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Congressman says hacker placed lewd photo on Twitter account
A weekend controversy involving a lewd photo posted on the Twitter account of Rep. Anthony Weiner is a "prank" caused by a hacker, Weiner told CNN on Monday.
Weiner, a New York Democrat who is one of the leading liberal voices in the House, blamed the photo on a hacker who got control of his social networking accounts.
"Look, this is a prank and not a terribly creative one," Weiner (pictured) told CNN in an exclusive interview Monday, adding: "I was hacked. It happens to people. You move on."
However, Weiner's spokesman, Dave Arnold, said the congressman has retained an attorney to look into the situation.
"We've retained counsel to explore the proper next steps and to advise us on what civil or criminal actions should be taken," Arnold said in a statement. "This was a prank. We are loath to treat it as more, but we are relying on professional advice."
FULL STORY
Afghan soldier kills NATO soldier
An Afghan soldier shot and killed a NATO soldier Monday in southern Afghanistan, high-ranking officials from the country's National Directorate for Security said.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force said an "individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon against" an ISAF service member, "killing the service member." Afghan officials confirmed that the man who did the firing was an Afghan soldier.
In another incident, two ISAF service members died after an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan, NATO said. The nationalities of the service members were not immediately released.
Separately, Afghan and coalition forces repelled an attack on the provincial reconstruction team headquarters in the Herat district of Herat province on Monday, ISAF Joint Command said in a statement.
FULL STORY
Overheard on CNN.com: Suicides and the military
Comments of the Day:
"It saddens my heart to know that this man, who served for his country, can't be honored because of his turmoils. War does horrible things to the mind. It breaks people. Our soldiers deserve more." - cicisbo
"Look, I know this is a touchy subject, but, someone who commits suicide is the perpetrator, not the victim. They took a life, even if it was their own. It's not brave or honorable to do so." - o0hBoy
Even in suicide, soldiers' families deserve condolences from president
Army Spc. Chancellor Keesling, 25, died in 2009 on his second deployment to Iraq, but his family did not receive a presidential letter of condolence because Keesling committed suicide. Such letters are withheld from the families of service members who kill themselves. Keesling's father wrote an opinion piece for CNN.com, advocating for a change to the policy. Most people who commented on the piece wrote in support of the father.
Crankee said, "My heart goes out to Spc. Keesling's family, and the families of others for whom combat took too heavy a toll. The condolence letter policy needs to be changed."
Monday's intriguing people
Sepp Blatter, Jack Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam
The three men are at the center of a corruption scandal involving FIFA, the federation responsible for organizing soccer's World Cup. While at least eight FIFA executives are being investigated for corruption, these three are important because they have roles in the election of FIFA's next president, which is scheduled for Wednesday. Also, they have ties to the controversial 2022 World Cup bid, awarded earlier this year to Qatar.
Bin Hammam, the world soccer governing body official, was suspended Sunday over allegations of corruption. Blatter, 75, has been FIFA's president for the past three terms. Blatter has been cleared of any wrongdoing and is seeking a fourth term. A longtime FIFA power broker from Trinidad and Tobago, Warner was placed on suspension. Click here for more on the scandal.
Jacob Zuma
South Africa's president will meet again with Libya's Moammar Gadhafi on Monday as part of his continued effort to stop the war in Libya. Zuma arrived today and first met with Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al Mahmoudi. This is Zuma’s second trip to Libya.
Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann
Is there room enough for two powerful conservative women to seek the Republican nomination in 2012? Politico's Ben Smith has argued that while the two women are allies, Palin must be pushing Bachmann's buttons. This past week, Bachmann suddenly announced that she will decide whether to seek the GOP nomination in June. Smith suggested that the decision may have been triggered by Palin's roaring entry into Washington this weekend on a Harley Davidson.
Palin has also announced a bus tour through various U.S. cities. During a conference call last week, Bachmann expressed admiration for Palin, but said, "I don't believe that any two candidates are interchangeable. I believe each one of us brings our own unique skill set into this race."
Obama leads country in marking Memorial Day
President Barack Obama led the nation's Memorial Day observances Monday, laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns and declaring that Americans owe "a debt to our fallen heroes that we can never fully repay."
"The blessings we enjoy as Americans came at a dear cost," Obama told a crowd at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater. "For those of you who mourn the loss of a loved one today, my heart goes out to you."
Military servicemen and women killed while serving their country "gave of themselves until they had nothing more to give," he said. Americans everywhere should honor their "courage," "selflessness," and "devotion to duty."
We need to "hold their memories close to our hearts and (heed) the examples they set," he said.
Earlier in the day, the president and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a breakfast for Gold Star families at the White House.
Gold Star families are those who have lost relatives serving in the military.
The president was joined for the ceremony at Arlington by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen. Both men are retiring later this year.
"It is up to us to be worthy of (the) sacrifice" of the fallen, Gates said. "For the rest of my life, I will keep these brave patriots and their loved ones in my heart."
"God bless our fallen, the missing, and their families," Mullen said. "And God bless America."
Jim Tressel resigns as Ohio State football coach
Jim Tressel, head coach of The Ohio State University football program, has resigned, the school said in a press release.
“After meeting with University officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach," Tressel said in a statement.
Assistant coach Luke Fickell will serve as interim coach next season, the school said. The search for a new head coach won't begin until after the 2011-2012 season ends.
The school fined Tressel $250,000 in March and suspended him after learning he failed to acknowledge that some of his players may have violated NCAA rules.
SI.com: Tressel tries to take brunt of NCAA wrath with resignation
“In consultation with the senior leadership of the Board of Trustees, I have been actively reviewing matters attendant to our football program, and I have accepted Coach Tressel’s resignation,” President E. Gordon Gee said in a statement. “The University’s enduring public purposes and its tradition of excellence continue to guide our actions.”
Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said the school had been investigating Tressel since January.
"Obviously I'm disappointed that this happened at all," Tressel said in a press conference in March. "I take responsibility for what we do at Ohio State tremendously seriously ... and obviously I plan to grow from this. I'm sincerely saddened by the fact that I let some people down, and that I didn't do some things as well as I could possibly do."
Smith on Monday said he was looking forward to a new chapter in Buckeye history.
“We look forward to refocusing the football program on doing what we do best – representing this extraordinary university and its values on the field, in the classroom, and in life,” he said. “We look forward to supporting Luke Fickell in his role as our football coach. We have full confidence in his ability to lead our football program.”
SI.com’s Stewart Mandel said after Tressel’s fine that it would be hard to imagine Ohio State firing a coach who boasts a national championship and seven Big Ten titles in 10 years.
But as is the case with most big-time college football coaches, Tressel's contract includes a clause stating he could be terminated for failing to speedily report NCAA violations.
Under Tressel’s leadership, Ohio State won a national championship in 2003 and played two other national title games. The team has had at least a share of the Big Ten title in all of the past six seasons. The Buckeyes finished last season with a 12-1 record and a Sugar Bowl victory.
New Joint Chiefs chair to be named
President Barack Obama on Monday will nominate Gen. Martin Dempsey, the relatively new Army chief of staff, to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a source familiar with the plans. The term of the current chairman Adm. Michael Mullen ends in September.
Obama will also name Adm. James Winnefeld, the current head of the U.S. Northern Command, to serve as vice chairman, according to the source.
Gen. Ray Odierno will be nominated to replace Dempsey as the Army's chief of staff, the source added.
FULL STORY
On the Radar: Michigan storm, Afghan attack, Endeavour's return
More storms in Midwest - Many people across the midsection of the country are going to spend Memorial Day cleaning up, after severe storms hit Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois overnight. More than 100,000 people in those states are without power. "It sounded like a freight train." That's the refrain of this past week. Missourians described the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, on May 22 that way, and now someone is using the same description in Michigan. Winds of more than 80 mph hit Battle Creek, Michigan. Hundreds of flights were canceled in Chicago.
Twin suicide bombings in Afghanistan - Suicide bombers targeted security forces and foreign civil affairs workers in separate blasts Monday in the western Afghanistan city of Herat, killing at least five people and wounding 33, a police official told CNN. The attacks occurred within minutes of each other just blocks apart in Herat, an area where U.S. military officials have hinted American troops would be withdrawn by July because it has been largely free of violence.
The second bomber blew himself up outside the main gate of a compound that is home to a Provincial Reconstruction Team, an attack that allowed gunmen to rush inside. Afghan and NATO-led forces fought the gunmen, Afghan government official Harif Taib told CNN. A police commander later said the situation was under police control and the gunfight had ended.
Endeavour heads home - The space shuttle undocked from the international space station and is scheduled to land early Wednesday morning. There is one last shuttle mission after Endeavour's journey: Atlantis is scheduled to launch in July.
Monday's live video events
Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the bad weather targeting parts of the United States.
Today's programming highlights...
Ongoing coverage - Endeavour's final mission
10:55 am ET - Obama attends wreath-laying ceremony - President Obama marks Memorial Day by participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
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