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(AOL Autos) -- The conventional wisdom, among most folks, anyway, is that buying a used car is usually something done out of necessity, by those on a budget -- that is, people who want, or need, to "move down" from the new-car market because a new model is simply out of their reach.

Bottom line, the Lexus reputation is for high-end luxury, quality and long-term dependability.

However, there is another category of used cars that appeal to those with a bit more disposable income: used luxury cars.

For some buyers, the used-luxury market is a way of getting into that Lexus, Lincoln, Infiniti or Porsche you always wanted, without laying out $70,000 or $80,000 for something you're not actually going to live in.

For others, scouring the used-luxury-car listings is a way of re-visiting the halcyon years of their youth. At this point, some of these used-luxe models have been around so long that they almost qualify as vintage throwback editions.

Recently, Consumer Reports magazine issued its list of best and worst used cars, and divvied them up by price range. Using CR's recommendations as a guideline, here is a list of some of the best used luxury cars currently on the market in the $24,000-30,000 price range.

2005 & 2006 Acura MDX

A luxury SUV, the MDX is spacious, seats seven, and boasts distinctive styling and Acura's famed attention to detail. Plus, it packs some punch under the hood -- this generation was powered by 3.5-liter, 253-hp V6 matched to a five-speed automatic transmission. AOL Autos: Used Acura

Priced just right as a new vehicle, it included safety features like dual-stage front airbags, three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints for all seating positions.

2007 Acura RDX

A crossover vehicle that mixes sedan-like ride with SUV roominess, the '07 RDX offered unibody construction, leather upholstery, heated front seats, power moonroof, 18-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires, xenon HID headlights with foglamps and the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine -- plus a five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, and the patented SH-AWD (SH for Super Handling) system.

2006 & 2007 Acura TL

A mid-size, front-wheel-drive, four-door sedan powered by a 258-hp 3.2-liter V6, the Acura TL is a fine road machine. Actually, it was available for '06-'07 as both a TL and a higher-end TL Type S -- the latter of which sported an upgraded engine, a 286-hp 3.5-liter. Depending on trim level, you can find it with a five-speed automatic with a console-mounted lever or shift paddles on the steering wheel.

2007 Audi A3

Audi designers have always shown a certain flair for dynamics, and that is evident here, in a sharply-engineered, handsomely-appointed vehicle that offers a fine balance between silky ride, nimble handling and zesty performance.

This sporty compact was powered by a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in '07, and came standard with a six-speed manual and an optional Direct Shift Gearbox. AOL Autos: Used Audi

2005 & 2006 BMW 3-Series

The 3-Series is another winning stable of cars, but Consumer Reports especially liked specific model years/versions/features in the 3-Series family: The 2005 RWD coupe and convertible; the '06 325i RWD sedan; the '06 330i RWD sedan and the '05 Z4. Depending on the model year and version, the standard engine ranged from a 184-hp 2.5-L to a 255-hp 3.0-L. AOL Autos: Used BMW

2005 & 2006 Infiniti FX35

Another of the many crossovers that have hit the market the last several years, the FX35 is one of the sportier editions. During these model years, the FX35 2WD came with a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel-drive was standard, but AWD was also an option.

Some spiffier features included leather seating surfaces, 18-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control with microfiltration and steering-wheel controls. AOL Autos: Used Infiniti

Infiniti G35

The G35 is one of the more svelte sports-sedan beauties on the road, offering Infiniti's typical attention to detail and sporting attitude. Yes, it has four doors, but it handles like a sporty coupe, with its power coming from a finely-tuned 3.5-liter V6. Horsepower output is 280 for the automatic and 298 with the manual.

Luxo amenities include leather upholstery, automatic climate control, steering wheel audio controls, illuminated visor vanity mirrors and high-intensity discharge (HID) xenon headlamps.

Lexus

Any luxury-car aficionado knows that a Lexus is one of the most exquisitely-designed, high-performing chariots on the luxury-car market, and CR saw fit to include more than a half-dozen Lexus models on this list of recommended used luxury cars -- from the '02 SC and LX models, to the '03-'04 GX edition, '03 LS, '04 / '06 IS entries, '04-'05 RX model, '05 GS and '06 ES to ... well, you get the picture.

Bottom line, given the Lexus reputation for high-end luxury, quality and long-term dependability, it's hard to go wrong with any of the above-named Lexus entries. And all have plenty of engine oomph and luxo-line amenities. AOL Autos: Used Lexus

2007 Lincoln MKX

This luxury crossover vehicle debuted in '07 as a replacement for the Aviator, and made a big splash. A higher-end and pricier version of the Ford Edge, it seats five and is powered by a 265 hp 3.5-liter V-6 and comes with standard six-speed automatic tranny. Either FWD or AWD is available. One cool option was the glass-paneled roof dubbed the "Vista Roof."

2007 Lincoln MKZ

Also new for the '07 model year, this handsome and fully-loaded mid-size luxury sedan replaced the Zephyr. Under the hood purrs a muscular 263-hp V6 hitched to a six-speed automatic transmission. FWD is standard, but AWD is optional. Standard safety features include side-impact air bags in the front; curtain-style head protection airbags for all outboard positions; plus traction control and antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution.

2007 Lincoln Town Car

A venerated luxury car whose heritage goes way back, the Town Car still "has game" -- and is a far cry from the floaty boats your granddad drove in the '70s and '80s. It's still cavernous inside, but now boasts a much more refined design. It seats six comfortably and is powered by a 239-hp 4.6-liter V-8 that's linked to a four-speed automatic. The well-appointed cabin is trimmed in premium leather and burl walnut appliques. Available in Signature, Signature Limited, Designer and Signature L trim levels, you can find one to fit any taste.

1998 Porsche 911

No, your eyes don't deceive you -- CR did include a primo, high-line vehicle like a Porsche 911 on its list of recommended used cars under $30,000. But, take note: This is the 1998 edition. But when you're dealing with quality of this level, even an 10-year-old vehicle has a lot of juice left in it.

So, by "going vintage," driving enthusiasts can get into their car of their dreams without breaking the bank. In '98, the 911 was powered by a 3.6L H-6 282 hp engine. So, while it wasn't quite the road-burner it is today, is still packed plenty of thrust.

2007 Volvo S60 (FWD)

Only a year old, the '07 used edition should still be in fine condition, and it boasts top-drawer performance, stylish design and Volvo's all-world safety features. The '07 S60 came in several trim levels, with an array of engine sizes, from the turbocharged 2.5-liter 208 hp job to the 2.3-liter 257-hp inline five-cylinder plant to the 2.5-liter high-pressure turbocharged and intercooled engine that churned out 300 ponies. Depending on the trim line, either a manual or automatic transmission can be had.

2006 & 2007 Volvo XC70

The XC70 is a crossover vehicle, splitting the difference between an SUV and a wagon. And it's one of the finest crossovers on the road. It's all-wheel drive, and the latest used-model-year, the '07, was powered by a 208-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five-cylinder engine matched to a Geartronic five-speed automatic transmission that also offers manual gear selection.

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text: plant

text: to

text: the

text: high

text: pressure

text: turbocharged

text: and

text: intercooled

text: engine

text: that

text: churned

text: out

text: ponies

text: Depending

text: on

text: the

text: trim

text: line

text: either

text: a

text: manual

text: or

text: automatic

text: transmission

text: can

text: be

text: had

text: Volvo

text: The

text: is

text: a

text: crossover

text: vehicle

text: splitting

text: the

text: difference

text: between

text: an

text: SUV

text: and

text: a

text: wagon

text: And

text: it

text: 's

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: finest

text: crossovers

text: on

text: the

text: road

text: It

text: 's

text: all

text: wheel

text: drive

text: and

text: the

text: latest

text: used

text: model

text: year

text: the

text: was

text: powered

text: by

text: a

text: turbocharged

text: inline

text: five

text: cylinder

text: engine

text: matched

text: to

text: a

text: Geartronic

text: five

text: speed

text: automatic

text: transmission

text: that

text: also

text: offers

text: manual

text: gear

text: selection

question: Who lists the worst and best cars?

answer: Consumer Reports magazine

text: Consumer Reports magazine

question: Who made  the list in 1998?

answer: Porsche 911

text: Porsche 911

question: Who lists the best and worst used cars?

answer: Consumer Reports magazine

text: Consumer Reports magazine

question: What does Consumer Reports list?

answer: best and worst used cars,

text: best and worst used cars,

question: What is the price of the 1998 Porsche 911?

answer: under $30,000.

text: under $30,000.

question: What market do used car buyers go to for luxury cars?

answer: the used-luxury

text: the used-luxury

question: What list did the 1998 Porsche 911 make?

answer: of recommended used cars under $30,000.

text: of recommended used cars under $30,000.

question: What do some buyers seek on the used car market?

answer: used-luxury

text: used-luxury


text:
(CNN) -- Why do we watch?

Bob Greene says athletes like Lebron James show us the difference between ordinary effort and excellence.

The question applies not just to Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, although that is the immediate case in point. The outcome of the game is not important -- few people remember who wins the All-Star Game from year to year.

The players, while attempting to win, do it with barely concealed smiles on their faces. All-Star weekend is mostly a class reunion for basketball's elite.

But all the games, in all the seasons, in all the big-time sports leagues -- what is the real reason we keep on watching?

You might think that we'd finally grow weary of caring, with headlines about Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds, with the sports pages often reading like the business pages (contract disputes and stadium bond-issue negotiations and salary arbitration), with police-blotter details sometimes pushing aside the box scores.

Why do we watch?

The answer may be found in a single sentence written by a man who died at the age of 76 in this still-new year. John Updike, his literary brilliance aside, was prolific almost beyond belief -- he wrote more than 50 books, and hundreds upon hundreds of essays, short stories, articles, poems and works of criticism. All those careful words, year after year, decade after decade.

But of all the sentences Updike ever wrote, there is one that I have long encouraged people to carry around with them -- if not literally tucked into their wallets, then somewhere in their heads and in their hearts.

In that sentence of Updike's lies the secret to a lot of things -- including the secret that answers: Why do we watch?

The sentence appeared in Updike's 1960 nonfiction piece about Ted Williams's last game for the Boston Red Sox. That piece is famous for how Updike explained Williams's refusal to come out of the dugout and acknowledge the cheering, crying fans after his home run in his final at-bat: "Gods do not answer letters."

But it is another sentence in the story that explains everything -- not just about sports, but about the lives the rest of us can lead.

Referring to Ted Williams, Updike wrote:

"For me, Williams is the classic ballplayer of the game on a hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill."

There it is, right there. That tissue-thin difference, when you don't necessarily know anyone is watching -- there is the answer. We all face the choice in our lives every day: to make the extra effort or not, to stay at the desk for the extra fifteen minutes or to go home, to revise the project one more time before handing it in or to settle for something acceptable, if not quite excellent.

On fields of play -- baseball diamonds, football fields, a basketball court like the one on which Sunday's All-Star Game will be held -- the tissue-thin difference is there for the world to see. The lights are dazzlingly bright; the television cameras carry the close-ups around the globe.

If a player is dogging it, we can tell; if a player is jogging instead of sprinting, it's self-evident; if a player's mind is already at the party that will be held after the final buzzer, we know.

Yet once in a while -- we can see it in a player's eyes -- we are rewarded. Once in a while, sometimes when we are least expecting to witness it, it's there: a tiny move, an all-but-imperceptible lunge, an additional thrust, a reach beyond that which should by all reason be reachable.

It was true during small and glorious moments in the days when Bob Cousy and Elgin Baylor were on the basketball court; it is true during small and glorious moments today, when Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are on the court.

Updike's tissue-thin difference. A thing done well, when the player could have gotten away with a thing done ill.

Are the rest of us the same as the players on the court? In most ways, no. We lack their athletic skill, their physical grace, their monetary riches. They hear cheers every working night; we toil in silence.

And yet, the one way in which we can be the same, or at least strive to, is in that pursuit of the tissue-thin difference. The thing that makes the best of them different is the thing that offers us, too, the potential to earn that difference -- the effort beyond mere effort, the desire beyond standard-issue desire, the pride so strong that it becomes the definition of pride.

Why do we watch?

We watch for those moments. They may be fleeting; they may come and go so quickly we're not even certain, for an instant, that we actually saw them.

But they're real, and they can be ours. We wait for them.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.

text: CNN

text: Why

text: do

text: we

text: watch

text: Bob

text: Greene

text: says

text: athletes

text: like

text: Lebron

text: James

text: show

text: us

text: the

text: difference

text: between

text: ordinary

text: effort

text: and

text: excellence

text: The

text: question

text: applies

text: not

text: just

text: to

text: Sunday

text: 's

text: NBA

text: All

text: Star

text: Game

text: although

text: that

text: is

text: the

text: immediate

text: case

text: in

text: point

text: The

text: outcome

text: of

text: the

text: game

text: is

text: not

text: important

text: few

text: people

text: remember

text: who

text: wins

text: the

text: All

text: Star

text: Game

text: from

text: year

text: to

text: year

text: The

text: players

text: while

text: attempting

text: to

text: win

text: do

text: it

text: with

text: barely

text: concealed

text: smiles

text: on

text: their

text: faces

text: All

text: Star

text: weekend

text: is

text: mostly

text: a

text: class

text: reunion

text: for

text: basketball

text: 's

text: elite

text: But

text: all

text: the

text: games

text: in

text: all

text: the

text: seasons

text: in

text: all

text: the

text: big

text: time

text: sports

text: leagues

text: what

text: is

text: the

text: real

text: reason

text: we

text: keep

text: on

text: watching

text: You

text: might

text: think

text: that

text: we

text: 'd

text: finally

text: grow

text: weary

text: of

text: caring

text: with

text: headlines

text: about

text: Alex

text: Rodriguez

text: and

text: Barry

text: Bonds

text: with

text: the

text: sports

text: pages

text: often

text: reading

text: like

text: the

text: business

text: pages

text: contract

text: disputes

text: and

text: stadium

text: bond

text: issue

text: negotiations

text: and

text: salary

text: arbitration

text: with

text: police

text: blotter

text: details

text: sometimes

text: pushing

text: aside

text: the

text: box

text: scores

text: Why

text: do

text: we

text: watch

text: The

text: answer

text: may

text: be

text: found

text: in

text: a

text: single

text: sentence

text: written

text: by

text: a

text: man

text: who

text: died

text: at

text: the

text: age

text: of

text: in

text: this

text: still

text: new

text: year

text: John

text: Updike

text: his

text: literary

text: brilliance

text: aside

text: was

text: prolific

text: almost

text: beyond

text: belief

text: he

text: wrote

text: more

text: than

text: books

text: and

text: hundreds

text: upon

text: hundreds

text: of

text: essays

text: short

text: stories

text: articles

text: poems

text: and

text: works

text: of

text: criticism

text: All

text: those

text: careful

text: words

text: year

text: after

text: year

text: decade

text: after

text: decade

text: But

text: of

text: all

text: the

text: sentences

text: Updike

text: ever

text: wrote

text: there

text: is

text: one

text: that

text: I

text: have

text: long

text: encouraged

text: people

text: to

text: carry

text: around

text: with

text: them

text: if

text: not

text: literally

text: tucked

text: into

text: their

text: wallets

text: then

text: somewhere

text: in

text: their

text: heads

text: and

text: in

text: their

text: hearts

text: In

text: that

text: sentence

text: of

text: Updike

text: 's

text: lies

text: the

text: secret

text: to

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: things

text: including

text: the

text: secret

text: that

text: answers

text: Why

text: do

text: we

text: watch

text: The

text: sentence

text: appeared

text: in

text: Updike

text: 's

text: nonfiction

text: piece

text: about

text: Ted

text: Williams

text: 's

text: last

text: game

text: for

text: the

text: Boston

text: Red

text: Sox

text: That

text: piece

text: is

text: famous

text: for

text: how

text: Updike

text: explained

text: Williams

text: 's

text: refusal

text: to

text: come

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: dugout

text: and

text: acknowledge

text: the

text: cheering

text: crying

text: fans

text: after

text: his

text: home

text: run

text: in

text: his

text: final

text: at

text: bat

text: Gods

text: do

text: not

text: answer

text: letters

text: But

text: it

text: is

text: another

text: sentence

text: in

text: the

text: story

text: that

text: explains

text: everything

text: not

text: just

text: about

text: sports

text: but

text: about

text: the

text: lives

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: us

text: can

text: lead

text: Referring

text: to

text: Ted

text: Williams

text: Updike

text: wrote

text: For

text: me

text: Williams

text: is

text: the

text: classic

text: ballplayer

text: of

text: the

text: game

text: on

text: a

text: hot

text: August

text: weekday

text: before

text: a

text: small

text: crowd

text: when

text: the

text: only

text: thing

text: at

text: stake

text: is

text: the

text: tissue

text: thin

text: difference

text: between

text: a

text: thing

text: done

text: well

text: and

text: a

text: thing

text: done

text: ill

text: There

text: it

text: is

text: right

text: there

text: That

text: tissue

text: thin

text: difference

text: when

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: necessarily

text: know

text: anyone

text: is

text: watching

text: there

text: is

text: the

text: answer

text: We

text: all

text: face

text: the

text: choice

text: in

text: our

text: lives

text: every

text: day

text: to

text: make

text: the

text: extra

text: effort

text: or

text: not

text: to

text: stay

text: at

text: the

text: desk

text: for

text: the

text: extra

text: fifteen

text: minutes

text: or

text: to

text: go

text: home

text: to

text: revise

text: the

text: project

text: one

text: more

text: time

text: before

text: handing

text: it

text: in

text: or

text: to

text: settle

text: for

text: something

text: acceptable

text: if

text: not

text: quite

text: excellent

text: On

text: fields

text: of

text: play

text: baseball

text: diamonds

text: football

text: fields

text: a

text: basketball

text: court

text: like

text: the

text: one

text: on

text: which

text: Sunday

text: 's

text: All

text: Star

text: Game

text: will

text: be

text: held

text: the

text: tissue

text: thin

text: difference

text: is

text: there

text: for

text: the

text: world

text: to

text: see

text: The

text: lights

text: are

text: dazzlingly

text: bright

text: the

text: television

text: cameras

text: carry

text: the

text: close

text: ups

text: around

text: the

text: globe

text: If

text: a

text: player

text: is

text: dogging

text: it

text: we

text: can

text: tell

text: if

text: a

text: player

text: is

text: jogging

text: instead

text: of

text: sprinting

text: it

text: 's

text: self

text: evident

text: if

text: a

text: player

text: 's

text: mind

text: is

text: already

text: at

text: the

text: party

text: that

text: will

text: be

text: held

text: after

text: the

text: final

text: buzzer

text: we

text: know

text: Yet

text: once

text: in

text: a

text: while

text: we

text: can

text: see

text: it

text: in

text: a

text: player

text: 's

text: eyes

text: we

text: are

text: rewarded

text: Once

text: in

text: a

text: while

text: sometimes

text: when

text: we

text: are

text: least

text: expecting

text: to

text: witness

text: it

text: it

text: 's

text: there

text: a

text: tiny

text: move

text: an

text: all

text: but

text: imperceptible

text: lunge

text: an

text: additional

text: thrust

text: a

text: reach

text: beyond

text: that

text: which

text: should

text: by

text: all

text: reason

text: be

text: reachable

text: It

text: was

text: true

text: during

text: small

text: and

text: glorious

text: moments

text: in

text: the

text: days

text: when

text: Bob

text: Cousy

text: and

text: Elgin

text: Baylor

text: were

text: on

text: the

text: basketball

text: court

text: it

text: is

text: true

text: during

text: small

text: and

text: glorious

text: moments

text: today

text: when

text: Kobe

text: Bryant

text: and

text: LeBron

text: James

text: are

text: on

text: the

text: court

text: Updike

text: 's

text: tissue

text: thin

text: difference

text: A

text: thing

text: done

text: well

text: when

text: the

text: player

text: could

text: have

text: gotten

text: away

text: with

text: a

text: thing

text: done

text: ill

text: Are

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: us

text: the

text: same

text: as

text: the

text: players

text: on

text: the

text: court

text: In

text: most

text: ways

text: no

text: We

text: lack

text: their

text: athletic

text: skill

text: their

text: physical

text: grace

text: their

text: monetary

text: riches

text: They

text: hear

text: cheers

text: every

text: working

text: night

text: we

text: toil

text: in

text: silence

text: And

text: yet

text: the

text: one

text: way

text: in

text: which

text: we

text: can

text: be

text: the

text: same

text: or

text: at

text: least

text: strive

text: to

text: is

text: in

text: that

text: pursuit

text: of

text: the

text: tissue

text: thin

text: difference

text: The

text: thing

text: that

text: makes

text: the

text: best

text: of

text: them

text: different

text: is

text: the

text: thing

text: that

text: offers

text: us

text: too

text: the

text: potential

text: to

text: earn

text: that

text: difference

text: the

text: effort

text: beyond

text: mere

text: effort

text: the

text: desire

text: beyond

text: standard

text: issue

text: desire

text: the

text: pride

text: so

text: strong

text: that

text: it

text: becomes

text: the

text: definition

text: of

text: pride

text: Why

text: do

text: we

text: watch

text: We

text: watch

text: for

text: those

text: moments

text: They

text: may

text: be

text: fleeting

text: they

text: may

text: come

text: and

text: go

text: so

text: quickly

text: we

text: 're

text: not

text: even

text: certain

text: for

text: an

text: instant

text: that

text: we

text: actually

text: saw

text: them

text: But

text: they

text: 're

text: real

text: and

text: they

text: can

text: be

text: ours

text: We

text: wait

text: for

text: them

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Bob

text: Greene

question: Why did green say we watch?

answer: athletes like Lebron James show us the difference between

text: athletes like Lebron James show us the difference between

question: Who asked "What explains why Americans watch sports so intently?"?

answer: Bob Greene

text: Bob Greene

question: What did Bob Greene say?

answer: ordinary effort and excellence.

text: ordinary effort and excellence.

question: What question did Greene ask?

answer: is the real reason we keep on watching?

text: is the real reason we keep on watching?


text:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A rash of bank robberies in New York has the city's police commissioner worried that criminals have turned banks into "virtual cash machines" and some wondering whether tough economic times are fueling the trend.

A surveillance camera captures a bank robbery suspect in New York on December 2.

On Monday alone, robbers targeted five banks in the Big Apple, some striking in broad daylight and near famous landmarks.

Police called the incidents unrelated, but they're just the latest examples of the growing tally of hold-ups.

Bank robberies in New York have risen 54 percent compared with last year, with criminals committing more than 430  in the past 12 months, according to the New York police department.

"As it stands now, they've turned [banks] into virtual cash machines," New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

Bank robberies are also up in many areas across the country, including San Diego, California, and Houston, Texas, federal law enforcement experts told CNN.

It's enough for some to link the trend to the rash of layoffs, the plummeting stock market and the bust in the real estate values, all of which have left many Americans in dire financial straits.

"It makes me think that the recession is making people go to extreme measures," a woman who frequents one of the banks robbed Monday told The New York Times.  Watch where the robbers struck Â»

But Kelly said it's not clear whether the bad economic times are fueling the unusual spike.

"People want to say... it's because of the economy. I think it's too early to make that statement," he said.

CNN security analyst Mike Brooks agreed, adding that although there are typically many bank robberies during the holidays, there are no data to suggest that any recent spike was caused by the economy.

Another expert said it's possible that the difficulty of finding a job right now may be a factor, but he doubted that law-abiding citizens are turning to crime to make ends meet.

"It's hard to attribute the bank robberies to people who were let go from Lehman Brothers or other organizations that are in trouble," said Alfred Blumstein, who has researched criminal justice for 20 years and is a professor of operations research at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.

"I would anticipate that people who rob banks have been involved with crime  before because that's not where one is likely to start," Blumstein said.

A person who might turn to robbing banks is someone in their late teens or early 20s who has already broken the law and has decided to move on to a bigger target, he added.

"Bank robbery is a very high-risk activity, because most banks have various surveillance equipment in place, and it requires a degree of aggressiveness that otherwise law-abiding folks are not likely to take on," Blumstein said.

Some officials say the modern, customer-friendly design of banks -- with easy access to tellers and cash -- is too tempting for robbers.

"We don't like the business plan that makes a bank look like a living room," Kelly said "We [advise] just some common sense provisions, such as so-called bandit barriers, so that tellers have some option to act when somebody puts a note in front of them."

In fact, bank robbers have simply handed tellers a note in a vast majority of hold-ups in New York. Kelly put the figure at 80 percent and added that although the rest of the robbers claimed to have a gun, many didn't actually show it.

Mike Smith, president and CEO of the New York Bankers Association, is meeting with the NYPD to see what more can be done to discourage robbers. He said banks have a significant amount of security, some of which may not be visible to the public.

"Are there enhancements? Obviously. Criminals talk to each other, they know what's going on, but typically they are apprehended," Mike Smith said.

CNN's A. Pawlowski contributed to this report.

text: NEW

text: YORK

text: CNN

text: A

text: rash

text: of

text: bank

text: robberies

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: has

text: the

text: city

text: 's

text: police

text: commissioner

text: worried

text: that

text: criminals

text: have

text: turned

text: banks

text: into

text: virtual

text: cash

text: machines

text: and

text: some

text: wondering

text: whether

text: tough

text: economic

text: times

text: are

text: fueling

text: the

text: trend

text: A

text: surveillance

text: camera

text: captures

text: a

text: bank

text: robbery

text: suspect

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: on

text: December

text: On

text: Monday

text: alone

text: robbers

text: targeted

text: five

text: banks

text: in

text: the

text: Big

text: Apple

text: some

text: striking

text: in

text: broad

text: daylight

text: and

text: near

text: famous

text: landmarks

text: Police

text: called

text: the

text: incidents

text: unrelated

text: but

text: they

text: 're

text: just

text: the

text: latest

text: examples

text: of

text: the

text: growing

text: tally

text: of

text: hold

text: ups

text: Bank

text: robberies

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: have

text: risen

text: percent

text: compared

text: with

text: last

text: year

text: with

text: criminals

text: committing

text: more

text: than

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: months

text: according

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text: the

text: New

text: York

text: police

text: department

text: As

text: it

text: stands

text: now

text: they

text: 've

text: turned

text: banks

text: into

text: virtual

text: cash

text: machines

text: New

text: York

text: Police

text: Commissioner

text: Raymond

text: Kelly

text: said

text: Bank

text: robberies

text: are

text: also

text: up

text: in

text: many

text: areas

text: across

text: the

text: country

text: including

text: San

text: Diego

text: California

text: and

text: Houston

text: Texas

text: federal

text: law

text: enforcement

text: experts

text: told

text: CNN

text: It

text: 's

text: enough

text: for

text: some

text: to

text: link

text: the

text: trend

text: to

text: the

text: rash

text: of

text: layoffs

text: the

text: plummeting

text: stock

text: market

text: and

text: the

text: bust

text: in

text: the

text: real

text: estate

text: values

text: all

text: of

text: which

text: have

text: left

text: many

text: Americans

text: in

text: dire

text: financial

text: straits

text: It

text: makes

text: me

text: think

text: that

text: the

text: recession

text: is

text: making

text: people

text: go

text: to

text: extreme

text: measures

text: a

text: woman

text: who

text: frequents

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: banks

text: robbed

text: Monday

text: told

text: The

text: New

text: York

text: Times

text: Watch

text: where

text: the

text: robbers

text: struck

text: Â

text: But

text: Kelly

text: said

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: clear

text: whether

text: the

text: bad

text: economic

text: times

text: are

text: fueling

text: the

text: unusual

text: spike

text: People

text: want

text: to

text: say

text: it

text: 's

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: economy

text: I

text: think

text: it

text: 's

text: too

text: early

text: to

text: make

text: that

text: statement

text: he

text: said

text: CNN

text: security

text: analyst

text: Mike

text: Brooks

text: agreed

text: adding

text: that

text: although

text: there

text: are

text: typically

text: many

text: bank

text: robberies

text: during

text: the

text: holidays

text: there

text: are

text: no

text: data

text: to

text: suggest

text: that

text: any

text: recent

text: spike

text: was

text: caused

text: by

text: the

text: economy

text: Another

text: expert

text: said

text: it

text: 's

text: possible

text: that

text: the

text: difficulty

text: of

text: finding

text: a

text: job

text: right

text: now

text: may

text: be

text: a

text: factor

text: but

text: he

text: doubted

text: that

text: law

text: abiding

text: citizens

text: are

text: turning

text: to

text: crime

text: to

text: make

text: ends

text: meet

text: It

text: 's

text: hard

text: to

text: attribute

text: the

text: bank

text: robberies

text: to

text: people

text: who

text: were

text: let

text: go

text: from

text: Lehman

text: Brothers

text: or

text: other

text: organizations

text: that

text: are

text: in

text: trouble

text: said

text: Alfred

text: Blumstein

text: who

text: has

text: researched

text: criminal

text: justice

text: for

text: years

text: and

text: is

text: a

text: professor

text: of

text: operations

text: research

text: at

text: Carnegie

text: Mellon

text: University

text: 's

text: Heinz

text: College

text: I

text: would

text: anticipate

text: that

text: people

text: who

text: rob

text: banks

text: have

text: been

text: involved

text: with

text: crime

text: before

text: because

text: that

text: 's

text: not

text: where

text: one

text: is

text: likely

text: to

text: start

text: Blumstein

text: said

text: A

text: person

text: who

text: might

text: turn

text: to

text: robbing

text: banks

text: is

text: someone

text: in

text: their

text: late

text: teens

text: or

text: early

text: who

text: has

text: already

text: broken

text: the

text: law

text: and

text: has

text: decided

text: to

text: move

text: on

text: to

text: a

text: bigger

text: target

text: he

text: added

text: Bank

text: robbery

text: is

text: a

text: very

text: high

text: risk

text: activity

text: because

text: most

text: banks

text: have

text: various

text: surveillance

text: equipment

text: in

text: place

text: and

text: it

text: requires

text: a

text: degree

text: of

text: aggressiveness

text: that

text: otherwise

text: law

text: abiding

text: folks

text: are

text: not

text: likely

text: to

text: take

text: on

text: Blumstein

text: said

text: Some

text: officials

text: say

text: the

text: modern

text: customer

text: friendly

text: design

text: of

text: banks

text: with

text: easy

text: access

text: to

text: tellers

text: and

text: cash

text: is

text: too

text: tempting

text: for

text: robbers

text: We

text: do

text: n't

text: like

text: the

text: business

text: plan

text: that

text: makes

text: a

text: bank

text: look

text: like

text: a

text: living

text: room

text: Kelly

text: said

text: We

text: advise

text: just

text: some

text: common

text: sense

text: provisions

text: such

text: as

text: so

text: called

text: bandit

text: barriers

text: so

text: that

text: tellers

text: have

text: some

text: option

text: to

text: act

text: when

text: somebody

text: puts

text: a

text: note

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: them

text: In

text: fact

text: bank

text: robbers

text: have

text: simply

text: handed

text: tellers

text: a

text: note

text: in

text: a

text: vast

text: majority

text: of

text: hold

text: ups

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: Kelly

text: put

text: the

text: figure

text: at

text: percent

text: and

text: added

text: that

text: although

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: the

text: robbers

text: claimed

text: to

text: have

text: a

text: gun

text: many

text: did

text: n't

text: actually

text: show

text: it

text: Mike

text: Smith

text: president

text: and

text: CEO

text: of

text: the

text: New

text: York

text: Bankers

text: Association

text: is

text: meeting

text: with

text: the

text: NYPD

text: to

text: see

text: what

text: more

text: can

text: be

text: done

text: to

text: discourage

text: robbers

text: He

text: said

text: banks

text: have

text: a

text: significant

text: amount

text: of

text: security

text: some

text: of

text: which

text: may

text: not

text: be

text: visible

text: to

text: the

text: public

text: Are

text: there

text: enhancements

text: Obviously

text: Criminals

text: talk

text: to

text: each

text: other

text: they

text: know

text: what

text: 's

text: going

text: on

text: but

text: typically

text: they

text: are

text: apprehended

text: Mike

text: Smith

text: said

text: CNN

text: 's

text: A.

text: Pawlowski

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What is not clear?

answer: whether the bad economic times are fueling the unusual spike.

text: whether the bad economic times are fueling the unusual spike.

question: How much robbers targeted?

answer: five banks

text: five banks


text:
Philadelphia (CNN) -- Longtime Philadelphia Daily News sports columnist Bill Conlin will not face prosecution over child sex abuse allegations -- even if there were grounds for charges -- because the statute of limitations concerning the alleged crimes has expired, according to prosecutors.

The claims were published in an article by The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday after an investigation was initiated by authorities, according to a statement from Bernard Weisenfeld, a spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey.

The article says three women and a man allege they were molested by Conlin in the 1970s when they were between the ages of 7 and 12. One of the alleged victims is Conlin's niece, said Slade McLaughlin, an attorney who represents three of the accusers.

A spokesman for the Daily News said the newspaper had no knowledge of the allegations prior to The Inquirer's story.

Conlin has denied the claims, speaking through his attorney. He retired from the Daily News on Tuesday, the newspaper said.

"Mr. Conlin is obviously floored by these allegations, which supposedly happened 40 years ago. He's engaged me to do everything possible to bring the facts forward to vindicate his name," said attorney George Bochetto.

Prosecutors say an exhaustive investigation had been launched into the allegations. But, Weisenfeld said, it was later determined that even if there were legal grounds to pursue a criminal prosecution, prosecutors are barred from doing so because the alleged crimes occurred too long ago.

A 1996 law actually eliminates statutes of limitations on sexual assault cases in New Jersey, but the law is not considered retroactive for claims that date back as far as the 1970s.

Still, McLaughlin said, his clients want to speak out.

"They made the decision that they were going to tell their story," the attorney told CNN. "This isn't a he-said, she-said story. It's a he-said, they-said. Their only motives are getting closure and public service."

McLaughlin also noted, after speaking with his clients, that the accusations made in The Inquirer's story were accurate.

Conlin, 77, who gained national recognition from appearances on ESPN, could not be immediately reached for comment.

The veteran sportswriter worked for the Daily News for nearly half a century. The newspaper published an editorial Wednesday written by its managing editor in an effort to address the scandal.

"I have been a journalist for more than a quarter century, and I have never had a professional experience that was sadder Ã¢â¬â or more shocking Ã¢â¬â than reading the allegations leveled against Bill Conlin yesterday," wrote Larry Platt.

"We've taken the unusual step of also running (the Inquirer's story), in its entirety, on the following page, because I felt you deserved to see the allegations in full context," he added.

Still, Platt reminded readers that Conlin has not been charged with a crime.

The Inquirer and the Daily News are owned by a parent company, Philadelphia Media Network.

This week's allegations come in the wake of a series of recent child sex abuse scandals, including the case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who faces more than 50 counts of child sex abuse spread over several years.

Conlin, who covered sports throughout Pennsylvania for the newspaper, weighed in on the Penn State scandal last month in a column published by the Daily News titled "Tough Guys Are Talking About Sandusky."

Conlin expressed doubt about those who said they would have intervened on behalf of a child, had they witnessed the boy's alleged molestation at the hands of Sandusky in a university locker room shower.

"Everybody says he will do the right thing, get involved, put his own ass on the line before or after the fact," Conlin wrote in a column published on November 11. "But the moment itself has a cruel way of suspending our fearless intentions."

text: Philadelphia

text: CNN

text: Longtime

text: Philadelphia

text: Daily

text: News

text: sports

text: columnist

text: Bill

text: Conlin

text: will

text: not

text: face

text: prosecution

text: over

text: child

text: sex

text: abuse

text: allegations

text: even

text: if

text: there

text: were

text: grounds

text: for

text: charges

text: because

text: the

text: statute

text: of

text: limitations

text: concerning

text: the

text: alleged

text: crimes

text: has

text: expired

text: according

text: to

text: prosecutors

text: The

text: claims

text: were

text: published

text: in

text: an

text: article

text: by

text: The

text: Philadelphia

text: Inquirer

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: after

text: an

text: investigation

text: was

text: initiated

text: by

text: authorities

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: statement

text: from

text: Bernard

text: Weisenfeld

text: a

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: Gloucester

text: County

text: Prosecutor

text: 's

text: Office

text: in

text: New

text: Jersey

text: The

text: article

text: says

text: three

text: women

text: and

text: a

text: man

text: allege

text: they

text: were

text: molested

text: by

text: Conlin

text: in

text: the

text: when

text: they

text: were

text: between

text: the

text: ages

text: of

text: and

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: alleged

text: victims

text: is

text: Conlin

text: 's

text: niece

text: said

text: Slade

text: McLaughlin

text: an

text: attorney

text: who

text: represents

text: three

text: of

text: the

text: accusers

text: A

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: Daily

text: News

text: said

text: the

text: newspaper

text: had

text: no

text: knowledge

text: of

text: the

text: allegations

text: prior

text: to

text: The

text: Inquirer

text: 's

text: story

text: Conlin

text: has

text: denied

text: the

text: claims

text: speaking

text: through

text: his

text: attorney

text: He

text: retired

text: from

text: the

text: Daily

text: News

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: the

text: newspaper

text: said

text: Mr.

text: Conlin

text: is

text: obviously

text: floored

text: by

text: these

text: allegations

text: which

text: supposedly

text: happened

text: years

text: ago

text: He

text: 's

text: engaged

text: me

text: to

text: do

text: everything

text: possible

text: to

text: bring

text: the

text: facts

text: forward

text: to

text: vindicate

text: his

text: name

text: said

text: attorney

text: George

text: Bochetto

text: Prosecutors

text: say

text: an

text: exhaustive

text: investigation

text: had

text: been

text: launched

text: into

text: the

text: allegations

text: But

text: Weisenfeld

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: later

text: determined

text: that

text: even

text: if

text: there

text: were

text: legal

text: grounds

text: to

text: pursue

text: a

text: criminal

text: prosecution

text: prosecutors

text: are

text: barred

text: from

text: doing

text: so

text: because

text: the

text: alleged

text: crimes

text: occurred

text: too

text: long

text: ago

text: A

text: law

text: actually

text: eliminates

text: statutes

text: of

text: limitations

text: on

text: sexual

text: assault

text: cases

text: in

text: New

text: Jersey

text: but

text: the

text: law

text: is

text: not

text: considered

text: retroactive

text: for

text: claims

text: that

text: date

text: back

text: as

text: far

text: as

text: the

text: Still

text: McLaughlin

text: said

text: his

text: clients

text: want

text: to

text: speak

text: out

text: They

text: made

text: the

text: decision

text: that

text: they

text: were

text: going

text: to

text: tell

text: their

text: story

text: the

text: attorney

text: told

text: CNN

text: This

text: is

text: n't

text: a

text: he

text: said

text: she

text: said

text: story

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: he

text: said

text: they

text: said

text: Their

text: only

text: motives

text: are

text: getting

text: closure

text: and

text: public

text: service

text: McLaughlin

text: also

text: noted

text: after

text: speaking

text: with

text: his

text: clients

text: that

text: the

text: accusations

text: made

text: in

text: The

text: Inquirer

text: 's

text: story

text: were

text: accurate

text: Conlin

text: who

text: gained

text: national

text: recognition

text: from

text: appearances

text: on

text: ESPN

text: could

text: not

text: be

text: immediately

text: reached

text: for

text: comment

text: The

text: veteran

text: sportswriter

text: worked

text: for

text: the

text: Daily

text: News

text: for

text: nearly

text: half

text: a

text: century

text: The

text: newspaper

text: published

text: an

text: editorial

text: Wednesday

text: written

text: by

text: its

text: managing

text: editor

text: in

text: an

text: effort

text: to

text: address

text: the

text: scandal

text: I

text: have

text: been

text: a

text: journalist

text: for

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: quarter

text: century

text: and

text: I

text: have

text: never

text: had

text: a

text: professional

text: experience

text: that

text: was

text: sadder

text: Ã¢â¬â

text: or

text: more

text: shocking

text: Ã¢â¬â

text: than

text: reading

text: the

text: allegations

text: leveled

text: against

text: Bill

text: Conlin

text: yesterday

text: wrote

text: Larry

text: Platt

text: We

text: 've

text: taken

text: the

text: unusual

text: step

text: of

text: also

text: running

text: the

text: Inquirer

text: 's

text: story

text: in

text: its

text: entirety

text: on

text: the

text: following

text: page

text: because

text: I

text: felt

text: you

text: deserved

text: to

text: see

text: the

text: allegations

text: in

text: full

text: context

text: he

text: added

text: Still

text: Platt

text: reminded

text: readers

text: that

text: Conlin

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: charged

text: with

text: a

text: crime

text: The

text: Inquirer

text: and

text: the

text: Daily

text: News

text: are

text: owned

text: by

text: a

text: parent

text: company

text: Philadelphia

text: Media

text: Network

text: This

text: week

text: 's

text: allegations

text: come

text: in

text: the

text: wake

text: of

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: recent

text: child

text: sex

text: abuse

text: scandals

text: including

text: the

text: case

text: against

text: former

text: Penn

text: State

text: assistant

text: football

text: coach

text: Jerry

text: Sandusky

text: who

text: faces

text: more

text: than

text: counts

text: of

text: child

text: sex

text: abuse

text: spread

text: over

text: several

text: years

text: Conlin

text: who

text: covered

text: sports

text: throughout

text: Pennsylvania

text: for

text: the

text: newspaper

text: weighed

text: in

text: on

text: the

text: Penn

text: State

text: scandal

text: last

text: month

text: in

text: a

text: column

text: published

text: by

text: the

text: Daily

text: News

text: titled

text: Tough

text: Guys

text: Are

text: Talking

text: About

text: Sandusky

text: Conlin

text: expressed

text: doubt

text: about

text: those

text: who

text: said

text: they

text: would

text: have

text: intervened

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: a

text: child

text: had

text: they

text: witnessed

text: the

text: boy

text: 's

text: alleged

text: molestation

text: at

text: the

text: hands

text: of

text: Sandusky

text: in

text: a

text: university

text: locker

text: room

text: shower

text: Everybody

text: says

text: he

text: will

text: do

text: the

text: right

text: thing

text: get

text: involved

text: put

text: his

text: own

text: ass

text: on

text: the

text: line

text: before

text: or

text: after

text: the

text: fact

text: Conlin

text: wrote

text: in

text: a

text: column

text: published

text: on

text: November

text: But

text: the

text: moment

text: itself

text: has

text: a

text: cruel

text: way

text: of

text: suspending

text: our

text: fearless

text: intentions

question: who has been accused

answer: Bill Conlin

text: Bill Conlin

question: What age is Colin?

answer: 77,

question: Who has been accused of sexual abuse?

answer: Bill Conlin

text: Bill Conlin

question: Who will not face prosecution?

answer: Bill Conlin

text: Bill Conlin

question: What did Conlin weigh in on in a Daily News column?

answer: hed in on the Penn Stat

text: hed in on the Penn Stat


text:
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Ten Americans detained and accused of child trafficking in Haiti after they allegedly tried to bus 33 children into the Dominican Republic insist their effort was an attempt to get the children to a shelter.

But Haiti's prime minister said Sunday that the group was kidnapping the children.

"From what I know until now, this is a kidnapping case," Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN. "Who is doing it -- I don't know. What are the real objectives or activities -- I don't know. But that is kidnapping and it is more serious because it's involving children," he said.

"The children certainly were not fully willing to go, because in some cases, from what I heard, they were asking for their parents, they wanted to return to their parents."

How far should aid workers go?

U.S. embassy officials visited the Americans over the weekend at a jail near the airport in Port-au-Prince, where they are being detained. They are being treated well and are holding on to their faith, the Americans said.

"We came into Haiti to help those that really had no other source of help," Laura Silsby, a member of the Idaho-based charity, New Life Children's Refuge, told CNN on Saturday.

"We are trusting the truth will be revealed and we are praying for that."  Full coverage

The group of five men and five women said they were trying to move the children to the Dominican Republic in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake that devastated parts of Haiti, flattening the capital and killing tens of thousands. But a Haitian judge has charged the 10 with child trafficking, they said.

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince said Sunday that the Americans have been detained for "alleged violations of Haitian laws related to immigration."

"God is our provider and God gives us strength and comfort," said Carla Thompson, one group member. "We have our Bibles and we are OK."

Government approval is needed for any Haitian children to leave the country, and the group acknowledged that the children have no passports.

Jeanne Bernard-Pierre, general director for Haiti's Institute of Social Welfare, said the children will be interviewed in the coming days to determine whether they have living relatives.  Search for the missing

The group said it believed the children were orphaned, and it was going to house them in a converted hotel in the Dominican Republic.

George Willeit of SOS Children's Villages -- who said that Haitian police and the social ministry brought the children to his group -- said some of the children have living relatives.

"Some of them for sure are not orphans," he told CNN. "Immediately after she arrived here, a girl -- she might be 9 years old -- was crying loudly, 'I am not an orphan, I do have my parents, please call my parents,' " he said.

"And some of the other kids as well, they have their phone numbers, even, with them from their parents," he said. He said he believes that at least 10 are not orphans.

Mel Coulter, the father of 23-year-old Charisa Coulter, who is among those arrested, told CNN affiliate KTVB that the group thought it had all of the necessary documents to transport the children out of the earthquake-ravaged country, but apparently lacked some paperwork.

"They want to bring kids out who have no home, who have no parents, who have no hope -- and this was an attempt to give them the hope that they've lost in Haiti," he said Saturday.

The group "went down on Thursday night fully expecting that they had everything they needed, all the documentation that they needed," he said.

"When they tried to bring some of the kids out [Friday] night they were stopped at the border and [they] said that there was a paper missing," he said. "So they returned to Port-au-Prince, where they went in early [Saturday] morning to try and get the last documentation, and apparently were arrested on the spot and jailed."

He said the group wants "to do everything according to the processes that are required."

The Rev. Clint Henry, the senior pastor with Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, where at least some of the group members worship, told KTVB Sunday that the church was hopeful that the group would soon be released.

"We're waiting ... and hoping and praying that that outcome will be the one that we're looking for, so the team that has been falsely charged will be vindicated, and that the whole world is going to know that we weren't here doing the kind of things we're being accused of doing," he said.

He said the accusations have prompted a number of phone calls to the church that include "obscenities, accusations about those false rumors, things that I don't care to repeat."

The children were being rescued from "one or more orphanages" that had been damaged in the quake, a statement on the church's Web site said.

Henry told CNN affiliate KIVI Saturday that the group had been planning to build an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, but that the earthquake sped up the timetable for transporting the Haitian children there.

"We weren't ready to start this yet, everything was in process," he said, and the construction on the orphanage has not yet begun.

Many of the children said they are from Fort Jacques, a town about seven miles from Port-au-Prince, according to Bernard-Pierre.

CNN's Karl Penhaul, Jill Dougherty and journalist Jessica Desvarieux contributed to this report.

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: Haiti

text: CNN

text: Ten

text: Americans

text: detained

text: and

text: accused

text: of

text: child

text: trafficking

text: in

text: Haiti

text: after

text: they

text: allegedly

text: tried

text: to

text: bus

text: children

text: into

text: the

text: Dominican

text: Republic

text: insist

text: their

text: effort

text: was

text: an

text: attempt

text: to

text: get

text: the

text: children

text: to

text: a

text: shelter

text: But

text: Haiti

text: 's

text: prime

text: minister

text: said

text: Sunday

text: that

text: the

text: group

text: was

text: kidnapping

text: the

text: children

text: From

text: what

text: I

text: know

text: until

text: now

text: this

text: is

text: a

text: kidnapping

text: case

text: Jean

text: Max

text: Bellerive

text: told

text: CNN

text: Who

text: is

text: doing

text: it

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: What

text: are

text: the

text: real

text: objectives

text: or

text: activities

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: But

text: that

text: is

text: kidnapping

text: and

text: it

text: is

text: more

text: serious

text: because

text: it

text: 's

text: involving

text: children

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: children

text: certainly

text: were

text: not

text: fully

text: willing

text: to

text: go

text: because

text: in

text: some

text: cases

text: from

text: what

text: I

text: heard

text: they

text: were

text: asking

text: for

text: their

text: parents

text: they

text: wanted

text: to

text: return

text: to

text: their

text: parents

text: How

text: far

text: should

text: aid

text: workers

text: go

text: U.S.

text: embassy

text: officials

text: visited

text: the

text: Americans

text: over

text: the

text: weekend

text: at

text: a

text: jail

text: near

text: the

text: airport

text: in

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: where

text: they

text: are

text: being

text: detained

text: They

text: are

text: being

text: treated

text: well

text: and

text: are

text: holding

text: on

text: to

text: their

text: faith

text: the

text: Americans

text: said

text: We

text: came

text: into

text: Haiti

text: to

text: help

text: those

text: that

text: really

text: had

text: no

text: other

text: source

text: of

text: help

text: Laura

text: Silsby

text: a

text: member

text: of

text: the

text: Idaho

text: based

text: charity

text: New

text: Life

text: Children

text: 's

text: Refuge

text: told

text: CNN

text: on

text: Saturday

text: We

text: are

text: trusting

text: the

text: truth

text: will

text: be

text: revealed

text: and

text: we

text: are

text: praying

text: for

text: that

text: Full

text: coverage

text: The

text: group

text: of

text: five

text: men

text: and

text: five

text: women

text: said

text: they

text: were

text: trying

text: to

text: move

text: the

text: children

text: to

text: the

text: Dominican

text: Republic

text: in

text: the

text: aftermath

text: of

text: the

text: January

text: earthquake

text: that

text: devastated

text: parts

text: of

text: Haiti

text: flattening

text: the

text: capital

text: and

text: killing

text: tens

text: of

text: thousands

text: But

text: a

text: Haitian

text: judge

text: has

text: charged

text: the

text: with

text: child

text: trafficking

text: they

text: said

text: The

text: U.S.

text: Embassy

text: in

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: said

text: Sunday

text: that

text: the

text: Americans

text: have

text: been

text: detained

text: for

text: alleged

text: violations

text: of

text: Haitian

text: laws

text: related

text: to

text: immigration

text: God

text: is

text: our

text: provider

text: and

text: God

text: gives

text: us

text: strength

text: and

text: comfort

text: said

text: Carla

text: Thompson

text: one

text: group

text: member

text: We

text: have

text: our

text: Bibles

text: and

text: we

text: are

text: OK

text: Government

text: approval

text: is

text: needed

text: for

text: any

text: Haitian

text: children

text: to

text: leave

text: the

text: country

text: and

text: the

text: group

text: acknowledged

text: that

text: the

text: children

text: have

text: no

text: passports

text: Jeanne

text: Bernard

text: Pierre

text: general

text: director

text: for

text: Haiti

text: 's

text: Institute

text: of

text: Social

text: Welfare

text: said

text: the

text: children

text: will

text: be

text: interviewed

text: in

text: the

text: coming

text: days

text: to

text: determine

text: whether

text: they

text: have

text: living

text: relatives

text: Search

text: for

text: the

text: missing

text: The

text: group

text: said

text: it

text: believed

text: the

text: children

text: were

text: orphaned

text: and

text: it

text: was

text: going

text: to

text: house

text: them

text: in

text: a

text: converted

text: hotel

text: in

text: the

text: Dominican

text: Republic

text: George

text: Willeit

text: of

text: SOS

text: Children

text: 's

text: Villages

text: who

text: said

text: that

text: Haitian

text: police

text: and

text: the

text: social

text: ministry

text: brought

text: the

text: children

text: to

text: his

text: group

text: said

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: children

text: have

text: living

text: relatives

text: Some

text: of

text: them

text: for

text: sure

text: are

text: not

text: orphans

text: he

text: told

text: CNN

text: Immediately

text: after

text: she

text: arrived

text: here

text: a

text: girl

text: she

text: might

text: be

text: years

text: old

text: was

text: crying

text: loudly

text: I

text: am

text: not

text: an

text: orphan

text: I

text: do

text: have

text: my

text: parents

text: please

text: call

text: my

text: parents

text: he

text: said

text: And

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: other

text: kids

text: as

text: well

text: they

text: have

text: their

text: phone

text: numbers

text: even

text: with

text: them

text: from

text: their

text: parents

text: he

text: said

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: believes

text: that

text: at

text: least

text: are

text: not

text: orphans

text: Mel

text: Coulter

text: the

text: father

text: of

text: old

text: Charisa

text: Coulter

text: who

text: is

text: among

text: those

text: arrested

text: told

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: KTVB

text: that

text: the

text: group

text: thought

text: it

text: had

text: all

text: of

text: the

text: necessary

text: documents

text: to

text: transport

text: the

text: children

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: earthquake

text: ravaged

text: country

text: but

text: apparently

text: lacked

text: some

text: paperwork

text: They

text: want

text: to

text: bring

text: kids

text: out

text: who

text: have

text: no

text: home

text: who

text: have

text: no

text: parents

text: who

text: have

text: no

text: hope

text: and

text: this

text: was

text: an

text: attempt

text: to

text: give

text: them

text: the

text: hope

text: that

text: they

text: 've

text: lost

text: in

text: Haiti

text: he

text: said

text: Saturday

text: The

text: group

text: went

text: down

text: on

text: Thursday

text: night

text: fully

text: expecting

text: that

text: they

text: had

text: everything

text: they

text: needed

text: all

text: the

text: documentation

text: that

text: they

text: needed

text: he

text: said

text: When

text: they

text: tried

text: to

text: bring

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: kids

text: out

text: Friday

text: night

text: they

text: were

text: stopped

text: at

text: the

text: border

text: and

text: they

text: said

text: that

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: paper

text: missing

text: he

text: said

text: So

text: they

text: returned

text: to

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: where

text: they

text: went

text: in

text: early

text: Saturday

text: morning

text: to

text: try

text: and

text: get

text: the

text: last

text: documentation

text: and

text: apparently

text: were

text: arrested

text: on

text: the

text: spot

text: and

text: jailed

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: group

text: wants

text: to

text: do

text: everything

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: processes

text: that

text: are

text: required

text: The

text: Rev.

text: Clint

text: Henry

text: the

text: senior

text: pastor

text: with

text: Central

text: Valley

text: Baptist

text: Church

text: in

text: Meridian

text: Idaho

text: where

text: at

text: least

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: members

text: worship

text: told

text: KTVB

text: Sunday

text: that

text: the

text: church

text: was

text: hopeful

text: that

text: the

text: group

text: would

text: soon

text: be

text: released

text: We

text: 're

text: waiting

text: and

text: hoping

text: and

text: praying

text: that

text: that

text: outcome

text: will

text: be

text: the

text: one

text: that

text: we

text: 're

text: looking

text: for

text: so

text: the

text: team

text: that

text: has

text: been

text: falsely

text: charged

text: will

text: be

text: vindicated

text: and

text: that

text: the

text: whole

text: world

text: is

text: going

text: to

text: know

text: that

text: we

text: were

text: n't

text: here

text: doing

text: the

text: kind

text: of

text: things

text: we

text: 're

text: being

text: accused

text: of

text: doing

text: he

text: said

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: accusations

text: have

text: prompted

text: a

text: number

text: of

text: phone

text: calls

text: to

text: the

text: church

text: that

text: include

text: obscenities

text: accusations

text: about

text: those

text: false

text: rumors

text: things

text: that

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: care

text: to

text: repeat

text: The

text: children

text: were

text: being

text: rescued

text: from

text: one

text: or

text: more

text: orphanages

text: that

text: had

text: been

text: damaged

text: in

text: the

text: quake

text: a

text: statement

text: on

text: the

text: church

text: 's

text: Web

text: site

text: said

text: Henry

text: told

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: KIVI

text: Saturday

text: that

text: the

text: group

text: had

text: been

text: planning

text: to

text: build

text: an

text: orphanage

text: in

text: the

text: Dominican

text: Republic

text: but

text: that

text: the

text: earthquake

text: sped

text: up

text: the

text: timetable

text: for

text: transporting

text: the

text: Haitian

text: children

text: there

text: We

text: were

text: n't

text: ready

text: to

text: start

text: this

text: yet

text: everything

text: was

text: in

text: process

text: he

text: said

text: and

text: the

text: construction

text: on

text: the

text: orphanage

text: has

text: not

text: yet

text: begun

text: Many

text: of

text: the

text: children

text: said

text: they

text: are

text: from

text: Fort

text: Jacques

text: a

text: town

text: about

text: seven

text: miles

text: from

text: Port

text: au

text: Prince

text: according

text: to

text: Bernard

text: Pierre

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Karl

text: Penhaul

text: Jill

text: Dougherty

text: and

text: journalist

text: Jessica

text: Desvarieux

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Where are the children from?

answer: Haiti

text: Haiti

question: What did the church Web Site say about the children?

answer: The

text: The

question: What did the children not have while leaving the country?

answer: passports.

text: passports.

question: What does groups admit?

answer: kidnapping the children.

text: kidnapping the children.

question: What did the children not have?

answer: passports.

text: passports.

question: Who was arrested in Haiti?

answer: Ten Americans

text: Ten Americans


text:
Washington (CNN) -- Republican Scott Brown was sworn in Thursday as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts to fill the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, and immediately signaled opposition to President Obama's spending plans.

Brown's new Senate colleagues applauded after the ceremony on the floor of the Senate chamber conducted by Vice President Joe Biden, in his capacity as president of the Senate. Democratic Sen. John Kerry, also of Massachusetts, and Brown's wife, Gail Huff, accompanied Brown into the chamber.

At a news conference after the ceremony, Brown thanked Massachusetts voters who gave him a surprise victory in the January 19 special election in a state that had not elected a Republican senator since 1972.

"I can't promise I'll be right in every vote I make. I'm sure I'll make mistakes from time to time," Brown said. "But I will try to learn and grow and do the very best job I can on a day-to-day basis."

Brown's election victory stripped Senate Democrats of their 60-seat Senate supermajority, imperiling the ability of Obama and Democrats to push major legislative priorities such as health care reform through Congress.

The Republican upset in Massachusetts also raised fears among many congressional Democrats of a potential GOP landslide in November's midterm elections.

A fiscal conservative who holds some moderate views, Brown was noncommittal on whether he would support a Republican filibuster in coming Senate consideration of some Obama nominees for government posts.

He also said he needed to talk to generals in the field before deciding to support Obama's call, supported by top military leaders, to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding a ban on gays in the military.

Brown made clear he opposes the spending policies of the Obama administration, stating that the $862 billion stimulus bill passed last year "didn't create one new job" in Massachusetts or across the country. He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate.

That prompted a response later from Jay Carney, spokesman for Biden, who said, "Anyone can go to recovery.gov (on the Internet) and see that Massachusetts state and local government, businesses and community organizations have already reported directly funding over 9,000 jobs in the state last year -- and that's based on a only a portion of the total $8.4 billion in (stimulus) funds that have already gone to Massachusetts."

He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate.

At the same time, Brown said he would consider each piece of legislation on merit, rather than whether it was proposed by one party or another.

"If I see a bill that's good for my state first, I don't care where it comes from," Brown said. "If it's good for Massachusetts, I'll consider it."

Thursday's ceremony occurred a week earlier than originally planned.

Massachusetts officials had said it would take a few weeks after the election to certify the result of Brown's victory. In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Secretary of State William Galvin on Wednesday, Brown's attorney said the senator-elect had planned on being sworn in on February 11, but had been told that several Senate votes would be held before then.

"For this reason, he wants certification to occur immediately," attorney Daniel Winslow wrote.

The certification occurred Thursday, allowing Brown to officially fill his seat later in the day.

"There's no hidden agenda," Brown said of his push to get certified this week instead of next. "It's because I want to get to work."

Asked why his daughters didn't attend the swearing-in, Brown explained one of them, Ayla, had a college basketball game to play Thursday and the other, Arianna, had a college exam.

"The Bibles I used for today's swearing-in belong to my daughters, and I stacked them one on top of the other and took my oath on them," Brown said.

Brown will be taking over Kennedy's coveted office space in the Senate Russell building. Sen. Paul Kirk, who was appointed to fill the seat after Kennedy's death, currently occupies the office and will move out.

Several Senate sources tell CNN that the Senate Rules Committee, which assigns office space, decided to give Brown the office space as a matter of convenience.

Because of his seniority, Kennedy had one of the most coveted office suites in the Senate complex. It is located in the Russell building, down the hall from the Rotunda, and has balconies that overlook the Capitol.

CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report.

text: Washington

text: CNN

text: Republican

text: Scott

text: Brown

text: was

text: sworn

text: in

text: Thursday

text: as

text: the

text: new

text: U.S.

text: senator

text: from

text: Massachusetts

text: to

text: fill

text: the

text: seat

text: formerly

text: held

text: by

text: the

text: late

text: Sen.

text: Ted

text: Kennedy

text: and

text: immediately

text: signaled

text: opposition

text: to

text: President

text: Obama

text: 's

text: spending

text: plans

text: Brown

text: 's

text: new

text: Senate

text: colleagues

text: applauded

text: after

text: the

text: ceremony

text: on

text: the

text: floor

text: of

text: the

text: Senate

text: chamber

text: conducted

text: by

text: Vice

text: President

text: Joe

text: Biden

text: in

text: his

text: capacity

text: as

text: president

text: of

text: the

text: Senate

text: Democratic

text: Sen.

text: John

text: Kerry

text: also

text: of

text: Massachusetts

text: and

text: Brown

text: 's

text: wife

text: Gail

text: Huff

text: accompanied

text: Brown

text: into

text: the

text: chamber

text: At

text: a

text: news

text: conference

text: after

text: the

text: ceremony

text: Brown

text: thanked

text: Massachusetts

text: voters

text: who

text: gave

text: him

text: a

text: surprise

text: victory

text: in

text: the

text: January

text: special

text: election

text: in

text: a

text: state

text: that

text: had

text: not

text: elected

text: a

text: Republican

text: senator

text: since

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: promise

text: I

text: 'll

text: be

text: right

text: in

text: every

text: vote

text: I

text: make

text: I

text: 'm

text: sure

text: I

text: 'll

text: make

text: mistakes

text: from

text: time

text: to

text: time

text: Brown

text: said

text: But

text: I

text: will

text: try

text: to

text: learn

text: and

text: grow

text: and

text: do

text: the

text: very

text: best

text: job

text: I

text: can

text: on

text: a

text: day

text: to

text: day

text: basis

text: Brown

text: 's

text: election

text: victory

text: stripped

text: Senate

text: Democrats

text: of

text: their

text: Senate

text: supermajority

text: imperiling

text: the

text: ability

text: of

text: Obama

text: and

text: Democrats

text: to

text: push

text: major

text: legislative

text: priorities

text: such

text: as

text: health

text: care

text: reform

text: through

text: Congress

text: The

text: Republican

text: upset

text: in

text: Massachusetts

text: also

text: raised

text: fears

text: among

text: many

text: congressional

text: Democrats

text: of

text: a

text: potential

text: GOP

text: landslide

text: in

text: November

text: 's

text: midterm

text: elections

text: A

text: fiscal

text: conservative

text: who

text: holds

text: some

text: moderate

text: views

text: Brown

text: was

text: noncommittal

text: on

text: whether

text: he

text: would

text: support

text: a

text: Republican

text: filibuster

text: in

text: coming

text: Senate

text: consideration

text: of

text: some

text: Obama

text: nominees

text: for

text: government

text: posts

text: He

text: also

text: said

text: he

text: needed

text: to

text: talk

text: to

text: generals

text: in

text: the

text: field

text: before

text: deciding

text: to

text: support

text: Obama

text: 's

text: call

text: supported

text: by

text: top

text: military

text: leaders

text: to

text: repeal

text: the

text: do

text: n't

text: ask

text: do

text: n't

text: tell

text: policy

text: regarding

text: a

text: ban

text: on

text: gays

text: in

text: the

text: military

text: Brown

text: made

text: clear

text: he

text: opposes

text: the

text: spending

text: policies

text: of

text: the

text: Obama

text: administration

text: stating

text: that

text: the

text: billion

text: stimulus

text: bill

text: passed

text: last

text: year

text: did

text: n't

text: create

text: one

text: new

text: job

text: in

text: Massachusetts

text: or

text: across

text: the

text: country

text: He

text: also

text: said

text: Congress

text: should

text: start

text: over

text: on

text: health

text: care

text: with

text: bipartisan

text: talks

text: instead

text: of

text: continuing

text: work

text: on

text: separate

text: comprehensive

text: bills

text: passed

text: by

text: the

text: House

text: and

text: Senate

text: That

text: prompted

text: a

text: response

text: later

text: from

text: Jay

text: Carney

text: spokesman

text: for

text: Biden

text: who

text: said

text: Anyone

text: can

text: go

text: to

text: recovery.gov

text: on

text: the

text: Internet

text: and

text: see

text: that

text: Massachusetts

text: state

text: and

text: local

text: government

text: businesses

text: and

text: community

text: organizations

text: have

text: already

text: reported

text: directly

text: funding

text: over

text: jobs

text: in

text: the

text: state

text: last

text: year

text: and

text: that

text: 's

text: based

text: on

text: a

text: only

text: a

text: portion

text: of

text: the

text: total

text: billion

text: in

text: stimulus

text: funds

text: that

text: have

text: already

text: gone

text: to

text: Massachusetts

text: He

text: also

text: said

text: Congress

text: should

text: start

text: over

text: on

text: health

text: care

text: with

text: bipartisan

text: talks

text: instead

text: of

text: continuing

text: work

text: on

text: separate

text: comprehensive

text: bills

text: passed

text: by

text: the

text: House

text: and

text: Senate

text: At

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: Brown

text: said

text: he

text: would

text: consider

text: each

text: piece

text: of

text: legislation

text: on

text: merit

text: rather

text: than

text: whether

text: it

text: was

text: proposed

text: by

text: one

text: party

text: or

text: another

text: If

text: I

text: see

text: a

text: bill

text: that

text: 's

text: good

text: for

text: my

text: state

text: first

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: care

text: where

text: it

text: comes

text: from

text: Brown

text: said

text: If

text: it

text: 's

text: good

text: for

text: Massachusetts

text: I

text: 'll

text: consider

text: it

text: Thursday

text: 's

text: ceremony

text: occurred

text: a

text: week

text: earlier

text: than

text: originally

text: planned

text: Massachusetts

text: officials

text: had

text: said

text: it

text: would

text: take

text: a

text: few

text: weeks

text: after

text: the

text: election

text: to

text: certify

text: the

text: result

text: of

text: Brown

text: 's

text: victory

text: In

text: a

text: letter

text: to

text: Massachusetts

text: Gov.

text: Deval

text: Patrick

text: and

text: Secretary

text: of

text: State

text: William

text: Galvin

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: Brown

text: 's

text: attorney

text: said

text: the

text: senator

text: elect

text: had

text: planned

text: on

text: being

text: sworn

text: in

text: on

text: February

text: but

text: had

text: been

text: told

text: that

text: several

text: Senate

text: votes

text: would

text: be

text: held

text: before

text: then

text: For

text: this

text: reason

text: he

text: wants

text: certification

text: to

text: occur

text: immediately

text: attorney

text: Daniel

text: Winslow

text: wrote

text: The

text: certification

text: occurred

text: Thursday

text: allowing

text: Brown

text: to

text: officially

text: fill

text: his

text: seat

text: later

text: in

text: the

text: day

text: There

text: 's

text: no

text: hidden

text: agenda

text: Brown

text: said

text: of

text: his

text: push

text: to

text: get

text: certified

text: this

text: week

text: instead

text: of

text: next

text: It

text: 's

text: because

text: I

text: want

text: to

text: get

text: to

text: work

text: Asked

text: why

text: his

text: daughters

text: did

text: n't

text: attend

text: the

text: swearing

text: in

text: Brown

text: explained

text: one

text: of

text: them

text: Ayla

text: had

text: a

text: college

text: basketball

text: game

text: to

text: play

text: Thursday

text: and

text: the

text: other

text: Arianna

text: had

text: a

text: college

text: exam

text: The

text: Bibles

text: I

text: used

text: for

text: today

text: 's

text: swearing

text: in

text: belong

text: to

text: my

text: daughters

text: and

text: I

text: stacked

text: them

text: one

text: on

text: top

text: of

text: the

text: other

text: and

text: took

text: my

text: oath

text: on

text: them

text: Brown

text: said

text: Brown

text: will

text: be

text: taking

text: over

text: Kennedy

text: 's

text: coveted

text: office

text: space

text: in

text: the

text: Senate

text: Russell

text: building

text: Sen.

text: Paul

text: Kirk

text: who

text: was

text: appointed

text: to

text: fill

text: the

text: seat

text: after

text: Kennedy

text: 's

text: death

text: currently

text: occupies

text: the

text: office

text: and

text: will

text: move

text: out

text: Several

text: Senate

text: sources

text: tell

text: CNN

text: that

text: the

text: Senate

text: Rules

text: Committee

text: which

text: assigns

text: office

text: space

text: decided

text: to

text: give

text: Brown

text: the

text: office

text: space

text: as

text: a

text: matter

text: of

text: convenience

text: Because

text: of

text: his

text: seniority

text: Kennedy

text: had

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: coveted

text: office

text: suites

text: in

text: the

text: Senate

text: complex

text: It

text: is

text: located

text: in

text: the

text: Russell

text: building

text: down

text: the

text: hall

text: from

text: the

text: Rotunda

text: and

text: has

text: balconies

text: that

text: overlook

text: the

text: Capitol

text: CNN

text: Senior

text: Congressional

text: Correspondent

text: Dana

text: Bash

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: When was Scott Brown is sworn into office?

answer: Thursday

text: Thursday

question: Who won a special election to cover for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's term?

answer: Republican Scott Brown

text: Republican Scott Brown

question: Is Brown committed to filibuster Obama's nominees?

answer: was noncommittal

text: was noncommittal

question: What did Brown win?

answer: the January 19 special election

text: the January 19 special election

question: Who was sworn into office on Thursday?

answer: Republican Scott Brown

text: Republican Scott Brown

question: Who opposes President Obama's fiscal policies?

answer: Republican Scott Brown

text: Republican Scott Brown