text:
(CNN) -- Gunpowder, fireworks and attention-grabbing installations mark Cai Guo-Qiang as one of the world's biggest and brightest artists.

Cai's fireworks will be seen by millions during the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.

The Chinese artist is about to show the world what he can do with a spectacular pyrotechnics display at the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Despite not having lived in China since 1986, Cai has been selected to be the Director of Visual and Special Effects for both the opening and closing ceremonies at the Games.

For the 51-year-old contemporary artist, whose work has previously caused controversy in China, the politics that have been swirling around the Games are secondary to the event itself.

"In any country, in any city, there will be political influence on what is said, what kind of images are to be projected and, yes, of course artists can be and are influenced by politicians," he told CNN.

"But what I also think is that our leaders at the very highest level want artists to be able to be free, to be creative and to show this other side of China that is vibrant."

While some of his art is politically charged, Cai has established his reputation as much as a director of the spectacular, with his work often providing a visceral and visual bang.

He studied stage design at the Shanghai Drama Institute between 1981 and 1985 before moving to Japan a year after graduation. Now residing in New York, he gained wide-spread international recognition at the Venice Biennale in 1999, winning the Golden Lion prize.

However, the work he displayed -- Rent Collection Courtyard, a replica of famous Chinese socialist-realist sculpture -- upset artists of the original piece in Shanghai who believed it diminished the sentiment behind the original work.

Born in Fujian in 1957, Cai's father was also an artist, but had a much more traditional outlook than the one Cai developed.

"He and his friends always lamented about the good days and, that there's no vitality in today's art and culture. So, I really rebelled against that. I felt that what they were talking about had very little to do with how our lives were like at that moment," he said.

Cai began using gunpowder in his work after moving to Japan. Detonating large trails of it on his two-dimensional pieces, creating small mushroom-clouds, or lighting enormous firework displays, explosions have been a continuous theme of his work.

"I have always been a coward as a child. I am not very brave. I am very aware of the fact that I am not very gutsy. So, I am always trying to do things to kind of boost my own sense of courage a bit. So maybe that is why I use gunpowder," he told CNN.

Cai has proffered different explanations for different projects that feature the same motifs. Perhaps that is not surprising when his influences come from a myriad of sources that include Taoism, Buddhist philosophy and UFO-observations.

Recently exhibited at New York's Guggenheim Museum, "Inopportune: Stage One" is a set of 9 cars suspended above each other with illuminated shards shooting out. Cai has previously said it denotes Chinese craftiness in stealing western technology, while arrows piercing the life-sized stuffed tigers of "Inopportune: Stage 2" are also about the aesthetics of pain.

"For me cars are tigers, they are all bodies of the human form and it is a human form I am working with through this medium. For the cars the energy goes inward out and for the tiger piece the energy flows in," he told CNN.

Meanings and interpretations then can be fluid, but as well as the explosions and visual excitement, there is a common social theme in his work.

The most connected to this ethos is "Reflection-A Gift from Iwaki 2004." The skeleton of a wooden boat found off the coast of Iwaki, Japan, that spills delicate pieces of porcelain from its hull is recreated piece by piece by the people who helped excavate it.

"This work and the history of this work belongs to the people of Iwaki and me. It is a shared experience, a shared history," he said.

"Some works of art have material other works have form, but this piece has something additional, it has a narrative, it has a story that is just as important as the material and form itself."

Ultimately the most unifying and social part of his work is the spectacle of it all. Everyone loves fireworks, and if Cai's own careful planning and that of the Games organizers come together, he should provide a fitting opening and finale to the world's biggest spectacle.

text: CNN

text: Gunpowder

text: fireworks

text: and

text: attention

text: grabbing

text: installations

text: mark

text: Cai

text: Guo

text: Qiang

text: as

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: biggest

text: and

text: brightest

text: artists

text: Cai

text: 's

text: fireworks

text: will

text: be

text: seen

text: by

text: millions

text: during

text: the

text: Olympics

text: opening

text: and

text: closing

text: ceremonies

text: The

text: Chinese

text: artist

text: is

text: about

text: to

text: show

text: the

text: world

text: what

text: he

text: can

text: do

text: with

text: a

text: spectacular

text: pyrotechnics

text: display

text: at

text: the

text: opening

text: of

text: the

text: Olympic

text: Games

text: in

text: Beijing

text: Despite

text: not

text: having

text: lived

text: in

text: China

text: since

text: Cai

text: has

text: been

text: selected

text: to

text: be

text: the

text: Director

text: of

text: Visual

text: and

text: Special

text: Effects

text: for

text: both

text: the

text: opening

text: and

text: closing

text: ceremonies

text: at

text: the

text: Games

text: For

text: the

text: old

text: contemporary

text: artist

text: whose

text: work

text: has

text: previously

text: caused

text: controversy

text: in

text: China

text: the

text: politics

text: that

text: have

text: been

text: swirling

text: around

text: the

text: Games

text: are

text: secondary

text: to

text: the

text: event

text: itself

text: In

text: any

text: country

text: in

text: any

text: city

text: there

text: will

text: be

text: political

text: influence

text: on

text: what

text: is

text: said

text: what

text: kind

text: of

text: images

text: are

text: to

text: be

text: projected

text: and

text: yes

text: of

text: course

text: artists

text: can

text: be

text: and

text: are

text: influenced

text: by

text: politicians

text: he

text: told

text: CNN

text: But

text: what

text: I

text: also

text: think

text: is

text: that

text: our

text: leaders

text: at

text: the

text: very

text: highest

text: level

text: want

text: artists

text: to

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: be

text: free

text: to

text: be

text: creative

text: and

text: to

text: show

text: this

text: other

text: side

text: of

text: China

text: that

text: is

text: vibrant

text: While

text: some

text: of

text: his

text: art

text: is

text: politically

text: charged

text: Cai

text: has

text: established

text: his

text: reputation

text: as

text: much

text: as

text: a

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: spectacular

text: with

text: his

text: work

text: often

text: providing

text: a

text: visceral

text: and

text: visual

text: bang

text: He

text: studied

text: stage

text: design

text: at

text: the

text: Shanghai

text: Drama

text: Institute

text: between

text: and

text: before

text: moving

text: to

text: Japan

text: a

text: year

text: after

text: graduation

text: Now

text: residing

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: he

text: gained

text: wide

text: spread

text: international

text: recognition

text: at

text: the

text: Venice

text: Biennale

text: in

text: winning

text: the

text: Golden

text: Lion

text: prize

text: However

text: the

text: work

text: he

text: displayed

text: Rent

text: Collection

text: Courtyard

text: a

text: replica

text: of

text: famous

text: Chinese

text: socialist

text: realist

text: sculpture

text: upset

text: artists

text: of

text: the

text: original

text: piece

text: in

text: Shanghai

text: who

text: believed

text: it

text: diminished

text: the

text: sentiment

text: behind

text: the

text: original

text: work

text: Born

text: in

text: Fujian

text: in

text: Cai

text: 's

text: father

text: was

text: also

text: an

text: artist

text: but

text: had

text: a

text: much

text: more

text: traditional

text: outlook

text: than

text: the

text: one

text: Cai

text: developed

text: He

text: and

text: his

text: friends

text: always

text: lamented

text: about

text: the

text: good

text: days

text: and

text: that

text: there

text: 's

text: no

text: vitality

text: in

text: today

text: 's

text: art

text: and

text: culture

text: So

text: I

text: really

text: rebelled

text: against

text: that

text: I

text: felt

text: that

text: what

text: they

text: were

text: talking

text: about

text: had

text: very

text: little

text: to

text: do

text: with

text: how

text: our

text: lives

text: were

text: like

text: at

text: that

text: moment

text: he

text: said

text: Cai

text: began

text: using

text: gunpowder

text: in

text: his

text: work

text: after

text: moving

text: to

text: Japan

text: Detonating

text: large

text: trails

text: of

text: it

text: on

text: his

text: two

text: dimensional

text: pieces

text: creating

text: small

text: mushroom

text: clouds

text: or

text: lighting

text: enormous

text: firework

text: displays

text: explosions

text: have

text: been

text: a

text: continuous

text: theme

text: of

text: his

text: work

text: I

text: have

text: always

text: been

text: a

text: coward

text: as

text: a

text: child

text: I

text: am

text: not

text: very

text: brave

text: I

text: am

text: very

text: aware

text: of

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: I

text: am

text: not

text: very

text: gutsy

text: So

text: I

text: am

text: always

text: trying

text: to

text: do

text: things

text: to

text: kind

text: of

text: boost

text: my

text: own

text: sense

text: of

text: courage

text: a

text: bit

text: So

text: maybe

text: that

text: is

text: why

text: I

text: use

text: gunpowder

text: he

text: told

text: CNN

text: Cai

text: has

text: proffered

text: different

text: explanations

text: for

text: different

text: projects

text: that

text: feature

text: the

text: same

text: motifs

text: Perhaps

text: that

text: is

text: not

text: surprising

text: when

text: his

text: influences

text: come

text: from

text: a

text: myriad

text: of

text: sources

text: that

text: include

text: Taoism

text: Buddhist

text: philosophy

text: and

text: UFO

text: observations

text: Recently

text: exhibited

text: at

text: New

text: York

text: 's

text: Guggenheim

text: Museum

text: Inopportune

text: Stage

text: One

text: is

text: a

text: set

text: of

text: cars

text: suspended

text: above

text: each

text: other

text: with

text: illuminated

text: shards

text: shooting

text: out

text: Cai

text: has

text: previously

text: said

text: it

text: denotes

text: Chinese

text: craftiness

text: in

text: stealing

text: western

text: technology

text: while

text: arrows

text: piercing

text: the

text: life

text: sized

text: stuffed

text: tigers

text: of

text: Inopportune

text: Stage

text: are

text: also

text: about

text: the

text: aesthetics

text: of

text: pain

text: For

text: me

text: cars

text: are

text: tigers

text: they

text: are

text: all

text: bodies

text: of

text: the

text: human

text: form

text: and

text: it

text: is

text: a

text: human

text: form

text: I

text: am

text: working

text: with

text: through

text: this

text: medium

text: For

text: the

text: cars

text: the

text: energy

text: goes

text: inward

text: out

text: and

text: for

text: the

text: tiger

text: piece

text: the

text: energy

text: flows

text: in

text: he

text: told

text: CNN

text: Meanings

text: and

text: interpretations

text: then

text: can

text: be

text: fluid

text: but

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: the

text: explosions

text: and

text: visual

text: excitement

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: common

text: social

text: theme

text: in

text: his

text: work

text: The

text: most

text: connected

text: to

text: this

text: ethos

text: is

text: Reflection

text: A

text: Gift

text: from

text: Iwaki

text: The

text: skeleton

text: of

text: a

text: wooden

text: boat

text: found

text: off

text: the

text: coast

text: of

text: Iwaki

text: Japan

text: that

text: spills

text: delicate

text: pieces

text: of

text: porcelain

text: from

text: its

text: hull

text: is

text: recreated

text: piece

text: by

text: piece

text: by

text: the

text: people

text: who

text: helped

text: excavate

text: it

text: This

text: work

text: and

text: the

text: history

text: of

text: this

text: work

text: belongs

text: to

text: the

text: people

text: of

text: Iwaki

text: and

text: me

text: It

text: is

text: a

text: shared

text: experience

text: a

text: shared

text: history

text: he

text: said

text: Some

text: works

text: of

text: art

text: have

text: material

text: other

text: works

text: have

text: form

text: but

text: this

text: piece

text: has

text: something

text: additional

text: it

text: has

text: a

text: narrative

text: it

text: has

text: a

text: story

text: that

text: is

text: just

text: as

text: important

text: as

text: the

text: material

text: and

text: form

text: itself

text: Ultimately

text: the

text: most

text: unifying

text: and

text: social

text: part

text: of

text: his

text: work

text: is

text: the

text: spectacle

text: of

text: it

text: all

text: Everyone

text: loves

text: fireworks

text: and

text: if

text: Cai

text: 's

text: own

text: careful

text: planning

text: and

text: that

text: of

text: the

text: Games

text: organizers

text: come

text: together

text: he

text: should

text: provide

text: a

text: fitting

text: opening

text: and

text: finale

text: to

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: biggest

text: spectacle

question: Spectacular large-scale pieces will be achieved by using what?

answer: Gunpowder,

text: Gunpowder,

question: What will be used to create spectacular large-scale peices

answer: pyrotechnics display

text: pyrotechnics display

question: International recognition was gained by  winning the Golden Lion in which year?

answer: 1999,

question: An artist from which country will curate Olympic Games' opening ceremony pyrotechnic display?

answer: Cai Guo-Qiang

text: Cai Guo-Qiang

question: What will the Chinese artist do?

answer: spectacular pyrotechnics display

text: spectacular pyrotechnics display

question: Who will curate the pyrotechnics for the opening ceremony

answer: Cai Guo-Qiang

text: Cai Guo-Qiang

question: What was won at Venice Biennale in 1999

answer: Golden Lion prize.

text: Golden Lion prize.


text:
(CNN) -- Basketball commentator and former hoops star Charles Barkley was arrested Wednesday in Scottsdale, Arizona, on suspicion of drunken driving, a police spokesman said.

Charles Barkley was driving an Infiniti SUV through a trendy area of Scottsdale on Wednesday, police say.

Barkley issued a brief statement, saying, "I am disappointed that I put myself in that situation. The Scottsdale police were fantastic. I will not comment any further as it is a legal matter."

Lt. Eric Shuhandler of the Gilbert Police Department said an officer pulled Barkley over after he ran a stop sign in Scottsdale's Old Town area, a trendy spot known for its nightclubs and bars. Gilbert and Scottsdale are in the Phoenix metro area.

"The officer identified the driver of the 2005 Infiniti as Charles Barkley," according to a written statement from police. "Mr. Barkley was administered the standard field sobriety tests after the odor of intoxicating liquor was detected."  Watch: Barkley 'disappointed' by arrest Â»

At a news conference later in the day, Shuhandler said Barkley's "performance on the field sobriety test revealed there was probable cause to make an arrest."

Barkley declined to take a breath test to measure his blood-alcohol level, Shuhandler said earlier.

"When he arrived at the station, police administered a blood test, which is customary of our police department to do," he said, adding that Barkley consented to the blood test.

It will take "a few days" for the crime lab to test the blood sample and determine Barkley's blood-alcohol level, Shuhandler said.

The former NBA power forward was cited for driving while impaired and released.

"It was a pretty routine arrest," Shuhandler said.

Barkley's sport-utility vehicle was impounded under mandatory vehicle impound laws, police said.

Shuhandler said Barkley behaved professionally during the booking and was "very respectful and cordial with our officers."  Watch Shuhandler describe the arrest Â»

Barkley, 45, is a commentator for TNT's coverage of the NBA.

In October, he told CNN's Campbell Brown that he plans to run for governor of his home state of Alabama in 2014, saying, "I can't screw up Alabama. We are number 48 in everything and Arkansas and Mississippi aren't going anywhere."

Although he is well known for entertaining comments and a cocky attitude, he also compiled an impressive rÃ©sumÃ© as a professional basketball player.

A Hall of Famer and 11-time All-Star, Barkley is one of four players in history to rack up more than 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in a career. He also earned the NBA's most valuable player designation in 1993 and brought home gold medals with the U.S. Olympic basketball team in 1992 and 1996.

His commanding performance on the court earned him the nicknames "Sir Charles" and the "Round Mound of Rebound."

Barkley was drafted out of Auburn University in 1984 by the Philadelphia 76ers and played 16 seasons with the Sixers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets before he was permanently sidelined in 1999 with a ruptured tendon in his left knee.

TNT is owned by Turner Broadcasting Corp., also the parent company of CNN.

CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: Basketball

text: commentator

text: and

text: former

text: hoops

text: star

text: Charles

text: Barkley

text: was

text: arrested

text: Wednesday

text: in

text: Scottsdale

text: Arizona

text: on

text: suspicion

text: of

text: drunken

text: driving

text: a

text: police

text: spokesman

text: said

text: Charles

text: Barkley

text: was

text: driving

text: an

text: Infiniti

text: SUV

text: through

text: a

text: trendy

text: area

text: of

text: Scottsdale

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: police

text: say

text: Barkley

text: issued

text: a

text: brief

text: statement

text: saying

text: I

text: am

text: disappointed

text: that

text: I

text: put

text: myself

text: in

text: that

text: situation

text: The

text: Scottsdale

text: police

text: were

text: fantastic

text: I

text: will

text: not

text: comment

text: any

text: further

text: as

text: it

text: is

text: a

text: legal

text: matter

text: Lt

text: Eric

text: Shuhandler

text: of

text: the

text: Gilbert

text: Police

text: Department

text: said

text: an

text: officer

text: pulled

text: Barkley

text: over

text: after

text: he

text: ran

text: a

text: stop

text: sign

text: in

text: Scottsdale

text: 's

text: Old

text: Town

text: area

text: a

text: trendy

text: spot

text: known

text: for

text: its

text: nightclubs

text: and

text: bars

text: Gilbert

text: and

text: Scottsdale

text: are

text: in

text: the

text: Phoenix

text: metro

text: area

text: The

text: officer

text: identified

text: the

text: driver

text: of

text: the

text: Infiniti

text: as

text: Charles

text: Barkley

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: written

text: statement

text: from

text: police

text: Mr.

text: Barkley

text: was

text: administered

text: the

text: standard

text: field

text: sobriety

text: tests

text: after

text: the

text: odor

text: of

text: intoxicating

text: liquor

text: was

text: detected

text: Watch

text: Barkley

text: disappointed

text: by

text: arrest

text: Â

text: At

text: a

text: news

text: conference

text: later

text: in

text: the

text: day

text: Shuhandler

text: said

text: Barkley

text: 's

text: performance

text: on

text: the

text: field

text: sobriety

text: test

text: revealed

text: there

text: was

text: probable

text: cause

text: to

text: make

text: an

text: arrest

text: Barkley

text: declined

text: to

text: take

text: a

text: breath

text: test

text: to

text: measure

text: his

text: blood

text: alcohol

text: level

text: Shuhandler

text: said

text: earlier

text: When

text: he

text: arrived

text: at

text: the

text: station

text: police

text: administered

text: a

text: blood

text: test

text: which

text: is

text: customary

text: of

text: our

text: police

text: department

text: to

text: do

text: he

text: said

text: adding

text: that

text: Barkley

text: consented

text: to

text: the

text: blood

text: test

text: It

text: will

text: take

text: a

text: few

text: days

text: for

text: the

text: crime

text: lab

text: to

text: test

text: the

text: blood

text: sample

text: and

text: determine

text: Barkley

text: 's

text: blood

text: alcohol

text: level

text: Shuhandler

text: said

text: The

text: former

text: NBA

text: power

text: forward

text: was

text: cited

text: for

text: driving

text: while

text: impaired

text: and

text: released

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: pretty

text: routine

text: arrest

text: Shuhandler

text: said

text: Barkley

text: 's

text: sport

text: utility

text: vehicle

text: was

text: impounded

text: under

text: mandatory

text: vehicle

text: impound

text: laws

text: police

text: said

text: Shuhandler

text: said

text: Barkley

text: behaved

text: professionally

text: during

text: the

text: booking

text: and

text: was

text: very

text: respectful

text: and

text: cordial

text: with

text: our

text: officers

text: Watch

text: Shuhandler

text: describe

text: the

text: arrest

text: Â

text: Barkley

text: is

text: a

text: commentator

text: for

text: TNT

text: 's

text: coverage

text: of

text: the

text: NBA

text: In

text: October

text: he

text: told

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Campbell

text: Brown

text: that

text: he

text: plans

text: to

text: run

text: for

text: governor

text: of

text: his

text: home

text: state

text: of

text: Alabama

text: in

text: saying

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: screw

text: up

text: Alabama

text: We

text: are

text: number

text: in

text: everything

text: and

text: Arkansas

text: and

text: Mississippi

text: are

text: n't

text: going

text: anywhere

text: Although

text: he

text: is

text: well

text: known

text: for

text: entertaining

text: comments

text: and

text: a

text: cocky

text: attitude

text: he

text: also

text: compiled

text: an

text: impressive

text: rÃ

text: sumÃ

text: as

text: a

text: professional

text: basketball

text: player

text: A

text: Hall

text: of

text: Famer

text: and

text: All

text: Star

text: Barkley

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: four

text: players

text: in

text: history

text: to

text: rack

text: up

text: more

text: than

text: points

text: rebounds

text: and

text: assists

text: in

text: a

text: career

text: He

text: also

text: earned

text: the

text: NBA

text: 's

text: most

text: valuable

text: player

text: designation

text: in

text: and

text: brought

text: home

text: gold

text: medals

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Olympic

text: basketball

text: team

text: in

text: and

text: His

text: commanding

text: performance

text: on

text: the

text: court

text: earned

text: him

text: the

text: nicknames

text: Sir

text: Charles

text: and

text: the

text: Round

text: Mound

text: of

text: Rebound

text: Barkley

text: was

text: drafted

text: out

text: of

text: Auburn

text: University

text: in

text: by

text: the

text: Philadelphia

text: and

text: played

text: seasons

text: with

text: the

text: Sixers

text: Phoenix

text: Suns

text: and

text: Houston

text: Rockets

text: before

text: he

text: was

text: permanently

text: sidelined

text: in

text: with

text: a

text: ruptured

text: tendon

text: in

text: his

text: left

text: knee

text: TNT

text: is

text: owned

text: by

text: Turner

text: Broadcasting

text: Corp.

text: also

text: the

text: parent

text: company

text: of

text: CNN

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Nick

text: Valencia

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Who disappointed himself?

answer: Charles Barkley

text: Charles Barkley

question: What did the police say?

answer: Basketball

text: Basketball

question: What does Barkley say about the police?

answer: The Scottsdale

text: The Scottsdale

question: What kind of test did the commentator not take?

answer: a breath

text: a breath

question: What is Barkley known for?

answer: commentator and former hoops star

text: commentator and former hoops star

question: What test was not taken?

answer: breath

text: breath

question: What did the sobriety test reveal?

answer: there was probable cause to make an arrest."

text: there was probable cause to make an arrest."

question: What does Barkley says he's disappointed in?

answer: that I put myself in that situation.

text: that I put myself in that situation.

question: What did the police give Barkley?

answer: standard field sobriety tests

text: standard field sobriety tests


text:
Memphis, Tennessee (CNN) -- The leader of a Memphis-based YMCA group said he felt "gut-punched" by a televised report in which two men alleged a former coach with that organization had sexually abused them as boys.

Keith Johnson, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South, said he first heard of the allegations against Robert "Bobby" Dodd while watching ESPN's "Outside the Lines" program on Sunday.

He said the sports network didn't contact him in advance of the piece. As of Monday, several days after Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong announced his department would investigate the claims against Dodd, Johnson said that law enforcement had not touched base with his YMCA organization.

In the ESPN report, Dodd's accusers said he sexually abused them in hotel rooms during tournaments when they were 12 to 16 years old.

CNN has not been able to reach Dodd, 63, for comment on the allegations. ESPN said it also had been unable to reach him.

On Monday afternoon, Memphis police Deputy Chief Dave Martello said the investigators' options are limited given that no one has filed a formal complaint against Dodd.

"A person is going to have to actually come to the police and report this," Martello told reporters. "The fact they go on TV and make these accusations is not notifying the authorities."

Martello said police are still trying to determine "where (the alleged crimes) happened, when they happened and who was involved." But if a person doesn't offer details directly to police, there are only "going to be a lot of baby steps," he said.

Dodd, who is not a direct relative of the late former Georgia Tech football coach of the same name, was a basketball coach affiliated with the Memphis YMCA in the 1980s, Johnson confirmed. Two now grown men alleged in the ESPN report that Dodd abused them during that time.

The allegations were made amid child sex scandals at Penn State and Syracuse universities and The Citadel. Both men accusing Dodd told ESPN the publicity from the scandals prompted them to act.

The YMCA said Dodd left in 1992 "to pursue AAU sports full-time," including founding an organization called the YOMCA, which stands for Youth of Memphis Competitive Association and is unrelated to the YMCA. He eventually became president and CEO of the Amateur Athletic Union, a position he held until his dismissal on November 14.

Johnson came to Memphis as head of the Fogelman Downtown YMCA a year after Dodd left. In his time with the organization, including over the last decade as an executive for the regional YMCA, Johnson said he had never heard complaints regarding the former coach.

Martello said that Memphis police began looking into the case after the AAU gave them information last Friday. AAU spokesman Ron Sachs had also said that his organization kick-started the child sex abuse criminal probe -- although the group has varied as to whether it claims to have contacted authorities last Thursday or Friday -- telling CNN that the organization provided the identities of three of Dodd's accusers, including not brought up in the ESPN report.

This disclosure followed a nearly monthlong investigation ordered by the AAU, Sachs said Sunday.

The AAU got "cryptic, brief" e-mails, signed only as "shrimp breath," on November 7, 8 and 9 that "alleged, in a very general way, that Bobby Dodd engaged in child sexual abuse," Sachs said. On November 9, the organization got two brief voice-mails along the same lines. There was no name or contact information left in either case.

Those messages were sent to the AAU's compliance and general counsel office, and AAU officers were notified on November 11. The board members, several of whom flew into Orlando, convened the next Monday, November 14, "to confront then-President Bobby Dodd," said Sachs.

In that meeting, Dodd said he had gotten similar phone messages and said he was innocent, according to Sachs, who said he had spoken with several AAU officers who were at the meeting.

"Despite those denials, the AAU officers directed that Bobby Dodd leave the premises and leave his position (as president and CEO) for an indefinite period," said Sachs.

The YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South and the AAU have launched independent investigations into the matter, their respective leaders have said.

One of Dodd's accusers, identified by ESPN as Ralph West of Miami, said he was 14 at the time of the alleged abuse. He said that he was talking publicly, despite the potential embarrassment to him and his family, not to "gain anything" but because he felt "the guy shouldn't be around kids anymore."

West said that he was on a YMCA basketball team run by Dodd, who he said would sometimes slip into his then player's hotel room.

Asked how Dodd could have entered the hotel room on that and other occasions, West said, "He had a key. He always somehow had a key to whatever room I was in."

West said Dodd abused him or tried to abuse him six times, including at least once in which he tried "to put his hand in my boxer shorts" while West was sleeping.

During out-of-town basketball tournaments, West said that he tried to find ways to keep Dodd out of his hotel room,, adding he was "afraid to even fall asleep."

"He would push his way in the room and then end up, I'd see, I wouldn't see him, I would hear him, he'd lay at the floor of the bed masturbating," West said. "And you just lay there horrified. But you don't know what to do. What, are you going to blow the lid off of this at 14 years? All you want to do is pretend it didn't happen and not address it at all. You want to hide and bury it."

Another accuser, whom ESPN did not identify, said Dodd gave him alcohol before taking him to a bedroom and touching him inappropriately.

"The last thing that I can really remember was him carrying me into his bedroom and I can remember him, you know, touching me in ways that I, I didn't uh, I didn't want another man touching me," the man said.

That accuser said he called Dodd on November 11 and confronted him. Dodd, he said, then apologized for the alleged abuse. The network said it examined the man's phone records and verified an eight-minute phone call to Dodd's number.

Both men said they had never reported the alleged incidents to police and had only recently told their families, ESPN said.

Until they or other accusers contact Memphis police, Martello said investigators can only work from the limited information they've been given by the AAU. "We're just going to have to go with the facts, as they come forward," he said.

The statute of limitations, which mandates that charges cannot be filed for a crime if a certain amount of time has elapsed since it allegedly took place, could be a factor in the case. Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich on Monday said such laws are "very technical" and "very confusing," declining to go into details as to how it would apply in this case lest that would prevent complainants from talking to police.

"What we don't want to do is encourage made-up claims or discourage valid claims to be made to the Memphis Police Department," Weirich told reporters, encouraging victims of any crime to contact police and not worry about the statute of limitations.

Sachs criticized the half-hour ESPN report for not quoting AAU President Louis Stout's video statement on the matter or others from the AAU. The organization, which has 80,000 adult volunteers involved in coaching and works with hundreds of thousands of young people, is asking outside experts to review its policies for protecting children, which Sachs called the AAU's "No. 1 priority."

The spokesman also clarified that Dodd told his successor, Stout, that he had colon cancer and needed surgery after his dismissal. Dodd allegedly asked that he be able to retire for medical reasons, a request that Stout denied, according to Sachs.

"(Stout) told Mr. Dodd to go focus on your health, go through this surgery and we'll deal with this issue later," said Sachs.

Dodd has been back at the AAU's offices one time since his ouster, contrary to the organization's earlier reports that he had not returned. The occasion was a "forensic audit" that Sachs called standard for outgoing leaders of organizations.

"Bobby Dodd is no longer part of the AAU," said Sachs. "He has no continuing role (or) involvement in their programs. There's no contact with him. Whatever compensation he would have been entitled to -- accrued vacation time -- will be paid, and that's it."

text: Memphis

text: Tennessee

text: CNN

text: The

text: leader

text: of

text: a

text: Memphis

text: based

text: YMCA

text: group

text: said

text: he

text: felt

text: gut

text: punched

text: by

text: a

text: televised

text: report

text: in

text: which

text: two

text: men

text: alleged

text: a

text: former

text: coach

text: with

text: that

text: organization

text: had

text: sexually

text: abused

text: them

text: as

text: boys

text: Keith

text: Johnson

text: the

text: president

text: and

text: CEO

text: of

text: the

text: YMCA

text: of

text: Memphis

text: and

text: the

text: Mid

text: South

text: said

text: he

text: first

text: heard

text: of

text: the

text: allegations

text: against

text: Robert

text: Bobby

text: Dodd

text: while

text: watching

text: ESPN

text: 's

text: Outside

text: the

text: Lines

text: program

text: on

text: Sunday

text: He

text: said

text: the

text: sports

text: network

text: did

text: n't

text: contact

text: him

text: in

text: advance

text: of

text: the

text: piece

text: As

text: of

text: Monday

text: several

text: days

text: after

text: Memphis

text: Police

text: Director

text: Toney

text: Armstrong

text: announced

text: his

text: department

text: would

text: investigate

text: the

text: claims

text: against

text: Dodd

text: Johnson

text: said

text: that

text: law

text: enforcement

text: had

text: not

text: touched

text: base

text: with

text: his

text: YMCA

text: organization

text: In

text: the

text: ESPN

text: report

text: Dodd

text: 's

text: accusers

text: said

text: he

text: sexually

text: abused

text: them

text: in

text: hotel

text: rooms

text: during

text: tournaments

text: when

text: they

text: were

text: to

text: years

text: old

text: CNN

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: able

text: to

text: reach

text: Dodd

text: for

text: comment

text: on

text: the

text: allegations

text: ESPN

text: said

text: it

text: also

text: had

text: been

text: unable

text: to

text: reach

text: him

text: On

text: Monday

text: afternoon

text: Memphis

text: police

text: Deputy

text: Chief

text: Dave

text: Martello

text: said

text: the

text: investigators

text: options

text: are

text: limited

text: given

text: that

text: no

text: one

text: has

text: filed

text: a

text: formal

text: complaint

text: against

text: Dodd

text: A

text: person

text: is

text: going

text: to

text: have

text: to

text: actually

text: come

text: to

text: the

text: police

text: and

text: report

text: this

text: Martello

text: told

text: reporters

text: The

text: fact

text: they

text: go

text: on

text: TV

text: and

text: make

text: these

text: accusations

text: is

text: not

text: notifying

text: the

text: authorities

text: Martello

text: said

text: police

text: are

text: still

text: trying

text: to

text: determine

text: where

text: the

text: alleged

text: crimes

text: happened

text: when

text: they

text: happened

text: and

text: who

text: was

text: involved

text: But

text: if

text: a

text: person

text: does

text: n't

text: offer

text: details

text: directly

text: to

text: police

text: there

text: are

text: only

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: baby

text: steps

text: he

text: said

text: Dodd

text: who

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: direct

text: relative

text: of

text: the

text: late

text: former

text: Georgia

text: Tech

text: football

text: coach

text: of

text: the

text: same

text: name

text: was

text: a

text: basketball

text: coach

text: affiliated

text: with

text: the

text: Memphis

text: YMCA

text: in

text: the

text: Johnson

text: confirmed

text: Two

text: now

text: grown

text: men

text: alleged

text: in

text: the

text: ESPN

text: report

text: that

text: Dodd

text: abused

text: them

text: during

text: that

text: time

text: The

text: allegations

text: were

text: made

text: amid

text: child

text: sex

text: scandals

text: at

text: Penn

text: State

text: and

text: Syracuse

text: universities

text: and

text: The

text: Citadel

text: Both

text: men

text: accusing

text: Dodd

text: told

text: ESPN

text: the

text: publicity

text: from

text: the

text: scandals

text: prompted

text: them

text: to

text: act

text: The

text: YMCA

text: said

text: Dodd

text: left

text: in

text: to

text: pursue

text: AAU

text: sports

text: full

text: time

text: including

text: founding

text: an

text: organization

text: called

text: the

text: YOMCA

text: which

text: stands

text: for

text: Youth

text: of

text: Memphis

text: Competitive

text: Association

text: and

text: is

text: unrelated

text: to

text: the

text: YMCA

text: He

text: eventually

text: became

text: president

text: and

text: CEO

text: of

text: the

text: Amateur

text: Athletic

text: Union

text: a

text: position

text: he

text: held

text: until

text: his

text: dismissal

text: on

text: November

text: Johnson

text: came

text: to

text: Memphis

text: as

text: head

text: of

text: the

text: Fogelman

text: Downtown

text: YMCA

text: a

text: year

text: after

text: Dodd

text: left

text: In

text: his

text: time

text: with

text: the

text: organization

text: including

text: over

text: the

text: last

text: decade

text: as

text: an

text: executive

text: for

text: the

text: regional

text: YMCA

text: Johnson

text: said

text: he

text: had

text: never

text: heard

text: complaints

text: regarding

text: the

text: former

text: coach

text: Martello

text: said

text: that

text: Memphis

text: police

text: began

text: looking

text: into

text: the

text: case

text: after

text: the

text: AAU

text: gave

text: them

text: information

text: last

text: Friday

text: AAU

text: spokesman

text: Ron

text: Sachs

text: had

text: also

text: said

text: that

text: his

text: organization

text: kick

text: started

text: the

text: child

text: sex

text: abuse

text: criminal

text: probe

text: although

text: the

text: group

text: has

text: varied

text: as

text: to

text: whether

text: it

text: claims

text: to

text: have

text: contacted

text: authorities

text: last

text: Thursday

text: or

text: Friday

text: telling

text: CNN

text: that

text: the

text: organization

text: provided

text: the

text: identities

text: of

text: three

text: of

text: Dodd

text: 's

text: accusers

text: including

text: not

text: brought

text: up

text: in

text: the

text: ESPN

text: report

text: This

text: disclosure

text: followed

text: a

text: nearly

text: monthlong

text: investigation

text: ordered

text: by

text: the

text: AAU

text: Sachs

text: said

text: Sunday

text: The

text: AAU

text: got

text: cryptic

text: brief

text: e

text: mails

text: signed

text: only

text: as

text: shrimp

text: breath

text: on

text: November

text: and

text: that

text: alleged

text: in

text: a

text: very

text: general

text: way

text: that

text: Bobby

text: Dodd

text: engaged

text: in

text: child

text: sexual

text: abuse

text: Sachs

text: said

text: On

text: November

text: the

text: organization

text: got

text: two

text: brief

text: voice

text: mails

text: along

text: the

text: same

text: lines

text: There

text: was

text: no

text: name

text: or

text: contact

text: information

text: left

text: in

text: either

text: case

text: Those

text: messages

text: were

text: sent

text: to

text: the

text: AAU

text: 's

text: compliance

text: and

text: general

text: counsel

text: office

text: and

text: AAU

text: officers

text: were

text: notified

text: on

text: November

text: The

text: board

text: members

text: several

text: of

text: whom

text: flew

text: into

text: Orlando

text: convened

text: the

text: next

text: Monday

text: November

text: to

text: confront

text: then

text: President

text: Bobby

text: Dodd

text: said

text: Sachs

text: In

text: that

text: meeting

text: Dodd

text: said

text: he

text: had

text: gotten

text: similar

text: phone

text: messages

text: and

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: innocent

text: according

text: to

text: Sachs

text: who

text: said

text: he

text: had

text: spoken

text: with

text: several

text: AAU

text: officers

text: who

text: were

text: at

text: the

text: meeting

text: Despite

text: those

text: denials

text: the

text: AAU

text: officers

text: directed

text: that

text: Bobby

text: Dodd

text: leave

text: the

text: premises

text: and

text: leave

text: his

text: position

text: as

text: president

text: and

text: CEO

text: for

text: an

text: indefinite

text: period

text: said

text: Sachs

text: The

text: YMCA

text: of

text: Memphis

text: and

text: the

text: Mid

text: South

text: and

text: the

text: AAU

text: have

text: launched

text: independent

text: investigations

text: into

text: the

text: matter

text: their

text: respective

text: leaders

text: have

text: said

text: One

text: of

text: Dodd

text: 's

text: accusers

text: identified

text: by

text: ESPN

text: as

text: Ralph

text: West

text: of

text: Miami

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: at

text: the

text: time

text: of

text: the

text: alleged

text: abuse

text: He

text: said

text: that

text: he

text: was

text: talking

text: publicly

text: despite

text: the

text: potential

text: embarrassment

text: to

text: him

text: and

text: his

text: family

text: not

text: to

text: gain

text: anything

text: but

text: because

text: he

text: felt

text: the

text: guy

text: should

text: n't

text: be

text: around

text: kids

text: anymore

text: West

text: said

text: that

text: he

text: was

text: on

text: a

text: YMCA

text: basketball

text: team

text: run

text: by

text: Dodd

text: who

text: he

text: said

text: would

text: sometimes

text: slip

text: into

text: his

text: then

text: player

text: 's

text: hotel

text: room

text: Asked

text: how

text: Dodd

text: could

text: have

text: entered

text: the

text: hotel

text: room

text: on

text: that

text: and

text: other

text: occasions

text: West

text: said

text: He

text: had

text: a

text: key

text: He

text: always

text: somehow

text: had

text: a

text: key

text: to

text: whatever

text: room

text: I

text: was

text: in

text: West

text: said

text: Dodd

text: abused

text: him

text: or

text: tried

text: to

text: abuse

text: him

text: six

text: times

text: including

text: at

text: least

text: once

text: in

text: which

text: he

text: tried

text: to

text: put

text: his

text: hand

text: in

text: my

text: boxer

text: shorts

text: while

text: West

text: was

text: sleeping

text: During

text: out

text: of

text: town

text: basketball

text: tournaments

text: West

text: said

text: that

text: he

text: tried

text: to

text: find

text: ways

text: to

text: keep

text: Dodd

text: out

text: of

text: his

text: hotel

text: room

text: adding

text: he

text: was

text: afraid

text: to

text: even

text: fall

text: asleep

text: He

text: would

text: push

text: his

text: way

text: in

text: the

text: room

text: and

text: then

text: end

text: up

text: I

text: 'd

text: see

text: I

text: would

text: n't

text: see

text: him

text: I

text: would

text: hear

text: him

text: he

text: 'd

text: lay

text: at

text: the

text: floor

text: of

text: the

text: bed

text: masturbating

text: West

text: said

text: And

text: you

text: just

text: lay

text: there

text: horrified

text: But

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: what

text: to

text: do

text: What

text: are

text: you

text: going

text: to

text: blow

text: the

text: lid

text: off

text: of

text: this

text: at

text: years

text: All

text: you

text: want

text: to

text: do

text: is

text: pretend

text: it

text: did

text: n't

text: happen

text: and

text: not

text: address

text: it

text: at

text: all

text: You

text: want

text: to

text: hide

text: and

text: bury

text: it

text: Another

text: accuser

text: whom

text: ESPN

text: did

text: not

text: identify

text: said

text: Dodd

text: gave

text: him

text: alcohol

text: before

text: taking

text: him

text: to

text: a

text: bedroom

text: and

text: touching

text: him

text: inappropriately

text: The

text: last

text: thing

text: that

text: I

text: can

text: really

text: remember

text: was

text: him

text: carrying

text: me

text: into

text: his

text: bedroom

text: and

text: I

text: can

text: remember

text: him

text: you

text: know

text: touching

text: me

text: in

text: ways

text: that

text: I

text: I

text: did

text: n't

text: uh

text: I

text: did

text: n't

text: want

text: another

text: man

text: touching

text: me

text: the

text: man

text: said

text: That

text: accuser

text: said

text: he

text: called

text: Dodd

text: on

text: November

text: and

text: confronted

text: him

text: Dodd

text: he

text: said

text: then

text: apologized

text: for

text: the

text: alleged

text: abuse

text: The

text: network

text: said

text: it

text: examined

text: the

text: man

text: 's

text: phone

text: records

text: and

text: verified

text: an

text: eight

text: minute

text: phone

text: call

text: to

text: Dodd

text: 's

text: number

text: Both

text: men

text: said

text: they

text: had

text: never

text: reported

text: the

text: alleged

text: incidents

text: to

text: police

text: and

text: had

text: only

text: recently

text: told

text: their

text: families

text: ESPN

text: said

text: Until

text: they

text: or

text: other

text: accusers

text: contact

text: Memphis

text: police

text: Martello

text: said

text: investigators

text: can

text: only

text: work

text: from

text: the

text: limited

text: information

text: they

text: 've

text: been

text: given

text: by

text: the

text: AAU

text: We

text: 're

text: just

text: going

text: to

text: have

text: to

text: go

text: with

text: the

text: facts

text: as

text: they

text: come

text: forward

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: statute

text: of

text: limitations

text: which

text: mandates

text: that

text: charges

text: can

text: not

text: be

text: filed

text: for

text: a

text: crime

text: if

text: a

text: certain

text: amount

text: of

text: time

text: has

text: elapsed

text: since

text: it

text: allegedly

text: took

text: place

text: could

text: be

text: a

text: factor

text: in

text: the

text: case

text: Shelby

text: County

text: District

text: Attorney

text: General

text: Amy

text: Weirich

text: on

text: Monday

text: said

text: such

text: laws

text: are

text: very

text: technical

text: and

text: very

text: confusing

text: declining

text: to

text: go

text: into

text: details

text: as

text: to

text: how

text: it

text: would

text: apply

text: in

text: this

text: case

text: lest

text: that

text: would

text: prevent

text: complainants

text: from

text: talking

text: to

text: police

text: What

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: do

text: is

text: encourage

text: made

text: up

text: claims

text: or

text: discourage

text: valid

text: claims

text: to

text: be

text: made

text: to

text: the

text: Memphis

text: Police

text: Department

text: Weirich

text: told

text: reporters

text: encouraging

text: victims

text: of

text: any

text: crime

text: to

text: contact

text: police

text: and

text: not

text: worry

text: about

text: the

text: statute

text: of

text: limitations

text: Sachs

text: criticized

text: the

text: half

text: hour

text: ESPN

text: report

text: for

text: not

text: quoting

text: AAU

text: President

text: Louis

text: Stout

text: 's

text: video

text: statement

text: on

text: the

text: matter

text: or

text: others

text: from

text: the

text: AAU

text: The

text: organization

text: which

text: has

text: adult

text: volunteers

text: involved

text: in

text: coaching

text: and

text: works

text: with

text: hundreds

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: young

text: people

text: is

text: asking

text: outside

text: experts

text: to

text: review

text: its

text: policies

text: for

text: protecting

text: children

text: which

text: Sachs

text: called

text: the

text: AAU

text: 's

text: No

text: priority

text: The

text: spokesman

text: also

text: clarified

text: that

text: Dodd

text: told

text: his

text: successor

text: Stout

text: that

text: he

text: had

text: colon

text: cancer

text: and

text: needed

text: surgery

text: after

text: his

text: dismissal

text: Dodd

text: allegedly

text: asked

text: that

text: he

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: retire

text: for

text: medical

text: reasons

text: a

text: request

text: that

text: Stout

text: denied

text: according

text: to

text: Sachs

text: Stout

text: told

text: Mr.

text: Dodd

text: to

text: go

text: focus

text: on

text: your

text: health

text: go

text: through

text: this

text: surgery

text: and

text: we

text: 'll

text: deal

text: with

text: this

text: issue

text: later

text: said

text: Sachs

text: Dodd

text: has

text: been

text: back

text: at

text: the

text: AAU

text: 's

text: offices

text: one

text: time

text: since

text: his

text: ouster

text: contrary

text: to

text: the

text: organization

text: 's

text: earlier

text: reports

text: that

text: he

text: had

text: not

text: returned

text: The

text: occasion

text: was

text: a

text: forensic

text: audit

text: that

text: Sachs

text: called

text: standard

text: for

text: outgoing

text: leaders

text: of

text: organizations

text: Bobby

text: Dodd

text: is

text: no

text: longer

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: AAU

text: said

text: Sachs

text: He

text: has

text: no

text: continuing

text: role

text: or

text: involvement

text: in

text: their

text: programs

text: There

text: 's

text: no

text: contact

text: with

text: him

text: Whatever

text: compensation

text: he

text: would

text: have

text: been

text: entitled

text: to

text: accrued

text: vacation

text: time

text: will

text: be

text: paid

text: and

text: that

text: 's

text: it

question: who is making accusations

answer: two men

text: two men

question: who is accusing him

answer: Both men

text: Both men

question: Is going on TV and making accusations a good way to notify police?

answer: not notifying the authorities."

text: not notifying the authorities."

question: What was the accused'd job?

answer: basketball coach

text: basketball coach

question: Who is the accused?

answer: Robert "Bobby" Dodd

text: Robert "Bobby" Dodd

question: What was Robert "Bobby" Dodd accused of?

answer: sexually abused

text: sexually abused

question: Whad did the Memphis police say about their probe being challenging?

answer: options are limited given that no one has filed a formal complaint

text: options are limited given that no one has filed a formal complaint


text:
(CNN) -- The bodies of 11 more people have been recovered after the weekend collapse of a Russian oil rig in freezing north Pacific waters, a Russian news agency reported Monday.

That brings the total number of dead from the Sunday disaster to 16, according to the state news agency RIA-Novosti.

There were 67 people aboard the offshore drilling rig when it capsized during a storm in the Sea of Okhotsk, which lies between the Kamchatka peninsula and the Russian mainland, north of Japan. The rig was being towed from Kamchatka at the time, RIA-Novosti reported.

Fourteen people have been rescued and 37 others remain missing, the news agency said.

The director of the company that owns the rig, Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka, promised at least 3 million rubles ($93,640) in compensation to each crewmember's family.

The rig was carrying out work under a contract with Russian energy giant Gazprom, the news agency said. It was drilling a well about 3,500 meters (11,480 feet) deep, RIA-Novosti said.

Taimuraz Kasayev, a spokesman for the regional emergencies service, told RIA-Novosti on Sunday the accident poses no environmental danger because the rig's fuel stocks were hermetically sealed and would not spill.

The television channel Russia Today reported that the rig was being towed into position when pumps failed, causing it to take on water and sink.

text: CNN

text: The

text: bodies

text: of

text: more

text: people

text: have

text: been

text: recovered

text: after

text: the

text: weekend

text: collapse

text: of

text: a

text: Russian

text: oil

text: rig

text: in

text: freezing

text: north

text: Pacific

text: waters

text: a

text: Russian

text: news

text: agency

text: reported

text: Monday

text: That

text: brings

text: the

text: total

text: number

text: of

text: dead

text: from

text: the

text: Sunday

text: disaster

text: to

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: state

text: news

text: agency

text: RIA

text: Novosti

text: There

text: were

text: people

text: aboard

text: the

text: offshore

text: drilling

text: rig

text: when

text: it

text: capsized

text: during

text: a

text: storm

text: in

text: the

text: Sea

text: of

text: Okhotsk

text: which

text: lies

text: between

text: the

text: Kamchatka

text: peninsula

text: and

text: the

text: Russian

text: mainland

text: north

text: of

text: Japan

text: The

text: rig

text: was

text: being

text: towed

text: from

text: Kamchatka

text: at

text: the

text: time

text: RIA

text: Novosti

text: reported

text: Fourteen

text: people

text: have

text: been

text: rescued

text: and

text: others

text: remain

text: missing

text: the

text: news

text: agency

text: said

text: The

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: company

text: that

text: owns

text: the

text: rig

text: Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka

text: promised

text: at

text: least

text: million

text: rubles

text: in

text: compensation

text: to

text: each

text: crewmember

text: 's

text: family

text: The

text: rig

text: was

text: carrying

text: out

text: work

text: under

text: a

text: contract

text: with

text: Russian

text: energy

text: giant

text: Gazprom

text: the

text: news

text: agency

text: said

text: It

text: was

text: drilling

text: a

text: well

text: about

text: meters

text: feet

text: deep

text: RIA

text: Novosti

text: said

text: Taimuraz

text: Kasayev

text: a

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: regional

text: emergencies

text: service

text: told

text: RIA

text: Novosti

text: on

text: Sunday

text: the

text: accident

text: poses

text: no

text: environmental

text: danger

text: because

text: the

text: rig

text: 's

text: fuel

text: stocks

text: were

text: hermetically

text: sealed

text: and

text: would

text: not

text: spill

text: The

text: television

text: channel

text: Russia

text: Today

text: reported

text: that

text: the

text: rig

text: was

text: being

text: towed

text: into

text: position

text: when

text: pumps

text: failed

text: causing

text: it

text: to

text: take

text: on

text: water

text: and

text: sink

question: What is the death toll at?

answer: 16,

question: What caused the oil rig to capsize?

answer: a storm

text: a storm

question: Where did it happen?

answer: rig in freezing north Pacific waters,

text: rig in freezing north Pacific waters,

question: What did the people die from?

answer: rig

text: rig

question: What is the death toll?

answer: 16,

question: How many people were aboard the oil rig when it capsized?

answer: 67

question: What sea is it in?

answer: of Okhotsk,

text: of Okhotsk,


text:
Washington (CNN) -- President Obama announced Thursday that the federal government will spend $8 billion developing a nationwide high-speed train system -- an investment the White House says is needed to help spur long-term economic growth.

The investment, to be made through a series of state grants, will be funded through the government's $862 billion economic stimulus package.

Overall, projects and planning involving the rail corridors will take place in 31 states, according to a White House statement.

The program "will help accelerate job growth in an economy that is already beginning to grow," Obama said at a town hall at the University of Tampa in Florida.

"There is no reason why other countries can build high-speed rail lines and we can't," Obama said.

More than 30 rail manufacturers have agreed to establish or expand U.S. operations if they are hired to work on the high-speed rail network, the administration said.

The president first mentioned the program in his State of the Union speech Wednesday night. The administration initially released an outline for a national high-speed rail network last April.

Each of the corridors identified by the administration last year are between 100 and 600 miles long.

The program is "a long-term venture in which states will need to plan projects, purchase and lay track, build and assemble equipment, and construct or upgrade train stations, tunnels and bridges," the statement said.

In addition to the $8 billion mentioned by Obama, the plan also includes $1 billion a year for five years in the federal budget "as a down payment to jump-start the program," the White House said.

Train corridors in the program include:

-- San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo in California

-- Oakland-Sacramento in California

-- Portland-Eugene in Oregon

-- Seattle-Portland in Washington and Oregon

-- Chicago-St. Louis in Illinois and Missouri

-- St. Louis-Kansas City in Missouri

-- Minneapolis/St. Paul-Madison in Minnesota and Wisconsin

-- Madison-Milwaukee in Wisconsin

-- Milwaukee-Chicago in Wisconsin and Illinois

-- Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati in Ohio

-- Detroit/Pontiac-Chicago in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois

-- Tampa-Orlando in Florida

-- Raleigh-Charlotte in North Carolina

-- Washington-Richmond in the District of Columbia and Virginia

-- Raleigh-Richmond in North Carolina and Virginia

-- New York City-Albany-Buffalo in New York

-- New York City-Montreal in New York and Quebec, Canada.

-- Boston-New York-Washington in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia

-- Brunswick-Portland in Maine

-- Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania

-- Springfield-East Northfield in Massachusetts

-- New Haven-Springfield in Connecticut and Massachusetts

text: Washington

text: CNN

text: President

text: Obama

text: announced

text: Thursday

text: that

text: the

text: federal

text: government

text: will

text: spend

text: billion

text: developing

text: a

text: nationwide

text: high

text: speed

text: train

text: system

text: an

text: investment

text: the

text: White

text: House

text: says

text: is

text: needed

text: to

text: help

text: spur

text: long

text: term

text: economic

text: growth

text: The

text: investment

text: to

text: be

text: made

text: through

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: state

text: grants

text: will

text: be

text: funded

text: through

text: the

text: government

text: 's

text: billion

text: economic

text: stimulus

text: package

text: Overall

text: projects

text: and

text: planning

text: involving

text: the

text: rail

text: corridors

text: will

text: take

text: place

text: in

text: states

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: White

text: House

text: statement

text: The

text: program

text: will

text: help

text: accelerate

text: job

text: growth

text: in

text: an

text: economy

text: that

text: is

text: already

text: beginning

text: to

text: grow

text: Obama

text: said

text: at

text: a

text: town

text: hall

text: at

text: the

text: University

text: of

text: Tampa

text: in

text: Florida

text: There

text: is

text: no

text: reason

text: why

text: other

text: countries

text: can

text: build

text: high

text: speed

text: rail

text: lines

text: and

text: we

text: ca

text: n't

text: Obama

text: said

text: More

text: than

text: rail

text: manufacturers

text: have

text: agreed

text: to

text: establish

text: or

text: expand

text: U.S.

text: operations

text: if

text: they

text: are

text: hired

text: to

text: work

text: on

text: the

text: high

text: speed

text: rail

text: network

text: the

text: administration

text: said

text: The

text: president

text: first

text: mentioned

text: the

text: program

text: in

text: his

text: State

text: of

text: the

text: Union

text: speech

text: Wednesday

text: night

text: The

text: administration

text: initially

text: released

text: an

text: outline

text: for

text: a

text: national

text: high

text: speed

text: rail

text: network

text: last

text: April

text: Each

text: of

text: the

text: corridors

text: identified

text: by

text: the

text: administration

text: last

text: year

text: are

text: between

text: and

text: miles

text: long

text: The

text: program

text: is

text: a

text: long

text: term

text: venture

text: in

text: which

text: states

text: will

text: need

text: to

text: plan

text: projects

text: purchase

text: and

text: lay

text: track

text: build

text: and

text: assemble

text: equipment

text: and

text: construct

text: or

text: upgrade

text: train

text: stations

text: tunnels

text: and

text: bridges

text: the

text: statement

text: said

text: In

text: addition

text: to

text: the

text: billion

text: mentioned

text: by

text: Obama

text: the

text: plan

text: also

text: includes

text: billion

text: a

text: year

text: for

text: five

text: years

text: in

text: the

text: federal

text: budget

text: as

text: a

text: down

text: payment

text: to

text: jump

text: start

text: the

text: program

text: the

text: White

text: House

text: said

text: Train

text: corridors

text: in

text: the

text: program

text: include

text: San

text: Diego

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: San

text: Luis

text: Obispo

text: in

text: California

text: Oakland

text: Sacramento

text: in

text: California

text: Portland

text: Eugene

text: in

text: Oregon

text: Seattle

text: Portland

text: in

text: Washington

text: and

text: Oregon

text: Chicago

text: St

text: Louis

text: in

text: Illinois

text: and

text: Missouri

text: St.

text: Louis

text: Kansas

text: City

text: in

text: Missouri

text: Minneapolis

text: St

text: Paul

text: Madison

text: in

text: Minnesota

text: and

text: Wisconsin

text: Madison

text: Milwaukee

text: in

text: Wisconsin

text: Milwaukee

text: Chicago

text: in

text: Wisconsin

text: and

text: Illinois

text: Cleveland

text: Columbus

text: Cincinnati

text: in

text: Ohio

text: Detroit

text: Pontiac

text: Chicago

text: in

text: Michigan

text: Indiana

text: and

text: Illinois

text: Tampa

text: Orlando

text: in

text: Florida

text: Raleigh

text: Charlotte

text: in

text: North

text: Carolina

text: Washington

text: Richmond

text: in

text: the

text: District

text: of

text: Columbia

text: and

text: Virginia

text: Raleigh

text: Richmond

text: in

text: North

text: Carolina

text: and

text: Virginia

text: New

text: York

text: City

text: Albany

text: Buffalo

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: New

text: York

text: City

text: Montreal

text: in

text: New

text: York

text: and

text: Quebec

text: Canada

text: Boston

text: New

text: York

text: Washington

text: in

text: Massachusetts

text: Rhode

text: Island

text: Connecticut

text: New

text: York

text: New

text: Jersey

text: Delaware

text: Maryland

text: and

text: the

text: District

text: of

text: Columbia

text: Brunswick

text: Portland

text: in

text: Maine

text: Philadelphia

text: Harrisburg

text: Pittsburgh

text: in

text: Pennsylvania

text: Springfield

text: East

text: Northfield

text: in

text: Massachusetts

text: New

text: Haven

text: Springfield

text: in

text: Connecticut

text: and

text: Massachusetts

question: How many states will the projects and planning take place in?

answer: 31

question: how much is the stimulus package?

answer: $862 billion

text: $862 billion

question: How many rail manufacturers agreed to establish or expand U.S. operations if hired?

answer: More than 30

text: More than 30

question: What is taking place in 31 states?

answer: projects and planning involving the rail corridors

text: projects and planning involving the rail corridors

question: What does the projects and planning involve?

answer: the rail corridors

text: the rail corridors

question: how many rail manufacturers agree to establish or expand U.S. operations if hired?

answer: More than 30

text: More than 30

question: What will be made through state grants?

answer: The investment,

text: The investment,

question: Who agreed to establish or expand US operations?

answer: More than 30 rail manufacturers

text: More than 30 rail manufacturers


text:
(CNN) -- Since the moment Barack Obama took office, he has made a concerted effort to speak directly to the Muslim world.

Election posters hang on the exterior of many buildings in Tripoli, Lebanon, last week.

Even his inauguration address sent a new and different message from the United States:

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," he said on January 20, standing in front of a changed nation. "To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

Next month, Obama will deliver a long-awaited speech to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt.

He will speak at a critical time for Lebanon, days before an election that could bring powerful Shia militia group Hezbollah to power.

This possibility could shake the foundation of Obama's attempts to bring stability and peace to the Middle East.

With one of the most powerful armies in the Middle East, Hezbollah is poised to lead Lebanon's government with the help of Lebanese Christian opposition leader, Gen. Michel Aoun.

Aoun signed a memo of understanding with Hezbollah in February 2006 and joined the March 8 bloc, led by Hezbollah. That could give the bloc the numbers it needs to control parliament after the June 7 elections.

There have been sporadic incidents of violence ahead of the vote: Billboards have been defaced and just last week, a Hezbollah-aligned political office was burned to the ground.

While these acts of violence are small by Lebanese standards, a friend who lives near the burned office told me it was a "terrifying reminder of last May."

That is when Hezbollah militants, in a blatant show of force, seized control of the streets of Beirut, marking the worst violence to hit Lebanon since the end of its civil war in 1991.

Many saw it as an embarrassment to Saad Hariri's ruling March 14 bloc, which had to grant major political concessions to Hezbollah to restore order to Beirut.

Hezbollah's leader has painted May 7, 2008, as a "glorious day that prevented civil war," but journalists like myself remember the day slightly differently: pinned down behind a building by raging gunfire.

At the time, I could not believe that Hezbollah gunmen were about to occupy half of the Lebanese capital. They did so until the government gave in; then they withdrew back to Beirut's southern suburbs, allowing the city's wealthy neighborhoods to return to normal for the summer.

Regardless, it was a show of force that people in Lebanon have not forgotten.

The lead-up to next month's vote has seen the same, typical -- and at times stereotypical -- Beirut antics.

Hezbollah has accused Hariri's political bloc of bringing Lebanese expatriates into the country in droves to try to swing the vote in its favor. Anyone who drives out to Beirut's airport can see these expats arriving from countries like Brazil, Canada and the United States.

Hariri swept to power in the wake of the 2005 assassination of his father, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Many Lebanese blamed Syria, which had dominated Lebanon politically and militarily since the civil war, for the killing. The assassination sparked widespread protests that led to the election of the younger Hariri's anti-Syrian bloc in parliament and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Damascus has denied any role in Hariri's killing, but a U.N. investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement.

Now, it appears the tide is turning once again in Lebanon, this time in Hezbollah's favor.

Three years ago, Hezbollah -- which is supported by both Syria and Iran -- fought a war against the Israeli military, which failed to weaken the militia. Since that perceived victory over Israel, Hezbollah has been considered by its supporters to be the "defender of Lebanon."

So what happens on June 8 when the world wakes up to a Lebanon that sees Hezbollah aligned with Aoun as the majority and Hariri's March 14 bloc as the opposition party?

When Hamas won the elections in Gaza in January 2006, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the elections "free and fair." But that made no difference as Israel tightened its grip, and the two rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, killed each other in the streets of Gaza.

Is the situation any different now for Lebanon, or is it perhaps even worse?

Lebanon's political landscape is shifting months after a similar shift in Israel. Voters in the Jewish state overwhelmingly supported conservative parties over more moderate groups, bringing into power Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year.

Netanyahu is viewed in the Arab world as more hawkish than his predecessor, Ehud Olmert, who ordered the war against Hezbollah in 2006.

With an estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon -- all under the control of Hezbollah -- how can Netanyahu sell the idea to the people of northern Israel that they are safe from a country ruled by Hezbollah-aligned politicians?

The situation means that the Arab world will be listening even more closely to Obama's June 4 address in Cairo to hear whether the U.S. president will champion democracy -- even if it means an inevitable standoff between Israel, a historically staunch ally, and Lebanon, as it struggles to find an identity both within itself and in the outside world.

text: CNN

text: Since

text: the

text: moment

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: took

text: office

text: he

text: has

text: made

text: a

text: concerted

text: effort

text: to

text: speak

text: directly

text: to

text: the

text: Muslim

text: world

text: Election

text: posters

text: hang

text: on

text: the

text: exterior

text: of

text: many

text: buildings

text: in

text: Tripoli

text: Lebanon

text: last

text: week

text: Even

text: his

text: inauguration

text: address

text: sent

text: a

text: new

text: and

text: different

text: message

text: from

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: To

text: the

text: Muslim

text: world

text: we

text: seek

text: a

text: new

text: way

text: forward

text: based

text: on

text: mutual

text: interest

text: and

text: mutual

text: respect

text: he

text: said

text: on

text: January

text: standing

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: a

text: changed

text: nation

text: To

text: those

text: leaders

text: around

text: the

text: globe

text: who

text: seek

text: to

text: sow

text: conflict

text: or

text: blame

text: their

text: society

text: 's

text: ills

text: on

text: the

text: West

text: know

text: that

text: your

text: people

text: will

text: judge

text: you

text: on

text: what

text: you

text: can

text: build

text: not

text: what

text: you

text: destroy

text: Next

text: month

text: Obama

text: will

text: deliver

text: a

text: long

text: awaited

text: speech

text: to

text: the

text: Muslim

text: world

text: from

text: Cairo

text: Egypt

text: He

text: will

text: speak

text: at

text: a

text: critical

text: time

text: for

text: Lebanon

text: days

text: before

text: an

text: election

text: that

text: could

text: bring

text: powerful

text: Shia

text: militia

text: group

text: Hezbollah

text: to

text: power

text: This

text: possibility

text: could

text: shake

text: the

text: foundation

text: of

text: Obama

text: 's

text: attempts

text: to

text: bring

text: stability

text: and

text: peace

text: to

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: With

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: powerful

text: armies

text: in

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: Hezbollah

text: is

text: poised

text: to

text: lead

text: Lebanon

text: 's

text: government

text: with

text: the

text: help

text: of

text: Lebanese

text: Christian

text: opposition

text: leader

text: Gen.

text: Michel

text: Aoun

text: Aoun

text: signed

text: a

text: memo

text: of

text: understanding

text: with

text: Hezbollah

text: in

text: February

text: and

text: joined

text: the

text: March

text: bloc

text: led

text: by

text: Hezbollah

text: That

text: could

text: give

text: the

text: bloc

text: the

text: numbers

text: it

text: needs

text: to

text: control

text: parliament

text: after

text: the

text: June

text: elections

text: There

text: have

text: been

text: sporadic

text: incidents

text: of

text: violence

text: ahead

text: of

text: the

text: vote

text: Billboards

text: have

text: been

text: defaced

text: and

text: just

text: last

text: week

text: a

text: Hezbollah

text: aligned

text: political

text: office

text: was

text: burned

text: to

text: the

text: ground

text: While

text: these

text: acts

text: of

text: violence

text: are

text: small

text: by

text: Lebanese

text: standards

text: a

text: friend

text: who

text: lives

text: near

text: the

text: burned

text: office

text: told

text: me

text: it

text: was

text: a

text: terrifying

text: reminder

text: of

text: last

text: May.

text: That

text: is

text: when

text: Hezbollah

text: militants

text: in

text: a

text: blatant

text: show

text: of

text: force

text: seized

text: control

text: of

text: the

text: streets

text: of

text: Beirut

text: marking

text: the

text: worst

text: violence

text: to

text: hit

text: Lebanon

text: since

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: its

text: civil

text: war

text: in

text: Many

text: saw

text: it

text: as

text: an

text: embarrassment

text: to

text: Saad

text: Hariri

text: 's

text: ruling

text: March

text: bloc

text: which

text: had

text: to

text: grant

text: major

text: political

text: concessions

text: to

text: Hezbollah

text: to

text: restore

text: order

text: to

text: Beirut

text: Hezbollah

text: 's

text: leader

text: has

text: painted

text: May

text: as

text: a

text: glorious

text: day

text: that

text: prevented

text: civil

text: war

text: but

text: journalists

text: like

text: myself

text: remember

text: the

text: day

text: slightly

text: differently

text: pinned

text: down

text: behind

text: a

text: building

text: by

text: raging

text: gunfire

text: At

text: the

text: time

text: I

text: could

text: not

text: believe

text: that

text: Hezbollah

text: gunmen

text: were

text: about

text: to

text: occupy

text: half

text: of

text: the

text: Lebanese

text: capital

text: They

text: did

text: so

text: until

text: the

text: government

text: gave

text: in

text: then

text: they

text: withdrew

text: back

text: to

text: Beirut

text: 's

text: southern

text: suburbs

text: allowing

text: the

text: city

text: 's

text: wealthy

text: neighborhoods

text: to

text: return

text: to

text: normal

text: for

text: the

text: summer

text: Regardless

text: it

text: was

text: a

text: show

text: of

text: force

text: that

text: people

text: in

text: Lebanon

text: have

text: not

text: forgotten

text: The

text: lead

text: up

text: to

text: next

text: month

text: 's

text: vote

text: has

text: seen

text: the

text: same

text: typical

text: and

text: at

text: times

text: stereotypical

text: Beirut

text: antics

text: Hezbollah

text: has

text: accused

text: Hariri

text: 's

text: political

text: bloc

text: of

text: bringing

text: Lebanese

text: expatriates

text: into

text: the

text: country

text: in

text: droves

text: to

text: try

text: to

text: swing

text: the

text: vote

text: in

text: its

text: favor

text: Anyone

text: who

text: drives

text: out

text: to

text: Beirut

text: 's

text: airport

text: can

text: see

text: these

text: expats

text: arriving

text: from

text: countries

text: like

text: Brazil

text: Canada

text: and

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: Hariri

text: swept

text: to

text: power

text: in

text: the

text: wake

text: of

text: the

text: assassination

text: of

text: his

text: father

text: former

text: Lebanese

text: Prime

text: Minister

text: Rafik

text: Hariri

text: Many

text: Lebanese

text: blamed

text: Syria

text: which

text: had

text: dominated

text: Lebanon

text: politically

text: and

text: militarily

text: since

text: the

text: civil

text: war

text: for

text: the

text: killing

text: The

text: assassination

text: sparked

text: widespread

text: protests

text: that

text: led

text: to

text: the

text: election

text: of

text: the

text: younger

text: Hariri

text: 's

text: anti

text: Syrian

text: bloc

text: in

text: parliament

text: and

text: the

text: withdrawal

text: of

text: Syrian

text: troops

text: from

text: Lebanon

text: Damascus

text: has

text: denied

text: any

text: role

text: in

text: Hariri

text: 's

text: killing

text: but

text: a

text: U.N.

text: investigation

text: has

text: found

text: indications

text: of

text: Syrian

text: involvement

text: Now

text: it

text: appears

text: the

text: tide

text: is

text: turning

text: once

text: again

text: in

text: Lebanon

text: this

text: time

text: in

text: Hezbollah

text: 's

text: favor

text: Three

text: years

text: ago

text: Hezbollah

text: which

text: is

text: supported

text: by

text: both

text: Syria

text: and

text: Iran

text: fought

text: a

text: war

text: against

text: the

text: Israeli

text: military

text: which

text: failed

text: to

text: weaken

text: the

text: militia

text: Since

text: that

text: perceived

text: victory

text: over

text: Israel

text: Hezbollah

text: has

text: been

text: considered

text: by

text: its

text: supporters

text: to

text: be

text: the

text: defender

text: of

text: Lebanon

text: So

text: what

text: happens

text: on

text: June

text: when

text: the

text: world

text: wakes

text: up

text: to

text: a

text: Lebanon

text: that

text: sees

text: Hezbollah

text: aligned

text: with

text: Aoun

text: as

text: the

text: majority

text: and

text: Hariri

text: 's

text: March

text: bloc

text: as

text: the

text: opposition

text: party

text: When

text: Hamas

text: won

text: the

text: elections

text: in

text: Gaza

text: in

text: January

text: former

text: U.S.

text: President

text: Jimmy

text: Carter

text: called

text: the

text: elections

text: free

text: and

text: fair

text: But

text: that

text: made

text: no

text: difference

text: as

text: Israel

text: tightened

text: its

text: grip

text: and

text: the

text: two

text: rival

text: Palestinian

text: factions

text: Hamas

text: and

text: Fatah

text: killed

text: each

text: other

text: in

text: the

text: streets

text: of

text: Gaza

text: Is

text: the

text: situation

text: any

text: different

text: now

text: for

text: Lebanon

text: or

text: is

text: it

text: perhaps

text: even

text: worse

text: Lebanon

text: 's

text: political

text: landscape

text: is

text: shifting

text: months

text: after

text: a

text: similar

text: shift

text: in

text: Israel

text: Voters

text: in

text: the

text: Jewish

text: state

text: overwhelmingly

text: supported

text: conservative

text: parties

text: over

text: more

text: moderate

text: groups

text: bringing

text: into

text: power

text: Prime

text: Minister

text: Benjamin

text: Netanyahu

text: earlier

text: this

text: year

text: Netanyahu

text: is

text: viewed

text: in

text: the

text: Arab

text: world

text: as

text: more

text: hawkish

text: than

text: his

text: predecessor

text: Ehud

text: Olmert

text: who

text: ordered

text: the

text: war

text: against

text: Hezbollah

text: in

text: With

text: an

text: estimated

text: rockets

text: pointed

text: at

text: Israel

text: from

text: southern

text: Lebanon

text: all

text: under

text: the

text: control

text: of

text: Hezbollah

text: how

text: can

text: Netanyahu

text: sell

text: the

text: idea

text: to

text: the

text: people

text: of

text: northern

text: Israel

text: that

text: they

text: are

text: safe

text: from

text: a

text: country

text: ruled

text: by

text: Hezbollah

text: aligned

text: politicians

text: The

text: situation

text: means

text: that

text: the

text: Arab

text: world

text: will

text: be

text: listening

text: even

text: more

text: closely

text: to

text: Obama

text: 's

text: June

text: address

text: in

text: Cairo

text: to

text: hear

text: whether

text: the

text: U.S.

text: president

text: will

text: champion

text: democracy

text: even

text: if

text: it

text: means

text: an

text: inevitable

text: standoff

text: between

text: Israel

text: a

text: historically

text: staunch

text: ally

text: and

text: Lebanon

text: as

text: it

text: struggles

text: to

text: find

text: an

text: identity

text: both

text: within

text: itself

text: and

text: in

text: the

text: outside

text: world

question: What would shake Obama's efforts towards Mideast peace?

answer: an election that could bring powerful Shia militia group Hezbollah to power.

text: an election that could bring powerful Shia militia group Hezbollah to power.

question: Where is Obama's speech to Muslim world to take place?

answer: Cairo, Egypt.

text: Cairo, Egypt.

question: When are the Links Lebanon elections?

answer: June 7

text: June 7

question: What will Obama champion?

answer: democracy

text: democracy

question: When will Obaam give major speech to muslim world?

answer: Next month,

text: Next month,

question: Who could be brought into power?

answer: Shia militia group Hezbollah

text: Shia militia group Hezbollah

question: When is Lebanon elections?

answer: June 7

text: June 7

question: Who plans to give a major speech to the Muslim world?

answer: Barack Obama

text: Barack Obama


text:
(CNN) -- iReporters have a message for Richard Wright: Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Jessica Schuette's tattoo reminds her of her late friend, who was a big fan of Pink Floyd.

Wright, a founding member of epic rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. The keyboardist had been battling cancer and succumbed at his home in Britain. Wright is credited with writing some of the band's most well-known hits, such as "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Us and Them."

Pink Floyd has thousands of devoted fans across the world, and the news of Wright's death inspired many of them to write into iReport to share how Richard Wright and the rest of the group touched and changed their lives.

Jessica Schuette shared a photo of her Pink Floyd-inspired tattoo: a shimmering diamond above the words "shine on." She got the tattoo in 2005 in memory of her best friend, who died in a car accident.

"This was her favorite song. I got this tattoo to remember her," Schuette said. "If that doesn't say something about the impact that this band has had on people, I don't know what will."

Pink Floyd touched the lives of Schuette and her friend even though they were never able to see one of the band's legendary live shows. Schuette, who is a dedicated Pink Floyd fan herself, pointed out that she's only 21 -- born 13 years after they released the epic album "Dark Side of the Moon," and too young to have seen the band live when they were touring. iReport.com: Read more of Schuette's thoughts

Omar Pelea of Miami, Florida, hopes the tragedy of Wright's death will give Schuette and other fans their long-awaited chance to see the group live. He hopes the death will inspire the other members of Pink Floyd to begin touring again. Pink Floyd has not toured with lead singer and songwriter Roger Waters since 1981, although Rogers reunited with the band in 2005 for a concert at Live 8 in London.

"Now would be a good time for the remaining members to contemplate the fact that a reunion is running short on time," he said. "There are bigger things in life than their differences. Perhaps they should put those differences aside and play for the world one last time."

"To me, Pink Floyd is the greatest band ever to play on this Earth," he added. iReport.com: Pelea compares Wright to the late George Harrison

Long-time Pink Floyd fan Pamela Keenan had the chance to perform some of the group's greatest works herself. She is a member of Endicott Performing Arts Center, a theatre company in Endicott, New York, that has performed its own adaptations of "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon."

"We had a band on the stage with us. We had images and films projected on the back of the stage and we had full choreography and vocals for all the songs from each album," she said. "I listened to all of the music over and over again as a teen, but to be able to perform it in my 30s brought a new respect for the lyrics and the sheer musical genius." iReport.com: See a Pink Floyd-themed bike ride

Keenan described Pink Floyd as "one of the greatest bands that's ever been in existence," but thinks the group is underrated by mainstream society today. "Children aren't exposed to it anymore," she said. "My kids are exposed to it because we did the shows -- and they love it." iReport.com: Keen recalls Pink Floyd stage show

"I credit Pink Floyd for being a big part of my imagination," said Dean Spiegal, who creates psychedelic videos inspired by the group's music. "Floyd was not a band, it was an experience. They did not make music for the people, they made music for their minds." iReport.com: Watch Spiegel's video tribute

And Eric Beck put it simply:

"It changed my life. It changed my life," he said of "Dark Side of the Moon."

"Rick Wright made a major contribution to my life. And I will forever be so grateful to him and the rest of the band." iReport.com: Beck shares his memories via webcam

text: CNN

text: iReporters

text: have

text: a

text: message

text: for

text: Richard

text: Wright

text: Shine

text: on

text: you

text: crazy

text: diamond

text: Jessica

text: Schuette

text: 's

text: tattoo

text: reminds

text: her

text: of

text: her

text: late

text: friend

text: who

text: was

text: a

text: big

text: fan

text: of

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: Wright

text: a

text: founding

text: member

text: of

text: epic

text: rock

text: group

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: died

text: Monday

text: The

text: keyboardist

text: had

text: been

text: battling

text: cancer

text: and

text: succumbed

text: at

text: his

text: home

text: in

text: Britain

text: Wright

text: is

text: credited

text: with

text: writing

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: band

text: 's

text: most

text: well

text: known

text: hits

text: such

text: as

text: The

text: Great

text: Gig

text: in

text: the

text: Sky

text: and

text: Us

text: and

text: Them

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: has

text: thousands

text: of

text: devoted

text: fans

text: across

text: the

text: world

text: and

text: the

text: news

text: of

text: Wright

text: 's

text: death

text: inspired

text: many

text: of

text: them

text: to

text: write

text: into

text: iReport

text: to

text: share

text: how

text: Richard

text: Wright

text: and

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: touched

text: and

text: changed

text: their

text: lives

text: Jessica

text: Schuette

text: shared

text: a

text: photo

text: of

text: her

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: inspired

text: tattoo

text: a

text: shimmering

text: diamond

text: above

text: the

text: words

text: shine

text: on

text: She

text: got

text: the

text: tattoo

text: in

text: in

text: memory

text: of

text: her

text: best

text: friend

text: who

text: died

text: in

text: a

text: car

text: accident

text: This

text: was

text: her

text: favorite

text: song

text: I

text: got

text: this

text: tattoo

text: to

text: remember

text: her

text: Schuette

text: said

text: If

text: that

text: does

text: n't

text: say

text: something

text: about

text: the

text: impact

text: that

text: this

text: band

text: has

text: had

text: on

text: people

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: what

text: will

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: touched

text: the

text: lives

text: of

text: Schuette

text: and

text: her

text: friend

text: even

text: though

text: they

text: were

text: never

text: able

text: to

text: see

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: band

text: 's

text: legendary

text: live

text: shows

text: Schuette

text: who

text: is

text: a

text: dedicated

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: fan

text: herself

text: pointed

text: out

text: that

text: she

text: 's

text: only

text: born

text: years

text: after

text: they

text: released

text: the

text: epic

text: album

text: Dark

text: Side

text: of

text: the

text: Moon

text: and

text: too

text: young

text: to

text: have

text: seen

text: the

text: band

text: live

text: when

text: they

text: were

text: touring

text: iReport.com

text: Read

text: more

text: of

text: Schuette

text: 's

text: thoughts

text: Omar

text: Pelea

text: of

text: Miami

text: Florida

text: hopes

text: the

text: tragedy

text: of

text: Wright

text: 's

text: death

text: will

text: give

text: Schuette

text: and

text: other

text: fans

text: their

text: long

text: awaited

text: chance

text: to

text: see

text: the

text: group

text: live

text: He

text: hopes

text: the

text: death

text: will

text: inspire

text: the

text: other

text: members

text: of

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: to

text: begin

text: touring

text: again

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: has

text: not

text: toured

text: with

text: lead

text: singer

text: and

text: songwriter

text: Roger

text: Waters

text: since

text: although

text: Rogers

text: reunited

text: with

text: the

text: band

text: in

text: for

text: a

text: concert

text: at

text: Live

text: in

text: London

text: Now

text: would

text: be

text: a

text: good

text: time

text: for

text: the

text: remaining

text: members

text: to

text: contemplate

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: a

text: reunion

text: is

text: running

text: short

text: on

text: time

text: he

text: said

text: There

text: are

text: bigger

text: things

text: in

text: life

text: than

text: their

text: differences

text: Perhaps

text: they

text: should

text: put

text: those

text: differences

text: aside

text: and

text: play

text: for

text: the

text: world

text: one

text: last

text: time

text: To

text: me

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: is

text: the

text: greatest

text: band

text: ever

text: to

text: play

text: on

text: this

text: Earth

text: he

text: added

text: iReport.com

text: Pelea

text: compares

text: Wright

text: to

text: the

text: late

text: George

text: Harrison

text: Long

text: time

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: fan

text: Pamela

text: Keenan

text: had

text: the

text: chance

text: to

text: perform

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: 's

text: greatest

text: works

text: herself

text: She

text: is

text: a

text: member

text: of

text: Endicott

text: Performing

text: Arts

text: Center

text: a

text: theatre

text: company

text: in

text: Endicott

text: New

text: York

text: that

text: has

text: performed

text: its

text: own

text: adaptations

text: of

text: The

text: Wall

text: and

text: Dark

text: Side

text: of

text: the

text: Moon

text: We

text: had

text: a

text: band

text: on

text: the

text: stage

text: with

text: us

text: We

text: had

text: images

text: and

text: films

text: projected

text: on

text: the

text: back

text: of

text: the

text: stage

text: and

text: we

text: had

text: full

text: choreography

text: and

text: vocals

text: for

text: all

text: the

text: songs

text: from

text: each

text: album

text: she

text: said

text: I

text: listened

text: to

text: all

text: of

text: the

text: music

text: over

text: and

text: over

text: again

text: as

text: a

text: teen

text: but

text: to

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: perform

text: it

text: in

text: my

text: brought

text: a

text: new

text: respect

text: for

text: the

text: lyrics

text: and

text: the

text: sheer

text: musical

text: genius

text: iReport.com

text: See

text: a

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: themed

text: bike

text: ride

text: Keenan

text: described

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: as

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: greatest

text: bands

text: that

text: 's

text: ever

text: been

text: in

text: existence

text: but

text: thinks

text: the

text: group

text: is

text: underrated

text: by

text: mainstream

text: society

text: today

text: Children

text: are

text: n't

text: exposed

text: to

text: it

text: anymore

text: she

text: said

text: My

text: kids

text: are

text: exposed

text: to

text: it

text: because

text: we

text: did

text: the

text: shows

text: and

text: they

text: love

text: it

text: iReport.com

text: Keen

text: recalls

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: stage

text: show

text: I

text: credit

text: Pink

text: Floyd

text: for

text: being

text: a

text: big

text: part

text: of

text: my

text: imagination

text: said

text: Dean

text: Spiegal

text: who

text: creates

text: psychedelic

text: videos

text: inspired

text: by

text: the

text: group

text: 's

text: music

text: Floyd

text: was

text: not

text: a

text: band

text: it

text: was

text: an

text: experience

text: They

text: did

text: not

text: make

text: music

text: for

text: the

text: people

text: they

text: made

text: music

text: for

text: their

text: minds

text: iReport.com

text: Watch

text: Spiegel

text: 's

text: video

text: tribute

text: And

text: Eric

text: Beck

text: put

text: it

text: simply

text: It

text: changed

text: my

text: life

text: It

text: changed

text: my

text: life

text: he

text: said

text: of

text: Dark

text: Side

text: of

text: the

text: Moon

text: Rick

text: Wright

text: made

text: a

text: major

text: contribution

text: to

text: my

text: life

text: And

text: I

text: will

text: forever

text: be

text: so

text: grateful

text: to

text: him

text: and

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: the

text: band

text: iReport.com

text: Beck

text: shares

text: his

text: memories

text: via

text: webcam

question: Fans of what band shares their memories of late keyboardist Richard Wright?

answer: Pink Floyd

text: Pink Floyd

question: Where can one share memories of Pink Floyd and Wright?

answer: iReport

text: iReport

question: What band was Richard Wright a member of?

answer: Pink Floyd.

text: Pink Floyd.

question: Who shared memories of Richard Wright?

answer: Jessica Schuette's

text: Jessica Schuette's

question: Who remembers the first time he heard "Dark Side of the Moon"?

answer: Jessica Schuette's

text: Jessica Schuette's

question: Who paid tribute to the band?

answer: Jessica Schuette's

text: Jessica Schuette's

question: What was the name of Pink Floyd's keyboardist?

answer: Richard Wright

text: Richard Wright