text:
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of children worldwide are thought to be working full-time on tobacco farms, suffering from toxic levels of nicotine exposure and abusive labor conditions.

Children as young as five-years-old work on tobacco farms in Malawi, according to Plan International.

In Malawi alone there are an estimated 78,000 boys and girls employed in tobacco harvesting. On average they earn 17 cents for a 12-hour day of back-breaking, bare-handed work, according to a recent report from Plan International.

Handling burley tobacco leaves without gloves, in unwashed clothes and rarely bathing, these children can absorb the same amount of nicotine in one day of harvesting that they would from smoking 50 cigarettes.

"Sometimes it feels like you don't have enough breath...You reach a point where you cannot breathe because of the pain in your chest. Then the blood comes when you vomit. At the end, most of this dies and then you remain with a headache," the report quoted one child describing how he felt at the end of the day.

See pictures of Malawi's child tobacco farmers Â»

"Nicotine is water soluble and can enter via the skin, so if it has recently rained, or there is heavy dew, the nicotine migrates into the water on the leaf. If that water gets on to your shirt it essentially becomes a giant nicotine patch," explained Henry Spiller of the Kentucky Regional Poison Center.

After reading the Plan report, Spiller, who has researched Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS) in children working on tobacco farms in the U.S., told CNN that the Malawi children's symptoms were "absolutely" consistent with GTS.

The Minister of Labor for Malawi, Yunnus Mussa, has denied the findings of the Plan report and told CNN their figures were "absolute trash."

According to Mussa, the government has been hard at work with UNICEF for the past two years to eliminate child labor and has made substantial progress. "No estate-owner has ever employed children age five to 14," he added.

In 2007 UNICEF estimated that 29 percent of children ages five to 14-years-old in Malawi worked, and that the majority of those children worked in agriculture.

There are more than 30,000 smallholder farmers in tobacco production and the crop contributes 70 percent of foreign exchange and 30 percent of GDP, according to the government Web site.

Figures aside, the pictures speak for themselves, showing that the danger of nicotine poisoning is real and that better regulation and monitoring is needed.

"There are a couple of things that could prevent this, like you should wash or change shirts," Spiller said, citing a study in which sweat rung out from tobacco workers' shirts contained up to 98mcg/mL of nicotine.

As well as exploitative conditions, the children described repeated physical and sexual abuse from their supervisors.

Many of the kids also complained of "sticky stuff" from the stalks that they could not wash off their hands because they had no access to soap or water, according to Glynis Clacherty, who interviewed the children first-hand for the Plan report.

"We are busy working and we don't have time to go for bathing, so we develop those sores," one 15-year-old girl told Clacherty.

The 44 children she interviewed were working full-time on both large estates and small family farms, but none were working for their own families, and 36 of them were orphans. The main reason the children gave for working was poverty: lack of food, clothing or money to go to school were frequently cited.

"A lot think it's fine for children to work. They don't see the dangers of the pesticides or the opportunity cost of not going to school," said Susan Gunn, an expert in hazardous child labor at the International Labor Organization (ILO), referring to farmers in East Africa.

"The new globalization of agriculture has a tendency to increase the demand for child labor," explained Gunn.

When you have growers that are working under contract to larger companies, in industries such as tobacco, sugar or flowers, the contract is made with the adults, who in turn use their families to reach a quota or get a livable income."

In recent years multinational tobacco corporations have been rapidly shifting farming production away from rich countries like the United States. Nearly 75 percent of tobacco production is now done in developing countries such as Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, China, Brazil and India.

Re-location to poorer states by multinational firms increases the demand for all types of labor their, not just that of children, according to Professor Margaret McMillan of Tufts University. If anything, she argues, increased investment can actually bring higher salaries and improved monitoring of abuse.

"If children are working in the tobacco fields, they are probably very poor and the alternatives could be even worse," she said. "I firmly believe that engagement by international corporations in African agriculture must happen, but they should be monitored on all fronts."

Today UNICEF, the ILO, Plan and others all remain active in Malawi, working with the government to develop links between the ministries of labor and agriculture to end child labor on tobacco farms.

Since the report came out in August, Plan International told CNN in an email that "the government has been constructive in their response and are discussing/looking to work with Plan to conduct a national survey to gauge the true scale of the issue and better enforcement of existing child labor laws."

text: LONDON

text: England

text: CNN

text: Hundreds

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: children

text: worldwide

text: are

text: thought

text: to

text: be

text: working

text: full

text: time

text: on

text: tobacco

text: farms

text: suffering

text: from

text: toxic

text: levels

text: of

text: nicotine

text: exposure

text: and

text: abusive

text: labor

text: conditions

text: Children

text: as

text: young

text: as

text: five

text: years

text: old

text: work

text: on

text: tobacco

text: farms

text: in

text: Malawi

text: according

text: to

text: Plan

text: International

text: In

text: Malawi

text: alone

text: there

text: are

text: an

text: estimated

text: boys

text: and

text: girls

text: employed

text: in

text: tobacco

text: harvesting

text: On

text: average

text: they

text: earn

text: cents

text: for

text: a

text: day

text: of

text: back

text: breaking

text: bare

text: handed

text: work

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: recent

text: report

text: from

text: Plan

text: International

text: Handling

text: burley

text: tobacco

text: leaves

text: without

text: gloves

text: in

text: unwashed

text: clothes

text: and

text: rarely

text: bathing

text: these

text: children

text: can

text: absorb

text: the

text: same

text: amount

text: of

text: nicotine

text: in

text: one

text: day

text: of

text: harvesting

text: that

text: they

text: would

text: from

text: smoking

text: cigarettes

text: Sometimes

text: it

text: feels

text: like

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: enough

text: breath

text: You

text: reach

text: a

text: point

text: where

text: you

text: can

text: not

text: breathe

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: pain

text: in

text: your

text: chest

text: Then

text: the

text: blood

text: comes

text: when

text: you

text: vomit

text: At

text: the

text: end

text: most

text: of

text: this

text: dies

text: and

text: then

text: you

text: remain

text: with

text: a

text: headache

text: the

text: report

text: quoted

text: one

text: child

text: describing

text: how

text: he

text: felt

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: day

text: See

text: pictures

text: of

text: Malawi

text: 's

text: child

text: tobacco

text: farmers

text: Â

text: Nicotine

text: is

text: water

text: soluble

text: and

text: can

text: enter

text: via

text: the

text: skin

text: so

text: if

text: it

text: has

text: recently

text: rained

text: or

text: there

text: is

text: heavy

text: dew

text: the

text: nicotine

text: migrates

text: into

text: the

text: water

text: on

text: the

text: leaf

text: If

text: that

text: water

text: gets

text: on

text: to

text: your

text: shirt

text: it

text: essentially

text: becomes

text: a

text: giant

text: nicotine

text: patch

text: explained

text: Henry

text: Spiller

text: of

text: the

text: Kentucky

text: Regional

text: Poison

text: Center

text: After

text: reading

text: the

text: Plan

text: report

text: Spiller

text: who

text: has

text: researched

text: Green

text: Tobacco

text: Sickness

text: GTS

text: in

text: children

text: working

text: on

text: tobacco

text: farms

text: in

text: the

text: U.S.

text: told

text: CNN

text: that

text: the

text: Malawi

text: children

text: 's

text: symptoms

text: were

text: absolutely

text: consistent

text: with

text: GTS

text: The

text: Minister

text: of

text: Labor

text: for

text: Malawi

text: Yunnus

text: Mussa

text: has

text: denied

text: the

text: findings

text: of

text: the

text: Plan

text: report

text: and

text: told

text: CNN

text: their

text: figures

text: were

text: absolute

text: trash

text: According

text: to

text: Mussa

text: the

text: government

text: has

text: been

text: hard

text: at

text: work

text: with

text: UNICEF

text: for

text: the

text: past

text: two

text: years

text: to

text: eliminate

text: child

text: labor

text: and

text: has

text: made

text: substantial

text: progress

text: No

text: estate

text: owner

text: has

text: ever

text: employed

text: children

text: age

text: five

text: to

text: he

text: added

text: In

text: UNICEF

text: estimated

text: that

text: percent

text: of

text: children

text: ages

text: five

text: to

text: old

text: in

text: Malawi

text: worked

text: and

text: that

text: the

text: majority

text: of

text: those

text: children

text: worked

text: in

text: agriculture

text: There

text: are

text: more

text: than

text: smallholder

text: farmers

text: in

text: tobacco

text: production

text: and

text: the

text: crop

text: contributes

text: percent

text: of

text: foreign

text: exchange

text: and

text: percent

text: of

text: GDP

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: government

text: Web

text: site

text: Figures

text: aside

text: the

text: pictures

text: speak

text: for

text: themselves

text: showing

text: that

text: the

text: danger

text: of

text: nicotine

text: poisoning

text: is

text: real

text: and

text: that

text: better

text: regulation

text: and

text: monitoring

text: is

text: needed

text: There

text: are

text: a

text: couple

text: of

text: things

text: that

text: could

text: prevent

text: this

text: like

text: you

text: should

text: wash

text: or

text: change

text: shirts

text: Spiller

text: said

text: citing

text: a

text: study

text: in

text: which

text: sweat

text: rung

text: out

text: from

text: tobacco

text: workers

text: shirts

text: contained

text: up

text: to

text: mL

text: of

text: nicotine

text: As

text: well

text: as

text: exploitative

text: conditions

text: the

text: children

text: described

text: repeated

text: physical

text: and

text: sexual

text: abuse

text: from

text: their

text: supervisors

text: Many

text: of

text: the

text: kids

text: also

text: complained

text: of

text: sticky

text: stuff

text: from

text: the

text: stalks

text: that

text: they

text: could

text: not

text: wash

text: off

text: their

text: hands

text: because

text: they

text: had

text: no

text: access

text: to

text: soap

text: or

text: water

text: according

text: to

text: Glynis

text: Clacherty

text: who

text: interviewed

text: the

text: children

text: first

text: hand

text: for

text: the

text: Plan

text: report

text: We

text: are

text: busy

text: working

text: and

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: time

text: to

text: go

text: for

text: bathing

text: so

text: we

text: develop

text: those

text: sores

text: one

text: old

text: girl

text: told

text: Clacherty

text: The

text: children

text: she

text: interviewed

text: were

text: working

text: full

text: time

text: on

text: both

text: large

text: estates

text: and

text: small

text: family

text: farms

text: but

text: were

text: working

text: for

text: their

text: own

text: families

text: and

text: of

text: them

text: were

text: orphans

text: The

text: main

text: reason

text: the

text: children

text: gave

text: for

text: working

text: was

text: poverty

text: lack

text: of

text: food

text: clothing

text: or

text: money

text: to

text: go

text: to

text: school

text: were

text: frequently

text: cited

text: A

text: lot

text: think

text: it

text: 's

text: fine

text: for

text: children

text: to

text: work

text: They

text: do

text: n't

text: see

text: the

text: dangers

text: of

text: the

text: pesticides

text: or

text: the

text: opportunity

text: cost

text: of

text: not

text: going

text: to

text: school

text: said

text: Susan

text: Gunn

text: an

text: expert

text: in

text: hazardous

text: child

text: labor

text: at

text: the

text: International

text: Labor

text: Organization

text: ILO

text: referring

text: to

text: farmers

text: in

text: East

text: Africa

text: The

text: new

text: globalization

text: of

text: agriculture

text: has

text: a

text: tendency

text: to

text: increase

text: the

text: demand

text: for

text: child

text: labor

text: explained

text: Gunn

text: When

text: you

text: have

text: growers

text: that

text: are

text: working

text: under

text: contract

text: to

text: larger

text: companies

text: in

text: industries

text: such

text: as

text: tobacco

text: sugar

text: or

text: flowers

text: the

text: contract

text: is

text: made

text: with

text: the

text: adults

text: who

text: in

text: turn

text: use

text: their

text: families

text: to

text: reach

text: a

text: quota

text: or

text: get

text: a

text: livable

text: income

text: In

text: recent

text: years

text: multinational

text: tobacco

text: corporations

text: have

text: been

text: rapidly

text: shifting

text: farming

text: production

text: away

text: from

text: rich

text: countries

text: like

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: Nearly

text: percent

text: of

text: tobacco

text: production

text: is

text: now

text: done

text: in

text: developing

text: countries

text: such

text: as

text: Malawi

text: Tanzania

text: Zimbabwe

text: China

text: Brazil

text: and

text: India

text: Re

text: location

text: to

text: poorer

text: states

text: by

text: multinational

text: firms

text: increases

text: the

text: demand

text: for

text: all

text: types

text: of

text: labor

text: their

text: not

text: just

text: that

text: of

text: children

text: according

text: to

text: Professor

text: Margaret

text: McMillan

text: of

text: Tufts

text: University

text: If

text: anything

text: she

text: argues

text: increased

text: investment

text: can

text: actually

text: bring

text: higher

text: salaries

text: and

text: improved

text: monitoring

text: of

text: abuse

text: If

text: children

text: are

text: working

text: in

text: the

text: tobacco

text: fields

text: they

text: are

text: probably

text: very

text: poor

text: and

text: the

text: alternatives

text: could

text: be

text: even

text: worse

text: she

text: said

text: I

text: firmly

text: believe

text: that

text: engagement

text: by

text: international

text: corporations

text: in

text: African

text: agriculture

text: must

text: happen

text: but

text: they

text: should

text: be

text: monitored

text: on

text: all

text: fronts

text: Today

text: UNICEF

text: the

text: ILO

text: Plan

text: and

text: others

text: all

text: remain

text: active

text: in

text: Malawi

text: working

text: with

text: the

text: government

text: to

text: develop

text: links

text: between

text: the

text: ministries

text: of

text: labor

text: and

text: agriculture

text: to

text: end

text: child

text: labor

text: on

text: tobacco

text: farms

text: Since

text: the

text: report

text: came

text: out

text: in

text: August

text: Plan

text: International

text: told

text: CNN

text: in

text: an

text: email

text: that

text: the

text: government

text: has

text: been

text: constructive

text: in

text: their

text: response

text: and

text: are

text: discussing

text: looking

text: to

text: work

text: with

text: Plan

text: to

text: conduct

text: a

text: national

text: survey

text: to

text: gauge

text: the

text: true

text: scale

text: of

text: the

text: issue

text: and

text: better

text: enforcement

text: of

text: existing

text: child

text: labor

text: laws

question: What amount of nicotine can children absorb on wet days

answer: 50 cigarettes.

text: 50 cigarettes.

question: what can children absorb

answer: the same amount of nicotine in one day of harvesting that they would from smoking 50 cigarettes.

text: the same amount of nicotine in one day of harvesting that they would from smoking 50 cigarettes.

question: What does Green tobacco sickness feel like?

answer: you don't have enough breath...You

text: you don't have enough breath...You


text:
(CNN) -- The powerful Service Employees International Union has decided that, because of the $700 billion financial-system bailout, it wants to organize bank workers.

Banks that get taxpayer money need to "ensure their workers have a voice," a union spokeswoman says.

In an e-mail dated November 12 and obtained exclusively by CNN, a member of SEIU's Private Equity Project outlined initial discussions to organize bank workers "since the banking industry is now being infused with billions of taxpayer dollars."

The e-mail was written by SEIU's Inga Skippings to the director of the Washington office of the Association of Community Organizing for Reform Now (ACORN), a longtime ally and partner of the union.

"We need to get a handle on who these workers are, working conditions, etc.," Skippings wrote.

"Do you have ACORN members who work for banks or Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae? Is there anyway [sic] you could check? The banks we're most concerned about are:

-- Fannie Mae  -- Freddie Mac  -- Chevy Chase/B.F.Saul  -- BB&T  -- SunTrust  -- Bank of America/Countrywide  -- Wachovia/Wells Fargo  -- PNC Bank/National City  -- Citigroup

"Please let me know and if you have other suggestions, I'd love to hear them."

Skippings referred questions to a union spokeswoman, who confirmed the authenticity of the e-mail and that the union is considering targeting the banks for unionizing.

"We believe there is special responsibility for companies who receive taxpayer dollars to ensure their workers have a voice on the job," SEIU's Lynda Tran said. "And those workers should have a seat at the table at the companies where decisions that impact the future of their families and the companies that employ them" are made.

"We are talking to workers really broadly in banking," she said.

SEIU is the fastest-growing trade union in North America, according to its own Web site, with a membership of more than 2 million, including health-care industry workers and state and local government employees. It also represents guards and janitors who work in commercial and residential properties.

And its clout continues to grow. SEIU's $85 million in political donations made it the single-largest contributor to either party in the recent elections. The union worked vigorously for the election of Barack Obama, who has named a former union official as his White House political director, a post once held in the Bush administration by Karl Rove.

The official, Patrick Gaspard, formerly was executive vice president of politics and legislation for Local 1199, the SEIU's United Healthcare Workers East.

SEIU, which broke away from the AFL-CIO in 2005, is known for its successful but sometimes controversial tactics: It often targets private equity groups' leaders, as well as banks and companies, with loud and demonstrative rallies. The union's hierarchy has made no secret it hopes to grow under the incoming Democratic administration.

"I would say that we've been very vocal about the optimism about the new administration," SEIU's Tran said. "There are a number of newly elected members of Congress who agree with us on matters relating to working families."

One labor professor said SEIU's timing in trying to unionize bank workers may be on target "because financial institutions are at a moment of weakness."

"Low-wage earners are the growing sector of the work force," said Gregory DeFreitas, an economics professor at Hofstra University and director of its labor studies program. "This is a very shrewd political move to tie this to the bailouts."

DeFreitas said unions tend not to do well in attracting workers during economic recessions because jobs are scarce then. But he said recent surveys indicate a majority of workers would consider organizing, so the public's appetite for unions may be on the upswing.

"Bank teller jobs are one of the few jobs that are actually growing," DeFreitas said. "And they are low-wage earners, so it makes sense that it fits into the SEIU model. SEIU has been very opportunistic in growing its membership. Success breeds success."

The median annual earnings of bank tellers was about $22,000 in May 2006, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A spokesman for the American Bankers Association said it had no one who could comment on labor issues. He said the association represents 95 percent of the industry's $13.6 trillion in assets.

text: CNN

text: The

text: powerful

text: Service

text: Employees

text: International

text: Union

text: has

text: decided

text: that

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: billion

text: financial

text: system

text: bailout

text: it

text: wants

text: to

text: organize

text: bank

text: workers

text: Banks

text: that

text: get

text: taxpayer

text: money

text: need

text: to

text: ensure

text: their

text: workers

text: have

text: a

text: voice

text: a

text: union

text: spokeswoman

text: says

text: In

text: an

text: e

text: mail

text: dated

text: November

text: and

text: obtained

text: exclusively

text: by

text: CNN

text: a

text: member

text: of

text: SEIU

text: 's

text: Private

text: Equity

text: Project

text: outlined

text: initial

text: discussions

text: to

text: organize

text: bank

text: workers

text: since

text: the

text: banking

text: industry

text: is

text: now

text: being

text: infused

text: with

text: billions

text: of

text: taxpayer

text: dollars

text: The

text: e

text: mail

text: was

text: written

text: by

text: SEIU

text: 's

text: Inga

text: Skippings

text: to

text: the

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: Washington

text: office

text: of

text: the

text: Association

text: of

text: Community

text: Organizing

text: for

text: Reform

text: Now

text: ACORN

text: a

text: longtime

text: ally

text: and

text: partner

text: of

text: the

text: union

text: We

text: need

text: to

text: get

text: a

text: handle

text: on

text: who

text: these

text: workers

text: are

text: working

text: conditions

text: etc

text: Skippings

text: wrote

text: Do

text: you

text: have

text: ACORN

text: members

text: who

text: work

text: for

text: banks

text: or

text: Freddie

text: Mac

text: Fannie

text: Mae

text: Is

text: there

text: anyway

text: sic

text: you

text: could

text: check

text: The

text: banks

text: we

text: 're

text: most

text: concerned

text: about

text: are

text: Fannie

text: Mae

text: Freddie

text: Mac

text: Chevy

text: Chase

text: B.F.Saul

text: BB&T

text: SunTrust

text: Bank

text: of

text: America

text: Countrywide

text: Wachovia

text: Wells

text: Fargo

text: PNC

text: Bank

text: National

text: City

text: Citigroup

text: Please

text: let

text: me

text: know

text: and

text: if

text: you

text: have

text: other

text: suggestions

text: I

text: 'd

text: love

text: to

text: hear

text: them

text: Skippings

text: referred

text: questions

text: to

text: a

text: union

text: spokeswoman

text: who

text: confirmed

text: the

text: authenticity

text: of

text: the

text: e

text: mail

text: and

text: that

text: the

text: union

text: is

text: considering

text: targeting

text: the

text: banks

text: for

text: unionizing

text: We

text: believe

text: there

text: is

text: special

text: responsibility

text: for

text: companies

text: who

text: receive

text: taxpayer

text: dollars

text: to

text: ensure

text: their

text: workers

text: have

text: a

text: voice

text: on

text: the

text: job

text: SEIU

text: 's

text: Lynda

text: Tran

text: said

text: And

text: those

text: workers

text: should

text: have

text: a

text: seat

text: at

text: the

text: table

text: at

text: the

text: companies

text: where

text: decisions

text: that

text: impact

text: the

text: future

text: of

text: their

text: families

text: and

text: the

text: companies

text: that

text: employ

text: them

text: are

text: made

text: We

text: are

text: talking

text: to

text: workers

text: really

text: broadly

text: in

text: banking

text: she

text: said

text: SEIU

text: is

text: the

text: fastest

text: growing

text: trade

text: union

text: in

text: North

text: America

text: according

text: to

text: its

text: own

text: Web

text: site

text: with

text: a

text: membership

text: of

text: more

text: than

text: million

text: including

text: health

text: care

text: industry

text: workers

text: and

text: state

text: and

text: local

text: government

text: employees

text: It

text: also

text: represents

text: guards

text: and

text: janitors

text: who

text: work

text: in

text: commercial

text: and

text: residential

text: properties

text: And

text: its

text: clout

text: continues

text: to

text: grow

text: SEIU

text: 's

text: million

text: in

text: political

text: donations

text: made

text: it

text: the

text: single

text: largest

text: contributor

text: to

text: either

text: party

text: in

text: the

text: recent

text: elections

text: The

text: union

text: worked

text: vigorously

text: for

text: the

text: election

text: of

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: who

text: has

text: named

text: a

text: former

text: union

text: official

text: as

text: his

text: White

text: House

text: political

text: director

text: a

text: post

text: once

text: held

text: in

text: the

text: Bush

text: administration

text: by

text: Karl

text: Rove

text: The

text: official

text: Patrick

text: Gaspard

text: formerly

text: was

text: executive

text: vice

text: president

text: of

text: politics

text: and

text: legislation

text: for

text: Local

text: the

text: SEIU

text: 's

text: United

text: Healthcare

text: Workers

text: East

text: SEIU

text: which

text: broke

text: away

text: from

text: the

text: AFL

text: CIO

text: in

text: is

text: known

text: for

text: its

text: successful

text: but

text: sometimes

text: controversial

text: tactics

text: It

text: often

text: targets

text: private

text: equity

text: groups

text: leaders

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: banks

text: and

text: companies

text: with

text: loud

text: and

text: demonstrative

text: rallies

text: The

text: union

text: 's

text: hierarchy

text: has

text: made

text: no

text: secret

text: it

text: hopes

text: to

text: grow

text: under

text: the

text: incoming

text: Democratic

text: administration

text: I

text: would

text: say

text: that

text: we

text: 've

text: been

text: very

text: vocal

text: about

text: the

text: optimism

text: about

text: the

text: new

text: administration

text: SEIU

text: 's

text: Tran

text: said

text: There

text: are

text: a

text: number

text: of

text: newly

text: elected

text: members

text: of

text: Congress

text: who

text: agree

text: with

text: us

text: on

text: matters

text: relating

text: to

text: working

text: families

text: One

text: labor

text: professor

text: said

text: SEIU

text: 's

text: timing

text: in

text: trying

text: to

text: unionize

text: bank

text: workers

text: may

text: be

text: on

text: target

text: because

text: financial

text: institutions

text: are

text: at

text: a

text: moment

text: of

text: weakness

text: Low

text: wage

text: earners

text: are

text: the

text: growing

text: sector

text: of

text: the

text: work

text: force

text: said

text: Gregory

text: DeFreitas

text: an

text: economics

text: professor

text: at

text: Hofstra

text: University

text: and

text: director

text: of

text: its

text: labor

text: studies

text: program

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: very

text: shrewd

text: political

text: move

text: to

text: tie

text: this

text: to

text: the

text: bailouts

text: DeFreitas

text: said

text: unions

text: tend

text: not

text: to

text: do

text: well

text: in

text: attracting

text: workers

text: during

text: economic

text: recessions

text: because

text: jobs

text: are

text: scarce

text: then

text: But

text: he

text: said

text: recent

text: surveys

text: indicate

text: a

text: majority

text: of

text: workers

text: would

text: consider

text: organizing

text: so

text: the

text: public

text: 's

text: appetite

text: for

text: unions

text: may

text: be

text: on

text: the

text: upswing

text: Bank

text: teller

text: jobs

text: are

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: few

text: jobs

text: that

text: are

text: actually

text: growing

text: DeFreitas

text: said

text: And

text: they

text: are

text: low

text: wage

text: earners

text: so

text: it

text: makes

text: sense

text: that

text: it

text: fits

text: into

text: the

text: SEIU

text: model

text: SEIU

text: has

text: been

text: very

text: opportunistic

text: in

text: growing

text: its

text: membership

text: Success

text: breeds

text: success

text: The

text: median

text: annual

text: earnings

text: of

text: bank

text: tellers

text: was

text: about

text: in

text: May

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Bureau

text: of

text: Labor

text: Statistics

text: A

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: American

text: Bankers

text: Association

text: said

text: it

text: had

text: no

text: one

text: who

text: could

text: comment

text: on

text: labor

text: issues

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: association

text: represents

text: percent

text: of

text: the

text: industry

text: 's

text: trillion

text: in

text: assets

question: The e-mail cites how much financial-system bailout as reason for move?

answer: $700 billion

text: $700 billion

question: Who pays for the bailout?

answer: powerful Service Employees International Union

text: powerful Service Employees International Union

question: What is union considering?

answer: targeting the banks for unionizing.

text: targeting the banks for unionizing.

question: Bailed-out banks have responsibility to ensure workers have what?

answer: a voice,"

text: a voice,"

question: E-mails cites how much money for bailout?

answer: $700 billion

text: $700 billion

question: What would they be concerned about?

answer: SunTrust

text: SunTrust

question: The union says it is considering targeting banks for what?

answer: unionizing.

text: unionizing.

question: Who should ensure workers have a voice?

answer: Banks

text: Banks


text:
Washington (CNN) -- Melody Barnes, the domestic policy adviser to President Barack Obama, will leave the White House at the end of the year, she said Thursday.

"I plan to take some time off and enjoy my family," she said in a written statement. "I'll also be considering opportunities in the private sector, as well as ways to continue to work on the policy issues about which I care so deeply."

Obama, in a separate statement said he "will always be grateful that a woman of Melody's brilliance, creativity and heart led our domestic policy team during such a challenging time for our nation."

He said Barnes will leave "a lasting legacy, developing and implementing policies that have helped remake our education system, spurred innovation, and fostered opportunity and equality for millions of Americans."

Barnes, in her statement, said she has "enjoyed working closely with the private sector, as well as philanthropists and non-profit organizations, to build public-private partnerships that are providing solutions to our country's biggest challenges."

She said that over the past few months she had "reached the conclusion that I need to move out of a 24/7 work schedule and on to the next phase of my life." But she added, "I also look forward to devoting time to doing everything I can to ensure that President Obama is re-elected."

text: Washington

text: CNN

text: Melody

text: Barnes

text: the

text: domestic

text: policy

text: adviser

text: to

text: President

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: will

text: leave

text: the

text: White

text: House

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: year

text: she

text: said

text: Thursday

text: I

text: plan

text: to

text: take

text: some

text: time

text: off

text: and

text: enjoy

text: my

text: family

text: she

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: I

text: 'll

text: also

text: be

text: considering

text: opportunities

text: in

text: the

text: private

text: sector

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: ways

text: to

text: continue

text: to

text: work

text: on

text: the

text: policy

text: issues

text: about

text: which

text: I

text: care

text: so

text: deeply

text: Obama

text: in

text: a

text: separate

text: statement

text: said

text: he

text: will

text: always

text: be

text: grateful

text: that

text: a

text: woman

text: of

text: Melody

text: 's

text: brilliance

text: creativity

text: and

text: heart

text: led

text: our

text: domestic

text: policy

text: team

text: during

text: such

text: a

text: challenging

text: time

text: for

text: our

text: nation

text: He

text: said

text: Barnes

text: will

text: leave

text: a

text: lasting

text: legacy

text: developing

text: and

text: implementing

text: policies

text: that

text: have

text: helped

text: remake

text: our

text: education

text: system

text: spurred

text: innovation

text: and

text: fostered

text: opportunity

text: and

text: equality

text: for

text: millions

text: of

text: Americans

text: Barnes

text: in

text: her

text: statement

text: said

text: she

text: has

text: enjoyed

text: working

text: closely

text: with

text: the

text: private

text: sector

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: philanthropists

text: and

text: non

text: profit

text: organizations

text: to

text: build

text: public

text: private

text: partnerships

text: that

text: are

text: providing

text: solutions

text: to

text: our

text: country

text: 's

text: biggest

text: challenges

text: She

text: said

text: that

text: over

text: the

text: past

text: few

text: months

text: she

text: had

text: reached

text: the

text: conclusion

text: that

text: I

text: need

text: to

text: move

text: out

text: of

text: a

text: work

text: schedule

text: and

text: on

text: to

text: the

text: next

text: phase

text: of

text: my

text: life

text: But

text: she

text: added

text: I

text: also

text: look

text: forward

text: to

text: devoting

text: time

text: to

text: doing

text: everything

text: I

text: can

text: to

text: ensure

text: that

text: President

text: Obama

text: is

text: re

text: elected

question: who did says she needs "to move out of a 24/7 work schedule,"?

answer: Melody Barnes,

text: Melody Barnes,

question: Who is going to leave the White House?

answer: Melody Barnes,

text: Melody Barnes,

question: who did cites Barnes' contributions to education reform and innovation?

answer: President Barack Obama,

text: President Barack Obama,

question: who did says she will leave the White House at the end of the year?

answer: Melody Barnes,

text: Melody Barnes,

question: What did Barnes reform?

answer: education system,

text: education system,

question: What kind of schedule did Barnes have?

answer: 24/7 work

text: 24/7 work


text:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Ramadan, the holy month of Islam, began Saturday with Iraqis hoping for tranquility but fearful after recent attacks that have shaken the country.

Plastic flowers and banners hang on cars destroyed in Wednesday's bombings in Baghdad.

Al-Iraqia state TV interrupted regular programming Saturday afternoon to broadcast Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's address to Iraqis on the occasion of the start of the holy month.

The prime minister said that as he congratulates Iraqis, his "heart is full of sadness and sorrow."

Four Iraqi soldiers and a government worker were killed Saturday in attacks in Baghdad and Mosul, according to an official of the Interior Ministry.

Gunmen opened fire earlier in the day on an army checkpoint in the Sunni neighborhood of Adhamiya in northeastern Baghdad, killing two soldiers and wounding one. Two more soldiers died and two were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi army patrol in Zummar, about 50 miles northwest of Mosul. Mosul is 260 miles north of Baghdad.

A bomb left inside the district manager's office in the Qahira neighborhood in eastern Mosul killed the manager and two children.

A roadside bomb also exploded near a car and wounded two people in the Saidiya district of southeastern Baghdad.

The holy month of Ramadan, considered to be a time of peace and giving, is when Muslims across the world fast from dawn until dusk, and its observance is one of the five pillars of Islam.

But since the start of the war, Iraqis every year brace for an uptick in violence during the holy month. Some years have seen a rise in suicide attacks.

Extremist attacks during Ramadan are sometimes "fueled by a belief that to carry out violence -- 'jihad,' a suicide bombing -- during a holy month such as this one will gain them more credibility with the Lord," said CNN Correspondent Arwa Damon in Baghdad.

Ramadan "is meant to be a time to show one's devotion to God, a time of sacrifice," said Damon, "Unfortunately, even though it is very much intended to be a time of peace ... it has proven over the last few years in places like here in Iraq to be a time of increased violence."

On Wednesday, more than 100 people were killed and more than 500 were wounded in a series of truck bombings in Baghdad. It was the deadliest day since the United States pulled its combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns nearly two months ago and left security in the hands of the Iraqis.  Watch report on bombings of Iraqi ministries Â»

At least four people were killed and 76 were wounded Thursday in a string of bombings in Babil province, according to the Iraqi government.

It is not just Iraq where extremists see Ramadan as a time of opportunity.

Kuwait's state-run news agency reported earlier in August that security forces had arrested six Kuwaitis linked to al Qaeda who had planned to attack a U.S. military installation. The suspects had planned to bomb Camp Arifjan in Kuwait during Ramadan, Kuwaiti security sources told CNN.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.

text: BAGHDAD

text: Iraq

text: CNN

text: Ramadan

text: the

text: holy

text: month

text: of

text: Islam

text: began

text: Saturday

text: with

text: Iraqis

text: hoping

text: for

text: tranquility

text: but

text: fearful

text: after

text: recent

text: attacks

text: that

text: have

text: shaken

text: the

text: country

text: Plastic

text: flowers

text: and

text: banners

text: hang

text: on

text: cars

text: destroyed

text: in

text: Wednesday

text: 's

text: bombings

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: Al

text: Iraqia

text: state

text: TV

text: interrupted

text: regular

text: programming

text: Saturday

text: afternoon

text: to

text: broadcast

text: Prime

text: Minister

text: Nuri

text: al

text: Maliki

text: 's

text: address

text: to

text: Iraqis

text: on

text: the

text: occasion

text: of

text: the

text: start

text: of

text: the

text: holy

text: month

text: The

text: prime

text: minister

text: said

text: that

text: as

text: he

text: congratulates

text: Iraqis

text: his

text: heart

text: is

text: full

text: of

text: sadness

text: and

text: sorrow

text: Four

text: Iraqi

text: soldiers

text: and

text: a

text: government

text: worker

text: were

text: killed

text: Saturday

text: in

text: attacks

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: and

text: Mosul

text: according

text: to

text: an

text: official

text: of

text: the

text: Interior

text: Ministry

text: Gunmen

text: opened

text: fire

text: earlier

text: in

text: the

text: day

text: on

text: an

text: army

text: checkpoint

text: in

text: the

text: Sunni

text: neighborhood

text: of

text: Adhamiya

text: in

text: northeastern

text: Baghdad

text: killing

text: two

text: soldiers

text: and

text: wounding

text: one

text: Two

text: more

text: soldiers

text: died

text: and

text: two

text: were

text: wounded

text: when

text: a

text: roadside

text: bomb

text: exploded

text: near

text: an

text: Iraqi

text: army

text: patrol

text: in

text: Zummar

text: about

text: miles

text: northwest

text: of

text: Mosul

text: Mosul

text: is

text: miles

text: north

text: of

text: Baghdad

text: A

text: bomb

text: left

text: inside

text: the

text: district

text: manager

text: 's

text: office

text: in

text: the

text: Qahira

text: neighborhood

text: in

text: eastern

text: Mosul

text: killed

text: the

text: manager

text: and

text: two

text: children

text: A

text: roadside

text: bomb

text: also

text: exploded

text: near

text: a

text: car

text: and

text: wounded

text: two

text: people

text: in

text: the

text: Saidiya

text: district

text: of

text: southeastern

text: Baghdad

text: The

text: holy

text: month

text: of

text: Ramadan

text: considered

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: time

text: of

text: peace

text: and

text: giving

text: is

text: when

text: Muslims

text: across

text: the

text: world

text: fast

text: from

text: dawn

text: until

text: dusk

text: and

text: its

text: observance

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: five

text: pillars

text: of

text: Islam

text: But

text: since

text: the

text: start

text: of

text: the

text: war

text: Iraqis

text: every

text: year

text: brace

text: for

text: an

text: uptick

text: in

text: violence

text: during

text: the

text: holy

text: month

text: Some

text: years

text: have

text: seen

text: a

text: rise

text: in

text: suicide

text: attacks

text: Extremist

text: attacks

text: during

text: Ramadan

text: are

text: sometimes

text: fueled

text: by

text: a

text: belief

text: that

text: to

text: carry

text: out

text: violence

text: jihad

text: a

text: suicide

text: bombing

text: during

text: a

text: holy

text: month

text: such

text: as

text: this

text: one

text: will

text: gain

text: them

text: more

text: credibility

text: with

text: the

text: Lord

text: said

text: CNN

text: Correspondent

text: Arwa

text: Damon

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: Ramadan

text: is

text: meant

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: time

text: to

text: show

text: one

text: 's

text: devotion

text: to

text: God

text: a

text: time

text: of

text: sacrifice

text: said

text: Damon

text: Unfortunately

text: even

text: though

text: it

text: is

text: very

text: much

text: intended

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: time

text: of

text: peace

text: it

text: has

text: proven

text: over

text: the

text: last

text: few

text: years

text: in

text: places

text: like

text: here

text: in

text: Iraq

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: time

text: of

text: increased

text: violence

text: On

text: Wednesday

text: more

text: than

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: and

text: more

text: than

text: were

text: wounded

text: in

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: truck

text: bombings

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: It

text: was

text: the

text: deadliest

text: day

text: since

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: pulled

text: its

text: combat

text: troops

text: from

text: Iraqi

text: cities

text: and

text: towns

text: nearly

text: two

text: months

text: ago

text: and

text: left

text: security

text: in

text: the

text: hands

text: of

text: the

text: Iraqis

text: Watch

text: report

text: on

text: bombings

text: of

text: Iraqi

text: ministries

text: Â

text: At

text: least

text: four

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: and

text: were

text: wounded

text: Thursday

text: in

text: a

text: string

text: of

text: bombings

text: in

text: Babil

text: province

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Iraqi

text: government

text: It

text: is

text: not

text: just

text: Iraq

text: where

text: extremists

text: see

text: Ramadan

text: as

text: a

text: time

text: of

text: opportunity

text: Kuwait

text: 's

text: state

text: run

text: news

text: agency

text: reported

text: earlier

text: in

text: August

text: that

text: security

text: forces

text: had

text: arrested

text: six

text: Kuwaitis

text: linked

text: to

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: who

text: had

text: planned

text: to

text: attack

text: a

text: U.S.

text: military

text: installation

text: The

text: suspects

text: had

text: planned

text: to

text: bomb

text: Camp

text: Arifjan

text: in

text: Kuwait

text: during

text: Ramadan

text: Kuwaiti

text: security

text: sources

text: told

text: CNN

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Jomana

text: Karadsheh

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What has been a time of increased violence in Iraq?

answer: Ramadan,

text: Ramadan,

question: where have dozens died this week?

answer: Baghdad.

text: Baghdad.

question: when has been time of increased violence?

answer: last few years

text: last few years

question: what do Iraqis hope for?

answer: tranquility

text: tranquility

question: What are Iraqis hoping for?

answer: tranquility

text: tranquility


text:
(CNN) -- At least five people were killed in Oklahoma on Monday after a severe storm system spawned multiple tornadoes across the state, the state emergency management department said.

Three people died in Cleveland County, just west of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, said Albert Ashwood, director of the state emergency management department, and another was reported dead near Choctaw, east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The location in Oklahoma of the fifth person who died was unknown late Monday night.

Brenda Finkle, director of corporate communications for Norman Regional Health System, said the company's hospital in Norman admitted eight patients Monday night in critical condition with crush injuries and head trauma.

At least 25 other people filled the waiting room of Norman Regional Hospital with lacerations and head wounds, Finkle said, adding hospital staff expected more patients to continue to seek treatment.

Another 20 people were either getting medical care or awaiting treatment at Moore Medical Center, just north of Norman, according to Finkle.

OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, received two patients with broken bones, according to spokesman Allen Poston.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported seven injuries.

Video out of Norman showed overturned cars, snapped utility poles, downed trees and severely damaged homes. Several mobile homes were blown to pieces in one neighborhood where debris littered yards and streets alongside large trees ripped straight from the ground.

A truck stop east of Oklahoma City was demolished, taking a direct hit from one of the tornadoes, according to a spokeswoman for Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores.

Motorists pulled off Interstate 40 and sought shelter in the truck stop's large coolers and restrooms before the tornado tore the roof off the building, blew out car windows and overturned tractor-trailers, spokeswoman Christina Dukeman said.

Video showed people outside the truck stop receiving treatment for minor injuries. Laura O'Leary, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Medical Services Authority, said seven people were transported from around the immediate area to local hospitals in good and fair condition, "a miraculously low number ... considering the volume of area the tornado covered."

Love's employee Charlescie Greenway said she and two other women made it to one cooler before the twister tore through the building.

"The three of us were kind of trapped in there, holding the door shut, praying to God that we don't die and that everybody else was safe," Greenway told CNN affiliate KWTV, adding, "it was really scary -- the wind was like trying to pull the door off the latch."

Sammy Ward and his partner rode the twister out in their truck in the parking lot.

"It started hailing and then it quit hailing and then all of a sudden the wind hit and it just went dark and here went everything," Ward told KWTV. "Trucks went to rocking ... and next thing we know the whole roof and everything was gone."

Ward, who said he felt "very lucky," said the event lasted two to three minutes.

Ashwood said crews were working to assess the damages in at least 13 counties, adding "numerous" homes had been affected.

Are you there? Send photos, video

The American Red Cross opened at least two shelters in McCloud, Oklahoma, and Tecumseh, Oklahoma, and continued to assess needs across the state.

More than 31,000 homes were without power in the metro Oklahoma City area -- nearly 15,000 in Norman alone, according to Oklahoma Gas & Electric.

Ashwood said preliminary reports out of Norman indicate the damages are "similar to what you would see with an EF3" tornado, referring to the Enhanced Fujita Scale for measuring the strength of tornadoes. An EF3 is capable of producing winds up to 165 mph.

CNN iReporter Rebecca Barbato said tornado sirens were going off in her neighborhood in Moore, just north of Norman, when tennis-ball-sized hail began raining down on her roof.

Other tornadoes were reported in Yukon, Medford and Shawnee in Oklahoma, and in Wichita, Kansas.

The storms struck around 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET).

Meteorologists warned throughout the day Monday of the potential for tornadoes.

CNN's Devon Sayers and Sarah Aarthun contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: At

text: least

text: five

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: in

text: Oklahoma

text: on

text: Monday

text: after

text: a

text: severe

text: storm

text: system

text: spawned

text: multiple

text: tornadoes

text: across

text: the

text: state

text: the

text: state

text: emergency

text: management

text: department

text: said

text: Three

text: people

text: died

text: in

text: Cleveland

text: County

text: just

text: west

text: of

text: Tecumseh

text: Oklahoma

text: said

text: Albert

text: Ashwood

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: state

text: emergency

text: management

text: department

text: and

text: another

text: was

text: reported

text: dead

text: near

text: Choctaw

text: east

text: of

text: Oklahoma

text: City

text: Oklahoma

text: The

text: location

text: in

text: Oklahoma

text: of

text: the

text: fifth

text: person

text: who

text: died

text: was

text: unknown

text: late

text: Monday

text: night

text: Brenda

text: Finkle

text: director

text: of

text: corporate

text: communications

text: for

text: Norman

text: Regional

text: Health

text: System

text: said

text: the

text: company

text: 's

text: hospital

text: in

text: Norman

text: admitted

text: eight

text: patients

text: Monday

text: night

text: in

text: critical

text: condition

text: with

text: crush

text: injuries

text: and

text: head

text: trauma

text: At

text: least

text: other

text: people

text: filled

text: the

text: waiting

text: room

text: of

text: Norman

text: Regional

text: Hospital

text: with

text: lacerations

text: and

text: head

text: wounds

text: Finkle

text: said

text: adding

text: hospital

text: staff

text: expected

text: more

text: patients

text: to

text: continue

text: to

text: seek

text: treatment

text: Another

text: people

text: were

text: either

text: getting

text: medical

text: care

text: or

text: awaiting

text: treatment

text: at

text: Moore

text: Medical

text: Center

text: just

text: north

text: of

text: Norman

text: according

text: to

text: Finkle

text: OU

text: Medical

text: Center

text: in

text: Oklahoma

text: City

text: Oklahoma

text: received

text: two

text: patients

text: with

text: broken

text: bones

text: according

text: to

text: spokesman

text: Allen

text: Poston

text: The

text: Oklahoma

text: Department

text: of

text: Emergency

text: Management

text: reported

text: seven

text: injuries

text: Video

text: out

text: of

text: Norman

text: showed

text: overturned

text: cars

text: snapped

text: utility

text: poles

text: downed

text: trees

text: and

text: severely

text: damaged

text: homes

text: Several

text: mobile

text: homes

text: were

text: blown

text: to

text: pieces

text: in

text: one

text: neighborhood

text: where

text: debris

text: littered

text: yards

text: and

text: streets

text: alongside

text: large

text: trees

text: ripped

text: straight

text: from

text: the

text: ground

text: A

text: truck

text: stop

text: east

text: of

text: Oklahoma

text: City

text: was

text: demolished

text: taking

text: a

text: direct

text: hit

text: from

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: tornadoes

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: spokeswoman

text: for

text: Love

text: 's

text: Travel

text: Stops

text: and

text: Country

text: Stores

text: Motorists

text: pulled

text: off

text: Interstate

text: and

text: sought

text: shelter

text: in

text: the

text: truck

text: stop

text: 's

text: large

text: coolers

text: and

text: restrooms

text: before

text: the

text: tornado

text: tore

text: the

text: roof

text: off

text: the

text: building

text: blew

text: out

text: car

text: windows

text: and

text: overturned

text: tractor

text: trailers

text: spokeswoman

text: Christina

text: Dukeman

text: said

text: Video

text: showed

text: people

text: outside

text: the

text: truck

text: stop

text: receiving

text: treatment

text: for

text: minor

text: injuries

text: Laura

text: O'Leary

text: a

text: spokeswoman

text: for

text: the

text: Emergency

text: Medical

text: Services

text: Authority

text: said

text: seven

text: people

text: were

text: transported

text: from

text: around

text: the

text: immediate

text: area

text: to

text: local

text: hospitals

text: in

text: good

text: and

text: fair

text: condition

text: a

text: miraculously

text: low

text: number

text: considering

text: the

text: volume

text: of

text: area

text: the

text: tornado

text: covered

text: Love

text: 's

text: employee

text: Charlescie

text: Greenway

text: said

text: she

text: and

text: two

text: other

text: women

text: made

text: it

text: to

text: one

text: cooler

text: before

text: the

text: twister

text: tore

text: through

text: the

text: building

text: The

text: three

text: of

text: us

text: were

text: kind

text: of

text: trapped

text: in

text: there

text: holding

text: the

text: door

text: shut

text: praying

text: to

text: God

text: that

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: die

text: and

text: that

text: everybody

text: else

text: was

text: safe

text: Greenway

text: told

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: KWTV

text: adding

text: it

text: was

text: really

text: scary

text: the

text: wind

text: was

text: like

text: trying

text: to

text: pull

text: the

text: door

text: off

text: the

text: latch

text: Sammy

text: Ward

text: and

text: his

text: partner

text: rode

text: the

text: twister

text: out

text: in

text: their

text: truck

text: in

text: the

text: parking

text: lot

text: It

text: started

text: hailing

text: and

text: then

text: it

text: quit

text: hailing

text: and

text: then

text: all

text: of

text: a

text: sudden

text: the

text: wind

text: hit

text: and

text: it

text: just

text: went

text: dark

text: and

text: here

text: went

text: everything

text: Ward

text: told

text: KWTV

text: Trucks

text: went

text: to

text: rocking

text: and

text: next

text: thing

text: we

text: know

text: the

text: whole

text: roof

text: and

text: everything

text: was

text: gone

text: Ward

text: who

text: said

text: he

text: felt

text: very

text: lucky

text: said

text: the

text: event

text: lasted

text: two

text: to

text: three

text: minutes

text: Ashwood

text: said

text: crews

text: were

text: working

text: to

text: assess

text: the

text: damages

text: in

text: at

text: least

text: counties

text: adding

text: numerous

text: homes

text: had

text: been

text: affected

text: Are

text: you

text: there

text: Send

text: photos

text: video

text: The

text: American

text: Red

text: Cross

text: opened

text: at

text: least

text: two

text: shelters

text: in

text: McCloud

text: Oklahoma

text: and

text: Tecumseh

text: Oklahoma

text: and

text: continued

text: to

text: assess

text: needs

text: across

text: the

text: state

text: More

text: than

text: homes

text: were

text: without

text: power

text: in

text: the

text: metro

text: Oklahoma

text: City

text: area

text: nearly

text: in

text: Norman

text: alone

text: according

text: to

text: Oklahoma

text: Gas

text: Electric

text: Ashwood

text: said

text: preliminary

text: reports

text: out

text: of

text: Norman

text: indicate

text: the

text: damages

text: are

text: similar

text: to

text: what

text: you

text: would

text: see

text: with

text: an

text: tornado

text: referring

text: to

text: the

text: Enhanced

text: Fujita

text: Scale

text: for

text: measuring

text: the

text: strength

text: of

text: tornadoes

text: An

text: is

text: capable

text: of

text: producing

text: winds

text: up

text: to

text: mph

text: CNN

text: iReporter

text: Rebecca

text: Barbato

text: said

text: tornado

text: sirens

text: were

text: going

text: off

text: in

text: her

text: neighborhood

text: in

text: Moore

text: just

text: north

text: of

text: Norman

text: when

text: tennis

text: ball

text: sized

text: hail

text: began

text: raining

text: down

text: on

text: her

text: roof

text: Other

text: tornadoes

text: were

text: reported

text: in

text: Yukon

text: Medford

text: and

text: Shawnee

text: in

text: Oklahoma

text: and

text: in

text: Wichita

text: Kansas

text: The

text: storms

text: struck

text: around

text: p.m.

text: CT

text: p.m.

text: ET

text: Meteorologists

text: warned

text: throughout

text: the

text: day

text: Monday

text: of

text: the

text: potential

text: for

text: tornadoes

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Devon

text: Sayers

text: and

text: Sarah

text: Aarthun

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: How many have died in Oklahoma?

answer: five

text: five

question: How many people where killed in Oklahoma?

answer: five

text: five

question: Are any shelters opened?

answer: at least two

text: at least two

question: What did the American Red Cross open up?

answer: two shelters

text: two shelters

question: What has been destroyed?

answer: A truck stop

text: A truck stop

question: How many shelters were opened?

answer: two

text: two

question: What was destroyed by the twister on Interstate 40 east of Oklahoma City?

answer: truck stop

text: truck stop


text:
LONDON, England (CNN) -- His life has never been easy. Born into poverty and war, his ears and tail were chopped off when he was just a few months old in preparation for dog-fighting. He escaped to find a better life, only to be trapped in lonely, sterile quarantine for six months.

Bear plays for the first time out of quarantine after coming to Britain from Afghanistan.

But all that changed Monday when Bear the dog stepped out of British quarantine and through the doors of a London animal shelter.

"He's absolutely a loving dog," said former British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing, who helped bring Bear to England. "He just loves people. It's a good thing he was brought back to the U.K. when he was quite young, so he's never gone through having to fend for himself in the street and be made to dogfight."

An unknown soldier in Afghanistan first found Bear last year and brought him to a local Afghan animal shelter. The shelter wasn't able to care for Bear, so it contacted Farthing, who now runs a charity for stray and abandoned animals, primarily dogs from Afghanistan. Farthing's Nowzad Dogs is named for the Afghan town where he was based for a few months in 2006. He asked Mayhew International, an arm of London's Mayhew Animal Home, to help find Bear a new home.

Mayhew International says Bear is one of the few dogs it has brought back to Britain. Usually it tries to find animals new homes within their own countries.

"Although Mayhew International does not encourage people to bring dogs to the U.K. from abroad as a general policy, we made an exception in this case as it was the perfect opportunity to highlight the plight of thousands of stray animals in Afghanistan," the organization said in a statement.

Bear's story may be unique, but he is certainly not alone. Mayhew International, which works around the world to educate people about animal welfare, says there are countless dogs in Afghanistan that are homeless or trapped in a life of dogfighting -- an increasingly popular pastime in Afghanistan.

"Animal welfare is not looked so highly upon in Afghanistan," said Christopher Sainsbury, Mayhew's international projects officer.

"In war-torn areas, people tend to forget the animal welfare side of things. [We want to] make people aware that this is a key side of things that needs to be assessed, needs to be worked on."

Bear is a Koochi dog, a large breed common in Afghanistan, according to Dr. Mohammadzai Abduljalil, a Mayhew veterinarian from Afghanistan. While no one knows Bear's exact age, Abduljalil said they believe he is just about a year old.

You wouldn't know it by Bear's size. He's already a large dog nearly 3 feet high with large paws to match.

Stepping into the Mayhew play area Monday for the first time, Bear made sure to sniff every corner of the room and mark his territory a few times before settling in to play. He had a puppy's curiosity and quickly started playing fetch and tug-of-war with Farthing, wagging enthusiastically the small part of his tail which is left.

Bear is lucky. He escaped a violent and uncertain future in Afghanistan.  Not so for many other dogs left behind. It is those dogs that Farthing hopes to help with his charity.

"They need someone to look after them, so why not me?" Farthing said.

It began when the Royal Marines arrived in the war-torn town of Now Zad, in Afghanistan's Helmand province, in October 2006. They found stray dogs wandering the streets, scavenging for food, dodging bullets and seeking shelter from the hot days and cold nights. Many were also being used for dogfighting, with their ears and tails docked to make the fights last longer and give their opponents less to bite.

Farthing and other Marines began to feed and care for a few dogs that wandered into their camp. At first they had three dogs, but other strays soon figured out the camp was a source of food and shelter, and before long the Marines found themselves caring for seven dogs and 14 puppies.

Time was running out, however. The Marines were due to leave Now Zad in February 2007 and knew they couldn't take the dogs with them. They looked for some way to make sure the dogs would be taken care of after they left.

That's when Farthing first contacted Mayhew International. They put him in touch with a small shelter in northern Afghanistan that Mayhew had assisted since its inception, providing advice and veterinary support.

The shelter offered to take the dogs on one condition: The Marines had to arrange for the dogs' transfer to Kabul, a difficult and dangerous three days' drive away.

Finding a taxi willing to accept dogs was the first hurdle; the second was that the drivers refused to allow the dogs to be transported in Western-style cages, which would give away to the Taliban that the car was carrying foreigners.

Instead, the dogs had to be tied with ropes, the Afghan way, and the puppies had to be stashed in small crates -- in this case, a bird cage.

"A lot was done on trust," Farthing told CNN. "The Afghans did it as a favor to us. We paid for some of their fuel and their costs, but it was fantastic. It was them helping us out. They didn't have to do it. It shows that the people of Afghanistan and us, we can work together."

In the end, most of the dogs made it to Kabul, but not without casualties. Two were left behind for lack of room in the taxi, and two more escaped along the way when a car door was accidentally left open. Three of the largest puppies were stolen, probably for dog fighting.

Three dogs and eleven puppies finally made it to the shelter, but nine of the puppies later died due to an outbreak of disease and shortage of vaccines.

Sainsbury, of Mayhew International, says the story of the Now Zad dogs and of Bear shows their efforts can help animals, even if it's just one at a time.

Mayhew International works with organizations already established in developing countries to plan mass sterilization drives that reduce the number of unwanted animals. They also train veterinary surgeons in modern neutering techniques that are quick and humane.

"The way that war makes looking after animal welfare harder is quite clear," Sainsbury said. "Animal welfare gets forgotten and it becomes a back-burner because organizations ... that were working in those war-torn countries will probably be unable to operate any longer. They'll be unable to aid the populations of stray and community animals which would rely on their help originally."

Mayhew CEO Caroline Yates said staff have no idea how long it will take for Bear to find a new home. They hope the publicity surrounding his arrival in Britain will encourage people to think about adopting him.

Yates said they hope to have him adopted within a month.

Said Farthing, "To be able to help just one [dog] is a reward in itself and a huge step to highlighting the undocumented suffering that animals in all war zones are subjected to."

text: LONDON

text: England

text: CNN

text: His

text: life

text: has

text: never

text: been

text: easy

text: Born

text: into

text: poverty

text: and

text: war

text: his

text: ears

text: and

text: tail

text: were

text: chopped

text: off

text: when

text: he

text: was

text: just

text: a

text: few

text: months

text: old

text: in

text: preparation

text: for

text: dog

text: fighting

text: He

text: escaped

text: to

text: find

text: a

text: better

text: life

text: only

text: to

text: be

text: trapped

text: in

text: lonely

text: sterile

text: quarantine

text: for

text: six

text: months

text: Bear

text: plays

text: for

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: out

text: of

text: quarantine

text: after

text: coming

text: to

text: Britain

text: from

text: Afghanistan

text: But

text: all

text: that

text: changed

text: Monday

text: when

text: Bear

text: the

text: dog

text: stepped

text: out

text: of

text: British

text: quarantine

text: and

text: through

text: the

text: doors

text: of

text: a

text: London

text: animal

text: shelter

text: He

text: 's

text: absolutely

text: a

text: loving

text: dog

text: said

text: former

text: British

text: Royal

text: Marine

text: Paul

text: Penny

text: Farthing

text: who

text: helped

text: bring

text: Bear

text: to

text: England

text: He

text: just

text: loves

text: people

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: good

text: thing

text: he

text: was

text: brought

text: back

text: to

text: the

text: U.K.

text: when

text: he

text: was

text: quite

text: young

text: so

text: he

text: 's

text: never

text: gone

text: through

text: having

text: to

text: fend

text: for

text: himself

text: in

text: the

text: street

text: and

text: be

text: made

text: to

text: dogfight

text: An

text: unknown

text: soldier

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: first

text: found

text: Bear

text: last

text: year

text: and

text: brought

text: him

text: to

text: a

text: local

text: Afghan

text: animal

text: shelter

text: The

text: shelter

text: was

text: n't

text: able

text: to

text: care

text: for

text: Bear

text: so

text: it

text: contacted

text: Farthing

text: who

text: now

text: runs

text: a

text: charity

text: for

text: stray

text: and

text: abandoned

text: animals

text: primarily

text: dogs

text: from

text: Afghanistan

text: Farthing

text: 's

text: Nowzad

text: Dogs

text: is

text: named

text: for

text: the

text: Afghan

text: town

text: where

text: he

text: was

text: based

text: for

text: a

text: few

text: months

text: in

text: He

text: asked

text: Mayhew

text: International

text: an

text: arm

text: of

text: London

text: 's

text: Mayhew

text: Animal

text: Home

text: to

text: help

text: find

text: Bear

text: a

text: new

text: home

text: Mayhew

text: International

text: says

text: Bear

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: few

text: dogs

text: it

text: has

text: brought

text: back

text: to

text: Britain

text: Usually

text: it

text: tries

text: to

text: find

text: animals

text: new

text: homes

text: within

text: their

text: own

text: countries

text: Although

text: Mayhew

text: International

text: does

text: not

text: encourage

text: people

text: to

text: bring

text: dogs

text: to

text: the

text: U.K.

text: from

text: abroad

text: as

text: a

text: general

text: policy

text: we

text: made

text: an

text: exception

text: in

text: this

text: case

text: as

text: it

text: was

text: the

text: perfect

text: opportunity

text: to

text: highlight

text: the

text: plight

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: stray

text: animals

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: the

text: organization

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: Bear

text: 's

text: story

text: may

text: be

text: unique

text: but

text: he

text: is

text: certainly

text: not

text: alone

text: Mayhew

text: International

text: which

text: works

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: to

text: educate

text: people

text: about

text: animal

text: welfare

text: says

text: there

text: are

text: countless

text: dogs

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: that

text: are

text: homeless

text: or

text: trapped

text: in

text: a

text: life

text: of

text: dogfighting

text: an

text: increasingly

text: popular

text: pastime

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: Animal

text: welfare

text: is

text: not

text: looked

text: so

text: highly

text: upon

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: said

text: Christopher

text: Sainsbury

text: Mayhew

text: 's

text: international

text: projects

text: officer

text: In

text: war

text: torn

text: areas

text: people

text: tend

text: to

text: forget

text: the

text: animal

text: welfare

text: side

text: of

text: things

text: We

text: want

text: to

text: make

text: people

text: aware

text: that

text: this

text: is

text: a

text: key

text: side

text: of

text: things

text: that

text: needs

text: to

text: be

text: assessed

text: needs

text: to

text: be

text: worked

text: on

text: Bear

text: is

text: a

text: Koochi

text: dog

text: a

text: large

text: breed

text: common

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: according

text: to

text: Dr.

text: Mohammadzai

text: Abduljalil

text: a

text: Mayhew

text: veterinarian

text: from

text: Afghanistan

text: While

text: no

text: one

text: knows

text: Bear

text: 's

text: exact

text: age

text: Abduljalil

text: said

text: they

text: believe

text: he

text: is

text: just

text: about

text: a

text: year

text: old

text: You

text: would

text: n't

text: know

text: it

text: by

text: Bear

text: 's

text: size

text: He

text: 's

text: already

text: a

text: large

text: dog

text: nearly

text: feet

text: high

text: with

text: large

text: paws

text: to

text: match

text: Stepping

text: into

text: the

text: Mayhew

text: play

text: area

text: Monday

text: for

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: Bear

text: made

text: sure

text: to

text: sniff

text: every

text: corner

text: of

text: the

text: room

text: and

text: mark

text: his

text: territory

text: a

text: few

text: times

text: before

text: settling

text: in

text: to

text: play

text: He

text: had

text: a

text: puppy

text: 's

text: curiosity

text: and

text: quickly

text: started

text: playing

text: fetch

text: and

text: tug

text: of

text: war

text: with

text: Farthing

text: wagging

text: enthusiastically

text: the

text: small

text: part

text: of

text: his

text: tail

text: which

text: is

text: left

text: Bear

text: is

text: lucky

text: He

text: escaped

text: a

text: violent

text: and

text: uncertain

text: future

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: Not

text: so

text: for

text: many

text: other

text: dogs

text: left

text: behind

text: It

text: is

text: those

text: dogs

text: that

text: Farthing

text: hopes

text: to

text: help

text: with

text: his

text: charity

text: They

text: need

text: someone

text: to

text: look

text: after

text: them

text: so

text: why

text: not

text: me

text: Farthing

text: said

text: It

text: began

text: when

text: the

text: Royal

text: Marines

text: arrived

text: in

text: the

text: war

text: torn

text: town

text: of

text: Now

text: Zad

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: 's

text: Helmand

text: province

text: in

text: October

text: They

text: found

text: stray

text: dogs

text: wandering

text: the

text: streets

text: scavenging

text: for

text: food

text: dodging

text: bullets

text: and

text: seeking

text: shelter

text: from

text: the

text: hot

text: days

text: and

text: cold

text: nights

text: Many

text: were

text: also

text: being

text: used

text: for

text: dogfighting

text: with

text: their

text: ears

text: and

text: tails

text: docked

text: to

text: make

text: the

text: fights

text: last

text: longer

text: and

text: give

text: their

text: opponents

text: less

text: to

text: bite

text: Farthing

text: and

text: other

text: Marines

text: began

text: to

text: feed

text: and

text: care

text: for

text: a

text: few

text: dogs

text: that

text: wandered

text: into

text: their

text: camp

text: At

text: first

text: they

text: had

text: three

text: dogs

text: but

text: other

text: strays

text: soon

text: figured

text: out

text: the

text: camp

text: was

text: a

text: source

text: of

text: food

text: and

text: shelter

text: and

text: before

text: long

text: the

text: Marines

text: found

text: themselves

text: caring

text: for

text: seven

text: dogs

text: and

text: puppies

text: Time

text: was

text: running

text: out

text: however

text: The

text: Marines

text: were

text: due

text: to

text: leave

text: Now

text: Zad

text: in

text: February

text: and

text: knew

text: they

text: could

text: n't

text: take

text: the

text: dogs

text: with

text: them

text: They

text: looked

text: for

text: some

text: way

text: to

text: make

text: sure

text: the

text: dogs

text: would

text: be

text: taken

text: care

text: of

text: after

text: they

text: left

text: That

text: 's

text: when

text: Farthing

text: first

text: contacted

text: Mayhew

text: International

text: They

text: put

text: him

text: in

text: touch

text: with

text: a

text: small

text: shelter

text: in

text: northern

text: Afghanistan

text: that

text: Mayhew

text: had

text: assisted

text: since

text: its

text: inception

text: providing

text: advice

text: and

text: veterinary

text: support

text: The

text: shelter

text: offered

text: to

text: take

text: the

text: dogs

text: on

text: one

text: condition

text: The

text: Marines

text: had

text: to

text: arrange

text: for

text: the

text: dogs

text: transfer

text: to

text: Kabul

text: a

text: difficult

text: and

text: dangerous

text: three

text: days

text: drive

text: away

text: Finding

text: a

text: taxi

text: willing

text: to

text: accept

text: dogs

text: was

text: the

text: first

text: hurdle

text: the

text: second

text: was

text: that

text: the

text: drivers

text: refused

text: to

text: allow

text: the

text: dogs

text: to

text: be

text: transported

text: in

text: Western

text: style

text: cages

text: which

text: would

text: give

text: away

text: to

text: the

text: Taliban

text: that

text: the

text: car

text: was

text: carrying

text: foreigners

text: Instead

text: the

text: dogs

text: had

text: to

text: be

text: tied

text: with

text: ropes

text: the

text: Afghan

text: way

text: and

text: the

text: puppies

text: had

text: to

text: be

text: stashed

text: in

text: small

text: crates

text: in

text: this

text: case

text: a

text: bird

text: cage

text: A

text: lot

text: was

text: done

text: on

text: trust

text: Farthing

text: told

text: CNN

text: The

text: Afghans

text: did

text: it

text: as

text: a

text: favor

text: to

text: us

text: We

text: paid

text: for

text: some

text: of

text: their

text: fuel

text: and

text: their

text: costs

text: but

text: it

text: was

text: fantastic

text: It

text: was

text: them

text: helping

text: us

text: out

text: They

text: did

text: n't

text: have

text: to

text: do

text: it

text: It

text: shows

text: that

text: the

text: people

text: of

text: Afghanistan

text: and

text: us

text: we

text: can

text: work

text: together

text: In

text: the

text: end

text: most

text: of

text: the

text: dogs

text: made

text: it

text: to

text: Kabul

text: but

text: not

text: without

text: casualties

text: Two

text: were

text: left

text: behind

text: for

text: lack

text: of

text: room

text: in

text: the

text: taxi

text: and

text: two

text: more

text: escaped

text: along

text: the

text: way

text: when

text: a

text: car

text: door

text: was

text: accidentally

text: left

text: open

text: Three

text: of

text: the

text: largest

text: puppies

text: were

text: stolen

text: probably

text: for

text: dog

text: fighting

text: Three

text: dogs

text: and

text: eleven

text: puppies

text: finally

text: made

text: it

text: to

text: the

text: shelter

text: but

text: nine

text: of

text: the

text: puppies

text: later

text: died

text: due

text: to

text: an

text: outbreak

text: of

text: disease

text: and

text: shortage

text: of

text: vaccines

text: Sainsbury

text: of

text: Mayhew

text: International

text: says

text: the

text: story

text: of

text: the

text: Now

text: Zad

text: dogs

text: and

text: of

text: Bear

text: shows

text: their

text: efforts

text: can

text: help

text: animals

text: even

text: if

text: it

text: 's

text: just

text: one

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: Mayhew

text: International

text: works

text: with

text: organizations

text: already

text: established

text: in

text: developing

text: countries

text: to

text: plan

text: mass

text: sterilization

text: drives

text: that

text: reduce

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: unwanted

text: animals

text: They

text: also

text: train

text: veterinary

text: surgeons

text: in

text: modern

text: neutering

text: techniques

text: that

text: are

text: quick

text: and

text: humane

text: The

text: way

text: that

text: war

text: makes

text: looking

text: after

text: animal

text: welfare

text: harder

text: is

text: quite

text: clear

text: Sainsbury

text: said

text: Animal

text: welfare

text: gets

text: forgotten

text: and

text: it

text: becomes

text: a

text: back

text: burner

text: because

text: organizations

text: that

text: were

text: working

text: in

text: those

text: war

text: torn

text: countries

text: will

text: probably

text: be

text: unable

text: to

text: operate

text: any

text: longer

text: They

text: 'll

text: be

text: unable

text: to

text: aid

text: the

text: populations

text: of

text: stray

text: and

text: community

text: animals

text: which

text: would

text: rely

text: on

text: their

text: help

text: originally

text: Mayhew

text: CEO

text: Caroline

text: Yates

text: said

text: staff

text: have

text: no

text: idea

text: how

text: long

text: it

text: will

text: take

text: for

text: Bear

text: to

text: find

text: a

text: new

text: home

text: They

text: hope

text: the

text: publicity

text: surrounding

text: his

text: arrival

text: in

text: Britain

text: will

text: encourage

text: people

text: to

text: think

text: about

text: adopting

text: him

text: Yates

text: said

text: they

text: hope

text: to

text: have

text: him

text: adopted

text: within

text: a

text: month

text: Said

text: Farthing

text: To

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: help

text: just

text: one

text: dog

text: is

text: a

text: reward

text: in

text: itself

text: and

text: a

text: huge

text: step

text: to

text: highlighting

text: the

text: undocumented

text: suffering

text: that

text: animals

text: in

text: all

text: war

text: zones

text: are

text: subjected

text: to

question: Where did soldiers find Bear?

answer: Afghanistan.

text: Afghanistan.

question: What kind of animal is Bear?

answer: dog

text: dog

question: What happened to Bear before they found him?

answer: Born into poverty and war,

text: Born into poverty and war,

question: Who made preparations to transport the dog?

answer: British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing,

text: British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing,

question: Why was the dog's tail chopped off?

answer: preparation for dog-fighting.

text: preparation for dog-fighting.

question: Who made preparations?

answer: former British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing,

text: former British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing,

question: Who found Bear?

answer: An unknown soldier in Afghanistan first

text: An unknown soldier in Afghanistan first

question: What country do the Royal Marines represent?

answer: U.K.

text: U.K.

question: Who made preparations with company and locals to transport dogs?

answer: former British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing,

text: former British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing,


text:
(EW.com) -- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" features one of the more soul-destroying death orgies in Fantasy-lit history, with a whole cavalcade of Potter supporting players winding up as casualties in the climactic wizard battle.

The series never shrank from death -- Books 4 through 6 each end with a major character dying, and the whole saga begins with Harry as a newly orphaned baby. But in a new special feature on the "Deathly Hallows 2" DVD, author J. K. Rowling notes that she'd planned one fatality that would have probably scarred a generation of young readers.

As reported by the Guardian, Rowling says, "I did seriously consider killing Ron." Apparently, she briefly thought about killing off Harry's red-headed sidekick around the middle of the series, when she "wasn't in a very happy place."

It's an interesting piece of what-might-have-been trivia. In some ways, it reminds me a little bit of the mythic notion that Han Solo was supposed to die in Return of the Jedi -- an idea which was supported by original Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz and Harrison Ford. Kurtz told the Hollywood Reporter that Solo lived because George Lucas didn't want to kill off any of his main characters. It's hard to accuse Rowling of any such anxiety, given the "Deathly Hallows" bloodbath.

Still, it's fun to speculate on how such a major change would have altered the book series. Rowling doesn't specify in what context she was picturing Ron's death, but it's easy to imagine that he might have bit the dust relatively early. Lots of people were shocked when Rowling killed off Cedric Diggory in "Goblet of Fire," but Diggory was a minor character who, in hindsight, was always kind of a handsome readymade corpse -- think of how much freakier the latter Potters would have felt without good ol' Ron around to relieve the tension.

Conversely, imagine if Ron had sacrificed himself in Deathly Hallows' climax. It certainly would have changed the tone of the ending, which was a pretty upbeat Happily Ever After, all considering.

See the full article at EW.com.

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text: EW.com

text: Harry

text: Potter

text: and

text: the

text: Deathly

text: Hallows

text: features

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: more

text: soul

text: destroying

text: death

text: orgies

text: in

text: Fantasy

text: lit

text: history

text: with

text: a

text: whole

text: cavalcade

text: of

text: Potter

text: supporting

text: players

text: winding

text: up

text: as

text: casualties

text: in

text: the

text: climactic

text: wizard

text: battle

text: The

text: series

text: never

text: shrank

text: from

text: death

text: Books

text: through

text: each

text: end

text: with

text: a

text: major

text: character

text: dying

text: and

text: the

text: whole

text: saga

text: begins

text: with

text: Harry

text: as

text: a

text: newly

text: orphaned

text: baby

text: But

text: in

text: a

text: new

text: special

text: feature

text: on

text: the

text: Deathly

text: Hallows

text: DVD

text: author

text: J.

text: K.

text: Rowling

text: notes

text: that

text: she

text: 'd

text: planned

text: one

text: fatality

text: that

text: would

text: have

text: probably

text: scarred

text: a

text: generation

text: of

text: young

text: readers

text: As

text: reported

text: by

text: the

text: Guardian

text: Rowling

text: says

text: I

text: did

text: seriously

text: consider

text: killing

text: Ron

text: Apparently

text: she

text: briefly

text: thought

text: about

text: killing

text: off

text: Harry

text: 's

text: red

text: headed

text: sidekick

text: around

text: the

text: middle

text: of

text: the

text: series

text: when

text: she

text: was

text: n't

text: in

text: a

text: very

text: happy

text: place

text: It

text: 's

text: an

text: interesting

text: piece

text: of

text: what

text: might

text: have

text: been

text: trivia

text: In

text: some

text: ways

text: it

text: reminds

text: me

text: a

text: little

text: bit

text: of

text: the

text: mythic

text: notion

text: that

text: Han

text: Solo

text: was

text: supposed

text: to

text: die

text: in

text: Return

text: of

text: the

text: Jedi

text: an

text: idea

text: which

text: was

text: supported

text: by

text: original

text: Star

text: Wars

text: producer

text: Gary

text: Kurtz

text: and

text: Harrison

text: Ford

text: Kurtz

text: told

text: the

text: Hollywood

text: Reporter

text: that

text: Solo

text: lived

text: because

text: George

text: Lucas

text: did

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: kill

text: off

text: any

text: of

text: his

text: main

text: characters

text: It

text: 's

text: hard

text: to

text: accuse

text: Rowling

text: of

text: any

text: such

text: anxiety

text: given

text: the

text: Deathly

text: Hallows

text: bloodbath

text: Still

text: it

text: 's

text: fun

text: to

text: speculate

text: on

text: how

text: such

text: a

text: major

text: change

text: would

text: have

text: altered

text: the

text: book

text: series

text: Rowling

text: does

text: n't

text: specify

text: in

text: what

text: context

text: she

text: was

text: picturing

text: Ron

text: 's

text: death

text: but

text: it

text: 's

text: easy

text: to

text: imagine

text: that

text: he

text: might

text: have

text: bit

text: the

text: dust

text: relatively

text: early

text: Lots

text: of

text: people

text: were

text: shocked

text: when

text: Rowling

text: killed

text: off

text: Cedric

text: Diggory

text: in

text: Goblet

text: of

text: Fire

text: but

text: Diggory

text: was

text: a

text: minor

text: character

text: who

text: in

text: hindsight

text: was

text: always

text: kind

text: of

text: a

text: handsome

text: readymade

text: corpse

text: think

text: of

text: how

text: much

text: freakier

text: the

text: latter

text: Potters

text: would

text: have

text: felt

text: without

text: good

text: ol'

text: Ron

text: around

text: to

text: relieve

text: the

text: tension

text: Conversely

text: imagine

text: if

text: Ron

text: had

text: sacrificed

text: himself

text: in

text: Deathly

text: Hallows

text: climax

text: It

text: certainly

text: would

text: have

text: changed

text: the

text: tone

text: of

text: the

text: ending

text: which

text: was

text: a

text: pretty

text: upbeat

text: Happily

text: Ever

text: After

text: all

text: considering

text: See

text: the

text: full

text: article

text: at

text: EW.com

text: CLICK

text: HERE

text: to

text: Try

text: RISK

text: FREE

text: issues

text: of

text: Entertainment

text: Weekly

text: Â

text: Entertainment

text: Weekly

text: and

text: Time

text: Inc.

text: All

text: rights

text: reserved

question: Who considered killing Ron?

answer: Rowling

text: Rowling

question: what is easy to imagine?

answer: he might have bit the dust relatively early.

text: he might have bit the dust relatively early.

question: what did he consider?

answer: killing Ron."

text: killing Ron."

question: Who could have bitten the dust earlier?

answer: Ron's

text: Ron's


text:
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Five people arrested after street disturbances erupted in Tehran during the recent Ashura holy day could face the death penalty, an Iranian semi-official news agency reported Thursday.

The Iran Labor News Agency reported that the five will be tried for Moharebe, or waging war against God -- a charge that could be punishable by execution. ILNA attributed the information in its report to the Iranian judiciary.

The case will be tried "soon" with defense lawyers and a prosecutor-general representative present at proceedings. "Confessions of the accused and the investigations of the authorities" will be considered, ILNA said.

Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi, prosecutor for the Public and Revolution Courts, had stressed that people who created disturbances on the Shiite Muslim holy day of Ashura "by setting fire to public property and other similar crimes" were engaging in acts "tantamount to Moharebe," ILNA said.

In-depth coverage of the protests in Iran

"The judiciary will severely confront those people based on the law," the report said.

Anti-government demonstrations began after the disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi.

But late December marked the deadliest clashes since the initial protests broke out this summer.

At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested, witnesses said, as they took to the streets on Ashura, which occurred on December 27. The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone and has blamed reformists for the violence. At times, video has shown protesters apparently turning on security forces.

text: Tehran

text: Iran

text: CNN

text: Five

text: people

text: arrested

text: after

text: street

text: disturbances

text: erupted

text: in

text: Tehran

text: during

text: the

text: recent

text: Ashura

text: holy

text: day

text: could

text: face

text: the

text: death

text: penalty

text: an

text: Iranian

text: semi

text: official

text: news

text: agency

text: reported

text: Thursday

text: The

text: Iran

text: Labor

text: News

text: Agency

text: reported

text: that

text: the

text: five

text: will

text: be

text: tried

text: for

text: Moharebe

text: or

text: waging

text: war

text: against

text: God

text: a

text: charge

text: that

text: could

text: be

text: punishable

text: by

text: execution

text: ILNA

text: attributed

text: the

text: information

text: in

text: its

text: report

text: to

text: the

text: Iranian

text: judiciary

text: The

text: case

text: will

text: be

text: tried

text: soon

text: with

text: defense

text: lawyers

text: and

text: a

text: prosecutor

text: general

text: representative

text: present

text: at

text: proceedings

text: Confessions

text: of

text: the

text: accused

text: and

text: the

text: investigations

text: of

text: the

text: authorities

text: will

text: be

text: considered

text: ILNA

text: said

text: Abbas

text: Jafari

text: Dolatabadi

text: prosecutor

text: for

text: the

text: Public

text: and

text: Revolution

text: Courts

text: had

text: stressed

text: that

text: people

text: who

text: created

text: disturbances

text: on

text: the

text: Shiite

text: Muslim

text: holy

text: day

text: of

text: Ashura

text: by

text: setting

text: fire

text: to

text: public

text: property

text: and

text: other

text: similar

text: crimes

text: were

text: engaging

text: in

text: acts

text: tantamount

text: to

text: Moharebe

text: ILNA

text: said

text: In

text: depth

text: coverage

text: of

text: the

text: protests

text: in

text: Iran

text: The

text: judiciary

text: will

text: severely

text: confront

text: those

text: people

text: based

text: on

text: the

text: law

text: the

text: report

text: said

text: Anti

text: government

text: demonstrations

text: began

text: after

text: the

text: disputed

text: June

text: presidential

text: vote

text: which

text: re

text: elected

text: hardline

text: President

text: Mahmoud

text: Ahmadinejad

text: over

text: main

text: opposition

text: candidate

text: Mir

text: Hossein

text: Moussavi

text: But

text: late

text: December

text: marked

text: the

text: deadliest

text: clashes

text: since

text: the

text: initial

text: protests

text: broke

text: out

text: this

text: summer

text: At

text: least

text: seven

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: and

text: hundreds

text: arrested

text: witnesses

text: said

text: as

text: they

text: took

text: to

text: the

text: streets

text: on

text: Ashura

text: which

text: occurred

text: on

text: December

text: The

text: Iranian

text: government

text: has

text: denied

text: that

text: its

text: security

text: forces

text: killed

text: anyone

text: and

text: has

text: blamed

text: reformists

text: for

text: the

text: violence

text: At

text: times

text: video

text: has

text: shown

text: protesters

text: apparently

text: turning

text: on

text: security

text: forces

question: where was this

answer: Tehran

text: Tehran

question: what are they protesting

answer: disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi.

text: disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi.

question: What possible penalty does the charge carry?

answer: death

text: death

question: What did witnesses say?

answer: At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested,

text: At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested,

question: How many protesters will be tried for waging war against God?

answer: Five

text: Five

question: What is the charge called?

answer: Moharebe, or waging war against God

text: Moharebe, or waging war against God

question: How many people were killed according to witnesses?

answer: seven

text: seven

question: How many protesters will be tried?

answer: five

text: five

question: what killed the 7 people

answer: security forces

text: security forces