text:
Tallahassee, Florida (CNN) -- Florida A&M University President James Ammons will stay in office during a hazing investigation, the school's board decided Monday.

The A&M board of trustees rejected a request from Gov. Rick Scott to suspend Ammons while officials probe various issues at the school, including the suspected hazing death of a band member.

"We will stand firm against outside influences which hinder the viability of the university," said Solomon Badger, the board's chairman.

"It requires us to rely on facts," he said.

The board chose not to vote on Ammons' status.

Ammons was not present for Monday's meeting, but took part by telephone.

On Friday, the medical examiner in Orange County, Florida, ruled that the death of 26-year-old Robert D. Champion was a homicide.

The report said Champion was beaten to death during a hazing incident in Orlando on Nov. 19.

No arrests have been made and the case remains under investigation, according to the Orange County Sheriff's office and the Orange County State Attorney's Office.

Champion's parent talked about the autopsy report to CNN's Suzanne Malveaux on Monday. Robert and Pam described the anguish they felt after finding out exactly what killed their son.

"To see the autopsy and the part where they hit him all over his body,' Champion's father said. "It's pretty painful to know my son had to go through something like that."

Champion's mother wants those involved to face criminal charges and be held accountable for their actions. But despite the tragedy of their son's death, the Champions aren't sure hazing will be considered a serious crime until tougher laws with strict penalties are put in place.

"We need laws that's going to make a person think of the actions," Champion's father said.

The Board also decided to meet weekly for informational reasons during this process.

Scott issued a statement saying, "For the sake of appearances, and to assure the public that these investigations are clearly independent, I believe it would have been in the best interest of Florida A&M University for President Ammons to step aside until all of these investigations are completed. However, we have a process in Florida for the administration of the State University System, and that process has been followed."

Scott said he will abide by the decision.

On Sunday, Scott said he was "disappointed in the direction the dialogue regarding the hazing-murder of a Florida A&M University student has taken."

"This week, I learned of reports of at least one child molestation case that took place on campus," Scott said, referring to a case unrelated to the hazing allegations. He added that Ammons told him he was not aware of the alleged incident until months after it occurred.

School trustees already have reprimanded Ammons and placed band director Julian White on administrative leave.

FAMU's National Alumni Association president said Sunday that Scott could place the school's accreditation in jeopardy by requesting Ammons' suspension.

Tommy Mitchell said the president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which oversees accreditation, warned Scott that school governing boards should be free of influence from government bodies. If the board suspends Ammons at Scott's direction, it could have unforeseen consequences for the university, he added.

"Gov. Scott should not be in the position of weakening the accreditation of our alma mater," Mitchell said.

Ammons met with Scott on Friday. After the meeting, he said the two had a "great conversation" and that both "have the interests of Florida A&M University at heart."

"The governor made a recommendation, and as governor, he can make a recommendation," the university president said Friday. "At the end of the day, it is up to the board of trustees. I will be right along with (their) decision."

Mitchell said the association's thoughts and prayers are with Champion's family. But he stressed that hazing is a national problem, and said deaths have occurred at other schools. Twelve to 13 deaths have occurred this year, he said, in Florida and other states, but did not provide specifics.

"Name another university that suspended a president for hazing -- and they have deaths every year," Mitchell said. "... Hazing has occurred all over the country. Deaths have occurred all over the country."

He questioned why the situation at Florida A&M is receiving so much attention, adding it may be an "HBCU (historically black college and university) problem."

In his statement Sunday, Scott said FAMU was not being singled out. He said he has called on all Florida universities to examine their hazing and harassment policies and requested that university presidents remind their students, faculty and staff "of how detrimental hazing can be."

Controversy has swirled around the Tallahassee university since Champion's death, including three arrests tied to the alleged hazing of a freshman band member a few weeks earlier.

And Jerry Bailey, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said last week that investigators looking into Champion's death have turned up evidence "that there were financial irregularities having to do with the band and several other components of the university." The suspected financial irregularities are not directly related to the death.

Champion's parents told CNN that several students have reached out to them since their son's death, but they have not talked to anyone from FAMU about the investigation or what the is doing to prevent this tragedy from happening again.

"I want to see what kinds of things they're planning on putting into place. Obviously, what they had in place is not working," Champion's mother said.

CNN's Ashley Hayes contributed to this report.

text: Tallahassee

text: Florida

text: CNN

text: Florida

text: A&M

text: University

text: President

text: James

text: Ammons

text: will

text: stay

text: in

text: office

text: during

text: a

text: hazing

text: investigation

text: the

text: school

text: 's

text: board

text: decided

text: Monday

text: The

text: A&M

text: board

text: of

text: trustees

text: rejected

text: a

text: request

text: from

text: Gov.

text: Rick

text: Scott

text: to

text: suspend

text: Ammons

text: while

text: officials

text: probe

text: various

text: issues

text: at

text: the

text: school

text: including

text: the

text: suspected

text: hazing

text: death

text: of

text: a

text: band

text: member

text: We

text: will

text: stand

text: firm

text: against

text: outside

text: influences

text: which

text: hinder

text: the

text: viability

text: of

text: the

text: university

text: said

text: Solomon

text: Badger

text: the

text: board

text: 's

text: chairman

text: It

text: requires

text: us

text: to

text: rely

text: on

text: facts

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: board

text: chose

text: not

text: to

text: vote

text: on

text: Ammons

text: status

text: Ammons

text: was

text: not

text: present

text: for

text: Monday

text: 's

text: meeting

text: but

text: took

text: part

text: by

text: telephone

text: On

text: Friday

text: the

text: medical

text: examiner

text: in

text: Orange

text: County

text: Florida

text: ruled

text: that

text: the

text: death

text: of

text: old

text: Robert

text: D.

text: Champion

text: was

text: a

text: homicide

text: The

text: report

text: said

text: Champion

text: was

text: beaten

text: to

text: death

text: during

text: a

text: hazing

text: incident

text: in

text: Orlando

text: on

text: Nov.

text: No

text: arrests

text: have

text: been

text: made

text: and

text: the

text: case

text: remains

text: under

text: investigation

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Orange

text: County

text: Sheriff

text: 's

text: office

text: and

text: the

text: Orange

text: County

text: State

text: Attorney

text: 's

text: Office

text: Champion

text: 's

text: parent

text: talked

text: about

text: the

text: autopsy

text: report

text: to

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Suzanne

text: Malveaux

text: on

text: Monday

text: Robert

text: and

text: Pam

text: described

text: the

text: anguish

text: they

text: felt

text: after

text: finding

text: out

text: exactly

text: what

text: killed

text: their

text: son

text: To

text: see

text: the

text: autopsy

text: and

text: the

text: part

text: where

text: they

text: hit

text: him

text: all

text: over

text: his

text: body

text: Champion

text: 's

text: father

text: said

text: It

text: 's

text: pretty

text: painful

text: to

text: know

text: my

text: son

text: had

text: to

text: go

text: through

text: something

text: like

text: that

text: Champion

text: 's

text: mother

text: wants

text: those

text: involved

text: to

text: face

text: criminal

text: charges

text: and

text: be

text: held

text: accountable

text: for

text: their

text: actions

text: But

text: despite

text: the

text: tragedy

text: of

text: their

text: son

text: 's

text: death

text: the

text: Champions

text: are

text: n't

text: sure

text: hazing

text: will

text: be

text: considered

text: a

text: serious

text: crime

text: until

text: tougher

text: laws

text: with

text: strict

text: penalties

text: are

text: put

text: in

text: place

text: We

text: need

text: laws

text: that

text: 's

text: going

text: to

text: make

text: a

text: person

text: think

text: of

text: the

text: actions

text: Champion

text: 's

text: father

text: said

text: The

text: Board

text: also

text: decided

text: to

text: meet

text: weekly

text: for

text: informational

text: reasons

text: during

text: this

text: process

text: Scott

text: issued

text: a

text: statement

text: saying

text: For

text: the

text: sake

text: of

text: appearances

text: and

text: to

text: assure

text: the

text: public

text: that

text: these

text: investigations

text: are

text: clearly

text: independent

text: I

text: believe

text: it

text: would

text: have

text: been

text: in

text: the

text: best

text: interest

text: of

text: Florida

text: A&M

text: University

text: for

text: President

text: Ammons

text: to

text: step

text: aside

text: until

text: all

text: of

text: these

text: investigations

text: are

text: completed

text: However

text: we

text: have

text: a

text: process

text: in

text: Florida

text: for

text: the

text: administration

text: of

text: the

text: State

text: University

text: System

text: and

text: that

text: process

text: has

text: been

text: followed

text: Scott

text: said

text: he

text: will

text: abide

text: by

text: the

text: decision

text: On

text: Sunday

text: Scott

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: disappointed

text: in

text: the

text: direction

text: the

text: dialogue

text: regarding

text: the

text: hazing

text: murder

text: of

text: a

text: Florida

text: A&M

text: University

text: student

text: has

text: taken

text: This

text: week

text: I

text: learned

text: of

text: reports

text: of

text: at

text: least

text: one

text: child

text: molestation

text: case

text: that

text: took

text: place

text: on

text: campus

text: Scott

text: said

text: referring

text: to

text: a

text: case

text: unrelated

text: to

text: the

text: hazing

text: allegations

text: He

text: added

text: that

text: Ammons

text: told

text: him

text: he

text: was

text: not

text: aware

text: of

text: the

text: alleged

text: incident

text: until

text: months

text: after

text: it

text: occurred

text: School

text: trustees

text: already

text: have

text: reprimanded

text: Ammons

text: and

text: placed

text: band

text: director

text: Julian

text: White

text: on

text: administrative

text: leave

text: FAMU

text: 's

text: National

text: Alumni

text: Association

text: president

text: said

text: Sunday

text: that

text: Scott

text: could

text: place

text: the

text: school

text: 's

text: accreditation

text: in

text: jeopardy

text: by

text: requesting

text: Ammons

text: suspension

text: Tommy

text: Mitchell

text: said

text: the

text: president

text: of

text: the

text: Southern

text: Association

text: of

text: Colleges

text: and

text: Schools

text: which

text: oversees

text: accreditation

text: warned

text: Scott

text: that

text: school

text: governing

text: boards

text: should

text: be

text: free

text: of

text: influence

text: from

text: government

text: bodies

text: If

text: the

text: board

text: suspends

text: Ammons

text: at

text: Scott

text: 's

text: direction

text: it

text: could

text: have

text: unforeseen

text: consequences

text: for

text: the

text: university

text: he

text: added

text: Gov.

text: Scott

text: should

text: not

text: be

text: in

text: the

text: position

text: of

text: weakening

text: the

text: accreditation

text: of

text: our

text: alma

text: mater

text: Mitchell

text: said

text: Ammons

text: met

text: with

text: Scott

text: on

text: Friday

text: After

text: the

text: meeting

text: he

text: said

text: the

text: two

text: had

text: a

text: great

text: conversation

text: and

text: that

text: both

text: have

text: the

text: interests

text: of

text: Florida

text: A&M

text: University

text: at

text: heart

text: The

text: governor

text: made

text: a

text: recommendation

text: and

text: as

text: governor

text: he

text: can

text: make

text: a

text: recommendation

text: the

text: university

text: president

text: said

text: Friday

text: At

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: day

text: it

text: is

text: up

text: to

text: the

text: board

text: of

text: trustees

text: I

text: will

text: be

text: right

text: along

text: with

text: their

text: decision

text: Mitchell

text: said

text: the

text: association

text: 's

text: thoughts

text: and

text: prayers

text: are

text: with

text: Champion

text: 's

text: family

text: But

text: he

text: stressed

text: that

text: hazing

text: is

text: a

text: national

text: problem

text: and

text: said

text: deaths

text: have

text: occurred

text: at

text: other

text: schools

text: Twelve

text: to

text: deaths

text: have

text: occurred

text: this

text: year

text: he

text: said

text: in

text: Florida

text: and

text: other

text: states

text: but

text: did

text: not

text: provide

text: specifics

text: Name

text: another

text: university

text: that

text: suspended

text: a

text: president

text: for

text: hazing

text: and

text: they

text: have

text: deaths

text: every

text: year

text: Mitchell

text: said

text: Hazing

text: has

text: occurred

text: all

text: over

text: the

text: country

text: Deaths

text: have

text: occurred

text: all

text: over

text: the

text: country

text: He

text: questioned

text: why

text: the

text: situation

text: at

text: Florida

text: A&M

text: is

text: receiving

text: so

text: much

text: attention

text: adding

text: it

text: may

text: be

text: an

text: HBCU

text: historically

text: black

text: college

text: and

text: university

text: problem

text: In

text: his

text: statement

text: Sunday

text: Scott

text: said

text: FAMU

text: was

text: not

text: being

text: singled

text: out

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: has

text: called

text: on

text: all

text: Florida

text: universities

text: to

text: examine

text: their

text: hazing

text: and

text: harassment

text: policies

text: and

text: requested

text: that

text: university

text: presidents

text: remind

text: their

text: students

text: faculty

text: and

text: staff

text: of

text: how

text: detrimental

text: hazing

text: can

text: be

text: Controversy

text: has

text: swirled

text: around

text: the

text: Tallahassee

text: university

text: since

text: Champion

text: 's

text: death

text: including

text: three

text: arrests

text: tied

text: to

text: the

text: alleged

text: hazing

text: of

text: a

text: freshman

text: band

text: member

text: a

text: few

text: weeks

text: earlier

text: And

text: Jerry

text: Bailey

text: commissioner

text: of

text: the

text: Florida

text: Department

text: of

text: Law

text: Enforcement

text: said

text: last

text: week

text: that

text: investigators

text: looking

text: into

text: Champion

text: 's

text: death

text: have

text: turned

text: up

text: evidence

text: that

text: there

text: were

text: financial

text: irregularities

text: having

text: to

text: do

text: with

text: the

text: band

text: and

text: several

text: other

text: components

text: of

text: the

text: university

text: The

text: suspected

text: financial

text: irregularities

text: are

text: not

text: directly

text: related

text: to

text: the

text: death

text: Champion

text: 's

text: parents

text: told

text: CNN

text: that

text: several

text: students

text: have

text: reached

text: out

text: to

text: them

text: since

text: their

text: son

text: 's

text: death

text: but

text: they

text: have

text: not

text: talked

text: to

text: anyone

text: from

text: FAMU

text: about

text: the

text: investigation

text: or

text: what

text: the

text: is

text: doing

text: to

text: prevent

text: this

text: tragedy

text: from

text: happening

text: again

text: I

text: want

text: to

text: see

text: what

text: kinds

text: of

text: things

text: they

text: 're

text: planning

text: on

text: putting

text: into

text: place

text: Obviously

text: what

text: they

text: had

text: in

text: place

text: is

text: not

text: working

text: Champion

text: 's

text: mother

text: said

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Ashley

text: Hayes

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who chose not to vote?

answer: The A&M board of trustees

text: The A&M board of trustees

question: Will the board vote?

answer: The

text: The

question: Will the governor abide by the decision?

answer: the

text: the

question: Who will abide by the decision?

answer: Scott

text: Scott

question: Whose death was ruled a homicide?

answer: Robert D. Champion

text: Robert D. Champion


text:
(CNN)  -- The brief detention in Havana, Cuba, last week of a Portland, Oregon, church group comes on the heels of the detention of an American contractor and could indicate an increasingly chilly reception for some American visitors, according to the church travelers.

The December 26 trip for 14 members of the First Unitarian Church of Portland is a reminder of the entrenched tensions between Cuba and the United States despite the Obama administration's loosening of previous restrictions.

The church group was traveling on a U.S.-issued license and planned to do humanitarian work. The group was denied entry to Cuba. Part of the group spent the night detained inside the Havana airport before being put on a plane to Mexico, the church's social justice minister, the Rev. Kate Lore, told CNN.

The most recent trip was under a religious license, but the bulk of the mission was to be devoted to projects such as an AIDS clinic and teaching women how to make baby clothes

The church made three trips in November without incident, but things went sour almost immediately after the 14 volunteers exited the plane in December, one of the participants, Jacquie Jones, told CNN.

Most of the group passed through customs without a problem, but five members of the group were stopped and had their passports and licenses checked, Jones said.

Jones said she told the Cuban officials, "We love the Cubans. We have many friends here; there is no reason to keep us out of the country."

The Cuban authorities told the five that they were not allowed inside Cuba because they were there for religious reasons and forced them to wait for almost an hour and a half before putting them on a commercial flight back to Mexico, from where they had traveled.

Jones pointed out the U.S. gives travel permits to Cuba for religious work, but the island, at least in this case, rejected the group for the same reason.

"It's a total Catch-22," she said.

The reason for the brusque treatment is likely because of the detention of another American earlier this month, several church members said.

The detained man, whose name has not been released, is a subcontractor for Development Alternatives Inc., an international development group on contract with the U.S. government to promote human rights in Cuba.

Cuban leader Raul Castro said that the man was detained because he was distributing satellite communications equipment in order to destabilize Cuba.

For nearly a half a century, the United States has maintained a trade embargo against Cuba that many on the island nation have blamed for their country's woes.

"I don't blame the Cuban government, or our government, but I truly believe something has to be done to normalize relations," Jones said.

The nine others who had already passed through customs faced additional questioning and were detained inside the airport overnight, Carol Slegers, who was part of that group, told CNN.

Later, it was learned that Cuban authorities considered imprisoning them, she said. Instead, they were left to find a place to sleep on the floor of the airport.

The group ended up sleeping underneath a staircase, using fabric they brought for the clothes-making project as sheets, Slegers said. The next morning, they were put on a plane to Mexico.

The Cuban officials "were rude and cold and indifferent," Slegers said. "It was very psychologically disarming."

But, Slegers and others made clear, they were not mistreated by the Cubans.

"We're upset because of the treatment, but ultimately, we want the policy to change," she said. "I hope goodwill and improvement of relations will come out of this incident, moving the two countries beyond the my-belt-is-bigger-than-your-belt diplomacy of the last half century."

text: CNN

text: The

text: brief

text: detention

text: in

text: Havana

text: Cuba

text: last

text: week

text: of

text: a

text: Portland

text: Oregon

text: church

text: group

text: comes

text: on

text: the

text: heels

text: of

text: the

text: detention

text: of

text: an

text: American

text: contractor

text: and

text: could

text: indicate

text: an

text: increasingly

text: chilly

text: reception

text: for

text: some

text: American

text: visitors

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: church

text: travelers

text: The

text: December

text: trip

text: for

text: members

text: of

text: the

text: First

text: Unitarian

text: Church

text: of

text: Portland

text: is

text: a

text: reminder

text: of

text: the

text: entrenched

text: tensions

text: between

text: Cuba

text: and

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: despite

text: the

text: Obama

text: administration

text: 's

text: loosening

text: of

text: previous

text: restrictions

text: The

text: church

text: group

text: was

text: traveling

text: on

text: a

text: U.S

text: issued

text: license

text: and

text: planned

text: to

text: do

text: humanitarian

text: work

text: The

text: group

text: was

text: denied

text: entry

text: to

text: Cuba

text: Part

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: spent

text: the

text: night

text: detained

text: inside

text: the

text: Havana

text: airport

text: before

text: being

text: put

text: on

text: a

text: plane

text: to

text: Mexico

text: the

text: church

text: 's

text: social

text: justice

text: minister

text: the

text: Rev.

text: Kate

text: Lore

text: told

text: CNN

text: The

text: most

text: recent

text: trip

text: was

text: under

text: a

text: religious

text: license

text: but

text: the

text: bulk

text: of

text: the

text: mission

text: was

text: to

text: be

text: devoted

text: to

text: projects

text: such

text: as

text: an

text: AIDS

text: clinic

text: and

text: teaching

text: women

text: how

text: to

text: make

text: baby

text: clothes

text: The

text: church

text: made

text: three

text: trips

text: in

text: November

text: without

text: incident

text: but

text: things

text: went

text: sour

text: almost

text: immediately

text: after

text: the

text: volunteers

text: exited

text: the

text: plane

text: in

text: December

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: participants

text: Jacquie

text: Jones

text: told

text: CNN

text: Most

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: passed

text: through

text: customs

text: without

text: a

text: problem

text: but

text: five

text: members

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: were

text: stopped

text: and

text: had

text: their

text: passports

text: and

text: licenses

text: checked

text: Jones

text: said

text: Jones

text: said

text: she

text: told

text: the

text: Cuban

text: officials

text: We

text: love

text: the

text: Cubans

text: We

text: have

text: many

text: friends

text: here

text: there

text: is

text: no

text: reason

text: to

text: keep

text: us

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: The

text: Cuban

text: authorities

text: told

text: the

text: five

text: that

text: they

text: were

text: not

text: allowed

text: inside

text: Cuba

text: because

text: they

text: were

text: there

text: for

text: religious

text: reasons

text: and

text: forced

text: them

text: to

text: wait

text: for

text: almost

text: an

text: hour

text: and

text: a

text: half

text: before

text: putting

text: them

text: on

text: a

text: commercial

text: flight

text: back

text: to

text: Mexico

text: from

text: where

text: they

text: had

text: traveled

text: Jones

text: pointed

text: out

text: the

text: U.S.

text: gives

text: travel

text: permits

text: to

text: Cuba

text: for

text: religious

text: work

text: but

text: the

text: island

text: at

text: least

text: in

text: this

text: case

text: rejected

text: the

text: group

text: for

text: the

text: same

text: reason

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: total

text: she

text: said

text: The

text: reason

text: for

text: the

text: brusque

text: treatment

text: is

text: likely

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: detention

text: of

text: another

text: American

text: earlier

text: this

text: month

text: several

text: church

text: members

text: said

text: The

text: detained

text: man

text: whose

text: name

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: released

text: is

text: a

text: subcontractor

text: for

text: Development

text: Alternatives

text: Inc.

text: an

text: international

text: development

text: group

text: on

text: contract

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: government

text: to

text: promote

text: human

text: rights

text: in

text: Cuba

text: Cuban

text: leader

text: Raul

text: Castro

text: said

text: that

text: the

text: man

text: was

text: detained

text: because

text: he

text: was

text: distributing

text: satellite

text: communications

text: equipment

text: in

text: order

text: to

text: destabilize

text: Cuba

text: For

text: nearly

text: a

text: half

text: a

text: century

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: has

text: maintained

text: a

text: trade

text: embargo

text: against

text: Cuba

text: that

text: many

text: on

text: the

text: island

text: nation

text: have

text: blamed

text: for

text: their

text: country

text: 's

text: woes

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: blame

text: the

text: Cuban

text: government

text: or

text: our

text: government

text: but

text: I

text: truly

text: believe

text: something

text: has

text: to

text: be

text: done

text: to

text: normalize

text: relations

text: Jones

text: said

text: The

text: nine

text: others

text: who

text: had

text: already

text: passed

text: through

text: customs

text: faced

text: additional

text: questioning

text: and

text: were

text: detained

text: inside

text: the

text: airport

text: overnight

text: Carol

text: Slegers

text: who

text: was

text: part

text: of

text: that

text: group

text: told

text: CNN

text: Later

text: it

text: was

text: learned

text: that

text: Cuban

text: authorities

text: considered

text: imprisoning

text: them

text: she

text: said

text: Instead

text: they

text: were

text: left

text: to

text: find

text: a

text: place

text: to

text: sleep

text: on

text: the

text: floor

text: of

text: the

text: airport

text: The

text: group

text: ended

text: up

text: sleeping

text: underneath

text: a

text: staircase

text: using

text: fabric

text: they

text: brought

text: for

text: the

text: clothes

text: making

text: project

text: as

text: sheets

text: Slegers

text: said

text: The

text: next

text: morning

text: they

text: were

text: put

text: on

text: a

text: plane

text: to

text: Mexico

text: The

text: Cuban

text: officials

text: were

text: rude

text: and

text: cold

text: and

text: indifferent

text: Slegers

text: said

text: It

text: was

text: very

text: psychologically

text: disarming

text: But

text: Slegers

text: and

text: others

text: made

text: clear

text: they

text: were

text: not

text: mistreated

text: by

text: the

text: Cubans

text: We

text: 're

text: upset

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: treatment

text: but

text: ultimately

text: we

text: want

text: the

text: policy

text: to

text: change

text: she

text: said

text: I

text: hope

text: goodwill

text: and

text: improvement

text: of

text: relations

text: will

text: come

text: out

text: of

text: this

text: incident

text: moving

text: the

text: two

text: countries

text: beyond

text: the

text: my

text: belt

text: is

text: bigger

text: than

text: your

text: belt

text: diplomacy

text: of

text: the

text: last

text: half

text: century

question: How many people were put back on the plane

answer: five

text: five

question: Who was detained

answer: a Portland, Oregon, church group

text: a Portland, Oregon, church group

question: Who put five people back on the plane to Mexico?

answer: Cuban authorities

text: Cuban authorities

question: What did the group traveling plan to do?

answer: humanitarian work.

text: humanitarian work.

question: What are the group travelling on a us issued licence planning to do

answer: humanitarian work.

text: humanitarian work.

question: Who could get a chilly reception?

answer: some American visitors,

text: some American visitors,


text:
Washington (CNN) -- Nearly two weeks after an explosion aboard an oil rig caused a leak from an undersea oil well off Louisiana, the impact is just beginning to unfold.

Though the widening pool of oil remained offshore Monday, it was already a presence for some coastal areas. John Kelly, administrator of Gulfport, Mississippi, said he had been able to smell it since Friday.

"I got $3 million worth of boats sitting here," said Capt. Louis Skrmetta, who ferries tourists from Gulfport to the state's pristine barrier islands. "What am I going to do with them?"

BP's ruptured undersea well continues to spew about 210,000 gallons -- or 5,000 barrels -- of crude per day into the Gulf of Mexico. Efforts to contain or curtail the spill have been unsuccessful.

The sheen extends up to 60 miles across and threatens the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That's an area nearly as large as the state of Delaware. The slick was nine miles off the Louisiana coast Monday, said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and incident commander.

BP chief executive Tony Hayward vowed that the oil giant would "absolutely be paying for the cleanup operation" of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Where legitimate claims are made, we will be good for them," he told NPR's "Morning Edition."

The U.S. government was leaving little to chance. Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday that Justice Department employees were in the Gulf region "to ensure that BP is held liable."

Allen said BP "is the responsible party" and "will bear all the costs" of the cleanup.

Still, the promises failed to quell the fears. "I hope we can weather the storm," said Keith Delcambre, owner of seafood market Bozo's in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

WLOX: Pass Christian Harbor in Mississippi prepares for oil

He said the nature of the current disaster could exact more of a toll on seafood than  Hurricane Katrina, which savaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005. "We weathered Katrina, but shrimp after Katrina was good," he said. "Seafood after Katrina was good. With all the oil out there, I don't know what to expect. This is brand new."

In Gulfport, officials worried that a drop in tourism from the slick would chill the city's post-Katrina rebound, which includes half a billion dollars in new construction, $30 million of which has been spent on the harbor.

"This could not have happened at a worse time in our history," Kelly, the city's administrator, said.

Katrina left equipment operator Daniel Schepens out of work for a month, but the oil slick could prove worse, he said. "The warehouses are empty. No trucks, no imports, no exports."

"If it threatens the commercial sea lanes, that's a concern, because if ships don't come in and ships aren't able to go out, that stops commerce," said Donald Allee, CEO of the Mississippi State Port Authority.

WWL: Fishermen try to help contain oil slick

For now, the harbor is being used as a loading point for hundreds of miles of booms that are intended to defend against the slick's arrival.

But the booms may not protect the coast any more than the levees protected New Orleans during Katrina: Rough seas have already broken apart some of the booms.

WDSU: Rush to save Lake Pontchartrain

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday extended a state of emergency to 13 coastal counties in his state and said he might extend it to two more on Tuesday.

He had issued an emergency declaration last week for six counties on the western end of the Florida Panhandle; Monday's declaration added the rest of the Panhandle, and counties on the Gulf Coast of the main Florida peninsula as far south as Sarasota.

"In the event that the oil does come to our shores, I want us to be ahead of it as much as humanly possible," he told reporters.

Preparations continue on strategies to stop the leak, though each plan has drawbacks. One plan is to lower a dome over the wellhead next week to capture the spewing oil, said Florida Secretary of Environmental Protection Michael Sole. "That would stop the flow -- if successful," he said. "Unfortunately, it's never been tried at 5,000 feet below the surface of the water."

Officials warn of possible catastrophe

BP also is having a contractor drill a relief well that would allow workers to plug the first well.

"Unfortunately, that's a two- to three-month operation," Sole said.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and other Obama White House officials met Monday afternoon with Hayward and BP America President Lamar McKay to discuss the response efforts.

On Sunday, federal officials banned fishing for at least 10 days in the northern Gulf of Mexico from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay. The Gulf Coast's commercial fishing industry brings in about $2.4 billion to the region.

WDSU: Oil spill closes fishing waters

The spill cast a pall over the annual boat blessing ceremony in St. Bernard, Louisiana, where fishermen have observed the tradition for decades to usher in the shrimp season.

On Monday, Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, joined Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser on a conference call with President Obama and Coast Guard officials.

Officials are fighting the spill on three fronts, Napolitano said Monday.

"One is to cap the well" that is leaking the oil, she said. Authorities are also fighting the slick at sea before it reaches land, and preparing to clean it up immediately if it does make landfall, she said.

In Venice, Louisiana, Obama told reporters Sunday that his administration has launched a "relentless response" to the spill, but the problem might not be solved for many days.

WDSU: Fishermen to help oil cleanup

The oil spill started April 20, after an explosion on BP contractor Transocean Ltd.'s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform left 11 men presumed dead.

The spill will have "a multidecade impact," a "long-term poisoning" of the area, said Richard Charter of the environmental group Defenders of Wildlife.

Booms were strung across the mouths of delta estuaries in Louisiana and inlets along the Mississippi coast.

In Alabama, National Guard troops helped lay them out off Dauphin Island, at the southern end of Mobile Bay.

The cause of the blast remains unknown.

BP says a device known as a "blowout preventer" failed and has not responded to repeated attempts to activate it using remotely operated submarines.

How the oil spill crisis could affect BP

Frustration with BP has been growing across the Gulf states, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has said the company's response has been inadequate.

Some 200 vessels, including skimmers, tugboats and nine remotely operated underwater vehicles are on or near the site, BP's Chief Operating Officer Douglas Suttles told reporters.

BP spokeswoman Marti Powers said the company was trying to use the submarines to activate the blowout preventer at the ocean floor and spreading dispersants on and under the water to break up the slick.

The company has put out about 300,000 feet -- roughly 60 miles -- of floating booms to keep the oil away from ecologically sensitive shorelines, she said. But she said efforts to skim oil off the surface were put off because of bad weather.

"Some of the vessels can't get out," she said. "But they are still making the effort."

CNN's David Mattingly, Ted Barrett, Dana Bash, Brian Todd, Sarah Hoye, Saeed Ahmed, Mark Biello and Richard Lui contributed to this report.

text: Washington

text: CNN

text: Nearly

text: two

text: weeks

text: after

text: an

text: explosion

text: aboard

text: an

text: oil

text: rig

text: caused

text: a

text: leak

text: from

text: an

text: undersea

text: oil

text: well

text: off

text: Louisiana

text: the

text: impact

text: is

text: just

text: beginning

text: to

text: unfold

text: Though

text: the

text: widening

text: pool

text: of

text: oil

text: remained

text: offshore

text: Monday

text: it

text: was

text: already

text: a

text: presence

text: for

text: some

text: coastal

text: areas

text: John

text: Kelly

text: administrator

text: of

text: Gulfport

text: Mississippi

text: said

text: he

text: had

text: been

text: able

text: to

text: smell

text: it

text: since

text: Friday

text: I

text: got

text: million

text: worth

text: of

text: boats

text: sitting

text: here

text: said

text: Capt

text: Louis

text: Skrmetta

text: who

text: ferries

text: tourists

text: from

text: Gulfport

text: to

text: the

text: state

text: 's

text: pristine

text: barrier

text: islands

text: What

text: am

text: I

text: going

text: to

text: do

text: with

text: them

text: BP

text: 's

text: ruptured

text: undersea

text: well

text: continues

text: to

text: spew

text: about

text: gallons

text: or

text: barrels

text: of

text: crude

text: per

text: day

text: into

text: the

text: Gulf

text: of

text: Mexico

text: Efforts

text: to

text: contain

text: or

text: curtail

text: the

text: spill

text: have

text: been

text: unsuccessful

text: The

text: sheen

text: extends

text: up

text: to

text: miles

text: across

text: and

text: threatens

text: the

text: coasts

text: of

text: Louisiana

text: Mississippi

text: and

text: Alabama

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: the

text: Florida

text: Panhandle

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: National

text: Oceanic

text: and

text: Atmospheric

text: Administration

text: That

text: 's

text: an

text: area

text: nearly

text: as

text: large

text: as

text: the

text: state

text: of

text: Delaware

text: The

text: slick

text: was

text: nine

text: miles

text: off

text: the

text: Louisiana

text: coast

text: Monday

text: said

text: Adm.

text: Thad

text: Allen

text: commandant

text: of

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Coast

text: Guard

text: and

text: incident

text: commander

text: BP

text: chief

text: executive

text: Tony

text: Hayward

text: vowed

text: that

text: the

text: oil

text: giant

text: would

text: absolutely

text: be

text: paying

text: for

text: the

text: cleanup

text: operation

text: of

text: the

text: oil

text: leak

text: in

text: the

text: Gulf

text: of

text: Mexico

text: Where

text: legitimate

text: claims

text: are

text: made

text: we

text: will

text: be

text: good

text: for

text: them

text: he

text: told

text: NPR

text: 's

text: Morning

text: Edition

text: The

text: U.S.

text: government

text: was

text: leaving

text: little

text: to

text: chance

text: Attorney

text: General

text: Eric

text: Holder

text: said

text: Monday

text: that

text: Justice

text: Department

text: employees

text: were

text: in

text: the

text: Gulf

text: region

text: to

text: ensure

text: that

text: BP

text: is

text: held

text: liable

text: Allen

text: said

text: BP

text: is

text: the

text: responsible

text: party

text: and

text: will

text: bear

text: all

text: the

text: costs

text: of

text: the

text: cleanup

text: Still

text: the

text: promises

text: failed

text: to

text: quell

text: the

text: fears

text: I

text: hope

text: we

text: can

text: weather

text: the

text: storm

text: said

text: Keith

text: Delcambre

text: owner

text: of

text: seafood

text: market

text: Bozo

text: 's

text: in

text: Pascagoula

text: Mississippi

text: WLOX

text: Pass

text: Christian

text: Harbor

text: in

text: Mississippi

text: prepares

text: for

text: oil

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: nature

text: of

text: the

text: current

text: disaster

text: could

text: exact

text: more

text: of

text: a

text: toll

text: on

text: seafood

text: than

text: Hurricane

text: Katrina

text: which

text: savaged

text: the

text: Gulf

text: Coast

text: in

text: August

text: We

text: weathered

text: Katrina

text: but

text: shrimp

text: after

text: Katrina

text: was

text: good

text: he

text: said

text: Seafood

text: after

text: Katrina

text: was

text: good

text: With

text: all

text: the

text: oil

text: out

text: there

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: what

text: to

text: expect

text: This

text: is

text: brand

text: new

text: In

text: Gulfport

text: officials

text: worried

text: that

text: a

text: drop

text: in

text: tourism

text: from

text: the

text: slick

text: would

text: chill

text: the

text: city

text: 's

text: post

text: Katrina

text: rebound

text: which

text: includes

text: half

text: a

text: billion

text: dollars

text: in

text: new

text: construction

text: million

text: of

text: which

text: has

text: been

text: spent

text: on

text: the

text: harbor

text: This

text: could

text: not

text: have

text: happened

text: at

text: a

text: worse

text: time

text: in

text: our

text: history

text: Kelly

text: the

text: city

text: 's

text: administrator

text: said

text: Katrina

text: left

text: equipment

text: operator

text: Daniel

text: Schepens

text: out

text: of

text: work

text: for

text: a

text: month

text: but

text: the

text: oil

text: slick

text: could

text: prove

text: worse

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: warehouses

text: are

text: empty

text: No

text: trucks

text: no

text: imports

text: no

text: exports

text: If

text: it

text: threatens

text: the

text: commercial

text: sea

text: lanes

text: that

text: 's

text: a

text: concern

text: because

text: if

text: ships

text: do

text: n't

text: come

text: in

text: and

text: ships

text: are

text: n't

text: able

text: to

text: go

text: out

text: that

text: stops

text: commerce

text: said

text: Donald

text: Allee

text: CEO

text: of

text: the

text: Mississippi

text: State

text: Port

text: Authority

text: WWL

text: Fishermen

text: try

text: to

text: help

text: contain

text: oil

text: slick

text: For

text: now

text: the

text: harbor

text: is

text: being

text: used

text: as

text: a

text: loading

text: point

text: for

text: hundreds

text: of

text: miles

text: of

text: booms

text: that

text: are

text: intended

text: to

text: defend

text: against

text: the

text: slick

text: 's

text: arrival

text: But

text: the

text: booms

text: may

text: not

text: protect

text: the

text: coast

text: any

text: more

text: than

text: the

text: levees

text: protected

text: New

text: Orleans

text: during

text: Katrina

text: Rough

text: seas

text: have

text: already

text: broken

text: apart

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: booms

text: WDSU

text: Rush

text: to

text: save

text: Lake

text: Pontchartrain

text: Meanwhile

text: Florida

text: Gov.

text: Charlie

text: Crist

text: on

text: Monday

text: extended

text: a

text: state

text: of

text: emergency

text: to

text: coastal

text: counties

text: in

text: his

text: state

text: and

text: said

text: he

text: might

text: extend

text: it

text: to

text: two

text: more

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: He

text: had

text: issued

text: an

text: emergency

text: declaration

text: last

text: week

text: for

text: six

text: counties

text: on

text: the

text: western

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: Florida

text: Panhandle

text: Monday

text: 's

text: declaration

text: added

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: the

text: Panhandle

text: and

text: counties

text: on

text: the

text: Gulf

text: Coast

text: of

text: the

text: main

text: Florida

text: peninsula

text: as

text: far

text: south

text: as

text: Sarasota

text: In

text: the

text: event

text: that

text: the

text: oil

text: does

text: come

text: to

text: our

text: shores

text: I

text: want

text: us

text: to

text: be

text: ahead

text: of

text: it

text: as

text: much

text: as

text: humanly

text: possible

text: he

text: told

text: reporters

text: Preparations

text: continue

text: on

text: strategies

text: to

text: stop

text: the

text: leak

text: though

text: each

text: plan

text: has

text: drawbacks

text: One

text: plan

text: is

text: to

text: lower

text: a

text: dome

text: over

text: the

text: wellhead

text: next

text: week

text: to

text: capture

text: the

text: spewing

text: oil

text: said

text: Florida

text: Secretary

text: of

text: Environmental

text: Protection

text: Michael

text: Sole

text: That

text: would

text: stop

text: the

text: flow

text: if

text: successful

text: he

text: said

text: Unfortunately

text: it

text: 's

text: never

text: been

text: tried

text: at

text: feet

text: below

text: the

text: surface

text: of

text: the

text: water

text: Officials

text: warn

text: of

text: possible

text: catastrophe

text: BP

text: also

text: is

text: having

text: a

text: contractor

text: drill

text: a

text: relief

text: well

text: that

text: would

text: allow

text: workers

text: to

text: plug

text: the

text: first

text: well

text: Unfortunately

text: that

text: 's

text: a

text: two-

text: to

text: three

text: month

text: operation

text: Sole

text: said

text: Interior

text: Secretary

text: Ken

text: Salazar

text: Homeland

text: Security

text: Secretary

text: Janet

text: Napolitano

text: and

text: other

text: Obama

text: White

text: House

text: officials

text: met

text: Monday

text: afternoon

text: with

text: Hayward

text: and

text: BP

text: America

text: President

text: Lamar

text: McKay

text: to

text: discuss

text: the

text: response

text: efforts

text: On

text: Sunday

text: federal

text: officials

text: banned

text: fishing

text: for

text: at

text: least

text: days

text: in

text: the

text: northern

text: Gulf

text: of

text: Mexico

text: from

text: the

text: mouth

text: of

text: the

text: Mississippi

text: River

text: in

text: Louisiana

text: to

text: waters

text: off

text: Florida

text: 's

text: Pensacola

text: Bay

text: The

text: Gulf

text: Coast

text: 's

text: commercial

text: fishing

text: industry

text: brings

text: in

text: about

text: billion

text: to

text: the

text: region

text: WDSU

text: Oil

text: spill

text: closes

text: fishing

text: waters

text: The

text: spill

text: cast

text: a

text: pall

text: over

text: the

text: annual

text: boat

text: blessing

text: ceremony

text: in

text: St.

text: Bernard

text: Louisiana

text: where

text: fishermen

text: have

text: observed

text: the

text: tradition

text: for

text: decades

text: to

text: usher

text: in

text: the

text: shrimp

text: season

text: On

text: Monday

text: Sen.

text: David

text: Vitter

text: R

text: Louisiana

text: joined

text: Plaquemines

text: Parish

text: President

text: Billy

text: Nungesser

text: on

text: a

text: conference

text: call

text: with

text: President

text: Obama

text: and

text: Coast

text: Guard

text: officials

text: Officials

text: are

text: fighting

text: the

text: spill

text: on

text: three

text: fronts

text: Napolitano

text: said

text: Monday

text: One

text: is

text: to

text: cap

text: the

text: well

text: that

text: is

text: leaking

text: the

text: oil

text: she

text: said

text: Authorities

text: are

text: also

text: fighting

text: the

text: slick

text: at

text: sea

text: before

text: it

text: reaches

text: land

text: and

text: preparing

text: to

text: clean

text: it

text: up

text: immediately

text: if

text: it

text: does

text: make

text: landfall

text: she

text: said

text: In

text: Venice

text: Louisiana

text: Obama

text: told

text: reporters

text: Sunday

text: that

text: his

text: administration

text: has

text: launched

text: a

text: relentless

text: response

text: to

text: the

text: spill

text: but

text: the

text: problem

text: might

text: not

text: be

text: solved

text: for

text: many

text: days

text: WDSU

text: Fishermen

text: to

text: help

text: oil

text: cleanup

text: The

text: oil

text: spill

text: started

text: April

text: after

text: an

text: explosion

text: on

text: BP

text: contractor

text: Transocean

text: Ltd.

text: 's

text: Deepwater

text: Horizon

text: drilling

text: platform

text: left

text: men

text: presumed

text: dead

text: The

text: spill

text: will

text: have

text: a

text: multidecade

text: impact

text: a

text: long

text: term

text: poisoning

text: of

text: the

text: area

text: said

text: Richard

text: Charter

text: of

text: the

text: environmental

text: group

text: Defenders

text: of

text: Wildlife

text: Booms

text: were

text: strung

text: across

text: the

text: mouths

text: of

text: delta

text: estuaries

text: in

text: Louisiana

text: and

text: inlets

text: along

text: the

text: Mississippi

text: coast

text: In

text: Alabama

text: National

text: Guard

text: troops

text: helped

text: lay

text: them

text: out

text: off

text: Dauphin

text: Island

text: at

text: the

text: southern

text: end

text: of

text: Mobile

text: Bay

text: The

text: cause

text: of

text: the

text: blast

text: remains

text: unknown

text: BP

text: says

text: a

text: device

text: known

text: as

text: a

text: blowout

text: preventer

text: failed

text: and

text: has

text: not

text: responded

text: to

text: repeated

text: attempts

text: to

text: activate

text: it

text: using

text: remotely

text: operated

text: submarines

text: How

text: the

text: oil

text: spill

text: crisis

text: could

text: affect

text: BP

text: Frustration

text: with

text: BP

text: has

text: been

text: growing

text: across

text: the

text: Gulf

text: states

text: and

text: Louisiana

text: Gov.

text: Bobby

text: Jindal

text: has

text: said

text: the

text: company

text: 's

text: response

text: has

text: been

text: inadequate

text: Some

text: vessels

text: including

text: skimmers

text: tugboats

text: and

text: nine

text: remotely

text: operated

text: underwater

text: vehicles

text: are

text: on

text: or

text: near

text: the

text: site

text: BP

text: 's

text: Chief

text: Operating

text: Officer

text: Douglas

text: Suttles

text: told

text: reporters

text: BP

text: spokeswoman

text: Marti

text: Powers

text: said

text: the

text: company

text: was

text: trying

text: to

text: use

text: the

text: submarines

text: to

text: activate

text: the

text: blowout

text: preventer

text: at

text: the

text: ocean

text: floor

text: and

text: spreading

text: dispersants

text: on

text: and

text: under

text: the

text: water

text: to

text: break

text: up

text: the

text: slick

text: The

text: company

text: has

text: put

text: out

text: about

text: feet

text: roughly

text: miles

text: of

text: floating

text: booms

text: to

text: keep

text: the

text: oil

text: away

text: from

text: ecologically

text: sensitive

text: shorelines

text: she

text: said

text: But

text: she

text: said

text: efforts

text: to

text: skim

text: oil

text: off

text: the

text: surface

text: were

text: put

text: off

text: because

text: of

text: bad

text: weather

text: Some

text: of

text: the

text: vessels

text: ca

text: n't

text: get

text: out

text: she

text: said

text: But

text: they

text: are

text: still

text: making

text: the

text: effort

text: CNN

text: 's

text: David

text: Mattingly

text: Ted

text: Barrett

text: Dana

text: Bash

text: Brian

text: Todd

text: Sarah

text: Hoye

text: Saeed

text: Ahmed

text: Mark

text: Biello

text: and

text: Richard

text: Lui

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: For how long has been oil slick?

answer: two weeks

text: two weeks

question: Who will administration officials meet with?

answer: Hayward and BP America President Lamar McKay

text: Hayward and BP America President Lamar McKay

question: On how many counties Florida governor extend emergency declaration?

answer: 13

question: For how long has fishing been banned?

answer: 10 days

text: 10 days

question: Who extended the emergency declaration?

answer: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

text: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

question: Where did the spill occur?

answer: oil well off Louisiana,

text: oil well off Louisiana,

question: How far away from the coast was the oil slick?

answer: 60 miles

text: 60 miles


text:
(CNN) -- France beat heroic 14-man Wales 9-8 in Auckland Saturday to reach the final of the Rugby World Cup.

The match was overshadowed by the 18th minute dismissal of Wales captain Sam Warburton for a dangerous tackle.

It looked to be a harsh decision by Irish referee Alain Rolland and tipped the match in France's favor although they had to withstand a late Welsh onslaught to maintain their slender lead.

Wales had led 3-0 through a James Hook penalty before losing their skipper, but a pair of Morgan Parra penalties put France 6-3 ahead at the interval.

He increased that lead to 9-3 with his third penalty early in the second half only for Wales to hit back through a clever solo try by scrum half Mike Phillips.

Stephen Jones, a second half replacement for Hook, missed the conversion as it hit the post before Wales had a second chance to take the lead in the closing moments.

Fortunate to win a penalty on the halfway line, Leigh Halfpenny's kick was accurate but dipped just under the posts.

Wales spent the remainder of the match with the bulk of possession but were unable to work an opening to leave the French to contemplate a final against either hosts New Zealand or Australia who play the second semifinal Sunday on the same ground.

But at the end, the main talking point was the crucial red card for Warburton, whose tackle on Vincent Clerc lifted the French wing off his feet as he released a pass.

Blog: Why New Zealand must win the World Cup

Rolland believed the infringement merited dismissal rather than a sin-bin offense or warning but former World Cup winning captain Francois Pienaar of South Africa thought otherwise. "It was a dangerous tackle, yes. Never a red card," he told ITV Sport.

"It killed the game," he added.

Warburton, who could miss next Friday's third place playoff match, was also amazed to have been sent off.

"I'm gutted. There was no malicious intent. I thought it was a normal tackle, the next thing I was walking off into the stands."

Wales have made only one previous appearance in the World Cup semifinals, losing 49-6 to New Zealand in Brisbane in 1987, but also had a man, Huw Richards, sent off in the defeat.

French coach Marc Lievremont praised the "amazingly brave" Wales, but believed Rolland, the 2007 World Cup final referee, had little choice but to dismiss Warburton.

"I don't care at all whether it was a good match or not, whether the Welsh deserve to be in the final, we have qualified for the final and that's all that counts."

Interest in the opening semifinal was intense and 60,000 fans crammed into the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to watch their Welsh heroes on giant big screens.

They trailed away disappointed, but the intensity is set to step up a gear for the clash between Tasman rivals New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry believes the match his side's "biggest in 10 years" as they bid to win the World Cup for only the second time after a series of near misses.

Australia have improved after an opening pool defeat to Ireland, but will be without full-back Kurtley Beale, who has lost his race to be fit for the last four clash.

text: CNN

text: France

text: beat

text: heroic

text: Wales

text: in

text: Auckland

text: Saturday

text: to

text: reach

text: the

text: final

text: of

text: the

text: Rugby

text: World

text: Cup

text: The

text: match

text: was

text: overshadowed

text: by

text: the

text: minute

text: dismissal

text: of

text: Wales

text: captain

text: Sam

text: Warburton

text: for

text: a

text: dangerous

text: tackle

text: It

text: looked

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: harsh

text: decision

text: by

text: Irish

text: referee

text: Alain

text: Rolland

text: and

text: tipped

text: the

text: match

text: in

text: France

text: 's

text: favor

text: although

text: they

text: had

text: to

text: withstand

text: a

text: late

text: Welsh

text: onslaught

text: to

text: maintain

text: their

text: slender

text: lead

text: Wales

text: had

text: led

text: through

text: a

text: James

text: Hook

text: penalty

text: before

text: losing

text: their

text: skipper

text: but

text: a

text: pair

text: of

text: Morgan

text: Parra

text: penalties

text: put

text: France

text: ahead

text: at

text: the

text: interval

text: He

text: increased

text: that

text: lead

text: to

text: with

text: his

text: third

text: penalty

text: early

text: in

text: the

text: second

text: half

text: only

text: for

text: Wales

text: to

text: hit

text: back

text: through

text: a

text: clever

text: solo

text: try

text: by

text: scrum

text: half

text: Mike

text: Phillips

text: Stephen

text: Jones

text: a

text: second

text: half

text: replacement

text: for

text: Hook

text: missed

text: the

text: conversion

text: as

text: it

text: hit

text: the

text: post

text: before

text: Wales

text: had

text: a

text: second

text: chance

text: to

text: take

text: the

text: lead

text: in

text: the

text: closing

text: moments

text: Fortunate

text: to

text: win

text: a

text: penalty

text: on

text: the

text: halfway

text: line

text: Leigh

text: Halfpenny

text: 's

text: kick

text: was

text: accurate

text: but

text: dipped

text: just

text: under

text: the

text: posts

text: Wales

text: spent

text: the

text: remainder

text: of

text: the

text: match

text: with

text: the

text: bulk

text: of

text: possession

text: but

text: were

text: unable

text: to

text: work

text: an

text: opening

text: to

text: leave

text: the

text: French

text: to

text: contemplate

text: a

text: final

text: against

text: either

text: hosts

text: New

text: Zealand

text: or

text: Australia

text: who

text: play

text: the

text: second

text: semifinal

text: Sunday

text: on

text: the

text: same

text: ground

text: But

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: the

text: main

text: talking

text: point

text: was

text: the

text: crucial

text: red

text: card

text: for

text: Warburton

text: whose

text: tackle

text: on

text: Vincent

text: Clerc

text: lifted

text: the

text: French

text: wing

text: off

text: his

text: feet

text: as

text: he

text: released

text: a

text: pass

text: Blog

text: Why

text: New

text: Zealand

text: must

text: win

text: the

text: World

text: Cup

text: Rolland

text: believed

text: the

text: infringement

text: merited

text: dismissal

text: rather

text: than

text: a

text: sin

text: bin

text: offense

text: or

text: warning

text: but

text: former

text: World

text: Cup

text: winning

text: captain

text: Francois

text: Pienaar

text: of

text: South

text: Africa

text: thought

text: otherwise

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: dangerous

text: tackle

text: yes

text: Never

text: a

text: red

text: card

text: he

text: told

text: ITV

text: Sport

text: It

text: killed

text: the

text: game

text: he

text: added

text: Warburton

text: who

text: could

text: miss

text: next

text: Friday

text: 's

text: third

text: place

text: playoff

text: match

text: was

text: also

text: amazed

text: to

text: have

text: been

text: sent

text: off

text: I

text: 'm

text: gutted

text: There

text: was

text: no

text: malicious

text: intent

text: I

text: thought

text: it

text: was

text: a

text: normal

text: tackle

text: the

text: next

text: thing

text: I

text: was

text: walking

text: off

text: into

text: the

text: stands

text: Wales

text: have

text: made

text: only

text: one

text: previous

text: appearance

text: in

text: the

text: World

text: Cup

text: semifinals

text: losing

text: to

text: New

text: Zealand

text: in

text: Brisbane

text: in

text: but

text: also

text: had

text: a

text: man

text: Huw

text: Richards

text: sent

text: off

text: in

text: the

text: defeat

text: French

text: coach

text: Marc

text: Lievremont

text: praised

text: the

text: amazingly

text: brave

text: Wales

text: but

text: believed

text: Rolland

text: the

text: World

text: Cup

text: final

text: referee

text: had

text: little

text: choice

text: but

text: to

text: dismiss

text: Warburton

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: care

text: at

text: all

text: whether

text: it

text: was

text: a

text: good

text: match

text: or

text: not

text: whether

text: the

text: Welsh

text: deserve

text: to

text: be

text: in

text: the

text: final

text: we

text: have

text: qualified

text: for

text: the

text: final

text: and

text: that

text: 's

text: all

text: that

text: counts

text: Interest

text: in

text: the

text: opening

text: semifinal

text: was

text: intense

text: and

text: fans

text: crammed

text: into

text: the

text: Millennium

text: Stadium

text: in

text: Cardiff

text: to

text: watch

text: their

text: Welsh

text: heroes

text: on

text: giant

text: big

text: screens

text: They

text: trailed

text: away

text: disappointed

text: but

text: the

text: intensity

text: is

text: set

text: to

text: step

text: up

text: a

text: gear

text: for

text: the

text: clash

text: between

text: Tasman

text: rivals

text: New

text: Zealand

text: and

text: Australia

text: at

text: Eden

text: Park

text: All

text: Blacks

text: coach

text: Graham

text: Henry

text: believes

text: the

text: match

text: his

text: side

text: 's

text: biggest

text: in

text: years

text: as

text: they

text: bid

text: to

text: win

text: the

text: World

text: Cup

text: for

text: only

text: the

text: second

text: time

text: after

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: near

text: misses

text: Australia

text: have

text: improved

text: after

text: an

text: opening

text: pool

text: defeat

text: to

text: Ireland

text: but

text: will

text: be

text: without

text: full

text: back

text: Kurtley

text: Beale

text: who

text: has

text: lost

text: his

text: race

text: to

text: be

text: fit

text: for

text: the

text: last

text: four

text: clash

question: who is Wales captain?

answer: Sam Warburton

text: Sam Warburton

question: Where was the semi final rugby world cup held?

answer: Auckland

text: Auckland

question: What was Sam Warburton sent off for?

answer: dangerous tackle.

text: dangerous tackle.

question: who beat Wales?

answer: France

text: France

question: who did beat Wales 9-8 in semifinal of Rugby?

answer: France

text: France

question: What team does New Zealand play on Sunday?

answer: Australia

text: Australia


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iran may be holding a former FBI agent in a bid to exchange him for Iranians seized by U.S. troops in Iraq in 2007, a U.S. senator suggested Tuesday.

Christine Levinson, wife of Robert Levinson, went to Tehran in 2007 to try to learn her husband's fate.

Robert Levinson disappeared from Iran's Kish Island in March 2007. Iranian authorities have repeatedly said they don't have any information on him, but that is widely doubted in the United States.

"On several diplomatic occasions when Bob Levinson's name has been brought up to Iranian officials, the standard answer is, 'We don't know anything about that.' But the next thing out of the Iranian officials' mouths are to discuss the matter of the Iranians held by the Americans in Irbil, Iraq," Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, told reporters. "You can draw your own conclusions."

U.S. troops arrested five Iranians accused of being members of an elite Iranian military unit during a January 2007 raid in the Kurdish city of Irbil. They were accused of supporting Shiite militias in Iraq, but Iran said they were diplomats and accused the United States of violating international law by raiding a consulate.

The United States said the men were taken at a liaison office that lacks diplomatic status. Two were released the next November.

Nelson and Florida Democratic Rep. Robert Wexler, whose district includes Levinson's Coral Springs home, are trying to jump-start efforts to find the missing man. Wexler said Iranian authorities have not assisted the Levinsons, saying they have "zero knowledge" of his whereabouts and are stonewalling "any effort to gain pertinent information."

Levinson's wife, Christine, said her husband was working as a private investigator on a cigarette smuggling case when he disappeared.

"It's been extremely difficult for my family," she said. "We hope to resolve this as soon as possible."

Wexler and Nelson said they plan to introduce legislation in their respective houses calling on Iran to cooperate with the United States and come up with information about Levinson. Nelson said Iran could use Levinson's case as a show of good will toward the incoming Obama administration, which has said it wants to engage Iran after three decades without diplomatic relations.

"We hope that Iran will take this moment in time to show a change in the relationship with the United States by doing this humanitarian gesture for this family," he said.

In a January 22 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Wexler asked that the case be raised "at the highest levels." Nelson raised Levinson's status during Clinton's confirmation hearing.

Nelson said the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has discussed Levinson's case with him under the "fiction" that he represents the people of Florida, not the U.S. government. But he said the Iranians have never acknowledged holding the former federal agent.

Levinson had been working as a private investigator in Dubai and was last heard from on March 8, 2007. His family said he checked into a hotel on Kish Island and then checked out the next day to go back to the United States, but he never boarded his flight.

Levinson family members have met with local Iranian officials and have traveled to Iran to retrace his steps. Christine Levinson also flew to the United Nations in September to ask questions about her husband, whom she says suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. The family has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his safe return.

The State Department and FBI have consistently denied Levinson was working for the government and have demanded Iran free Levinson -- if it is holding him. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. government has called on Iran to provide more information about the matter "for some time."

"His family's extremely concerned, as you can understand, that no information has been forthcoming," Wood said. "So, again, we call on the Iranians to provide whatever information they have on Mr. Levinson so that we can hopefully return this gentleman to his family."

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: Iran

text: may

text: be

text: holding

text: a

text: former

text: FBI

text: agent

text: in

text: a

text: bid

text: to

text: exchange

text: him

text: for

text: Iranians

text: seized

text: by

text: U.S.

text: troops

text: in

text: Iraq

text: in

text: a

text: U.S.

text: senator

text: suggested

text: Tuesday

text: Christine

text: Levinson

text: wife

text: of

text: Robert

text: Levinson

text: went

text: to

text: Tehran

text: in

text: to

text: try

text: to

text: learn

text: her

text: husband

text: 's

text: fate

text: Robert

text: Levinson

text: disappeared

text: from

text: Iran

text: 's

text: Kish

text: Island

text: in

text: March

text: Iranian

text: authorities

text: have

text: repeatedly

text: said

text: they

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: any

text: information

text: on

text: him

text: but

text: that

text: is

text: widely

text: doubted

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: On

text: several

text: diplomatic

text: occasions

text: when

text: Bob

text: Levinson

text: 's

text: name

text: has

text: been

text: brought

text: up

text: to

text: Iranian

text: officials

text: the

text: standard

text: answer

text: is

text: We

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: anything

text: about

text: that

text: But

text: the

text: next

text: thing

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: Iranian

text: officials

text: mouths

text: are

text: to

text: discuss

text: the

text: matter

text: of

text: the

text: Iranians

text: held

text: by

text: the

text: Americans

text: in

text: Irbil

text: Iraq

text: Sen.

text: Bill

text: Nelson

text: D

text: Florida

text: told

text: reporters

text: You

text: can

text: draw

text: your

text: own

text: conclusions

text: U.S.

text: troops

text: arrested

text: five

text: Iranians

text: accused

text: of

text: being

text: members

text: of

text: an

text: elite

text: Iranian

text: military

text: unit

text: during

text: a

text: January

text: raid

text: in

text: the

text: Kurdish

text: city

text: of

text: Irbil

text: They

text: were

text: accused

text: of

text: supporting

text: Shiite

text: militias

text: in

text: Iraq

text: but

text: Iran

text: said

text: they

text: were

text: diplomats

text: and

text: accused

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: of

text: violating

text: international

text: law

text: by

text: raiding

text: a

text: consulate

text: The

text: United

text: States

text: said

text: the

text: men

text: were

text: taken

text: at

text: a

text: liaison

text: office

text: that

text: lacks

text: diplomatic

text: status

text: Two

text: were

text: released

text: the

text: next

text: November

text: Nelson

text: and

text: Florida

text: Democratic

text: Rep.

text: Robert

text: Wexler

text: whose

text: district

text: includes

text: Levinson

text: 's

text: Coral

text: Springs

text: home

text: are

text: trying

text: to

text: jump

text: start

text: efforts

text: to

text: find

text: the

text: missing

text: man

text: Wexler

text: said

text: Iranian

text: authorities

text: have

text: not

text: assisted

text: the

text: Levinsons

text: saying

text: they

text: have

text: zero

text: knowledge

text: of

text: his

text: whereabouts

text: and

text: are

text: stonewalling

text: any

text: effort

text: to

text: gain

text: pertinent

text: information

text: Levinson

text: 's

text: wife

text: Christine

text: said

text: her

text: husband

text: was

text: working

text: as

text: a

text: private

text: investigator

text: on

text: a

text: cigarette

text: smuggling

text: case

text: when

text: he

text: disappeared

text: It

text: 's

text: been

text: extremely

text: difficult

text: for

text: my

text: family

text: she

text: said

text: We

text: hope

text: to

text: resolve

text: this

text: as

text: soon

text: as

text: possible

text: Wexler

text: and

text: Nelson

text: said

text: they

text: plan

text: to

text: introduce

text: legislation

text: in

text: their

text: respective

text: houses

text: calling

text: on

text: Iran

text: to

text: cooperate

text: with

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: and

text: come

text: up

text: with

text: information

text: about

text: Levinson

text: Nelson

text: said

text: Iran

text: could

text: use

text: Levinson

text: 's

text: case

text: as

text: a

text: show

text: of

text: good

text: will

text: toward

text: the

text: incoming

text: Obama

text: administration

text: which

text: has

text: said

text: it

text: wants

text: to

text: engage

text: Iran

text: after

text: three

text: decades

text: without

text: diplomatic

text: relations

text: We

text: hope

text: that

text: Iran

text: will

text: take

text: this

text: moment

text: in

text: time

text: to

text: show

text: a

text: change

text: in

text: the

text: relationship

text: with

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: by

text: doing

text: this

text: humanitarian

text: gesture

text: for

text: this

text: family

text: he

text: said

text: In

text: a

text: January

text: letter

text: to

text: Secretary

text: of

text: State

text: Hillary

text: Clinton

text: Wexler

text: asked

text: that

text: the

text: case

text: be

text: raised

text: at

text: the

text: highest

text: levels

text: Nelson

text: raised

text: Levinson

text: 's

text: status

text: during

text: Clinton

text: 's

text: confirmation

text: hearing

text: Nelson

text: said

text: the

text: Iranian

text: ambassador

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: Nations

text: has

text: discussed

text: Levinson

text: 's

text: case

text: with

text: him

text: under

text: the

text: fiction

text: that

text: he

text: represents

text: the

text: people

text: of

text: Florida

text: not

text: the

text: U.S.

text: government

text: But

text: he

text: said

text: the

text: Iranians

text: have

text: never

text: acknowledged

text: holding

text: the

text: former

text: federal

text: agent

text: Levinson

text: had

text: been

text: working

text: as

text: a

text: private

text: investigator

text: in

text: Dubai

text: and

text: was

text: last

text: heard

text: from

text: on

text: March

text: His

text: family

text: said

text: he

text: checked

text: into

text: a

text: hotel

text: on

text: Kish

text: Island

text: and

text: then

text: checked

text: out

text: the

text: next

text: day

text: to

text: go

text: back

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: but

text: he

text: never

text: boarded

text: his

text: flight

text: Levinson

text: family

text: members

text: have

text: met

text: with

text: local

text: Iranian

text: officials

text: and

text: have

text: traveled

text: to

text: Iran

text: to

text: retrace

text: his

text: steps

text: Christine

text: Levinson

text: also

text: flew

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: Nations

text: in

text: September

text: to

text: ask

text: questions

text: about

text: her

text: husband

text: whom

text: she

text: says

text: suffers

text: from

text: diabetes

text: and

text: high

text: blood

text: pressure

text: The

text: family

text: has

text: offered

text: a

text: reward

text: for

text: information

text: leading

text: to

text: his

text: safe

text: return

text: The

text: State

text: Department

text: and

text: FBI

text: have

text: consistently

text: denied

text: Levinson

text: was

text: working

text: for

text: the

text: government

text: and

text: have

text: demanded

text: Iran

text: free

text: Levinson

text: if

text: it

text: is

text: holding

text: him

text: State

text: Department

text: spokesman

text: Robert

text: Wood

text: said

text: the

text: U.S.

text: government

text: has

text: called

text: on

text: Iran

text: to

text: provide

text: more

text: information

text: about

text: the

text: matter

text: for

text: some

text: time

text: His

text: family

text: 's

text: extremely

text: concerned

text: as

text: you

text: can

text: understand

text: that

text: no

text: information

text: has

text: been

text: forthcoming

text: Wood

text: said

text: So

text: again

text: we

text: call

text: on

text: the

text: Iranians

text: to

text: provide

text: whatever

text: information

text: they

text: have

text: on

text: Mr.

text: Levinson

text: so

text: that

text: we

text: can

text: hopefully

text: return

text: this

text: gentleman

text: to

text: his

text: family

question: Who has been missing nearly two years?

answer: Robert Levinson

text: Robert Levinson

question: Who disapeared almost two years ago?

answer: Robert Levinson

text: Robert Levinson

question: Who seeks new attention from Obama administration?

answer: Christine Levinson,

text: Christine Levinson,

question: What does the Florida congressman and senator seek?

answer: bid to exchange him for Iranians

text: bid to exchange him for Iranians

question: Who disappeared almost two years ago?

answer: Robert Levinson

text: Robert Levinson

question: Where did Levinson vanish from?

answer: Iran's Kish Island

text: Iran's Kish Island

question: How long ago  did Levinson disappear?

answer: March 2007.

text: March 2007.

question: Where did Levinson disappear from?

answer: Kish Island

text: Kish Island

question: What did the Iranians say?

answer: 'We don't know anything about that.'

text: 'We don't know anything about that.'

question: How much knowledge do Iranians say they have about Levinson's whereabouts?

answer: "zero knowledge"

text: "zero knowledge"

question: What senator is seeking attention from the White House?

answer: Sen. Bill Nelson,

text: Sen. Bill Nelson,

question: What did the Iranians say about missing man?

answer: "zero knowledge"

text: "zero knowledge"