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Oscars: Daughter of 911 victim talks about her nominated terrorism documentary
Carie Lemack's mother Judy was killed on American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11.
Lemack, who was in her mid-20s when her mother died, recently spoke with CNN International's Jonathan Mann about "Killing in the Name" an Oscar-nominated documentary she produced about Ashraf al-Khaled, a Jordanian Muslim. Al Qaeda bombed al-Khaled's 2005 wedding in Amman, Jordan, killing the couple's parents along many family members. The film focuses on his journey challenging the ideology of terrorism.
Arizona lawmaker in freeway fight, police say
Police say they did not detain an Arizona state senator who was involved in a domestic violence incident over the weekend because state law gives him immunity from arrest while the legislature is in session.
Officers responding to the scene of a reported altercation on a Phoenix-area highway Friday night found state Sen. Scott Bundgaard and his girlfriend, Aubry Ballard.
Both had marks on them indicating they had been involved in a physical dispute - constituting an act of domestic violence on the part of both individuals, Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said.
Ballard was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault. Bundgaard was not, but could later face charges from the city attorney's office, Thompson said.
FULL STORY
M. Night Shyamalan flick gets Razzie for worst movie
The night before Hollywood gathers to honor its best Sunday, Razzie voters sifted through what they dubbed the cinematic rubble and (dis)honored "The Last Airbender" as the worst movie of 2010.
The M. Night Shyamalan action-flick, which was panned by critics upon its release last year, won (or should that be 'lost'?) for Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor and a new category - Worst Eye-gouging Misuse of 3-D.
The other movie that took home multiple gold spray-painted statuettes Saturday night was "Sex and the City 2" for Worst Screen Ensemble and Worst Actress - presented jointly to the four leading ladies: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis.
The Razzies - or the Golden Raspberry Awards - are decided by 637 voters in the United States and 17 countries, according to its website. It began in 1980 as "a logical antidote to Tinsel Town's annual glut of self-congratulatory awards," it says.
FULL STORY
Security forces flood Beijing before protests
For the second weekend in a row, anonymous calls by organizers for a pro-democracy demonstration in Beijing were overshadowed by heavy security presence.
Hundreds of Chinese police officers along with more than 120 vehicles flooded Beijing's central pedestrian shopping area, Wangfujing, around the site of a second attempted "jasmine" rally inspired by pro-democracy protests in Tunisia.
There was no sign of protest as the police deployed unusual tactics to prevent demonstrations.
At least three foreign press photographers at the scene were reportedly beaten by police officers and detained. Other foreign journalists, including CNN, were manhandled, detained and escorted away from the site.
FULL STORY
The day's most popular stories
The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the past 24 hours, according to NewsPulse.
Voodoo sex ceremony starts fatal fire: Candles used in voodoo sex ceremony caused a fatal five alarm fire after they tipped over and ignited bed sheets in a Brooklyn, New York, apartment, police said.
Canadian judge under review for controversial remarks: A Canadian judge whose controversial ruling and remarks in a sexual assault case sparked outrage is being investigated by the Canadian court system, a website statement said Friday.
What will happen to former NFL player's brain?: David Duerson, a 50-year-old former player for the NFL's Chicago Bears, committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. The details remain hazy, but family members believe that Duerson avoided injuring his brain so that it could be tested for disease.
Forgotten graves home to the invisible dead: The Shropshire gravesite is in the Appalachian foothills outside Gore, Georgia. About 1,000 feet from the clearing is an old, abandoned church on a dusty dirt road. Experts say that if slaves or former slaves are buried at the site, it would be a unique archeological find.
U.N. Security Council comes down on Gadhafi as opposition takes shape: The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday night to punish Moammar Gadhafi's government in Libya for violence against unarmed civilians, hours after the nation's budding opposition picked a former top official as its interim leader.
N. Africa, Mideast unrest: Three killed as demonstrations turn deadly in Tunisia
Across the Middle East and North Africa, CNN's reporters and iReporters are covering protests, many of them inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled those countries' longtime rulers. Check out our story explaining the roots of the unrest in each country and full coverage of the situation in Libya. Have a story to tell from the scene? Click here to send an iReport.
Developments on unrest in the Middle East and North Africa:
SUNDAY
[OMAN, 9:00 a.m. ET, 6:10 a.m. local] At least two protesters were killed and about 10 injured during clashes between protesters and police in the Omani industrial town of Sohar, according to reports from state media and Oman TV editor Asma Rshid. "The police shot them because they burned shops and cars in Sohar," Rshid said. Another source said police fired rubber bullets. A number of police had also reportedly been injured, but CNN has not been able to confirm how many.
[LIBYA, 9 am ET, 4:15 p.m. local] Protests are picking up in Libya's western city of Zawiya with former security forces who said they have switched sides and joined the opposition.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a draft resolution to impose sanctions against Libya amid escalating attacks on anti-government protesters in the north African country.
The resolution draft includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and a travel ban. It also refers Libya to the International Criminal Court.
SATURDAY
[TUNISIA, 9:12 p.m. ET, 3:12 a.m. local] Protests in Tunisia turned violent and deadly Saturday, just over six weeks after a popular uprising forced the president out of office, and lit a spark of desire for democratic reform in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Three people were killed Saturday and nine others injured during mayhem in the capital, Tunis, according to a Interior Ministry statement cited by the state-run news agency, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP).
More than 100 people were arrested, the ministry said, in the area around Habib Bourguiba Avenue, in the city's center, accused of "acts of destruction and burning."
[LIBYA, 4:58 p.m. ET, 11:58 p.m. local] City councils in areas no longer loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have chosen former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil to head an interim government which will represent all of Libya, according to Amal Bogagies, a member of the February 17 Uprising coalition, and a separate Libyan opposition source.
[LIBYA, 4:40 p.m. ET, 11:40 p.m. local] President Barack Obama, in a statement issued Saturday after reports that forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had fired on civilians, said "that when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now."
The White House statement was issued after Obama spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
[BAHRAIN, 9:37 a.m. ET, 5:37 p.m. local] Exiled opposition leader Hassan Mushaima has arrived back in Manama, Bahrain. Mushaima, leader of the Haq Movement, had told followers earlier in the week that he had been detained in Beirut, Lebanon.
[YEMEN, 2 a.m. ET, 10 a.m. local] Four people were killed and 26 wounded in clashes Friday night between anti-government protesters and security forces in southern Yemen, medical officials in Aden said Saturday.
[LIBYA, 2 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. local] A U.N. security panel is scheduled to meet Saturday to discuss new sanctions against Libya amid escalating attacks on anti-government protesters in the north African country. The resolution draft includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and a travel ban. It also refers Libya to the International Criminal Court.
U.N. security panel votes to impose more sanctions against Libya
[UPDATED 8:52 p.m. ET] The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a draft resolution Saturday to impose sanctions against Libya amid Moammar Gadhafi's escalating crackdown on anti-government protesters.
The draft includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel bans for Gadhafi and several of his associates. The resolution also refers the situation unfolding in Libya to the International Criminal Court.
"This is clear warning to the Libyan government that it must stop the killing. Those who slaughter civilians will be held personally accountable,"
Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said after the
vote.
One point of contention revolved around language that referred to adopting "all necessary measures to enable the return to Libya of humanitarian agencies and to secure the prompt and safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need."
[POSTED 2:30 a.m. ET] A U.N. security panel is scheduled to meet Saturday to discuss new sanctions against Libya amid escalating attacks on anti-government protesters in the north African country.
The resolution draft includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and a travel ban. It also refers Libya to the International Criminal Court.
U.N. secretary general Ban Ki-moon urged the council to come up with immediate actions against Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi.
"In these circumstances, the loss of time means more loss of lives," Ban told the 15-member body Friday. Ban said estimates put the death toll at more than 1,000.
The International Criminal Court has said it can only investigate alleged crimes in the nation if Libyan authorities accept its jurisdiction or the security council refers the situation to the court.
Unless either decision is taken, it cannot investigate because Libya is not a state party to the court, said prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
FULL STORYRallies in 50 states support Wisconsin protesters
A coalition spearheaded by liberal advocacy group Moveon.org held rallies across the country Saturday in support of public employees and protesters outraged at the Wisconsin budget-cutting bill.
MoveOn.org and other liberal and labor groups had noon events planned at all 50 state capitals in support of the protesters.
"Save the dream, we are reunited," a group shouted in Washington, D.C. A light snow and cold temperatures failed Saturday to deter about 70,000 who drummed, chanted and marched their way around the Wisconsin Capitol in the latest demonstration.
FULL STORY
Shuttle Discovery docks with space station for 13th and final time
Some 220 miles above the Earth's surface, the shuttle Discovery docked Saturday afternoon with the International Space Station for the last time.
Due to problems lining up with each other, the shuttle's "hard-mating" with the permanent orbiter threatened to push the six-man crew off schedule. The hook-up was finished around 3 p.m., yet NASA's Mission Control noted a possibility that the installation of an express logistics carrier would not be completed until Sunday, one day later than planned.
Still, there were no major problems on the third day of the shuttle's 11-day mission, during which the crew is set to deliver a storage module, a science rig and spare parts to the space station and its six occupants.
FULL STORY
The day's most popular stories
The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the past 24 hours, according to NewsPulse.
'Two and a Half Men' cut after Sheen rant: Actor Charlie Sheen on Friday declared "we are at war" following canceled production of the hit CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men" and his impending loss of $1.2 million.
Libyan crackdown 'escalating alarmingly,' UN says: As clashes in the Libyan capital continued Friday between government security forces and anti-regime protesters, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters.
Surgery saves girl's face from rare disorder: The line in the middle of Christine Honeycutt's forehead was barely noticeable at first. It was a faint gray smudge, just a half-inch long from top to bottom.
Three adopted kids horribly abused, sheriff says: Three adopted children who allegedly suffered burns and were forced to eat pet food lived in "inhumane conditions" and might never fully recover, an Oklahoma sheriff said.
4 children dead in Kentucky floods: The bodies of four children swept away in a creek swollen by storm waters in western Kentucky were recovered Friday morning, local authorities said.
50 people in 50 days: Teen never shows up for work after school
Editor's note: Nancy Grace's new show on HLN, "Nancy Grace: America's Missing," is dedicated to finding 50 people in 50 days. As part of the effort, which relies heavily on audience participation, CNN.com's news blog This Just In will feature the stories of the missing.
This is the 30th case, and it will be shown Friday at 9 p.m. on HLN.
The morning of May 4, 2007, Kara Kopetsky decided to walk to school in Belton, Missouri, instead of having her mom drive her. Later that morning, she called her mom and asked her to bring a book for one of her classes that she had forgotten at home. She also asked her mom to wash her work clothes because she had to work after school. Her mother dropped off the book, and Kara retrieved it. But what happened next remains a mystery.
Kara did not come home from school and did not show up for work. The last call on her cell phone was about 10:30 a.m. Since then, police say, the cell phone has been shut off or the battery has run down. There has been no activity on her bank account, and nothing is missing from her house.
Someone reported seeing Kara on May 17 at a gas station in Louisburg, Kansas, with an unidentified man, but the sighting could not be confirmed because the video surveillance system was not working. Since then, the trail has run cold. An $80,000 reward has been offered for information leading to her whereabouts.
Lawmaker recommends 'all work, no play' strategy for Wis. senators who fled state
For all you Wisconsin senators in hiding, some advice from another lawmaker who's been there: Keep working and avoid the hotel bar.
At least that's the strategy Texas Rep. Pete Gallego and some 50 other Democratic representatives adopted in 2003, when they boarded a bus and fled to Ardmore, Oklahoma, to block a Republican-drawn redistricting plan that would cost them five seats in Congress.
The proposal, backed by former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, eventually passed, despite their efforts. But the stunt proved fruitful in other respects, Gallego says, as a bonding experience for the lawmakers and an opportunity for them to reassess their goals.
"A lot of us hadn't been on a bus trip since high school. We spent most of the time together, working and eating together, so a lot of members became close friends," says Gallego, who has represented Texas' District 74, the state's largest district, stretching nearly 39,000 square miles, since 1991.
The 14 Democratic senators from Wisconsin have fled to neighboring Illinois to prevent a quorum from voting on a bill that would strip most state workers of the bulk of their collective-bargaining rights.
But if their stay in Rockford, Illinois - a northern Illinois city which is attempting to capitalize on the lawmakers' presence with an "escape to Rockford" tourism campaign that uses Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen to lure visitors to its "hideaway hotspots" at "runaway rates" - resembles the Texas lawmakers' experience in Oklahoma, the senators will spend most of their time in a hotel conference room rather than enjoying the city's microbreweries and farm-to-table fine dining.
"We knew we had to be prepared for the worst things people would say about us. If someone says you're not doing your job, we elected you to be our representative in Austin and you're not there, if you're going to put career at risk, you want to be to explain in detail why you did what we did, and we spent a lot of time just on that," he said.
N. Africa, Mideast unrest: Hundreds flee Libya as Obama orders sanctions
Across the Middle East and North Africa, CNN's reporters and iReporters are covering protests, many of them inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled those countries' longtime rulers. Check out our story explaining the roots of the unrest in each country and full coverage of the situation in Libya. Have a story to tell from the scene? Click here to send an iReport.
Developments on unrest in the Middle East and North Africa:
[LIBYA, 8:46 p.m. ET, 3:46 a.m. local] U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday that sanctions against Libya will target the government while protecting the people.
"We will stand steadfastly with the Libyan people in their demand for universal rights and a government that is responsive to their aspirations," he said in a statement. "Their human dignity cannot be denied."
[MAURITANIA, 6:21 p.m. ET, 11:21 p.m. local] A rare demonstration took place Friday in the streets of Mauritania after hundreds of protesters gathered, calling for social and political change, a journalist says.
The call to action started last week on Facebook, which is said to be very popular in Mauritania, said the journalist. Young protesters were surrounded by police during several hours of peaceful demonstrations in the capital city of Nouakchott, according to reports.
[LIBYA, 4:02 p.m. ET, 11:02 p.m. local] Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham, Libya's ambassador to the United Nations, on Friday recommended targeted sanctions against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, members of his family and his supporters responsible for killing civilians in the North African country.
"It's not a crime to say, I want to be free," Shalgham said, adding that the targeting of people expressing discontent with Gadhafi's rule "cannot continue."
[LIBYA, 3:41 p.m. ET, 10:41 p.m. local] Members of the U.N. Human Rights Council recommend setting up an inquiry into allegations of abuse and rights violations in Libya, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said Friday afternoon. There was also a recommendation to suspend Libya from the council.
Ban pointed to what he called a "growing crisis of refugees and displaced persons" in Libya. He estimated that 22,000 had fled through Tunisia in recent weeks and another 15,000 through Egypt, adding that "larger numbers are, in fact, trapped and unable to leave" for fears of their safety.
"We anticipate the situation to worsen," Ban said.
Dollars & Sense: Gas prices continue to surge; trade junk for cash
A roundup of today's CNNMoney news
Washington’s budget follies: Congress may soon pass a fifth short-term funding bill in as many months just to keep Washington operating for another two to four weeks. On top of that, government agencies may also be asked to cut up to $4 billion in as-yet-unnamed programs during that period. Meanwhile, the government is getting ready for a shutdown.
'Most expensive February ever' for gas: Gasoline prices have increased nearly 12 cents a gallon this week. And analysts expect prices to increase in the next few days following a sharp rise in the price of crude oil. But what's really going on with gas prices?
A Pennsylvania town on the brink (video): Braddock used to be a thriving industrial town of 20,000. Today, its population is closer to 2,700. A massive marketing tie-up with Levi's is helping prop up the community, but the economy remains fragile.
Trade in your old junk for cash: The old sofa in your living room, the pile of sports equipment in the garage, the outgrown baby gear, the used electronics are all worth cash - lots of it.
$99 iPad rival deal - Not quite real, not quite fake: NoteSlate, a digital drawing pad, or at least the idea of one, is burning a hole in the blogosphere, despite not having been created yet.
Wisconsin law requires teaching of history of organized labor
Public school teachers have been among the loudest voices protesting inside and outside the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison over Gov. Scott Walker's proposals for dealing with the state’s budget problems - specifically his legislation to limit public workers' collective bargaining rights.
Here’s a piece of irony: Wisconsin law requires that public school students be taught the history of organized labor. The kids certainly are getting a real-time lesson in the subject.
Some teachers who left their classrooms and hit the bricks in defense of their ability to organize and negotiate contracts likely are those who teach the history of the labor movement to students in those same classrooms.
Wisconsin Assembly Bill 172, passed by Democrat-controlled state legislature, was signed into law by then-Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, in December 2009.
The law requires teachers to include instruction in “the history of organized labor and the collective bargaining process.”
The state’s Department of Public Instruction website reads: “Wisconsin has long been a leader in labor rights. The Progressive Movement, which had its beginnings in our state, led to laws limiting child labor and safety in the workplace. Unions such as the AFL-CIO and Teamsters allow us to enjoy an eight-hour work week and vacation time. In fact, it has been argued by some historians that the history of the United States itself could be a history of labor.” The DPI site notes that the law made Wisconsin the first state in the nation to include the history of organized labor as part of state standards for teaching social studies.
Teachers are referred to websites for the Educational Communications Board Surf Report on Labor History, Wisconsin Historical Society Labor Collections and Wisconsin Labor History Society.
The Wisconsin Labor History Society offers teachers outlines to help them present the subject. “Workers and unions helped to make our nation great and to create our standard of living, with top wages and benefits for all workers. There were many struggles facing workers in reaching these goals. This presentation will discuss some of those struggles and identify the major gains of early workers and their unions. ...
Today, the United States is the richest country on earth. By most standards, U.S. earnings permit the vast majority of us to enjoy the highest standards of living. Most families have cars, sometimes two or three, televisions, refrigerators and their children have access to boom boxes, CDs, computers and cell phones.”
Back in April 2009, when then-historical society President Kenneth Germanson testified before the state legislature in support of the bill, he recounted the contributions by organized labor to American society. “But who is aware of this today?” Germanson asked. “Very few persons, and it’s a result of an education system that has overlooked a key part of American history. It’s precisely this omission that AB 172 seeks to overcome.”
Some politically conservative blogs are now calling to repeal AB 172.
Gotta Watch: Oscars edition
And your hosts are... – Are they nervous? Who is funnier? We'll let them tell you.
[cnn-video url="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2011/02/25/bts.hathaway.franco.oscars.cnn"%5D
Snow could fall on Hollywood sign
Will the red carpet be covered in white for Sunday's Academy Awards in Hollywood?
Forecasters are calling for the snow level to drop to 500 feet as a winter storm sweeps over Southern California this weekend, CNN affiliate KTLA-TV in Los Angeles reports.
That might not bring the white stuff to the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, but it could leave a dusting on the famous Hollywood sign, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The sign on Mount Lee is at 1,600 feet, well above the predicted snow level. Forecasters say the snow level will be at 1,000 feet during the worst of the storm Saturday afternoon, but "some convective showers could push snow down to 500 feet," according to the KTLA report.
Friday's intriguing people
Chuck Lorre
The “Two and a Half Men” creator has not hesitated to provoke troubled actor Charlie Sheen. According to Zap2it Columnist Rick Porter, Lorre recently used vanity cards displayed at the end of the CBS program to comment on the actor’s behavior. After the February 14 program aired, Lorre’s closing remarks read: “I exercise regularly. I eat moderate amounts of healthy food. I make sure to get plenty of rest. … I don’t do drugs. I don’t have crazy, reckless sex with strangers. If Charlie Sheen outlives me, I’m gonna be really pissed.” Sheen is not Lorre’s first headache. He’s worked with Roseanne Barr, Cybill Shepherd, and in the mid-90s he created “Grace Under Fire,” starring Brett Butler, who had substance abuse issues.
FULL POST
American who fled Libya: "It was like a tsunami hit Tripoli"
Americans are fleeing Libya as unrest in the country continues. CNN's T.J. Holmes speaks to George Sayar and Cyrus Sany, who just returned to the United States from Libya.
The men described a chaotic scene. "Me and my colleague finally made it out after three hours of kicking and shoving and kicking," Sayar says. Sany described taking six hours to get from the parking lot to the airport ticket counter.
Starving eagles fall from sky in Canada
Bald eagles are falling from the sky dead of starvation, wildlife experts in western Canada say.
Eagles that depend on late fall salmon runs to provide enough fat to get them through the winter are starving on account of poor runs last year, Maj Birch, manager of a bird rescue facility, told the Victoria Times Colonist.
The Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society shelter in British Columbia has treated about 20 birds this year, Birch said.
"This is the most we have ever had," Birch told the Times Colonist. "Many of them are downed before they are brought in. They are on the ground and they're too weak to fly away.
"Some of them are actually falling out of the sky. One of them slid off a roof yesterday."
Thousands of hungry eagles are flocking around landfills, competing with seagulls and often being poisoned by the scraps and rats they find there, biologists told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
A herring run due to occur in early March should provide relief for birds that can hold out that long, Birch told the Campbell River Mirror.
"Then everybody will have a feast," she told the paper.
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