Jumat, 18 Januari 2013
Kamis, 17 Januari 2013
Rabu, 16 Januari 2013
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Kamis, 10 Januari 2013
Rabu, 09 Januari 2013
National Cathedral to wed same-sex couples
Same-sex couples have lined up to marry in city halls Washington National Cathedral is the site of presidential funerals Four presidents have had inaugural prayers there It is also a place of worship for the Episcopal Church (CNN) -- When laws went into effect in three states for same-sex couples to marry, many were quick to line up at their city halls to exchange vows. Now they may do so in one of the nation's most prominent churches -- the Washington National Cathedral. Most Americans know the house of God, also called the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, as a place where sacred rites are carried out on behalf of the nation. It has been host to the funerals of numerous presidents and of inaugural prayer services for four presidents, including Barack Obama. But it is also an active house of worship in the Episcopalian Church, said the Cathedral's dean, Gary Hall. The denomination has developed a blessing rite that mirrors current wedding ceremonies for heterosexual couples and allows each bishop to decide to allow same-sex marriages in their churches or not. Bishop Mariann Budde decided to allow the rite, since same-sex marriage is legal in the District of Columbia and now in neighboring Maryland as well, Hall said. .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery51=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery51.setImageCount(9); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S.", 1); The U.S. Supreme Court this month will begin considering several cases involving same-sex marriage, including one testing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which says "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Above, Frank Capley-Alfano and Joe Capley-Alfano celebrate outside of San Francisco City Hall in February after a federal appeals court blocked the law. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":1,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S."} Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire celebrates after signing marriage equality legislation into law earlier this year. Voters there approved same-sex marriage on Election Day. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":2,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} In 2010, television reporter Roby Chavez, right, shares a moment with gay rights activist Frank Kameny during Chavez' and Chris Roe's wedding ceremony in the nation's capital. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":3,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Phyllis Siegel, 76, kisses her wife, Connie Kopelov, 84, after exchanging vows at the Manhattan City Clerk's office last year. (Photo by Michael Appleton-Pool/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":4,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Michael Miller, left, and Ross Zachs marry on the West Hartford Town Hall steps after same-sex marriages became legal in Connecticut in 2008. A shift in beliefs was captured in a recent Pew Center poll that found 48% of Americans now favor same-sex marriage. Just four years ago, only 39% felt that way. (Photo by Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":5,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, center, shakes hands with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller after signing a same-sex marriage bill. The law was challenged, but voters approved marriage equality in a November referendum. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":6,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Lara Ramsey, left, and her partner of eight years, Jane Lohmann, play with their 7-month-old son, Wyatt Ramsey-Lohmann. The two wed in 2004 after Massachusetts approved same-sex marriage. (Photo by Angela Jimenez/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":7,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Beth Robinson of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force was among those who fought for marriage equality in Vermont in 2009. (Photo by Jordan Silverman/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Amy Klein-Matheny, left, and her wife Jennifer were married in 2009 in Iowa after same-sex couples were allowed to marry there. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 > >> Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S. Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, ""); } }); It was Budde's decision that led Hall to create the same-sex rite. He sees it as "another historic step toward greater equality." The states of Washington, Maine and Maryland all legalized same-sex marriages in referendums during the 2012 general election. It was already legal in the nation's capital. In March, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two appeals cases related to same-sex marriage -- California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples. The American Episcopal Church is intimately connected with the Church of England, which last week approved the advancement of male priests in same-sex committed relationships to the position of bishop. But those relationships must be celibate. City halls in Baltimore; Portland, Maine; and Seattle erupted in celebration as the first same-sex couples tied the knot in December and January. Seattle's ceremony included 133 couples, who walked outside and down rain-slickened steps afterward, where they were greeted by cheers, confetti and a brass band celebrating the first day same-sex couples could marry in Washington. To wed at the National Cathedral, one member of the couple must be baptized into the Church, and both must commit to a Christian marriage of "lifelong faithfulness, love, forbearance and mutual comfort." if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
Take politics out of gun research
Michael Halpern: We need scientific research on gun violence to inform policy Halpern: The NRA pressured Congress to end gun violence research at CDC Researchers free from conflicts of interest should work with policy makers, he says Also, we must open our minds to findings that disagree with our beliefs, he writes Editor's note: Michael Halpern works with the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is an expert on the use of science in government policy and writes on the intersection of science and politics at The Equation. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelUCS. (CNN) -- Since the December 14 mass killing in Connecticut, we've seen a lot of finger pointing. Too many guns. Not enough guns. Powerful lobbyists. Insufficient mental health services. Discussion of possible explanations is often neither civil nor constructive, and based on a closed-minded and entrenched belief that those who disagree with us have their facts wrong. The victims in Sandy Hook, Aurora and Fort Hood -- all killed or wounded by gun violence -- deserve better. There are two major ways we can zero in on facts and foster a more informed discussion. Michael Halpern The first is to further develop and meaningfully consider high quality scientific research on violence prevention and mental health. The second is to create more opportunities for public policy discussions that incorporate this research. Politics: New Congress, new push for gun laws The scientific literature regarding violence prevention is considerable. Yet important research that focuses on gun violence has been shut down for political purposes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention once considered gun violence a public health issue. The science agency had the freedom to ask important questions: Does having a gun in the home make a family safer? Do concealed carry laws increase or reduce gun fatalities? Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. But in 1996, the National Rifle Association pressured its many supporters in Congress to put the squeeze on the CDC by cutting funding that went to gun research, with the stipulation: "None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control." Gun-related research ground to a halt. In 2009, scientists funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism looked into whether carrying a gun increases or decreases the risk of being shot in an assault. In 2011, Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg inserted a provision into a funding bill that extended the CDC restrictions to the rest of the Department of Health and Human Services, ending that similar research. Even Obamacare has been touched by the NRA: The new health care law restricts doctors' ability to collect data about patients' gun use. var currExpandable="expand116"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/28/exp-erin-gun-control-debate.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121229122418-exp-erin-gun-control-debate-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand116Store=mObj; Mixed messages in gun control debate var currExpandable="expand216"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/22/newtown-united-takes-on-gun-violence.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121222042412-newtown-united-takes-on-gun-violence-00001725-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand216Store=mObj; Newtown United takes on gun violence var currExpandable="expand316"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/12/19/tsr-pkg-keilar-obamas-call-to-action-on-guns.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://situationroom.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121219103721-tsr-pkg-keilar-obamas-call-to-action-on-guns-00002207-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand316Store=mObj; Obama gathers team for gun reforms var currExpandable="expand416"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/21/pmt-ct-shooting-david-chase.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121221043948-pmt-ct-shooting-david-chase-00002602-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand416Store=mObj; Chase: All questions are on the table "Criticizing research is fair game," Drs. Arthur Kellermann and Frederick Rivara wrote in opposition in the Journal of the American Medical Association last month. "Suppressing research by targeting its sources of funding is not." Science and engineering research can answer important questions. For instance, can we cost-effectively engineer firearms to be used solely by the registered owner? What's the best way for law enforcement agencies to share gun violence data? Does media attention focused on the killers encourage copycat crimes? Does better access to mental health services reduce criminal activity? Some findings could lead to policy choices that aren't yet on the table or help determine where we should best focus our attention. Republicans and Democrats alike are warming up to the idea that adequate research can lead to more informed policy decisions. Former Rep. Jay Dickey, the Arkansas Republican who led the charge against the CDC in 1996, recently expressed regret for suppressing firearm safety research. Just as important, how do all these pieces of the puzzle fit together? Having an informed debate means relying on credible syntheses of expert studies. To come up with answers, scientific organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences, could convene independent panels to piece together what is known and what is not known and to evaluate various policy options. The commission set up after the 2010 British Petroleum oil spill is one such example. The 9/11 Commission is another. Analysis: Guns and the law When independent experts who are free from conflicts of interest come together in good faith to study an issue, they can have a profound and constructive influence on government policy. At a more basic level, national and state legislative committees should hold more hearings designed to study evidence rather than using hearings as theater to advance a political point of view. Nongovernmental organizations, including the one where I work, can redouble their efforts to bring scientists and policymakers together. This is especially important after the demise of the Office of Technology Assessment, a research office within Congress that, until the mid-1990s, provided independent analyses on issues up for congressional debate. In the absence of a reliable base of information we can all agree on, we guess. We interpret the facts to suit our beliefs. We put our faith in the institutions or individuals we trust, whether it's the NRA, religious leaders or gun control groups. And we keep on having the same broken debate. Of course, the evidence can only take us so far. Moral, economic, legal and political arguments can and should carry weight. But robust research can set the baseline for a discussion and help us make the best decisions for society. The more polarized, caustic and poorly analyzed an issue, the more intractable it becomes. We need to develop venues for rational discourse about research that is resilient to political pressures. More robust partnerships among scientists, policymakers and the public can help us work together to address critical challenges, even after they fall from the headlines. Vice President Joe Biden is leading a task force to address our country's problem of gun violence. One critical step the task force should embrace is to lift restrictions on the research public health scientists can do. And we can all reject attempts to discredit evidence that challenges our beliefs. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Halpern.
Selasa, 08 Januari 2013
Switching networks: TV highs and lows
"http://schema.org/NewsArticle" lang="en-US"> Switching networks: TV highs and lows - CNN.com var cnnCurrTime=new Date(1357717114000), cnnCurrHour=2, cnnCurrMin=38, cnnCurrDay="Wed", cnnIsIntl=true, clickID=212106, cnn_cvpAdpre="edition.", cnnCVPAdSectionT1="edition.cnn.com_entertainment_t1", cnnCVPAdSectionInPage="edition.cnn.com_entertainment_inpage", cnnShareUrl="%2F2013%2F01%2F08%2Fshowbiz%2Ftv%2Ftv-shows-switching-networks-gallery%2Findex.html", cnnShareTitle="Switching%20networks%3A%20TV%20highs%20and%20lows", cnnShareDesc="", cnnFirstPub=new Date('Tuesday Jan 8 12:20:51 EST 2013'), cnnSectionName="entertainment", cnnSubSectionName="ent : tv", cnnPageType="Story", cnnBrandingValue="default"; cnnPartnerValue=""; cnnOmniBranding="", cnnAuthor="Henry Hanks, CNN", disqus_category_id=207582, disqus_identifier="/2013/01/08/showbiz/tv/tv-shows-switching-networks-gallery/index.html", disqus_title="Switching networks: TV highs and lows", cnn_edtnswtchver="edition", cnnIsStoryPage=true, cnn_metadata = {}; cnn_metadata = { section: [ "entertainment", "ent : tv" ], friendly_name: "Switching networks: TV highs and lows", template_type: "content", template_type_content: "gallery", business: { cnn: { page: { author: "Henry Hanks, CNN", broadcast_franchise: "", video_embed_count: "0", publish_date: "2013/01/08", photo_gallery: "Switching networks: TV highs and lows" }, video: { video_player: "" } } }, user: { authenticated: "", segment: { age: "", zip: "", gender: "" } } }; if (typeof(cnnOmniPartner) !== "undefined") { if (cnn_metadata.template_type_content === "") { cnn_metadata.template_type_content = "partner"; } } var photo_gallery = "Switching networks: TV highs and lows"; if(typeof CNN==='undefined'){var CNN=Class.create();} CNN.expandableMap=['']; function _loginOptions(){}; var disqus_url=(typeof disqus_identifier!=='undefined') ? 'http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/showbiz/tv/tv-shows-switching-networks-gallery/index.html' : 'http://www.cnn.com'+location.pathname; cnnad_newTileIDGroup(['607x95_adlinks','336x280_adlinks']); EDITION: INTERNATIONAL U.S. MÉXICO ARABIC TV: CNNi CNN en Español Set edition preference Sign up Log in Home Video World U.S. Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East Business World Sport Entertainment Tech Travel iReport CSIManager.getInstance().call('/.element/ssi/intl/breaking_news/3.0/banner.html','','cnnBannerContainer',cnnRenderInternationalBanner); Print Email More sharing Switching networks: TV highs and lows
9 House members back for 2nd chance
Nine of the incoming 84 members of the House are returning to Capitol Hill Most of them lost their seats in 2010 when Republicans surged into control of the House Some returning members say their election losses weren't as much about them as the climate Lawmaker who served in '90s says Congress once worked across aisle Washington (CNN) -- Among the 84 House freshmen who unpacked new offices last week, a handful is intimately familiar with doing the opposite -- packing up and moving out of the Capitol. Nine members of the new class are former members of Congress who left Capitol Hill either by choice or by force. Redrawn congressional districts helped some of them get back; others had a change of heart after leaving voluntarily. Of the seven returning Democrats, almost all lost in 2010 when Republicans swept into control of the House. Though each used the two-year hiatus differently, many say the same thing about returning: The election losses were somewhat beyond the lawmakers' control, and they plan on being the same people they were when they last served in Congress. By the numbers: 113th Congress Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat who lost in 2010, remained engaged after her loss by teaching political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and serving on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. She said her close loss was "not a surprise" to her and should be chalked up to a bad year for Democrats. var currExpandable="expand17"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/07/exp-new-house-members.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130107063549-exp-new-house-members-00002530-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand17Store=mObj; Welcoming the freshman class var currExpandable="expand27"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/06/exp-house-of-cards.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130106022811-exp-house-of-cards-00040021-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand27Store=mObj; 113th Congress sworn in var currExpandable="expand37"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/04/exp-point-tulsi-gabbard.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130104012424-exp-point-tulsi-gabbard-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand37Store=mObj; First Hindu lawmaker in Congress "My positions, my values, my stance on things are no different now than they were then," Titus said. "I won't change my principles in anyway. I would still vote for the health care bill, the American Recovery Act." Titus' vote for President Barack Obama's signature first-term legislation became a big part of the 2010 campaign and helped her opponent, Joe Heck, define the freshman congresswoman. Heck, who represents Nevada's 3rd District, is now one of Titus' colleagues. This story is familiar for Rep. Alan Grayson, a Florida Democrat who is back after being ousted in 2010. Grayson said he thinks that there was "nothing that we could have done that would make a difference in the result" and that his loss in 2010 was somewhat out of his control. Grayson might be the best-known member of the class because of his rant on the House floor during the health care debate when he said that the Republicans' plan for health care was for Americans not to get sick and to "die quickly" if they did. Freshman lawmakers preview debt ceiling battle Grayson's outspokenness earned him the ire of conservatives and the affection of Democrats. And the fact that he represented a reliably Republican district doomed his re-election bid. In returning to Congress, Grayson said he wants to do more of what he did in his first term. "I look back at the things that we accomplished, and I want to do more of them," Grayson said about cutting foreclosures and getting more grant money for his district. "We did a lot of good things for people in our district." In coming back to Congress, both Titus and Grayson swapped out notably swing districts for reliably Democratic ones. New Congress more religiously diverse? When former Rep. Shelley Berkley left her seat to run for Senate, Titus opted to run in Nevada's newly drawn 1st District after her home switched districts. The new district, which includes much of Las Vegas, including the Strip, is now widely considered the safest Democratic district in Nevada. Grayson, too, upgraded to a safer seat when he moved from Florida's 8th to the 9th District, which includes 43.4% registered Democrats to 28.2% registered Republicans. The Democratic congressman ran unopposed in the party's primary and defeated Todd Long by almost 30 percentage points in the general election. "This district is entirely different," Grayson said. "I have the freedom to concentrate on the job rather than to have to concentrate on the 24-month campaign." var currExpandable="expand120"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/04/early-desantis-new-congress.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130104015232-early-desantis-new-congress-00015930-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand120Store=mObj; Freshman member's goals,113th Congress var currExpandable="expand220"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/04/exp-sotu-panel-walsh-adams-hayworth-leaving-congress-.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130104100609-exp-sotu-panel-walsh-adams-hayworth-leaving-congress-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand220Store=mObj; Leaving Congress for now var currExpandable="expand320"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='politics/2013/01/03/tsr-dnt-acosta-113-congress-breakdown.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130103083104-congress-sworn-in-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand320Store=mObj; 113th Congress more diverse, partisan Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat from Arizona who also lost in 2010, said she looks at the loss as a "learning experience." Though she was hesitant to say she wasn't going to change for this term, Kirkpatrick did say her first term was a good one. New Congress, new push for gun laws "I am very proud of my votes in my first term," Kirkpatrick said. "It was a good session. ... It was a good term." While still considered freshmen, the returnees get a bit more seniority then their first-year colleagues. In office selection, for example, they get to pick first and don't have to participate in drawing for offices. Other new members' hiatuses were a bit longer than one term -- when Republican Rep. Matt Salmon of Arizona first served in Congress, Bill Clinton was president, future presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was speaker of the House and the federal budget was balanced. Salmon was first elected in 1994 and served Arizona's 1st District for three terms. In 2001, the congressman left the Capitol because he promised his constituents that he would not serve more then three terms in Congress. Even though Salmon acknowledges he "won't be doing that this time," he seems quite nostalgic for his first three terms and hopes his next one will be similar. Low bar for new Congress "I left Congress, and I felt like we made a real difference," Salmon said. "Then they blew it. They totally blew it. They started spending like a bunch of drunken sailors on shore leave." Though times have changed, Salmon acknowledged that "this isn't his first rodeo" and working on Capitol Hill is familiar to him. An example: His new office has the same phone number as his first, and his congressional pin "looks almost exactly like" the one he received on his first day of Congress. Now, Salmon said, it's time to get back to the principles he felt were successful during his first stint in Congress. "What I would really like to do is get back to the point where we are on message about what really is ailing America," Salmon said. "There was a time when Republicans and Democrats truly were working together." 113th Congress: More diverse than ever if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
Vermont city nears assault-rifle ban
Burlington City Council passes resolution banning assault rifles, high-capacity magazines Sponsoring City Councilor prompted to act after Connecticut school shooting Many meeting attendees opposed the ban, calling it too broad and unwarranted Burlington, Vermont (CNN) -- A resolution passed in the most populous city in Vermont could lead to a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Burlington's City Council members voted 10-3 in favor of the resolution. City Councilor Norm Blais, a Democrat, said he was moved to sponsor the proposal after hearing what he called President Barack Obama's pleas to have a discussion about weapons in our country after the deadly Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, in December. Next, the resolution has to be presented in public hearings, voted on by the public and be approved by the state legislature before it becomes city law. var currExpandable="expand14"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/09/ac-acosta-gupta-health-care-guns.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130109025816-ac-acosta-gupta-health-care-guns-00032828-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand14Store=mObj; Obamacare limits doctors' gun questions var currExpandable="expand24"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/09/ac-blow-hoover-gun-control.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130109032525-ac-blow-hoover-gun-control-00003907-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand24Store=mObj; Blow: NRA is a front for gun makers var currExpandable="expand34"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/09/ac-roxanna-green-gun-regulation.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130109025852-ac-roxanna-green-gun-regulation-00015224-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand34Store=mObj; Victim's mom: People are ready to act Blais said his city wasn't nearly as safe as people thought, saying that "if somebody was not a convicted felon and was walking through our thoroughfare and had an AK-47 slung over his shoulder, there's nothing we could do about that. Most people are surprised to hear that." But most people at Monday's city council meeting spoke out against the resolution, calling it too broad and unwarranted, according to CNN affiliate WPTZ. Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling said most gun crime in the city involves handguns, not assault weapons, WPTZ reported. Vermont is one of the most lenient states when it comes to gun laws, allowing concealed or openly carried firearms without permits anywhere except school property and courthouses. CNN affiliate WCAX reported that meeting attendee Matt Storer encouraged the city council to not pass the amendment based on emotions because of recent events. "I think it's a dangerous course to let emotions get into the driver's seat when writing legislation that could potentially infringe on constitutional rights." Blais told CNN he had intentionally drafted the proposal broadly so that he could encompass details from officials and those in the community who support gun rights to ensure a fairly written amendment. He said he was not looking to keep sportsmen from hunting and people from being able to defend themselves but rather wants to make sure what happened in Newtown did not happen in his city. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} For more on this story go to CNN affiliates WPTZ and WCAX.
2 days, 2 Boston Dreamliner glitches
NEW: Japan says so far, no irregularities have been found Fuel leak follows electrical fire on different JAL Dreamliner in Boston on Monday Both Dreamliners are operated on Boston-Tokyo route Dreamliner hit by a series of mechanical glitches following difficult development (CNN) -- The crew of a Japan Airlines Dreamliner loaded with 181 passengers apparently was unaware of fuel spewing from a wing as the jetliner prepared to thunder down the runway on Tuesday in Boston. It was only due to an alert pilot of an other plane that Flight 7's takeoff for Tokyo was abandoned and the Boeing 787 towed to the gate, the second problem in two days for an JAL Dreamliner at Logan airport. An electrical fire on Monday damaged an empty Dreamliner on the same tarmac. The unusual twin incidents added to service questions about the highly touted plane that experienced a very difficult development and clearly has growing pains, according to safety experts. Japan's ministry of land and transportation ordered inspections of the airliners operating in the nation. So far, no irregularities have been found, but the results will be shared with U.S. authorities, the ministry said. var currExpandable="expand16"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2013/01/08/tsr-marsh-dreamliner-fire-boston.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://situationroom.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130108014254-tsr-marsh-dreamliner-fire-boston-00004618-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand16Store=mObj; Dreamliner catches fire at airport Air traffic control recordings from LiveATC.net captured Tuesday's incident as the the wide body was on the taxiway. "Hey, that Japan Air may know it but they have fuel spewing out the leftward wing quite a bit," the pilot of another plane told the control tower, which radioed the JAL crew and halted takeoff. "You mean fuel leak from left wing?" came the response from the JAL cockpit, according to LiveATC.net. "Yes, Japan air 7 Heavy there appears to be a fuel leak from your left wing," controllers said again. Airport fire and cleanup crews responded to the spill. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the matter, but the National Transportation Safety Board said it would not do so. No safety board involvement indicated the reason behind the leak was probably determined quickly and remedied. The flight took off later in the day. Boeing did not comment on the matter. It appears the Monday's electrical fire that injured a firefighter was a more pressing issue for investigators, the manufacturer and the global airline industry that has embraced the 787 as a technologically advanced and efficient long-haul aircraft. Fire in the belly of the aircraft broke out not long after arriving in Boston from Tokyo. All of the 172 passengers and 11 crew had already disembarked. Boeing said in a statement that the fire was traced to a battery unit that helps power electrical systems when the engines are idle -- typically while a plane is being serviced or cleaned. The Dreamliner was being readied at the time for a return flight to Japan. The battery unit sustained severe fire damage, the safety board said, adding that it had sent two additional investigators to Boston. United Airlines, a Dreamliner operator, inspected its six 787s following the Boston fire as a precaution, but would not comment further. Boeing said the fire appeared unrelated to previous problems involving 787 electrical power systems and that it was cooperating with the safety board. In previous incidents, one of the 787 test flight aircraft lost primary electrical power in 2010 and was forced to make an emergency landing in Texas. All aboard evacuated safely. An engine failed during tests on the ground in South Carolina last July and inspectors found a similar problem on another aircraft in September. In December, another new 787 operated by United diverted safely to New Orleans after experiencing mechanical problems. Some safety experts are concerned but not alarmed about the mechanical setbacks with the Dreamliner since its delivery to airlines beginning in 2011 following years of manufacturing delays and cost overruns. They say new aircraft models often have "growing pains." Other experts have said any Dreamliner service problems would be magnified because of its problematic history during development. As the first commercial jetliner built mostly from lightweight carbon fibers, the twin-engine Dreamliner has been touted for fuel efficiency in an era of soaring fuel prices. It has attracted enormous interest from airlines with most orders coming from overseas carriers initially. Boeing shares were off sharply on Wall Street relating to its Dreamliner problems this week. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Marlena Baldacci, Aaron Cooper and Todd Sperry contributed to this report as did James O'Toole of CNN Money
Greene: Don't allow phone use on planes
Bob Greene: FAA looks at letting passengers use gadgets on takeoff, landing He says the more texting, e-mailing and surfing are allowed, the better Cell phone calls are the opposite, though: They raise anxiety Greene: Are we that unwilling to disconnect from our gadgets for a few minutes? Editor's note: CNN Contributor Bob Greene is a bestselling author whose 25 books include "Late Edition: A Love Story"; "Chevrolet Summers, Dairy Queen Nights"; and "When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams." (CNN) -- Let's say that you're the Federal Aviation Administration. (Unlikely, granted. But, just for the purpose of this exercise, try to envision yourself as a government agency). You're about to make a decision that will affect millions of travelers. Your decision may please them or it may infuriate them. Most of them have no idea right now that you're contemplating the decision, but as soon as you make it, all of them will become aware, and they will respond, likely in a visceral manner. You're the FAA. What do you do? Bob Greene What the real FAA is pondering concerns expanding the permitted use of tablets, personal communication devices and other electronic gadgets on commercial flights. Last month, The Hill reported, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote in a letter to FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta: "I write to urge the FAA to enable greater use of tablets, e-readers, and other portable electronic devices during flight, consistent with public safety ... mobile devices are increasingly interwoven in our daily lives. They empower people to stay informed and connected with friends and family, and they enable both large and small businesses to be more productive and efficient, helping drive economic growth and boost U.S. competitiveness." Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. For many years, passengers have been told that some electronic devices, including cell phones, can interfere with aircraft navigation and communication signals. But as technology advances, ways around this are being developed. Many airlines already sell in-flight Wi-Fi connections for laptop computers and tablets, so the logical next step would be to allow airborne passengers to use their cell phones to connect to the world below. A few thoughts: In terms of written communication from passengers on the plane to people down below -- e-mail, text messages sent from cell phones, social network posts -- the more the better. Anything the digital traffic will bear. If you've been on flights with Wi-Fi enabled, you may have noticed that the passengers using it seem to be contented, almost docile -- the tension level seems to have been lowered. Like it or not, we've become hooked on being constantly connected, and passengers who are able to maintain that connection while six miles in the air appear to be traveling in a state of something close to silent, electronically-sated, tunnel-vision bliss. But there should be one exception to this: Technical and connectivity issues aside, the FAA and FCC should never extend their digital-era permission slip to voice calls on cell phones. The result of allowing phone calls in the air would produce the opposite of the tranquilizing effect of permitting other forms of electronic communication. The anger level of travelers who become incensed by the yammering in the next seat would rise to the level of a public safety concern. Passengers would be demanding to be moved, would ask flight attendants to referee disputes, would probably engage in fistfights. Allowing jousting matches or bullfights in airplane aisles wouldn't be much more disruptive than allowing voice calls on planes. (But what about the idea of passengers voluntarily exercising restraint and courtesy in those close quarters, limiting the length and loudness of their calls out of respect for their fellow citizens? All right, stop laughing and rolling around on the floor -- get up. This is the United States in the 21st century. We know that voluntary phone courtesy is not going to happen). You may recall Airfone, the air-to-ground pay phone service that debuted on commercial flights in the 1980s. It required a credit card for each call, and was expensive -- $7.50 in '80s dollars for the first three minutes, when the service was introduced. It never become all that popular, and eventually it faded away. But that was before the advent of personal cell phones. Talking on the phone anywhere, at any time, is today seen not as an exotic and costly luxury but as an entitlement. The FAA is reportedly not considering voice-call permission on flights; if and when that day comes, walking across the country may feel like a more palatable option than flying. There's one decision the FAA is evaluating that probably says more about us than it does about in-flight safety: Those two brief stretches of time when all electronic devices must be turned off -- after the doors to the plane close until it is at cruising altitude, and then again on approach for landing -- are being questioned. If it can be determined that signals do not interfere with the pilots' transmissions, should passengers now be allowed to use their electronic gadgets even in those few minutes? Some contend that, in those crucial parts of a flight, passengers should not be distracted, and should be alert to instructions from the cabin crew. But reading a magazine or a book can lure a passenger's attention from the crew, and those are not prohibited. So the question would seem to be: Has the addiction to the gadgets become so powerful that we are unwilling to disconnect and look away even for that paltry handful of minutes? Has the agitation from withdrawal gotten to that level? Because if it has, then this is an issue considerably more profound and far-reaching than anything having to do with the rules of travel. Regardless of what the FAA decides, there is one option for in-flight diversion that will still be available, something ancient kings and monarchs could only dream of: Looking out the window, high above the clouds. Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.
Giffords, husband take on gun lobby
NEW: Giffords and Kelly cite overall figure for gun deaths which includes suicides The two launched a political action committee to raise money to counter the gun lobby A Connecticut lawmaker apologized for telling Giffords to "stay out" Giffords and Kelly want background checks for private sales of firearms (CNN) -- Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly have launched what they hope will mark a new era in the battle over gun rights in America. On the second anniversary of a mass shooting in Arizona that wounded Giffords and killed six others, the couple launched a political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, along with a website calling for contributions to help "encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership." In an op-ed in USA Today, the two make their goal clear: to counter the influence of the gun lobby. "Special interests purporting to represent gun owners but really advancing the interests of an ideological fringe have used big money and influence to cow Congress into submission," they write. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/08/exp-costello-giffords-gun-control.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130108032345-exp-costello-giffords-gun-control-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand15Store=mObj; Giffords pushes for tougher gun control var currExpandable="expand25"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/07/21/ac-intv-mark-kelly-co-theater-shooting.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120721021958-ac-intv-mark-kelly-co-theater-shooting-00011410-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand25Store=mObj; Kelly in 2012: Takes long time to recover var currExpandable="expand35"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/09/07/exp-erin-mark-kelly-gabby-giffords-dnc.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120907121602-giffords-pledge-getty-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand35Store=mObj; Gabby Giffords rouses convention "Rather than working to find the balance between our rights and the regulation of a dangerous product, these groups have cast simple protections for our communities as existential threats to individual liberties. Rather than conducting a dialogue, they threaten those who divert from their orthodoxy with political extinction." Emphasizing that they support the Second Amendment and own two guns themselves, Giffords and Kelly call for "laws to require responsible gun ownership and reduce gun violence." "Until now, the gun lobby's political contributions, advertising and lobbying have dwarfed spending from anti-gun violence groups. No longer. With Americans for Responsible Solutions engaging millions of people about ways to reduce gun violence and funding political activity nationwide, legislators will no longer have reason to fear the gun lobby." Bloomberg anti-gun ad marks anniversary of Arizona shooting Legislators will no longer have reason to fear the gun lobby.Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly "America has seen an astounding 11 mass shootings since a madman used a semiautomatic pistol with an extended ammunition clip to shoot me and kill six others," Giffords writes. "This country is known for using its determination and ingenuity to solve problems, big and small ... But when it comes to protecting our communities from gun violence, we're not even trying -- and for the worst of reasons." Giffords and Kelly have spoken out in the wake of last month's slaughter in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 27 people murdered, 26 of them at Sandy Hook Elementary School -- including 20 children. Giffords wrote on Facebook at the time, "As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws -- and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait." Giffords and Kelly visited Newtown last week. They met with local and state leaders to discuss gun control legislation, mental health identification and treatment, and "concerns for the erosion of our societal values such that we are increasingly desensitized to violence," according to Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra. Giffords told to 'stay out' Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hugs House Cloak Room attendant Ella Terry after resigning from Congress in January 2012 That visit also highlighted the intense political concerns surrounding such issues. Connecticut State Rep. DebraLee Hovey, the state's assistant Republican leader, posted a note on her Facebook page saying, "Gabby Gifford stay out of my towns!" Hovey later issued a statement apologizing, saying, "Our community has struggled greatly through this tragedy, and we are all very sensitive to the potential for this event to be exploited for political purposes. This is what I wish to avoid." The statement added that Hovey has advocated for a dialogue on mental health issues, school safety and gun control. Kelly, a former captain in the U.S. Navy and NASA astronaut, also responded publicly in the wake of the Newtown shootings. On his Facebook page, he took on the National Rifle Association -- the central pro-gun rights lobby -- after a news conference by a top NRA official about the Newtown tragedy triggered widespread anger. Kelly wrote that the NRA's response was "defiant and delayed," and that the organization "chose narrow partisan concerns over the safety of our families and communities." The NRA has argued that it is committed to keeping people protected, and that a focus on stricter gun control is misguided. "If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said of the anger following his initial news conference. NRA President David Keene later told CNN the group supports schools choosing whether they want armed guards. Kelly: 'Good guys with guns' aren't the whole answer LaPierre made clear his group believes that more guns, not fewer, are necessary for security. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said. Mark Kelly and his wife Gabrielle Giffords are launching a PAC to battle gun lobby. Kelly said he knows from personal experience that that's not the case. The day Jared Loughner shot Giffords and 18 other people at a public event in Tucson, there was such a "good guy," Kelly argued in an interview with ABC. A man came out "of the store next door and nearly shot the man who took down Jared Loughner," Kelly said. "The one who eventually wrestled (Loughner) to the ground was almost killed himself by a good guy with a gun, so I don't really buy that argument." Giffords and Kelly want to require comprehensive background checks for private sales of firearms, ABC reported. And Kelly said he does not believe an extended magazine is needed for those who have guns for sport. Gunmen have used high-capacity weapons in numerous shootings, including one at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and Newtown, where gunman Adam Lanza had four weapons. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, is pushing legislation to reinstate a ban on assault weapons. A former Marine's passionate disagreement with Feinstein has garnered attention online. There just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable.Joshua Boston, former Marine "I own the guns I own because I acknowledge mankind's shortcomings instead of pretending like they don't exist," Joshua Boston wrote in a CNN iReport. "There are evil men in this world and there just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable to protect me or my family." Facebook user Ellen Schmuker wrote in a CNN discussion that Giffords and Kelly's plan is "foolish" because "all gun bans are going to do is punish law abiding citizens for the actions of lunatics." But HoaiPhuong Nguyen took the opposite stance. "No one is more qualified to head this effort, go Gabby and Mark," she wrote. What do you think of Gabby Giffords & Mark Kelly's new efforts to counter the gun lobby? Weigh in for a story. ow.ly/gD5M7— Josh Levs (@joshlevscnn) January 8, 2013 CNN.com users weighed in on Twitter as well, with Susan Blumberg-Kason saying she considers the idea "crucial." 'We can't be naive' In their column Tuesday, Giffords and Kelly note that that gun violence "kills more than 30,000 Americans annually." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, 31,347 people died from firearm injuries. Nearly 60% were a result of suicide. Homicide comprised 37% of those deaths. Overall firearm injuries were down 2% from the year before. Giffords' remarkable recovery after being shot in the head has inspired many across the political spectrum. She told ABC she's doing physical therapy, yoga, and speech therapy, and working with a service dog. She has also been able to begin some outdoor activities. The tragedy two years ago thrust her and her husband into a new kind of spotlight. Tuesday marks a moment in which they are turning all that focus and attention -- as well as their passionate calls for stricter gun control -- into a political movement. "We can't be naive about what it will take to achieve the most common-sense solutions," they wrote in their op-ed. "We can't just hope that the last shooting tragedy will prevent the next. Achieving reforms to reduce gun violence and prevent mass shootings will mean matching gun lobbyists in their reach and resources." "We have experienced too much death and hurt to remain idle. Our response to the Newtown massacre must consist of more than regret, sorrow and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve fellow citizens and leaders who have the will to prevent gun violence in the future." What do you think? Post comments, or send an iReport. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
State lawsuit against NCAA is absurd
Gov. Tom Corbett filed a lawsuit against NCAA over sanctions on Penn State Jeffrey Standen: The lawsuit is smart politically, but makes no sense legally He says complaint reads less like a legal document, more like a press release Standen: Even if lawsuit were successful, NCAA can reopen the case Editor's note: Jeffrey Standen is the Van Winkle Melton professor of sports law at Willamette University in Oregon. (CNN) -- The federal lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett on behalf of the state against the NCAA is politically smart. It is never a bad thing for a state lawmaker to stand behind the flagship university, especially when the lawmaker himself is under investigation for his alleged complicity in protracting the official inquiry of Jerry Sandusky. But legally, the lawsuit makes no sense. Recall the events: Penn State University, in the midst of the national scandal stemming from the crimes of Sandusky, agreed to settle any claims that the NCAA might have against it for failure to supervise its football program. The settlement was undeniably harsh, including a fine of $60 million, loss of scholarships and bowl eligibility for four years, and the easing of rules to allow student-athletes to transfer out of Penn State's football program. (Meanwhile, outside of the settlement, the criminal trials of key university administrators for perjury and failure to report abuse are proceeding.) Jeffrey Standen Like most plea bargains, the perpetrator got something from the deal, too. By settling early, the university avoided the prolonged NCAA infractions process. Proceeding by the infractions process would have kept Penn State's name, Sandusky's crimes and Joe Paterno's dubious legacy in the news longer than usual. More alarmingly, the infractions committee could have imposed the dreaded "death penalty" -- a complete termination of the football program for years, the cost of which would have undoubtedly dwarfed the measures imposed. Notably, Penn State agreed in accepting the deal that it would not challenge the NCAA's authority in court. Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. Corbett described the sanctions as "overreaching and unlawful" while other lawmakers object to the fines being used to fund programs in other states. Since the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was not limited by the Penn State-NCAA agreement, it can sue to overturn it. Yet it is that very fact -- that Pennsylvania is a stranger to the agreement -- that dooms its litigation. The lawsuit asks the court to grant an injunction so that NCAA can be refrained from imposing the sanctions. Injunctions look to the future and are designed to prevent damages. Typically, an injunction plaintiff claims that something bad is about to happen and asks the court to stop it. What bad thing will happen to Pennsylvania? It partially funds Penn State. Therefore, according to the complaint, future NCAA sanctions that come out of the Penn State treasury will, by derivation, also be taken from Pennsylvania's treasury, or at least the part of it that the state chooses to share with the university. var currExpandable="expand110"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/03/exp-point-corbett-ncaa-lawsuit.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130103024211-exp-point-corbett-ncaa-lawsuit-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand110Store=mObj; Berman to Corbett: Football came first var currExpandable="expand210"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2013/01/03/brooke-penn-gov-sues-ncaa.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130103010824-brooke-penn-gov-sues-ncaa-00032211-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand210Store=mObj; Pennsylvania sues NCAA over sanctions var currExpandable="expand310"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2013/01/02/nr-pa-gov-tom-corbett-ncaa-penn-state-sanctions.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130102013845-tom-corbett-pennsylvania-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand310Store=mObj; Gov. sues NCAA over Penn State sanctions In other words, Pennsylvania is claiming that it will be injured by its decision to contribute money to the university. If it is so keen to prevent itself from being harmed, why doesn't the state simply refuse to give money to the school until the sanctions period has expired? Pennsylvania will not be injured by the NCAA's sanctions; it will be injured by its own decision to fund the university. No federal judge is going to find otherwise. I strongly suspect Pennsylvania's lawyers are well aware of the fundamental absurdity of their lawsuit. That is why the complaint repeatedly alludes to the losses that other people and parties will suffer from the NCAA sanctions; those others include local businesses, other students and sports teams at the university, season-ticket holders and the numerous merchandise vendors who profit from the financial success of this greatest-of-all revenue sports. Yet none of those other people would likely have standing to sue, so their inclusion only underscores the state's untenable litigation position. At times, the complaint filed by the state reads less like a legal document and more like a press release, extolling the fine virtues of a Penn State education amidst the hard-working townsfolk of central Pennsylvania. The complaint also strangely paints the NCAA in starkly negative hues, as if associating the organization with greed and its leadership with conspiracy will somehow make a difference. It goes so far as to smear the NCAA president for his handsome salary, noting that it constitutes a substantial raise over that of his predecessor. This lawsuit will probably not get past the motion to dismiss. The high point of the suit in Pennsylvania's eyes is now; get your shots in while you can. But imagine that Pennsylvania actually litigates to a successful conclusion and has the consent decree between Penn State and the NCAA overturned. What then? The NCAA can simply reopen the case and refer the matter to the infractions process, with the penalty of death the likely outcome for Penn State's Nittany Lions. If Joe were still here, he would tell you: Sometimes it's smarter to punt. Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeffrey Standen.
Why 'Django' stirs race debate
Gene Seymour: Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino spatting over "Django Unchained" Seymour says film, which upends slavery narrative, is classic comic-book Tarantino He says debate is over whether white artists have right to tell any part of black American story Seymour notes James Baldwin's sound advice: "If you don't like their alternative, write yours" Editor's note: Gene Seymour is a film critic who has written about music, movies and culture for The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post. (CNN) -- Spike Lee says he's never going to see Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" because he's certain it is "disrespectful of my ancestors." Tarantino says he doesn't need to waste time responding to Lee's accusation. That, as they say, is that. So why do we insist on staring at two egomaniacs staring down each other? Race. Again. The subject that never fails to provoke, antagonize, alienate -- and fascinate rubber-necking onlookers from sea to shining sea. Fixating on race is an absurdity that has no rational reason to exist, yet no one quite knows how to eliminate it from humankind. The only thing dumber than race is underestimating its importance. Gene Seymour "Django Unchained" is Tarantino's latest exercise in genre-bending audacity, an antic ripsnorter folding in most of what its director knows and loves about spaghetti westerns, 1970s blaxploitation thrillers and his own ribald, recklessly violent body of work. Its title character, played by Jamie Foxx, is a slave bought and freed by a drolly effective German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz), who agrees to help Django emancipate his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from a decadent plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. "Django" makes no pretense of being anything other than a phantasmagoric pseudo-western, rife with calculated vulgarity, anachronism and impropriety. Its body count rivals that of Tarantino's 2003 martial-arts epic, "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (to whose messily operatic set pieces of slaughter "Django" bears an uncanny resemblance). Marquee blog: What's the verdict on "Django Unchanied"? The movie has so far grossed more than $100 million since its Christmas Day nationwide release. Critics' reactions have ranged from wild-eyed enthusiasm (The Boston Globe's Wesley Morris: "Corkscrewed, inside-out, upside-down, simultaneously clear-eyed and out of its mind") to wary detachment (The Detroit News' Tom Long: "(Y)ou may leave ... wishing for both more and less") to borderline outrage (Slate's Dana Stevens: "There's something about (Tarantino's) directorial delectation in all these acts of racial violence that left me not just physically, but morally queasy.") Given advance hype for the movie as extravagant as its violence, I doubt that audience members, whatever their race or age, bought tickets with the expectation of seeing some historically faithful saga of antebellum life, and neither did I. We were buying a comic book. Many people have a grievance against the very notion of comic books, but I don't. Expect a movie or a comic book to explain everything about anything and all you earn is surplus sadness that you don't really need. Nevertheless, there are many who, unlike Lee, have seen the movie and carry the same grievances as he does. The most scathing attack came from that novelist-satirist-poet Ishmael Reed, writing in The Wall Street Journal: "To compare this movie to a spaghetti western and a blaxploitation film is an insult to both genres. It's a Tarantino home movie with all the racist licks of his other movies." He aimed this laser shot at the Oscar-nominated actor who plays the treacherous "house slave" to DiCaprio's character: "Samuel L. Jackson ... plays himself." var currExpandable="expand110"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='showbiz/2012/12/25/iri-django-unchained-quentin-tarantino-raw-uncut-youtube.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121225060450-iri-django-unchained-quentin-tarantino-raw-uncut-youtube-00041701-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand110Store=mObj; Tarantino's 'Django' balancing act var currExpandable="expand210"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='showbiz/2012/12/18/bts-django-cast-violence-in-movies.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121218092653-bts-django-cast-violence-in-movies-00014322-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand210Store=mObj; Film violence inspires real violence? var currExpandable="expand310"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='showbiz/2012/12/19/iri-django-unchained.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120607044841-django-unchained-movie-still-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand310Store=mObj; Tarantino's genre-twisting Western var currExpandable="expand410"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='showbiz/2012/12/25/iri-django-unchained-jamie-foxx-kerry-washington-uncut-raw-youtube.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121225053054-iri-django-unchained-jamie-foxx-kerry-washington-uncut-raw-youtube-00021013-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand410Store=mObj; Jamie Foxx: 'Django' controversy is good I doubt Jackson felt the blow. He has, in fact, further provoked the movie's antagonists by running straight at an interviewer asking about the movie's prolific use of the "N-word," refusing to answer the question unless the reporter, who is white, actually says the dread epithet aloud. (He didn't.) Still, Reed's condemnation discloses what may lie at the heart of Lee's objection: the debate over whether white artists have the right to tell any part of the black American story -- which, as Reed writes, is as old as Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 abolitionist novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." It is also as recent as 1967 when the white Southern novelist William Styron published, "The Confessions of Nat Turner," a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel told in the first-person voice of the brilliant-but-doomed leader of an 1838 slave rebellion. The outcry from African-American novelists was so intense that a collection of essays, "William Styron's Nat Turner: Ten Black Writers Respond" was published a year later. James Baldwin, a friend of Styron's who was one of the few African-American authors speaking out on the book's behalf, put his position as succinctly as possible: "I will not tell another writer what to write. If you don't like their alternative, write yours." It's still sound advice -- and in the intervening years, black authors have taken it, from Alex Haley's 1976 blockbuster, "Roots," to Toni Morrison's haunting "Beloved" from 1987. Both were adapted for the screen, and while "Roots," the television miniseries, delivered a resounding national impact, the 1998 movie adaptation of "Beloved," even with Oprah Winfrey as producer and co-star, earned about $26 million, roughly half of its $50 million budget. I remember many of my African-American relatives and friends who told me they were not going to see "Beloved," no matter how good it was or who was in it, because they simply did not want to watch a movie about slavery's legacy. Some of these same folks, on the other hand, tell me they were psyched about seeing a movie, however "incorrect" on several levels, in which a black ex-slave secures freedom for his wife, kills every white man who stands in his way -- and gets away with it. Exasperated? If you're not, you should be. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gene Seymour.
Al Gore's dubious Al Jazeera deal
Al Gore sold Current to al Jazeera and could net an estimated $70 million Howard Kurtz: Gore's Current network failed to gain an identity or viewers He says it's odd that the former vice president is selling to an oil-rich potentate Kurtz: Al Jazeera may have a tough time getting traction with U.S. viewers Editor's note: Howard Kurtz is the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and is Newsweek's Washington bureau chief. He is also a contributor to the website Daily Download. (CNN) -- So Al Gore starts a liberal cable network, which turns into a complete and utter flop, then sells it to a Middle East potentate in a deal that will bring him an estimated $70 million. Is America a great country or what? There is something highly unusual -- OK, just plain weird -- about a former vice president of the United States doing this deal with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Howard Kurtz Al Jazeera, owned by said emir's government, is trying to buy its way into the American television market by purchasing Current TV for a half billion dollars. The only thing stranger would be if Gore had sold Current to Glenn Beck -- oh wait, Beck did try to buy it and was told no way within 15 minutes. So the sale was in part about ideology, which opens the door to examining why Gore believes Al Jazeera gives "voice to those who are not typically heard" and speaks "truth to power." Bill O'Reilly, on Fox News, calls the network "anti-American." Fox pundit Dick Morris says Gore has sold to a fount of "anti-Israel propaganda." Such labels are rooted in the network's role during the height of the war on terror, when it aired smuggled videos of Osama bin Laden and was denounced by Bush administration officials. Watch: How Lance Armstrong lied to me about doping Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. But Al Jazeera English, the spinoff channel launched in 2006, doesn't have the same reputation. In fact, no less a figure than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised it as "real news," and the channel has won journalism awards for its reporting on the Arab Spring and other global events. To be sure, the main Al Jazeera network gives a platform to such figures as Yusuf al-Qaradawi. He's the Muslim cleric in Egypt who, The Washington Post gas reported, frequently appears on air to castigate Jews and America and has praised suicide bombings. But when I went to the home page of Al Jazeera English the other day, there was video of David Frost, the acclaimed British journalist who now works for the main network, interviewing Israeli President Shimon Peres. var currExpandable="expand110"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/05/erin-stelter-gore-current-tv-to-al-jazeera.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://outfront.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130103031557-al-gore-current-tv-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand110Store=mObj; Why Gore sold Current to Al Jazeera That's not to say Al Jazeera America, the working name for the new channel, won't have its own biases. Al Jazeera English is sometimes determined to paint the U.S. in a negative light. During a report on President Barack Obama signing a renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which entails a legitimate controversy over civil liberties, the reporter said flatly that the law "violate(s) U.S. constitutional rights in the name of national security." Watch: Can Al Jazeera make it in the American market? Dave Marash, the ABC News veteran who once worked for Al Jazeera English, told me the network has a "post-colonial" view of America and its stories can be infused with that attitude. And there are real questions about how independent these channels are from the Qatar government that helps bankroll them. The director-general of Al Jazeera, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim al-Thani, is a member of the country's royal family and has no background in journalism. Such details add to the odd spectacle of the ex-veep, who would have been running Mideast policy had he won a few more votes in Florida, selling -- and some say selling out -- to the emir. Not to mention that the crusader against climate change is taking petrodollars from an empire built on oil, the bete noire of environmentalists. Watch: Hey Fox, Hillary Clinton was sick after all But what is Al Jazeera buying? The network is going to have a tough time cracking the American market. Its earlier reputation makes the company highly controversial, and other cable carriers might follow the lead of Time Warner Cable (which is no longer owned by CNN's parent company, Time Warner) in refusing to carry it. These carriers agreed to air Current TV, after all, and contracts generally require them to approve a major change in programming. Global politics aside, it may just be bad business. There's a reason Al Jazeera English, which will supply 40% of the content to the new channel, has barely gotten a foothold in the United States. Most Americans aren't lusting for a steady diet of international news. Watch: Did Nancy Pelosi go too far in photoshopping picture of congresswomen? There's no denying that Gore, a onetime newspaper reporter who had testy relations with the press during his 2000 campaign, presided over a lousy cable channel. No one quite knew what Current was during the years when it aired mostly low-rent entertainment fare and was famous mainly for North Korea taking two of its correspondents, including Lisa Ling's sister Laura, into custody. Then Gore tried to relaunch it as a talking head channel to the left of MSNBC, hiring Keith Olbermann -- a relationship that ended with his firing and mutual lawsuits -- along with the likes of Eliot Spitzer and Jennifer Granholm, former Michigan governor. Gore himself offered commentary during major political events. It was the utter failure of that incarnation of Current that prompted Gore and co-founder Joel Hyatt to put the thing up for sale. Some detractors have slammed Gore for hypocrisy because, while he has advocated higher taxes on the rich, he tried to get the Al Jazeera deal done by December 31 to avoid the Obama tax hike. (The sale didn't close until January 2.) I don't see a problem trying to legally take advantage of changes in the tax code, no matter what your political stance. Nor do I want to prejudge Al Jazeera America. The marketplace will decide its fate. But there is something unsettling about Gore making off with such a big payday from a government-subsidized channel after making such bad television. Nice work if you can get it. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Howard Kurtz.
Death of $1 million lottery winner now a murder mystery
Urooj Khan, 46, won $1 million before taxes on an Illinois lottery scratch ticket He died suddenly weeks later; authorities first ruled his death "natural" Revisiting the case, they found he died of "cyanide toxicity," a medical examiner says Chicago police are investigating, but haven't made any arrests (CNN) -- One day, Urooj Khan literally jumped for joy after scoring a $1 million winner on an Illinois lottery scratch ticket. The next month, he was dead. The Cook County medical examiner's office initially ruled Khan's manner of death natural. But after being prompted by a relative, the office revisited the case and eventually determined there was a lethal amount of cyanide in Khan's system. "That ... led us to issue an amended death certificate that (established) cyanide toxicity as the cause of death, and the manner of death as homicide," Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Steve Cina said Monday. Why did Khan, an Indian immigrant who was described as a well-liked, hardworking and successful businessman, die? And who is responsible? Finding that out is now up to the Chicago police. No arrests have been made. "We are investigating it as a murder, and we're working closely with the medical examiner's office," Chicago police spokeswoman Melissa Stratton said Monday. On June 26, Khan was all smiles at a 7-Eleven in the Rogers Park section of Chicago. Surrounded by his wife, daughter and friends, he held an oversized $1 million check and recalled his joy upon playing the "$3 million Cash Jackpot!" game, where tickets sell for $30 apiece. "I scratched the ticket, then I kept saying, 'I hit a million!' over and over again," the 46-year-old Khan said, according to a press release from the Illinois Lottery. "I jumped two feet in the air, then ran back into the store and tipped the clerk $100." The plan, he explained, was to use the money for his mortgage, paying off bills, a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and investing more in his dry cleaning businesses. Related: The problems with winning the lottery "Winning the lottery means everything to me," Khan said. He would have to wait a few weeks to collect his actual winnings, which amounted after taxes to about $425,000. According to CNN affiliate WGN, that check was issued July 19, but Khan never got to spend it. The next night, Khan came home, ate dinner and went to bed, according to an internal police department document obtained by the Chicago Tribune. His family later heard him screaming and took him to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, the paper reported, citing the document. That's where the Cook County medical examiner's office came in, investigating Khan's death because it was "sudden and unexpected," Cina said. At the time, there were no allegations of foul play or evidence of trauma. So, following the office's policy, Khan's body underwent what Cina described as an "external examination (and) basic toxicology testing," neither of which turned up anything abnormal. So the medical examiner ruled that Khan had died of arterial sclerotic cardiovascular disease -- which encompasses incidents like heart attacks, strokes and aortic ruptures -- and that his manner of death was natural, according to Cina. A few days later, a family member approached the doctor who had examined the body "and said they felt uncomfortable that it was being ruled a natural and they suggested that we look into it further," the chief medical examiner said. "So we did that," he added. "Forensics is not a static field. If new evidence comes to light, we'll revisit cases." That meant more in-depth toxicology tests. In early September, new screening results came back indicating cyanide in Khan's blood. With that, the official manner of death was changed from natural to pending, Cina said, and Chicago police got involved. In late November, a more detailed blood analysis came back showing "a lethal level of cyanide," and Khan's death became a murder case. Chicago police haven't offered details, including a possible motive, about what they call an "ongoing investigation." Talking briefly with CNN affiliate WBBM and the Tribune, Khan's widow described her husband as kind and exemplary. Jimmy Goreel, who runs the 7-Eleven where the winning lottery ticket was sold, offered similarly glowing comments about Khan. "I would never think that anybody ... would hurt him," Goreel told WGN. "(He was a) nice person, very hopeful and gentle (and) very hardworking." Related: Woman pleads not guilty in death of lottery winner if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
Method to Chris Christie's madness
Chris Christie has been taking steps that could offend conservatives in GOP Reihan Salam: The governor's actions strengthen his popularity in blue-state Jersey On the surface, he says, Christie's moves would seem to harm his presidential chances Salam: Christie's moves may be shrewd since GOP brand is tarnished Editor's note: Reihan Salam, a CNN contributor, is a columnist for Reuters; a writer for the National Review's "The Agenda" blog; a policy adviser for e21, a nonpartisan economic research group; and co-author of "Grand New Party: How Conservatives Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream." (CNN) -- New Jersey, one of the bluest states and where President Barack Obama won 58.3% of the vote in November's presidential election, is poised to re-elect Chris Christie, the state's incumbent Republican governor, this fall. Having been deeply engaged in New Jersey politics since his youth, Christie seems to relish his role as one of the nation's most powerful and prominent governors. Yet many are wondering whether Christie's popularity in the Garden State has come at the expense of his presidential prospects. Reihan Salam Mitt Romney, for example, decided not to run for re-election as governor of Massachusetts in the 2006 race, sensing that the steps he'd need to take to achieve political success in his left-leaning state might doom his prospects with the more conservative national Republican primary electorate in 2008. Christie, in contrast, has spent a great deal of time and energy winning over New Jersey voters who had once dismissed him as a loudmouth ideologue. Has Christie made a serious miscalculation that could doom his prospects for national office? Or is he savvier than his critics understand? A year ago, conservative activists were enthralled with Christie, who had gained a national following for his quick wit and his combativeness in taking on his state's powerful public employee unions. Even after the Republican primaries were underway, a number of GOP stalwarts hoped that Christie would jump into the presidential race, despite that he was still in his first term as governor. Part of Christie's appeal was that as the hard-charging Republican chief executive of an overwhelmingly Democratic Northeastern state, he had the potential to scramble the electoral map. Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. While the GOP fares well in rural areas and in the suburbs of the South and the Mountain West, the party has taken a beating in the big cities and suburbs of the coasts ever since the rise of Bill Clinton. Christie's common-sense conservatism, however, had managed to win over skeptical voters in one of the country's densest and most diverse states. But in recent months, Christie has lost some of his luster on the right. His keynote address at the Republican National Convention was widely viewed as a disappointment, with many suggesting that it had focused too much on Christie's biography and accomplishments rather than the virtues of the Romney-Ryan ticket. And in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which devastated large stretches of New Jersey's coastline, the governor was fulsome in his praise of Obama's response, giving the embattled incumbent a crucial boost in the days before the election. Most recently, Christie excoriated House Speaker John Boehner and congressional Republicans for having failed to vote on a Sandy relief bill that promised tens of billions of dollars in aid to his beleaguered constituents. Christie's crossing of party lines has struck at least some of his erstwhile conservative admirers as disloyal in the extreme. Avlon: Chris Christie drops bomb on GOP leaders var currExpandable="expand112"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2013/01/02/sot-christie-disgraceful.state-of-new-jersey'; mObj.videoSource='State of New Jersey'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.news12.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130102073628-sot-christie-disgraceful-00000930-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand112Store=mObj; Christie: Boehner wouldn't take my calls var currExpandable="expand212"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/12/13/point-christie-too-fat-to-be-president.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121105041926-sot-gov-chris-christie-mitt-romney-00005914-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand212Store=mObj; Christie too heavy to be president? var currExpandable="expand312"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/12/07/early-chrsitie-stewart-obama-love.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121207115609-early-chrsitie-stewart-obama-love-00002930-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand312Store=mObj; Gov. Christie explains his Obama praise At the same time, Christie's decisions to distance himself from the House GOP and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Obama have greatly strengthened his reputation in New Jersey, where his approval rating hit 77% late last year according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey. After having been one of the state's most polarizing political figures, Christie has been embraced by a growing number of Democrats, many of whom have come to see him as a bipartisan problem-solver. Indeed, Christie's political standing reportedly helped convince Cory Booker, the popular mayor of Newark, New Jersey's most populous city, to abandon his plans of running for governor in 2013. Louis: GOP civil war over Sandy disaster relief Assuming Christie wins re-election this year, which is far from a foregone conclusion, he has one powerful asset going forward in national politics: The Republican brand has suffered a great deal in recent years. In a survey conducted by the firm Edelman Berland, voters were asked to compare Democrats and Republicans across a number of brand attributes. An overwhelming majority of respondents chose the Democrats as the party that "cares about people like me," "offers a hopeful vision" and "focuses on issues that matter to me." If a Republican presidential candidate is going to win in 2016, she or he will have to overcome this deficit. Leading Republicans such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana have made an effort to talk about issues of interest to middle-income voters, an area in which Republicans have been sorely lacking. Yet Christie's willingness to distance himself from congressional Republicans gives him added credibility in selling himself as "a different kind of Republican," and it is reminiscent of the strategy pursued by then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who was sharply critical of congressional Republicans for their willingness to cut anti-poverty programs. It is not obvious that a "kinder, gentler" Republicanism will fare well in the primary process come 2016, but it is a shrewd way to differentiate oneself from a primary field in which most challengers will be competing to demonstrate their conservative bona fides. And more to the point, a Republican nominee who manages to convey a softer, most centrist image will have a much easier time winning the next general election. That could be Christie's long game. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Reihan Salam.
Film: Lincoln gets too much credit
"Lincoln" film distorts history, some historians say Historian: "Lincoln was a racist" New PBS film tells tale of abolitionists They forced indifferent nation to confront slavery (CNN) -- He used the N-word and told racist jokes. He once said African-Americans were inferior to whites. He proposed ending slavery by shipping willing slaves back to Africa. Meet Abraham Lincoln, "The Great Emancipator" who "freed" the slaves. That's not the version of Lincoln we get from Steven Spielberg's movie "Lincoln." But there's another film that fills in the historical gaps left by Spielberg and challenges conventional wisdom about Lincoln and the Civil War. "The Abolitionists" is a PBS American Experience film premièring Tuesday that focuses on the intertwined lives of five abolitionist leaders. These men and women arguably did as much -- maybe even more -- than Lincoln to end slavery, yet few contemporary Americans recognize their names. The three-part documentary's airing comes as the nation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 1863 decree signed by Lincoln that set in motion the freeing of slaves. Lincoln is a Mount Rushmore figure today, but the abolitionists also did something remarkable. They took on the colossal wealth and political power of the slave trade, and won. (Imagine activists today persuading the country to shut down Apple and Google because they deem their business practices immoral.) The abolitionists "forced the issue of slavery on to the national agenda," says Sharon Grimberg, executive producer for the PBS documentary. "They made it unavoidable." "The Abolitionists" offers four surprising revelations about how the abolitionists triumphed, and how they pioneered many of the same tactics protest movements use today. No. 1: The Great Persuader was not Lincoln The belief that slaves waited for Lincoln to free them ignores the actions they took to free themselves, new PBS film says. Near the end of "Lincoln," Spielberg shows the president delivering his second inaugural address, a majestic speech marked by harsh biblical language. Lincoln is often considered to be the nation's greatest president in part because of such speeches. He was an extraordinary writer. But the most well-known condemnation of slavery during that era didn't come from the pen of Lincoln. It came from the pen of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister who joined the abolitionist movement, the PBS film says. Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" awakened the nation to the horrors of slavery more than any other speech or book of that era, some historians say. It hit the American public like a meteor when it was published in 1852. Some historians say it started the Civil War. The novel revolved around a slave called Tom, who attempted to preserve his faith and family amid the brutality of slavery. The book became a massive best-seller and was turned into a popular play. Even people who cared nothing about slavery became furious when they read or saw "Uncle Tom's Cabin"' performed on stage, the documentary reveals. The lesson: Appeal to people's emotion, not their rationale, when trying to rally public opinion. Abolitionists had tried to rouse the conscience of Americans for years by appealing to their Christian and Democratic sensibilities. They largely failed. But Stowe's novel did something all those speeches didn't do. It told a story. She transformed slaves into sympathetic human beings who were pious, courageous and loved their children and spouses. They forced the issue of slavery on to the national agenda. They made it unavoidable.Sharon Grimberg, executive producer for the PBS American Experience documentary, "The Abolitionists" "When abolitionists were talking about the Constitution and big ideas about freedom and liberty, that's abstract," says R. Blakeslee Gilpin, a University of South Carolina history professor featured in "The Abolitionists." "But Stowe begins with the human dimension. She shows the human victims from the institution of slavery." No. 2: It's the economy, stupid Want to know why slavery lasted so long? The simplistic answer: racism. Another huge factor: greed, according to "The Abolitionists." Many abolitionists didn't realize this when they launched the anti-slavery movement, the documentary shows. They were motivated by Christian idealism, but it was no match for the power of money. Christianity and slavery were two of the big growth industries in early America. The country underwent two "Great Awakenings" in the early 19th century -- while slavery continued to spread. But the spread of Christianity did little to stop the spread of slavery because too many Americans made money off slavery, the documentary shows. The wealth produced by slavery transformed the United States from an economic backwater into an economic and military dynamo, says Gilpin, also author of "John Brown Still Lives!: America's Long Reckoning With Violence, Equality, and Change." "All the combined economic value of industry, land and banking did not equal the value of humans held as property in the South," Gilpin says. Many Americans hated abolitionists because they saw them as a threat to prosperity, says David Blight, a Yale University historian featured in "The Abolitionists." "They wondered if you really did destroy slavery, where would all of these black people go, and whose jobs would they take," says Blight. The South wasn't the only region that profited off the slave trade. Abolitionists faced some of their most vicious opposition in the North. New York City, for example, was a pro-slavery town because it was filled with bankers and cotton merchants who benefited from slavery, Blight says. "Jim Crow laws did not originate in the South; they originated in the North," Blight says. The lesson: Don't reduce the issue of slavery to racism. Follow the money. No. 3: Flawed reformers The historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. once said that black abolitionists used to say that the only thing white abolitionists hated more than slavery was the slave. "The Abolitionists" reveals that some of the most courageous anti-slavery activists were infected with the same white supremacist attitudes they crusaded against. White supremacy was so ingrained in early America that very few escaped its taint, even the most noble. The documentary shows how racial tensions destroyed the friendship between two of the most famous abolitionists: Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison was the editor of an abolitionist newspaper who convinced Douglass that he could be a leading spokesman against the institution that once held him captive. There's this perception that good old Lincoln and a few others gave freedom to black people. The real story is that black people wrestled their freedom away.Erica Armstrong Dunbar, historian, featured in "The Abolitionists" Erica Armstrong Dunbar, a history professor featured in the film, says some abolitionists were uncomfortable with interracial relationships. They wouldn't walk with black acquaintances in public during the day, and refused to sit with them in church. Lesson: Racism was so embedded in 19th century America that even those who fought against racism were unaware that it still had a hold on them. "The majority of aboloitionists did not believe in civic equality for blacks," Dunbar says. "They believed the institution of slavery was immoral, but questions about whether blacks were equal, let alone deserved the right to vote, were an entirely different subject." No. 4: Lincoln the "recovering racist" Tell some historians that "Lincoln freed the slaves" and one can virtually see the smoke come out of their ears. "Please don't get me started," Dunbar says after hearing that phrase. "There's this perception that good old Lincoln and a few others gave freedom to black people. The real story is that black people and people like Douglass wrestled their freedom away," Dunbar says. Historians still argue over Lincoln's racial attitudes. The historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. once called him a "recovering racist" who used the N-word and liked black minstrel shows. Others point to the public comments Lincoln made during one of his famed senatorial debates with Stephen Douglas in 1858 when he said, "There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. "There must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race," Lincoln said in the speech. Spielberg's film depicts Lincoln as a resolute opponent of slavery, willing to deploy all the powers of his office to destroy it. Yet "The Abolitionists" paints another portrait of Lincoln. It recounts how he supported colonization plans to ship willing slaves back to Africa. It says that Lincoln once floated a peace treaty offer to the Confederates that would allow them to keep slaves until 1900 if they surrendered. At one White House meeting with black ministers, Lincoln virtually blamed slaves for starting the war, the film's narrator says. Frederick Douglass escaped slavery to become one of its most formidable opponents. Blight, the Yale University historian, says Lincoln always personally hated slavery. He publicly spoke out against it as early as the 1840s, and spoke often about stopping the expansion of slavery. Lincoln hoped to slowly end slavery without tearing the nation apart, Blight says. "He was a gradualist," Blight says. "He was trying to prevent a bloody revolution over it. He couldn't." He couldn't because of the pressure exerted by the abolitionists and the slaves themselves, other historians say. Blacks did not wait for white people to free them, they say. At least 180,000 blacks fought in the Civil War. And Douglass was one of Lincoln's harshest critics. He constantly pushed Lincoln to move aggressively against slavery. The historian William Jelani Cobb wrote in a recent New Yorker essay on slavery: "On the hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, it's worth recalling that slavery was made unsustainable largely through the efforts of those who were enslaved. The record is replete with enslaved blacks—even so-called house slaves—who poisoned slaveholders, destroyed crops, 'accidentally' burned down buildings." As for Lincoln's true feelings about blacks, that matter may always be subject to debate. "No historian would doubt that Lincoln was a man of his times," says Dunbar, author of "A Fragile Freedom: African American Women and Emancipation in the Antebellum City." "He was a racist, and never truly believed that blacks could live in America after emancipation." Other historians say Lincoln was evolving into the leader that Spielberg depicts. The historian Gates once wrote that Lincoln initially opposed slavery because it was an economic institution that discriminated against white men who couldn't afford slaves. Two things changed him: The courage black troops displayed in the Civil War and his friendship with Douglass the abolitionist. "Lincoln met with Douglass at the White House three times. He was the first black person Lincoln treated as an intellectual equal, and he grew to admire him and value his opinion," Gates wrote. Gilpin says Lincoln was great not only for what he got right, but because he could admit what he got wrong. "You dream of a president like that," Gilpin says. "Not only was he a brilliant manipulator and reader of public opinion, but he had the capacity for growth. He came into office because he was a moderate but he turns out to be the Great Emancipator." Lesson: Lincoln led an epic battle against slavery, but the abolitionists lit the fuse. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
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