Washington (CNN) -- The chairman of the Republican Party and a leading GOP senator called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to give up his post Sunday, following the publication of remarks he made about President Obama's race in 2008.

A new book quotes Reid, D-Nevada, as saying privately in 2008 that Obama could be successful as a black candidate in part because of his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

The remarks were "embarrassing and racially insensitive," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, head of the GOP's Senate campaign arm, in a statement to CNN.

GOP Chairman Michael Steele, on NBC's "Meet the Press," said: "Racism and racist conversations have no place today in America."

Steele also was on the defensive for a remark he made last week that members of both parties have called a racial slur. In an interview with Fox News, Steele used the phrase "honest injun."

The Congressional Black Caucus has accepted Reid's apology and is dismissing calls for him to step down as majority leader.

Rep. Barbara Lee, chairwoman of the caucus, issued the following statement: "I have had an opportunity to speak with Senator Reid and he apologized for his unfortunate remarks concerning the president, and he understands the gravity of such remarks. There are too many issues like the economy, job creation and energy for these regrettable comments to distract us from the work that must be done on behalf of the American people."

Democrats also rejected the calls for Reid's dismissal. Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, chairman of the Democratic Party, said "the case is closed" following Reid's round of apologies.

Douglas Wilder of Virginia, who 20 years ago became the nation's first elected African-American governor, also rejected calls for Reid's ouster.

"I think that what Reid was giving was a personal opinion, which wasn't affecting the laws or the operation of the dispensation of justice in our country," Wilder told CNN's "State of the Union."

But he said he believes the incident "illustrates the need for more open discussion about race."

Reid's office made clear he has no plans to step down.

Democrats rejected the calls for Reid's dismissal, and Reid's office made clear he has no plans to step down.

"Sen. Reid will stay in his position as majority leader and will run for re-election," his spokesman said.

"As the leader in the fight to pass the Voting Rights Act and legislation banning hate crimes, Sen. Reid has a long record of addressing issues that are important to the African-American community. His Republican critics who are looking to politicize the issue can't say the same."

Reid's controversial quote is in the book "Game Change," due in stores Monday. The authors write that "Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."

In a statement to CNN, Reid said, "I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words."

"I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans for my improper comments. I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda," Reid said.

In his defense, he pointed to his efforts to integrate the Las Vegas strip and the gaming industry, among other legislation favored by African-American voters.

"I have worked hard to advance issues important to the African-American community," he said.

And the senate leader called Obama on Saturday afternoon to apologize for the remarks. In a statement issued after the call, Obama said, "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."

"Harry Reid called me today and apologized for an unfortunate comment reported today," the president said. "

Question: New book quotes Reid discussing what?

Question: What does Congressional Black Caucus reject?

Question: What does GOP chair say about the Senate majority leader's language?

Question: Congressional Black Caucus rejects calls for?

Answer: saying privately in 2008 that Obama could be successful as a black candidate in part because of his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

Answer: calls for Reid's dismissal.

Answer: "embarrassing and racially insensitive,"

Answer: him to step down as majority leader.

Summary:
NEW: Congressional Black Caucus rejects calls for Reid to step down .
Michael Steele calls for Reid to step down, accuses Dems of "double standard"
GOP chair says Senate majority leader's language "harkens back to the 1950s and '60s"
New book quotes Reid discussing "light-skinned" Obama's lack of "Negro dialect"


Washington (CNN) -- The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee plans to unleash a withering attack Wednesday on private contractors working for the company formerly known as Blackwater in Afghanistan, accusing them of flouting regulations and endangering the U.S. mission.

Key to beating the Taliban in Afghanistan will be the ability of U.S. forces to win support from the Afghan people, many of whom do not distinguish between U.S. contractors and the U.S. military, Sen. Carl Levin will say, according to an advance text of his remarks.

"If we are going to win that struggle, we need to know that our contractor personnel are adequately screened, supervised and held accountable -- because in the end, the Afghan people will hold us responsible for their actions," the Michigan Democrat will say.

"If we don't fix the problems of oversight and make sure contractors like Blackwater play by the rules and live up to their commitments -- we'll be doing a disservice to our troops by making their already difficult and dangerous job even more so."

See agenda of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday hearing

Though more than 100,000 contractors operate for a variety of contractors in Afghanistan, Levin singled out Paravant, a company that had "no meaningful distinction" from the company formerly known as Blackwater, which is currently known as Xe Services, he said in the advance text.

Shooting at Camp Darulaman

Levin cited a December 9, 2008, shooting at the U.S. military's range at Camp Darulaman during which a Paravant program manager carrying an AK-47 got on the back of a moving car, then shot and wounded a Paravant trainer on his team when the car hit a bump, Levin said.

Though the program manager lost his job, the others on his team who allowed his activities did not, he said.

Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan, a multinational military formation that trains the Afghan National Army, did not appear to have investigated the incident, he said.

Had it done so, the U.S. Army "would have seen that Paravant personnel were using weapons improperly and unsafely, with inadequate supervision, and that they were carrying weapons that they weren't even supposed to have," according to Levin.

Two civilians killed

He also cited a widely reported May 5, 2009, incident in which two Paravant personnel fired their weapons, killing two Afghan civilians and wounding a third. The two men have been charged with murder in the shootings.

An Army investigation appeared to find that the contract personnel had "violated alcohol consumption policies, were not authorized to possess weapons, violated use-of-force rules and violated movement-control policies," said Levin, who cited as his source the man who then led the Combined Security Transition Command -Afghanistan.

Paravant's contract required it to "ensure that its personnel ... behave at all times in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards," Levin said.

Records for the two men responsible for the May 5 shooting show the company failed to properly vet them, Levin said.

One man's military record "apparently included assault, insubordinate conduct, absence without leave, failure to obey order or regulation, larceny and wrongful appropriation," he said. And his criminal record showed convictions for reckless driving, disturbing the peace, assault and battery, driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and trespassing.

The other man was cited in a news report for having been discharged from the U.S. military after being absent without leave for 22 days and testing positive for cocaine, Levin said.

Other Paravant personnel were fired for alcohol use and drug use, he said.

Company looks forward to testifying

In a written statement, a spokesman for Xe Services said the company is looking forward to testifying Wednesday.

"Xe's new management was taking steps to address shortcomings in the Paravant program when the tragic May 5 incident occurred," said Mark Corallo of Corallo Comstock Communications. "One of those shortcomings discovered was that the former management of Paravant had provided weapons to personnel for personal protection without first obtaining the proper authorization from DoD.

"Though Raytheon, the prime contractor, and the DoD customer were both

Question: Who is the chairman?

Question: How many private contractors work for Blackwater?

Answer: Sen. Carl Levin

Answer: 100,000

Summary:
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, is the chairman of the Armed Services Committee .
In prepared text, he sharply criticizes private contractors that worked for Blackwater .
Levin cites two shooting incidents and lax control over weapons .
He says contractors play key role in perception of U.S. military by Afghan people .


Washington (CNN) -- The cost of the Pentagon's newest fighter jet will be more than double the original price, solidifying the F-35 joint strike fighter as the most expensive Pentagon weapons program ever. At a Capitol Hill hearing on Thursday, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyers said numerous problems over the almost 10-year program have forced the cost of the aircraft to go from $50 million a jet in 2001 to about $113 million. That cost overrun has also forced the Pentagon to justify the program to Congress. Outrage about the cost among the Senate panel was expected, including that from the chairman of the Armed Service Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan. "This committee has been a strong supporter of the JSF program from the beginning, however, people should not conclude that we're going to be willing to continue that strong support without regard to increased costs coming from poor program management," Levin said. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, the ranking member, had been pushing for a hearing on the program. "The taxpayers are a little tired of this, and I can't say that I can blame them," McCain said. "It's a bit frustrating to hear the secretary of defense as short a time ago as last August to tell us that everything is OK," McCain said. McCain was referring to a visit to the joint strike fighter assembly plant last year where Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said most of the high risk elements associated with JSF's developmental program were largely in the past, according to McCain. The Pentagon wants to buy more than 2,400 of the technologically advanced aircraft. The F-35 program has had numerous technical problems, delays and slow productivity over the years, including an entire program restructuring in an attempt to reduce the skyrocketing cost. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Ashton Carter told the Senate panel that the program has fallen short on performance in the past few years. "That is unacceptable," he said. Despite that, the fighter jet program still enjoys strong support from service chiefs and congressional members because it touches numerous states. The F-35 program cost overrun triggered the Nunn-McCurdy law, which requires the Pentagon to tell Congress of significant cost increases. The law forces the Pentagon to justify continuing with the program. The Pentagon's director of cost assessment and program evaluation, Christine Fox, told the senators she expects the Pentagon will officially notify Congress under the Nunn-McCurdy regulation by April 1. The plane was designed to be the next generation fighter for the military and would have three variants. The Navy would have one for its carrier fleet, the Marines would use it to replace their aging Harrier jump jet fleet and the Air Force would use it as the service phases out the F-16 and F-15 fighter jets. The planes are being built by Lockheed Martin, and the program also has international partners who have been building parts for the aircraft. More than 700 of them would be sold to those partner countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia. The fighter is the largest weapons program ever and Gates has been counting on it, as there are no immediate alternative programs to the F-35. Even with the delays and cost overruns, the first planes are expected to be put into service as early as 2012 for the Marine Corps. But the Air Force and Navy are expecting their first aircraft to be delivered by 2016, a two year delay for the Navy and a three year delay for the Air Force, according to Pentagon officials. Even as the program tries to field an aircraft in less than two years, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) official testified at the hearing that there are still no final costs associated with the program through its projected life ending in 2034. "To date, the department does not have a full, comprehensive cost estimate for completing the program," said Michael Sullivan, director of the acquisition and sourcing management team for the GAO.

Question: When are the first planes expected to arrive?

Question: How many of aircrafts does Pentagon want to buy?

Question: What did an F-35 aircraft cost in 2001?

Question: What was the price of the F-35 aircraft in 2001?

Question: What is the most expensive Pentagon weapon program?

Question: How many F-35 aircraft does the Pentagon want to buy?

Question: How many aircrafts does the Pentagon want to buy?

Question: What is the cost of the F-35 aircraft?

Answer: 2016,

Answer: more than 2,400

Answer: $50 million

Answer: $50 million

Answer: F-35 joint strike fighter

Answer: more than 2,400

Answer: more than 2,400

Answer: $113 million.

Summary:
The cost of the F-35 aircraft has gone from $50 million a jet in 2001 to about $113 million .
F-35 joint strike fighter is most expensive Pentagon weapons program ever .
Pentagon wants to buy more than 2,400 of the technologically advanced aircraft .
Even with delays, cost overruns, first planes expected in service as early as 2012 .


Washington (CNN) -- The efforts by leaders of Turkey and Brazil to broker a nuclear deal with Iran reflects growing dissatisfaction with the traditional world order in which the United States is the only superpower, which they view as outdated and unjust.

And their intervention on the Iran issue reflects a growing perception among many countries that the United States is unable to resolve international conflicts alone.

The visit this week to Tehran by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was a rare show of personal, high-stakes diplomacy by a pair of world leaders.

Turkey and Brazil hailed the agreement they reached for Iran to ship some of its nuclear fuel out of the country as a major step toward resolving Iran's years-old standoff with the West.

But it was promptly pooh-poohed by the United States, which, a day after the deal was announced, introduced a sanctions resolution to the United Nations Security Council in what was perceived widely in Ankara and Brasilia as an American snub of two close allies.

The Obama administration never really supported Turkey and Brazil's diplomatic efforts.

While U.S. officials were prepared to be pleasantly surprised if Lula and Erdogan were able to produce a deal that addressed all their concerns about Iran's nuclear program, they didn't think that it would happen and were concerned the deal would complicate efforts to pass the U.N. resolution.

For Lula and Erdogan, however, the introduction of the resolution handicaps their efforts to get Iran to cooperate.

Brazil and Turkey, both emerging democracies, have been eagerly flexing their muscles on the international stage for some time. Some of their reasons for pursuing a more active global diplomatic role are similar, others are quite different.

Ankara's interest in trying to mediate the standoff with Iran is primarily regional, driven by the desire to avoid a conflict on its border. Iran is also a large trading partner with whom Turkey has lucrative oil and gas deals.

Iran isn't the first issue Turkey has tried to mediate between countries in its neighborhood. In 2008 Turkey led indirect talks between Israel and Syria, although there was no breakthrough.

For years Turkey has sought to position itself as a bridge between East and West. Even as it plays an important role in NATO and seeks to join the European Union, Turkey has clung to its Muslim identity. This week Ankara announced its bid to host the summit meeting of leaders of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 2014.

Turkey argues it is uniquely poised to coax the Iranian regime into cooperating with the international community.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu recently told a group of reporters in Washington that no country understands the Iranian mindset and culture like Turkey. In addition to sharing a border, he noted the two countries share a long history and that many Iranians speak Turkish, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Lula, who leaves office at the end of the year, also saw himself as the one leader who could broker a deal between Iran and the West. But his interest is largely for that of his stature and his country's.

As one of the world's big emerging economies, Brazil and the other BRIC countries -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- account for about half of the global growth and represent 40 percent of the world's population. Lula has artfully parlayed his country's newfound economic influence into a role for Brazil as a growing world power

Hugely popular at home and abroad, Lula was hailed by newspapers around the world as a talented diplomat when the Iran deal was announced. But privately U.S. officials complain that Lula is trying to play statesman at the expense of their own diplomatic efforts.

"For him it's a brass ring," one senior U.S. official said. "Iran just happens to be convenient."

It may be a little of both. Lula has spent much of his seven-year term advocating for a greater international role for Brazil, including a permanent seat at the United Nations, which he argues is dominated by a handful of nations. He has positioned himself as a leader of Latin America's growing leftist movement and

Question:
who introduced a sanctions resolution
what does the resolution handicap

Answer: United States,

Answer: their efforts to get Iran to cooperate.

Summary:
Intervention from Turkey, Brazil reflects dissatisfaction with U.S. leadership, Labott says .
Brazil, Turkey tout nuclear agreement reached with Iran .
The next day, U.S. introduced sanctions resolution to U.N. Security Council .
For Lula and Erdogan, resolution handicaps their efforts to work with Iran, Labott says .


Washington (CNN) -- The failure of General Electric engines on four jet aircraft overseas during the past two years has prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to issue an "urgent" recommendation to increase inspections of the engines on U.S. aircraft.

None of the incidents resulted in crashes, injuries or fatalities. But in all four cases, engine parts penetrated the engine housing.

Such "uncontained engine failures" are particularly dangerous because flying engine parts could puncture fuel or hydraulic lines, damage flight surfaces or even penetrate the fuselage and injure passengers.

At issue are General Electric CF6-45/50 series jet engines, older engines found on a small number of jets.

FAA officials said 373 of the engines are in service in the United States, on a fewer, but unknown, number of planes. The engines are used on some Airbus A300s, Boeing 747s, DC-10s, MD-10s and U.S. Air Force KC-10s.

A GE spokeswoman said most of the engines are used on cargo planes.

On four occasions, the NTSB said, a rotor imbalance caused rotor disks to fail, leading to the uncontained engine failures.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the FAA is aware of the problem and issued a rule in March requiring inspections of the engines within 50 flights, and repeat inspections every 175 flights thereafter. It also is working on a rule that would add testing of the rotor disks for cracks.

But on Thursday, the NTSB issued its urgent recommendation, saying the FAA should require inspections every 15 flights until the disks can be replaced with improved parts.

The FAA said the action "will maintain the safety of the fleet," and that it will decide whether to alter the inspection schedule after completing examinations of the engines involved in the recent incidents.

GE spokeswoman Deborah Case said GE issued a service bulletin last August advising operators to inspect and monitor the engines.

The NTSB recommendation follows these four incidents:

-- July 4, 2008: A Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) Boeing 747-300 experienced an engine failure after takeoff from Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

-- March 26, 2009: An Arrow Cargo McDonnell Douglas DC-10F, about 30 minutes after takeoff from Manaus, Brazil, experienced loss of oil pressure in one engine. The pilots shut down the engine and diverted to Medellin, Colombia.

-- December 17, 2009: A Jett8 Airlines Cargo Boeing 747-200F was passing through 7,000 feet when the crew members heard a muffled explosion. With one engine losing oil pressure, the airplane returned to land at Changi, Singapore.

-- April 10, 2010: An ACT Cargo Airbus A300B4 experienced an engine failure while accelerating for takeoff at Manama, Bahrain. The crew declared an emergency, aborted the takeoff, activated the fire-suppression system, and evacuated the airplane.

The NTSB is participating in or leading investigations of the four incidents.

Question: On what type of plane did a GE spokewoman say the engines where mainly used

Question: Which organisation issued an alert recommending increased engine inspections

Question: Over the past for year how many jets had their engines fail

Question: How many aircrafts' engines failed into the past two years?

Question: Who said most engines were on cargo planes?

Question: What was the urgent recommendation?

Question: How many jet aircraft had failed engines?

Question: Which engines are at issue?

Question: Which country's aircraft is the recommendation for?

Answer: cargo

Answer: National Transportation Safety Board

Answer: four

Answer: four

Answer: A GE spokeswoman

Answer: increase inspections of the engines on U.S. aircraft.

Answer: four

Answer: General Electric CF6-45/50 series jet

Answer: U.S.

Summary:
Engines on four jet aircraft overseas failed during the past two years .
NTSB issues an "urgent" recommendation to increase inspections of the engines on U.S. aircraft .
At issue are General Electric CF6-45/50 series jet engines, found on a small number of jets .
A GE spokeswoman says most of the engines are used on cargo planes .


Washington (CNN) -- The father's first comment, when he heard I was in his city to talk about a book I'd written about kids, mental health issues and medication, came loudly and fast: "When my daughter was 10, my ex-wife and a psychiatrist called to try to get my permission to put her on Prozac. I refused," he said proudly. "I wasn't going to let them drug my kid."

We spent quite a few hours together. By nighttime, as he drove me back from the last event, his mood was altered, his tone notably more somber. It had been a day of impassioned testimonials from parents of children with mental health issues, and even from one teenager, who called in to a radio show to describe how taking medication for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had helped him "level the playing field" with other kids and made it possible for him to attend college.

"I don't know if we did the right thing by her," the dad said at last, thinking of his daughter as he looked out at the dark road ahead. His daughter's life had never really come together. She had dropped out of college; her future was unclear. She presented a happy face to her dad, but deep down, he felt, the truth of her life wasn't so sunny. "I don't know how to read her," he said. "I really don't know what to do."

We all know what the prevailing opinion is these days on children's mental health in America: Kids with nothing truly wrong with them are being over-diagnosed and overmedicated by doctors, parents and schools, who are colluding to make them better behaved, more high-performing and more tractable to our society's unnaturally high demands.

This opinion used to be mine. It was the basic line of my argument at the beginning of my research, when the only information-gathering I'd done on the topic consisted of reading and compiling the already-recycled reporting of others.

But soon, the facts got in the way.

Surveys and statistics showed that the story of over-diagnosis and overmedication was wrong; 5 percent of children in America take psychotropic medication, while 5 to 20 percent are estimated to have mental health issues. The vast majority of those in need of help never get any care at all.

The facts are incontrovertible: Kids' mental health issues are real, they're serious, and they often cause profound suffering. And they're not new. Listening to parents gave me a very concrete answer to the question so many skeptics ask as to where all the kids with "issues" were a generation ago. We existed, many of the parents of kids who now are getting diagnosed told me. And no one noticed that we were suffering. And, they said, they weren't going to let the same not-noticing, or the same labeling with words like "lazy" or "stupid" or "bad," happen to their kids today.

Interviews with about 100 parents and doctors showed that rather than rushing to pathologize and medicate their kids, parents did all they could to avoid "labeling" their children and put off using medication -- if they used it at all -- until they really were desperate. What these interviews showed above all is that for parents and children (and grown children) dealing with mental health issues, life is complicated, unsure and filled with unanswered questions that can't be addressed by gross generalizations about the "medicated child" in our time.

It's very hard to get at any of that complexity -- and humanity -- when we typically talk about children's mental health in the media. Journalism generally doesn't lend itself to complicated messages; we need eye-grabbing headlines and strong voices spouting easy-to-summarize arguments, opinions which, in the strangely evolving media world of today, have come to have far greater currency than fact.

In another city, a mother told me that she'd never attended college. She

Question: What health issues not new but better diagnosed?

Answer: Kids' mental

Summary:
Judith Warner says common view is modern parents over-medicate kids for mental health .
But her research showed that most parents avoid meds, are sensitive to kids' suffering .
Kids' mental health issues not new; now better diagnosed, so seem newly prevalent, she says .
Warner: Real-life stories reflect parents' struggling to do right by kids, not just "normalize" them .


Washington (CNN) -- The head of the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Program Office has resigned amid a fiscal firestorm over the bankruptcy of a company that received a $535 million federal loan, DOE Secretary Steven Chu said.

The loan program's executive director, Jonathan Silver, was planning to leave his post and return to the private sector this fall, Chu said in a written statement.

Silver informed Chu of his intentions in July, "shortly after the fiscal year 2011 budget was completed by Congress and it became clear that no significant new funds were included for the loan program," the energy secretary said.

However, two House Republicans looking into the bankruptcy of the solar energy company Solyndra linked the resignation to the loan.

Approved in May 2010, the loan allowed the company to build a factory in Fremont, California, to produce state-of-the-art solar panels.

The company filed for bankruptcy in August, laying off 1,100 workers.

Silver testified last month before a House subcommittee about the DOE's handling of the loan, which has been at the center of a fierce political debate over the amount of government subsidies issued to new businesses.

On Thursday, Republican Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan and Cliff Stearns of Florida said Silver's decision "does not solve the problem."

"American taxpayers are already on the hook for the half-billion-dollar Solyndra bust -- what other shoes does this administration expect to drop?" the representatives said in a joint statement that went on to criticize President Barack Obama's handling of the issue.

Upton is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Stearns heads up the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, which conducted the September hearings in which Silver testified.

Self-described as the "The Financing Force Behind a Clean Energy Economy," the program "is currently supporting 28 projects with a total loan amount of $16 billion," Chu said in the written statement.

CNN has confirmed that Silver will serve as a fellow at Third Way, a centrist think tank in Washington that focuses on the economy, energy, national security and domestic policy.

CNN's Kevin Bohn, Diana Ozemebhoya and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.

Question: What observations Republicans has about his resignation?

Question: How much money do the loans amount?

Question: What position had Jonathan Silver at Energy Dept.?

Question: What do Republicans say about resignation?

Question: Who is Jonathan Silver?

Question: How many billions of dollars will the project cost?

Question: Jonathan Silver was the head of what program?

Answer: looking into the bankruptcy of the solar energy company Solyndra linked the

Answer: $535 million

Answer: executive director,

Answer: "does not solve the problem."

Answer: The loan program's executive director,

Answer: $16 billion,"

Answer: U.S. Department of Energy's Loan

Summary:
Jonathan Silver was head of Energy Dept.'s Loan Program Office .
DOE Secretary Steven Chu: He has resigned to take a position in the private sector .
Republicans say resignation "does not solve the problem"
Chu: Loan program supporting "28 projects with a total loan amount of $16 billion"


Washington (CNN) -- The insistence that former Sen. John Edwards serve some jail time over allegations he broke campaign finance laws caused a collapse in plea negotiations between lawyers for the former presidential candidate and the Justice Department last week.

Edwards wanted to have as "minimal" impact on his two younger kids as possible, a source with knowledge of the talks confirmed to CNN Sunday. Edwards has a 10-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter.

The Raleigh News and Observer, which first reported the story, said the Justice Department was insisting that Edwards serve six months in jail if he pleaded guilty.

After initially saying Edwards had to agree to plead guilty to a felony in earlier discussions, CNN is told prosecutors last week offered for him instead to plead guilty to some misdemeanors.

But the jail time was the breaking point.

"He did not want to have an extended period of time away from his kids," said the source, who would not speak on the record because the details of the plea discussions have not been made public.

After the breakdown in negotiations, a grand jury indicted Edwards, a former Democratic vice presidential nominee, on six felony counts.

In court on Friday, Edwards pleaded not guilty.

"I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I've caused to others. But I did not break the law. And I never, ever thought I was breaking the law," he told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The News and Observer also reported that Edwards' lawyers were not confident they would be allowed to urge a judge to consider alternatives for incarceration such as a halfway house, weekend passes or home arrest in order to give him more time with his children. After the death of his wife, Elizabeth, Edwards is the primary caregiver for the two younger children.

Question: What has John Edwards insisted on?

Question: The Ex-candidate was indicted on charges of what?

Question: What were the charges that he was indicted on?

Question: How much impact did John Edwards want on his kids?

Question: insists that John Edwards?

Question: The Justice Department wanted how many months jail time?

Question: How much jail time did the Justice Department want him to get?

Answer: did not break the law. And I never, ever thought I was breaking the law,"

Answer: six felony counts.

Answer: six felony counts.

Answer: "minimal"

Answer: serve some jail time

Answer: six

Answer: six months

Summary:
John Edwards insisted on "minimal" impact on his youngest kids, source says .
Justice Department wanted six months' jail time, newspaper reports .
Ex-candidate indicted on charges of breaking campaign finance laws .


Washington (CNN) -- The pilots of Northwest Flight 188 did not fall asleep when they overflew their destination by more than 100 miles in October, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday in a detailed report on the wayward flight.

The two pilots "became distracted by a conversation" about the airline's new work schedule system and by laptop computers they were using in violation of company policy and did not communicate with air traffic control for about 1 hour and 17 minutes while they cruised past their Minneapolis, Minnesota, destination at 37,000 feet, the NTSB said.

The safety board also faulted the Federal Aviation Administration for air traffic control shortcomings.

The NTSB report gives the most complete official account to date of the errant flight, which prompted the FAA to revoke both pilots' licenses, prompted the airline to suspend them from flying and prompted the FAA to adopt new procedures to notify the U.S. military in cases where the FAA loses contact with commercial aircraft.

According to the account, the flight from San Diego, California, was routine until the plane was in the Denver, Colorado, region. There, air traffic controllers directed the crew of the Airbus A-320 to change their radio frequency.

The co-pilot, or first officer, acknowledged the frequency change and read back the correct frequency. However, neither the captain nor the first officer contacted controllers on the new frequency until about 1 hour and 17 minutes later, when Winnipeg, Manitoba, controllers directed the crew to contact Minneapolis.

The NTSB said that because of the proximity of the Winnipeg frequency to the last frequency acknowledged by the pilots (Winnipeg is 132.125 megahertz, while the last frequency used was 132.17) it is "likely the first officer began to dial in the new frequency but never completed the frequency change by pushing an activation button. Nor did the first officer attempt to contact the next controller."

The NTSB said the frequency change likely occurred while the captain was taking a restroom break and while a flight attendant was serving dinner.

"These events may have distracted the first officer from completing the frequency change or attempting to contact the next ATC controller," the NTSB said. Further, the captain's absence would have prevented him from checking the co-pilot's actions.

When the captain returned, the pilots became involved in a conversation over new scheduling procedures, and the first officer tutored the captain using their computers, the NTSB said. "The pilots allowed this conversation to monopolize their attention," the board said. "Both pilots state that they heard radio chatter but did not hear a radio call for NWA188."

The laptop computers they used likely blocked their view of numerous visual alerts, including text messages sent by airline dispatchers and at least nine messages regarding their position on the airplane's primary flight display, the NTSB said.

Northwest Airlines policy prohibited the use of the laptops, the NTSB said.

Both pilots told the NTSB the first indication of anything unusual was when a flight attendant called to ask about their arrival time. The captain "looked at his navigation display and saw Duluth [Minnesota] to his left and Eau Claire [Wisconsin] to his right," the board said.

The NTSB said it could not determine why the pilots did not respond to numerous radio calls, but said it could be because the volume was turned down, the pilots were distracted or the plane was outside the coverage for the 121.5 megahertz transmitters.

The NTSB faulted the FAA for not catching the pilots' errors earlier, saying the plane entered two Denver sectors uneventfully, but radio contact was not established in the next two sectors, where controllers were preparing for a shift change. "Neither sector controller's relief briefing included information that communication had not been established" with the plane, the NTSB said.

The NTSB said the FAA had no standard procedures to indicate that an aircraft had not made radio contact when electronic radar handoffs of planes occurred from one sector to the next.

"Because of this lack of standardization, NWA188 passed through two Denver ATC sectors without the controllers being aware that it had not made radio contact,"

Question: What does NTSB stand for?

Question: He and pilot then were distracted  by what?

Question: What were the first officer and pilot distracted by?

Question: Who does the NTSB also blame for not realizing the problem earlier?

Question: Who  blames air traffic controllers for not realizing problem earlier?

Answer: National Transportation Safety Board

Answer: a conversation" about the airline's new work schedule system

Answer: conversation"

Answer: the Federal Aviation Administration

Answer: Federal Aviation Administration

Summary:
First officer didn't completely load radio frequency, NTSB says .
He and pilot then were distracted by discussion, personal computers, NTSB says .
NTSB also blames air traffic controllers for not realizing problem earlier .


Washington (CNN) -- The public may have seen the last video images of the failed blowout preventer from the BP oil well disaster, as authorities expressed possible security concerns.

The feed from a camera on board a salvage ship was discontinued Saturday after the apparatus was raised from the sea floor and placed on the vessel Q4000.

At his regular briefing with reporters Wednesday, National Incident Commander Thad Allen said additional questions about the unit would now have to go to the U.S. Justice Department and the Joint Investigation Team.

When pressed about the video feed, Allen said, "We'll have to refer that to the Department of Justice. There were some constraints put on that videotaping based on the people that are looking at the blowout preventer and their identities and so forth, and I think there's, there may be some security issues associated with it."

Allen said the ship will carry the unit to shore, but that the timetable and other questions will no longer be something he can address as part of the disaster operations that he heads.

As of Wednesday, he said, "the blowout preventer is already up on deck on the Q4000. The lower marine riser package has been separated, and they're putting it on latching skids getting ready to move it closer to shore."

He said "exactly when it arrives and what the disposition would be, I would refer you to the Department of Justice, or the Joint Investigation Team," since "from this point out it doesn't involve the spill itself."

Allen said after the ship moves off-scene, "this will cease to be part of the national response that I'm coordinating as the national incident commander."

Question: When was the camera feed discontinued?

Question: What concerns did Allen cite?

Question: what happend to the camera feed

Question: who  referred questions to the Justice Department

Question: what feed from the ship was discontinued

Answer: Saturday

Answer: possible security

Answer: was discontinued

Answer: Thad Allen

Answer: a camera

Summary:
The blowout preventer is on a ship in the Gulf of Mexico .
A camera feed from the ship was discontinued Saturday .
Thad Allen cited security concerns Wednesday on further videotaping of the unit .
He referred questions to the Department of Justice .


Washington (CNN) -- The push to overhaul health care received a major boost Thursday as the American Medical Association and AARP endorsed legislation drafted by top House Democrats. The AARP, the nation's largest organization of older Americans, is a nonpartisan group that advocates for people 50 and older. The AMA, historically an opponent of health care reform, is considered one the nation's most influential doctors' advocacy groups. "I want to thank both organizations again for their support, and I urge Congress to listen to AARP, listen to the AMA and pass this reform for hundreds of millions of Americans who will benefit from it," President Obama said at the White House. The backing of those two groups comes as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, oversees final changes to the $1.1 trillion health care bill. The measure likely will come to a final vote Saturday. Read the House health care bill (PDF) A 42-page manager's amendment on the health care legislation posted Tuesday night made mostly technical changes in the nearly 2,000-page bill compiled from three Democratic proposals passed by three House committees. By making the changes public Tuesday, House Democratic leaders could open floor debate on the bill Friday, while fulfilling their pledge to allow 72 hours of review before bringing the measure to the full chamber. Pelosi insisted Thursday she will have the 218 votes necessary to pass the bill. Meanwhile, President Obama is set to huddle Saturday with congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill to review the legislation. Check out the key parts of the bill In a statement, AARP CEO Barry Rand said, "We started this debate more than two years ago with the twin goals of making coverage affordable to our younger members and protecting Medicare for seniors. "We can say with confidence that [the House bill] meets those goals with improved benefits for people in Medicare and needed health insurance market reforms to help ensure every American can purchase affordable health coverage." The AMA's president, Dr. J. James Rohack, told reporters Thursday that the legislation is "not a perfect representation of our views" but is close enough to warrant his group's support and keep the reform process moving forward. Rohack said the bill needs to be accompanied by legislation reversing scheduled Medicare reimbursement payment reductions to physicians. Responding to the AMA endorsement, Obama said the doctors' group is "supporting reform because [its members have] seen firsthand what's broken about our health care system," Obama said. "They would not be supporting it if they really believed that it would lead to government bureaucrats making decisions that are best left to doctors." Watch Obama say health care reform is moving forward Meanwhile, House Republicans on Thursday continued to signal their opposition to the measure. GOP leaders held a rally on Capitol Hill along with "Tea Party" movement protesters and other activists to warn that the House legislation would translate into a full-blown government takeover of the health care system. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, told CNN's "American Morning" on Thursday that Democrats had forgotten the lessons of August's town hall meetings when angry conservatives criticized health care legislation. "I think what we're going to see is the town hall coming to Washington, D.C., just to remind members of Congress [that] we're the ones we would like you to pay attention to, not lobbyists. And we don't want the government to own our health care," Bachmann said. Speaking at Thursday's opposition rally, actor John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff on the sitcom "Cheers," slammed the Democratic bill as a form of socialism. "These are Woodstock Democrats," Ratzenberger said. "We have to remember where their philosophy comes. It doesn't come from America. It comes from overseas. It comes from socialism. And socialism is a philosophy of failure." House Democrats have rejected an alternative $60 billion Republican plan as inadequate for meeting the goals of expanding health coverage to most of the nation's 46 million uninsured while bringing down costs and ending controversial industry practices such as denying

Question: Where are the Tea Party protesters holding a rally?

Question: Who does Obama praise?

Question: Who is Nancy Pelosi?

Question: What association did Obama praise?

Question: How many votes were needed to pass the house bill?

Question: How many votes are needed to pass the House bill?

Answer: Capitol Hill

Answer: AMA

Answer: House Speaker

Answer: Medical

Answer: 218

Answer: 218

Summary:
NEW: President Obama praises American Medical Association, AARP for backing bill .
GOP leaders join "Tea Party" protesters for an opposition rally on Capitol Hill .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has 218 votes needed to pass House bill .
Democrats: Bill would guarantee that 96 percent of Americans have coverage .


Washington (CNN) -- The retired general who took charge of relief efforts in New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina said Thursday that the U.S. military should have arrived in earthquake-devastated Haiti 24 hours earlier.

"The good Samaritans who moved early on the first day are to be applauded. They made a difference," said Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, a CNN contributor.

"What we've got to do now is get the heavy equipment in. I thought the U.S. military could have been there a day earlier. They're on the ground now, and they have a brigade en route, and that's going to make a big difference," he said.

Honore, best known for his management of the recovery efforts after the hurricane that killed about 2,000 people on the Gulf Coast, said "time is of the essence" in helping quake survivors.

Repairing the seaport at Port-au-Prince and keeping the airport open are key to bringing in equipment, food, water and medicine, Honore said.

Regarding the airport, he said, "You need to put the right commander there who's going to be a battle captain and keep those aircraft flowing. You come in, you drop off what you have, you put the sick and wounded on and then move out. No one is standing any time on the airfield. You can be in and out in a half hour."

Speaking at the House Democratic Caucus Retreat later Thursday, Obama acknowledged the scrutiny focused on U.S. response.

"This is a time when the world looks to us and they say -- given our capacity, given our unique capacity to project power around the world -- that we have to project that not just for our own interests but for the interests of the world as a whole," he said. "And my national security team understands that I will not put up with any excuses for us not doing the very best in this time of tragedy."

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley defended the pace of the rescue.

"We are 40 hours into the crisis. In that time, we have reopened the airport and brought it up to 24/7 operations. We continue to look at the port facility, which will be critical to be able to bring in substantial amounts of aid, and we're trying to figure out a strategy for how to function," he said.

"We now have multiple search and rescue units on the ground. They're already at work," Crowley added.

"Logistics matter. You have an airport with a single runway. So we have things that are queued up. You're going to see a significant increase in the flow, but there is a capacity issue," he said.

Airlines such as American, Delta, Jet Blue and United were helping provide assistance to the country in the form of free miles for its program members and seats for aid organizations.

American was operating humanitarian flights, with three American Eagle aircraft flying 30,000 pounds of supplies into Haiti on Thursday. Three more such flights were planned Friday.

American is also partnering with the American Red Cross by offering one-time awards of 250 or 500 bonus miles for donations.

In the afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that Haiti had suspended flights into the Port-au-Prince airport because ramp space -- where aircraft are parked, unloaded, loaded, refueled or boarded -- was overcrowded. There also was no fuel, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said.

Several U.S. military units planned to depart from the United States for Haiti during the day, but it was unclear whether all would be able to do so.

Among those apparently delayed was a battalion of more than 100 soldiers from the XVIII Airborne Corps based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They had planned to fly out Thursday afternoon.

Paratroopers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, also based at Fort Bragg, were on their way to Haiti, said Rajiv Shah, coordinator for U.S. assistance to the stricken area. He also is administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The

Question: What do airlines offer?

Question: according to the news, what does the Airlines offer?

Question: Who suspends flight at the ports?

Question: what does Obama Says about?

Question: Haiti suspended flights into Port-au-Prince Airport for what reason?

Answer: one-time awards of 250 or 500 bonus miles for donations.

Answer: free miles for its program members and seats for aid organizations.

Answer: Federal Aviation Administration

Answer: acknowledged the scrutiny focused on U.S. response.

Answer: ramp space -- where aircraft are parked, unloaded, loaded, refueled or boarded -- was overcrowded.

Summary:
NEW: Airlines offer miles for donations, seats on planes for aid organizations .
NEW: Obama says he will not put up with U.S. not doing "the very best in this time of tragedy"
Haiti suspends flights into Port-au-Prince airport because ramp space is overcrowded .
Several U.S. military units plan to go to Haiti, but it's unclear whether all will be able to .


Washington (CNN) -- The seizure of the Afghan Taliban's top military leader in Pakistan represents a turning point in the U.S.-led war against the militants, U.S. officials and analysts said.

The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar represents the most significant Taliban capture since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a senior Obama administration official said Tuesday.

Baradar has been a close associate of Osama bin Laden's and is seen as the No. 2 figure in the Afghan Taliban, behind Mullah Mohammed Omar.

"If anyone would know where the senior leaders are of al Qaeda and the Taliban, then Baradar is someone who would be privy to that kind of information," said M.J. Gohel, executive director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation.

It's "major success for the CIA" and "a major blow for the Taliban," Gohel said.

The United States has tried to target Baradar for years, a senior U.S. official said.

The arrest also represents a "new level of cooperation" between Pakistani and American forces working to rout the Taliban, said U.S. Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-author of legislation designed to improve cooperation between Pakistan and the United States.

Described as a savvy and modern military leader, Baradar was arrested in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi several days ago, a senior Pakistani intelligence official said. The official asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Baradar is being held in joint custody and investigated by both the CIA and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, another senior Pakistani source said.

Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan, denied that Baradar had been captured. He said Baradar is continuing his operations and is in Afghanistan.

Another Afghan Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, also denied Baradar had been arrested. He said reports of his arrest are designed to demoralize the Afghan Taliban.

Despite confirmation of the arrest by Pakistani sources, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he could not verify reports of the capture. He also denied reports the CIA and ISI conducted a secret raid that captured Baradar, saying the agencies share intelligence but that the CIA does not conduct raids on Pakistani soil.

Afghanistan Crossroads blog: More on Baradar and the Taliban

Several raids in Karachi last week netted dozens of suspected Afghan militants, and intelligence agencies are in the process of verifying their identities, Malik said.

Baradar's arrest occurred as some 15,000 Afghan and NATO forces were battling the Taliban in the Marjah region of southern Afghanistan's Helmand province in the largest NATO offensive since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

It also comes weeks after the CIA ratcheted up its operations against the Taliban in apparent response to a December suicide attack that killed seven CIA officers in eastern Afghanistan.

And the arrest comes amid reports of major successes for the United States in its battle against the Taliban and associated militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, died recently after reports that a suspected U.S. drone strike targeted him in January, according to Taliban and Pakistani intelligence sources. The previous leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, also died in a suspected U.S. drone strike.

CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen called Baradar's capture a "huge deal," saying he is "arguably more important than Mullah Omar from a military point of view, because Mullah Omar really is more of a religious figure than an operational commander of the Taliban."

"This guy also is the No. 2 political figure in the Taliban. The fact that he was discovered in Karachi is very significant. Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. It's a long way from where the war is being fought," Bergen said Monday on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360°." The capture "indicates that the Pakistani intelligence services and CIA [are] cooperating very closely on a very high-value target."

A number of high-value targets, including Omar, have moved into Karachi from a region near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where the Pakistani military

Question: What was a major blow for the Taliban?

Question: What did John Kerry say?

Question: What is a major blow for Taliban?

Question: What is the arrest called

Question: What does the arrest signal

Question: Who was captured in Pakistan

Question: What does the Taliban deny?

Question: Which tow countries are working together?

Answer: The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar

Answer: Pakistani and American forces working to rout the Taliban,

Answer: The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar

Answer: the most significant Taliban capture since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,

Answer: the most significant Taliban capture

Answer: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar

Answer: that Baradar had been captured.

Answer: Pakistan and the United States.

Summary:
Arrest in Pakistan "a major blow for the Taliban," Asia-Pacific expert says .
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar reportedly captured in Karachi, Pakistan .
Arrest signals Pakistani-U.S. cooperation, Sen. John Kerry says .
Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan denies that Baradar has been captured .


Washington (CNN) -- The stars were out Sunday night as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts bestowed its prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on actor and comedian Will Ferrell.

The award, which was established in 1998, honors comedians who have shaped American society with their work, as Mark Twain once did.

Ferrell himself commented on the importance of the prize, telling CNN it's "the only legitimate award that recognizes comedy," and he was honored to receive it.

Fellow comedians Jack Black, Tim Meadows, Ed Asner, Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg, Conan O'Brien and Molly Shannon showered Ferrell with praise at the ceremony.

"When you see Will Ferrell on a marquis, he's going to give you 90 minutes to two hours of fascinating entertainment," said Asner, who worked with Ferrell in the movie "Elf."

In the movie, Will "was so steeped in his character that I had to believe in mine," Asner said.

"He's a blast. I mean, he's always coming up with new stuff," said actor Rudd, who co-stared with Ferrell in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy"

He's, "just fun to watch, and he's very good at keeping it together."

O'Brien took a different approach -- the backhanded compliment.

"None of us are here for Will," he said. "We're here because Will's very powerful. We fear Will. Let's get that straight, okay? I'm angry. And afraid. I'm here out of fear."

Also in attendance were senior administration officials, including White House Chief of Staff William Daley, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew.

Past winners include Tina Fey, as well as Richard Pryor, Bob Newhart, Lorne Michaels, and Steve Martin.

Question: Who called the award legimate?

Question: Who does the award honor?

Question: What did Ferrell say about the award?

Question: What was fellow comedians reaction on Ferrell saying?

Answer: Ferrell

Answer: comedians

Answer: that recognizes comedy," and he was honored to receive it.

Answer: with praise

Summary:
The award honors comedians who have shaped American society with their work .
Ferrell calls it "the only legitimate award that recognizes comedy"
Fellow comedians shower praise on him .


Washington (CNN) -- The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA officers and contractors and a Jordanian intelligence official in Afghanistan was within seconds of being searched by two security contractors when he detonated his explosives, a former intelligence official with knowledge of the incident told CNN on Tuesday.

On December 30, the two American guards, who worked for Xe Services -- formerly Blackwater USA -- approached the passenger side of the red 4-door sedan where bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi was sitting, the official said.

Al-Balawi had been invited to the base to share information he claimed to have that would lead the United States directly to Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command.

The sedan was waved through the normal security checkpoints to get onto the base, and pulled up just outside a one-story building -- a temporary space that was being used to interrogate people brought onto base.

Several CIA officers and contractors were standing on the driver's side of the car, opposite al-Balawi, and others were standing as far as 50 feet away, a U.S. intelligence official said.

Al-Balawi started to get out of the car, with one hand in his pocket, when he detonated the explosives, the source said.

"It was no accident that some of the CIA officers were standing on the opposite side," the former intelligence official said. The official observed it was the safest place to be, as "they waited for the Xe guys to do what they're paid to do and frisk him." Also, there could have been some cultural sensitivity, with an Arab man about to be searched in front of female CIA officers who were there. The official says that "there was no point going up to him until after the guards had patted him down."

Some of these details were first reported in The Washington Post earlier this week.

The official expressed surprise at how much shrapnel tore through the area, killing seven CIA officers and contractors -- including the two Xe Services guards -- as well as a Jordanian intelligence official.

Former CIA Agent Jack Rice told CNN that frequently, suicide bombers' explosive vests are wrapped in "things like nuts and bolts and ball bearings.

"So what you create is this massive amount of shrapnel that kills everybody in the entire area," he said.

Rice, who just returned from Afghanistan, said it was unusual to have so many officers present for a debriefing, but if they believed al-Balawi's claims that he had direct links to al Qaeda's top leadership, the excitement on the base would have been high.

"Remember, this is a career opportunity for all of these people. If you could take down al-Zawahiri, if you could take down Osama bin Laden, you are a hero for the rest of your career. Everybody wants to be in the room," Rice said.

Al-Balawi, a Jordanian doctor, was a promising potential source. U.S. and Jordanian intelligence agencies apparently believed he was a reformed extremist and were using him to hunt al-Zawahiri.

Al-Balawi had provided photographic evidence that helped establish his credibility, a U.S. intelligence official said. There were other things that also helped determine his authenticity, the official added, but would provide no further details.

The former intelligence official who spoke anonymously has been to Forward Operating Base Chapman, where the attack occurred, and said body armor was worn even within the base's inner perimeter, which is unusual, compared with military bases in Kabul or Kandahar.

"You have a real sense of the proximity to the Pakistan border. Perimeters don't have the same meaning," the official said.

While saying that a mistake was made by not searching al-Balawi before he got into the red car, the official defended the officers' decision to bring him on base.

"There's nowhere to frisk someone outside, and you don't have a whole lot of options. Let's assume they did have a safe house -- the exact same thing would have happened there," the

Question: What does a former official says?

Question: who is responisble for the attack

Question: who bombed he car

Question: who detonated explosives as he left car, former intelligence official?

Answer: in Afghanistan was within seconds of being searched by two security contractors when he

Answer: Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi

Answer: Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi

Answer: Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi

Summary:
Bomber was invited to base to share information on al Qaeda's second in command .
He detonated explosives as he left car, former intelligence official says .
Official: Bomber should've been searched before he got into car; bringing him on base was right .
Attack shows CIA expansion in Afghanistan, risk to officials, contractors, official says .


Washington (CNN) -- The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA officials and a Jordanian military officer last week in Afghanistan was a Jordanian double-agent, a former U.S. intelligence official told CNN Monday.

The bomber was a source who came to the base camp in Khost near the Pakistan border for a meeting on December 30, a senior U.S. official also confirmed.

The man had been used by both countries' intelligence services in the past, and had provided information about high-value targets, the senior U.S. official said.

"Yes, it was a joint U.S.-Jordanian source who had provided over the period of his cooperation a lot of very detailed good information that was of high interest at the most senior levels of the U.S government," the former U.S. intelligence official said.

The security breach occurred because the bomber was met off-base by U.S. intelligence officials who failed to search him before they put him in a car and drove him onto Forward Operating Base Chapman, the former intelligence official said.

Both the Jordanian and U.S. intelligence services believed the man was loyal, according to the former intelligence official.

"Clearly there is a lot of soul searching" at CIA headquarters in Virginia, according to the former intelligence official.

The bomber was identified as Human Khalil Abu-Mulal al Balawi, from the Jordanian town of Zarqa, also home to the late Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the one-time leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, the former intelligence official said.

Both the Jordanian and U.S. intelligence agencies apparently believed al Balawi had been rehabilitated from extremist views and were using him to hunt Ayman al Zawahiri, the second-ranking al Qaeda official to Osama bin Laden, the former intelligence official said.

Jordanian intelligence services have long covertly cooperated with the United States, specifically in the hunt for al Zawahiri and bin Laden, because of the ability of Jordanian agents to blend into the al Qaeda organization, noted the former intelligence official.

Also killed in last week's attack in Afghanistan was Jordanian Army Captain Sharif Ali bin Zeid, a cousin of King Abdullah of Jordan. The Jordanian government has not publicly commented on the specific circumstances of bin Zeid's death, but U.S. sources confirmed bin Zeid was present and was the Jordanian operative working closely with al Balawi.

The CIA refused to comment Monday, saying the matter was under investigation. The bodies of the seven CIA employees were flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to a private ceremony attended by CIA Director Leon Panetta, other agency and national security officials, and friends and family.

A Jordanian official who did not want to be identified said bin Zeid "was killed on Wednesday in the line of duty as he was taking part in a humanitarian mission carried out by the Jordan Armed Forces in Afghanistan."

The Jordanian official added: "Jordan's position in the war on terror is clear; we are fully committed to fighting al Qaeda, which is a threat to Jordan as it is a threat to the United States. We are also committed to continuing our cooperation with the United States and the international community in the fight against terror and in defeating al Qaeda."

In a posting on its Web site last week, the Taliban in Afghanistan claimed the bomber was an Afghan National Army soldier.

On Sunday, however, Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud said in an e-mail that "we claim the responsibility for the attack on the CIA in Afghanistan."

"The suicide bomber was a Jordanian national. This will be admitted by the CIA and the Jordanian government" the message said.

The attack occurred at a forward operating base, which a U.S. intelligence official acknowledged was a crucial CIA post and a "hub of activity." The main purpose of CIA forward operating bases in Afghanistan, officials have noted, is to recruit informants and to plan and coordinate covert operations, including drone surveillance and targeting.

The attack was "a huge blow, symbolically and tactically," because it eliminated such a large number of CIA officers, who can require years to become ingrained in the region, said Reva Bhalla, director of analysis

Question:
who was used for intelligence
what was high interst
who was met off-base by U.S. officials?
what was he doing
how many officials are killed by man?
how many officers killed

Answer: Human Khalil Abu-Mulal al Balawi,

Answer: very detailed good information

Answer: Human Khalil Abu-Mulal al Balawi,

Answer: taking part in a humanitarian mission

Answer: seven

Answer: seven

Summary:
U.S. official: Man had been used by U.S., Jordan for intelligence services .
Source says man had given "very detailed good information that was of high interest"
Former official: Bomber was met off-base by U.S. officials who failed to search him .
Man killed seven CIA officials and a Jordanian military officer last week in Afghanistan .


Washington (CNN) -- The weirdest campaign ad of this season -- maybe any season -- debuted on the Internet this past week. The ad has been nicknamed, "Demon Sheep," and can be viewed here.

The ad is an opening salvo in what will could prove the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. The incumbent, Barbara Boxer, has always been the less popular of California's two Democratic senators. Boxer now looks vulnerable. Two Republicans declared early for the nomination against Boxer: state Sen. Chuck DeVore and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.

Fiorina took an early lead. But her performance on the campaign trail disheartened many of her supporters. Worse, Fiorina never developed a good answer to the questions about her business career. Portfolio magazine had dubbed Fiorina one of the 20 worst CEOs of all time after a disastrous merger with Compaq.

Fiorina was fired in 2005 after company stock dropped 60 percent in a year. She herself walked away with a payday estimated as high as $40 million. That history was tough to explain to hard-pressed voters.

Facing an intensifying risk of self-inflicted defeat in a winnable race, party leaders and donors enticed former state budget director Tom Campbell into the race. Campbell immediately stepped into first place in the polls, five points ahead of Fiorina, 15 ahead of DeVore. The "demon sheep" ad was Fiorina's attempt to head Campbell off at the pass.

No description can do justice to the ad's low-budget strangeness. The ad presents Campbell as a dangerous predator with glowing red eyes, preying upon Fiorina's flock. Never mind that it's not usually smart tactics to represent the voters as dim-witted sheep. The more urgent question for California Republicans is this: What should they make of the substance of Fiorina's attack on Campbell?

Here's the former front-runner's case:

Campbell presents himself as a committed fiscal conservative. In fact, however, he's a career politician largely responsible for the state's budget crisis. He helped write the 2005 California budget, which contained a big jump in state spending. He called for raising the gas tax and for sales taxes on Internet purchases. And he refused to sign the famous no-tax-increase pledge presented to all candidates by the Washington lobbying group, Americans for Tax Reform. He's not the pure-hearted fiscal conservative admired by his backers: Instead Campbell is "Taxing Tom," a "FCINO": fiscal conservative in name only.

What's the truth?

To anyone familiar with the Campbell record, it seems crazy that anybody would charge him with insufficient commitment to free-market causes. Campbell wrote an economics dissertation under Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago. He ran the competition bureau at the Federal Trade Commission during the Reagan administration. Elected to Congress from Palo Alto, California, in 1988, re-elected four times, he amassed one of the most taxpayer-friendly voting records in the House of Representatives.

That was the record that inspired California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to hire Campbell as state budget director in 2005.

California's budget position was already desperate when Campbell took the job.

• The teachers' union had pushed through a ballot measure that directed 40 percent of all state spending to schools -- meaning every time Medicaid spending rose, the schools got a raise too.

• California's "three-strikes" law -- life in prison after a third felony conviction -- had filled the state's correctional institutions with doddering old crooks confined forever at taxpayer expense.

• Reckless union contracts had pushed public-sector pay and benefits to astounding heights: over $100,000 for some prison guards.

• Illegal immigration played havoc with state finances. Illegal immigrants paid very little tax, but imposed as much on the state's roads, hospitals, schools, and prisons as anybody else.

Gov. Schwarzenegger and director Campbell tried to address these constitutionally imposed dysfunctions in a 2005 ballot measure. The initiative would have enhanced the governor's powers to cut spending growth, nullified the 40 percent guarantee to schools, and imposed across the

Question: Who released the "demon sheep" ad?

Question: Who released the demon sheep ad in California?

Question: Which state was the ad released?

Question: Who released the "demon sheep " ad?

Answer: Carly Fiorina.

Answer: Barbara Boxer,

Answer: California's

Answer: Carly Fiorina.

Summary:
Carly Fiorina released the "demon sheep" ad in California race for U.S. Senate .
David Frum says it may be the strangest campaign ad ever .
He says she's unfairly targeting Tom Campbell as a fiscal conservative in name only .
Frum says Campbell acted responsibly to try to head off the fiscal crisis California is now in .


Washington (CNN) -- The word compromise is never music to the ears of passionate advocates for a cause. This is especially true for advocates of overturning the military's "don't ask, don't tell" law, a law that was supposed to be a suitable compromise itself in 1993.

But when idealism collides with political reality, risk avoidance and workable solutions become the goal. The deal that was reached on DADT this week between the White House, the Pentagon, gay rights groups (including my own), and pro-repeal champions on Capitol Hill is that workable solution and will get us where we need to go.

More than 14,000 proudly serving men and women have been abruptly fired from the military pursuant to the DADT law, and many more have voluntarily left the military because of the burden of serving under this unnecessary restriction. The DADT law prevents our armed forces from being able to recruit and retain troops from the largest possible pool of talent, and it is a stain on the integrity of our nation. We cannot afford to wait until next year to lock in full legislative repeal. Our country needs this now.

The risks of waiting until after the midterm elections to address DADT legislatively were simply too great. It is possible that the pro-repeal majority could lose seats in November, and could even lose control of one chamber of Congress. If it passes, this deal will get the looming legislative battle over with.

It will also free up the Pentagon to implement the recommendations of its Comprehensive Review Working Group on DADT when it finally releases its road map for a smooth transition in December. The Pentagon and the president will not have to return to Congress for permission on implementing repeal -- the legislation hammered out in this week's agreement will already have authorized the change.

This deal is not perfect, but unlike the 1993 DADT law, which codified a de facto gay ban in the military, this new legislation would firmly establish the mechanisms for ending the gay ban once and for all. More importantly, it would do so in a way that has achieved coveted Pentagon support -- a critical requirement for any DADT repeal legislation.

But there were three concessions that repeal supporters reluctantly agreed to in order to pick up White House and Pentagon support. These concessions, however, do not compromise the goal of full legislative repeal of DADT.

The first is an option that the progressive community had already resigned itself to: delayed implementation. While my organization has long argued that including a delay provision would be the only politically viable way to secure legislative repeal soon, this model for language only recently caught on in the rest of the pro-repeal community. This part of the deal was a given.

The second concession was allowing the president, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to decide together the date on which the new law, once passed, would actually take effect. The three are already public supporters of repeal and can be trusted to act in good faith. They may not certify the implementation plan as quickly as some repeal advocates would like (some have unrealistically suggested a matter of days or weeks after the working group issues its report), but I believe that they will within a reasonable amount of time.

After all, even the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Conway -- the staunchest opponent of this policy change -- testified before the House Armed Services Committee earlier this year that if this change became inevitable, even he would recommend making the change as swiftly as possible just to get it over with.

The third and final concession -- and the most controversial -- was the removal of the affirmative non-discrimination provision from the legislative language. This provision would have legally prevented the Department of Defense from ever engaging in discriminatory practices towards gay and lesbian troops again.

Although I am not convinced this was necessary to pick up any additional support for repeal, in light of concessions that were already in the works, it is important to keep in mind that statutory non-discrimination language would have been above and beyond what other minority groups have been given

Question: how many troops fired?

Question: what is dont ask dont tell?

Question: what would new legislation do?

Question: What was the reason for the firing of 14,000 troops?

Question: What deal is good?

Question: How many troops were fired?

Question: What would the new legislation would firmly establish?

Question: What would the new legislation say it will do?

Answer: 14,000

Answer: codified a de facto gay ban in the military,

Answer: firmly establish the mechanisms for ending the gay ban

Answer: the DADT law,

Answer: that was reached on DADT

Answer: More than 14,000

Answer: the mechanisms for ending the gay ban once and for all.

Answer: firmly establish the mechanisms for ending the gay ban once and for all.

Summary:
More than 14,000 troops fired because of "don't ask, don't tell," says Alexander Nicholson .
Deal on DADT between White House, Pentagon, gay rights groups, is good, says Nicholson .
New legislation would firmly establish the mechanisms for ending gay ban, he says .
Nicholson: Most importantly, it would do so with coveted Pentagon support .


Washington (CNN) -- Three U.S. Navy SEALs face criminal charges after the alleged mastermind of one of the most notorious crimes against Americans in Iraq accused them of punching him after his capture, the military said Wednesday.

Ahmed Hashim Abed -- thought to be behind the slayings and mutilation of four U.S. contractors in Falluja in 2004 and captured in summer -- made the accusations against the three servicemen, said Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, a spokeswoman for U.S. Central Command.

A civilian lawyer for one of three SEALs said his client and the other SEALs declined a nonjudicial resolution to the case, a step sometimes called a "captain's mast." The servicemen say they did not harm the detainee in any way and they want their names cleared in a court-martial so they can continue their careers in the Navy, said the attorney, Neil Puckett.

Because the charges against Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe and Petty Officer Julio Heurtas are the military equivalent of misdemeanors, they will go before a special court-martial, which is for less serious offenses than those heard in a general court-martial. If found guilty, they could be sentenced to a maximum of a year in a military prison, demotion to the lowest Navy rank, a cut in pay and a bad conduct discharge.

But if found innocent of all charges, they would be able to continue their careers with no record of the case in their personnel files.

The three SEALs are with their unit in Norfolk, Virginia. They will make an initial appearance before a military judge on December 7. The court-martial is scheduled to begin in January.

The attorney said he expects the SEALs will not waive their constitutional right to confront the accuser in court, which could cause a logistical challenge. Abed is believed to be in a U.S. military detention center overseas, and it is unclear if the military would want him brought to the United States for the court-martial.

The four contractors, one of whom was a former Navy SEAL, were working for the Blackwater company when they were attacked in Falluja in 2004. After they were killed with hand grenades and rifles, their bodies were set on fire and dragged through the streets. The bodies of two of them were hung from a bridge in Falluja, an image that was broadcast around the world.

Four days after the attack, the U.S. Marines launched a major offensive inside Falluja, in part to help find the killers.

Question: who he was captured last summer?

Question: What has Ahmed Hashim Abed been accused of?

Question: whose bodies were set on fire and dragged through streets of Falluja?

Question: What happened to the bodies of the contractors?

Question: who is accused of planning the '04 slayings and mutilations of 4 U.S. contractors?

Answer: Ahmed Hashim Abed

Answer: the slayings and mutilation of four U.S. contractors in Falluja in 2004

Answer: four U.S. contractors

Answer: mutilation

Answer: Ahmed Hashim Abed

Summary:
Ahmed Hashim Abed is accused of planning the '04 slayings and mutilations of 4 U.S. contractors .
Abed says SEALs punched him when he was captured in summer .
Contractors' bodies were set on fire and dragged through streets of Falluja .


Washington (CNN) -- To hear Paul Ryan explain it, there's just one way to cope with becoming the Democrats' favorite man to hate: "I gave fear up for Lent this year," Ryan told CNN during an extensive interview.

And he's not kidding.

It's probably a good idea, given the fact that Ryan's budget -- passed nearly unanimously by House Republicans -- has become the GOP Holy Grail. It includes entitlement cuts, most notably the gradual shifting of Medicare into a program dominated by private insurers.

It's no surprise, then, that Democrats call it dangerous, mean and reckless -- and that's not all.

"The Ryan road map is the way to the cliff and then over the cliff," said Rep. John Yarmuth. D-Kentucky.

"The Ryan proposal would destroy our government," economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs declared at a Democratic Progressive Caucus event.

Ryan remains undeterred.

"There's a big test to this country and whether we apply our country's principles -- you know liberty, free enterprise, self-determination, government by the consent of the governed -- all of these really core principles are being tested right now," Ryan told CNN. "You can't have fear if you try to fix these problems."

The 41-year-old Ryan has been on a fast track. First elected to Congress in 1998 after a stint as a congressional staffer and adviser at the conservative think tank Empower America, the Janesville, Wisconsin, native ran for the House at the ripe old age of 28. It was a long shot, but he won, convincingly.

Always a fiscal conservative, Ryan made his mark delving into the nuance of federal budgets. Now he's become famous as the face of a new brand of Republican economics -- one that includes the most sweeping plan to cut government spending in decades and enact major entitlement reforms.

As evidence of his growing influence in the party, the Republican National Committee on Friday tapped Ryan to be its Presidential Trust Chairman to lead its fundraising effort against President Barack Obama.

Ryan had the deficit in his sights for years. At first, even Republicans steered clear of some of his more controversial budget ideas like Medicare reform. But then the economy went south and the tea party became the rage. Suddenly, the push to slash budget deficits became popular.

So popular, in fact, that Ryan's budget outline overwhelmingly passed the Republican-controlled House in the spring.

It cuts $6.2 trillion over 10 years in federal government spending. That's big bucks, and Ryan does it by gradually transforming Medicare into a program in which recipients receive vouchers to help buy private insurance. He also gradually raises the program's eligibility age and transforms Medicaid into a block grant program. On the tax side, the Ryan plan includes major tax reform that reduces the top rate for both individuals and corporations.

The plan died in the Senate and handed the Democrats a political issue.

"...His budget would kill people. No question," Princeton University and Nobel Prize -inning economist Paul Krugman told CNN. "The cuts in Medicare he's proposing, the replacement of Medicare by a voucher system would in the end mean that tens of millions of Americans would not be able to afford essential health care. So that counts as cruelty to me."

Ryan scoffs at the criticism.

"There's sort of a shoot-the-messenger strategy these days," he added. "I'm the messenger, and you can't fear that if you are who you are."

It's a pattern for Ryan, who has grown in popularity by pushing the unpopular, a fairly unconventional route.

Not only has he proposed major reforms in entitlements; he's also tried to end his colleagues' pork projects. When he became chairman of the House Budget Committee this year after Republicans captured control of the House, he continued to touch the untouchable-- the third rail of American politics.

"I used to say I'm like a koala bear grabbing on. So

Question: Who's budget was passed nearly unanimously?

Question: who did call the plan dangerous?

Question: In what way Ryan`s budget passed by House Republicans?

Question: whats is Paul Ryan's budget?

Question: Who call the plan dangerous?

Question: Who shrugged off criticism?

Answer: Ryan's

Answer: Democrats

Answer: nearly unanimously

Answer: GOP Holy Grail.

Answer: Democrats

Answer: Ryan

Summary:
Paul Ryan's budget was passed nearly unanimously by House Republicans .
But Democrats call the plan dangerous, mean and reckless .
Ryan shrugs off the criticism, calling it "a shoot-the-messenger strategy"


Washington (CNN) -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Monday that the Obama administration will push legislation designed to overhaul and upgrade America's aging oil and gas pipeline network.

The initative is partly a response to a series of deadly pipeline explosions, including one last year in San Bruno, California, that killed eight people and destroyed 37 homes. A February pipeline explosion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, resulted in the deaths of five people.

San Bruno's faulty pipeline was installed in 1956; Allentown's was installed in 1928.

During a news conference in Allentown, LaHood called on the major pipeline companies to conduct a review of their oil and gas delivery systems to identify the lines with the highest risk. He also urged them to speed up the most critical repair work.

"People deserve to know that they can turn on the lights, the heat or the stove without endangering their families and neighbors," LaHood said. "The safety of the American public is my top priority, and I am taking on this critical issue to avoid future tragedies we have seen in Allentown and around the country."

Among other things, the administration wants to increase the maximum civil penalties for pipeline violations from $100,000 per day to $250,000 per day. It also wants to increase fines from $1 million to $2.5 million for a series of violations.

The administration also would like to boost the number of safety inspectors and improve data reporting to increase the likelihood of early identification of possible pipeline safety risks.

The Transportation Department is planning to convene a pipeline safety forum on April 18 in Washington.

The United States has more than 2.5 million miles of pipelines used for the delivery of oil and gas, according to the Transporation Department.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report.

Question: When will be held a pipeline safety forum?

Question: What will the department do?

Question: What does Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood do?

Question: What has been announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood?

Answer: April 18

Answer: push legislation designed to overhaul and upgrade America's aging oil and gas pipeline network.

Answer: will push legislation designed to overhaul and upgrade America's aging oil and gas pipeline network.

Answer: the Obama administration

Summary:
Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood presses pipeline firms to upgrade aging delivery systems .
The move comes in response to recent deadly explosions in California and Pennsylvania .
The administration wants to increase fines for pipeline safety violations, among other things .
The Transportation Department will convene a pipeline safety forum on April 18 .


Washington (CNN) -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Tuesday said federal officials need to "keep harping" on personal responsibility in the wake of the latest claim of inattention by an air traffic controller -- this one reportedly was watching a movie while on duty -- and inaction by his supervisor.

The controller has been suspended, pending an investigation, for watching a movie on a portable electronic device while he was working at the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center in Oberlin, Ohio. His front-line manager, who was aware of it and didn't stop him, also was suspended, LaHood confirmed.

The incident occurred early Sunday morning, when the audio from the Samuel L. Jackson thriller "Cleaner" was transmitted over a radio frequency for more than three minutes.

"The problem was brought to air traffic control's attention by the pilot of a military aircraft using an alternate frequency," according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

FAA policy prohibits the use of portable DVD players and other devices from being used in radar rooms.

Stories of derelict controllers keep piling up, even as the head of the FAA and the leader of the controllers' union started a cross-country tour to spread the gospel of professionalism to the rank and file.

There have now been incidents in Washington; Knoxville, Tennessee; Reno, Nevada; Seattle; Lubbock, Texas; and Miami in just the past couple of months.

Scheduling rules have been adjusted and staffing beefed up to mitigate fatigue among controllers, but in the Ohio incident, fatigue does not appear to have been the issue.

Personal responsibility "really needs to become much more part of our training," LaHood told CNN, "much more of what our (FAA) administrator says to controllers as he travels the country and meets with them.

"I meet with controllers a lot, too, when I travel the country. I visit air traffic control towers and I guarantee it will be part of my message."

Pressed to explain why such incidents keep happening in spite of officials' insistence that the situation will not be tolerated, LaHood said, "Well, it won't be."

"We've done some things here in the short term like extending rest time from eight to nine hours. We've moved supervisors into positions where we think it's more important to have more supervisors,"

"And we will continue to do what we have to do to make sure the controllers understand they have to take personal responsibility for this most important safety job they have," he said,.

CNN Jeanne Meserve, Mike Ahlers, Carol Cratty and Cameron Tankersley contributed to this report.

Question: Who was suspended in Ohio?

Question: What did LaHood say?

Question: What did the controller do early Sunday?

Answer: The controller

Answer: harping" on personal responsibility in the wake of the latest claim of inattention by an air traffic controller

Answer: was watching a movie while on duty --

Summary:
NEW: LaHood says officials should "keep harping" on personal responsibility .
NEW: A controller in Ohio and his supervisor have been suspended .
The controller was watching "Cleaner," a Samuel L. Jackson thriller, early Sunday .
Audio went out on a radio frequency, was reported to air traffic control by military pilot .


Washington (CNN) -- Two Washington Wizards basketball players drew guns on each other during a heated Christmas Eve gambling debt dispute, the New York Post reported Friday. Law enforcement authorities said they were investigating an incident but gave no details. Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton both brandished firearms in the team's locker room, the Post reported, citing NBA league sources. The dispute erupted when Arenas, a three-time NBA all-star, refused to pay up on a debt owed to Crittenton, the Post stated, citing an anonymous league source. Multiple sources said Arenas drew his gun first, the Post reported. Arenas denied the charge, saying he never pulled a weapon. Neither Arenas, 27, nor Crittenton, 22, could be reached for comment Friday. The incident, according to the Post, occurred during a Wizards practice day at the Verizon Center, the team's arena in downtown Washington. It is unclear whether any other Wizards players witnessed the alleged confrontation, the Post said. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Friday that there is "an active investigation" being conducted by Washington law enforcement authorities. "We are not taking any independent action at this time," he said. The Wizards also released a statement Friday saying that the team takes "this situation and the ongoing investigation very seriously. We are continuing to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA." A Washington Metropolitan Police Department statement earlier in the week said local law enforcement was assisting the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia "with an investigation into an allegation that weapons were located inside a locker room at the Verizon Center." "There are a lot of rumors going around," Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Friday. "We need to get it right." CNN's David Close and Rick Martin contributed to this report.

Question:
What did the players argue over?
Who gave no details?
What did authorities say?
who drew guns on each other?
who is Gilbert Arenas?

Answer: gambling debt

Answer: Law enforcement authorities

Answer: they were investigating an incident but gave no details.

Answer: Two Washington Wizards basketball players

Answer: a three-time NBA all-star,

Summary:
New York Post: Washington Wizards teammates drew guns on each other .
Gilbert Arenas, Javaris Crittenton argued over gambling debt, paper says .
Authorities say they are investigating incident but gave no details .