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The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the past 24 hours, according to NewsPulse.
Elizabeth Smart testifies of a bizarre, terrifying captivity: Elizabeth Smart relived what she called "my nine months in hell" on Tuesday, describing details of her life as a captive plural wife before ending a second day on the witness stand with a dramatic account of how her ordeal ended.
Cruise ship stranded without power after fire: A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier was scheduled to rendezvous Tuesday afternoon with a stranded cruise ship off the coast of Mexico, according to a Navy spokesman.
Obama: Indonesia a model of religious tolerance
Indonesia and the United States share principles of unity and tolerance, and both can benefit from strengthened ties that will bolster trade and combat terrorism, President Obama said in a highly anticipated speech in Indonesia Wednesday.
The address at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta was considered a highlight of Obama's two-day stop in the southeast Asian nation where he spent four years of his childhood.
As the nation with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia was chosen as the site for Obama to further address U.S. relations with the Islamic world following his speech on the topic last year in Cairo, Egypt.
He referred specifically to the Cairo speech of June 2009, noting he called there "for a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world - one that creates a path for us to move beyond our differences."
"I said then, and I will repeat now, that no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust," Obama said. At the same time, he promised that "no matter what setbacks may come, the United States is committed to human progress."
America "is not, and never will be, at war with Islam," Obama said. "Instead, all of us must defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates, who have no claim to be leaders of any religion - certainly not a great world religion like Islam."
Stocks slip as gold reaches another new high
A look at highlights from the day's business news:
Stocks flounder as commodities shine
Stocks slumped while gold rallied to a record high Tuesday as investors continued to grapple with the Federal Reserve's latest effort to stimulate the economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 60 points, or 0.5 percent, to end at 11,421. The S&P 500 shed 10 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,227. The Nasdaq slipped 17 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,593.
Air marshal sidelined for 'culturally insensitive' remark
A senior administrator with the Federal Air Marshal Service has been removed from his leadership position while the agency investigates a "culturally insensitive" remark he made on a recent conference call, CNN confirmed Tuesday.
John A. Novak, assistant director of the service, dismissed a black colleague's suggestion that the agency hold regional meetings to improve communications by saying such meetings are "nothing but traveling minstrel shows with people with banjos and guitars," said a senior government official familiar with the investigation.
The reference to minstrel shows, in which white performers in blackface lampooned African Americans, was offensive, the senior official said.
"It was dumb. It was stupid. It was egregious," added the official, who spoke on condition of not being identified by name. The official was not authorized to speak about the case publicly.
Read the full story on CNN.com.
San Francisco approves health guidelines for meals with toys
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that requires meals sold with toys not to exceed ceilings for calories, fat, sugar, and sodium. The meal must also contain a half a cup of fruit and at least three-quarters of a cup of fruits or vegetables.
Sponsored by Supervisor Eric Mar, the legislation passed with a final vote of 8 to 3. It takes effect December 1, 2011.
Read more about the proposal on CNN.com.
Publishing exec named new head of New York City schools
New York City Education Chancellor Joel Klein will step down as the head of the nation's largest public school system, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Tuesday.
He will be replaced by publishing executive Cathie Black, the Chairman of Hearst Magazines.
Read the full story on CNN.com.
iReport daily challenge: #BeAHero for the climate
Editor's Note: Learn about the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010 and vote for the CNN Hero of the Year at CNNHeroes.com.
In a couple of weeks, mayors from cities around the world will convene at the World Mayors Summit on Climate in Mexico City to pledge their commitment to combating global warming.
Over half of the world's population now live in cities, writes CNN’s Matthew Knight, and they have “an enormous power to demand of their local governments an improvement in their climate policy," says Anke Stoffregen, communications manager for ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a partner in the conference.
So what are mayors doing to make their cities more livable? What role are they playing in the struggle against global warming?
For the next couple of weeks, we're offering tiny things that you can do to make the world a better place.
Today's "Be A Hero" challenge: Hold cities accountable for climate change.
Record a question for the mayors on video and upload it to iReport or submit a text question in the comments here.
Then we'll get answers. The best questions will be asked at the conference, and the answers will be turned into highlights for CNN International TV and CNN.com/environment.
Teen convicted in N.H. machete murder gets life
A New Hampshire teenager accused of killing a woman and severely injuring her daughter during a brutal home invasion was found guilty Tuesday of first degree murder and attempted murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Steven Spader sat emotionless as the verdict was read in the gruesome murder of Kimberly Cates in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, last year.
Spader was convicted of breaking into Cates' home and hacking her to death with a machete, while his friend, 19-year-old Christopher Gribble, repeatedly stabbed her 11-year-old daughter Jaimie as she tried to defend her mother.
Elizabeth Smart discusses her months in captivity
Testifying in the trial of her alleged kidnapper, Elizabeth Smart recounted before jurors Tuesday an encounter with a Salt Lake City detective that could have brought her home months earlier.
The homicide detective encountered Smart and her alleged abductor, Brian David Mitchell, along with Mitchell's wife, Wanda Barzee, at the city library in the fall of 2002, several months after she was snatched at knifepoint from her family's home in June, she testified Tuesday.
The three had gone to the library to research California and San Diego, Smart said. Mitchell was already considering moving her there, and the encounter with police spurred him to do so.
Pirates use hijacked vessel to attack Spanish warship
Somali pirates have used a Japanese-owned freighter they seized in October to stage an attack on a Spanish warship, the European Union’s anti-piracy task force reports.
On Saturday night, pirates aboard the MV Izumi, a Panamanian-flagged vessel they captured on October 10, attacked the SPS Infanta Cristina, a Spanish corvette, as it escorted a ship chartered by the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia, according to a statement from the European Union Naval Force public affairs office.
As the pirates attacked, the Infanta Cristina placed itself between the Izumi and the AU ship, the MV Petra 1, which was carrying peacekeepers, the statement said.
“The attack was disrupted, and the pirates fled the scene,” the statement said.
Gotta Watch: Social queen, Haitian dumps, gift of Buddha
The Queen's on Facebook: It's official. Thousands of people officially "like" the British Royal Family after it joined Facebook, but don't expect to see Queen Elizabeth playing FarmVille just yet. You can "like" them but can't add them as a friend.
Accused would-be D.C. metro bomber pleads not guilty
The man accused of attempting to help bomb subway systems in the Washington area pleaded not guilty Tuesday at his arraignment in U.S. District Court.
Farooque Ahmed, 34, is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility and attempting to
provide material support "to help carry out multiple bombings to cause mass casualties" at Washington Metro stations in the vicinity of the Pentagon.
He was arrested last month at a hotel in Herndon, Virginia, authorities said.
George Bush's busy book tour
Former President George W. Bush continues to work the media circuit, promoting his 500-page memoir "Decision Points," which hits stores today.
The hourlong interview with NBC's Matt Lauer aired Monday, and Bush will join the network's "Today" show on Wednesday. Fox's Sean Hannity spent time at Bush's Crawford, Texas, for an interview that airs this week.
Oprah's pre-taped interview with Bush airs today. A preview clip shows Bush saying, "You're asking me to wade back into the swamp."
Obama to cut short Indonesian trip due to volcanic ash
U.S. President Barack Obama is officially shortening his visit to Indonesia because of fears that volcanic ash spewing from Mount Merapi could have grounded Air Force One, according to administration officials.
But Obama had enough time in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, Tuesday to fondly glimpse parts of the Asian land where he lived for part of his boyhood.
Cruise ship stranded without power after fire
A cruise ship with nearly 3,300 passengers on board was stranded off the coast of Mexico Tuesday after it lost power following an engine room fire, Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement.
The fire occurred about 6 a.m. Monday in the aft engine room of the Carnival Splendor, the cruise line said in a Monday night statement posted on its website. The blaze was extinguished and no passengers or crew were injured.
However, engineers were not able to restore power to the ship, which was operating on auxiliary generators Monday, the statement said.
Tuesday's intriguing people
*** WSOP SPOILER ALERT***
Jonathan Duhamel
The 23-year-old from Boucherville, Quebec, won the 43rd World Series of Poker on Monday, raking in more than $8.9 million in prize money.
"It's a dream come true right now. It's like the most beautiful day of my life," he said, according to a report from Canada’s CTV.
Duhamel outlasted 7,318 other entrants, the second-largest ever field in the tournament, which began July 5. Duhamel paid a $10,000 buy-in to get into the field.
Floridian John Racener finished second, collecting $5,545,955 in prize money.
Duhamel is the first Canadian to win the championship. The former college finance major learned poker by reading books and playing online, sometimes betting as little as 2 cents a hand, according to a CTV report. Monday’s victory was his biggest by far.
"I love playing poker so much, so I mean I'm going to be playing all those big tournaments and try to make other big scores," CTV quoted him as saying. "I'll be there next year in the World Series and try to do my best again."
The final was played at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada. It can be seen on ESPN tonight at 10 p.m. ET.
FULL POST
On the Radar: Bush memoir, oil spill, Myanmar, Olbermann
President George W. Bush's 481-page memoir comes out Tuesday.
Bush memoir release
After staying largely mum on the political scene since leaving office almost two years ago, President George W. Bush will reveal his thoughts on the most historic - and controversial - parts of his presidency with the release of his memoir Tuesday.
In the 481-page book, Decision Points, Bush shares his thoughts on the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and what he calls the "worst moment" of his presidency.
The 43rd president also takes responsibility for giving the go-ahead for waterboarding terror suspects, which has touched off a new round of criticism of Bush and calls for his prosecution. He says that he decided not to use two more extreme interrogation methods, but he does not disclose what those were.
Tuesday's live video events
6:45am - U.S., Indonesia briefing - President Obama and his Indonesian counterpart brief reporters following talks in Jakarta.
11:30 am ET - Middle Class Task Force event - Vice President Joe Biden holds a Middle Class task force event to announce a series of federal actions.
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