text:
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Two hundred years after his birth in a log cabin in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln continues to fascinate.

Abraham Lincoln is invoked by politicians of both parties, observes historian Ronald C. White Jr.

His moral clarity, his extraordinary gifts with language, his decisive role in preserving the Union and what some consider his ultimate martyrdom combine to make of Lincoln a mythic figure with a firm hold on our collective imagination.

In conjunction with the bicentennial of his birth, a slew of new books on the 16th U.S. president have appeared. Among the best-reviewed is the biography "A. Lincoln" (Random House) by historian Ronald C. White Jr., who drew on new research for his portrait.

CNN talked with White about Lincoln's impact on the country, President Obama's affinity for him and what lessons Lincoln has to offer Americans of today. The following is an edited version of White's comments:

CNN: Thousands of books have been published about Lincoln. Why did you decide to write a new biography?

Ronald C. White Jr.: Probably surprising to many is how many new discoveries have been made about Lincoln just in the last 15 to 20 years.

For example, about 20 years ago, a professor in Illinois wondered if there were still Lincoln legal papers laying around in the almost 100 courthouses in Illinois. So he got together a group of students, and they began searching those courthouses, and they found [thousands] of Lincoln legal documents. ... I wanted to treat more of that part of Lincoln's life -- he spent nearly 24 years as a lawyer. This is just an example of what we have discovered only in recent years. See iReporters don stovepipe hats like Lincoln

CNN: More than 100 years after his death, why does Lincoln still fascinate us?

White: I think for many he embodies the best of America. The fact that a man of such humble origins, with less than one year of formal education, could, in his term, have the "right to rise." He felt that America was a land where we should not put any shackles or weights upon people. One reason he hated slavery so much was that it puts weights upon people. ...

I'm going to be speaking in Italy and Germany in April, and people there are fascinated with Lincoln for the same reason.

Now, to be sure, Obama has shone a large spotlight on Abraham Lincoln. I think this is somewhat responsible for rediscovering this man at the beginning of the Lincoln bicentennial in the year 2009.

CNN: Why do you think Barack Obama has made such a point of aligning himself with Lincoln?

White: It's become commonplace for politicians of both parties to invoke Lincoln -- literally wrap themselves in the mantle of Lincoln -- especially at political conventions. But when I read "The Audacity of Hope" it came through to me that this is something quite genuine.

As Obama is seeking to define his own vocation as a politician, he found in Lincoln -- Lincoln's inclusive spirit, Lincoln's humble demeanor, Lincoln's great gift with words -- he found here some of the very values that he wished to inculcate into his own life. ... I think he picked up on the symbolism of Lincoln, using the very same ceremonial Bible [for his swearing-in], picking as his theme a "new birth of freedom," re-enacting the final 137 miles of the train ride [Lincoln took to Washington for his first inaugural]. It's fascinating that here this African-American politician is finding a model and a mentor, and I think it is the values that Lincoln represents that Obama is finding.

CNN: Some people have noted temperamental similarities between Lincoln and Obama. Is there any justification for that comparison?

White: I think there is. Obama comes across as a person of kind of calm, reassuring demeanor. He is a person who likes to circle around questions and problems. He was as interested, as I've come to understand, when he taught law in Chicago, in asking questions as in coming up with answers. This is exactly the way Lincoln approached reality.

They both have a real sense for oratory, how less is more; they have a compelling way of speaking. ... To be sure there are real differences. [Obama] had an education far beyond Lincoln's. It's yet to be determined how Obama will emulate Lincoln. I would argue that Lincoln had to teach himself to be president. He was very aware of his inadequacies, certainly in administration and military policy. And I think with all the fanfare for Obama I think he understands that he has to teach himself how to be president, too. iReport.com: Send your rendition of Lincoln's second inaugural speech

CNN: [Historian] Henry Louis Gates suggests Lincoln's attitudes on race were not as enlightened as some would like to think. In your book, you say it's important to consider the context in which Lincoln articulated his racial views.

White: This is the difficulty ... with understanding the context. Lincoln's racial attitudes ... were left of center and moving in that direction, toward the left. ...

Lincoln said in one of his debates with Stephen Douglas, "It's not that I'm about to marry a black woman, it's not that I think blacks should serve on juries." ... He then comes back and says, "But this black woman, in terms of her right to eat the bread she earns from her own hands is every bit my equal and the equal of every person here because if you're referring to the Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal." Even the most radical abolitionist would probably not have granted social equality [between blacks and whites].

CNN: What did you discover about the evolution of Lincoln's religious views?

White: His religious odyssey comes to more of a full scope during his presidency. ... We see him re-appropriating elements of the Christian faith -- not his parents' tradition -- but a more rational, logical, thoughtful old-school Presbyterian tradition [after he became president].

This is a story that has not often been told, and I think it's an important part of understanding the moral core of Abraham Lincoln. It wasn't simply that he had an ethic, which he certainly did, but there was a theological kind of undergirding of that ethic that came to the forefront more in his years as president.

CNN: Do you feel Lincoln is our greatest president?

White: Well, there are a lot of great presidents. ... Certainly the times make the man. Lincoln led us through the greatest crisis of our nation's history -- an internal crisis -- even as Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of our greatest presidents, who led us through two other great crises -- the Great Depression and World War II. It's hard to compare people of different eras, but I think Lincoln sort of incarnates the best values of the American experience.

CNN: What can we all learn from Lincoln?

White: If there is an ultimate value in doing a biography of Lincoln, it is that Lincoln offers some wisdom for today. We don't have to be political leaders to catch the values -- his humility, the strength of his character and moral vision, the fact that words fiercely mattered to him and should matter to us. ...

He said at the second inaugural, "With malice toward none, with charity for all." I was intrigued to find ... that people wore mourning badges right after his death that said, "With malice toward none, with charity for all." Lincoln didn't just speak these words, he had come to embody these words for the people who knew him and loved him. And so these values are not simply back there in the 19th century. They're values that we can embody and work with in the 21st century.

text: LOS

text: ANGELES

text: California

text: CNN

text: Two

text: hundred

text: years

text: after

text: his

text: birth

text: in

text: a

text: log

text: cabin

text: in

text: Kentucky

text: Abraham

text: Lincoln

text: continues

text: to

text: fascinate

text: Abraham

text: Lincoln

text: is

text: invoked

text: by

text: politicians

text: of

text: both

text: parties

text: observes

text: historian

text: Ronald

text: C.

text: White

text: Jr.

text: His

text: moral

text: clarity

text: his

text: extraordinary

text: gifts

text: with

text: language

text: his

text: decisive

text: role

text: in

text: preserving

text: the

text: Union

text: and

text: what

text: some

text: consider

text: his

text: ultimate

text: martyrdom

text: combine

text: to

text: make

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: a

text: mythic

text: figure

text: with

text: a

text: firm

text: hold

text: on

text: our

text: collective

text: imagination

text: In

text: conjunction

text: with

text: the

text: bicentennial

text: of

text: his

text: birth

text: a

text: slew

text: of

text: new

text: books

text: on

text: the

text: U.S.

text: president

text: have

text: appeared

text: Among

text: the

text: best

text: reviewed

text: is

text: the

text: biography

text: A.

text: Lincoln

text: Random

text: House

text: by

text: historian

text: Ronald

text: C.

text: White

text: Jr.

text: who

text: drew

text: on

text: new

text: research

text: for

text: his

text: portrait

text: CNN

text: talked

text: with

text: White

text: about

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: impact

text: on

text: the

text: country

text: President

text: Obama

text: 's

text: affinity

text: for

text: him

text: and

text: what

text: lessons

text: Lincoln

text: has

text: to

text: offer

text: Americans

text: of

text: today

text: The

text: following

text: is

text: an

text: edited

text: version

text: of

text: White

text: 's

text: comments

text: CNN

text: Thousands

text: of

text: books

text: have

text: been

text: published

text: about

text: Lincoln

text: Why

text: did

text: you

text: decide

text: to

text: write

text: a

text: new

text: biography

text: Ronald

text: C.

text: White

text: Jr.

text: Probably

text: surprising

text: to

text: many

text: is

text: how

text: many

text: new

text: discoveries

text: have

text: been

text: made

text: about

text: Lincoln

text: just

text: in

text: the

text: last

text: to

text: years

text: For

text: example

text: about

text: years

text: ago

text: a

text: professor

text: in

text: Illinois

text: wondered

text: if

text: there

text: were

text: still

text: Lincoln

text: legal

text: papers

text: laying

text: around

text: in

text: the

text: almost

text: courthouses

text: in

text: Illinois

text: So

text: he

text: got

text: together

text: a

text: group

text: of

text: students

text: and

text: they

text: began

text: searching

text: those

text: courthouses

text: and

text: they

text: found

text: thousands

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: legal

text: documents

text: I

text: wanted

text: to

text: treat

text: more

text: of

text: that

text: part

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: life

text: he

text: spent

text: nearly

text: years

text: as

text: a

text: lawyer

text: This

text: is

text: just

text: an

text: example

text: of

text: what

text: we

text: have

text: discovered

text: only

text: in

text: recent

text: years

text: See

text: iReporters

text: don

text: stovepipe

text: hats

text: like

text: Lincoln

text: CNN

text: More

text: than

text: years

text: after

text: his

text: death

text: why

text: does

text: Lincoln

text: still

text: fascinate

text: us

text: White

text: I

text: think

text: for

text: many

text: he

text: embodies

text: the

text: best

text: of

text: America

text: The

text: fact

text: that

text: a

text: man

text: of

text: such

text: humble

text: origins

text: with

text: less

text: than

text: one

text: year

text: of

text: formal

text: education

text: could

text: in

text: his

text: term

text: have

text: the

text: right

text: to

text: rise

text: He

text: felt

text: that

text: America

text: was

text: a

text: land

text: where

text: we

text: should

text: not

text: put

text: any

text: shackles

text: or

text: weights

text: upon

text: people

text: One

text: reason

text: he

text: hated

text: slavery

text: so

text: much

text: was

text: that

text: it

text: puts

text: weights

text: upon

text: people

text: I

text: 'm

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: speaking

text: in

text: Italy

text: and

text: Germany

text: in

text: April

text: and

text: people

text: there

text: are

text: fascinated

text: with

text: Lincoln

text: for

text: the

text: same

text: reason

text: Now

text: to

text: be

text: sure

text: Obama

text: has

text: shone

text: a

text: large

text: spotlight

text: on

text: Abraham

text: Lincoln

text: I

text: think

text: this

text: is

text: somewhat

text: responsible

text: for

text: rediscovering

text: this

text: man

text: at

text: the

text: beginning

text: of

text: the

text: Lincoln

text: bicentennial

text: in

text: the

text: year

text: CNN

text: Why

text: do

text: you

text: think

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: has

text: made

text: such

text: a

text: point

text: of

text: aligning

text: himself

text: with

text: Lincoln

text: White

text: It

text: 's

text: become

text: commonplace

text: for

text: politicians

text: of

text: both

text: parties

text: to

text: invoke

text: Lincoln

text: literally

text: wrap

text: themselves

text: in

text: the

text: mantle

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: especially

text: at

text: political

text: conventions

text: But

text: when

text: I

text: read

text: The

text: Audacity

text: of

text: Hope

text: it

text: came

text: through

text: to

text: me

text: that

text: this

text: is

text: something

text: quite

text: genuine

text: As

text: Obama

text: is

text: seeking

text: to

text: define

text: his

text: own

text: vocation

text: as

text: a

text: politician

text: he

text: found

text: in

text: Lincoln

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: inclusive

text: spirit

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: humble

text: demeanor

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: great

text: gift

text: with

text: words

text: he

text: found

text: here

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: very

text: values

text: that

text: he

text: wished

text: to

text: inculcate

text: into

text: his

text: own

text: life

text: I

text: think

text: he

text: picked

text: up

text: on

text: the

text: symbolism

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: using

text: the

text: very

text: same

text: ceremonial

text: Bible

text: for

text: his

text: swearing

text: in

text: picking

text: as

text: his

text: theme

text: a

text: new

text: birth

text: of

text: freedom

text: re

text: enacting

text: the

text: final

text: miles

text: of

text: the

text: train

text: ride

text: Lincoln

text: took

text: to

text: Washington

text: for

text: his

text: first

text: inaugural

text: It

text: 's

text: fascinating

text: that

text: here

text: this

text: African

text: American

text: politician

text: is

text: finding

text: a

text: model

text: and

text: a

text: mentor

text: and

text: I

text: think

text: it

text: is

text: the

text: values

text: that

text: Lincoln

text: represents

text: that

text: Obama

text: is

text: finding

text: CNN

text: Some

text: people

text: have

text: noted

text: temperamental

text: similarities

text: between

text: Lincoln

text: and

text: Obama

text: Is

text: there

text: any

text: justification

text: for

text: that

text: comparison

text: White

text: I

text: think

text: there

text: is

text: Obama

text: comes

text: across

text: as

text: a

text: person

text: of

text: kind

text: of

text: calm

text: reassuring

text: demeanor

text: He

text: is

text: a

text: person

text: who

text: likes

text: to

text: circle

text: around

text: questions

text: and

text: problems

text: He

text: was

text: as

text: interested

text: as

text: I

text: 've

text: come

text: to

text: understand

text: when

text: he

text: taught

text: law

text: in

text: Chicago

text: in

text: asking

text: questions

text: as

text: in

text: coming

text: up

text: with

text: answers

text: This

text: is

text: exactly

text: the

text: way

text: Lincoln

text: approached

text: reality

text: They

text: both

text: have

text: a

text: real

text: sense

text: for

text: oratory

text: how

text: less

text: is

text: more

text: they

text: have

text: a

text: compelling

text: way

text: of

text: speaking

text: To

text: be

text: sure

text: there

text: are

text: real

text: differences

text: Obama

text: had

text: an

text: education

text: far

text: beyond

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: It

text: 's

text: yet

text: to

text: be

text: determined

text: how

text: Obama

text: will

text: emulate

text: Lincoln

text: I

text: would

text: argue

text: that

text: Lincoln

text: had

text: to

text: teach

text: himself

text: to

text: be

text: president

text: He

text: was

text: very

text: aware

text: of

text: his

text: inadequacies

text: certainly

text: in

text: administration

text: and

text: military

text: policy

text: And

text: I

text: think

text: with

text: all

text: the

text: fanfare

text: for

text: Obama

text: I

text: think

text: he

text: understands

text: that

text: he

text: has

text: to

text: teach

text: himself

text: how

text: to

text: be

text: president

text: too

text: iReport.com

text: Send

text: your

text: rendition

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: second

text: inaugural

text: speech

text: CNN

text: Historian

text: Henry

text: Louis

text: Gates

text: suggests

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: attitudes

text: on

text: race

text: were

text: not

text: as

text: enlightened

text: as

text: some

text: would

text: like

text: to

text: think

text: In

text: your

text: book

text: you

text: say

text: it

text: 's

text: important

text: to

text: consider

text: the

text: context

text: in

text: which

text: Lincoln

text: articulated

text: his

text: racial

text: views

text: White

text: This

text: is

text: the

text: difficulty

text: with

text: understanding

text: the

text: context

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: racial

text: attitudes

text: were

text: left

text: of

text: center

text: and

text: moving

text: in

text: that

text: direction

text: toward

text: the

text: left

text: Lincoln

text: said

text: in

text: one

text: of

text: his

text: debates

text: with

text: Stephen

text: Douglas

text: It

text: 's

text: not

text: that

text: I

text: 'm

text: about

text: to

text: marry

text: a

text: black

text: woman

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: that

text: I

text: think

text: blacks

text: should

text: serve

text: on

text: juries

text: He

text: then

text: comes

text: back

text: and

text: says

text: But

text: this

text: black

text: woman

text: in

text: terms

text: of

text: her

text: right

text: to

text: eat

text: the

text: bread

text: she

text: earns

text: from

text: her

text: own

text: hands

text: is

text: every

text: bit

text: my

text: equal

text: and

text: the

text: equal

text: of

text: every

text: person

text: here

text: because

text: if

text: you

text: 're

text: referring

text: to

text: the

text: Declaration

text: of

text: Independence

text: all

text: men

text: are

text: created

text: equal

text: Even

text: the

text: most

text: radical

text: abolitionist

text: would

text: probably

text: not

text: have

text: granted

text: social

text: equality

text: between

text: blacks

text: and

text: whites

text: CNN

text: What

text: did

text: you

text: discover

text: about

text: the

text: evolution

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: 's

text: religious

text: views

text: White

text: His

text: religious

text: odyssey

text: comes

text: to

text: more

text: of

text: a

text: full

text: scope

text: during

text: his

text: presidency

text: We

text: see

text: him

text: re

text: appropriating

text: elements

text: of

text: the

text: Christian

text: faith

text: not

text: his

text: parents

text: tradition

text: but

text: a

text: more

text: rational

text: logical

text: thoughtful

text: old

text: school

text: Presbyterian

text: tradition

text: after

text: he

text: became

text: president

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: story

text: that

text: has

text: not

text: often

text: been

text: told

text: and

text: I

text: think

text: it

text: 's

text: an

text: important

text: part

text: of

text: understanding

text: the

text: moral

text: core

text: of

text: Abraham

text: Lincoln

text: It

text: was

text: n't

text: simply

text: that

text: he

text: had

text: an

text: ethic

text: which

text: he

text: certainly

text: did

text: but

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: theological

text: kind

text: of

text: undergirding

text: of

text: that

text: ethic

text: that

text: came

text: to

text: the

text: forefront

text: more

text: in

text: his

text: years

text: as

text: president

text: CNN

text: Do

text: you

text: feel

text: Lincoln

text: is

text: our

text: greatest

text: president

text: White

text: Well

text: there

text: are

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: great

text: presidents

text: Certainly

text: the

text: times

text: make

text: the

text: man

text: Lincoln

text: led

text: us

text: through

text: the

text: greatest

text: crisis

text: of

text: our

text: nation

text: 's

text: history

text: an

text: internal

text: crisis

text: even

text: as

text: Franklin

text: Delano

text: Roosevelt

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: our

text: greatest

text: presidents

text: who

text: led

text: us

text: through

text: two

text: other

text: great

text: crises

text: the

text: Great

text: Depression

text: and

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: It

text: 's

text: hard

text: to

text: compare

text: people

text: of

text: different

text: eras

text: but

text: I

text: think

text: Lincoln

text: sort

text: of

text: incarnates

text: the

text: best

text: values

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: experience

text: CNN

text: What

text: can

text: we

text: all

text: learn

text: from

text: Lincoln

text: White

text: If

text: there

text: is

text: an

text: ultimate

text: value

text: in

text: doing

text: a

text: biography

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: it

text: is

text: that

text: Lincoln

text: offers

text: some

text: wisdom

text: for

text: today

text: We

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: to

text: be

text: political

text: leaders

text: to

text: catch

text: the

text: values

text: his

text: humility

text: the

text: strength

text: of

text: his

text: character

text: and

text: moral

text: vision

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: words

text: fiercely

text: mattered

text: to

text: him

text: and

text: should

text: matter

text: to

text: us

text: He

text: said

text: at

text: the

text: second

text: inaugural

text: With

text: malice

text: toward

text: with

text: charity

text: for

text: all

text: I

text: was

text: intrigued

text: to

text: find

text: that

text: people

text: wore

text: mourning

text: badges

text: right

text: after

text: his

text: death

text: that

text: said

text: With

text: malice

text: toward

text: with

text: charity

text: for

text: all

text: Lincoln

text: did

text: n't

text: just

text: speak

text: these

text: words

text: he

text: had

text: come

text: to

text: embody

text: these

text: words

text: for

text: the

text: people

text: who

text: knew

text: him

text: and

text: loved

text: him

text: And

text: so

text: these

text: values

text: are

text: not

text: simply

text: back

text: there

text: in

text: the

text: century

text: They

text: 're

text: values

text: that

text: we

text: can

text: embody

text: and

text: work

text: with

text: in

text: the

text: century

question: What is name of the author?

answer: Ronald C. White Jr.

text: Ronald C. White Jr.

question: What comparisons with Obama does he see?

answer: They both have a real sense for oratory, how less is more; they have a compelling way of speaking.

text: They both have a real sense for oratory, how less is more; they have a compelling way of speaking.

question: What does Lincoln embody?

answer: he embodies the best of America.

text: he embodies the best of America.

question: What do historians see some comparisons with?

answer: lessons Lincoln has to offer Americans of today.

text: lessons Lincoln has to offer Americans of today.

question: What does White say about the character?

answer: he embodies the best of America.

text: he embodies the best of America.

question: Who is the author of the new Lincoln biography?

answer: Ronald C. White Jr.

text: Ronald C. White Jr.

question: What is the new Lincoln biography called?

answer: "A. Lincoln"

text: "A. Lincoln"

question: What does the story compare to?

answer: the best values of the American experience.

text: the best values of the American experience.


text:
PADANG, Indonesia (CNN) -- The first school assembly since the earthquake was charged with emotion and grief.

Students gather for the emotional assembly at their school in Padang, Indonesia.

Students at SMA1 High School in Padang have been arriving amid the ruins of their classrooms hoping life will get back to normal quickly.

They still don't know how many pupils were victims of the earthquake.

Only half the 800 students turned up Monday. But there was a gasp of shock as the vice principal informed them that one member of staff had been killed in the quake.

As prayers and a lament were sung in the yard, the emotion was too much for one teacher who fainted and was carried away.

Many students have stories of narrow escapes and cheating death by seconds. Haria Fitri told me she was taking a shower when suddenly the bathroom started shaking violently. She grabbed a towel and ran downstairs and jumped out of a window, just as her house collapsed behind her.

Many are clearly traumatized by what happened, mentioning how scared they are that another quake will again turn their world upside down.

The teachers too seem stunned by what's happened. Most of the classrooms here are full of rubble and lessons are now being conducted in a tent outside, provided by United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF.

17-year-old student Harris Putrareza, said: "When I see my school, very big destruction, I get a little sad, but I am very happy to be back to my school."

The school's English teacher, a warm, animated woman called Gustina said: "They feel very sad, they can't control their emotions, what pity our school is broken."

In some ways the very spirit of the school has been damaged. It was built in 1917 during the Dutch colonial period and has survived numerous earthquakes down the years. But this one ripped the place apart, leaving mountains of red bricks lying on the desks and huge gaping holes in the ceiling.

One building is simply too dangerous to enter and may have to be torn down.

Everywhere there are little reminders of the day the earth shook so violently: the trophy cabinet full of toppled sports awards, the covered walkways choked with smashed stone pillars.

The senior students are already wondering how they will cope when it comes to their important mid-term exams next week. The principal has announced a postponement, while they find a suitable room.

Slowly the students at this highly-acclaimed school will refocus on their studies, but no one will forget that day at the end of September when everything changed in Padang.

text: PADANG

text: Indonesia

text: CNN

text: The

text: first

text: school

text: assembly

text: since

text: the

text: earthquake

text: was

text: charged

text: with

text: emotion

text: and

text: grief

text: Students

text: gather

text: for

text: the

text: emotional

text: assembly

text: at

text: their

text: school

text: in

text: Padang

text: Indonesia

text: Students

text: at

text: High

text: School

text: in

text: Padang

text: have

text: been

text: arriving

text: amid

text: the

text: ruins

text: of

text: their

text: classrooms

text: hoping

text: life

text: will

text: get

text: back

text: to

text: normal

text: quickly

text: They

text: still

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: how

text: many

text: pupils

text: were

text: victims

text: of

text: the

text: earthquake

text: Only

text: half

text: the

text: students

text: turned

text: up

text: Monday

text: But

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: gasp

text: of

text: shock

text: as

text: the

text: vice

text: principal

text: informed

text: them

text: that

text: one

text: member

text: of

text: staff

text: had

text: been

text: killed

text: in

text: the

text: quake

text: As

text: prayers

text: and

text: a

text: lament

text: were

text: sung

text: in

text: the

text: yard

text: the

text: emotion

text: was

text: too

text: much

text: for

text: one

text: teacher

text: who

text: fainted

text: and

text: was

text: carried

text: away

text: Many

text: students

text: have

text: stories

text: of

text: narrow

text: escapes

text: and

text: cheating

text: death

text: by

text: seconds

text: Haria

text: Fitri

text: told

text: me

text: she

text: was

text: taking

text: a

text: shower

text: when

text: suddenly

text: the

text: bathroom

text: started

text: shaking

text: violently

text: She

text: grabbed

text: a

text: towel

text: and

text: ran

text: downstairs

text: and

text: jumped

text: out

text: of

text: a

text: window

text: just

text: as

text: her

text: house

text: collapsed

text: behind

text: her

text: Many

text: are

text: clearly

text: traumatized

text: by

text: what

text: happened

text: mentioning

text: how

text: scared

text: they

text: are

text: that

text: another

text: quake

text: will

text: again

text: turn

text: their

text: world

text: upside

text: down

text: The

text: teachers

text: too

text: seem

text: stunned

text: by

text: what

text: 's

text: happened

text: Most

text: of

text: the

text: classrooms

text: here

text: are

text: full

text: of

text: rubble

text: and

text: lessons

text: are

text: now

text: being

text: conducted

text: in

text: a

text: tent

text: outside

text: provided

text: by

text: United

text: Nations

text: Children

text: 's

text: Fund

text: or

text: UNICEF

text: old

text: student

text: Harris

text: Putrareza

text: said

text: When

text: I

text: see

text: my

text: school

text: very

text: big

text: destruction

text: I

text: get

text: a

text: little

text: sad

text: but

text: I

text: am

text: very

text: happy

text: to

text: be

text: back

text: to

text: my

text: school

text: The

text: school

text: 's

text: English

text: teacher

text: a

text: warm

text: animated

text: woman

text: called

text: Gustina

text: said

text: They

text: feel

text: very

text: sad

text: they

text: ca

text: n't

text: control

text: their

text: emotions

text: what

text: pity

text: our

text: school

text: is

text: broken

text: In

text: some

text: ways

text: the

text: very

text: spirit

text: of

text: the

text: school

text: has

text: been

text: damaged

text: It

text: was

text: built

text: in

text: during

text: the

text: Dutch

text: colonial

text: period

text: and

text: has

text: survived

text: numerous

text: earthquakes

text: down

text: the

text: years

text: But

text: this

text: one

text: ripped

text: the

text: place

text: apart

text: leaving

text: mountains

text: of

text: red

text: bricks

text: lying

text: on

text: the

text: desks

text: and

text: huge

text: gaping

text: holes

text: in

text: the

text: ceiling

text: One

text: building

text: is

text: simply

text: too

text: dangerous

text: to

text: enter

text: and

text: may

text: have

text: to

text: be

text: torn

text: down

text: Everywhere

text: there

text: are

text: little

text: reminders

text: of

text: the

text: day

text: the

text: earth

text: shook

text: so

text: violently

text: the

text: trophy

text: cabinet

text: full

text: of

text: toppled

text: sports

text: awards

text: the

text: covered

text: walkways

text: choked

text: with

text: smashed

text: stone

text: pillars

text: The

text: senior

text: students

text: are

text: already

text: wondering

text: how

text: they

text: will

text: cope

text: when

text: it

text: comes

text: to

text: their

text: important

text: mid

text: term

text: exams

text: next

text: week

text: The

text: principal

text: has

text: announced

text: a

text: postponement

text: while

text: they

text: find

text: a

text: suitable

text: room

text: Slowly

text: the

text: students

text: at

text: this

text: highly

text: acclaimed

text: school

text: will

text: refocus

text: on

text: their

text: studies

text: but

text: no

text: one

text: will

text: forget

text: that

text: day

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: September

text: when

text: everything

text: changed

text: in

text: Padang

question: How many are still missing officially?

answer: half

text: half

question: Students at which school in Padang said prayers for dead and missing?

answer: SMA1 High

text: SMA1 High


text:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Billionaire oil man T. Boone Pickens is shelving plans to build the world's largest wind farm.

T. Boone Pickens says the capital markets will not support his plans to build the world's largest wind farm.

The chairman of BP Capital Management announced Tuesday that his plans for the Pampa Wind Project, designed to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity using thousands of wind turbines, is on hold.

"I had hoped that Pampa would be the starting point, but transmission issues and the problem with the capital markets make that unfeasible at this point," Pickens told CNN's Ali Velshi. "I expect to continue development of the Pampa project, but not at the pace that I originally expected."

The Pickens Plan was an attempt to wean the United States off foreign oil and switch to wind and natural gas. The project was to be set in four Texas Panhandle counties.

Pickens said he faced hurdles in routing the power from Texas to a distribution system. His plans were also stymied by a plunge in natural gas prices and a tightening credit market.

"The capital markets have dealt us all a setback, and I'm less aggressive with the Panhandle project than I have been," Pickens said.  Watch Pickens respond to criticism that the U.S. can't shake it's oil addiction Â»

He said he was still committed to 667 wind turbines that he has already ordered and would find homes for them.

The Texas billionaire pushed The Pickens Plan in television commercials and lobbying efforts that started last summer. Pickens had hoped to complete his $12 billion plan in 2014 and provide enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes.

Renewable energy is the source of only a small portion of electricity used today, but in 2008, the United States became the world's leading provider of wind power.

Pickens, 81, made his fortune in oil production and trading and is listed in Forbes magazine as the 117th richest person in the United States with a net worth of about $3 billion in 2007.

text: NEW

text: YORK

text: CNN

text: Billionaire

text: oil

text: man

text: T.

text: Boone

text: Pickens

text: is

text: shelving

text: plans

text: to

text: build

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: largest

text: wind

text: farm

text: T.

text: Boone

text: Pickens

text: says

text: the

text: capital

text: markets

text: will

text: not

text: support

text: his

text: plans

text: to

text: build

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: largest

text: wind

text: farm

text: The

text: chairman

text: of

text: BP

text: Capital

text: Management

text: announced

text: Tuesday

text: that

text: his

text: plans

text: for

text: the

text: Pampa

text: Wind

text: Project

text: designed

text: to

text: generate

text: megawatts

text: of

text: electricity

text: using

text: thousands

text: of

text: wind

text: turbines

text: is

text: on

text: hold

text: I

text: had

text: hoped

text: that

text: Pampa

text: would

text: be

text: the

text: starting

text: point

text: but

text: transmission

text: issues

text: and

text: the

text: problem

text: with

text: the

text: capital

text: markets

text: make

text: that

text: unfeasible

text: at

text: this

text: point

text: Pickens

text: told

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Ali

text: Velshi

text: I

text: expect

text: to

text: continue

text: development

text: of

text: the

text: Pampa

text: project

text: but

text: not

text: at

text: the

text: pace

text: that

text: I

text: originally

text: expected

text: The

text: Pickens

text: Plan

text: was

text: an

text: attempt

text: to

text: wean

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: off

text: foreign

text: oil

text: and

text: switch

text: to

text: wind

text: and

text: natural

text: gas

text: The

text: project

text: was

text: to

text: be

text: set

text: in

text: four

text: Texas

text: Panhandle

text: counties

text: Pickens

text: said

text: he

text: faced

text: hurdles

text: in

text: routing

text: the

text: power

text: from

text: Texas

text: to

text: a

text: distribution

text: system

text: His

text: plans

text: were

text: also

text: stymied

text: by

text: a

text: plunge

text: in

text: natural

text: gas

text: prices

text: and

text: a

text: tightening

text: credit

text: market

text: The

text: capital

text: markets

text: have

text: dealt

text: us

text: all

text: a

text: setback

text: and

text: I

text: 'm

text: less

text: aggressive

text: with

text: the

text: Panhandle

text: project

text: than

text: I

text: have

text: been

text: Pickens

text: said

text: Watch

text: Pickens

text: respond

text: to

text: criticism

text: that

text: the

text: U.S.

text: ca

text: n't

text: shake

text: it

text: 's

text: oil

text: addiction

text: Â

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: still

text: committed

text: to

text: wind

text: turbines

text: that

text: he

text: has

text: already

text: ordered

text: and

text: would

text: find

text: homes

text: for

text: them

text: The

text: Texas

text: billionaire

text: pushed

text: The

text: Pickens

text: Plan

text: in

text: television

text: commercials

text: and

text: lobbying

text: efforts

text: that

text: started

text: last

text: summer

text: Pickens

text: had

text: hoped

text: to

text: complete

text: his

text: billion

text: plan

text: in

text: and

text: provide

text: enough

text: electricity

text: to

text: power

text: million

text: homes

text: Renewable

text: energy

text: is

text: the

text: source

text: of

text: only

text: a

text: small

text: portion

text: of

text: electricity

text: used

text: today

text: but

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: became

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: leading

text: provider

text: of

text: wind

text: power

text: Pickens

text: made

text: his

text: fortune

text: in

text: oil

text: production

text: and

text: trading

text: and

text: is

text: listed

text: in

text: Forbes

text: magazine

text: as

text: the

text: richest

text: person

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: with

text: a

text: net

text: worth

text: of

text: about

text: billion

text: in

question: Who shelves plans for building world's largest wind farm?

answer: T. Boone Pickens

text: T. Boone Pickens

question: What problems did the project have?

answer: capital markets will not support

text: capital markets will not support

question: How many homes would the wind farm have powered?

answer: 1.3 million

text: 1.3 million

question: When did the US become the world's leading provider of wind power?

answer: 2008,

question: In what year does US become world's leading wind power provider?

answer: 2008,

question: Who has shelved plans for building world's largest wind farm?

answer: T. Boone Pickens

text: T. Boone Pickens

question: Pickens says project is unfeasible because of?

answer: capital markets will not support his plans

text: capital markets will not support his plans

question: How many homes would the project have powered?

answer: 1.3 million

text: 1.3 million

question: When did the US become the leader in wind power?

answer: 2008,


text:
(CNN)  -- The murder of rapper Dolla reverberated throughout the music industry on Tuesday as police sought a motive for the brazen killing.

Rap artist Dolla was known as a nice guy who survived a rough childhood.

The aspiring Southern hip-hop artist, whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II, was gunned down in the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California, on Monday afternoon.

Police later arrested Aubrey Louis Berry, 23, at Los Angeles International Airport, a Los Angeles Police statement said. No other details were given about Berry.

The 21-year-old rapper was based in Atlanta, Georgia. He was in Los Angeles to work on his debut album.

Those who knew him said that despite coming from a rough background, Burton was extremely gracious and polite.

"Everything with Dolla was 'please' and 'thank you,' " said Ant Rich, manager of A&R for Jive Records, who discovered the rapper for the label when Burton was 17 and helped sign him a year later. "The streets did not define him at all. He was bigger than that."

Dolla was a protÃ©gÃ© of singer Akon, who collaborated with him on his first single, "Who the F--- is That?" which also featured another high-profile artist, T-Pain. Another Dolla song, "Feelin' Myself," appeared on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie "Step Up."

According to his official MySpace page, Dolla was born in Chicago, Illinois, and his family relocated to Los Angeles soon after.

He was 5 years old when he and his older sister, Divinity, witnessed their father committing suicide. After that incident, their mother moved the family to Atlanta, according to his biography.

The Burton family released the following statement on Tuesday:

"First and foremost we, the family, would like to thank everyone for all their kind thoughts and prayers. Furthermore, the family would like to note that rumored details of the shooting on popular Web/blog sites are false.

"Due to the circumstances of the situation, no other information will be released at this time. We are grateful for your continuous support and would be very appreciative if we could mourn this loss in private.

"Additionally, information released before and after this official statement are not confirmed nor should they be considered accurate."

Rich said Dolla, who also did some modeling for P. Diddy's Sean John label, loved his family deeply. He was the guy with the great smile who would do things like offer to pick up the bill after a meeting with music executives, Rich said.

"You would tell him 'Look Dolla, you don't have to do that because we get reimbursed for this' and he would say 'No, no you got it last time, let me,' " Rich said. "The world lost a really good kid and he had the biggest heart."

DeAngelo Jones books talent for BET and got to know Dolla after he performed at the network's "Spring Bling" event last year.

He said the artist was humbled and grateful for the success he was starting to find in the industry.

"That energy was what drew me to him," said Jones, who stayed in touch with Dolla after the show and often ran into him at other events. "A lot of times there are negative associations that go along with being a rapper, but he was not at all what the image of a rapper is portrayed to be."

Jones said he was at the Beverly Center only a short time before the shooting occurred. Jones said it was unfortunate that Dolla's slaying is yet another incident that will link hip-hop with violence.

"Hip-hop gets such a bad rap, ever since the deaths of Biggie and Tupac," Jones said. "[Dolla] just wanted to be successful, help other people and do the right thing. What's so hard for me is to see where his life was heading, because he was definitely on the right course."

Jerry Barrow, senior editor for The Urban Daily, a publication devoted to African-Americans in pop culture, noted that it was unfortunate that Dolla is finding mainstream recognition posthumously.

"With his modeling and his music, he did more before the age of 20 than many people do," Barrow said. "It's a shame that this is how many people are now discovering him and his music."

Rashan Ali, a disc jockey with Atlanta's Hot 107.9 radio station, said the city has a thriving hip-hop community. Her station, which plays hip-hop, often has its lobby filled with aspiring artists trying to get their music heard.

With the success of Atlanta-based artists like rappers T.I., Outkast, and Young Jeezy, more and more young people are drawn to the area to try and make the connections that will find them fame, Ali said.

That Dolla was killed while pursuing his craft is especially sad, she said.

"[Dolla] was minding his business, in Los Angeles trying to record his music and this happens," Ali said. "It's horrific and now a mother has to bury her child. It's senseless."

text: CNN

text: The

text: murder

text: of

text: rapper

text: Dolla

text: reverberated

text: throughout

text: the

text: music

text: industry

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: as

text: police

text: sought

text: a

text: motive

text: for

text: the

text: brazen

text: killing

text: Rap

text: artist

text: Dolla

text: was

text: known

text: as

text: a

text: nice

text: guy

text: who

text: survived

text: a

text: rough

text: childhood

text: The

text: aspiring

text: Southern

text: hip

text: hop

text: artist

text: whose

text: real

text: name

text: was

text: Roderick

text: Anthony

text: Burton

text: II

text: was

text: gunned

text: down

text: in

text: the

text: busy

text: parking

text: lot

text: of

text: the

text: upscale

text: Beverly

text: Center

text: mall

text: in

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: California

text: on

text: Monday

text: afternoon

text: Police

text: later

text: arrested

text: Aubrey

text: Louis

text: Berry

text: at

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: International

text: Airport

text: a

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: Police

text: statement

text: said

text: No

text: other

text: details

text: were

text: given

text: about

text: Berry

text: The

text: old

text: rapper

text: was

text: based

text: in

text: Atlanta

text: Georgia

text: He

text: was

text: in

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: to

text: work

text: on

text: his

text: debut

text: album

text: Those

text: who

text: knew

text: him

text: said

text: that

text: despite

text: coming

text: from

text: a

text: rough

text: background

text: Burton

text: was

text: extremely

text: gracious

text: and

text: polite

text: Everything

text: with

text: Dolla

text: was

text: please

text: and

text: thank

text: you

text: said

text: Ant

text: Rich

text: manager

text: of

text: A&R

text: for

text: Jive

text: Records

text: who

text: discovered

text: the

text: rapper

text: for

text: the

text: label

text: when

text: Burton

text: was

text: and

text: helped

text: sign

text: him

text: a

text: year

text: later

text: The

text: streets

text: did

text: not

text: define

text: him

text: at

text: all

text: He

text: was

text: bigger

text: than

text: that

text: Dolla

text: was

text: a

text: protÃ

text: gÃ

text: of

text: singer

text: Akon

text: who

text: collaborated

text: with

text: him

text: on

text: his

text: first

text: single

text: Who

text: the

text: F---

text: is

text: That

text: which

text: also

text: featured

text: another

text: high

text: profile

text: artist

text: T

text: Pain

text: Another

text: Dolla

text: song

text: Feelin

text: Myself

text: appeared

text: on

text: the

text: soundtrack

text: to

text: the

text: movie

text: Step

text: Up

text: According

text: to

text: his

text: official

text: MySpace

text: page

text: Dolla

text: was

text: born

text: in

text: Chicago

text: Illinois

text: and

text: his

text: family

text: relocated

text: to

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: soon

text: after

text: He

text: was

text: years

text: old

text: when

text: he

text: and

text: his

text: older

text: sister

text: Divinity

text: witnessed

text: their

text: father

text: committing

text: suicide

text: After

text: that

text: incident

text: their

text: mother

text: moved

text: the

text: family

text: to

text: Atlanta

text: according

text: to

text: his

text: biography

text: The

text: Burton

text: family

text: released

text: the

text: following

text: statement

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: First

text: and

text: foremost

text: we

text: the

text: family

text: would

text: like

text: to

text: thank

text: everyone

text: for

text: all

text: their

text: kind

text: thoughts

text: and

text: prayers

text: Furthermore

text: the

text: family

text: would

text: like

text: to

text: note

text: that

text: rumored

text: details

text: of

text: the

text: shooting

text: on

text: popular

text: Web

text: blog

text: sites

text: are

text: false

text: Due

text: to

text: the

text: circumstances

text: of

text: the

text: situation

text: no

text: other

text: information

text: will

text: be

text: released

text: at

text: this

text: time

text: We

text: are

text: grateful

text: for

text: your

text: continuous

text: support

text: and

text: would

text: be

text: very

text: appreciative

text: if

text: we

text: could

text: mourn

text: this

text: loss

text: in

text: private

text: Additionally

text: information

text: released

text: before

text: and

text: after

text: this

text: official

text: statement

text: are

text: not

text: confirmed

text: nor

text: should

text: they

text: be

text: considered

text: accurate

text: Rich

text: said

text: Dolla

text: who

text: also

text: did

text: some

text: modeling

text: for

text: P.

text: Diddy

text: 's

text: Sean

text: John

text: label

text: loved

text: his

text: family

text: deeply

text: He

text: was

text: the

text: guy

text: with

text: the

text: great

text: smile

text: who

text: would

text: do

text: things

text: like

text: offer

text: to

text: pick

text: up

text: the

text: bill

text: after

text: a

text: meeting

text: with

text: music

text: executives

text: Rich

text: said

text: You

text: would

text: tell

text: him

text: Look

text: Dolla

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: to

text: do

text: that

text: because

text: we

text: get

text: reimbursed

text: for

text: this

text: and

text: he

text: would

text: say

text: No

text: no

text: you

text: got

text: it

text: last

text: time

text: let

text: me

text: Rich

text: said

text: The

text: world

text: lost

text: a

text: really

text: good

text: kid

text: and

text: he

text: had

text: the

text: biggest

text: heart

text: DeAngelo

text: Jones

text: books

text: talent

text: for

text: BET

text: and

text: got

text: to

text: know

text: Dolla

text: after

text: he

text: performed

text: at

text: the

text: network

text: 's

text: Spring

text: Bling

text: event

text: last

text: year

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: artist

text: was

text: humbled

text: and

text: grateful

text: for

text: the

text: success

text: he

text: was

text: starting

text: to

text: find

text: in

text: the

text: industry

text: That

text: energy

text: was

text: what

text: drew

text: me

text: to

text: him

text: said

text: Jones

text: who

text: stayed

text: in

text: touch

text: with

text: Dolla

text: after

text: the

text: show

text: and

text: often

text: ran

text: into

text: him

text: at

text: other

text: events

text: A

text: lot

text: of

text: times

text: there

text: are

text: negative

text: associations

text: that

text: go

text: along

text: with

text: being

text: a

text: rapper

text: but

text: he

text: was

text: not

text: at

text: all

text: what

text: the

text: image

text: of

text: a

text: rapper

text: is

text: portrayed

text: to

text: be

text: Jones

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: at

text: the

text: Beverly

text: Center

text: only

text: a

text: short

text: time

text: before

text: the

text: shooting

text: occurred

text: Jones

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: unfortunate

text: that

text: Dolla

text: 's

text: slaying

text: is

text: yet

text: another

text: incident

text: that

text: will

text: link

text: hip

text: hop

text: with

text: violence

text: Hip

text: hop

text: gets

text: such

text: a

text: bad

text: rap

text: ever

text: since

text: the

text: deaths

text: of

text: Biggie

text: and

text: Tupac

text: Jones

text: said

text: Dolla

text: just

text: wanted

text: to

text: be

text: successful

text: help

text: other

text: people

text: and

text: do

text: the

text: right

text: thing

text: What

text: 's

text: so

text: hard

text: for

text: me

text: is

text: to

text: see

text: where

text: his

text: life

text: was

text: heading

text: because

text: he

text: was

text: definitely

text: on

text: the

text: right

text: course

text: Jerry

text: Barrow

text: senior

text: editor

text: for

text: The

text: Urban

text: Daily

text: a

text: publication

text: devoted

text: to

text: African

text: Americans

text: in

text: pop

text: culture

text: noted

text: that

text: it

text: was

text: unfortunate

text: that

text: Dolla

text: is

text: finding

text: mainstream

text: recognition

text: posthumously

text: With

text: his

text: modeling

text: and

text: his

text: music

text: he

text: did

text: more

text: before

text: the

text: age

text: of

text: than

text: many

text: people

text: do

text: Barrow

text: said

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: shame

text: that

text: this

text: is

text: how

text: many

text: people

text: are

text: now

text: discovering

text: him

text: and

text: his

text: music

text: Rashan

text: Ali

text: a

text: disc

text: jockey

text: with

text: Atlanta

text: 's

text: Hot

text: radio

text: station

text: said

text: the

text: city

text: has

text: a

text: thriving

text: hip

text: hop

text: community

text: Her

text: station

text: which

text: plays

text: hip

text: hop

text: often

text: has

text: its

text: lobby

text: filled

text: with

text: aspiring

text: artists

text: trying

text: to

text: get

text: their

text: music

text: heard

text: With

text: the

text: success

text: of

text: Atlanta

text: based

text: artists

text: like

text: rappers

text: T.I.

text: Outkast

text: and

text: Young

text: Jeezy

text: more

text: and

text: more

text: young

text: people

text: are

text: drawn

text: to

text: the

text: area

text: to

text: try

text: and

text: make

text: the

text: connections

text: that

text: will

text: find

text: them

text: fame

text: Ali

text: said

text: That

text: Dolla

text: was

text: killed

text: while

text: pursuing

text: his

text: craft

text: is

text: especially

text: sad

text: she

text: said

text: Dolla

text: was

text: minding

text: his

text: business

text: in

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: trying

text: to

text: record

text: his

text: music

text: and

text: this

text: happens

text: Ali

text: said

text: It

text: 's

text: horrific

text: and

text: now

text: a

text: mother

text: has

text: to

text: bury

text: her

text: child

text: It

text: 's

text: senseless

question: What was Dolla?

answer: Rap artist

text: Rap artist

question: What age was Dolla when he was killed?

answer: 21-year-old

question: What was Dolla's real name?

answer: Roderick Anthony Burton II,

text: Roderick Anthony Burton II,

question: Who mourn Dolla's loss?

answer: The Burton famil

text: The Burton famil

question: Where was the rapper killed?

answer: busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California,

text: busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California,

question: What was Dolla's age when he died?

answer: 21-year-old

question: Where was the Atlanta-based rapper killed?

answer: in the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California,

text: in the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California,


text:
DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) -- It's 7 a.m. at Henry Ford Hospital, and surgeons are preparing to remove a cancerous tumor from a man's kidney.

A doctor posts updates on social-networking site Twitter during a recent operation in Detroit.

It's potentially a risky surgery, but everything's ready: The doctors and nurses are in the operating room, the surgical instruments are sterilized and ready to go, and the chief resident is furiously Twittering on his laptop.

That's right -- last week, for the second known time, surgeons Twittered a surgery by using social-networking site Twitter to give short real-time updates about the procedure.

Following the February 9 operation online were other doctors, medical students and the merely curious.  Watch surgeons Twittering from the operating room ÃÂ»

"Here's something different: HenryFordNews is live tweeting surgery today, getting some buzz, too," wrote one Twitter participant from Massachusetts.

"I find this fascinating!" tweeted another Twitter user from Swansea, United Kingdom.

"It's an interesting use of technology, but I can't help but feel a bit 'eeewww!' about this," wrote a third tweeter from New York.

Why twitter a surgery?

Whether it's new and cool or merely yicky, observers say there's no question that more and more doctors -- and patients -- will be sharing the blow-by-blow of medical procedures on sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Dr. Craig Rogers, the lead surgeon in the Henry Ford surgery, said the impetus for his Twittering was to let people know that a tumor can be removed without taking the entire kidney.

"We're trying to use this as a way to get the word out," Rogers said.

Observers say Twittering about a procedure is a natural outgrowth of the social networking media revolution.

"Doing this removes a real communication barrier. It helps make something scary much more comprehendable," said Christopher Parks, co-founder of the Web site changehealthcare.com. "It brings us closer together and makes us more engaged."

Four months ago, Park's colleague, Robert Hendrick, tweeted his own varicose vein removal surgery here as it was happening (he was, obviously, under local anesthesia).

"It redirected my attention and allowed me to minimize some of the nervousness around what was going on. It felt like I had family and friends there to support me," Hendrick wrote in an e-mail.

"I wanted a record for other people who might be interested in the same surgery," added Hendrick, who also posted photos and video of his surgery. "It later allowed me to connect with others with the same issues."

As time goes by and the younger generation moves into medicine, expect even more sharing online of private medical procedures, Parks says.

"Newer and newer generations are used to putting their life online," he said. "This generation shares everything."

"Gosh, this is big"

Twitter users -- those "tweeple" -- who kept up with the Henry Ford procedure online got to share some medical drama in real time. (You can read the "Tweetstream" or watch video of the tumor removal on YouTube).

As Rogers got closer to the tumor, he realized it was far larger than it had appeared on a CT scan, and he wondered out loud whether he would have to remove the entire kidney -- something he'd been trying to avoid.

"Gosh, this is big," he said to his colleagues in the operating room. "Could I have picked a harder case for this?"

As Rogers worked away on his robotic machinery, the chief resident, Dr. Raj Laungani, Twittered: "Dr. Rogers is saying because the tumor is so large he may have to do a radical (total) nephrectomy."

After conferring with Laungani and others in the operating room, Rogers decided he could remove just part of the kidney. Then came another challenge: In a surgery like this one, doctors have to restrict blood flow to the kidney with clamps while they remove the tumor.

Those clamps then have to be removed within 30 minutes so the kidney isn't damaged by the lack of blood. iReport.com: Would you allow your surgeon to "tweet"?

"The goal is to keep the clamp time below 30 minutes," Laungani Twittered. "25 minutes left!!!"

Approximately 25 minutes later, Laungani shared his relief with all of Twitterville: "Tumor is excised, bleeding is controlled, we are about to come off clamp," he wrote.

In the end, Rogers had the last tweet. "The robotic partial nephrectomy was a success," he wrote. "Thank you for joining us today."

CNN's Jennifer Pifer-Bixler and Marcy Heard contributed to this article.

text: DETROIT

text: Michigan

text: CNN

text: It

text: 's

text: a.m.

text: at

text: Henry

text: Ford

text: Hospital

text: and

text: surgeons

text: are

text: preparing

text: to

text: remove

text: a

text: cancerous

text: tumor

text: from

text: a

text: man

text: 's

text: kidney

text: A

text: doctor

text: posts

text: updates

text: on

text: social

text: networking

text: site

text: Twitter

text: during

text: a

text: recent

text: operation

text: in

text: Detroit

text: It

text: 's

text: potentially

text: a

text: risky

text: surgery

text: but

text: everything

text: 's

text: ready

text: The

text: doctors

text: and

text: nurses

text: are

text: in

text: the

text: operating

text: room

text: the

text: surgical

text: instruments

text: are

text: sterilized

text: and

text: ready

text: to

text: go

text: and

text: the

text: chief

text: resident

text: is

text: furiously

text: Twittering

text: on

text: his

text: laptop

text: That

text: 's

text: right

text: last

text: week

text: for

text: the

text: second

text: known

text: time

text: surgeons

text: Twittered

text: a

text: surgery

text: by

text: using

text: social

text: networking

text: site

text: Twitter

text: to

text: give

text: short

text: real

text: time

text: updates

text: about

text: the

text: procedure

text: Following

text: the

text: February

text: operation

text: online

text: were

text: other

text: doctors

text: medical

text: students

text: and

text: the

text: merely

text: curious

text: Watch

text: surgeons

text: Twittering

text: from

text: the

text: operating

text: room

text: ÃÂ

text: Here

text: 's

text: something

text: different

text: HenryFordNews

text: is

text: live

text: tweeting

text: surgery

text: today

text: getting

text: some

text: buzz

text: too

text: wrote

text: one

text: Twitter

text: participant

text: from

text: Massachusetts

text: I

text: find

text: this

text: fascinating

text: tweeted

text: another

text: Twitter

text: user

text: from

text: Swansea

text: United

text: Kingdom

text: It

text: 's

text: an

text: interesting

text: use

text: of

text: technology

text: but

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: help

text: but

text: feel

text: a

text: bit

text: eeewww

text: about

text: this

text: wrote

text: a

text: third

text: tweeter

text: from

text: New

text: York

text: Why

text: twitter

text: a

text: surgery

text: Whether

text: it

text: 's

text: new

text: and

text: cool

text: or

text: merely

text: yicky

text: observers

text: say

text: there

text: 's

text: no

text: question

text: that

text: more

text: and

text: more

text: doctors

text: and

text: patients

text: will

text: be

text: sharing

text: the

text: blow

text: by

text: blow

text: of

text: medical

text: procedures

text: on

text: sites

text: like

text: Twitter

text: and

text: Facebook

text: Dr.

text: Craig

text: Rogers

text: the

text: lead

text: surgeon

text: in

text: the

text: Henry

text: Ford

text: surgery

text: said

text: the

text: impetus

text: for

text: his

text: Twittering

text: was

text: to

text: let

text: people

text: know

text: that

text: a

text: tumor

text: can

text: be

text: removed

text: without

text: taking

text: the

text: entire

text: kidney

text: We

text: 're

text: trying

text: to

text: use

text: this

text: as

text: a

text: way

text: to

text: get

text: the

text: word

text: out

text: Rogers

text: said

text: Observers

text: say

text: Twittering

text: about

text: a

text: procedure

text: is

text: a

text: natural

text: outgrowth

text: of

text: the

text: social

text: networking

text: media

text: revolution

text: Doing

text: this

text: removes

text: a

text: real

text: communication

text: barrier

text: It

text: helps

text: make

text: something

text: scary

text: much

text: more

text: comprehendable

text: said

text: Christopher

text: Parks

text: co

text: founder

text: of

text: the

text: Web

text: site

text: changehealthcare.com

text: It

text: brings

text: us

text: closer

text: together

text: and

text: makes

text: us

text: more

text: engaged

text: Four

text: months

text: ago

text: Park

text: 's

text: colleague

text: Robert

text: Hendrick

text: tweeted

text: his

text: own

text: varicose

text: vein

text: removal

text: surgery

text: here

text: as

text: it

text: was

text: happening

text: he

text: was

text: obviously

text: under

text: local

text: anesthesia

text: It

text: redirected

text: my

text: attention

text: and

text: allowed

text: me

text: to

text: minimize

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: nervousness

text: around

text: what

text: was

text: going

text: on

text: It

text: felt

text: like

text: I

text: had

text: family

text: and

text: friends

text: there

text: to

text: support

text: me

text: Hendrick

text: wrote

text: in

text: an

text: e

text: mail

text: I

text: wanted

text: a

text: record

text: for

text: other

text: people

text: who

text: might

text: be

text: interested

text: in

text: the

text: same

text: surgery

text: added

text: Hendrick

text: who

text: also

text: posted

text: photos

text: and

text: video

text: of

text: his

text: surgery

text: It

text: later

text: allowed

text: me

text: to

text: connect

text: with

text: others

text: with

text: the

text: same

text: issues

text: As

text: time

text: goes

text: by

text: and

text: the

text: younger

text: generation

text: moves

text: into

text: medicine

text: expect

text: even

text: more

text: sharing

text: online

text: of

text: private

text: medical

text: procedures

text: Parks

text: says

text: Newer

text: and

text: newer

text: generations

text: are

text: used

text: to

text: putting

text: their

text: life

text: online

text: he

text: said

text: This

text: generation

text: shares

text: everything

text: Gosh

text: this

text: is

text: big

text: Twitter

text: users

text: those

text: tweeple

text: who

text: kept

text: up

text: with

text: the

text: Henry

text: Ford

text: procedure

text: online

text: got

text: to

text: share

text: some

text: medical

text: drama

text: in

text: real

text: time

text: You

text: can

text: read

text: the

text: Tweetstream

text: or

text: watch

text: video

text: of

text: the

text: tumor

text: removal

text: on

text: YouTube

text: As

text: Rogers

text: got

text: closer

text: to

text: the

text: tumor

text: he

text: realized

text: it

text: was

text: far

text: larger

text: than

text: it

text: had

text: appeared

text: on

text: a

text: CT

text: scan

text: and

text: he

text: wondered

text: out

text: loud

text: whether

text: he

text: would

text: have

text: to

text: remove

text: the

text: entire

text: kidney

text: something

text: he

text: 'd

text: been

text: trying

text: to

text: avoid

text: Gosh

text: this

text: is

text: big

text: he

text: said

text: to

text: his

text: colleagues

text: in

text: the

text: operating

text: room

text: Could

text: I

text: have

text: picked

text: a

text: harder

text: case

text: for

text: this

text: As

text: Rogers

text: worked

text: away

text: on

text: his

text: robotic

text: machinery

text: the

text: chief

text: resident

text: Dr.

text: Raj

text: Laungani

text: Twittered

text: Dr.

text: Rogers

text: is

text: saying

text: because

text: the

text: tumor

text: is

text: so

text: large

text: he

text: may

text: have

text: to

text: do

text: a

text: radical

text: total

text: nephrectomy

text: After

text: conferring

text: with

text: Laungani

text: and

text: others

text: in

text: the

text: operating

text: room

text: Rogers

text: decided

text: he

text: could

text: remove

text: just

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: kidney

text: Then

text: came

text: another

text: challenge

text: In

text: a

text: surgery

text: like

text: this

text: one

text: doctors

text: have

text: to

text: restrict

text: blood

text: flow

text: to

text: the

text: kidney

text: with

text: clamps

text: while

text: they

text: remove

text: the

text: tumor

text: Those

text: clamps

text: then

text: have

text: to

text: be

text: removed

text: within

text: minutes

text: so

text: the

text: kidney

text: is

text: n't

text: damaged

text: by

text: the

text: lack

text: of

text: blood

text: iReport.com

text: Would

text: you

text: allow

text: your

text: surgeon

text: to

text: tweet

text: The

text: goal

text: is

text: to

text: keep

text: the

text: clamp

text: time

text: below

text: minutes

text: Laungani

text: Twittered

text: minutes

text: left

text: Approximately

text: minutes

text: later

text: Laungani

text: shared

text: his

text: relief

text: with

text: all

text: of

text: Twitterville

text: Tumor

text: is

text: excised

text: bleeding

text: is

text: controlled

text: we

text: are

text: about

text: to

text: come

text: off

text: clamp

text: he

text: wrote

text: In

text: the

text: end

text: Rogers

text: had

text: the

text: last

text: tweet

text: The

text: robotic

text: partial

text: nephrectomy

text: was

text: a

text: success

text: he

text: wrote

text: Thank

text: you

text: for

text: joining

text: us

text: today

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Jennifer

text: Pifer

text: Bixler

text: and

text: Marcy

text: Heard

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: article

question: Who would follow the procedures online?

answer: other doctors, medical students and the merely curious.

text: other doctors, medical students and the merely curious.

question: What social media platform is referred to?

answer: Twitter

text: Twitter

question: What do some doctors use to give updates during a procedure?

answer: Twitter

text: Twitter

question: What did doctors use Twitter to do?

answer: give short real-time updates about the procedure.

text: give short real-time updates about the procedure.

question: Who was following the doctors online?

answer: other

text: other

question: Who followed along?

answer: doctors, medical students and the merely curious.

text: doctors, medical students and the merely curious.

question: What do surgeons hope twitter will do?

answer: short real-time updates about the procedure.

text: short real-time updates about the procedure.

question: Who Twittered during surgery?

answer: Dr. Craig Rogers

text: Dr. Craig Rogers

question: Who followed along with what the doctors said?

answer: medical students and the merely curious.

text: medical students and the merely curious.


text:
DORCHESTER, England (CNN)  -- Englishman John Webber thought nothing of the small, shiny cup, passed down from his junk dealer grandfather and stashed under a bed for years, until appraisers said it was an ancient Persian artifact.

The ancient Persian gold cup, thought to date from the third or fourth century B.C., fetched $100,000 at auction.

The 5Â½-inch gold cup, which experts have dated to the third or fourth century B.C., fetched $100,000 at an auction in Dorchester, southern England, Thursday.

The identity of the winning bidder wasn't immediately known.

The relic features the double faced ancient Roman god Janus, the god of gates and doors who always looked to both the future and past and is often associated with beginnings and endings. The cup has two faces with braided hair and entwined snake ornaments at the forehead.

Webber's grandfather, William Sparks, was a rag and bone man, the British term for a junk dealer, Duke's said, who established the iron merchants Sparks and Son in Taunton, Somerset, in southwestern England, in the 1930s.

Sparks acquired the cup along with two other pieces, also up for auction, in the 1930s or 1940s, the spokeswoman said.  Watch CNN report on the auction Â»

Before he died, Sparks gave the items to Webber, who didn't realize their value, the spokeswoman said.

"Because he mainly dealt in brass and bronze, I thought that was what it was made from," Webber told the Bournemouth News and Picture Service. "I put it in a box and forgot about it. Then last year I moved house and took it out to have a look, and I realized it wasn't bronze or brass.

"I sent it to the British Museum, and the experts there hadn't seen anything like it before and recommended I had it tested at a laboratory. So I paid quite a bit of money for it to be examined by a lab the museum recommended. And they found the gold dated from the third of fourth century B.C."

Webber, who is in his 70s, said he remembers the cup from when he was a small boy. "It's been quite exciting finding out what it was," he told the agency.

Webber brought the items to Duke's at the start of the year for potential sale, because he wanted to "realize some money," the auction house spokeswoman said.

A spokeswoman for Duke's Auction House, which is selling the cup, said the cup is believed to be from the Archaemenid empire in ancient Persia.

The other two items are a second century B.C. round gold mount with a figure, probably of ancient Greek hero Ajax, who besieged Troy, and a decorated gold spoon with an image of a Roman emperor.

"He had a good eye for quality over the years," said the spokeswoman, who asked not to be named, "and anything interesting he'd put aside."

Scientists analyzed trace elements of a gold sample taken from the cup to determine its age, and analysts from Oxford University concluded that they are consistent with Archaemenid gold and goldsmithing, Duke's said.

text: DORCHESTER

text: England

text: CNN

text: Englishman

text: John

text: Webber

text: thought

text: nothing

text: of

text: the

text: small

text: shiny

text: cup

text: passed

text: down

text: from

text: his

text: junk

text: dealer

text: grandfather

text: and

text: stashed

text: under

text: a

text: bed

text: for

text: years

text: until

text: appraisers

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: an

text: ancient

text: Persian

text: artifact

text: The

text: ancient

text: Persian

text: gold

text: cup

text: thought

text: to

text: date

text: from

text: the

text: third

text: or

text: fourth

text: century

text: B.C.

text: fetched

text: at

text: auction

text: The

text: gold

text: cup

text: which

text: experts

text: have

text: dated

text: to

text: the

text: third

text: or

text: fourth

text: century

text: B.C.

text: fetched

text: at

text: an

text: auction

text: in

text: Dorchester

text: southern

text: England

text: Thursday

text: The

text: identity

text: of

text: the

text: winning

text: bidder

text: was

text: n't

text: immediately

text: known

text: The

text: relic

text: features

text: the

text: double

text: faced

text: ancient

text: Roman

text: god

text: Janus

text: the

text: god

text: of

text: gates

text: and

text: doors

text: who

text: always

text: looked

text: to

text: both

text: the

text: future

text: and

text: past

text: and

text: is

text: often

text: associated

text: with

text: beginnings

text: and

text: endings

text: The

text: cup

text: has

text: two

text: faces

text: with

text: braided

text: hair

text: and

text: entwined

text: snake

text: ornaments

text: at

text: the

text: forehead

text: Webber

text: 's

text: grandfather

text: William

text: Sparks

text: was

text: a

text: rag

text: and

text: bone

text: man

text: the

text: British

text: term

text: for

text: a

text: junk

text: dealer

text: Duke

text: 's

text: said

text: who

text: established

text: the

text: iron

text: merchants

text: Sparks

text: and

text: Son

text: in

text: Taunton

text: Somerset

text: in

text: southwestern

text: England

text: in

text: the

text: Sparks

text: acquired

text: the

text: cup

text: along

text: with

text: two

text: other

text: pieces

text: also

text: up

text: for

text: auction

text: in

text: the

text: or

text: the

text: spokeswoman

text: said

text: Watch

text: CNN

text: report

text: on

text: the

text: auction

text: Â

text: Before

text: he

text: died

text: Sparks

text: gave

text: the

text: items

text: to

text: Webber

text: who

text: did

text: n't

text: realize

text: their

text: value

text: the

text: spokeswoman

text: said

text: Because

text: he

text: mainly

text: dealt

text: in

text: brass

text: and

text: bronze

text: I

text: thought

text: that

text: was

text: what

text: it

text: was

text: made

text: from

text: Webber

text: told

text: the

text: Bournemouth

text: News

text: and

text: Picture

text: Service

text: I

text: put

text: it

text: in

text: a

text: box

text: and

text: forgot

text: about

text: it

text: Then

text: last

text: year

text: I

text: moved

text: house

text: and

text: took

text: it

text: out

text: to

text: have

text: a

text: look

text: and

text: I

text: realized

text: it

text: was

text: n't

text: bronze

text: or

text: brass

text: I

text: sent

text: it

text: to

text: the

text: British

text: Museum

text: and

text: the

text: experts

text: there

text: had

text: n't

text: seen

text: anything

text: like

text: it

text: before

text: and

text: recommended

text: I

text: had

text: it

text: tested

text: at

text: a

text: laboratory

text: So

text: I

text: paid

text: quite

text: a

text: bit

text: of

text: money

text: for

text: it

text: to

text: be

text: examined

text: by

text: a

text: lab

text: the

text: museum

text: recommended

text: And

text: they

text: found

text: the

text: gold

text: dated

text: from

text: the

text: third

text: of

text: fourth

text: century

text: B.C.

text: Webber

text: who

text: is

text: in

text: his

text: said

text: he

text: remembers

text: the

text: cup

text: from

text: when

text: he

text: was

text: a

text: small

text: boy

text: It

text: 's

text: been

text: quite

text: exciting

text: finding

text: out

text: what

text: it

text: was

text: he

text: told

text: the

text: agency

text: Webber

text: brought

text: the

text: items

text: to

text: Duke

text: 's

text: at

text: the

text: start

text: of

text: the

text: year

text: for

text: potential

text: sale

text: because

text: he

text: wanted

text: to

text: realize

text: some

text: money

text: the

text: auction

text: house

text: spokeswoman

text: said

text: A

text: spokeswoman

text: for

text: Duke

text: 's

text: Auction

text: House

text: which

text: is

text: selling

text: the

text: cup

text: said

text: the

text: cup

text: is

text: believed

text: to

text: be

text: from

text: the

text: Archaemenid

text: empire

text: in

text: ancient

text: Persia

text: The

text: other

text: two

text: items

text: are

text: a

text: second

text: century

text: B.C.

text: round

text: gold

text: mount

text: with

text: a

text: figure

text: probably

text: of

text: ancient

text: Greek

text: hero

text: Ajax

text: who

text: besieged

text: Troy

text: and

text: a

text: decorated

text: gold

text: spoon

text: with

text: an

text: image

text: of

text: a

text: Roman

text: emperor

text: He

text: had

text: a

text: good

text: eye

text: for

text: quality

text: over

text: the

text: years

text: said

text: the

text: spokeswoman

text: who

text: asked

text: not

text: to

text: be

text: named

text: and

text: anything

text: interesting

text: he

text: 'd

text: put

text: aside

text: Scientists

text: analyzed

text: trace

text: elements

text: of

text: a

text: gold

text: sample

text: taken

text: from

text: the

text: cup

text: to

text: determine

text: its

text: age

text: and

text: analysts

text: from

text: Oxford

text: University

text: concluded

text: that

text: they

text: are

text: consistent

text: with

text: Archaemenid

text: gold

text: and

text: goldsmithing

text: Duke

text: 's

text: said

question: Where was the cup stashed?

answer: under a bed

text: under a bed

question: what was the gold cup

answer: an ancient Persian artifact.

text: an ancient Persian artifact.

question: Where was the urn sold?

answer: auction in Dorchester, southern England,

text: auction in Dorchester, southern England,

question: where was the gold cup

answer: stashed under a bed

text: stashed under a bed

question: Who acquired an artifact?

answer: John Webber

text: John Webber

question: Who acquired the artifacts?

answer: Sparks

text: Sparks

question: What was the date of the artifact?

answer: third or fourth century B.C.,

text: third or fourth century B.C.,

question: What is a gold cup stashed under bed for years worth?

answer: $100,000


text:
Editor's Note: Alfred Liggins is chief executive officer of Radio One Inc. and chairman of TV One LLC. The companies are aimed at an audience of African-American and urban consumers, and they own 53 radio stations in 16 cities, a cable network and a variety of Web sites. Liggins personally has contributed to Barack Obama's campaign.

Alfred Liggins says the black population in America has grown increasingly diverse.

(CNN) -- If you think African-Americans will come out in greater numbers than ever before to vote for Barack Obama, you're probably right.

If you think you know how they'll vote in the almost 500 House, Senate and gubernatorial races, you could be in for a surprise.

Although politicians and their advertising gurus often speak to Black America as a collective, homogeneous group, the black population is anything but a monolith. In the past decade, the more than 40 million strong black population in America has become increasingly diverse: economically, socially, technologically and even philosophically.

In the final push toward Election Day, as politicians and political hopefuls seek to penetrate this community, they may no longer understand to whom they are speaking. Are they addressing blacks or African-Americans? Is racial prejudice as important an issue today as affording a college education for their kids or taking care of an aging parent? iReport.com: Black college cancels class to vote

Radio One, the country's largest broadcasting company primarily targeting African-Americans, recently commissioned a study to uncover Black America today. How do they identify themselves? What do they care about? How are they influenced? What is most important to them?

Interestingly, the study found that 42 percent of those polled actually prefer to be called black (these are more likely to be more affluent) compared with 44 percent who choose to be described as African-American.

And yes, it would be misguided to assume that dropping a Martin Luther King Jr. quote into a speech and focusing on America's history of racial inequality is the sure way to sway black voters when one-third of blacks, particularly younger people, believe that there is actually too much focus on past oppression.

And as insulting as it is to assume that all women vote for female candidates, it is equally inaccurate and offensive to say that blacks simply cast their ballots for people of color. Like all Americans, black folks vote on the issues they care about, and today those issues are less likely to be linked to race than they are to the economy, health care, education and a whole spectrum of social issues.

As Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson recently said, "black people don't vote for candidates just because they are black. If Clarence Thomas ran for president, he would get five black votes."

Given Black America's extreme diversity today (the study identified 11 specific groups) it is easy to misunderstand who they are and how they can be reached. Yes, discrimination and racial issues are still incredibly important, particularly to middle-age and older blacks. But the younger populations are more concerned about starting their own businesses, paying for their education, taking care of their children and creating a better work/life balance.

So how do politicians penetrate the multiple segments of Black America? In 1992, when Bill Clinton wooed African-Americans in church, he understood how to effectively reach that population. But that was before social networking sites attracted millions of teenage and young black adults.

Now that the digital divide has faded, with roughly the same percentage of blacks online as the general population, ignoring black Web sites and social networking sites would be a big mistake.

Although the history of black oppression in America is not the radioactive issue it once was, trust in the community -- whom blacks trust -- is still paramount. Of all institutions, they are least likely to trust credit card companies but also remain seriously wary of the mainstream media and tend to trust black media more than traditional media outlets.

It has been almost a century and a half since blacks in America won the right to vote. It makes all the sense in the world that the black community has evolved and diversified over the years, but too often politicians make the mistake of assuming that blacks are still a monolithic group fixated on all of the same issues.

Though Barack Obama will be able to count on a massive percentage of the black vote on Election Day, the rest of the ticket will need to dig deeper than the canned speeches dealing with racial injustice of the past to satisfy today's black voters.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alfred Liggins.

text: Editor

text: 's

text: Note

text: Alfred

text: Liggins

text: is

text: chief

text: executive

text: officer

text: of

text: Radio

text: One

text: Inc.

text: and

text: chairman

text: of

text: TV

text: One

text: LLC

text: The

text: companies

text: are

text: aimed

text: at

text: an

text: audience

text: of

text: African

text: American

text: and

text: urban

text: consumers

text: and

text: they

text: own

text: radio

text: stations

text: in

text: cities

text: a

text: cable

text: network

text: and

text: a

text: variety

text: of

text: Web

text: sites

text: Liggins

text: personally

text: has

text: contributed

text: to

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: 's

text: campaign

text: Alfred

text: Liggins

text: says

text: the

text: black

text: population

text: in

text: America

text: has

text: grown

text: increasingly

text: diverse

text: CNN

text: If

text: you

text: think

text: African

text: Americans

text: will

text: come

text: out

text: in

text: greater

text: numbers

text: than

text: ever

text: before

text: to

text: vote

text: for

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: you

text: 're

text: probably

text: right

text: If

text: you

text: think

text: you

text: know

text: how

text: they

text: 'll

text: vote

text: in

text: the

text: almost

text: House

text: Senate

text: and

text: gubernatorial

text: races

text: you

text: could

text: be

text: in

text: for

text: a

text: surprise

text: Although

text: politicians

text: and

text: their

text: advertising

text: gurus

text: often

text: speak

text: to

text: Black

text: America

text: as

text: a

text: collective

text: homogeneous

text: group

text: the

text: black

text: population

text: is

text: anything

text: but

text: a

text: monolith

text: In

text: the

text: past

text: decade

text: the

text: more

text: than

text: million

text: strong

text: black

text: population

text: in

text: America

text: has

text: become

text: increasingly

text: diverse

text: economically

text: socially

text: technologically

text: and

text: even

text: philosophically

text: In

text: the

text: final

text: push

text: toward

text: Election

text: Day

text: as

text: politicians

text: and

text: political

text: hopefuls

text: seek

text: to

text: penetrate

text: this

text: community

text: they

text: may

text: no

text: longer

text: understand

text: to

text: whom

text: they

text: are

text: speaking

text: Are

text: they

text: addressing

text: blacks

text: or

text: African

text: Americans

text: Is

text: racial

text: prejudice

text: as

text: important

text: an

text: issue

text: today

text: as

text: affording

text: a

text: college

text: education

text: for

text: their

text: kids

text: or

text: taking

text: care

text: of

text: an

text: aging

text: parent

text: iReport.com

text: Black

text: college

text: cancels

text: class

text: to

text: vote

text: Radio

text: One

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: largest

text: broadcasting

text: company

text: primarily

text: targeting

text: African

text: Americans

text: recently

text: commissioned

text: a

text: study

text: to

text: uncover

text: Black

text: America

text: today

text: How

text: do

text: they

text: identify

text: themselves

text: What

text: do

text: they

text: care

text: about

text: How

text: are

text: they

text: influenced

text: What

text: is

text: most

text: important

text: to

text: them

text: Interestingly

text: the

text: study

text: found

text: that

text: percent

text: of

text: those

text: polled

text: actually

text: prefer

text: to

text: be

text: called

text: black

text: these

text: are

text: more

text: likely

text: to

text: be

text: more

text: affluent

text: compared

text: with

text: percent

text: who

text: choose

text: to

text: be

text: described

text: as

text: African

text: American

text: And

text: yes

text: it

text: would

text: be

text: misguided

text: to

text: assume

text: that

text: dropping

text: a

text: Martin

text: Luther

text: King

text: Jr.

text: quote

text: into

text: a

text: speech

text: and

text: focusing

text: on

text: America

text: 's

text: history

text: of

text: racial

text: inequality

text: is

text: the

text: sure

text: way

text: to

text: sway

text: black

text: voters

text: when

text: one

text: third

text: of

text: blacks

text: particularly

text: younger

text: people

text: believe

text: that

text: there

text: is

text: actually

text: too

text: much

text: focus

text: on

text: past

text: oppression

text: And

text: as

text: insulting

text: as

text: it

text: is

text: to

text: assume

text: that

text: all

text: women

text: vote

text: for

text: female

text: candidates

text: it

text: is

text: equally

text: inaccurate

text: and

text: offensive

text: to

text: say

text: that

text: blacks

text: simply

text: cast

text: their

text: ballots

text: for

text: people

text: of

text: color

text: Like

text: all

text: Americans

text: black

text: folks

text: vote

text: on

text: the

text: issues

text: they

text: care

text: about

text: and

text: today

text: those

text: issues

text: are

text: less

text: likely

text: to

text: be

text: linked

text: to

text: race

text: than

text: they

text: are

text: to

text: the

text: economy

text: health

text: care

text: education

text: and

text: a

text: whole

text: spectrum

text: of

text: social

text: issues

text: As

text: Georgetown

text: University

text: sociology

text: professor

text: Michael

text: Eric

text: Dyson

text: recently

text: said

text: black

text: people

text: do

text: n't

text: vote

text: for

text: candidates

text: just

text: because

text: they

text: are

text: black

text: If

text: Clarence

text: Thomas

text: ran

text: for

text: president

text: he

text: would

text: get

text: five

text: black

text: votes

text: Given

text: Black

text: America

text: 's

text: extreme

text: diversity

text: today

text: the

text: study

text: identified

text: specific

text: groups

text: it

text: is

text: easy

text: to

text: misunderstand

text: who

text: they

text: are

text: and

text: how

text: they

text: can

text: be

text: reached

text: Yes

text: discrimination

text: and

text: racial

text: issues

text: are

text: still

text: incredibly

text: important

text: particularly

text: to

text: middle

text: age

text: and

text: older

text: blacks

text: But

text: the

text: younger

text: populations

text: are

text: more

text: concerned

text: about

text: starting

text: their

text: own

text: businesses

text: paying

text: for

text: their

text: education

text: taking

text: care

text: of

text: their

text: children

text: and

text: creating

text: a

text: better

text: work

text: life

text: balance

text: So

text: how

text: do

text: politicians

text: penetrate

text: the

text: multiple

text: segments

text: of

text: Black

text: America

text: In

text: when

text: Bill

text: Clinton

text: wooed

text: African

text: Americans

text: in

text: church

text: he

text: understood

text: how

text: to

text: effectively

text: reach

text: that

text: population

text: But

text: that

text: was

text: before

text: social

text: networking

text: sites

text: attracted

text: millions

text: of

text: teenage

text: and

text: young

text: black

text: adults

text: Now

text: that

text: the

text: digital

text: divide

text: has

text: faded

text: with

text: roughly

text: the

text: same

text: percentage

text: of

text: blacks

text: online

text: as

text: the

text: general

text: population

text: ignoring

text: black

text: Web

text: sites

text: and

text: social

text: networking

text: sites

text: would

text: be

text: a

text: big

text: mistake

text: Although

text: the

text: history

text: of

text: black

text: oppression

text: in

text: America

text: is

text: not

text: the

text: radioactive

text: issue

text: it

text: once

text: was

text: trust

text: in

text: the

text: community

text: whom

text: blacks

text: trust

text: is

text: still

text: paramount

text: Of

text: all

text: institutions

text: they

text: are

text: least

text: likely

text: to

text: trust

text: credit

text: card

text: companies

text: but

text: also

text: remain

text: seriously

text: wary

text: of

text: the

text: mainstream

text: media

text: and

text: tend

text: to

text: trust

text: black

text: media

text: more

text: than

text: traditional

text: media

text: outlets

text: It

text: has

text: been

text: almost

text: a

text: century

text: and

text: a

text: half

text: since

text: blacks

text: in

text: America

text: won

text: the

text: right

text: to

text: vote

text: It

text: makes

text: all

text: the

text: sense

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: that

text: the

text: black

text: community

text: has

text: evolved

text: and

text: diversified

text: over

text: the

text: years

text: but

text: too

text: often

text: politicians

text: make

text: the

text: mistake

text: of

text: assuming

text: that

text: blacks

text: are

text: still

text: a

text: monolithic

text: group

text: fixated

text: on

text: all

text: of

text: the

text: same

text: issues

text: Though

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: will

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: count

text: on

text: a

text: massive

text: percentage

text: of

text: the

text: black

text: vote

text: on

text: Election

text: Day

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: the

text: ticket

text: will

text: need

text: to

text: dig

text: deeper

text: than

text: the

text: canned

text: speeches

text: dealing

text: with

text: racial

text: injustice

text: of

text: the

text: past

text: to

text: satisfy

text: today

text: 's

text: black

text: voters

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Alfred

text: Liggins

question: What demographic has become more diverse?

answer: black population in America

text: black population in America

question: What population has become more diverse?

answer: black

text: black

question: What population numbers 40 million?

answer: in America

text: in America

question: How large is the American black community?

answer: more than 40 million

text: more than 40 million

question: What did Alfred Liggins say has become of the black population?

answer: grown increasingly diverse.

text: grown increasingly diverse.

question: What did Liggins say about America's black population?

answer: has grown increasingly diverse.

text: has grown increasingly diverse.