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Former spy sued by CIA for publishing without permission
The CIA has filed a civil suit against a former spy who published a book critical of the agency without the necessary review of the material by the agency, in violation of a secrecy agreement.
The legal action is being taken against Ishmael Jones, the pen name for a nearly 20-year veteran of the CIA who, he says, worked deep undercover overseas, mostly in Arabic-speaking nations. In 2008, he published "The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture," under his pseudonym.
In a statement released Tuesday, the CIA said "Jones" violated the secrecy agreement he voluntarily signed as a condition of employment.
"Although Jones submitted his manuscript to the Agency's Publications Review Board (PRB) as his secrecy agreement requires, he did not let that review process run its course and instead published in defiance of the Board's initial disapproval," said the CIA statement.
Jones' real identity remains classified, mainly to protect the sources he worked with as a covert officer overseas.
Tucson teachers sue over new 'anti-Hispanic' schools law
Eleven Tucson, Arizona, educators sued the state board of education and superintendent this week for what the teachers consider an "anti-Hispanic" ban looming on Mexican-American studies.
The suit comes in a state already roiled by a controversial immigration law that is being challenged in court.
On Tuesday, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne defended the new law, which will go into effect December 31. The law authorizes the superintendent to stop any ethnic studies classes that "promote the overthrow of the United States government ... promote resentment toward a race or class of people ... (or) advocate ethnic solidarity instead of treatment of pupils as individuals."
Horne said he would seek the first-ever ban in Tucson for its "raza studies" program, now called Mexican-American studies. Raza means "the race" in Spanish.
The law allows the state to withhold 10 percent of monthly aid - which would amount to $3 million a month for Tucson Unified School District No. 1.
Clarence Thomas' wife asks Anita Hill for an apology
The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Tuesday that she reached out to Anita Hill, whose accusations of sexual harassment almost derailed Thomas' high court nomination 19 years ago.
In a statement to CNN, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas said: "I did place a call to Ms. Hill at her office extending an olive branch to her after all these years, in hopes that we could ultimately get passed what happened so long ago. That offer still stands, I would be very happy to meet and talk with her if she would be willing to do the same. Certainly no offense was ever intended."
Hill, a law professor at Brandeis University, turned the message over to campus security, a university spokesman said.
Nothing wrong with jet's air show maneuver, FAA says
The internet has been abuzz over a video that appears to show a United Airlines 747 flying quite close to the Golden Gate Bridge during an air show more than a week ago in San Francisco, California. Some have expressed amazement that it would come so near the structure.
But the plane wasn’t as close as the video makes it appear, and the flight was executed as planned along an air show flight path and under the direction of an air traffic controller, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said Tuesday.
And the plane never flew over the bridge as some might believe from watching the video, but rather it stayed well in front of it, a United Airlines spokeswoman says.
Nurse recalls blood-soaked halls of Fort Hood shooting
Even before the Fort Hood shooting ended, nurses and medics rushed to help the wounded.
"Nurses and medics get the [expletive] out here now - we have soldiers bleeding," Sgt. First Class Maria Guerra recalled herself yelling.
"You train for this, you train for this, let's go," she said as civilians and soliders came out of hiding to save their fallen buddies.
3 NFL players fined after weekend of violent hits
The National Football League has fined three players for flagrant violations of player safety rules during this weekend's games.
Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison was fined $75,000. New England Patriot Brandon Meriweather and Atlanta Falcon Dunta Robinson were each fined $50,000.
Several players were injured Sunday in what some fans and observers perceived as a particularly violent weekend of football.
That led to an announcement from the NFL on Tuesday saying while the league may not specifically change any rules of the game, it will be more vigilant about ejecting and/or suspending players who have made flagrant hits.
Read more about the weekend of violent hits.
Readers seize the #BeAHero challenge for teachers
A barrel of gold stars to all who participated in today’s "Be A Hero" challenge for teachers.
We asked you to celebrate a public school teacher who has made a difference in your life - and boy, did you deliver.
In comments on CNN.com and Twittter, readers sent teacher shout-outs reverberating throughout the country, from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, to Irving, Texas, and Lancaster, California.
Actor Tom Bosley dies at 83
"Happy Days" dad Tom Bosley died Tuesday after a battle with lung cancer, his wife said. He was 83.
Bosley's 50 years as a television actor included roles on dozens of shows, but he was best known as Howard Cunningham, the patriarch of a 1950s "Happy Days" family, a show that aired for 11 seasons starting in 1974.
Recruiters can accept openly gay and lesbian candidates
The Pentagon has advised recruiting commands that they can accept openly gay and lesbian recruit candidates, given the recent federal court decision that bars the military from expelling openly gay service members, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman.
The recruiters were told that if a candidate admits he or she is openly gay, and qualify under normal recruiting guidelines, their application can be processed. Recruiters are not allowed to ask candidates if they are gay as part of the application process.
Witness recalls Ft. Hood suspect's 'casual' walk
A witness in the case against Maj. Nidal Hasan recalled Tuesday the sound that the accused Fort Hood shooter made as he walked down the halls of the processing center where he'd opened fire that November day.
Shell casings were wedged in the tread of Hasan's combat boots, making a distinctive "clack, clack" as he walked, said Ted Coukoulis, a civilian nurse, on the sixth day of the alleged shooter's military hearing.
Coukoulis testified in the Article 32 evidentiary hearing that will determine whether the case will proceed to a court martial and the possible death penalty for Hasan.
"It was a casual walk," Coukoulis said, comparing it to how someone would walk through a mall. "He stopped firing and started walking toward where I was - clack, clack, clack."
Tuesday's intriguing people
Rich Iott
The Republican seeking Ohio's 9th Congressional District will get support from House Minority Leader John Boehner even though he once re-enacted World War II battles in a Nazi uniform. Rich Iott told The Atlantic this weekend that it's been three years since he was a member of a re-enactment group called The Wikings. His involvement dates back to 2003, the magazine reported.
The Wikings re-enact the battles of Germany's 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking. That division fought along Europe's Eastern Front, chiefly against the Russians, during the war. The Wikings is a part of the WWII Historical Re-Enactment Society.
Boehner's PAC, Freedom Project, donated $5,000 to Iott's campaign in September, before photos of Iott in a Waffen-SS uniform appeared on the Internet. A spokesman told Politico Boehner does not fear any retribution. The Atlantic article shows a photo of Iott and others in German uniforms. In video accompanying the story, men are seen role-playing and firing weapons that shoot blanks.
Iott said the Wikings is made up of military buffs who do not subscribe to Nazism itself. "[Germany] took over most of Europe and Russia," Iott said, "and it really took the combined effort of the free world to defeat them. From a purely historical military point of view, that's incredible."
Charles W. Sydnor, Jr., author of “Soldiers of Destruction: The SS Death's Head Division, 1933-45,†says the group has misinterpreted history. "They have a sanitized, romanticized view of what occurred," he said. "If you were to put on an SS uniform in Germany today, you'd be arrested."
FULL POST
Contractor: We could build homes if banks 'loosen up'
Contractor Paul Kinney, owner of Race Point Inc., on the site of a $3.5 million new home, says the Building Permit/Housing Starts report is misleading. Banks are not funding the permits. Most projects, like the one he's building now, are funded by foreign money.
The U.S Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development released its monthly report on housing permits and new construction and it shows the upward trend in this economic indicator continues.
The report shows single-family home building permits in September were 405,000 up 0.5 percent above over August. Single-family housing starts in September were 452,000; this is 4.4 percent over.
CNN's Jim Roope reports however that the contractors who turn building permits into buildings say these numbers are not necessarily reality because banks are still hesitant to fund permitted projects. Contractors say new homes may be getting the green light by cities, but not the greenbacks by the banks to start construction or in some cases complete construction.
Paul Kinney, owner of Race Point Incorporated, a top 500 builder of new homes, says he can get 30 permits by the middle of next week, but the banks aren’t lending money so the report is misleading.
“Remember a couple of weeks ago when they came out and said guess what the recession was over? That rumble you heard was the construction industry laughing their ‘friggin’ brains out,†said Kinney.
Listen to the full story here:
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Russian spy Anna Chapman poses armed, in lingerie
A man in August reads Your Day newspaper featuring sexy photos of spy Anna Chapman.
Russia’s Anna Chapman may be the highest-profile spy since Valerie Plame – except, of course, Plame didn’t seek out the spotlight.
Chapman, who was ousted from the United States this summer in a spy swap with her homeland, will appear in her underwear in Russia’s version of Maxim, a popular men’s magazine.
According to Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti, Chapman will appear on the magazine’s cover armed with a revolver and wearing nylon and lace. A photo on the Russian Maxim website shows her sitting on a red couch with two shooting targets in the background.
A trailer for the issue comes off like an ad for a cheesy James Bond action flick, except with more exposed breast and buttock – if you can imagine.
NFL looking at rules after weekend of violent hits
A rash of injuries from helmet-to-helmet hitting has the National Football League reviewing its approach to the practice.
Several players were injured Sunday in what some fans and observers perceived as a particularly violent weekend of football.
Former player Rodney Harrison, now a television commentator, was known for his vicious tackling style. He says suspensions are the only way to tone down the violence in the game.
"You didn't get my attention when you fined me five grand, 10 grand, 15 grand," Harrison said on NBC's pregame show Sunday evening. "You got my attention when I got suspended. ... You have to suspend these guys. These guys are making millions of dollars. The NFL [has to say], 'We're going to really protect our players. We're going to suspend these guys, not one game, but possibly two or more games.' "
That language - caught the attention of NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson - who told SI's Peter King the hits this weekend left him "profoundly disturbed."
He said comments like that were even more reason why the NFL needed to step up enforcement.
FULL POST
On the Radar: N.C. missing girl, Tylenol recall, oil lessons
Missing girl's medical records sought - North Carolina authorities have been in contact with Zahra Baker's biological mother in Australia and have asked for the medical records of the missing 10-year-old girl. Officials did not specify what kind of medical records they were seeking. Dental records are sometimes used to identify a body.
Although authorities believe Zahra is dead, her remains have not been found. Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt has said that Zahra's disappearance is being investigated as a homicide. CNN will watch for updates and bring you any new information available.
Tylenol's headaches - Johnson & Johnson reported a sales drop in its third quarter Tuesday, saying that successive recalls of its over-the-counter drugs have "significantly impacted" its business.
iReport daily challenge: #BeAHero for teachers
Editor's Note: Learn about the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010 and vote for the CNN Hero of the Year at CNNHeroes.com.
America’s public schools are failing. That’s the provocative premise of two new education documentaries “Waiting for Superman†and “The Lottery.†The films, which follow families who are frustrated with the public schools in their neighborhoods, have sparked a debate about what education solutions are needed.
One of the chief complaints in the discussion is that the films ignore the good work that’s happening in public schools.
You can help.
Here's your “Be a Hero†call to action for the day: Give a public shout out to a public school teacher who made a difference in your life. It could be your child’s teacher, or an instructor you had as a child.
By 3 p.m. EST today post your response in the comments here, tweet your praise with the hashtag #BeAHero or send us an iReport about that special teacher. Which teacher did you choose? How did that person inspire, motivate or change you?
Check back here in the evening, when we will post a roundup of the most standout daily heroics.
Shots fired at Pentagon
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Shots were fired at the Pentagon early Tuesday, authorities said, striking a window of the building.
Pentagon police spokesman Chris Layman said it's not known who fired the shots. Pentagon police officers heard at least five shots around 4:50 a.m., Layman added.
According to another Pentagon Force Protection Agency spokesman, Terry Sutherland, two bullets hit the Pentagon on the south side of the building - one striking a window and the other hitting the building itself. This is an unoccupied part of the building that is being renovated. FULL POST
Jet Blue flight attendant, D.A. reach plea agreement
Steven Slater, the former JetBlue flight attendant who allegedly cursed over a plane's public address system, then deployed and used an emergency evacuation chute at New York's JFK airport in August, will plead guilty to two counts of attempted criminal mischief under terms of a plea agreement.
As part of the agreement Slater has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempted criminal mischief in the 2nd degree. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted criminal mischief in the 4th degree.
Slater must enter a mental health program, take assigned medications and not get arrested during the year he will be in the program. If he were to violate terms of the agreement, Slater could face 1 to 3 years in jail.
If Slater successfully completes the program, lasting one year, he could ask to vacate the guilty plea and would receive one year on probation and pay restitution of $10,000 dollars. JetBlue suspended Slater immediately after the incident and he resigned from the airline last month.
"I want to thank everyone for their support. And kindness that got me through to this day. The public interest in this was surprising, unexpected, and encouraging," Slater said outside court after the hearing."At the end of the day I am grown adult and must accept responsibility for my actions therefore I am looking forward to moving forward with my life and I'm very grateful to the court for making these arrangements which allow me to do so."
DOJ supports controversial Tennessee mosque
The Department of Justice has filed a brief supporting construction of a mosque in Tennessee that has been burned down and vandalized. The DOJ writes that Islam is a religion and is entitled to freedom of expression. Jerry Martin, the U.S. attorney for the middle district of Tennessee, said that while the construction of the mosque is a "local matter" the department wishes to "vigorously support" granting the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro building permits. READ MORE ABOUT THE MOSQUE
CNN spoke with Camie Ayash whose husband wants to build the mosque to serve a growing population of Muslims in the mid-size city. The Islamic Center has been operating in Murfreesboro for decades but had outgrown its current building, she said.Â
When construction on the new building began, vandals spraypainted "Not Welcome" on the site and set fire to construction materials.
Ayash, who has a young child and another on the way, said she has received threats on the phone and through the mail. "They don't think Islam is a religion, or they think it's a religion based on violence," she said. "We are struggling to understand this, first because that's absurd, and second, because we've lived happily in this town for years." WATCH CAMIE AYASH TALK TO ANDERSON COOPER
Some opponents of the mosque have said its construction would create a traffic problem.
The head of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division recently visited with area Muslims as a gesture of support.
Suicide bombers launch deadly attack on Chechen parliament
Three suicide bombers launched an attack on the Chechen parliament Tuesday, killing at least three people, officials told CNN.
Vladimir Markin of the Russian Prosecutor's Office said two police officers and a civilian died in the attack. Six other officers and 11 civilians were wounded, he said.
A few hours after the attack was reported, the Russian Prosecutor's Office said that police had the situation under control.
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