Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Poll: A third of Americans believe Clinton would’ve been a better president
Poll: A third of Americans believe Clinton would’ve been a better president
Clinton (Jeff Chiu/AP)
A new Bloomberg News poll released Friday finds that a third of Americans believe Clinton would have been a better president than Barack Obama. That includes a plurality—44 percent—of self-described tea party Republicans, even though a majority of tea partiers still have an unfavorable view of Clinton.
By comparison, 35 percent of those polled believe the country would be worse off if John McCain had been elected president.
Clinton remains the most popular political figure on the national scene, with 64 percent of those polled saying they have a "favorable" view of the Secretary of State.
Obama's favorable rating is at 50 percent—even though 49 percent of those polled disapprove of the job he's doing as president. A majority of Democrats say Obama is their best candidate in 2012, though just under a third—30 percent—say they'd prefer to have someone else on the ticket.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
U.S. hikers jailed in Iran may be released after bail is paid
U.S. hikers jailed in Iran may be released after bail is paid
September 13, 2011 9:51 a.m. EDT
A picture released by Iran's state-run Press TV on February 6 shows Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal at their trial in Tehran.
Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer will be released from Tehran's Evin prison after a $500,000 bail is paid for each of them, their attorney, Masoud Shafiee, said Tuesday. The attorney said the hikers' families are attempting to get the money.
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Two American hikers sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage and illegal entry into Iran may be released "in a couple of days," according to Iran's president.
The two have been imprisoned in Iran for more than two years. They and a third hiker, Sarah Shourd, were seized on July 31, 2009, while hiking in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
They apparently strayed across an unmarked border and were unaware they had crossed into Iran. Iranian authorities arrested them, claiming they were spies and had entered the country illegally.
Shourd, who is now Bauer's fiancee, was released last year for medical reasons, although authorities said her case remains open.
"Theyillegally crossed our borders and they were arrested by the border guards," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told NBC in an interview that aired Tuesday. "We tried last year to free one of the three persons and we are also trying to make arrangements for the freedom of the other two. I think these two persons will be freed in a couple of days."
He said Fattal and Bauer are enjoying "very good conditions here in prison ... it's like staying in a hotel."
The hikers' families are "hopeful" at the news, said spokeswoman Samantha Topping. She refused comment on what the families are doing to help secure Fattal and Bauer's release.
"We are aware of these reports, and we are working through the Swiss Protecting Power to get more details from the Iranian authorities," said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. Because the United States does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, the Swiss represent American interests in Tehran.
Other senior State Department officials said they are proceeding cautiously, as Iran has made similar claims in the past. However, one official said, "It seems to be true."
Ahmadinejad suggested in the interview that there is a need for the United States to release Iranians held in its jails.
"It's not only about two people in Iran ... I think the problem is in the approach of the American politicians and leaders," Ahmadinejad told NBC. The United States, he said, is "so hostile against us."
"OK, these two persons will be released," he said. "Is it going to be over? We do it, for example, in (a) humanitarian gesture. Is it going to solve the problems? I hope so."
The Tehran Prosecutor's office had said it had "compelling evidence" that the three were cooperating with U.S. intelligence agencies, Iran's state-run Press TV reported.
Last month, Fattal and Bauer were convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison -- five years for espionage and three years for illegal entry, according to Iranian media. Their attorney appealed the sentence. That appeal is still pending.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Casey Anthony's Parents Talk to Dr. Phil
Casey Anthony's Parents Talk to Dr. Phil
September 12, 2011 12:45 PM EDT
Casey Anthony's parents are finally speaking out about their granddaughter, Caylee's death. The person they've chosen to open up to is none other than TV's own Dr. Phil McGraw.
The pair have remained silent about many of their thoughts and feelings until now. So what has convinced them to finally bare their souls on television? Perhaps they still crave the limelight. Maybe they don't want their daughter, Casey, to be the only one benefitting from little Caylee's death. Perhaps they just want justice or maybe the want to stop the gossip. Whatever the reason, they are now speaking out.
But are Caylee's grandparents really telling it like it is, even now? So far, that remains uncertain. They continue to hedge on questions about the odor in Casey Anthony's car. They admit that it smelled like a dead body, but they stop short of saying it was Caylee's dead body.
"Truthfully, to this day, I don't know to be honest," is George's response. When asked if he thought it was Caylee's body, he responds, "I don't want to believe it....All I know is Caylee is not with us anymore. I know that."
Cindy is quick to answer accusations that her husband might have known where Caylee's body was all along. "George would have never put us through those six months of not knowing where Caylee was. I watched his heart-break every single day. And I watched him as frantic as he was," she said. She believes in her heart that George had no knowledge of Caylee's whereabouts at any time.
The truth is that the Casey Anthony trial is over. The mother is clear of any wrongdoing in the death of her daughter. Many people believe it was a miscarriage of justice. Others think the prosecution did a poor job of presenting their case, which led to Casey's wrongful release. No one may ever know what happened for certain. Caylee's death may remain one of thousands that goes unsolved every year.
Casey Anthony's parents have lost their granddaughter and their daughter. They have little else left to lose, except their self-respect. Perhaps that is what drives them to talk with Dr. Phil. Or maybe it is something less noble, like greed. That may also remain unknown. One thing, however, is certain. Little Caylee will never be forgotten. She lives on the minds of millions of Americans who mourn what happened to her. At least that is something.
In Obama’s Commemoration, a Call to Remember More Than 9/11
In Obama’s Commemoration, a Call to
Remember More Than 9/11
KRISTOFFER TRIPPLAAR-POOL / GETTY IMAGES
Everywhere President Obama traveled on Sunday, he was asked to remember. “Never forget,”
read the signs held by a half dozen family members of 9/11 victims at Ground Zero, the words
framing photocopied snapshots, or blown up portraits, of loved ones who died a decade earlier.
“Forget me not,” said the young niece of firefighter who had perished, after she read her uncles
name on stage.
In Shanksville, Pa., David White, the cousin of a passenger on Flight 93, asked Obama to sign his
shirt, sewn with the words “Never Forget.” As Obama walked to the crash site, to stare out at the
lush green field where 40 innocent people died, spotted now with yellow wildflowers, he passed a
polished river stone left at the memorial that had been sandblasted with the word, “Remember.”
At these events, and during a later appearance at the Pentagon, Obama had few words of his own.
He mostly just stood with his wife, Michelle, and bore witness, giving handshakes and hugs, laying
a wreath, placing his hand upon the recently completed monument at Ground Zero. His words
came much later, after nightfall, during a concert event at the Kennedy Center in Washington. It was
here that he too asked for remembrance. But his speech did not only concern the 2,819 people
who had died in the attacks of Sept. 11. He wanted the country to remember itself.
“Decades from now, Americans will visit the memorials to those who were lost on 9/11,” Obama
said. “And they will know that nothing can break the will of a truly united States of America. They will
remember that we have overcome slavery and Civil War, bread lines and fascism, recession and
riots, Communism and, yes, terrorism. They will be reminded that we are not perfect, but our
democracy is durable, and that democracy–reflecting, as it does, the imperfections of man–also
gives us the opportunity to perfect our union. That is what we honor on days of nationa
l commemoration: those aspects of the American experience that are enduring, and the
determination to move forward as one people.”
His choice of words—bread lines, recession—were not incidental. Obama leads a nation that
could use some reminding these days. Roughly three out of four people think the country is headed
in the wrong direction. Confidence in just about every national institution is at or near historic lows.
The defining feature of the coming political season is a building fear among the American public
that for the first time in the Post-War era, the nation’s next generation will not be better off than the
last.
In many ways, it was the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that set the course for the current malaise
. Since then, the economy, as experienced by most middle-income Americans, has stagnated.
Other nations have eclipsed the United States in the pace of economic growth and the quality of
investment opportunities. The national vision of America’s military might has been humbled by two
protracted wars. The American Century, once an article of faith, now seems like a chapter from a
history book.
It is in this space that Obama hopes to lead. In his speech Sunday night, he insisted that the glass
was still half full–and filling. “These past ten years tell a story of resilience,” he said. “The Pentagon
is repaired, and filled with patriots working in common purpose. Shanksville is the scene of
friendships forged between residents of that town, and families who lost loved ones there. New
York remains a vibrant capital of the arts and industry, fashion and commerce. Where the World
Trade Center once stood, the sun glistens off a new tower that reaches toward the sky. Our people
still work in skyscrapers. Our stadiums are filled with fans, and our parks full of children playing ball.
optimism of those who set out for distant shores, and the courage of those who died for human
freedom.”
Our airports hum with travel, and our buses and subways take millions where they need to go
The fact that Obama finds comfort in a citizenry that still works in tall buildings, uses airplanes and
plays in parks says something about the degree to which four hijacked planes interrupted the
American project. But Obama’s words also spoke to something else, which has been leaking into
his daily speeches in recent weeks. In addition to his quest for re-election, and his efforts to
stimulate the economy again, he sees a need to raise the national spirit after so many years of
false starts and frustrations. He believes the path to a better future must begin with remembering
who we have been.
Kidnapped Canadian boy returned home
Kidnapped Canadian boy returned home
September 11, 2011 11:36 p.m. EDT
(CNN) -- A 3-year-old Canadian boy kidnapped four days earlier was returned to his home early Sunday and police were searching for a suspect, officials said.
Authorities were searching for a suspect they identified in an Amber Alert as Randall Peter Hopley, 46, in the abduction of Kienan Hebert, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The Sparwood, British Columbia, boy appeared to be in good health, authorities said.
"Kienan is happily home," his emotional father, Paul Hebert, told reporters. "He's playing with his brothers and sisters."
The child had been put to bed Tuesday evening and was missing when the family got up, police Cpl. Dan Moskaluk told CNN. An extensive police and community search ensued.
Authorities on Wednesday publicly identified Hopley, who does not know the family but who lives a few miles away in the rural area, Canadian police said.
Kienan's parents issued a plea Saturday about 12 hours before the boy was returned.
"Speaking to whoever has Kienan right now. We are just asking please bring Kienan to a safe place right now," a portion of the statement read. "Like a gas station or a store parking lot where he is visibly seen and you can just drop him off there. Walk away. We just want him safe."
Moskaluk said police got a call about 3 a.m. Sunday telling officers the boy had been returned to the Hebert home, which was vacant at the time because the parents were staying with neighbors. The boy was found at Heberts' home immediately after the call, Moskaluk said.
Andy Whitfield, Star of ‘Spartacus’ Series, Dies at 39
Andy Whitfield, Star of ‘Spartacus’ Series, Dies at 39
By SARAH MASLIN NIR
Published: September 12, 2011
The cause was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his wife, Vashti, said in a statement.
Mr. Whitfield, who was from Wales but lived in Australia, was a relatively unknown actor until he was chosen for the series, a sex- and blood-soaked version of the early life of the Thracian gladiator who led a slave rebellion against the Roman ruling class from 73 to 71 B.C.
Mr. Whitfield took what was supposed to be a temporary leave from the show, which was an instant hit after its January 2010 debut, after a routine check-up in March of that year revealed a recurrence of cancer.
Starz Entertainment, the premium channel that airs the show, used different actors to film a prequel called “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” while awaiting the star’s return. But Mr. Whitfield never recovered enough to come back.
Liam McIntyre, a virtual unknown from Australia, took over the leading role for the show’s second season.
Mr. McIntyre said then: “Andy’s such a wonderful actor. I don’t want to follow that guy, and everybody hurts that he’s had to give up the role, myself included.”
Chris Albrecht, president and chief executive of Starz, said in a statement, “The man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life.” Mr. Whitfield faced cancer with “courage, strength and grace,” he said.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Whitfield is survived by two children and a sister. In her statement, his wife described him as “our beautiful young warrior.” She said he died in her arms.
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