think we're perfectly comfortable with the assets that are in place," he said. "This threat that is posed by North Korea is not a new one, so we have adjusted our assets that are normally in that area some time ago." Separately, the United States has not yet decided to seek permission to board and inspect a North Korean vessel it suspects of carrying illicit weapons or technology in violation of U.N. sanctions against that country, despite a recent promise by President Obama that North Korean violations would "be met with significant, serious enforcement of sanctions." Morrell told reporters that while the United States is "interested" in the Kang Nam -- a North Korean-flagged vessel believed by officials

Question: North Korea recently threatened to "wipe out" what country  if provoked?

Question: Who does Japanese media reporte North Korea may fire a missile at?

Question: Who did North Korea threaten to "wipe out" if provoked?

Question: U.S. does not believe who intends to launch long-range missile soon?

Question: Who was warned to be clear due to "military firing exercise"?

Question: What does US believe?

Question: What did North Korea recently threaten?

Question: What may North Korea due to Hawaii on July 4?

Question: When did the japanese media report?

Answer: United States

Answer: Hawaii.

Answer: the United States

Answer: North Korea

Answer: mariners

Answer: North Korea intends to launch a long-range missile in the near future,

Answer: "wipe out" the United States if provoked.

Answer: fire a missile toward

Answer: July 4.

Summary:
U.S. does not believe North Korea intends to launch long-range missile soon .
Sea of Japan mariners warned to be clear due to "military firing exercise"
Japanese media reported North Korea may fire a missile at Hawaii on July 4 .
North Korea recently threatened to "wipe out" the U.S. if provoked .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. schoolchildren still have work to do when it comes to mathematics, the secretary of education said Wednesday. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says U.S. schools need to be better equipped to teach math. Arne Duncan, releasing a report on the Department of Education's latest examination of how well American children are doing in mathematics, said no one should be satisfied with what it found. "Today's results are evidence that we must better equip our schools to improve the knowledge and skills of America's students in mathematics," he said. "More must be done to narrow the troubling achievement gap that has persisted in mathematics, and to ensure that America's students make greater gains toward becoming competitive with their peers in other countries." Fourth- and eighth-grade students from more than 7,000 public and private schools nationwide were tested by the National Assessment of Educational Progress for the report, titled "The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2009." Massachusetts students had the highest marks at both grade levels. Other high-performing states were Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersey. The area with the lowest marks in both grades was the District of Columbia, though the report showed that the district -- along with Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont -- had improved its scores since the last tests were taken in 2007. The average scores were categorized at each grade level into four groups: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. According to the Department of Education, some of the skills required to achieve a basic level of understanding of mathematics at the fourth-grade level include performing simple computations with whole numbers; showing understanding of fractions and decimals; and solving simple real-world problems. To achieve a basic level of understanding at the eighth-grade level, students must be able work with whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percentages; be able to solve word problems and use diagrams, charts and graphs; and be able to solve simple algebra and geometry problems. Scores were slightly higher in the 2009 report than they were in 2007, but Duncan said more needs to be done. "Our students need to graduate high school ready to succeed in college and the workplace," he said. The National Assessment of Educational Progress results "are a call to action to reform the teaching and learning of mathematics and other related subjects in order to prepare our students to compete in the global economy."

Question: What did the Department of Education look at?

Question: How many U.S. schools were used?

Question: What does the Department of Education take a look at?

Question: What amount of schools were assessed?

Question: What district had the lowest scores?

Question: Which states ranked high for mathematics?

Question: Which states ranked high?

Answer: how well American children are doing in mathematics,

Answer: 7,000 public and private

Answer: how well American children are doing in mathematics,

Answer: 7,000

Answer: Columbia,

Answer: Massachusetts

Answer: Massachusetts

Summary:
Department of Education takes look at how American kids are doing in mathematics .
Fourth- and eighth-grade students from more than 7,000 U.S. schools assessed .
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey ranked high .
District of Columbia had lowest marks in both grades, but its scores are up since '07 .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. troops routinely face the threat of roadside bombs while fighting insurgencies in Afghanistan. They need the most protective clothing the market can bear, and they're getting it -- for now. North Carolina State University College of Textiles tests the flammability of different materials at this facility. Back home, a battle is brewing in Congress over the next lucrative contract for military uniforms. The issue boils down to the raw fiber used in their construction. Current uniforms are made in the United States, in Georgia, using a fabric called Defender M made by the TenCate company. It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties. But the fabric is made with a type of rayon imported from Austria, which normally would violate the military's buy-American requirement. This specific rayon cannot be produced in the United States for environmental reasons, so Congress passed an amendment allowing it to be temporarily imported. The extension expires, or "sunsets," in 2013, but that year's defense budget is being determined now. The idea of the sunset is to give U.S. manufacturers time to come up with a comparable product. At stake: a defense contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars. American competitors have submitted alternatives, but after independent testing at North Carolina State University College of Textiles, the Defense Department concluded that TenCate's Defender M -- with its foreign-made fibers -- is the most flame-resistant. Dr. Roger Barker, who specializes in clothing flammability at the College of Textiles, conducted a demonstration for CNN. Based on his testing, the Army says Defender M resists fire the longest of other fabrics. "What the new heat-resistant materials are able to do is add seconds of protection, so that seconds of protection can be the difference between a severe burn or a survival burn," Barker said. "Life and death," echoes Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, regarding those extra seconds of fire protection. He asked the Senate to extend the waiver. "So long as it's the best available in the world to protect our soldiers, we absolutely ought to maximize the use," Isakson told CNN. "There is no American competitor that can meet or exceed it," Isakson said on the Senate floor. "Obviously if there were, then that waiver would go away." The U.S. Army's uniform procurer says soldiers prefer TenCate's product. "They have consistently exceeded our expectations. This has proven to be a valuable fabric and well-received by our soldiers," Jeff Myhre told CNN. In a letter to CNN, a top military official said the ability to procure the foreign rayon "a valuable authority." "Our periodic review of rayon requirements within the Military Services and testing of alternative items that are available domestically continue to support the determination that satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity of rayon yarn conforming to the domestic source requirements cannot be procured as needed," wrote Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology & logistics. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, opposed Isakson's amendment, debating on the Senate floor that it "permanently extends this waiver and will end all efforts to produce a domestic material to make military uniforms." Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, agrees with Graham that U.S. companies won't have an incentive to invest in research and development. He says the exception was supposed to be temporary, and "favors foreign suppliers of rayon over our own American companies." He argued on the Senate floor that in due time, U.S. companies would be able to demonstrate an ability to manufacture materials that meet Army requirements. He's also worried about jobs. "Some companies, like DuPont, for example, have already lost hundreds of jobs owing to their inability to compete for Army contracts," he said. The Senate voted, and the nays had it. No extension, no more imports of this fabric as of 2013. What next? The House of Representatives is expected to take up the bill when

Question: Who is the material favored by?

Question: What type of materials make up the fabric used in the uniforms?

Question: What type of fabric was used for the uniforms?

Question: Where were the uniforms made?

Question: Which company makes the uniforms?

Question: What would be imported?

Question: Where is the rayon from?

Question: What was the fabric called?

Question: Where are the uniforms made?

Question: Where is the special rayon  used for Defender M from?

Question: The TenCate company is using a fabric called what?

Question: What kind of fabric are the uniforms made out of?

Question: Which company makes the uniforms?

Question: What fabric is used?

Question: What will the amendment allow?

Question: The amendment at issue would continue to allow what?

Question: The fabric is favored by who?

Answer: the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties.

Answer: rayon

Answer: Defender M

Answer: the United States, in Georgia,

Answer: TenCate

Answer: a type of rayon

Answer: Austria,

Answer: Defender M

Answer: in the United States, in Georgia,

Answer: Austria,

Answer: Defender M

Answer: type of rayon imported from Austria,

Answer: TenCate

Answer: Defender M

Answer: to be temporarily imported.

Answer: rayon

Answer: the military

Summary:
Uniforms made in Georgia by TenCate company, using a fabric called Defender M .
It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties .
Fabric uses rayon from Austria, which normally violates buy-American requirement .
Amendment at issue would continue to allow special rayon to be imported .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S., Turkish and Iraqi leaders all held talks Monday about Kurdish rebels using northern Iraq as a launchpad for cross-border attacks into Turkey. Turkish troops patrol near the border with Iraq on Monday. President Bush chatted by phone with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while separately two senior Iraq national government figures met with the head of the country's Kurdish region. The diplomatic moves came after Turkish warplanes pounded Kurdish separatist targets in northern Iraq on Saturday and Sunday as well as last week. Bush and Erdogan talked about the dangers of the Kurdish separatist rebels along the Turkish-Iraqi border, the White House confirmed. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said they discussed their common efforts to fight terrorism, and the importance of the United States, Turkey and Iraq working together to confront the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Bush has vowed to help Turkey fight PKK rebels. The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey, with some of its attacks launched from inside northern Iraq. The United States and European Union consider the group a terrorist organization. Last week, Turkey's ambassador to the United States, Nabi Sensoy, said his country's maneuvers against Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq were based on intelligence provided by the United States. In the Kurdish Iraq city of Sulaimaniya, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who is Kurdish, and Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is Sunni Arab, met with Kurdish Regional Government President Massoud Barzani. Iraqi Kurdish officials, while critical of the PKK, have denounced the Turkish bombing campaign. Last week, Barzani snubbed visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in protest of the attacks. "We have vehemently condemned the bombardment. The bombing targeted safe and secure areas and innocent people. Several people were either killed or wounded," Barzani said on Monday at a press conference with the others. "We held consultations with President Jalal Talabani and we will continue our consultations with other concerned parties to put an end to these aggressions and put to an end the shelling of villages." The three Iraqi officials also dealt with national unity. They signed a "memorandum of understanding" to deepen relations further with their three parties: Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and al-Hashimi's Iraqi Islamic Party, a Sunni Arab entity. E-mail to a friend CNN's Kathleen Koch, Talia Kayali and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report

Question: When was the bombing?

Question: Who must unite against PKK Kurdish separatists?

Question: Who are Iraqi Kurds critical of?

Question: What country bombed alleged PKK sites  northern Iraq

Question: What countries must unite against PKKK kurdish separatists?

Question: Who has spent 20 years fighting for autonomy in Turkey?

Question: Who does Bush say must unite against PKK Kurdish separatists?

Question: What country does PKK use as a base?

Question: What force has spent 20 years  fighting for autonomy in Turkey

Question: Who bombed alleged PKK sites?

Question: Where did this happen?

Answer: Turkish warplanes pounded Kurdish separatist targets in northern Iraq on Saturday and Sunday as well as last week.

Answer: U.S., Turkish and Iraqi leaders

Answer: PKK,

Answer: Turkey

Answer: United States, Turkey and Iraq

Answer: PKK

Answer: Turkey

Answer: Turkey,

Answer: PKK

Answer: Turkish warplanes

Answer: near the border with Iraq

Summary:
Bush: U.S., Turkey and Iraq must unite against PKK Kurdish separatists .
Iraqi Kurds are critical of both PKK and air attacks against them .
Turkey bombed alleged PKK sites in northern Iraq over the weekend .
PKK has spent 20 years fighting for autonomy in Turkey; uses Iraq as a base .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- United States accident investigators are probing two recent failures of airspeed and altitude indications aboard Airbus A330s -- the same type of plane that crashed into the Atlantic nearly a month ago. Investigators are looking into incidents aboard two other Airbus A330s. The planes landed safely and there were no injuries or damage, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. One flight was between the United States and Brazil in May and the other between Hong Kong and Japan in June. The probes were launched in the aftermath of the June 1 crash in the Atlantic Ocean -- when Air France Flight 447 was flying to Paris, France, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All 228 people on board the plane, an A330, were killed. Investigators are looking at the possible role of airspeed sensors known as pitot tubes, among other factors, as a possible cause of the Flight 447 crash. That flight sent 24 automated error messages in the four minutes before it crashed, the head of the French accident investigation board, Paul-Louis Arslanian, has said. The error messages all indicate there were problems with on-board information about the plane's speed, which can cause some of the plane's instruments to stop functioning, Arslanian said. Search teams are looking for the bulk of the plane's wreckage and for its flight data recorders. The first of the two incidents being investigated by the NTSB happened May 21, when a TAM Airlines flight from Miami, Florida, to Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while in flight, the NTSB said. "Initial reports indicate that the flight crew noted an abrupt drop in indicated outside air temperature, followed by the loss of the Air Data Reference System and disconnections of the autopilot and autothrust, along with the loss of speed and altitude information," the NTSB said. The flight crew used backup instruments and the primary data was restored in about five minutes, the NTSB said. Another "possibly similar" incident happened June 23 on a Northwest Airlines flight between Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan, the NTSB said. Investigators from the NTSB are gathering data recorder information, monitoring system messages, crew statements and weather information, the NTSB said.

Question:
Did the other two planes land?
When did the Air France A330 crash?
What are investigators looking into?
How many people died?
What crashed into the sea?
What does the probe involve?
What failed aboard A330s?
When did the A330 crash?

Answer: landed safely

Answer: nearly a month ago.

Answer: incidents aboard two other Airbus A330s.

Answer: 228

Answer: Airbus A330s

Answer: two recent failures of airspeed

Answer: and altitude indications

Answer: June 1

Summary:
Probe involves two failures of airspeed and altitude indications aboard A330s .
On June 1, an Air France A330 crashed into the Atlantic .
Investigators are looking at the possible role of airspeed sensors in that crash .
The planes involved in the other two incidents landed safely .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Up to 80,000 items at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library are unaccounted for, probably because of haphazard record-keeping and inventory procedures, officials said Thursday. An audit found "significant breakdown in internal controls" at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. An audit completed last month by the National Archives and Records Administration's inspector general looked at the management of presidential artifacts at six presidential libraries. It "cites particular issues at the Ronald Reagan Library. ... We acknowledge that problems exist in inventory control at the Reagan library," said a statement from Allen Weinstein, national archivist. Inspector General Paul Brachfield was more blunt. A "significant breakdown in internal controls" was found at the Reagan library, in Simi Valley, California, he said in a statement Thursday. The audit results prompted the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation to urge the National Archives -- which is responsible for maintaining the artifacts -- to move quickly to fix the problems. The chairman of the board of trustees has contacted Weinstein "to express the serious concerns and disappointment on behalf of the Reagan Foundation and Mrs. Reagan," the foundation said. Library officials told auditors that "the collection contained approximately 100,000 items, yet the library systems only had information to locate and account for approximately 20,000 items," Brachfield said. "This does not automatically mean the approximately 80,000 remaining items are missing. The vast majority may very well be safely located within the library's storage facilities. ... Some of these items may be missing or stolen, or none of these items may be missing or stolen." Control deficiencies at the library created an environment that could potentially have been exploited, Brachfield said. Although Congress has a copy of the audit, it has not yet been made public because of the ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of the items. The count of 100,000 was an estimate taken from the original Reagan White House Gift Unit database, Weinstein said Thursday, but was never meant to be used as a concrete inventory control number. The Reagan library has already begun implementing recommendations from the audit, he said. It has upgraded its management inventory software, is hiring additional trained museum staff, has begun a comprehensive inventory and is addressing storage issues by reshelving artifacts and taking steps to protect artifacts in case of an earthquake. "Like all of the presidential libraries, the Reagan library stores their gifts in a locked vault, which is protected by a security camera," Weinstein said. The audit examined management of artifacts at the Reagan library; the Franklin D. Roosevelt library; the John F. Kennedy library; the Gerald R. Ford library; the George Bush library; and the William J. Clinton library, Weinstein said. "Early collections of artifacts came to presidential libraries with few controls and incomplete information relating to the collections," he said. E-mail to a friend

Question: Which presidential foundation expressed concerns?

Question: Who expresses "serious concern"?

Question: Out of 100,000 items how many were recovered.

Question: Where are the items located?

Question: Who stated that this does not mean the remaining items are mising?

Question: What is the number of library items that library systems can locate?

Question: What foundation expressed "serious concerns"?

Question: Who said the items may be safely locked away?

Question: What is the number of items that library systems are able to locate?

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Answer: The chairman of the board of trustees

Answer: approximately 20,000

Answer: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Answer: Inspector General Paul Brachfield

Answer: 20,000

Answer: Ronald Reagan Presidential

Answer: Weinstein

Answer: 20,000

Summary:
Of 100,000 items, library systems are able to locate about 20,000 .
Inspector general: This does not mean the remaining items are missing .
Inspector general: Items may "be safely located within the library's storage"
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation expresses "serious concerns"