The day's most popular stories
March 1st, 2011
11:07 PM ET

The day's most popular stories

The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the past 24 hours, according to NewsPulse.

Aguilera detained after companion's arrest: Pop singer and actress Christina Aguilera was detained early Tuesday "to ensure her safety" after her rumored boyfriend was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Boiling mad over $3,000 water bills: Imagine paying as much for water as you do for your mortgage. Residents throughout Atlanta are outraged by hundreds, even thousands of dollars in monthly spikes in their water bills, and have questioned the legitimacy of the charges for years. Now, they're demanding answers.

Dior to fire Galliano after Hitler comments: Christian Dior has started proceedings to fire designer John Galliano after he was filmed making anti-Semitic comments in a Paris restaurant, the fashion giant said.

Screen legend Jane Russell dead at 89: The 1940s and '50s movie bombshell, whose name was synonymous with voluptuousness, died Monday morning at her home in Santa Maria, California, her family said.

Sheen said he's cured, blasts CBS: Capping a day of bombastic assertions and harsh accusations on the airwaves and internet, embattled actor Charlie Sheen lashed out Monday at addiction specialists and sitcom executives while proclaiming himself clean and focused thanks to an "epiphanous awakening."

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Filed under: Charlie Sheen • Crime • Most Popular • Showbiz
Dollars & Sense: $4 gas is out there; unclaimed tax refunds
March 1st, 2011
09:08 PM ET

Dollars & Sense: $4 gas is out there; unclaimed tax refunds

A roundup of today's CNNMoney news:

$4/gallon for gas? Depends where you live: Gas prices vary a lot depending on the state, city and even the block where you buy your gas. The biggest reason is taxes.

Americans still hungry for SUVs: High gas prices aren't affecting car sales. General Motors said it saw strong demand for the Silverado pickup, which posted a 60% gain in sales, and an 84% increase in retail sales to consumers.

Hot cars from the Geneva Auto Show: From Lamborghinis to Ferraris, take a sneak peek at the hottest new cars.

20 years old, $30k in debt, no degree: Stephanie Peter dropped out of school because of financial stress. Now she's stuck with loads of debt and no degree.

$1.1 billion in unclaimed 2007 tax refunds: Half of those who failed to file are owed a refund of $640 or more. And it could be even more: The median potential 2007 refund for people living in Wyoming was  $788, while New Hampshire residents are owed a median refund of $741.

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Filed under: Dollars & Sense • Economy • Taxes
N. Africa, Mideast protests: Yemeni president fires 5 governors
Moammar Gadhafi was warned by the head of the United Nations that "further action may well be necessary" against his regime.
March 1st, 2011
09:00 PM ET

N. Africa, Mideast protests: Yemeni president fires 5 governors

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 interactive map 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. CNN's Fareed Zakaria breaks down what the movements toward democracy mean.

Developments on unrest in the Middle East and North Africa:

[LIBYA, 10:00 p.m. ET, 5:00 a.m. local] The Canadian government has frozen $2.3B (CDN) in assets tied to the Libyan government, President Gadhafi and those associated with Gadhafi, a government spokeswoman said. The assets were frozen after Canada enacted sanctions over the weekend, Canadian Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Lynn Meahan said.

[LIBYA, 6:47 p.m. ET, 1:47 a.m. local] In Libya, the rivals for power appear to be heading a stalemate. CNN's Nic Robertson explains what's happening in the capital, Tripoli, why two cities in rebel control could be key to the country's future, and why neither side has the power to dislodge the other completely.

[LIBYA, 4:13 p.m. ET, 11:13 p.m. local] The U.N. General Assembly has adopted by consensus a resolution to oust Libya from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council.

[LIBYA, 3:53 p.m. ET, 10:53 p.m. local] U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday they have not seen independent confirmation corroborating reports that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has had Libya's military fire on Libyans from the air.

[WASHINGTON, 2:52 p.m. ET] U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday he has directed the Navy ships USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce to the Mediterranean as the United States positions ships in the region near Libya. The focus is on humanitarian assistance and evacuations, and there has been no authorization for use of force, he said.

[YEMEN, 12:01 p.m. ET, 8:01 p.m. local] Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh fired the governors of five of the nation's provinces, where anti-government protests have unfolded for several weeks. All five were appointed to other positions, according to a decree released Tuesday.

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Filed under: Africa • Algeria • Bahrain • Egypt • Libya • Protest • Tunisia • World • Yemen
Charlie Sheen enters the Twittersphere with a bang
March 1st, 2011
08:23 PM ET

Charlie Sheen enters the Twittersphere with a bang

It's official: Charlie Sheen has entered the Twittersphere, and people want to hear what he has to say.

The actor turned "unemployed winner" had amassed more than 150,000 followers (and counting) on Twitter before he posted his first tweet Tuesday night, less than two hours after joining. Check out this chart on "The Atlantic" to get an idea of what that kind of growth looks like.

His first tweet - complete with Twitpic - invites followers to choose their preferred vice. On the left, a bottle of "Naked" fruit juice, held lovingly by a busty blonde thought to be porn star Bree Olson - one of two "goddesses" who have been accompanying Sheen on his talk-show rounds and public appearances. On the right, a bottle of chocolate milk, held by a smirking Sheen.

Within an hour of its posting, the Twitpic alone had 726 comments (and counting!).

Sheen has been talking a lot since declaring himself "at war" with CBS after the network canceled production of the hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men."

On Monday, Sheen threatened to sue CBS over the action. He told NBC he wanted $3 million per episode instead of the $2 million he was previously making, but he later backed off that assertion, telling CNN's Piers Morgan that his only hard-and-fast demand was that he and the crew get paid for another eight weeks of work - a demand to which CBS appears to have partially assented.

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Filed under: Charlie Sheen • Showbiz • Technology • Twitter
50 people in 50 days: Police still searching for Haleigh Cummings
Haleigh Cummings was last seen alive February 9, 2009.
March 1st, 2011
06:14 PM ET

50 people in 50 days: Police still searching for Haleigh Cummings

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 32nd case, and it will be shown Tuesday night on HLN.

It's been more than two years since 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings was last seen alive in Satsuma, Florida. Since then, her family has gone through a marriage, a divorce and drug arrests, but there is still no sign of the little girl who was last seen by her babysitter-turned-stepmother, Misty Croslin, on February 9, 2009.

At the time Haleigh went missing, Croslin was living in the family's mobile home with her then-boyfriend, Ronald Cummings, Haleigh and her 4-year-old brother. Croslin told police that Haleigh was snatched from the trailer in middle of the night while she slept.

Investigators have said physical evidence contradicts Croslin's account of the events that night but have stopped short of charging her in the girl's death. Today, Croslin is in prison after being sentenced to 25 years on drug-related charges involving the trafficking of prescription narcotics, including oxycodone and hydrocodone. She continues to maintain her innocence. Haleigh's father will serve 15 years in prison and was fined $250,000 for selling prescription drugs. The two married after Haleigh's disappearance and divorced soon afterward.

Meanwhile, police continue to search for clues in Haleigh's disappearance.

Self-help guru James Arthur Ray's trial begins in sweat lodge deaths
Self-help guru and author James Arthur Ray listens to opening statements at his manslaugjter trial.
March 1st, 2011
04:29 PM ET

Self-help guru James Arthur Ray's trial begins in sweat lodge deaths

Opening statements began Tuesday in the trial of self-help author and speaker James Arthur Ray, who is charged with three counts of reckless manslaughter in the death of three people at an Arizona sweat lodge.

The trial stems from a well-publicized incident that took place during a ceremony at a five-day retreat in Sedona, Arizona, on October 8, 2009. Two people died during the ceremony at Angel Valley Retreat Center. A third died nine days later, and - authorities allege - at least 15 others fell ill.

Ray faces up to 10 years in prison on each count. His attorney has argued that the author is not to blame for the deaths.

FULL STORY
Gotta Watch: 2-story snowman; viral millions; old school CNN
A Reno, Nevada, father built a two-story snowman outside his home.
March 1st, 2011
03:00 PM ET

Gotta Watch: 2-story snowman; viral millions; old school CNN

Coolest dad ever - A dad in Reno had a lot of snow in his backyard and apparently a lot of time on his hands. He spent more than 50 hours building a two-story snowman complete with a slide for his kids and their friends.

Don't quit your day job - There's a new get-rich-quick scheme out there, and all you need is a camera and a computer. Partner up with YouTube and toss some ads on that snoring cat video and you just might make millions. CNN's Jason Caroll shows you how.

TV the old-fashioned way - CNN opens its archives to give you a rare glimpse at how the sausages are made. It's tough to picture how a network made the jump to 24-hour news when even creating a simple graphic was such an arduous task.


Filed under: Gotta Watch • Media • Most Popular • Nature • Nevada • Protest • Technology • TV-CNN Newsroom • Uncategorized • Weather • YouTube
NASA cameras track down shooting stars
The NASA cameras' wide-angle lenses can see the whole night sky and capture images of fireballs.
March 1st, 2011
01:47 PM ET

NASA cameras track down shooting stars

Some folks make a wish when they see a shooting star. If they wish to know what they saw, where it came from and where it went, that wish may soon be granted.

NASA is establishing a network of small cameras to watch the night sky for meteoroids. Computers will crunch the data the cameras gather, using a method called triangulation to plot the streaking objects' paths.

"If someone calls me and asks 'What was that?' I'll be able to tell them," said William Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "We'll have a record of every big meteoroid that enters the atmosphere over certain parts of the U.S. Nothing will burn up in those skies without me knowing about it."

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Filed under: Science • Space
Protests grow louder in Ohio, Indiana
Protesters rally last week at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus against a bill curbing public workers' collective-bargaining rights.
March 1st, 2011
01:36 PM ET

Protests grow louder in Ohio, Indiana

As Wisconsin's pro-union protests rage, a huge crowd in Ohio is gathering Tuesday for the event "Rally to Save Ohio's Middle Class." The movement, which reportedly could draw 20,000 people, is being documented live on Facebook. The AFL-CIO also is tweeting the event.

Protesters are demanding lawmakers drop a bill that would end Ohio public employees' right to collective bargaining. An Ohio Senate committee has said it will revise and vote this week on the legislation that would affect about 350,000 state workers, teachers, public safety employees and others.

And in Indiana, lawmakers have stooped to name-calling in a debate that pits union forces against legislators who want to undo union rights.

Are you in the middle of any of it? Send an iReport.

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Filed under: Illinois • Indiana • Ohio • Protest • Wisconsin
Footballer in Colombia could face jail for kicking owl off field
Deportivo Pereira's Luis Moreno, seen playing for the Panamanian national team in 2009, could face charges over kicking an owl.
March 1st, 2011
12:14 PM ET

Footballer in Colombia could face jail for kicking owl off field

A professional soccer player in Colombia faces up to three months in jail for kicking an opposing team's lucky owl, which had been been hit by a ball after landing on the field Sunday. The owl died Tuesday.

The owl was considered a good luck charm for the Atlético Junior squad in Barranquilla and lived in its Metropolitan Stadium.

Luis Moreno, a Panamanian player for Deportivo Pereira, was met with chants of "Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!" after kicking the owl and had to leave the stadium under heavy police guard, according to the Daily Mail in London. (The Daily Mail has video of the owl kick, or you can check it out on YouTube.)

For those too squeamish to watch the footage, which the Daily Mail warns constitutes animal cruelty, a Pereira defender chases a Junior attacker into the penalty box, wins the ball from him and clears it, poorly, hitting the owl that had landed on the field.

The referee stops play, and Moreno trots over and kicks the bird off the field, a distance of about three yards.

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Filed under: Animals • Colombia • Nature • Panama • Soccer • Sports • World
On the Radar: Day 15 of Libyan protests, Sheen on CNN, Florida wildfires
Libyan anti-Gadhafi protesters wave their old national flag on an abandoned tank in Benghazi on Monday.
March 1st, 2011
11:07 AM ET

On the Radar: Day 15 of Libyan protests, Sheen on CNN, Florida wildfires

Libya - Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is calling Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi "delusional." Her remark followed Gadhafi's ABC interview in which he insisted that there are no protests in Libya and that citizens "love" him. It is actually day 15 of massive protests in the chaotic country. Thousands are demanding Gadhafi's ouster, as the world wonders what would happen if he did step down. Enigmatic and eccentric, he has ruled Libya for more than 40 years. As night fell Monday, forces loyal to him tried to retake the town of Zawiya with tanks and anti-aircraft guns, an opposition leader said Tuesday. The town, which is a short drive from Tripoli, the capital, seemed to be in control of those who oppose Gadhafi, so the pro-Gadhafi crowd was stopped, the opposition leader said. CNN journalists are on the ground in Libya and across the Middle East and North Africa to bring you background on the crisis in Libya. Other countries across the region have seen unprecedented protests calling for changes in government to reflect a more democratic models. CNN's Fareed Zakaria breaks down the history that led to the uprisings, and he urges the U.S. to recognize Libya's new provisional government led by anti-Gadhafi forces. What are the U.S.'s options for Libya? The Obama administration has said nothing is off the table.

Charlie Sheen - Charlie Sheen continued his nonsensical ranting Monday on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight." He said that he has results of a test that showed him to be drug free. "I'm super-bitchin' [and] I don't believe myself to be an addict," Sheen declared. His recent rants, speculated to be some kind of drug-addled meltdown, have been major headlines since reports of a high-profile night of debauchery with prostitutes that ended when he was rushed to a hospital for severe pain. In the past few weeks, Sheen has repeatedly texted journalists and given interviews to a radio show during which he has insulted his former bosses at his hugely popular sitcom "Two and a Half Men." The show was canceled. When Morgan asked Sheen if he felt any responsibility to act as a role model because the sitcom was a family-oriented comedy, Sheen replied that he thought the show's content was  "juvenile or gross." Sheen also said Sean Penn and Mel Gibson had reached out to him to offer advice, and denied that he is violent toward women. Sheen remarked, "I'm still alive, which is pretty cool." Time magazine wonders today if Sheen is bipolar.

Florida wildfires - Firefighters are having a tough time getting a big wildfire under control in central Florida. About 20 miles of Interstate 95 are closed. Officials say the blaze has burned about 10,000 acres. Heavy winds and dry conditions are fueling the flames.

Union protests - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker warns of dire consequences, including layoffs of state workers, if Democratic state senators don't return to the legislature in Madison to vote on the budget. The budget plan the governor will unveil Tuesday has led to protests by throngs of public employees who are enraged that lawmakers would consider ending their right to collective bargaining. Polls indicate there is growing support for Wisconsin's public workers. Protests about similar union issues are heating up in Indiana and Ohio. Background on those protests can be found here.

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Filed under: Budget • Economy • Education • Florida • Health Care • Indiana • Libya • Ohio • On the Radar • Protest • Showbiz • TV-Piers Morgan • U.S. • Wisconsin
Tuesday's intriguing people
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev calls Russia's ruling party "a rotting monopoly."
March 1st, 2011
10:27 AM ET

Tuesday's intriguing people

Mikhail Gorbachev

The former Soviet leader, who turns 80 on Wednesday, has done a series of interviews offering scathing assessments of the current Russian government — particularly Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Calling Russia's ruling party "a rotting monopoly," Gorbachev told Agence France-Presse last month that Putin's party is "a bad copy of the Soviet Communist Party."

Since 1990, Gorbachev has been blamed for Russia's demise and failed reforms. Still, he defended the institutions now in place, including a legal system to support democracy.

Gorbachev addressed a report that Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev plan to sit down in private and decide who will run for president in 2012.

"I do not like how they are acting," Gorbachev said. "This is not Putin's - this is the nation's business. This is the decision of those who vote."

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Filed under: Afghanistan • Bob Dylan • Media • Music • New York • Russia
Baby delivered after mother shot to death
A pregnant woman and her husband were shot at this house outside Columbus, Ohio, but the baby was saved.
March 1st, 2011
09:46 AM ET

Baby delivered after mother shot to death

A pregnant woman was shot to death in suburban Columbus, Ohio, on Monday, but doctors were able to deliver her baby alive, CNN affiliate WBNS-TV reports.

Tenishia Latham, 25, and her husband, Larry Latham, 28, were both shot by a man with whom Larry Latham was having a dispute, police told the station.

Three children, ages 4, 8 and 9, were in the Clinton Township home when the attack occurred but were unharmed, the Columbus Dispatch reported. One of the children called 911.

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Filed under: Crime • Ohio
Red, white and blue Empire State Building to honor Peace Corps' 50th
President Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. (Peace Corps photo)
March 1st, 2011
09:15 AM ET

Red, white and blue Empire State Building to honor Peace Corps' 50th

The Empire State Building will be illuminated in red, white and blue today to honor the golden anniversary of President Kennedy signing the order that created the Peace Corps.

Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps and its mission to promote peace and friendship across the globe. Since 1961, more than 200,000 American Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries.

Volunteers help people in developing countries build better lives for themselves. Their work includes helping farmers increase food production, health education, teaching computer and multimedia skills and countless other initiatives.

"Throughout our history, the Peace Corps has adapted and responded to the issues of the times," Peace Corps director Aaron S. Williams said in a press release. "In an ever-changing world, volunteers meet challenges with innovation and compassion." FULL POST

ATM or slot machine? Devices spew cash
Some Australians received more than they bargained for Tuesday from Commonwealth Bank ATMs.
March 1st, 2011
07:58 AM ET

ATM or slot machine? Devices spew cash

An Australian bank was mortified Tuesday to discover many of its automated teller machines were handing out large amounts of extra cash to customers, media there reported.

"They could take out $500 even if there was only $100 in their account," a Commonwealth Bank spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Filed under: Australia • Business • Crime • Technology
Tuesday's live video events
March 1st, 2011
07:50 AM ET

Tuesday's live video events

Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the crisis in Libya.

Today's programming highlights...

10:00 am ET - Hillary Clinton on Capitol Hill - One day after speaking out against the Libyan regime in Geneva, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returns to Washington to testify on the State Department's budget for next fiscal year.  Don't be surprised if Libya is discussed during questioning.

FULL POST


Filed under: On CNN.com today
Low-flow toilets cause stink in San Francisco
Rain drenches San Francisco last month, but it's during summer when sewers emit a rotten-egg smell.
March 1st, 2011
07:21 AM ET

Low-flow toilets cause stink in San Francisco

The city of San Francisco's push for low-flow toilets is saving water - at a smelly price.

Use of the low-flow toilets has cut city water consumption by 20 million gallons a year, Public Utilities Commission spokesman Tyrone Jue told the San Francisco Chronicle.

But the cost is both monetary and olfactory.

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Filed under: California • Environment • San Francisco
Pirates hijack Danish yacht with three teens aboard
The Danish warship Esbern Snare is moving toward the location where the yacht was pirated.
March 1st, 2011
05:42 AM ET

Pirates hijack Danish yacht with three teens aboard

A Danish family, including three children ages 13, 15 and 17, was hijacked by Somali pirates last week, according to a report in the Copenhagen Post.

The teens, along with their parents and two deckhands, were sailing from the Maldives in the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea as part of an around-the-world voyage when they were abducted, the post reported, citing Denmark's Foreign Ministry.

The family managed to get off an emergency call as their 43-foot yacht, the ING, was attacked, the Post report said, and a Danish warship was headed to the area where the yacht was hijacked, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) off the coast of Somalia.

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Filed under: Crime • Pirates • Somalia • World
March 1st, 2011
03:21 AM ET

Security contractors accused of killing civilians to be retried

Jury selection begins Tuesday in the retrial of two U.S. security contractors accused of killing two Afghanistan civilians.

In September, a federal judge declared a mistrial in the case against Christopher Drotleff and Justin Cannon after the jury in the case said they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Drotleff and Cannon worked as security contractors for a subsidiary of Xe, the military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide.

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Filed under: Afghanistan • World