text:
(CNET) -- Suleman Ali cashed out just in time.

Suleman Ali sold Esgut, his portfolio of Facebook applications, for seven figures in April.

The 26-year-old, a former Microsoft employee who helped put together the Windows Home Server product, founded a company called Esgut within months of the debut of Facebook's developer platform in May 2007. Esgut is a portfolio of Facebook applications, and a few of them, like Superlatives and Entourage, became genuine viral hits.

In April, Ali sold the 12-employee Esgut to the Social Gaming Network, a Silicon Valley company backed by the likes of Bezos Expeditions, the Founders Fund, and Greylock Partners. He said the price was in the seven figures.

But Ali is the first to acknowledge that for upstart social-platform developers, hailed just months ago as the Valley's hottest breed of bright young things, the condition has taken a significant turn for the worse.

"Most people are not counting on anything," the lanky and bespectacled Ali said over lunch at an organic restaurant near New York's Union Square in early December. "They're just operating from day to day."

When Facebook's developer platform launched, the social network's traffic began to really skyrocket. What had started as a no-frills networking site for students at elite universities became a Silicon Valley buzz factory with legitimate geek credentials. And however gimmicky many of the most popular Facebook Platform apps were, millions of people decided they now had a reason to join the site. The floodgates had opened. Facebook was a phenomenon.

When other social networks such as MySpace, Friendster, and Hi5 also paraded out developer platforms, the tech world took it as evidence that there was a big future in building platform applications. More importantly for developers and ambitious tech entrepreneurs, it looked like there could be gobs of money in it; the open, anyone-can-play attitude created the notion that there was enough for everyone.

"The social platform (on Facebook) actually launched the last day that I was at Microsoft...I was quitting without any idea of what I was going to do," Ali recalled. His aims for leaving Redmond were starry-eyed. "I left because I wanted to do a start-up. I wanted to see what I could do out there on my own. And I wanted to care deeply about what I was working on."

But he had no concrete plans to go the Facebook route initially, he said. "I ended up in my parents' house in Florida and was kind of bored, and started building Facebook apps just out of restlessness and the desire to do something."

Then, Ali continued, he went to the Graphing Social Patterns West conference in San Diego in March and met Social Gaming Network founder Shervin Pishevar. At the time, he was looking to raise venture funding but hadn't thought about selling his apps. "We talked for 30 minutes and he was like, 'You sound like the exact type of people we want at SGN.'"

Ali sold Esgut to Pishevar's company the next month.

Widgets buzz turns into hush

Ali got lucky. Even before the reality of the recession set in, the social-platform craze was subsiding. The venture capital buzz about widgets began to quiet over the summer. Some of the sillier novelty apps wore off in popularity. Companies that were snapping up small apps and raising huge amounts of venture capital, like Slide and RockYou, grew intimidatingly bigger--but the glut of independent apps made it more difficult to grab the attention of potential buyers.

And after new restrictions, a redesign, and then the social network's focus on expanding through its Facebook Connect log-in service, it became evident that a social-network platform is still a new phenomenon that can change dramatically, and not always to the benefit of little start-ups.

"There's definitely a lot of tightening up," Ali said. "There's a few people that I know that have apps that are relatively small, and they're selling them for valuations lower than what they could've sold them for a month ago, and there are just no buyers in the marketplace. I think they're going to have a hard time selling, period--forget trying to sell at a lower valuation. They're just having a hard time getting rid of them."

So would he still be able to sell his company as easily now? "No, probably not," Ali admitted. "If we were the same company we were then, it would be much harder to sell today. I think we would've had to evolve as a company. I think we would need to be generating more revenue than we were."

But for all his concern about the fate of social-platform developers in a recession, Ali is still strikingly bullish on Facebook--enough so that his newest project is a fund for Facebook stock. He started purchasing it in November, he said, and is meeting with investors in the hopes of purchasing more. He added with surprising gusto that Facebook's decision to delay direct cash-outs hasn't derailed his plan.

"I think that's actually good news for us," Ali said. "I think that means that the price that we pay will actually go down because there are all these employees who intended to sell stock back to Facebook, and now they're not going to be able to sell it to Facebook, (so) they'll have to sell it somewhere else."

He hopes to keep the stock until Facebook files for an initial public offering, and he still thinks that's on track, too. "I think it's going to be a function of the economy and when the markets open back up for an IPO," he said, and cited target dates that had been provided in interviews by Facebook investor and board member Jim Breyer. "From a Facebook perspective, I think it'll be ready to IPO in 2011."

Many critics would say that's wishful thinking, and that the company will sell--to existing investor Microsoft, maybe--for much lower than its $15 billion preferred-stock valuation.

But Ali got lucky on Facebook once already, and even in a recession he hasn't given up hope that it could happen again.

ÃÂ© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CNET, CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. Used by permission.

text: CNET

text: Suleman

text: Ali

text: cashed

text: out

text: just

text: in

text: time

text: Suleman

text: Ali

text: sold

text: Esgut

text: his

text: portfolio

text: of

text: Facebook

text: applications

text: for

text: seven

text: figures

text: in

text: April

text: The

text: old

text: a

text: former

text: Microsoft

text: employee

text: who

text: helped

text: put

text: together

text: the

text: Windows

text: Home

text: Server

text: product

text: founded

text: a

text: company

text: called

text: Esgut

text: within

text: months

text: of

text: the

text: debut

text: of

text: Facebook

text: 's

text: developer

text: platform

text: in

text: May

text: Esgut

text: is

text: a

text: portfolio

text: of

text: Facebook

text: applications

text: and

text: a

text: few

text: of

text: them

text: like

text: Superlatives

text: and

text: Entourage

text: became

text: genuine

text: viral

text: hits

text: In

text: April

text: Ali

text: sold

text: the

text: Esgut

text: to

text: the

text: Social

text: Gaming

text: Network

text: a

text: Silicon

text: Valley

text: company

text: backed

text: by

text: the

text: likes

text: of

text: Bezos

text: Expeditions

text: the

text: Founders

text: Fund

text: and

text: Greylock

text: Partners

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: price

text: was

text: in

text: the

text: seven

text: figures

text: But

text: Ali

text: is

text: the

text: first

text: to

text: acknowledge

text: that

text: for

text: upstart

text: social

text: platform

text: developers

text: hailed

text: just

text: months

text: ago

text: as

text: the

text: Valley

text: 's

text: hottest

text: breed

text: of

text: bright

text: young

text: things

text: the

text: condition

text: has

text: taken

text: a

text: significant

text: turn

text: for

text: the

text: worse

text: Most

text: people

text: are

text: not

text: counting

text: on

text: anything

text: the

text: lanky

text: and

text: bespectacled

text: Ali

text: said

text: over

text: lunch

text: at

text: an

text: organic

text: restaurant

text: near

text: New

text: York

text: 's

text: Union

text: Square

text: in

text: early

text: December

text: They

text: 're

text: just

text: operating

text: from

text: day

text: to

text: day

text: When

text: Facebook

text: 's

text: developer

text: platform

text: launched

text: the

text: social

text: network

text: 's

text: traffic

text: began

text: to

text: really

text: skyrocket

text: What

text: had

text: started

text: as

text: a

text: no

text: frills

text: networking

text: site

text: for

text: students

text: at

text: elite

text: universities

text: became

text: a

text: Silicon

text: Valley

text: buzz

text: factory

text: with

text: legitimate

text: geek

text: credentials

text: And

text: however

text: gimmicky

text: many

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: popular

text: Facebook

text: Platform

text: apps

text: were

text: millions

text: of

text: people

text: decided

text: they

text: now

text: had

text: a

text: reason

text: to

text: join

text: the

text: site

text: The

text: floodgates

text: had

text: opened

text: Facebook

text: was

text: a

text: phenomenon

text: When

text: other

text: social

text: networks

text: such

text: as

text: MySpace

text: Friendster

text: and

text: also

text: paraded

text: out

text: developer

text: platforms

text: the

text: tech

text: world

text: took

text: it

text: as

text: evidence

text: that

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: big

text: future

text: in

text: building

text: platform

text: applications

text: More

text: importantly

text: for

text: developers

text: and

text: ambitious

text: tech

text: entrepreneurs

text: it

text: looked

text: like

text: there

text: could

text: be

text: gobs

text: of

text: money

text: in

text: it

text: the

text: open

text: anyone

text: can

text: play

text: attitude

text: created

text: the

text: notion

text: that

text: there

text: was

text: enough

text: for

text: everyone

text: The

text: social

text: platform

text: on

text: Facebook

text: actually

text: launched

text: the

text: last

text: day

text: that

text: I

text: was

text: at

text: Microsoft

text: I

text: was

text: quitting

text: without

text: any

text: idea

text: of

text: what

text: I

text: was

text: going

text: to

text: do

text: Ali

text: recalled

text: His

text: aims

text: for

text: leaving

text: Redmond

text: were

text: starry

text: eyed

text: I

text: left

text: because

text: I

text: wanted

text: to

text: do

text: a

text: start

text: up

text: I

text: wanted

text: to

text: see

text: what

text: I

text: could

text: do

text: out

text: there

text: on

text: my

text: own

text: And

text: I

text: wanted

text: to

text: care

text: deeply

text: about

text: what

text: I

text: was

text: working

text: on

text: But

text: he

text: had

text: no

text: concrete

text: plans

text: to

text: go

text: the

text: Facebook

text: route

text: initially

text: he

text: said

text: I

text: ended

text: up

text: in

text: my

text: parents

text: house

text: in

text: Florida

text: and

text: was

text: kind

text: of

text: bored

text: and

text: started

text: building

text: Facebook

text: apps

text: just

text: out

text: of

text: restlessness

text: and

text: the

text: desire

text: to

text: do

text: something

text: Then

text: Ali

text: continued

text: he

text: went

text: to

text: the

text: Graphing

text: Social

text: Patterns

text: West

text: conference

text: in

text: San

text: Diego

text: in

text: March

text: and

text: met

text: Social

text: Gaming

text: Network

text: founder

text: Shervin

text: Pishevar

text: At

text: the

text: time

text: he

text: was

text: looking

text: to

text: raise

text: venture

text: funding

text: but

text: had

text: n't

text: thought

text: about

text: selling

text: his

text: apps

text: We

text: talked

text: for

text: minutes

text: and

text: he

text: was

text: like

text: You

text: sound

text: like

text: the

text: exact

text: type

text: of

text: people

text: we

text: want

text: at

text: SGN

text: Ali

text: sold

text: Esgut

text: to

text: Pishevar

text: 's

text: company

text: the

text: next

text: month

text: Widgets

text: buzz

text: turns

text: into

text: hush

text: Ali

text: got

text: lucky

text: Even

text: before

text: the

text: reality

text: of

text: the

text: recession

text: set

text: in

text: the

text: social

text: platform

text: craze

text: was

text: subsiding

text: The

text: venture

text: capital

text: buzz

text: about

text: widgets

text: began

text: to

text: quiet

text: over

text: the

text: summer

text: Some

text: of

text: the

text: sillier

text: novelty

text: apps

text: wore

text: off

text: in

text: popularity

text: Companies

text: that

text: were

text: snapping

text: up

text: small

text: apps

text: and

text: raising

text: huge

text: amounts

text: of

text: venture

text: capital

text: like

text: Slide

text: and

text: RockYou

text: grew

text: intimidatingly

text: bigger

text: but

text: the

text: glut

text: of

text: independent

text: apps

text: made

text: it

text: more

text: difficult

text: to

text: grab

text: the

text: attention

text: of

text: potential

text: buyers

text: And

text: after

text: new

text: restrictions

text: a

text: redesign

text: and

text: then

text: the

text: social

text: network

text: 's

text: focus

text: on

text: expanding

text: through

text: its

text: Facebook

text: Connect

text: log

text: in

text: service

text: it

text: became

text: evident

text: that

text: a

text: social

text: network

text: platform

text: is

text: still

text: a

text: new

text: phenomenon

text: that

text: can

text: change

text: dramatically

text: and

text: not

text: always

text: to

text: the

text: benefit

text: of

text: little

text: start

text: ups

text: There

text: 's

text: definitely

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: tightening

text: up

text: Ali

text: said

text: There

text: 's

text: a

text: few

text: people

text: that

text: I

text: know

text: that

text: have

text: apps

text: that

text: are

text: relatively

text: small

text: and

text: they

text: 're

text: selling

text: them

text: for

text: valuations

text: lower

text: than

text: what

text: they

text: could

text: 've

text: sold

text: them

text: for

text: a

text: month

text: ago

text: and

text: there

text: are

text: just

text: no

text: buyers

text: in

text: the

text: marketplace

text: I

text: think

text: they

text: 're

text: going

text: to

text: have

text: a

text: hard

text: time

text: selling

text: period

text: forget

text: trying

text: to

text: sell

text: at

text: a

text: lower

text: valuation

text: They

text: 're

text: just

text: having

text: a

text: hard

text: time

text: getting

text: rid

text: of

text: them

text: So

text: would

text: he

text: still

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: sell

text: his

text: company

text: as

text: easily

text: now

text: No

text: probably

text: not

text: Ali

text: admitted

text: If

text: we

text: were

text: the

text: same

text: company

text: we

text: were

text: then

text: it

text: would

text: be

text: much

text: harder

text: to

text: sell

text: today

text: I

text: think

text: we

text: would

text: 've

text: had

text: to

text: evolve

text: as

text: a

text: company

text: I

text: think

text: we

text: would

text: need

text: to

text: be

text: generating

text: more

text: revenue

text: than

text: we

text: were

text: But

text: for

text: all

text: his

text: concern

text: about

text: the

text: fate

text: of

text: social

text: platform

text: developers

text: in

text: a

text: recession

text: Ali

text: is

text: still

text: strikingly

text: bullish

text: on

text: Facebook

text: enough

text: so

text: that

text: his

text: newest

text: project

text: is

text: a

text: fund

text: for

text: Facebook

text: stock

text: He

text: started

text: purchasing

text: it

text: in

text: November

text: he

text: said

text: and

text: is

text: meeting

text: with

text: investors

text: in

text: the

text: hopes

text: of

text: purchasing

text: more

text: He

text: added

text: with

text: surprising

text: gusto

text: that

text: Facebook

text: 's

text: decision

text: to

text: delay

text: direct

text: cash

text: outs

text: has

text: n't

text: derailed

text: his

text: plan

text: I

text: think

text: that

text: 's

text: actually

text: good

text: news

text: for

text: us

text: Ali

text: said

text: I

text: think

text: that

text: means

text: that

text: the

text: price

text: that

text: we

text: pay

text: will

text: actually

text: go

text: down

text: because

text: there

text: are

text: all

text: these

text: employees

text: who

text: intended

text: to

text: sell

text: stock

text: back

text: to

text: Facebook

text: and

text: now

text: they

text: 're

text: not

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: sell

text: it

text: to

text: Facebook

text: so

text: they

text: 'll

text: have

text: to

text: sell

text: it

text: somewhere

text: else

text: He

text: hopes

text: to

text: keep

text: the

text: stock

text: until

text: Facebook

text: files

text: for

text: an

text: initial

text: public

text: offering

text: and

text: he

text: still

text: thinks

text: that

text: 's

text: on

text: track

text: too

text: I

text: think

text: it

text: 's

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: function

text: of

text: the

text: economy

text: and

text: when

text: the

text: markets

text: open

text: back

text: up

text: for

text: an

text: IPO

text: he

text: said

text: and

text: cited

text: target

text: dates

text: that

text: had

text: been

text: provided

text: in

text: interviews

text: by

text: Facebook

text: investor

text: and

text: board

text: member

text: Jim

text: Breyer

text: From

text: a

text: Facebook

text: perspective

text: I

text: think

text: it

text: 'll

text: be

text: ready

text: to

text: IPO

text: in

text: Many

text: critics

text: would

text: say

text: that

text: 's

text: wishful

text: thinking

text: and

text: that

text: the

text: company

text: will

text: sell

text: to

text: existing

text: investor

text: Microsoft

text: maybe

text: for

text: much

text: lower

text: than

text: its

text: billion

text: preferred

text: stock

text: valuation

text: But

text: Ali

text: got

text: lucky

text: on

text: Facebook

text: once

text: already

text: and

text: even

text: in

text: a

text: recession

text: he

text: has

text: n't

text: given

text: up

text: hope

text: that

text: it

text: could

text: happen

text: again

text: ÃÂ

text: CBS

text: Interactive

text: Inc.

text: All

text: rights

text: reserved

text: CNET

text: CNET.com

text: and

text: the

text: CNET

text: logo

text: are

text: registered

text: trademarks

text: of

text: CBS

text: Interactive

text: Inc.

text: Used

text: by

text: permission

question: What is Esgut?

answer: a portfolio of Facebook applications,

text: a portfolio of Facebook applications,

question: How much did Esgut sell for?

answer: in the seven figures.

text: in the seven figures.

question: Who founded Esgut?

answer: Suleman Ali

text: Suleman Ali

question: Who sold his tech startup in April?

answer: Suleman Ali

text: Suleman Ali

question: Who sold Esgut?

answer: Suleman Ali

text: Suleman Ali

question: What was the selling price for a tech startup in April?

answer: in the seven figures.

text: in the seven figures.

question: What other company is associated with Esgut?

answer: Facebook

text: Facebook


text:
LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- His job was to drive the bus. But Meher Mohammad Khalil is now being hailed as a lifesaver.

On Wednesday Meher Mohammad Khalil went back to the place where gunmen attacked his bus.

When gunmen jumped out of bushes and began spraying bullets at the bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team Tuesday, Khalil quickly sized up his options and got everyone to safety.

"First I thought there were some firecrackers going off. Then, when I saw the elite force cars in front of me taking fire, I immediately lost my voice," Khalil told CNN on Wednesday.

"At that time, the other elite car that was with us gave me cover, and then, when I saw he was giving me cover, my courage and my patience returned.  Watch CNN's interview with Khalil Â»

"I decided to take the vehicle from there, and one way or another, even if I had to drive over someone, I would take this bus and escape."  Watch the gunmen attack Â»

Khalil returned to the scene of the attack in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday to honor those who were killed and to place flowers in their memory.

One of the dead was Zafar Khan, a friend and fellow bus driver who had been in a vehicle behind Khalil.

"My eyes filled with tears that these were people that I was eating with and who died in doing their duty."

Khalil had been part of a convoy heading to Gaddafi Stadium, where the Sri Lankan cricket team was to continue a match against Pakistan.

Six police officers were killed, in addition to Khalil's friend Khan who was driving a bus with the match umpires.  See where the attack happened Â»

The Sri Lankan cricketers praised Khalil's quick thinking and action, saying he saved their lives. Six team members were injured by broken glass and shrapnel.

Team captain Mahela Jayawardene wrote on his Web site of Khalil: "He probably saved our lives, showing remarkable bravery in the face of direct gunfire to keep the bus moving."

Crowds mobbed Khalil as he paid his respects at the place where his life changed in an instant.

"He is a hero, a real hero, a real man of the people," a man in the crowd said.

Private donors in Lahore have rewarded Khalil with 300,000 rupees (more than $3,000) -- a small fortune for a Pakistani bus driver.

Today, Khalil says all he can feel is pain of the loss of life. And he called on the attackers to recognize that their victims are humans just like them, with mothers and sisters.

"For God's sake, please stop this terrorism and let this nation breathe a sigh of relief," he said.

CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

text: LAHORE

text: Pakistan

text: CNN

text: His

text: job

text: was

text: to

text: drive

text: the

text: bus

text: But

text: Meher

text: Mohammad

text: Khalil

text: is

text: now

text: being

text: hailed

text: as

text: a

text: lifesaver

text: On

text: Wednesday

text: Meher

text: Mohammad

text: Khalil

text: went

text: back

text: to

text: the

text: place

text: where

text: gunmen

text: attacked

text: his

text: bus

text: When

text: gunmen

text: jumped

text: out

text: of

text: bushes

text: and

text: began

text: spraying

text: bullets

text: at

text: the

text: bus

text: carrying

text: the

text: Sri

text: Lankan

text: cricket

text: team

text: Tuesday

text: Khalil

text: quickly

text: sized

text: up

text: his

text: options

text: and

text: got

text: everyone

text: to

text: safety

text: First

text: I

text: thought

text: there

text: were

text: some

text: firecrackers

text: going

text: off

text: Then

text: when

text: I

text: saw

text: the

text: elite

text: force

text: cars

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: me

text: taking

text: fire

text: I

text: immediately

text: lost

text: my

text: voice

text: Khalil

text: told

text: CNN

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: At

text: that

text: time

text: the

text: other

text: elite

text: car

text: that

text: was

text: with

text: us

text: gave

text: me

text: cover

text: and

text: then

text: when

text: I

text: saw

text: he

text: was

text: giving

text: me

text: cover

text: my

text: courage

text: and

text: my

text: patience

text: returned

text: Watch

text: CNN

text: 's

text: interview

text: with

text: Khalil

text: Â

text: I

text: decided

text: to

text: take

text: the

text: vehicle

text: from

text: there

text: and

text: one

text: way

text: or

text: another

text: even

text: if

text: I

text: had

text: to

text: drive

text: over

text: someone

text: I

text: would

text: take

text: this

text: bus

text: and

text: escape

text: Watch

text: the

text: gunmen

text: attack

text: Â

text: Khalil

text: returned

text: to

text: the

text: scene

text: of

text: the

text: attack

text: in

text: the

text: Pakistani

text: city

text: of

text: Lahore

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: to

text: honor

text: those

text: who

text: were

text: killed

text: and

text: to

text: place

text: flowers

text: in

text: their

text: memory

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: dead

text: was

text: Zafar

text: Khan

text: a

text: friend

text: and

text: fellow

text: bus

text: driver

text: who

text: had

text: been

text: in

text: a

text: vehicle

text: behind

text: Khalil

text: My

text: eyes

text: filled

text: with

text: tears

text: that

text: these

text: were

text: people

text: that

text: I

text: was

text: eating

text: with

text: and

text: who

text: died

text: in

text: doing

text: their

text: duty

text: Khalil

text: had

text: been

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: convoy

text: heading

text: to

text: Gaddafi

text: Stadium

text: where

text: the

text: Sri

text: Lankan

text: cricket

text: team

text: was

text: to

text: continue

text: a

text: match

text: against

text: Pakistan

text: Six

text: police

text: officers

text: were

text: killed

text: in

text: addition

text: to

text: Khalil

text: 's

text: friend

text: Khan

text: who

text: was

text: driving

text: a

text: bus

text: with

text: the

text: match

text: umpires

text: See

text: where

text: the

text: attack

text: happened

text: Â

text: The

text: Sri

text: Lankan

text: cricketers

text: praised

text: Khalil

text: 's

text: quick

text: thinking

text: and

text: action

text: saying

text: he

text: saved

text: their

text: lives

text: Six

text: team

text: members

text: were

text: injured

text: by

text: broken

text: glass

text: and

text: shrapnel

text: Team

text: captain

text: Mahela

text: Jayawardene

text: wrote

text: on

text: his

text: Web

text: site

text: of

text: Khalil

text: He

text: probably

text: saved

text: our

text: lives

text: showing

text: remarkable

text: bravery

text: in

text: the

text: face

text: of

text: direct

text: gunfire

text: to

text: keep

text: the

text: bus

text: moving

text: Crowds

text: mobbed

text: Khalil

text: as

text: he

text: paid

text: his

text: respects

text: at

text: the

text: place

text: where

text: his

text: life

text: changed

text: in

text: an

text: instant

text: He

text: is

text: a

text: hero

text: a

text: real

text: hero

text: a

text: real

text: man

text: of

text: the

text: people

text: a

text: man

text: in

text: the

text: crowd

text: said

text: Private

text: donors

text: in

text: Lahore

text: have

text: rewarded

text: Khalil

text: with

text: rupees

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: small

text: fortune

text: for

text: a

text: Pakistani

text: bus

text: driver

text: Today

text: Khalil

text: says

text: all

text: he

text: can

text: feel

text: is

text: pain

text: of

text: the

text: loss

text: of

text: life

text: And

text: he

text: called

text: on

text: the

text: attackers

text: to

text: recognize

text: that

text: their

text: victims

text: are

text: humans

text: just

text: like

text: them

text: with

text: mothers

text: and

text: sisters

text: For

text: God

text: 's

text: sake

text: please

text: stop

text: this

text: terrorism

text: and

text: let

text: this

text: nation

text: breathe

text: a

text: sigh

text: of

text: relief

text: he

text: said

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Zein

text: Basravi

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Where was Khalil when he as hailed a hero?

answer: the bus.

text: the bus.

question: Where did Meher Mohamad Khalil's bus come under gunfire?

answer: e Pakistani city of Lahor

text: e Pakistani city of Lahor

question: Which cricket team was involved in the incident?

answer: Sri Lankan

text: Sri Lankan

question: Who were the attackers?

answer: gunmen

text: gunmen


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN)  -- The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday federal regulators have the authority to clamp down on the broadcast TV networks that air isolated cases of profanity, known as "fleeting expletives."

The Supreme Court ruled federal regulators can stop TV networks from airing profanity.

The 5-4 vote was a victory for Bush-era officials who pushed fines and sanctions when racy images and language reached the airwaves.

Controversial words have been aired in scripted and unscripted instances on all the major over-the-air networks in the past six years -- dating back to when the Federal Communications Commission began considering a stronger, no-tolerance policy.

"It suffices the new policy is permissible under the statute, there are good reasons for it, and the agency believes it to be better," said Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the conservative majority.

The high court, however, refused to decide whether the commission's policy violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech, only the agency's enforcement power. The justices ordered the free-speech aspect to be reviewed again by a federal appeals court.

ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox were parties in the case. A federal appeals court in New York had ruled in their favor, calling the commission's policy "arbitrary and capricious."

The commission then appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking restoration of its power to penalize the networks airing "indecent" speech, even if it is broadcast only one time, and even if it does not describe a specific sex act.

The high court agreed to some extent. "Even when used as an expletive, the F-word's power to insult and offend derives from its sexual meaning," wrote Scalia.

Such language is heard with greater, albeit varying frequency on cable television, the Internet, and satellite radio, which do not use public airwaves. But the federal government is charged with responding to viewer complaints when "indecent" language reaches broadcast television and radio, which is subject to greater regulation. That is especially relevant during daytime and early evening hours, when larger numbers of families and younger viewers may be watching.

The FCC's acting chairman, Michael Copps, called Tuesday's ruling a "a big win for America's families."

The commission formally reversed its policy in March 2004 to declare even a single use of an expletive could be illegal.

The changes became known as the "Golden Globes Rule," for singer Bono's 2003 acceptance speech at the awards show on NBC, where he uttered the phrase "really, really, f---ing brilliant."

The commission specifically cited celebrities Cher and Nicole Richie for potty-mouth language in the 2002 and 2003 Billboard Music Awards, which aired on Fox. Richie, in an apparent scripted moment said, "Have you ever tried to get cow s--t out of a Prada purse? It's not so f---ing simple."

The complaint against ABC involved "NYPD Blue," a now-canceled scripted police drama, and the CBS' complaint involved "The Early Show," a news and interview program.

Enforcement of the law had been put on hold while the case was being argued.

In dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens said "customs of speech" and context made the Federal Communications Commission's position unworkable.

"As any golfer who has watched his partner shank a short approach knows, it would be absurd to accept the suggestion that the resultant four-letter word uttered on the golf course describes sex or excrement and is therefore indecent," he wrote. "But that is the absurdity the FCC has embraced in its new approach to indecency."

And Stevens wondered why the agency was going after words that he said had a "tenuous relationship" to sex and bodily functions, while at the same time prime-time commercials "frequently ask viewers whether they, too, are battling erectile dysfunction or are having trouble going to the bathroom."

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made clear how she viewed the broader free speech questions the high court may be forced to confront in coming years. "There is no way to hide the long shadow the First Amendment casts over what the commission has done," she wrote.

The Supreme Court first ventured into the broadcast speech debate in 1978, when it ruled as indecent a monologue by comedian George Carlin on society's taboo surrounding "seven dirty words." The bit had received some radio airplay. Stevens, 89, was the author of that opinion.

Justice Clarence Thomas sided with his fellow conservatives on the narrow question presented to the court, but noted the changing landscape of television since Stevens' 31-year-old ruling. He said that and other high court precedents "were unconvincing when they were issued, and the passage of time has only increased doubt regarding their continued validity." He questioned the communication commission's underlying authority as a "deep intrusion into the First Amendment rights of broadcasters."

And he noted the four networks no longer have a virtual monopoly on television content. "For most consumers, traditional broadcast media programming is now bundled with cable or satellite services," he said, but the Federal Communications Commission's authority extends only to over-the-air television and radio content.

Conservative and family groups called Tuesday's ruling an "incredible victory."

"We implore the broadcast networks to abide by today's court's ruling rather than to pursue a path of attempted obstruction with countless legal maneuverings," said Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council, which monitors content on the airwaves. "And we encourage the FCC to use today's opinion to break the indecency complaint logjam, and rule on the merits of the tens of thousands of indecency complaints currently awaiting review at the commission."

There was no immediate reaction from the broadcast networks, but groups representing the artistic and creative community expressed displeasure. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on indecency on television

"Today's decision is extremely disappointing," said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, head of the Media Access Project. "We remain hopeful that the FCC's restrictive policies will ultimately be declared unconstitutional, but there will be several more years of uncertainty, and impaired artistic expression, while the lower courts address the First Amendment issues which the court chose not to confront today."

Time Warner -- the parent company of CNN -- filed a friend of the court brief supporting the networks fined by the communications commission. The company is part owner of the CW broadcast network, and operates several cable networks.

The case is FCC v. Fox Television Stations (07-582).

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: The

text: Supreme

text: Court

text: ruled

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: federal

text: regulators

text: have

text: the

text: authority

text: to

text: clamp

text: down

text: on

text: the

text: broadcast

text: TV

text: networks

text: that

text: air

text: isolated

text: cases

text: of

text: profanity

text: known

text: as

text: fleeting

text: expletives

text: The

text: Supreme

text: Court

text: ruled

text: federal

text: regulators

text: can

text: stop

text: TV

text: networks

text: from

text: airing

text: profanity

text: The

text: vote

text: was

text: a

text: victory

text: for

text: Bush

text: era

text: officials

text: who

text: pushed

text: fines

text: and

text: sanctions

text: when

text: racy

text: images

text: and

text: language

text: reached

text: the

text: airwaves

text: Controversial

text: words

text: have

text: been

text: aired

text: in

text: scripted

text: and

text: unscripted

text: instances

text: on

text: all

text: the

text: major

text: over

text: the

text: air

text: networks

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: six

text: years

text: dating

text: back

text: to

text: when

text: the

text: Federal

text: Communications

text: Commission

text: began

text: considering

text: a

text: stronger

text: no

text: tolerance

text: policy

text: It

text: suffices

text: the

text: new

text: policy

text: is

text: permissible

text: under

text: the

text: statute

text: there

text: are

text: good

text: reasons

text: for

text: it

text: and

text: the

text: agency

text: believes

text: it

text: to

text: be

text: better

text: said

text: Justice

text: Antonin

text: Scalia

text: writing

text: for

text: the

text: conservative

text: majority

text: The

text: high

text: court

text: however

text: refused

text: to

text: decide

text: whether

text: the

text: commission

text: 's

text: policy

text: violates

text: the

text: First

text: Amendment

text: guarantee

text: of

text: free

text: speech

text: only

text: the

text: agency

text: 's

text: enforcement

text: power

text: The

text: justices

text: ordered

text: the

text: free

text: speech

text: aspect

text: to

text: be

text: reviewed

text: again

text: by

text: a

text: federal

text: appeals

text: court

text: ABC

text: CBS

text: NBC

text: and

text: Fox

text: were

text: parties

text: in

text: the

text: case

text: A

text: federal

text: appeals

text: court

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: had

text: ruled

text: in

text: their

text: favor

text: calling

text: the

text: commission

text: 's

text: policy

text: arbitrary

text: and

text: capricious

text: The

text: commission

text: then

text: appealed

text: to

text: the

text: Supreme

text: Court

text: seeking

text: restoration

text: of

text: its

text: power

text: to

text: penalize

text: the

text: networks

text: airing

text: indecent

text: speech

text: even

text: if

text: it

text: is

text: broadcast

text: only

text: one

text: time

text: and

text: even

text: if

text: it

text: does

text: not

text: describe

text: a

text: specific

text: sex

text: act

text: The

text: high

text: court

text: agreed

text: to

text: some

text: extent

text: Even

text: when

text: used

text: as

text: an

text: expletive

text: the

text: F

text: word

text: 's

text: power

text: to

text: insult

text: and

text: offend

text: derives

text: from

text: its

text: sexual

text: meaning

text: wrote

text: Scalia

text: Such

text: language

text: is

text: heard

text: with

text: greater

text: albeit

text: varying

text: frequency

text: on

text: cable

text: television

text: the

text: Internet

text: and

text: satellite

text: radio

text: which

text: do

text: not

text: use

text: public

text: airwaves

text: But

text: the

text: federal

text: government

text: is

text: charged

text: with

text: responding

text: to

text: viewer

text: complaints

text: when

text: indecent

text: language

text: reaches

text: broadcast

text: television

text: and

text: radio

text: which

text: is

text: subject

text: to

text: greater

text: regulation

text: That

text: is

text: especially

text: relevant

text: during

text: daytime

text: and

text: early

text: evening

text: hours

text: when

text: larger

text: numbers

text: of

text: families

text: and

text: younger

text: viewers

text: may

text: be

text: watching

text: The

text: FCC

text: 's

text: acting

text: chairman

text: Michael

text: Copps

text: called

text: Tuesday

text: 's

text: ruling

text: a

text: a

text: big

text: win

text: for

text: America

text: 's

text: families

text: The

text: commission

text: formally

text: reversed

text: its

text: policy

text: in

text: March

text: to

text: declare

text: even

text: a

text: single

text: use

text: of

text: an

text: expletive

text: could

text: be

text: illegal

text: The

text: changes

text: became

text: known

text: as

text: the

text: Golden

text: Globes

text: Rule

text: for

text: singer

text: Bono

text: 's

text: acceptance

text: speech

text: at

text: the

text: awards

text: show

text: on

text: NBC

text: where

text: he

text: uttered

text: the

text: phrase

text: really

text: really

text: f

text: ing

text: brilliant

text: The

text: commission

text: specifically

text: cited

text: celebrities

text: Cher

text: and

text: Nicole

text: Richie

text: for

text: potty

text: mouth

text: language

text: in

text: the

text: and

text: Billboard

text: Music

text: Awards

text: which

text: aired

text: on

text: Fox

text: Richie

text: in

text: an

text: apparent

text: scripted

text: moment

text: said

text: Have

text: you

text: ever

text: tried

text: to

text: get

text: cow

text: s

text: t

text: out

text: of

text: a

text: Prada

text: purse

text: It

text: 's

text: not

text: so

text: f

text: ing

text: simple

text: The

text: complaint

text: against

text: ABC

text: involved

text: NYPD

text: Blue

text: a

text: now

text: canceled

text: scripted

text: police

text: drama

text: and

text: the

text: CBS

text: complaint

text: involved

text: The

text: Early

text: Show

text: a

text: news

text: and

text: interview

text: program

text: Enforcement

text: of

text: the

text: law

text: had

text: been

text: put

text: on

text: hold

text: while

text: the

text: case

text: was

text: being

text: argued

text: In

text: dissent

text: Justice

text: John

text: Paul

text: Stevens

text: said

text: customs

text: of

text: speech

text: and

text: context

text: made

text: the

text: Federal

text: Communications

text: Commission

text: 's

text: position

text: unworkable

text: As

text: any

text: golfer

text: who

text: has

text: watched

text: his

text: partner

text: shank

text: a

text: short

text: approach

text: knows

text: it

text: would

text: be

text: absurd

text: to

text: accept

text: the

text: suggestion

text: that

text: the

text: resultant

text: four

text: letter

text: word

text: uttered

text: on

text: the

text: golf

text: course

text: describes

text: sex

text: or

text: excrement

text: and

text: is

text: therefore

text: indecent

text: he

text: wrote

text: But

text: that

text: is

text: the

text: absurdity

text: the

text: FCC

text: has

text: embraced

text: in

text: its

text: new

text: approach

text: to

text: indecency

text: And

text: Stevens

text: wondered

text: why

text: the

text: agency

text: was

text: going

text: after

text: words

text: that

text: he

text: said

text: had

text: a

text: tenuous

text: relationship

text: to

text: sex

text: and

text: bodily

text: functions

text: while

text: at

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: prime

text: time

text: commercials

text: frequently

text: ask

text: viewers

text: whether

text: they

text: too

text: are

text: battling

text: erectile

text: dysfunction

text: or

text: are

text: having

text: trouble

text: going

text: to

text: the

text: bathroom

text: Justice

text: Ruth

text: Bader

text: Ginsburg

text: made

text: clear

text: how

text: she

text: viewed

text: the

text: broader

text: free

text: speech

text: questions

text: the

text: high

text: court

text: may

text: be

text: forced

text: to

text: confront

text: in

text: coming

text: years

text: There

text: is

text: no

text: way

text: to

text: hide

text: the

text: long

text: shadow

text: the

text: First

text: Amendment

text: casts

text: over

text: what

text: the

text: commission

text: has

text: done

text: she

text: wrote

text: The

text: Supreme

text: Court

text: first

text: ventured

text: into

text: the

text: broadcast

text: speech

text: debate

text: in

text: when

text: it

text: ruled

text: as

text: indecent

text: a

text: monologue

text: by

text: comedian

text: George

text: Carlin

text: on

text: society

text: 's

text: taboo

text: surrounding

text: seven

text: dirty

text: words

text: The

text: bit

text: had

text: received

text: some

text: radio

text: airplay

text: Stevens

text: was

text: the

text: author

text: of

text: that

text: opinion

text: Justice

text: Clarence

text: Thomas

text: sided

text: with

text: his

text: fellow

text: conservatives

text: on

text: the

text: narrow

text: question

text: presented

text: to

text: the

text: court

text: but

text: noted

text: the

text: changing

text: landscape

text: of

text: television

text: since

text: Stevens

text: old

text: ruling

text: He

text: said

text: that

text: and

text: other

text: high

text: court

text: precedents

text: were

text: unconvincing

text: when

text: they

text: were

text: issued

text: and

text: the

text: passage

text: of

text: time

text: has

text: only

text: increased

text: doubt

text: regarding

text: their

text: continued

text: validity

text: He

text: questioned

text: the

text: communication

text: commission

text: 's

text: underlying

text: authority

text: as

text: a

text: deep

text: intrusion

text: into

text: the

text: First

text: Amendment

text: rights

text: of

text: broadcasters

text: And

text: he

text: noted

text: the

text: four

text: networks

text: no

text: longer

text: have

text: a

text: virtual

text: monopoly

text: on

text: television

text: content

text: For

text: most

text: consumers

text: traditional

text: broadcast

text: media

text: programming

text: is

text: now

text: bundled

text: with

text: cable

text: or

text: satellite

text: services

text: he

text: said

text: but

text: the

text: Federal

text: Communications

text: Commission

text: 's

text: authority

text: extends

text: only

text: to

text: over

text: the

text: air

text: television

text: and

text: radio

text: content

text: Conservative

text: and

text: family

text: groups

text: called

text: Tuesday

text: 's

text: ruling

text: an

text: incredible

text: victory

text: We

text: implore

text: the

text: broadcast

text: networks

text: to

text: abide

text: by

text: today

text: 's

text: court

text: 's

text: ruling

text: rather

text: than

text: to

text: pursue

text: a

text: path

text: of

text: attempted

text: obstruction

text: with

text: countless

text: legal

text: maneuverings

text: said

text: Tim

text: Winter

text: president

text: of

text: the

text: Parents

text: Television

text: Council

text: which

text: monitors

text: content

text: on

text: the

text: airwaves

text: And

text: we

text: encourage

text: the

text: FCC

text: to

text: use

text: today

text: 's

text: opinion

text: to

text: break

text: the

text: indecency

text: complaint

text: logjam

text: and

text: rule

text: on

text: the

text: merits

text: of

text: the

text: tens

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: indecency

text: complaints

text: currently

text: awaiting

text: review

text: at

text: the

text: commission

text: There

text: was

text: no

text: immediate

text: reaction

text: from

text: the

text: broadcast

text: networks

text: but

text: groups

text: representing

text: the

text: artistic

text: and

text: creative

text: community

text: expressed

text: displeasure

text: iReport.com

text: Share

text: your

text: thoughts

text: on

text: indecency

text: on

text: television

text: Today

text: 's

text: decision

text: is

text: extremely

text: disappointing

text: said

text: Andrew

text: Jay

text: Schwartzman

text: head

text: of

text: the

text: Media

text: Access

text: Project

text: We

text: remain

text: hopeful

text: that

text: the

text: FCC

text: 's

text: restrictive

text: policies

text: will

text: ultimately

text: be

text: declared

text: unconstitutional

text: but

text: there

text: will

text: be

text: several

text: more

text: years

text: of

text: uncertainty

text: and

text: impaired

text: artistic

text: expression

text: while

text: the

text: lower

text: courts

text: address

text: the

text: First

text: Amendment

text: issues

text: which

text: the

text: court

text: chose

text: not

text: to

text: confront

text: today

text: Time

text: Warner

text: the

text: parent

text: company

text: of

text: CNN

text: filed

text: a

text: friend

text: of

text: the

text: court

text: brief

text: supporting

text: the

text: networks

text: fined

text: by

text: the

text: communications

text: commission

text: The

text: company

text: is

text: part

text: owner

text: of

text: the

text: CW

text: broadcast

text: network

text: and

text: operates

text: several

text: cable

text: networks

text: The

text: case

text: is

text: FCC

text: v.

text: Fox

text: Television

text: Stations

question: What did Thomas question?

answer: the communication commission's underlying authority

text: the communication commission's underlying authority

question: what did supreme court rule

answer: federal regulators can stop TV networks from airing profanity.

text: federal regulators can stop TV networks from airing profanity.

question: What did the FCC chairman call the ruling?

answer: "a big win for America's families."

text: "a big win for America's families."

question: Who called the ruling "a big win for America's families"?

answer: Michael Copps,

text: Michael Copps,

question: What was the Supreme Court breakdown in votes?

answer: 5-4

question: who does thomas side with

answer: fellow conservatives

text: fellow conservatives

question: Who did Thomas side with?

answer: fellow conservatives

text: fellow conservatives

question: what does FCC's chairman call ruling

answer: "a big win for America's families."

text: "a big win for America's families."

question: What did the Supreme Court rule?

answer: federal regulators can stop TV networks from airing profanity.

text: federal regulators can stop TV networks from airing profanity.


text:
(CNN) -- Former "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer and wife Kayte Walsh Grammer are expecting twins, the actor said Sunday.

He made the announcement backstage at the Golden Globes after winning the award for best actor in a TV drama series for his roll in "Boss."

"I'm really looking forward to meeting these new arrivals in our lives, I really am," he said.

Grammer, 56, married the 32-year-old former flight attendant in February in New York, just after Grammer's divorce became final from his third wife, Camille Donatacci, who appears on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

He predicted Sunday that Kayte will be an "extraordinary" mother.

"She's one of the most loving, amazing, warm human beings I've ever met," he said.

Grammer currently portrays Chicago Mayor Tom Kane in the Starz series "Boss." He closed his Globes acceptance speech by thanking his wife "for the future and what a magnificent year it's been."

Grammer and Donatacci had two children -- Jude, now 7, and Mason, 10. Grammer also has daughters Spencer, 28, and Greer, 19, from previous relationships.

He told CNN's Piers Morgan in October that "I think (Donatacci) married me because I was Frasier."

Grammer also told the CNN host that his "parting gift" to his third wife was her role in the reality series "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

"Whether or not it worked well for her doesn't matter," Grammer said. "It was my way of saying, 'Look, you always wanted to be famous. Here you go.' "

CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: Former

text: Frasier

text: star

text: Kelsey

text: Grammer

text: and

text: wife

text: Kayte

text: Walsh

text: Grammer

text: are

text: expecting

text: twins

text: the

text: actor

text: said

text: Sunday

text: He

text: made

text: the

text: announcement

text: backstage

text: at

text: the

text: Golden

text: Globes

text: after

text: winning

text: the

text: award

text: for

text: best

text: actor

text: in

text: a

text: TV

text: drama

text: series

text: for

text: his

text: roll

text: in

text: Boss

text: I

text: 'm

text: really

text: looking

text: forward

text: to

text: meeting

text: these

text: new

text: arrivals

text: in

text: our

text: lives

text: I

text: really

text: am

text: he

text: said

text: Grammer

text: married

text: the

text: old

text: former

text: flight

text: attendant

text: in

text: February

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: just

text: after

text: Grammer

text: 's

text: divorce

text: became

text: final

text: from

text: his

text: third

text: wife

text: Camille

text: Donatacci

text: who

text: appears

text: on

text: The

text: Real

text: Housewives

text: of

text: Beverly

text: Hills

text: He

text: predicted

text: Sunday

text: that

text: Kayte

text: will

text: be

text: an

text: extraordinary

text: mother

text: She

text: 's

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: loving

text: amazing

text: warm

text: human

text: beings

text: I

text: 've

text: ever

text: met

text: he

text: said

text: Grammer

text: currently

text: portrays

text: Chicago

text: Mayor

text: Tom

text: Kane

text: in

text: the

text: Starz

text: series

text: Boss

text: He

text: closed

text: his

text: Globes

text: acceptance

text: speech

text: by

text: thanking

text: his

text: wife

text: for

text: the

text: future

text: and

text: what

text: a

text: magnificent

text: year

text: it

text: 's

text: been

text: Grammer

text: and

text: Donatacci

text: had

text: two

text: children

text: Jude

text: now

text: and

text: Mason

text: Grammer

text: also

text: has

text: daughters

text: Spencer

text: and

text: Greer

text: from

text: previous

text: relationships

text: He

text: told

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Piers

text: Morgan

text: in

text: October

text: that

text: I

text: think

text: Donatacci

text: married

text: me

text: because

text: I

text: was

text: Frasier

text: Grammer

text: also

text: told

text: the

text: CNN

text: host

text: that

text: his

text: parting

text: gift

text: to

text: his

text: third

text: wife

text: was

text: her

text: role

text: in

text: the

text: reality

text: series

text: The

text: Real

text: Housewives

text: of

text: Beverly

text: Hills

text: Whether

text: or

text: not

text: it

text: worked

text: well

text: for

text: her

text: does

text: n't

text: matter

text: Grammer

text: said

text: It

text: was

text: my

text: way

text: of

text: saying

text: Look

text: you

text: always

text: wanted

text: to

text: be

text: famous

text: Here

text: you

text: go

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Jack

text: Hannah

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who married in February?

answer: Kelsey Grammer and

text: Kelsey Grammer and

question: Who is looking forward to?

answer: Kelsey Grammer

text: Kelsey Grammer

question: Does he have children?

answer: two

text: two

question: Who did he marry?

answer: Kayte Walsh

text: Kayte Walsh

question: Who is looking forward to meeting these new arrivals?

answer: Kelsey Grammer

text: Kelsey Grammer


text:
(CNN)  -- This week is Nurses Week and hospitals across the country, I'm sure, will celebrate it the same way mine does -- by not doing much.

Last year we all got goodie bags that held confetti, hard candies and a small candle that was symbolic of helping us light our way. Another year all nurses who had worked five years or more got a beach towel emblazoned with the hospital logo. A beach towel! Who wouldn't be excited about that, especially in land-locked western Pennsylvania?

The point isn't the swag, or lack thereof, but the paltriness of the gestures. Hospitals do not function well without nurses, and yet our institutions routinely devalue our work.

A 2002 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, led by University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing professor Linda Aiken, revealed that as hospital nurses are assigned more and more patients to care for, the number of patients who die also goes up.

Aiken's study assumed a ratio of four patients to every one inpatient nurse, and found that for every additional patient "in the average nurse's workload," the odds of a patient dying increased by 7 percent.

New data just released by the same authors in Health Services Research confirms the earlier findings. In a tri-state analysis,  the researchers found that adding a patient to nurses' workloads increased patient mortality by 6 percent in Pennsylvania, 10 percent in New Jersey and 13 percent in California. The thinner nurses are spread in hospitals the greater the number of patients who die. It's that simple.

Improved nurse staffing keeps more patients alive because nurses are the canaries in the coal mine, or what Aiken's article in JAMA called "an around-the-clock surveillance system." Fewer patients per nurse means that when a patient develops a serious problem, the nurse will be more likely to notice it and have time to address it: page the doctor, make sure needed drugs get ordered, suggest appropriate scans, and above all, continue to monitor the situation -- be ready to call a condition or "code" if needed.

Hospital patients are sicker than they were 20 years ago because advances in technology and improvements in overall care have meant that more very ill patients survive and end up in hospitals.

These unstable patients can spiral down quickly. To ensure patient safety we nurses have to be vigilant, and we need time to do that well. With the advent of managed care, hospitals cut back on their nursing staffs as a way to save money and increase profitability, but that meant they cut back on patient safety, too.

So, we nurses don't want towels or party favors for Nurses Week. The best present of all would be hospital floors that always have enough nurses. A serious effort to reduce the amount of required documentation, giving us more time with patients in exchange for less time in front of the computer, would also be a welcome Nurses Week change.

Or how about lunch? Research by Dr. Ann Rogers and colleagues in the Journal of Nursing Administration in 2005 showed that nurses routinely work through their allotted lunch breaks in order to provide patient care. Indeed, on my floor, "lunch" often means eating in front of the computer while we chart, shoveling down food before running off to give pain medication to a patient who needs it, or putting aside all thoughts of food while helping a patient who's "having trouble breathing."

Additionally, in many hospitals, nurses are not paid for the 30-minute lunch break we often work through. A quick Google search on "nurses lunch unpaid" turns up multiple hits detailing class-action lawsuits filed against hospitals where nurses are not paid for a 30-minute "lunch," even though they spend that time working.

Not paying nurses for a half-hour lunch break during which we all typically work is in conflict with the Fair Labor Standards Act, but hospitals must save millions of dollars a year by cheating nurses out of lunch. They save even more money by cutting back on nurse staffing in general.

The unpaid and untaken lunch break is a symptom of nurses' work being taken for granted. It represents the chasm separating the life and death value of our work, and the lack of institutional respect we are often accorded. Never forget that the flip side of an overworked nurse, with more patients than she can safely manage, is a dead patient who might have lived otherwise.

So, what I would really like for Nurses Week is to have enough nurses to keep as many patients as possible alive. But I'm a realist; I'm willing to start small. Let's give nurses a real break during the day, or pay up for that half hour we work.

This week is Nurses Week. It's time for hospitals to stop getting a free lunch.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Theresa Brown.

text: CNN

text: This

text: week

text: is

text: Nurses

text: Week

text: and

text: hospitals

text: across

text: the

text: country

text: I

text: 'm

text: sure

text: will

text: celebrate

text: it

text: the

text: same

text: way

text: mine

text: does

text: by

text: not

text: doing

text: much

text: Last

text: year

text: we

text: all

text: got

text: goodie

text: bags

text: that

text: held

text: confetti

text: hard

text: candies

text: and

text: a

text: small

text: candle

text: that

text: was

text: symbolic

text: of

text: helping

text: us

text: light

text: our

text: way

text: Another

text: year

text: all

text: nurses

text: who

text: had

text: worked

text: five

text: years

text: or

text: more

text: got

text: a

text: beach

text: towel

text: emblazoned

text: with

text: the

text: hospital

text: logo

text: A

text: beach

text: towel

text: Who

text: would

text: n't

text: be

text: excited

text: about

text: that

text: especially

text: in

text: land

text: locked

text: western

text: Pennsylvania

text: The

text: point

text: is

text: n't

text: the

text: swag

text: or

text: lack

text: thereof

text: but

text: the

text: paltriness

text: of

text: the

text: gestures

text: Hospitals

text: do

text: not

text: function

text: well

text: without

text: nurses

text: and

text: yet

text: our

text: institutions

text: routinely

text: devalue

text: our

text: work

text: A

text: study

text: published

text: in

text: the

text: Journal

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: Medical

text: Association

text: led

text: by

text: University

text: of

text: Pennsylvania

text: School

text: of

text: Nursing

text: professor

text: Linda

text: Aiken

text: revealed

text: that

text: as

text: hospital

text: nurses

text: are

text: assigned

text: more

text: and

text: more

text: patients

text: to

text: care

text: for

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: patients

text: who

text: die

text: also

text: goes

text: up

text: Aiken

text: 's

text: study

text: assumed

text: a

text: ratio

text: of

text: four

text: patients

text: to

text: every

text: one

text: inpatient

text: nurse

text: and

text: found

text: that

text: for

text: every

text: additional

text: patient

text: in

text: the

text: average

text: nurse

text: 's

text: workload

text: the

text: odds

text: of

text: a

text: patient

text: dying

text: increased

text: by

text: percent

text: New

text: data

text: just

text: released

text: by

text: the

text: same

text: authors

text: in

text: Health

text: Services

text: Research

text: confirms

text: the

text: earlier

text: findings

text: In

text: a

text: tri

text: state

text: analysis

text: the

text: researchers

text: found

text: that

text: adding

text: a

text: patient

text: to

text: nurses

text: workloads

text: increased

text: patient

text: mortality

text: by

text: percent

text: in

text: Pennsylvania

text: percent

text: in

text: New

text: Jersey

text: and

text: percent

text: in

text: California

text: The

text: thinner

text: nurses

text: are

text: spread

text: in

text: hospitals

text: the

text: greater

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: patients

text: who

text: die

text: It

text: 's

text: that

text: simple

text: Improved

text: nurse

text: staffing

text: keeps

text: more

text: patients

text: alive

text: because

text: nurses

text: are

text: the

text: canaries

text: in

text: the

text: coal

text: mine

text: or

text: what

text: Aiken

text: 's

text: article

text: in

text: JAMA

text: called

text: an

text: around

text: the

text: clock

text: surveillance

text: system

text: Fewer

text: patients

text: per

text: nurse

text: means

text: that

text: when

text: a

text: patient

text: develops

text: a

text: serious

text: problem

text: the

text: nurse

text: will

text: be

text: more

text: likely

text: to

text: notice

text: it

text: and

text: have

text: time

text: to

text: address

text: it

text: page

text: the

text: doctor

text: make

text: sure

text: needed

text: drugs

text: get

text: ordered

text: suggest

text: appropriate

text: scans

text: and

text: above

text: all

text: continue

text: to

text: monitor

text: the

text: situation

text: be

text: ready

text: to

text: call

text: a

text: condition

text: or

text: code

text: if

text: needed

text: Hospital

text: patients

text: are

text: sicker

text: than

text: they

text: were

text: years

text: ago

text: because

text: advances

text: in

text: technology

text: and

text: improvements

text: in

text: overall

text: care

text: have

text: meant

text: that

text: more

text: very

text: ill

text: patients

text: survive

text: and

text: end

text: up

text: in

text: hospitals

text: These

text: unstable

text: patients

text: can

text: spiral

text: down

text: quickly

text: To

text: ensure

text: patient

text: safety

text: we

text: nurses

text: have

text: to

text: be

text: vigilant

text: and

text: we

text: need

text: time

text: to

text: do

text: that

text: well

text: With

text: the

text: advent

text: of

text: managed

text: care

text: hospitals

text: cut

text: back

text: on

text: their

text: nursing

text: staffs

text: as

text: a

text: way

text: to

text: save

text: money

text: and

text: increase

text: profitability

text: but

text: that

text: meant

text: they

text: cut

text: back

text: on

text: patient

text: safety

text: too

text: So

text: we

text: nurses

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: towels

text: or

text: party

text: favors

text: for

text: Nurses

text: Week

text: The

text: best

text: present

text: of

text: all

text: would

text: be

text: hospital

text: floors

text: that

text: always

text: have

text: enough

text: nurses

text: A

text: serious

text: effort

text: to

text: reduce

text: the

text: amount

text: of

text: required

text: documentation

text: giving

text: us

text: more

text: time

text: with

text: patients

text: in

text: exchange

text: for

text: less

text: time

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: the

text: computer

text: would

text: also

text: be

text: a

text: welcome

text: Nurses

text: Week

text: change

text: Or

text: how

text: about

text: lunch

text: Research

text: by

text: Dr.

text: Ann

text: Rogers

text: and

text: colleagues

text: in

text: the

text: Journal

text: of

text: Nursing

text: Administration

text: in

text: showed

text: that

text: nurses

text: routinely

text: work

text: through

text: their

text: allotted

text: lunch

text: breaks

text: in

text: order

text: to

text: provide

text: patient

text: care

text: Indeed

text: on

text: my

text: floor

text: lunch

text: often

text: means

text: eating

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: the

text: computer

text: while

text: we

text: chart

text: shoveling

text: down

text: food

text: before

text: running

text: off

text: to

text: give

text: pain

text: medication

text: to

text: a

text: patient

text: who

text: needs

text: it

text: or

text: putting

text: aside

text: all

text: thoughts

text: of

text: food

text: while

text: helping

text: a

text: patient

text: who

text: 's

text: having

text: trouble

text: breathing

text: Additionally

text: in

text: many

text: hospitals

text: nurses

text: are

text: not

text: paid

text: for

text: the

text: lunch

text: break

text: we

text: often

text: work

text: through

text: A

text: quick

text: Google

text: search

text: on

text: nurses

text: lunch

text: unpaid

text: turns

text: up

text: multiple

text: hits

text: detailing

text: class

text: action

text: lawsuits

text: filed

text: against

text: hospitals

text: where

text: nurses

text: are

text: not

text: paid

text: for

text: a

text: lunch

text: even

text: though

text: they

text: spend

text: that

text: time

text: working

text: Not

text: paying

text: nurses

text: for

text: a

text: half

text: hour

text: lunch

text: break

text: during

text: which

text: we

text: all

text: typically

text: work

text: is

text: in

text: conflict

text: with

text: the

text: Fair

text: Labor

text: Standards

text: Act

text: but

text: hospitals

text: must

text: save

text: millions

text: of

text: dollars

text: a

text: year

text: by

text: cheating

text: nurses

text: out

text: of

text: lunch

text: They

text: save

text: even

text: more

text: money

text: by

text: cutting

text: back

text: on

text: nurse

text: staffing

text: in

text: general

text: The

text: unpaid

text: and

text: untaken

text: lunch

text: break

text: is

text: a

text: symptom

text: of

text: nurses

text: work

text: being

text: taken

text: for

text: granted

text: It

text: represents

text: the

text: chasm

text: separating

text: the

text: life

text: and

text: death

text: value

text: of

text: our

text: work

text: and

text: the

text: lack

text: of

text: institutional

text: respect

text: we

text: are

text: often

text: accorded

text: Never

text: forget

text: that

text: the

text: flip

text: side

text: of

text: an

text: overworked

text: nurse

text: with

text: more

text: patients

text: than

text: she

text: can

text: safely

text: manage

text: is

text: a

text: dead

text: patient

text: who

text: might

text: have

text: lived

text: otherwise

text: So

text: what

text: I

text: would

text: really

text: like

text: for

text: Nurses

text: Week

text: is

text: to

text: have

text: enough

text: nurses

text: to

text: keep

text: as

text: many

text: patients

text: as

text: possible

text: alive

text: But

text: I

text: 'm

text: a

text: realist

text: I

text: 'm

text: willing

text: to

text: start

text: small

text: Let

text: 's

text: give

text: nurses

text: a

text: real

text: break

text: during

text: the

text: day

text: or

text: pay

text: up

text: for

text: that

text: half

text: hour

text: we

text: work

text: This

text: week

text: is

text: Nurses

text: Week

text: It

text: 's

text: time

text: for

text: hospitals

text: to

text: stop

text: getting

text: a

text: free

text: lunch

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Theresa

text: Brown

question: What would be the best gift for nurses?

answer: hospital floors that always have enough

text: hospital floors that always have enough

question: Hospitals don't do much of what?

answer: celebrate

text: celebrate

question: What does better staffing mean?

answer: keeps more patients alive

text: keeps more patients alive


text:
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Want to boost your spending power? Try giving your wallet a break by shopping at a dollar store. Americans have embraced the four leading chains -- Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and the 99Â¢ Only store -- in droves during the recession.

This year, Dollar General's sales were up almost 10 percent quarter-over-quarter, and they're opening 450 new stores, according to The New York Times. Dollar Tree, meanwhile, planned to open 235 new stores this year. And Family Dollar's early 2009 numbers pointed to sales being up 6.5 percent year-over-year.

But despite the booming sales, Consumer Reports' Money Adviser has taken a close look at this hot retail segment and found that not everything is a deal.

Before I tell you what they say to stock up on and what to pass on, I want to clarify something. There are important distinctions to note among the chains. Dollar General and Family Dollar both price the majority of their items at $1, but they also offer some merchandise at higher price points. Dollar Tree and the 99Â¢ Only chain are the only true dollar stores where everything is $1, with no exceptions.

So what did Consumer Reports find? Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles, paper bags, composition notebooks, plastic cups, security envelopes, napkins, foam plates and tissue paper are among the best deals.

Yet they advised against buying jewelry (too much lead content), electrical products (possibly fake UL labels), medication (expired products) and vitamins (probably not to be from reputable sellers) at any dollar stores.

Now, I've routinely bought medication like ibuprofen at dollar stores and have not found it to be past expiration date. Of course, some would argue that I can get a better deal on ibuprofen at a warehouse club. But unless you're in constant pain, who can use all those 12 million pills in the bulk container before they expire?!

The research that Consumer Reports did reminded me of a similar report in Good Housekeeping several years ago. At that time, the women's magazine compared four knockoff products from the dollar stores versus four brand name products purchased elsewhere.

The products included generic glass cleaner, body lotion, dishwashing liquid and detergent. The brand name products were Windex, Lubriderm, Dawn and Tide, and they proved to better than their generic counterparts.

For example, a teaspoon of Dawn washed 19 dishes, while a teaspoon of the dollar brand washed only six! As for the detergent, the dollar brand failed to wash out a mustard stain that Tide did.

So the message is, let the buyer beware at the dollar stores. Certainly, there are some deals to be had, but you've got to be picky.

text: Atlanta

text: Georgia

text: CNN

text: Want

text: to

text: boost

text: your

text: spending

text: power

text: Try

text: giving

text: your

text: wallet

text: a

text: break

text: by

text: shopping

text: at

text: a

text: dollar

text: store

text: Americans

text: have

text: embraced

text: the

text: four

text: leading

text: chains

text: Dollar

text: General

text: Family

text: Dollar

text: Dollar

text: Tree

text: and

text: the

text: 99Â¢

text: Only

text: store

text: in

text: droves

text: during

text: the

text: recession

text: This

text: year

text: Dollar

text: General

text: 's

text: sales

text: were

text: up

text: almost

text: percent

text: quarter

text: over

text: quarter

text: and

text: they

text: 're

text: opening

text: new

text: stores

text: according

text: to

text: The

text: New

text: York

text: Times

text: Dollar

text: Tree

text: meanwhile

text: planned

text: to

text: open

text: new

text: stores

text: this

text: year

text: And

text: Family

text: Dollar

text: 's

text: early

text: numbers

text: pointed

text: to

text: sales

text: being

text: up

text: percent

text: year

text: over

text: year

text: But

text: despite

text: the

text: booming

text: sales

text: Consumer

text: Reports

text: Money

text: Adviser

text: has

text: taken

text: a

text: close

text: look

text: at

text: this

text: hot

text: retail

text: segment

text: and

text: found

text: that

text: not

text: everything

text: is

text: a

text: deal

text: Before

text: I

text: tell

text: you

text: what

text: they

text: say

text: to

text: stock

text: up

text: on

text: and

text: what

text: to

text: pass

text: on

text: I

text: want

text: to

text: clarify

text: something

text: There

text: are

text: important

text: distinctions

text: to

text: note

text: among

text: the

text: chains

text: Dollar

text: General

text: and

text: Family

text: Dollar

text: both

text: price

text: the

text: majority

text: of

text: their

text: items

text: at

text: but

text: they

text: also

text: offer

text: some

text: merchandise

text: at

text: higher

text: price

text: points

text: Dollar

text: Tree

text: and

text: the

text: 99Â¢

text: Only

text: chain

text: are

text: the

text: only

text: true

text: dollar

text: stores

text: where

text: everything

text: is

text: with

text: no

text: exceptions

text: So

text: what

text: did

text: Consumer

text: Reports

text: find

text: Cotton

text: rounds

text: gift

text: wrap

text: birthday

text: candles

text: paper

text: bags

text: composition

text: notebooks

text: plastic

text: cups

text: security

text: envelopes

text: napkins

text: foam

text: plates

text: and

text: tissue

text: paper

text: are

text: among

text: the

text: best

text: deals

text: Yet

text: they

text: advised

text: against

text: buying

text: jewelry

text: too

text: much

text: lead

text: content

text: electrical

text: products

text: possibly

text: fake

text: UL

text: labels

text: medication

text: expired

text: products

text: and

text: vitamins

text: probably

text: not

text: to

text: be

text: from

text: reputable

text: sellers

text: at

text: any

text: dollar

text: stores

text: Now

text: I

text: 've

text: routinely

text: bought

text: medication

text: like

text: ibuprofen

text: at

text: dollar

text: stores

text: and

text: have

text: not

text: found

text: it

text: to

text: be

text: past

text: expiration

text: date

text: Of

text: course

text: some

text: would

text: argue

text: that

text: I

text: can

text: get

text: a

text: better

text: deal

text: on

text: ibuprofen

text: at

text: a

text: warehouse

text: club

text: But

text: unless

text: you

text: 're

text: in

text: constant

text: pain

text: who

text: can

text: use

text: all

text: those

text: million

text: pills

text: in

text: the

text: bulk

text: container

text: before

text: they

text: expire

text: The

text: research

text: that

text: Consumer

text: Reports

text: did

text: reminded

text: me

text: of

text: a

text: similar

text: report

text: in

text: Good

text: Housekeeping

text: several

text: years

text: ago

text: At

text: that

text: time

text: the

text: women

text: 's

text: magazine

text: compared

text: four

text: knockoff

text: products

text: from

text: the

text: dollar

text: stores

text: versus

text: four

text: brand

text: name

text: products

text: purchased

text: elsewhere

text: The

text: products

text: included

text: generic

text: glass

text: cleaner

text: body

text: lotion

text: dishwashing

text: liquid

text: and

text: detergent

text: The

text: brand

text: name

text: products

text: were

text: Windex

text: Lubriderm

text: Dawn

text: and

text: Tide

text: and

text: they

text: proved

text: to

text: better

text: than

text: their

text: generic

text: counterparts

text: For

text: example

text: a

text: teaspoon

text: of

text: Dawn

text: washed

text: dishes

text: while

text: a

text: teaspoon

text: of

text: the

text: dollar

text: brand

text: washed

text: only

text: six

text: As

text: for

text: the

text: detergent

text: the

text: dollar

text: brand

text: failed

text: to

text: wash

text: out

text: a

text: mustard

text: stain

text: that

text: Tide

text: did

text: So

text: the

text: message

text: is

text: let

text: the

text: buyer

text: beware

text: at

text: the

text: dollar

text: stores

text: Certainly

text: there

text: are

text: some

text: deals

text: to

text: be

text: had

text: but

text: you

text: 've

text: got

text: to

text: be

text: picky

question: what failed tests?

answer: r generic counterparts

text: r generic counterparts

question: What has recession done for dollar stores?

answer: sales were up almost 10 percent quarter-over-quarter,

text: sales were up almost 10 percent quarter-over-quarter,

question: where was spending boosted?

answer: dollar store.

text: dollar store.

question: what has boosted spending at dollar store?

answer: the recession.

text: the recession.

question: what boosted spending?

answer: at a dollar store.

text: at a dollar store.

question: What are the best deals?

answer: ? Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles, paper bags, composition notebooks, plastic cups, security envelopes, napkins, foam plates and tissue pape

text: ? Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles, paper bags, composition notebooks, plastic cups, security envelopes, napkins, foam plates and tissue pape

question: Do some dollar stores have expensive items?

answer: they also offer

text: they also offer


text:
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- An American Airlines Boeing 757 made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport an hour after taking off because the crew smelled smoke in the cockpit, a fire department official said.

Inflatable chutes extend from a jet that made an emergency landing Tuesday in Los Angeles.

American Airlines spokesman John Hotard said there was evidence of smoke in the cabin, but he could not say if it was visible or just an odor.

Flight 31 was headed from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii. There were 188 passengers and seven crew members aboard.

When it landed, the pilot ordered an emergency evacuation. Passengers evacuated by inflatable slides.  Watch passengers slide down chutes Â»

"It was split-second, 'Go, go, go. Don't take any bags with you. Just go, get off,' " said passenger Julie Brown. "And we just walked to the exit door, and there's that huge slide."

Five passengers had minor cuts and bruises, Hotard said.

Hotard said the flight was the first of the day for the aircraft, and there were no reports of problems with it in the past 30 days.

The pilot requested an emergency landing as a precaution, Hotard said.  Watch as official tells what happened Â»

American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said most passengers would take an afternoon flight to Hawaii, although he added that a "handful" of passengers were not continuing to Honolulu. He did not specify why.

CNN's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report.

text: LOS

text: ANGELES

text: California

text: CNN

text: An

text: American

text: Airlines

text: Boeing

text: made

text: an

text: emergency

text: landing

text: at

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: International

text: Airport

text: an

text: hour

text: after

text: taking

text: off

text: because

text: the

text: crew

text: smelled

text: smoke

text: in

text: the

text: cockpit

text: a

text: fire

text: department

text: official

text: said

text: Inflatable

text: chutes

text: extend

text: from

text: a

text: jet

text: that

text: made

text: an

text: emergency

text: landing

text: Tuesday

text: in

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: American

text: Airlines

text: spokesman

text: John

text: Hotard

text: said

text: there

text: was

text: evidence

text: of

text: smoke

text: in

text: the

text: cabin

text: but

text: he

text: could

text: not

text: say

text: if

text: it

text: was

text: visible

text: or

text: just

text: an

text: odor

text: Flight

text: was

text: headed

text: from

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: to

text: Honolulu

text: Hawaii

text: There

text: were

text: passengers

text: and

text: seven

text: crew

text: members

text: aboard

text: When

text: it

text: landed

text: the

text: pilot

text: ordered

text: an

text: emergency

text: evacuation

text: Passengers

text: evacuated

text: by

text: inflatable

text: slides

text: Watch

text: passengers

text: slide

text: down

text: chutes

text: Â

text: It

text: was

text: split

text: second

text: Go

text: go

text: go

text: Do

text: n't

text: take

text: any

text: bags

text: with

text: you

text: Just

text: go

text: get

text: off

text: said

text: passenger

text: Julie

text: Brown

text: And

text: we

text: just

text: walked

text: to

text: the

text: exit

text: door

text: and

text: there

text: 's

text: that

text: huge

text: slide

text: Five

text: passengers

text: had

text: minor

text: cuts

text: and

text: bruises

text: Hotard

text: said

text: Hotard

text: said

text: the

text: flight

text: was

text: the

text: first

text: of

text: the

text: day

text: for

text: the

text: aircraft

text: and

text: there

text: were

text: no

text: reports

text: of

text: problems

text: with

text: it

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: days

text: The

text: pilot

text: requested

text: an

text: emergency

text: landing

text: as

text: a

text: precaution

text: Hotard

text: said

text: Watch

text: as

text: official

text: tells

text: what

text: happened

text: Â

text: American

text: Airlines

text: spokesman

text: Tim

text: Smith

text: said

text: most

text: passengers

text: would

text: take

text: an

text: afternoon

text: flight

text: to

text: Hawaii

text: although

text: he

text: added

text: that

text: a

text: handful

text: of

text: passengers

text: were

text: not

text: continuing

text: to

text: Honolulu

text: He

text: did

text: not

text: specify

text: why

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Tracy

text: Sabo

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Where did it stop?

answer: International Airport

text: International Airport

question: Where was the jet going?

answer: Honolulu, Hawaii.

text: Honolulu, Hawaii.

question: Where is Honolulu located?

answer: Hawaii.

text: Hawaii.

question: were any injuries to passengers reported

answer: had minor cuts and bruises,

text: had minor cuts and bruises,

question: where did the american bound jet land

answer: Los Angeles

text: Los Angeles


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. schoolchildren still have work to do when it comes to mathematics, the secretary of education said Wednesday.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan says U.S. schools need to be better equipped to teach math.

Arne Duncan, releasing a report on the Department of Education's latest examination of how well American children are doing in mathematics, said no one should be satisfied with what it found.

"Today's results are evidence that we must better equip our schools to improve the knowledge and skills of America's students in mathematics," he said. "More must be done to narrow the troubling achievement gap that has persisted in mathematics, and to ensure that America's students make greater gains toward becoming competitive with their peers in other countries."

Fourth- and eighth-grade students from more than 7,000 public and private schools nationwide were tested by the National Assessment of Educational Progress for the report, titled "The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2009."

Massachusetts students had the highest marks at both grade levels. Other high-performing states were Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersey.

The area with the lowest marks in both grades was the District of Columbia, though the report showed that the district -- along with Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont -- had improved its scores since the last tests were taken in 2007.

The average scores were categorized at each grade level into four groups: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced.

According to the Department of Education, some of the skills required to achieve a basic level of understanding of mathematics at the fourth-grade level include performing simple computations with whole numbers; showing understanding of fractions and decimals; and solving simple real-world problems.

To achieve a basic level of understanding at the eighth-grade level, students must be able work with whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percentages; be able to solve word problems and use diagrams, charts and graphs; and be able to solve simple algebra and geometry problems.

Scores were slightly higher in the 2009 report than they were in 2007, but Duncan said more needs to be done.

"Our students need to graduate high school ready to succeed in college and the workplace," he said. The National Assessment of Educational Progress results "are a call to action to reform the teaching and learning of mathematics and other related subjects in order to prepare our students to compete in the global economy."

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: U.S.

text: schoolchildren

text: still

text: have

text: work

text: to

text: do

text: when

text: it

text: comes

text: to

text: mathematics

text: the

text: secretary

text: of

text: education

text: said

text: Wednesday

text: Education

text: Secretary

text: Arne

text: Duncan

text: says

text: U.S.

text: schools

text: need

text: to

text: be

text: better

text: equipped

text: to

text: teach

text: math

text: Arne

text: Duncan

text: releasing

text: a

text: report

text: on

text: the

text: Department

text: of

text: Education

text: 's

text: latest

text: examination

text: of

text: how

text: well

text: American

text: children

text: are

text: doing

text: in

text: mathematics

text: said

text: no

text: one

text: should

text: be

text: satisfied

text: with

text: what

text: it

text: found

text: Today

text: 's

text: results

text: are

text: evidence

text: that

text: we

text: must

text: better

text: equip

text: our

text: schools

text: to

text: improve

text: the

text: knowledge

text: and

text: skills

text: of

text: America

text: 's

text: students

text: in

text: mathematics

text: he

text: said

text: More

text: must

text: be

text: done

text: to

text: narrow

text: the

text: troubling

text: achievement

text: gap

text: that

text: has

text: persisted

text: in

text: mathematics

text: and

text: to

text: ensure

text: that

text: America

text: 's

text: students

text: make

text: greater

text: gains

text: toward

text: becoming

text: competitive

text: with

text: their

text: peers

text: in

text: other

text: countries

text: Fourth-

text: and

text: eighth

text: grade

text: students

text: from

text: more

text: than

text: public

text: and

text: private

text: schools

text: nationwide

text: were

text: tested

text: by

text: the

text: National

text: Assessment

text: of

text: Educational

text: Progress

text: for

text: the

text: report

text: titled

text: The

text: Nation

text: 's

text: Report

text: Card

text: Mathematics

text: Massachusetts

text: students

text: had

text: the

text: highest

text: marks

text: at

text: both

text: grade

text: levels

text: Other

text: high

text: performing

text: states

text: were

text: Minnesota

text: Vermont

text: New

text: Hampshire

text: and

text: New

text: Jersey

text: The

text: area

text: with

text: the

text: lowest

text: marks

text: in

text: both

text: grades

text: was

text: the

text: District

text: of

text: Columbia

text: though

text: the

text: report

text: showed

text: that

text: the

text: district

text: along

text: with

text: Nevada

text: New

text: Hampshire

text: Rhode

text: Island

text: and

text: Vermont

text: had

text: improved

text: its

text: scores

text: since

text: the

text: last

text: tests

text: were

text: taken

text: in

text: The

text: average

text: scores

text: were

text: categorized

text: at

text: each

text: grade

text: level

text: into

text: four

text: groups

text: below

text: basic

text: basic

text: proficient

text: and

text: advanced

text: According

text: to

text: the

text: Department

text: of

text: Education

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: skills

text: required

text: to

text: achieve

text: a

text: basic

text: level

text: of

text: understanding

text: of

text: mathematics

text: at

text: the

text: fourth

text: grade

text: level

text: include

text: performing

text: simple

text: computations

text: with

text: whole

text: numbers

text: showing

text: understanding

text: of

text: fractions

text: and

text: decimals

text: and

text: solving

text: simple

text: real

text: world

text: problems

text: To

text: achieve

text: a

text: basic

text: level

text: of

text: understanding

text: at

text: the

text: eighth

text: grade

text: level

text: students

text: must

text: be

text: able

text: work

text: with

text: whole

text: numbers

text: decimals

text: fractions

text: and

text: percentages

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: solve

text: word

text: problems

text: and

text: use

text: diagrams

text: charts

text: and

text: graphs

text: and

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: solve

text: simple

text: algebra

text: and

text: geometry

text: problems

text: Scores

text: were

text: slightly

text: higher

text: in

text: the

text: report

text: than

text: they

text: were

text: in

text: but

text: Duncan

text: said

text: more

text: needs

text: to

text: be

text: done

text: Our

text: students

text: need

text: to

text: graduate

text: high

text: school

text: ready

text: to

text: succeed

text: in

text: college

text: and

text: the

text: workplace

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: National

text: Assessment

text: of

text: Educational

text: Progress

text: results

text: are

text: a

text: call

text: to

text: action

text: to

text: reform

text: the

text: teaching

text: and

text: learning

text: of

text: mathematics

text: and

text: other

text: related

text: subjects

text: in

text: order

text: to

text: prepare

text: our

text: students

text: to

text: compete

text: in

text: the

text: global

text: economy

question: What did the Department of Education look at?

answer: how well American children are doing in mathematics,

text: how well American children are doing in mathematics,

question: How many U.S. schools were used?

answer: 7,000 public and private

text: 7,000 public and private

question: What does the Department of Education take a look at?

answer: how well American children are doing in mathematics,

text: how well American children are doing in mathematics,

question: What amount of schools were assessed?

answer: 7,000

question: What district had the lowest scores?

answer: Columbia,

text: Columbia,

question: Which states ranked high for mathematics?

answer: Massachusetts

text: Massachusetts

question: Which states ranked high?

answer: Massachusetts

text: Massachusetts