(CNN) Human rights concerns will be on the agenda when US President Barack Obama meets controversial Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte for the first time next week.
The two leaders will talk on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Laos, starting on September 6. It will be their first meeting since Duterte took power in June.
"We absolutely expect (President Obama) will raise concerns about some of the recent statements from the president of the Philippines," White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told media when asked whether Duterte's controversial remarks about vigilante killings, journalists and women would be on the agenda.
Duterte apologized to the Pope after cursing him for the traffic he caused during a 2015 Papal visit to the Philippines.
Duterte apologized to the Pope after cursing him for the traffic he caused during a 2015 Papal visit to the Philippines.
Although he later denied the accusations, the former Davao City mayor admitted his links to the alleged Davao death squad in a May 2015 broadcast of his local television talk show.
Although he later denied the accusations, the former Davao City mayor admitted his links to the alleged Davao death squad in a May 2015 broadcast of his local television talk show.
At a CNN Philippines Townhall event in February 2016, Duterte, admitted that he had three girlfriends and a common-law wife. His marriage to Elizabeth Zimmerman was annulled due to his womanizing, but he denied this meant he objectified women.
At a CNN Philippines Townhall event in February 2016, Duterte, admitted that he had three girlfriends and a common-law wife. His marriage to Elizabeth Zimmerman was annulled due to his womanizing, but he denied this meant he objectified women.
He also lashed out at the womens' group that filed a complaint against him before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
He also lashed out at the womens' group that filed a complaint against him before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Foreign diplomats weighing in on Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks did not sit well with the then-mayor.
Foreign diplomats weighing in on Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks did not sit well with the then-mayor.
Duterte made international headlines in April 2016 with his inflammatory comments on the 1989 rape and murder of an Australian missionary that took place in Davao City.
Duterte made international headlines in April 2016 with his inflammatory comments on the 1989 rape and murder of an Australian missionary that took place in Davao City.
During the third and last presidential debate, Duterte had said that he would plant a Philippine flag in disputed territories should China refuse to recognize a favorable ruling for the Philippines.
During the third and last presidential debate, Duterte had said that he would plant a Philippine flag in disputed territories should China refuse to recognize a favorable ruling for the Philippines.
Speaking at a press conference to unveil his new cabinet on May 31 2016, Rodrigo Duterte said journalists killed on the job in the Philippines were often corrupt.
Speaking at a press conference to unveil his new cabinet on May 31 2016, Rodrigo Duterte said journalists killed on the job in the Philippines were often corrupt.
The Philippines president-elect effectively said he supported vigilantism against drug dealers and criminals in a nationally televised speech in June 2016.
The Philippines president-elect effectively said he supported vigilantism against drug dealers and criminals in a nationally televised speech in June 2016.
As he addressed troops at the country's Armed Forces Central Command Headquarters on August 5, Duterte recounted U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the country, saying in Tagalog that he was feuding with U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg.
As he addressed troops at the country's Armed Forces Central Command Headquarters on August 5, Duterte recounted U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the country, saying in Tagalog that he was feuding with U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg.
Rhodes said Obama regularly brought up issues around human rights offenses with treaty allies such as the Philippines.
Since Duterte took office, more than 1,900 people have died, including at least 700 in police operations as part of the president's hardline war on drugs.
"Double your efforts. Triple them, if need be. We will not stop until the last drug lord, the last financier, and the last pusher have surrendered or put behind bars -- or below the ground, if they so wish," Duterte said during his State of the Nation speech on July 25.
JUST WATCHED Philippines drug war sparks outrage, fear Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Philippines drug war sparks outrage, fear 03:36
Obama and Duterte will also discuss the ongoing maritime disputes in the South China Sea, a source of tension between the Philippines, China and Vietnam, Rhodes said.

Obama to meet Philippines President Duterte, raise rights issues


Human rights concerns will be on the agenda when US President Barack Obama meets controversial Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte for the first time next week.


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Why Trump and Clinton are freezing out the media


Stuart Stevens, Mitt Romney's top strategist in 2012, discusses why Trump is seeking "friendly" Fox News interviewers while Clinton is keeping her media interactions to a minimum.


(CNN) From nuns frolicking on the beach to motorcyclists lounging in full gear, the Internet served up its own answer to France's burkini ban this week.
So far 15 French towns have banned the burkini , a full-length swimsuit that covers the whole body except for the face, hands and feet. Officials say the ban on the outfit -- worn mostly by Muslim women -- is a response to growing terror concerns.
And when pictures emerged of French police apparently ordering a woman to remove part of her clothing on a beach in Nice on Wednesday, people around the globe had their own reaction.
Police patrolling the promenade des anglais beach in Nice fine a woman for wearing a burkini on August 24, 2016.
Twitter uses share images of nuns...
As the ban targets overtly religious clothing , many Twitter users wondered if nuns in habits would also be affected.
I wonder if France would make these ladies take their clothes off too. #BurkiniBan pic.twitter.com/PP6EIWlaoZ — Irene Adler (@The_Whip_Hand) August 24, 2016
They posted images of carefree nuns frolicking at the beach, in an effort to highlight what they feel is the ban's hypocrisy.
The #burkiniban is not about the promotion of secularist society. Exhibit A. Eurocentrically acceptable attire... pic.twitter.com/wQ1Re7rs3A — Ally (@allyska) August 24, 2016
...and motorkinis
Meanwhile, images of motorcyclists lounging on the beach in protective gear have given rise to the hashtag #motorkini.
A genius came up with #motorkini 😂 in solidarity with Muslim women banned from wearing #burkini on French beaches pic.twitter.com/pn9gYEiZrn — Yasmin Khan (@ykhan100) August 25, 2016
"A genius came up with #motorkini in solidarity with Muslim women banned from wearing #burkini on French beaches," tweeted Yasmin Khan , director of women's charity Staying Put UK.
Cartoonists poke fun
Artists across the globe also turned their hands to the controversy.
Sudanese designer Khalid Albaih depicted a woman being ordered to undress in France, and uncover in other parts of the world.
#Khartoon - Laws - To cover or uncover? name of freedom, while others in the name of religion #cartoon pic.twitter.com/ZWIVwjHYcN — ALBAIH (@khalidalbaih) August 24, 2016
The Bangkok-based political cartoonist known as "Stephff" questioned the meaning of liberty in France today.
And French illustrator La Sauvage Jaune showed the various expectations placed on women, depending on which part of the world they're in.
The lottery of indecency - En anglais, merci @bitofkit pour la traduction ! pic.twitter.com/y1fYq5rGh5 — La sauvage jaune (@LaSauvageJaune) 22 August 2016
Londoners build their own beach
In London, demonstrators created a makeshift beach outside the French embassy for a "Wear what you want beach party" on Thursday.
Dressed in everything from bikinis to burkinis, and even priest's cloaks, the activists gathered in solidarity with Muslim women in France.
#wearwhatyouwant demonstration outside the French Embassy in London. A makeshift beach complete with sand and towels was set up in solidarity with burqini - wearing women everywhere. People here are outraged at the burqini ban in some places in France. A photo posted by Erin McLaughlin (@erincnn) on Aug 25, 2016 at 5:50am PDT
"I think it's ridiculous," event organizer Fariah Syed said of the burkini ban. "No one, regardless of their religion and race, should be told what they should wear and where they can wear it."
So what's the view from France?
Photos: Burqa, hijab, niqab: What's what? Do you know the difference between a hijab and a niqab? How about a burqa and a chador? Click through to read about the different types of headscarves some Muslim women wear. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Burqa, hijab, niqab: What's what? Burkini: The full-body swimsuit worn by Muslim women leaves only the face, hands and feet exposed. Here a woman in a burkini wades in the water with a child at Ghar El Melh beach in Tunisia. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Burqa, hijab, niqab: What's what? Burqa: This full-body garment has a mesh over the eyes. The burqa is widely used in Afghanistan and was required under the Taliban. These Afghan women are shopping in Herat. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Burqa, hijab, niqab: What's what? Niqab: The full-face veil exposes only the eyes. A Palestinian bride in Jericho wears this one. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Burqa, hijab, niqab: What's what? Hijab: The scarf worn tightly around the head and neck does not cover the face. It is the most common Islamic head covering. This Indonesian girl is shopping for a hijab in Yogyakarta. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Burqa, hijab, niqab: What's what? Chador: The full-body black garment leaves the face exposed. These Iranian women are wearing chadors at a political meeting in Tehran. Hide Caption 6 of 6
France already became the first European country to ban wearing burqas in public in 2011.
And much like the recent burkini bans, opinion in the country is divided between those who see the laws as an infringement on religious freedom, and those who view the Islamic dress as inconsistent with France's rigorously enforced secularism.
Hervé Lavisse, president of the Cannes-Grasse section of the Human Rights League, told CNN the bans would be counterproductive because "instead of appeasing people, it will inflame tensions."

France's burkini ban: How people around the world are saying no


From nuns to motorkinis, how are people around the world reacting to France's burkini ban?


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Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo Visitors wait at the gate of the newly opened Pyongyang Central Zoo in the North Korean capital. Hide Caption 1 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo A North Korean man kisses a turtle through the glass of its tank at the newly opened Pyongyang Central Zoo in North Korea. Hide Caption 2 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo One of the most popular attractions at the North Korean zoo might come as a surprise to foreign visitors: a 'dog pavilion.' Hide Caption 3 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo The Pyongyang Zoo 'dog pavilion' boasts everything from German shepherds, Saint Bernards and Shih Tzus. Hide Caption 4 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo Dogs look out from inside a pen at Pyongyang's new zoo in North Korea. Hide Caption 5 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo A North Korean and her son pose for a photo on the back of a camel at the newly opened North Korean zoo. Hide Caption 6 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo A North Korean woman walks past by a Pyongyang Zoo donkey pen. Hide Caption 7 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo North Koreans peer down at bears at their newly opened zoo. Hide Caption 8 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo North Korean men snap pictures of a tiger at the Pyongyang Zoo. Hide Caption 9 of 11
Photos: Take a look inside North Korea's zoo North Koreans feed an elephant at their new zoo. Hide Caption 10 of 11


(CNN) Gene Wilder mastered the art of the comic nervous breakdown, the character that always seemed seconds away from a shrieking, totally manic fit.
From his breakthrough part in "The Producers," Wilder excelled at moments of explosive rage or sheer desperation. Working with Mel Brooks, he provided the perfect expression of Brooks' directing style, which reveled in over-the-top absurdity.
Wilder had also worked in more serious roles, and he could ground his zaniness in a way that gave them heft. That was certainly true of perhaps his most iconic performance apart from his collaborations with Brooks, playing the title character in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."
He also turned out to have a strong on-screen rapport with comedian Richard Pryor, with whom he co-starred in multiple films, most memorably "Stir Crazy" and "Silver Streak."
Wilder left behind an abundance of comedies destined to be watched and re-watched for years to come. But in terms of his signature bits and movies, no list would be complete without these entries:
Read More

Gene Wilder: Memorable moments from a sidesplitting career


(CNN) This story contains spoilers for the finale of HBO's "The Night Of."
Riz Ahmed knows some fans would love a second season of his hit HBO series "The Night Of." But would he do it?
"I think it was conceived of as a one-season one-off and perhaps there's a second season they might do a different case like they did in the British version of the show," he told The Hollywood Reporter . "I think sometimes it's said, 'Better to quit while you're ahead.'"
The actor, 33, who played Nasir "Nas" Khan, a Pakistani-American who is accused of murdering a young woman named Andrea Cornish, said despite some viewers being frustrated with the inconclusive finale, he found it "satisfying."
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'The Night Of' star Riz Ahmed on returning for a second season


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Story highlights Mark Webber drinks champagne from Daniel Ricciardo's race boot
Justin Rose shows off his gold medal during The Barclays tournament
(CNN) It's been another busy weekend of sporting action.
In New York, golfer Justin Rose put in a different sort of gold medal performance, while at the Belgian Grand Prix a former F1 star showed that he is still a good sport.
Here are the some of the moments that got you talking.
Webber does a 'shoey'
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From 'shoeys' to sit-downs: weekend sport that got you talking


Story highlights The plane lands in Pensacola after the left engine failed
A passenger says the crew did an amazing job
(CNN) A Southwest Airlines flight from New Orleans to Orlando was forced to make an emergency landing when one of the engines failed, the airline said.
A woman who was on the plane with her husband and three children told CNN affiliate KOCO that the engine was right outside her window.
"It was just a big explosion. There was some smoke and then nothing," she told the Oklahoma City station . "I saw parts flapping in the wind."
The plane started shaking and breathing masks were deployed as the airliner descended.
There was damage to the left side of the plane just above the wing.
Some people started screaming and crying, the woman said.
Read More

Southwest flight emergency landing after engine fails


A Southwest Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Pensacola, Florida, when an engine failed on a flight from New Orleans to Orlando, the airline said.


The US Navy has received an attack submarine sponsored by first lady Michelle Obama and named for her home state, the Navy announced.

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Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Towering ambition –
The recently released book
The story displays the ambition of the city, also known colloquially as eGoli ("Place of gold" in Zulu), but also the dark corners where the dream unraveled. South Africa's largest city is famous for a spectacular skyline, featuring the two tallest buildings in Africa among a soaring range of skyscrapers.The recently released book Up Up: Stories of Johannesburg's Highrises charts the rise of the towers from a construction boom in the mid-20th century, through a sharp decline around the end of Apartheid, to the chaotic metropolis of today. The book draws on a mix of archive and contemporary photos, and accounts from resident 'Joburgers.'The story displays the ambition of the city, also known colloquially as eGoli ("Place of gold" in Zulu), but also the dark corners where the dream unraveled. Hide Caption 1 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers High Finance – The 140-meter Absa Tower in downtown Johannesburg opened in 1970, when it was the second tallest building in the city.
Absa Bank was later incorporated into Barclays Africa, which still uses the building as its headquarters. Hide Caption 2 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Don't look down – View from the Anstey's department store on the corner of Joubert and Jeppe streets.
The 20-floor building, which dates back to 1937, is the third store constructed by former mayor Norman Anstey's company, and the second is directly opposite. Hide Caption 3 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers State of the art – Anstey's is renowned as one of the most striking examples of the art deco style of the time, built in the tradition of raised, curved ziggurats that originated in ancient Mesopotamia. Hide Caption 4 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Brave new world – Construction of the Carlton Centre in 1973, on the site of the Carlton Hotel. The Centre was, and remains, the tallest skyscraper in Africa at 223 meters, and represented an ambitious step forward for the city. Hide Caption 5 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Birds eye view – The 50-storey colossus includes shopping malls and offices for companies such as transport group Transnet, although it has struggled to maintain occupancy rates.
The center is also a popular tourist attraction, offering unrivaled views of the city.
Hide Caption 6 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Party over – The Carlton Hotel continued to operate within the Centre until it closed in 1998, having previously been a favorite of the rich and powerful, with guests including Hillary Clinton, Whitney Houston and Mick Jagger.
The once-thriving hotel is now abandoned and gathering dust, including the extravagant indoor pool (above). Hide Caption 7 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Chrysler house – One of the earliest and grandest of Johannesburg skyscrapers. The car showroom, built in 1938, occupies an entire city block.
The building is now being converted into housing and developers promise some of the lowest cost rental accommodation in the city. Hide Caption 8 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Night and day – The 12-storey Diplomat Hotel had a reputation as a glamor spot during the 1970s, but is now better known as a hub of the vice industry, sometimes referred to as the 'House of the Rising Sun' of Johannesburg. Hide Caption 9 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Trail blazer – The 60-meter Eskom Centre was the tallest skyscraper in the city when it was completed in 1955 as the headquarters of the Electricity Supply Commission.
The building still stands today but the company moved out over 20 years ago, declaring it inadequate for modern business needs. Hide Caption 10 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Falling down – The Hillpoint Highbrow was one of the most ambitious developments, standing over 100-meters tall, and providing stylish accommodation for the city elite on top of a popular cinema.
The towers later fell into dilapidation as the surrounding area declined, and continues to suffer with high rates of crime and poverty. Hide Caption 11 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Sunset – The twin towers of the Johannesburg Sun Hotel sustained a five-star rating from their opening in 1970 until the 1990s, when it was downgraded due to high crime rates in the surrounding downtown area.
The hotel closed its doors in 1998, and after several failed attempts at reopening, stands empty today. Hide Caption 12 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Nobody home – Foyer of the Sun hotel after its abandonment.
There are plans to revive the site, although this will require massive investment at high risk. Hide Caption 13 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Boom and bust – Built in 1976 at the height of developer confidence, the 173-meter Ponte City Apartments building was designed for a young and affluent class of owners.
But as the city declined during the 1980s, the tower was transformed into an urban slum that gained notoriety as a hub of prostitution, drug-dealing and violence. Hide Caption 14 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Out of sight – The building was designed with a hollow core, into which residents discarded their trash. At one point, the garbage pile role to 14 stories high.
After discussions to convert the building into a prison were abandoned, the city redeveloped it as a block of expensive apartments, with 24-hour armed security. Hide Caption 15 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Survivor – The Marble Towers have fared better since opening in 1973. The 32-floor skyscraper serves as the headquarters of Sanlam insurance, and is also referred to as the Sanlam Sentrum. Hide Caption 16 of 18
Photos: Johannesburg: City of skyscrapers Inside view – Art-deco style courtyard of the Marble Towers. Hide Caption 17 of 18


South Africa's largest city is famous for a spectacular skyline, featuring the two tallest buildings in Africa among a soaring range of skyscrapers.


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Bogota, Colombia (CNN en Español) Many Colombians have known nothing but a time of conflict between the government and the guerrillas of FARC.
Now there is a promise of a time of peace, with a deal signed in Havana , Cuba, between officials and a leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to end one of the world's longest-running conflicts, a 52-year war that has claimed 220,000 lives
In the Colombian capital, Bogota, hundreds celebrated the agreement in a park. On social media, hashtags like #AdiosalaGuerra (farewell to war) and #PazenColombia (peace in Colombia) trended, but other users expressed their dismay.
Some agreed with opposition complaints that the Havana deal fell short.
Rickshaw driver John Fernando Menesses said it was ironic that the government would now look after the people it had been fighting.
"It was dishonest for the country that President (Juan Manuel Santos) handed seats (in Congress) to the guerrillas," says John Fernando Menesses, who drives a rickshaw in northern Bogota. "Now the army has to take care of the guerrillas. So many soldiers were killed by the guerrillas, (and) now they have to look after them -- what an irony!"
Jose said there could not be peace without prosperity for all,
For Jose, a peddler in the capital, peace in Colombia will come only when there is equality.
"Peace is a word politicians talk about all the time. But in Colombia, there is no peace. I come from the lower classes and there is no peace. As long as we have to be desperately seeking bread, doing whatever it takes to survive, there will be no peace."
For millions of Colombians, peace is something unknown; there hasn't been a peaceful period in half a century, and entire generations have grown up watching the horrors of the conflict.
Jorge Bermudez said he hopes for peace but is skeptical it will come.
Jorge Bermudez, a retiree in Bogota, says he yearns for a peace that the younger generations have never seen. But he says he does not trust the process.
"Peace would be very nice if it finally becomes true. We need it," he said.
"I do not think it will become true, however. I don't think the agreement will become a reality because dealing with people who have killed so many children, that have maimed people and suddenly they are in government ... how will this country end up with such people?"
Others said just the hope of a different country was enough to take the risk.
Julio Correal, a Colombian musician, said the deal was an opportunity. He is also the creator of the "'Adiós a la Guerra" (Farewell to War) campaign, a government-led initiative to educate people on both sides about the peace process.
"We artists have to be builders of identity, of memory, and in this particular case serve as means of reconciliation," he told CNN.
In the campaign, about 20 artists sing for peace and join the so-called "largest conversation in the world" to spread information about the agreements.
"The opportunity we are offering is unique. These agreements are the most important in our recent history," he said.
"It is the opportunity to end a cycle of this terrible violence -- this way of resolving conflicts by force of arms -- and give the opportunity to the country, the state and society in general to enjoy a real development. It will not be easy, it has never been easy, but it is easier than a war scenario."
Freddy Socarras said the deal was a new dream for Colombians.
Freddy Socarras, from Bogota, said he thinks the agreements are a first step toward a different future.
"It's a dream, a hope that we haven't been able to live out as Colombians. For new generations it is an opportunity to rebuild the country, to live in peace. It is a historic day for Colombia and for all young people who will have a different country than the one I lived in."
Gladis said she hopes her daughter and younger generations will benefit from peace.
Gladis, who is retired and mother of a daughter, says that peace is for new generations. "I think of my daughter, of the children, they will continue this. It will not be for us."
The peace deal came after four years of negotiations. The next step is to put it to Colombian voters in a referendum October 2.
Naira Rodriguez said she is willing to give peace a chance and will vote yes.
"I will vote yes," said Naira Rodriguez. "It is the hope of the whole country. I believe we deserve this. It brings uncertainty, but we must take risks. We have to take risks."

Colombians react to peace deal with FARC


In Colombia, the peace deal between FARC rebels and the government to end a 52-year conflict is met with hope, celebration and skepticism.


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4-month-old Joey Marie has become an Instagram star thanks to the elaborate costumes her mom makes for her.
Source: CNN

This baby wears amazing costumes while she naps


4-month-old Joey Marie has become an Instagram star thanks to the elaborate costumes her mom makes for her.


(CNN) It's been a good year for blunt, fiercely macho leadership around the world.
They're all known for controversial, shocking remarks -- can you work out who said these quotes?

Trump, Putin or Duterte: Can you pick which politician said what?


It's been a good year for blunt, fiercely macho leadership around the world.


Chris Sloan is managing editor and senior partner of Airways Magazine and AirwaysMag.com . This is a condensed version of his three-part series about flying aboard NASA's 747SP flying observatory SOFIA, published on AirwaysMag.com.
Like chasing a comet, there are few airliners more desirable or out of reach than the Boeing 747SP.
This 747 is rare.
Out of more than 1,500 747s built, only 45 SPs rolled off the assembly line. Fewer than five examples remain airworthy today.
It's essentially a 747-200 model, except it's 47 feet shorter.
The "SP" stands for Special Performance -- and it lived up to its name. In its day, the SP could fly faster, higher, and longer-range than any other airliner.
To realize my ambition of flying on an SP, I'd have to look to the stars.
NASA's SOFIA, a 747SP-21 was originally built to carry passengers on ultra-long haul routes. Now it's used to carry the world's only flying infrared astronomy laboratory and flying infrared telescope.
Very simply put, SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is used to observe light in the infrared spectrum that's not visible to the naked eye.
What does it do?
Most telescopes as we know them observe light that's visible to the naked eye.
SOFIA is important because -- according to SOFIA's team -- it studies infrared light sources that have never been studied.
The light you see with your eyes reveals only part of the universe. Astronomers observe many other types of "light" to expand our views of the universe.
Are you with me? Now this is where things get a bit more scientifically wonky.
Infrared light energy is just one strata of the electromagnetic spectrum. This includes visible light, X-rays, radio waves and other forms. Many objects in space emit almost all of their energy at infrared wavelengths. But they are invisible in visible light.
In other instances, visible light is concealed by clouds of gas and dust in space. But, infrared light can reach and be read by a telescope -- if it's an infrared telescope.
That's where SOFIA comes in.
It provides data that can't be picked up by any other telescope on the ground or in space ... at least in the known galaxy.
Pamela Marcum, NASA's SOFIA project scientist, said the goals of the overall mission include "studying objects spanning the full gamut of astronomical topics including planets, moons, asteroids and comets in our solar system; star and planet formation; extra-solar planets and the evolution of planetary systems; the interstellar medium and interstellar chemistry; the nucleus of the Milky Way galaxy, and nearby normal and active galaxies."
SOFIA is a true multi-use observatory. Its instruments consist of cameras, spectrometers, and photometers. They operate at different infrared wavelengths. Some are dedicated to studying specific astronomical science phenomena.
Other instruments serve a more general role but are capable of acquiring data simultaneously with another more specialized instrument.
Why does NASA need a flying telescope?
Water vapor blocks infrared light energy and 99% of the world's water vapor exists below 39,000 feet. So, the higher altitude you fly, the drier it gets and the more optimal it is for infrared observation.
Allan W. Meyer, a SOFIA flight planner who has been conducting airborne astronomy since 1975, said the seasons matter as well, which is why SOFIA shifts between hemispheres to be able to observe in winter year round.
"Winter is more optimum because the nights are longer, there's less water vapor in the atmosphere, and there's less turbulence," Meyer said.
SOFIA's platform, leveraging a plane versus a satellite in space like the orbiting Hubble telescope, has definite advantages, says Randolf Klein, SOFIA instrument scientist.
Unlike satellites, a plane "can fly to any longitude or latitude on the planet to observe a special event."
SOFIA's signature visual cue is the bulge at the back of the fuselage. A 172-inch-wide by 226-inch-tall door is located on the plane's left side. Inside that door the telescope sits in an unpressurized part of the plane that has an effective diameter of 2.5 meters (about 8 feet).
There's a reason why the telescope resides on the left side of the aircraft.
"All airplane observatories have telescopes on left side," said Meyer. It's the best side of the aircraft for observing during westerly flight. "You can slow down the rising and setting of objects when flying west," he said.
A former Pan Am airliner
In the late 1970s, Boeing pitched NASA on the idea that an airborne telescope could be mounted on a 747. It took until 1996 for NASA and DLR (The German Aerospace Center) to partner up and create SOFIA.
Next, they just needed to find the right plane.
The 747SP that would become SOFIA first flew with Pan American World Airways on April 25, 1977 -- christened as Clipper Lindbergh on the 50th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's historic first solo flight across the Atlantic.
In 1986 as Pan Am sold its Asian route network to United Airlines, the plane flew with United for nearly a decade. Then it was mothballed in the Nevada desert, where NASA found it.
This SP was relatively youthful in terms of hours and age. NASA purchased it on February 5, 1997. It took 13 years to remodel the plane, install new equipment, put in retractable fuselage doors and to test it.
Finally, on November 30, 2010, SOFIA embarked on its first full science research flight.
One hour of flight = $100,000
Even with the backing of deep-pocketed partners, the SOFIA program was nearly canceled in 2006 before it ever flew and nearly canceled in 2013 due to budget cuts.
The program costs $85 million per year in US funding and $20 million from DLR. Each of the 100 missions works out to nearly $1 million.
At an average of 10 hours per flight mission and 1,000 flight hours per year, each hour in flight costs in the vicinity of $100,000.
The Vampire Jet
The plane is based inside a former B-1 bomber plant at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Palmdale California -- except during the Northern Hemisphere summer, when it's based at Christchurch, New Zealand.
During our February 2016 flight, we would study 10 waypoints for 10 targets, including Jupiter's moon Titan and the planet Mars. Our route would take us across the western two-thirds of the continental US -- from California to Missouri and Indiana, Washington state down to Nevada and New Mexico.
Because SOFIA only performs observation missions at night, it's often called the Vampire Jet.
The telescope doesn't gather valuable data in daylight. Also, exposing the telescope to direct sunlight would destroy its optics and create a fire hazard.
The penthouse
Upon entering the aircraft, we encountered a cabin that was an almost overwhelming dichotomy of a long-since-passed 1970s long-haul airliner, futuristic NASA mission control, and the International Space Station.
No tour of a 747 is complete without a visit to the penthouse.
We wound our way up the 1970s vintage spiral 747 staircase to discover the most intimate of intimate upper decks: A shortened upper cabin consisting of Lufthansa Business class seats.
This space army definitely travels on its stomach. Our open plane galley includes a microwave oven, refrigerator, and a table overflowing with high energy snacks, jerky, and an avalanche of junk food.
SOFIA's mid-cabin is where the aircraft dons the appearance of NASA mission control, with consoles, computers, and monitors displaying esoteric data, alien user interfaces, and celestial images galore.
Our crew of 25 souls included a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, navigator and 21 members of the science contingent.
I spotted no one playing Minecraft or surfing the web. Why surf the web when you can surf the solar system?
Takeoff
We take our seats and, at 8:08 p.m. local time, the doors are closed.
Co-pilot Ace Beall radios the tower: "NASA 747 heavy ready to taxi to runway 2-5."
The only thing pumping more than the four mighty Pratt & Whitney engines are our hearts, with adrenaline.
With no traffic on the field, at 8:35 p.m., the engines spool up to begin our takeoff. Right on schedule.
Because it's not being used as a passenger jet, the plane's low weight lets it thrust into the cool desert air in less then 40 seconds.
There are no relief pilots during our nearly 10-hour flight, and aside from quick trips to the lavatory and walks through the cabin, the pilots are on duty the entire journey.
One pilot dons his oxygen mask as it's mandatory to wear them above 41,000 feet and SOFIA will eventually reach an altitude of 43,000 feet.
Opening the door during mid-flight
As we climb, scientists run multiple checklists and prepare for the scheduled 6 hours and 55 minutes of observation time. Once the telescope door opens, the work can be intense. There are no real breaks.
At observation altitude, the cabin is kept in the mid-60 degrees Fahrenheit. The crew puts on their sweaters and jackets.
Turbulence can cause the telescope to de-lock from its target. But even during moderate, choppy turbulence, it stays stable due to its spherical bearing, shock absorbers and gyroscopes.
"Up to moderate turbulence, the telescope can still make reliable observations," says SOFIA pilot Capt. Manny Antimisiaris.
If turbulence increases from moderate to heavy, the telescope will go into standby mode. After the turbulence passes, then its tracking target has to be reacquired. Normally, the telescope operators adjust it at intervals of 30 minutes to keep it on target.
NASA had told us proudly that, when SOFIA's telescope door opens at 35,000 feet, there would be no detectable buffeting inside the cabin.
To prove their point, at 9:02 p.m., when the door opens, no one tells us.
Sure enough, there was no detectable turbulence.
On the flight deck, a green light on the flight engineer's panel indicates that the telescope door is open.
Astonishingly, with the door open, there's only a 2% increase in fuel burn, thanks to the door's air flow design.
Chalk it up to science!
On the main deck, things get a bit busier as the science observations begin.
Mission Director Randy Grashuis and the flight crew operate in perfect synchronicity to facilitate the viewing of specific targets. The telescope is so precisely balanced that it appears to be moving, when in fact, the airplane is moving around the telescope.
Grashuis directs the flight crew to remain on course and to be exactly on time for each of the observation points.
The telescope "has 6 degrees of movement of cross elevation so we have to keep the star within the 6 degrees. We ask for 1 degree course changes about every four to five minutes," Grashuis says.
This is vividly demonstrated as galaxies and stars are displayed across monitors throughout cabin.
It's an ethereal, surreal sight.
Mission accomplished
At 5:55 a.m., the de-throttling of the engines indicates our initial descent and that our scientific mission will be drawing to a close.
Dawn begins to subtly paint the horizon as the fuselage door closes, putting the telescope to bed.
The closing sequence takes less than 1 minute and is imperceptible.
With flaps fully deployed on approach, we touch down on time -- at 6:22 a.m. -- after 9 hours, 46 minutes aloft.
SOFIA certainly made it clear to me -- as it has to many in the scientific community -- that the sky is no longer the limit for telescopes.
A certain eye in the sky called the 747SP has made certain of that.

NASA's 747SP SOFIA: World's biggest flying observatory


NASA's rare 747SP flying observatory -- the world's biggest -- costs $100,000 an hour to fly. The "Vampire Jet's" telescope studies the stars and planets.


Story highlights The officers were shot in separate incidents Friday
Their badges protected them from the bullets
(CNN) Officers take an oath to protect and serve, but sometimes they are the ones that need protecting.
This became apparent early Friday when two officers in separate states narrowly escaped being killed -- thanks to their badges.
"We sacrifice time with friends to earn this badge and received the privilege to wear it," said Officer Steve Carapia of the California Highway Patrol. "We never imagine that one day it will save our lives."
Both officers were shot at while on duty.
Both officers were saved by their badges.
Read More


Officers take an oath to protect and serve, but sometimes they are the ones that need protecting.


Hong Kong (CNN) What do you feed a hungry ghost?
If you live in parts of Asia, dim sum, noodles and even iPhones -- all carefully constructed from paper -- may do the trick.
The Hungry Ghost Festival , a month-long ancient tradition that pays respect to the spirits of the dead, is celebrated across many parts of Chinese Asia on the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
During the festival, ghosts are believed to return to Earth to haunt the living and people burn paper money and food -- as well as incense -- to pay respect to their ancestors and soothe wandering spirits.
Throughout the month, many communities host celebrations, hand out rice to people in need and stage traditional Chinese operas on temporary bamboo stages for people -- both the living and the dead -- to enjoy.
The underworld celebration reaches its peak with the Yu Lan Ji festival held in many parts of China, Singapore and Malaysia on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month -- in 2016 that's August 17.
Houses, cars and other luxury items are increasingly popular offerings.
On this night, the ghosts that have been roaming the Earth for two weeks are believed to be hungry, so people burn food, money and even luxury goods to make sure their ancestors, and any lonely spirits without a family, are cared for.
These paper items are often beautifully presented and constructed in minute detail.
Bowls of individual dim sum, crafted from paper of course, are carefully garnished and presented with accompaniments.
Luxury goods like iPhones, houses, designer handbags and flashy cars have also become increasingly popular in recent years.
CNN spoke to a Hong Kong resident to find out what the event means to him.
Calvin Wong, a university professor, has been celebrating the Hungry Ghost Festival since childhood.
CNN: What are you buying?
I'm buying luxury handbags.
I also bought some smartphones, jewelry, and iPhones.
Who are the items for?
They're for my ancestors -- parents -- sorry, I mean for my grandparents.
My parents are alive.
Can you explain the symbolism behind some of these items?
The lotus means purity, and bamboo means long life.
Some of these Chinese objects mean good fortune, and the birds are for longevity as well.
They are both for the deceased and for living people.
These airplanes, houses, yacht, iPhones are all recent trends.
I didn't have these when I was young.
What do you do during this month of the festival? What other traditions do you practice?
Well, we burn incense on the street.
And there are basically two reasons: For the ancestors who passed away, and also for anonymous spirits who had no siblings or children.
That's why Chinese people burn things for them to give comfort to the wandering spirits.
For many in Hong Kong, it's about keeping old traditions alive.
In my family, we also get fresh leaves, like Lotus leaves, to wash our body to purify ourselves after visiting spiritual ceremonies and funerals.
We don't want those wandering spirits to follow us back home.
What's the meaning of this festival? What traditions are usually practiced? What's your earliest memory?
The first reason [we celebrate this festival] is to pay respect to the ancestors and another reason is to provide charity for wandering spirits.
I guess I've been doing this since I was a child, five to six years old.
I used to do this with my grandparents. They passed away 10 years ago.
There are lots of interesting memories about the Hungry Ghost Festival.
For example, I remember going to see lots of Chinese operas and they usually serve free congee [a type of rice porridge] and fruit as charity.
And my parents used to buy candies for me.
You are actually supposed to leave the first row empty on the first night of the opera performance because that's for the ghosts.
What would you like in the afterlife?
A pint of beer would be nice.
And they really should burn me a bank.
The entire bank.
HSBC headquarters would be wonderful!


Paper iPhones, designer handbags and flashy cars go up in smoke as people pay tribute to ancestors


(CNN) She dedicated her life to helping the poor in India, performed several miracles and won a Nobel Peace prize in 1979.
Mother Teresa, the world famous nun needs little introduction, and her canonization on September 4 at the Vatican in Rome, is expected to draw huge crowds.
But what exactly is a saint and how does someone become one?
We take a closer look.
What is a saint?
A saint is a person who has lived a devout Catholic life, serving God and selflessly assisting people in need.
Saints act as role models and they're also believed to communicate with God on someone's behalf when a request for help is made in prayer.
Catholics believe a saint is someone who lived a holy life and who's already in heaven.
It's near impossible to figure out the exact number of saints. One well-known work called "Lives of the Saints" lists 2,565 Catholic saints, but that doesn't count thousands of others considered saints in other regions across the world.
The Catholic Church even has a feast, All Saints' Day, on November 1 to honor the countless saints who aren't formally canonized.
Photos: American saints and blesseds St. Junipero Serra Pope Francis canonized during his visit to the U.S . Serra is credited with founding several missions in California that were created to spread the Christian gospel to the native peoples of that part of North America. Some Native Americans oppose Serra's canonization; they say his work contributed to the oppression of their ancestors. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), known as Mother Cabrini, was the first American citizen to be canonized. The Italian-born nun founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and was canonized in 1946. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds St. Marianne Cope was born Barbara Koob in 1838 in West Germany, but her family moved to the United States when she was an infant. She joined the Sisters of St. Francis in her early 20s and received the name "Sister Marianne." She is best known for her work with people afflicted with leprosy in Hawaii. She died in Hawaii in 1918. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich was born in 1901 in New Jersey. She joined the Sisters of Charity in 1925. She is best known for her spiritual writings, which were published after her 1927 death under the title "Greater Perfection." Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds This is an undated photograph of St. Katharine Drexel. She was born in Philadelphia in 1858 and died in 1955. The heiress-turned-nun and founder of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament is best known for devoting her life and fortune to starting schools in 13 states for blacks, missions for Native Americans in 16 states and 40 other mission centers and 23 rural schools. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 2000. Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds St. Rose-Philippine Duchesne was born in 1769 in France. She became a nun when she was 18, but her contemplative community was dispersed after the French Revolution. When she was 35, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When she was 49, she was born in 1769 in France. She became a nun when she was 18, but her contemplative community was dispersed after the French Revolution. When she was 35, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When she was 49, she sailed for what was then known as the New World, where she established her order's first house outside France and founded several schools. She died in St. Charles, Missouri, in 1852. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds After a mass to celebrate the canonization of St. Mother Theodore Guerin, visitors look at the portrait of the French-born 19th-century nun at the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2006. She is best known for founding schools in Illinois and throughout Indiana. She is the patron saint of Indianapolis. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds This is a statue of St. Isaac Jogues, thought to be the first Catholic priest to go to Manhattan, at New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral. He is best known for his work as a missionary to the Huron and Algonquian nations in the area colonized by France in what is now the United States and Canada. Jogues, who died in 1646 after he was hit with a Mohawk tomahawk, is the patron saint of the Americas and Canada. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos was a German-born Redemptorist priest who pastored and preached in Catholic parishes and missions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Louisiana, Michigan, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey and other states from 1844 until his death of yellow fever in 1867. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821) was canonized as the first American-born saint in 1975. Seton converted to Catholicism after her husband's death. She founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first order of religious women in America, as well as several schools. Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds St. John Neumann was the first Redemptorist priest to profess his vows in the United States. The German-born priest became a U.S. citizen in 1848, at age 36. He is best known for establishing the first unified system of Catholic schools in Philadelphia. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds This is a wooden statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a 17th-century Mohawk woman who was canonized in 2012. She is best known for teaching prayers to children and working with the elderly and sick. St. Kateri died in 1680, just before her 24th birthday. She is the Roman Catholic Church's first Native American saint. Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: American saints and blesseds This is a statue of St. Damien de Veuster of Moloka'i, who was best known for his work with people suffering with leprosy in the Hawaiian islands. The Belgian-born priest ended up in Hawaii as a replacement for his brother, also a priest, who had been assigned to a mission in Hawaii but subsequently became too ill to travel. Upon arriving, the young priest offered to stay in the leper colony at Moloka'i permanently to help by building schools, hospitals, churches and coffins, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website. He worked closely with St. Marianne Cope. St. Damien ultimately contracted leprosy and died in 1889 at age 49. He is Hawaii's patron saint. Hide Caption 13 of 13
What steps do they have to take?
Most saints don't actively pursue sainthood.
Instead, they dedicate themselves to humanitarian tasks and devote themselves to God. In some cases, the Pope recognizes such goods deeds after the individual's death, first beatifying, then canonizing the person in question.
a whole procedure -- But you can't just be made a saint with the click of the Pope's fingers. There'sa whole procedure -- described under the 'New Laws for the Causes of Saints' on the Vatican website -- that determines whether candidates really merit the honor, and the entire process can take several decades.
First up, a local church official examines a candidate's good deeds, life and writings for evidence of holiness and virtue. If they uncover enough material, they submit the candidate's case to the Vatican.
A group of cardinals and theologians of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints scrutinizes the case.
If the Congregation approves, the case is passed to the Pope. He decides if the candidate is "venerable" -- if they've sufficiently lived a life full of heroic Catholic virtue.
The next step is beatification -- recognition that an individual is in heaven. This status is granted when one of the candidate's miracles are verified posthumously. The miracle should be associated to prayers made to the candidate after their death from a person in need. If the prayer was granted, it proves that the candidate was able to communicate with God to conjure the miracle.
Miracles, however, are also scrutinized and deemed to be miraculous, only if they have no logical medical explanation.
The candidate is canonized and made a saint proper once a second miracle is verified posthumously.
How did it happen for Mother Teresa?
Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa A 1960 portrait of Mother Teresa, the Albanian nun who dedicated her life to the poor, the destitute and the sick of Calcutta, India (later called Kolkata). Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa Mother Teresa, head of the Sisters of Charity, works with some of the lepers in Calcutta on December 7, 1971. Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa Mother Teresa in her hospital around the time she was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in 1973. Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa Mother Teresa delivers a speech after receiving her Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1979, in Oslo, Norway. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, bid farewell to the Mother Teresa at the White House on May 6, 1981. Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa wave to well-wishers in Calcutta on February 3, 1986. Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Mother Teresa at the opening of the Mother Teresa Home for Infant Children on June 19, 1995, in Washington. Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa Diana, Princess of Wales, meets with Mother Teresa in New York in June 1997, months before the women died within days of each other. Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: Remembering Mother Teresa Kosovo Albanian Catholics attend a religious service at the Blessed Mother Teresa Cathedral in Pristina on September 5, 2012, to mark the 15th anniversary of her death. Hide Caption 9 of 9
The nun was beatified in October 2003 by now deceased Pope John Paul II. He approved a first posthumous miracle. A 30-year-old woman in Kolkata said she was cured of a stomach tumor after praying to Mother Teresa.
A Vatican committee said it could find no scientific explanation for her healing and declared it a miracle.
In March 2016, Pope Francis announced that Mother Teresa would be declared a saint after recognizing a second miracle attributed to her.
A Brazilian man with multiple brain tumors was healed after loved ones prayed to her, the Italian Catholic bishops' association's official newspaper Avvenire reported.


Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping the poor in India, performed several miracles and won a Nobel Peace prize in 1979. But how hard is it to become a saint?


(CNN) The earthquake that rattled central Italy has left hundreds of cultural and historical sites damaged or destroyed, Italy's minister of culture said Thursday .
Minister Dario Franceschini said at least 293 cultural heritage assets were damaged in the earthquake zone, according to CNN affiliate RIA.
Fifty were destroyed, RIA reported.
Among the structures or sites damaged were Cattedrale di Urbino , an ancient Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Urbino, which suffered small structural cracks, the cultural ministry website said, as well as Monastero Santa Chiara in the city of Camerino.
The San Giuliano cathedral in the town of Macerata also sustained damage in Wednesday's magnitude-6.2 earthquake.
In a photo taken before the earthquake, the Church of San Giuliano is seen behind the bell tower of the Church of St. Paul in Macerata.
In the hard-hit town of Amatrice, the Basilica Di San Francesco and the Chiesa di Sant Agostino partially collapsed, the ministry said. Slide the bar in the image below to see before and after views of the Chiesa di Sant Agostino.
Franceschini said all proceeds from state museums on August 28 will go to areas affected by the earthquake. He invited Italians to go to museums on that day "as a sign of solidarity with the population" in regions hardest hit by the temblor.

Historical treasures lost, damaged in Italian quake


The earthquake that rattled central Italy has left hundreds of cultural and historical sites damaged or destroyed, Italy's minister of culture said Thursday.


Cynthia Hudson is vice president and general manager of CNN en Español. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.
(CNN) I cried a tear for "El Divo de Juarez," Juan Gabriel, when I heard Sunday night that he had died in California at 66 . His influence on generations of artists helped to propel Latin music across continents. His life and generosity helped to open our eyes to the injustice of poverty and the acceptance of art, regardless of sexuality.
He was the voice of many, and he helped me to realize that music and language are a part of what make us who we are.
He helped me to appreciate my own cultural heritage -- to learn more about myself. It was a song of Gabriel's that did it.
You see, my English name, blond hair, fair skin, hazel eyes and flawless English contrast with other parts of me -- my gestures, loud and passionate delivery and love of Latin music.
As a child, I was simply Cyndi Hudson, born in California and living in Georgia and Washington, D.C. But my mother, Ofelia Martin Llambi, was born in Cuba and had met my father, Donald Ray Hudson, when she was a visiting foreign student at Tulane University in 1958. They married soon after my grandparents and mother fled Cuba and its revolution in 1960.
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I grew up speaking both English and Spanish. My mother eventually got her doctorate and became a Spanish literature professor and my father got his Ph.D. in business administration after retiring from the Marine Corps, having served as a captain in Vietnam. My grandfather died when I was very young, and so my grandmother Titi lived with us while my family moved around to accommodate my parents' studies and later their jobs as university professors.
All my childhood my mother insisted that my brothers and I take private Spanish and French lessons, even though it was a financial burden for them. My mother was certain that being bi- or trilingual would be a great advantage to our futures.
In the early 1970s, we drove to Mexico from Miami, where we had just moved so that my father could take a full professorship at the University of Miami. It was our typical long summer vacation, and we would be visiting with cousins I had never met. These were other Cubans who had immigrated to Mexico due to Cuba's troubles and who were still close to our family.
I'll never forget the family traveling in the station wagon, my grandmother along for the ride, our group looking almost like a scene from a "Vacation" movie -- and hearing Mexican radio stations playing a catchy tune by the latest young star, Juan Gabriel: "Mi Guitarra."
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My brothers and I were humming and singing, hearing Spanish music in our car for the three weeks we toured Mexico -- from a trip to see the pyramids, the mummies in Guanajuato, the divers in Acapulco and more. It was amazing as we had never really listened to or thought about Spanish music, except to see our mom bringing home records every time she visited family in Miami.
Miami, where'd we moved for my father's job, was a strange place for us, as we met cousins we never knew and started to understand that there were lots of people who also spoke Spanish and English, as we had long done growing up, but in towns where it would elicit a strange look and where we rarely met others who spoke Spanish.
I had never really understood that I was different from anyone: It never came up at school, and my friends never questioned us. But now I recall that when others heard Spanish coming out of my mouth when I was talking with my blond, blue-eyed Cuban grandmother they would often quickly turn and ask: "What language are you speaking?" Of course, upon my response, we got the typical, "Oh, but you don't look Spanish." I really had no idea what that meant, because all the people I knew who spoke Spanish at that time looked like me.
Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Cuban natives Estela and Arturo Bueno met and married after they were brought to the United States as teens by Operation Pedro Pan, a U.S.-sponsored move used by parents who feared what communism would do to their children. Here, the Buenos are shown in Los Angeles in 1969 when they were dating. They now oppose any U.S. ties with Cuba. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Arturo Bueno, 8 years old in Camagüey, Cuba, in 1953. Now 69, he arrived in the United States at age 16 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, which airlifted 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children from the communist isle. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Arturo Bueno in Miami in 1961. He was 16 years old. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Estela Bueno in Camagüey, Cuba, in 1960, when she was 14. It was a year after Fidel Castro successfully led a revolution on the island. Operation Pedro Pan brought her to the United States when she was 15. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Estela Bueno at Belmont High School in Los Angeles in 1964, when she was 18 years old. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Estela Bueno in Los Angeles, at 18 years old in 1964. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Estela Bueno in Camagüey, Cuba, taken at Colegio Teresiano in 1952, before Fidel Casto's successful 1959 revolution. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Cuban-American views The Cuban-American generation gap – Estela Bueno in Camagüey, Cuba, in 1960. Hide Caption 8 of 8
When I moved to Miami I realized that Cubans had become a powerhouse there -- educated, industrious and assertive. They were building a new city, and Cuban culture was revered, even though there was pride in being American and gratitude that this country had taken them in.
And a month after moving, I was humming to "Mi Guitarra" and asking my mom to buy me the album in Mexico. It would be my first Spanish-language album, taking its place next to the Partridge Family, the Doobie Brothers, Chicago and KC and the Sunshine Band.
"Mi Guitarra" was so simple. It was the pledge of youth to sing to your heart's content and the sound of one's guitar that could bridge all cultures, love and friendship -- the language didn't matter.
Juan Gabriel helped me to realize that I was more than just Cyndi Hudson, but also the daughter of a Latina, the cousin of Cuban-Mexicans and a person with a passion for that part of me that music, language and culture celebrated.
I have never forgotten how important that one song was in helping me to define myself and embrace every part of who I am, and how that immense blend of ethnicities and cultures has made me a unique and proud American.
After hearing the news of the singer's passing, I called my mother and thanked her for insisting that I speak fluent Spanish, as this has helped me build my career.
Descansa en paz, Juan Gabriel.


Cynthia Hudson writes that his music helped a fair-haired American Latina define herself and embrace every part of who she is.


(CNN) A US Navy patrol craft fired three warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boat Wednesday after US officials said it had harassed that patrol craft, CNN has learned.
Another US patrol craft and a Kuwaiti Navy ship were also harassed in the incident, which took place in the northern end of the Persian Gulf.
At one point, the Iranian boat came within 200 yards of one of the US Navy boats. When it failed to leave the area after the Navy had fired flares and had a radio conversation with the Iranian crew, the US officials said, the USS Squall fired three warning shots. Following standard maritime procedures, the Navy fired the three shots into the water to ensure the Iranians understood they needed to leave the immediate area.
State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said incidents like this one "unnecessarily escalate tensions," adding that the US doesn't know Iran's intentions.
In an encounter Tuesday, a US Navy official told CNN four Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels conducted a "high-speed intercept" of the USS Nitze in waters near the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday, deeming the incident "unsafe and unprofessional."
The official said two of the vessels slowed and turned away only after coming within 300 yards of the US guided-missile destroyer as it transited international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, and only after the destroyer had sent multiple visual and audio warnings.
The incidents are only the latest in a series of all-too-close encounters with Iran in the region since December. These brushes have included Iranian rocket launches, drones flying over US vessels and the capture of US sailors in January. They come against the backdrop of renewed US diplomatic contacts with Iran, which has triggered a political backlash among Iranian hardliners, including the powerful IRGC.
In the wake of Tuesday's incident, the Nitze and US Naval Forces Central Command have determined that the Iranian vessels were violating international law and maritime standards, acting dangerously and unprofessionally.
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The Iranian vessels moved at high speed toward the Nitze, which was operating in accordance with international law in international waters and ignored maritime "rules of the road" as set out in the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. According to the Navy official, the IRGC vessels ignored multiple warnings, creating a dangerous, harassing environment that could have pushed the Nitze to take defensive measures, escalating the situation.
The US Naval Forces Central Command is responsible for approximately 2.5 million square miles of area that stretches from the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, parts of the Indian Ocean and 20 countries.
Tuesday's encounter took place as the Nitze and the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason were conducting what the official said was a routine transit near the internationally recognized strait. The official spoke to CNN anonymously to discuss military matters.
The four IRGC vessels approached at high speed. After identifying them, the Nitze tried 12 times to make contact by radio without receiving a response, according to the Navy official. As two of the Iranian vessels continued to barrel toward the Nitze at high speed, the destroyer used an internationally recognized maritime danger signal three times.
Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers A rainbow forms over the bow of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis as the ship steams in the Pacific Ocean on February 3, 2015. Hide Caption 1 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers A MV-22B Osprey, from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1, lifts off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) on June 12, 2016. The V-22 Osprey is being tested, evaluated and is slated to be planned replacement for the C-2Q Greyhound as the singular logistics platform on an aircraft carrier for at-sea delivery of personnel and equipment. Click through the gallery to see other U.S. aircraft carriers. Hide Caption 2 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Tug boats maneuver the aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) into the James River during the ship's turn ship evolution on June 11, 2016. This is a major milestone that brings the country's newest aircraft carrier another step closer to delivery and commissioning later this year. Hide Caption 3 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) transits through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea on June 13, 2016. Ike, the flagship of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. It could be used to support operations against ISIS in the Mideast. Hide Caption 4 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) arrives at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, a suburb of Tokyo, Japan, on October 1, 2015. The Reagan is the fifth U.S. carrier forward deployed to Japan following USS George Washington (CVN 73), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), USS Independence (CV 62) and USS Midway (CV 41), according to the Navy. Hide Caption 5 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers U.S. aircraft carrier classes – U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter (left) and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin shake hands on a Marine Corps V-22 Osprey as they depart the the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) after touring the aircraft carrier as it sailed in the South China Sea on April 15, 2016. Hide Caption 6 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers A photo illustration of the U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). The ship's keel laying ceremony was celebrated Saturday, August 22, 2015, in Newport News, Virginia. The ship is expected to replace the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), scheduled for inactivation in 2025, in the Navy fleet. The newest Kennedy will be the second carrier of that name. The first John F. Kennedy (CVA-67) was the last conventionally powered carrier. It was decommissioned in 2007. Hide Caption 7 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) passes under the Friendship Bridge while transiting the Suez Canal on Dec. 14, 2015. The ship is conducting operations in the Persian Gulf, where Iran claims to have taken footage of the carrier using a drone. Click through the gallery for more images of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. Hide Caption 8 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman V. Sek, assigned to the "Jolly Rogers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103, applies a Christmas decal to an F/A-18F Super Hornet in the hangar bay of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in December 2015. Hide Caption 9 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is seen from inside its sister ship, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), on August 7 off the coast of California as the two ships prepare for a "hull swap." Over 10 days in San Diego, much of the crew of each ship will transfer to the other. When completed, the Reagan will head to forward deployment in Japan, where the Washington had been. The Washington will head to Newport News, Virginia, for an overhaul. Hide Caption 10 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Sailors spell out #USA with the American flag on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Persian Gulf in late June 2015. When the Roosevelt leaves the Gulf sometime in October, the U.S. Navy will be without a carrier in the important region for two months. Hide Caption 11 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Three Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), top, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), center, and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) are pierside at Naval Air Station North Island near San Diego on June 12, 2015. The Vinson has just recently returned from a 10-month deployment. The Reagan is preparing for a move to Japan later this year and the Stennis was making a port call after steaming from its homeport of Bremerton, Washington. Hide Caption 12 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Sailors test the countermeasure washdown system on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during sea trials prior to returning to its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in late August 2015. Hide Caption 13 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt departs Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday, March 11, for a scheduled deployment. The Nimitz-class carrier's departure was delayed for two days after marine growth clogged sea water intakes. Divers went into the 36-degree water to clean out the intakes and allow the ship to get under way. The cold water created a fog that made it seem the ship was in a cloud. Hide Caption 14 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is seen near the coast of Indonesia in 2005. The carrier recently received a new anchor from the decommissioned USS Enterprise. Hide Caption 15 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Lightning strikes over the flight deck of the USS John C. Stennis, another Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, as the ship moves through the Persian Gulf in 2007. All of the Navy's 10 active aircraft carriers are from the Nimitz class, which started in 1975 with the commission of the USS Nimitz. Hide Caption 16 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The USS Ranger (CV-61) arrives at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1993. The Forrestal-class carrier, which featured in the movie "Top Gun," is to be scrapped this year. Hide Caption 17 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers In this photo released by the U.S. Navy, a tugboat works alongside the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Saratoga on Thursday, August 21, in Newport, Rhode Island. The Navy has paid a Texas recycling company a penny to dispose of the Saratoga, part of the Forrestal-class of "supercarrier" vessels built for the Atomic Age. The carrier was decommissioned 20 years ago. Hide Caption 18 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Aircrew members are lifted from the flight deck of the USS John F. Kennedy during an exercise in 2002. The ship, which was decommissioned in 2007, was the only member of its class. Hide Caption 19 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers An F/A-18 Hornet launches from the USS Enterprise in 2007. The Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was decommissioned in 2012. Like the John F. Kennedy, it was the only ship built in its class. Hide Caption 20 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The Kitty Hawk class was named for the USS Kitty Hawk, seen here departing Yokosuka, Japan, in 2008. At that time, the Kitty Hawk was the oldest carrier in the U.S. Navy and the only conventional-power aircraft carrier still in commission. It was decommissioned in 2009. Hide Caption 21 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The USS Independence, a member of the Forrestal class that preceded the Kitty Hawk class, heads up the East River in New York in 1959. Hide Caption 22 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Helicopters sit on the flight deck of the USS Saipan during the mid-1950s. The ship was one of two members of the Saipan class. Hide Caption 23 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The USS Midway, namesake of the Midway class of aircraft carriers, floats off the coast of North Vietnam in 1972. It was named after the Battle of Midway, when U.S. forces held back a Japanese attempt to take the Pacific atoll in 1942. Hide Caption 24 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The USS Princeton, part of the Independence class, moves off the coast of Seattle in 1944. Hide Caption 25 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The Essex-class USS Franklin burns after being hit by a Japanese dive bomber in 1945. The ship was named after Benjamin Franklin and nicknamed "Big Ben." Hide Caption 26 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The USS Wasp burns in the Coral Sea after being struck by three torpedoes from a Japanese submarine in 1942. The ship, the only one of its class, would ultimately sink because of the damage. Hide Caption 27 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers B-25 bombers sit on the deck of the USS Hornet in the Pacific Ocean in 1942. The Hornet, one of three carriers in the Yorktown class, was the ship that launched the bombers flown by Air Force Lt. Col. James Doolittle and his pilots during an air raid in Tokyo four months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It also was involved in the Battle of Midway. Hide Caption 28 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers Navy personnel work on board the USS Ranger circa 1942. The Ranger was the first ship to be designed and built specifically as an aircraft carrier. It was the only ship in its class. Hide Caption 29 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers There have actually been two aircraft carriers named after the Revolutionary War's Battle of Saratoga. The first USS Saratoga, seen here moving toward San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in 1945, was one of two members of the Lexington class of aircraft carriers. Hide Caption 30 of 31 Photos: U.S. aircraft carriers The USS Langley, the Navy's first aircraft carrier and sole member of its class, steams off the coast of Baltimore in 1924. Hide Caption 31 of 31
That signal -- five short blasts of the ship's whistle -- is used when another vessel's intentions are not understood or its indicated course is dangerous. At the same time, the Nitze also used visual warnings, firing 10 flares in the direction of the approaching vessels. Again, the destroyer got no response, the official said.
Despite the Nitze's close proximity to off-shore oil rigs, the ship altered course to move away from the approaching Iranian vessels and avoid a potential collision. Only after the two Iranian vessels had closed to within 300 yards of Nitze did they slow their speed before ultimately moving away.
The intercept was another tense incident between the longtime foes over the past year.
In December, as part of a life-fire exercise, Iran's military fired a rocket near the American aircraft carrier, the USS Harry Truman
And in January, the IRGC captured 10 American sailors when their two Riverine Command Boats accidentally strayed into waters near Iran-controlled Farsi Island, in the Persian Gulf. The sailors were released soon after.
Later that month, Iran reportedly flew an unarmed drone over a US warship, a move that a US navy official called "abnormal and unprofessional."

Iran US fires warning shots at Iranian vessel after close encounter


A US Navy patrol craft fired three warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boat Wednesday after US officials said it had harassed that patrol craft, CNN has learned.


Story highlights Anti-whaling activist group announce the launch of a new ship
The activists group's new campaign in the Southern Ocean comes in the wake of a court loss
Though Japan is often in the media spotlight for its whaling operations, Norway is actually the global leader in whale hunting
(CNN) Anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd announced its 11th whale defense campaign Tuesday with the launch of a custom-built vessel, which it claims will have the requisite muscle to take on Japanese whaling fleets.
"For the first time we will have the speed to catch and outrun the Japanese harpoon ships, knowing speed can be the deciding factor when saving the lives of whales in the Southern Ocean," Alex Cornelissen, Sea Shepherd Global CEO, said in a statement.
Sea Shepherd told CNN that its new ship -- dubbed "Ocean Warrior" -- is 54 meters (177 feet) long, displaces 439 tons and can reach speeds of 25 knots and higher. Japanese whaling ships are estimated to reach speeds of up to 22 knots, and Sea Shepherd's previous ships could only reach 15 knots. A deck area also enables ship operators to dispatch small boat operations and support a helicopter.
The ship was built in Turkey by Dutch shipbuilder Damen from an 8.3 million euro ($9 million) fund awarded to Sea Shepherd by the Dutch, UK and Swedish lotteries.
The Ocean Warrior has a deck area large enough to accommodate a helicopter and several small boat operations.
Ocean Warrior is expected to arrive in Australia at the end of 2016 so it can be prepared for the activist group's 11th whale defense campaign in the Southern Ocean.
Read More

Sea Shepherd vows to battle on with new ship


Anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd announced its 11th whale defense campaign Tuesday with the launch of a custom-built vessel, which it claims will have the requisite muscle to take on Japanese whaling fleets.


Reno, Nevada (CNN) The speech that Hillary Clinton delivered on Thursday was the one that many Democrats had been waiting for.
It was a blistering attack on Donald Trump's divisive rhetoric that left no gaffe or alleged dog-whistle unmentioned, framing him as a vessel for hate speech, a champion of conspiracy theories, and a representative of the far-right fringe of the Republican Party.
Race has long been an unsettling undercurrent of the 2016 presidential race. But this week, the two major candidates forced that debate into the open with Clinton's speech linking Trump to the "alt-right" movement, and Trump's new charge that the former secretary of state is "a bigot" who has pandered to minorities with feckless policies as part of a calculated quest for votes.
Clinton was clearly seeking to reframe the campaign debate as a referendum on Trump's fitness to be commander in chief during a week in which she has dealt with an onslaught of allegations that she used her influence as secretary of state to help donors to the Clinton Foundation.
"From the start, Donald Trump has built his campaign on prejudice and paranoia," Clinton said during her speech at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada. "He is taking hate groups mainstream and helping a radical fringe take over the Republican Party. His disregard for the values that make our country great is profoundly dangerous."
JUST WATCHED Donald Trump doubles down on Clinton 'bigot' comment Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Donald Trump doubles down on Clinton 'bigot' comment 01:22
Clinton described Trump as a candidate "with a long history of racial discrimination, who traffics in dark conspiracy theories drawn from the pages of the supermarket tabloids and the far, dark reaches of the internet."
At a time when Trump seems to be attempting to adopt a more inclusive tone, Clinton reminded her audience that Trump opened his campaign by suggesting that some undocumented immigrants from Mexico were rapists and criminals. And she seized the opening that Trump gave her earlier this month when he hired Steve Bannon, the former chairman of Breitbart News, as his campaign's chief executive.
At her rally in Reno, Clinton charged that Trump has essentially embraced the ideas of the so-called "alt-right," an amorphous movement closely tied with white nationalism that has been criticized as racist, misogynistic and anti-Semitic. Alt-right thinkers and writers, she noted, have found a home at conservative news sites like Breitbart.
Alleging that Trump is trying to bring a hate movement into the mainstream, she noted that the real estate magnate's admirers include members of the Ku Klux Klan; that he was slow to disavow praise from former Klan leader David Duke during the Republican primaries; and that he has retweeted comments from white supremacists online.
"Through it all, he has continued pushing discredited conspiracy theories with racist undertones," she said.
There was little subtlety in Clinton's speech. In a moment that drew gasps and jeers from the Reno audience, she read a series of recent headlines from the Breitbart website. Among them: "'Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy" and "Hoist It High And Proud: The Confederate Flag Proclaims A Glorious Heritage."
Trump responded to Clinton's speech during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, arguing that his campaign was "bringing love," not hate, and that his rallies are packed with Americans who have been left behind.
Calling Clinton a "third-rate politician," he argued that African-Americans are just realizing that the Democrats who have "run" the nation's inner cities have left them behind.
Trump also rejected the notion that he was embracing the "alt-right" movement. "Nobody even knows what that is," Trump told CNN's Cooper. "There is no alt right or left."
When Cooper noted that Bannon, Trump's new campaign chief executive, has used the term "alt-right," Trump professed ignorance.
"I don't know what Steve said," he said in the interview on "Anderson Cooper 360," before pivoting back to Clinton and her email controversies. "She is all talk, no action. ... She should be ashamed of herself."
Trump made those comments at a time when he is trying to expand his outreach to African-Americans and Hispanics, who widely disapprove of his rhetoric, his denunciations of undocumented immigrants, and his more outlandish proposals -- like a wall along the Mexican border that would be paid for by the Mexican government.
Given their sky-high unfavorable ratings, both Clinton and Trump hope to make the campaign a referendum on each other.
While Clinton wants to blunt any inroads that Trump might make with minority communities, she was also making the case for her candidacy on Thursday to moderates, independents and Republicans who are alarmed by Trump's associations with the more nefarious elements of the internet.
Throughout her speech, she praised Republicans, like former GOP presidential nominee John McCain, for standing up to hate speech.
Trump did his best to refute Clinton's attacks on Thursday as he attempts to rescue his poll numbers in key swing states.
During an interview with WMUR, a New Hampshire television station, Trump was asked whether he wants white supremacists to vote for him.
"No. I don't at all," Trump replied. "This is not about hate, this is about love. We love our country; we want our country to come back; we want our country to be strong again."


The speech that Hillary Clinton delivered on Thursday was the one that many Democrats had been waiting for.


Story highlights Border Patrol: "This is one of our larger cash seizures"
California is a hub for money laundering by Mexican cartels
(CNN) Border Patrol agents in California hit a jackpot this week in terms of cash seizures: $3 million.
For the agency that deals with border security, it was a major intercept of smuggled cash. The Border Patrol noted most of its past seizures has been in smaller amounts: $300,000, $51,000 and $43,000.
"This is one of our larger cash seizures," said Ralph DeSio, spokesman for the San Diego office of US Customs and Border Protection. Normally, he said, the big figure reported is the value of confiscated drugs.
The U.S. Border Patrol photographed the boxes it says carried $3 million in the trunk of a Volkswagen Passat
Currency smuggling and money laundering are the lifeblood for the Mexican cartels moving the majority of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine across the US border as well as for human traffickers.
If the sophisticated gangs can't get their tens of millions of dollars in cash home each year, the US market wouldn't be nearly as attractive. And California is central to those type of activities, experts say.

San Diego Border Patrol seizes $3 million


Border Patrol agents in California seize $3 million from currency smugglers who launder money for mexican cartels, drug smugglers and human traffickers


London (CNN) An autistic boy from Devon has received thousands of birthday cards, gifts and messages from strangers around the world after his mother's online plea went viral.
Ollie Jones broke his mother Karen's heart when he made himself two birthday cards because he assumed no one would be wishing him well for his 15th birthday.
The two cards Ollie had initially made for himself for his 15th birthday.
Karen Jones, 49, then took to Facebook to request help on a community page. She wrote, "my autistic son is 15 shortly ... he's just told me he loves opening cards to [the] extent he's made himself a couple."
"We are a small family and he has no friends so gets very few."
'I'm famous, I'm famous'
Her Facebook post received over 25,000 shares and almost 1,000 comments, mostly from well-wishers saying their cards were on the way to Ollie. Her plea also extended to Twitter, with numerous well-wishers using the hashtag #Cards4Ollie.
Postmen deliver crates full of birthday cards to Ollie's house in Exmouth.
Although there is no final count, Karen Jones says she and Ollie have opened 7,000 cards so far -- and they still have a long way to go. And while Jones is elated with the many gifts she and Ollie have received from around the world, she told CNN, "gifts are not what it's about. It's about making us feel good, and others feel good."
"I've received so many messages from other individuals and groups who feel that as a result of the events of the last few days, and the compassion it's triggered globally, the autistic community have hopefully been empowered," she added.
Some well-wishers have sent messages from as far away as Brazil and Australia.
Karen Jones, who had initially hoped for about 20 cards, said it may take a while to open them all. She urged everyone to "remember there are 'Ollies' everywhere."
Her son ended the night of his birthday by sitting "in his friend's hot tub, taking photos of himself on his new selfie stick saying 'I'm famous', 'I'm famous'," she said.
Ollie takes selfies while bathing in a hot tub on his birthday.
Small acts of kindness
Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs at the National Autistic Society , said Ollie's story "shows how small acts of kindness can make a huge difference to the lives of autistic people and their families.
"Over one in 100 people are autistic in the UK, and many find it hard to communicate with and form relationships with other people. But no one should fall for the myth that autistic people are loners or prefer to spend time on their own; many want to have friends but struggle to do so because of difficulties understanding the social world," she said.
"If anyone is unsure how best to communicate with someone on the autistic spectrum, the simple answer is to ask them or someone who knows them well, whether a family member, friend or professional."

Austistic boy recieves thousands of birthday cards after mom's Facebook plea


An autistic boy got thousands of birthday cards, gifts and messages from strangers around the world after his mother's online plea went viral.