text:
BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- A Canadian auto parts supplier has come to the rescue of German carmaker Opel, negotiating a deal with the German government that will save the company from insolvency.

German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck talks to reporters early Saturday morning following talks on Opel.

Officials from all sides announced the agreement after talks lasting into the early hours of Saturday.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called it a "responsible solution" that would preserve the highest number of jobs.

Under the terms of the deal, supplier Magna will have a 20 percent stake in GM Europe, an arm of General Motors, which owns the Opel brand.

Russia's Sberbank will own a 35 percent share, Opel employees will have 10 percent, and General Motors will retain a 35-percent stake, according to GM spokesman Joerg Schrott.

The German government will provide a bridge loan to keep GM Europe operating in the short term.

The deal ensures that General Motors' European assets -- which also include the Vauxhall car brand in Britain -- will be unaffected by GM's expected bankruptcy filing.

Magna warned during negotiations that it would have to cut about 10,000 jobs. General Motors has around 55,000 employees in Europe.

About 2,000 of the job cuts would be in Germany, Magna has said, but a top company official tried to reassure the Germans that it would try to protect the company as much as possible.

"We will, and I want to stress that again, preserve all the German Opel locations," said Magna co-Chief Executive Siegfried Wolf.

"We're keen to have talks with all the states where Opel has factories in the next few weeks and are confident to be able to find solutions to preserve jobs, because every job that is lost is one too many. We will work with Opel management to try to avoid those job losses."

Steinmeier told reporters that such risks can't be avoided.

"But," he said. "I think we have found a responsible solution with private investors and interim funding from the state. It is a solution which preserves Opel's location in Germany and also preserves the highest possible number of jobs."

German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said early Saturday that the country has guaranteed transitional credit for Opel of 1.5 billion euros ($2.1 billion). In addition, a trust will be created where Opel's stock will be parked prior to the division of shares.

Along with Sberbank, Russia's biggest bank, Russian automaker GAZ Group will provide some financing, said Andrzej Kasperek, director of corporate business development with GAZ.

"I think the whole arrangement with Magna and the Russian partners made this a very attractive deal for GM," Kasperek said. "Opel is very well regarded as a brand. But we think we can increase sales in the next five years."

Financially strapped General Motors is expected to announce as soon as Monday that it is filing for bankruptcy.

"Opel has received a perspective for the future," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the agreement was reached. "That is a chance for the employees, who have earned it, as I find, because they are not to blame for the situation but instead big mismanagement in the United States of America at GM."

Merkel said the German government did "what it had to do" in rescuing Opel.

"I had an open exchange in a phone call with the American president, and we agreed that we do everything to bring this complex task to a good conclusion. And this clearly set the tone for the negotiations," Merkel said.

text: BERLIN

text: Germany

text: CNN

text: A

text: Canadian

text: auto

text: parts

text: supplier

text: has

text: come

text: to

text: the

text: rescue

text: of

text: German

text: carmaker

text: Opel

text: negotiating

text: a

text: deal

text: with

text: the

text: German

text: government

text: that

text: will

text: save

text: the

text: company

text: from

text: insolvency

text: German

text: Finance

text: Minister

text: Peer

text: Steinbrueck

text: talks

text: to

text: reporters

text: early

text: Saturday

text: morning

text: following

text: talks

text: on

text: Opel

text: Officials

text: from

text: all

text: sides

text: announced

text: the

text: agreement

text: after

text: talks

text: lasting

text: into

text: the

text: early

text: hours

text: of

text: Saturday

text: German

text: Foreign

text: Minister

text: Frank

text: Walter

text: Steinmeier

text: called

text: it

text: a

text: responsible

text: solution

text: that

text: would

text: preserve

text: the

text: highest

text: number

text: of

text: jobs

text: Under

text: the

text: terms

text: of

text: the

text: deal

text: supplier

text: Magna

text: will

text: have

text: a

text: percent

text: stake

text: in

text: GM

text: Europe

text: an

text: arm

text: of

text: General

text: Motors

text: which

text: owns

text: the

text: Opel

text: brand

text: Russia

text: 's

text: Sberbank

text: will

text: own

text: a

text: percent

text: share

text: Opel

text: employees

text: will

text: have

text: percent

text: and

text: General

text: Motors

text: will

text: retain

text: a

text: stake

text: according

text: to

text: GM

text: spokesman

text: Joerg

text: Schrott

text: The

text: German

text: government

text: will

text: provide

text: a

text: bridge

text: loan

text: to

text: keep

text: GM

text: Europe

text: operating

text: in

text: the

text: short

text: term

text: The

text: deal

text: ensures

text: that

text: General

text: Motors

text: European

text: assets

text: which

text: also

text: include

text: the

text: Vauxhall

text: car

text: brand

text: in

text: Britain

text: will

text: be

text: unaffected

text: by

text: GM

text: 's

text: expected

text: bankruptcy

text: filing

text: Magna

text: warned

text: during

text: negotiations

text: that

text: it

text: would

text: have

text: to

text: cut

text: about

text: jobs

text: General

text: Motors

text: has

text: around

text: employees

text: in

text: Europe

text: About

text: of

text: the

text: job

text: cuts

text: would

text: be

text: in

text: Germany

text: Magna

text: has

text: said

text: but

text: a

text: top

text: company

text: official

text: tried

text: to

text: reassure

text: the

text: Germans

text: that

text: it

text: would

text: try

text: to

text: protect

text: the

text: company

text: as

text: much

text: as

text: possible

text: We

text: will

text: and

text: I

text: want

text: to

text: stress

text: that

text: again

text: preserve

text: all

text: the

text: German

text: Opel

text: locations

text: said

text: Magna

text: co

text: Chief

text: Executive

text: Siegfried

text: Wolf

text: We

text: 're

text: keen

text: to

text: have

text: talks

text: with

text: all

text: the

text: states

text: where

text: Opel

text: has

text: factories

text: in

text: the

text: next

text: few

text: weeks

text: and

text: are

text: confident

text: to

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: find

text: solutions

text: to

text: preserve

text: jobs

text: because

text: every

text: job

text: that

text: is

text: lost

text: is

text: one

text: too

text: many

text: We

text: will

text: work

text: with

text: Opel

text: management

text: to

text: try

text: to

text: avoid

text: those

text: job

text: losses

text: Steinmeier

text: told

text: reporters

text: that

text: such

text: risks

text: ca

text: n't

text: be

text: avoided

text: But

text: he

text: said

text: I

text: think

text: we

text: have

text: found

text: a

text: responsible

text: solution

text: with

text: private

text: investors

text: and

text: interim

text: funding

text: from

text: the

text: state

text: It

text: is

text: a

text: solution

text: which

text: preserves

text: Opel

text: 's

text: location

text: in

text: Germany

text: and

text: also

text: preserves

text: the

text: highest

text: possible

text: number

text: of

text: jobs

text: German

text: Finance

text: Minister

text: Peer

text: Steinbrueck

text: said

text: early

text: Saturday

text: that

text: the

text: country

text: has

text: guaranteed

text: transitional

text: credit

text: for

text: Opel

text: of

text: billion

text: euros

text: billion

text: In

text: addition

text: a

text: trust

text: will

text: be

text: created

text: where

text: Opel

text: 's

text: stock

text: will

text: be

text: parked

text: prior

text: to

text: the

text: division

text: of

text: shares

text: Along

text: with

text: Sberbank

text: Russia

text: 's

text: biggest

text: bank

text: Russian

text: automaker

text: GAZ

text: Group

text: will

text: provide

text: some

text: financing

text: said

text: Andrzej

text: Kasperek

text: director

text: of

text: corporate

text: business

text: development

text: with

text: GAZ

text: I

text: think

text: the

text: whole

text: arrangement

text: with

text: Magna

text: and

text: the

text: Russian

text: partners

text: made

text: this

text: a

text: very

text: attractive

text: deal

text: for

text: GM

text: Kasperek

text: said

text: Opel

text: is

text: very

text: well

text: regarded

text: as

text: a

text: brand

text: But

text: we

text: think

text: we

text: can

text: increase

text: sales

text: in

text: the

text: next

text: five

text: years

text: Financially

text: strapped

text: General

text: Motors

text: is

text: expected

text: to

text: announce

text: as

text: soon

text: as

text: Monday

text: that

text: it

text: is

text: filing

text: for

text: bankruptcy

text: Opel

text: has

text: received

text: a

text: perspective

text: for

text: the

text: future

text: said

text: German

text: Chancellor

text: Angela

text: Merkel

text: after

text: the

text: agreement

text: was

text: reached

text: That

text: is

text: a

text: chance

text: for

text: the

text: employees

text: who

text: have

text: earned

text: it

text: as

text: I

text: find

text: because

text: they

text: are

text: not

text: to

text: blame

text: for

text: the

text: situation

text: but

text: instead

text: big

text: mismanagement

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: of

text: America

text: at

text: GM

text: Merkel

text: said

text: the

text: German

text: government

text: did

text: what

text: it

text: had

text: to

text: do

text: in

text: rescuing

text: Opel

text: I

text: had

text: an

text: open

text: exchange

text: in

text: a

text: phone

text: call

text: with

text: the

text: American

text: president

text: and

text: we

text: agreed

text: that

text: we

text: do

text: everything

text: to

text: bring

text: this

text: complex

text: task

text: to

text: a

text: good

text: conclusion

text: And

text: this

text: clearly

text: set

text: the

text: tone

text: for

text: the

text: negotiations

text: Merkel

text: said

question: Who are Magna hoping to bring into the deal?

answer: German government

text: German government

question: Who did Germany pick to buy Opel?

answer: Magna

text: Magna

question: When is General Motors going to declare bankruptcy?

answer: Monday

text: Monday

question: How much is the loan?

answer: 1.5 billion euros

text: 1.5 billion euros

question: Who funded a bridge loan?

answer: The German government

text: The German government


text:
(CNN) -- When makers of one of the most anticipated video games of the year invited users to help design part of the game, the gamers jumped at the chance to create animated characters.

Users will have the option to incorporate other people's "Spore" designs or choose to block them all.

But some took it upon themselves to create something entirely different: a new kind of Internet porn.

It started when the makers of "Spore" released a Creature Creator program that allowed users to develop their own characters to drum up hype before the game's scheduled release in September.

The game, a joint venture from "Sims" creator Will Wright and Electronic Arts, allows users to create a unique creature and then control its evolution from a single cell into a complex cultural civilization.

Within 24 hours of the Creature Creator's release, gamers had gone creature-crazy, designing millions of critters that were all thrown into a database and shown on a YouTube channel for the public to see.

But scrolling through the database -- past the three-legged sea horse, past the seven-eyed wildebeest and the half-motorcycle-half-pig -- revealed something many users didn't expect. Buried among the more wholesome attempts were two-legged dancing testicles, a "giant breast monster" and a four-legged "phallic fornication machine," for starters.  Watch Bradshaw demonstrate the "Creature Creator" and "Spore" Â»

These naughty -- some would say obscene -- creations have spawned an Internet meme nicknamed "Sporn," short for "Spore" porn.

For EA, the developer of "Spore," it's the downside to tapping into the booming user-generated content arena, which has made sites like YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, Facebook and Second Life so popular. These games and sites often allow people to create and host their own content in addition to creating cartoon personas, called avatars, for themselves.

Many of the popular user-generated content sites have faced similar challenges in trying to control obscene material. In Second Life, users can read Slustler, a cyberporn magazine, or buy programs that allow them to have animated sex with other characters.

"Whether it's modeling clay, dolls or crayons, a small number of people can be counted on to use it for something vulgar," said Lucy Bradshaw, "Spore's" executive producer.

Despite its "Sporn" issues, "Spore" is poised to become one of the most popular games because of its ability to let people tell their own story, rather than one mapped out for them, Bradshaw said.

"Rather than putting players in the shoes of Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins, we're giving them the opportunity to be George Lucas or Peter Jackson, as they create their own universe from scratch," she said.

But for every George Lucas and Peter Jackson, there's always a spoiler.

Enter the Spornmaster, a 37-year-old Web developer who refused to give his name for this interview. He, like many others, has spent hours creating characters and turning them into sexual beings.

"It came up simply as something silly and juvenile to do," he said.

The creatures are not just static. Users can create animated scenarios for the characters to engage in, some of which include sexually graphic acts.

When EA got word of the Sporn creations, it began working with YouTube to pull them down. Players who repeatedly upload "offensive content" are warned, suspended and eventually banned, Bradshaw said.

But the policing isn't restricted to EA and YouTube. Users also are able to flag and report content that they find offensive.

That angered some content creators, who feel that they should be able to create whatever they want.

"It was a totally ridiculous overreaction," the 37-year-old Web developer said. "I admit it is silly and juvenile, but I don't think there's anything perverted, vile or awful about it. If people find it offensive, they can simply not search for it online. No one is forcing anyone to see this content."

In response, he created a site to preserve as many of his naughty creations as possible. He said many other creators of Sporn have told him that they too were only joking around. But the Web developer and other Sporn creators have had their share of critics. On blogs and message boards, some have called these creators perverts.

"I consider this very similar to child pornography, at least to the extent of distributing the material to children," said 18-year-old Michael James from Calgary, Alberta. James said he has flagged about 10 of the "disgusting" creations.

EA plans to make sure nobody sees the content if they don't want to, Bradshaw said. When playing "Spore," users will be given three choices regarding people's creations: to receive no outside content, to receive content from buddies only or to receive all external content.

Bradshaw hopes the sexual characters don't spoil "Spore" for everyone or get in the way of what she says is a revolutionary game.

"User-created content gives players total control over their game experience and empowers them to express their creativity in ways that they never thought possible," Bradshaw said. "It also gives them a powerful emotional connection to the game, since they've created the world from scratch."

Miles Moffit, a gamer attending the University of Georgia who has created tons of "clean" characters on his own, is glad to know EA will be regulating what makes it into the game.

Moffit is eagerly awaiting the game's September 7 release. And if by chance a Sporn character shows up in his virtual "Spore" world, he has a plan.

"My initial reaction to discovering it in my final game would be to ban it so it wouldn't show up again and then blow it to pieces for the sheer satisfaction of it," Moffit said. "Go ahead, create a walking phallus. See how long it lasts in the databases and galaxies of 'Spore.' "

text: CNN

text: When

text: makers

text: of

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: anticipated

text: video

text: games

text: of

text: the

text: year

text: invited

text: users

text: to

text: help

text: design

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: game

text: the

text: gamers

text: jumped

text: at

text: the

text: chance

text: to

text: create

text: animated

text: characters

text: Users

text: will

text: have

text: the

text: option

text: to

text: incorporate

text: other

text: people

text: 's

text: Spore

text: designs

text: or

text: choose

text: to

text: block

text: them

text: all

text: But

text: some

text: took

text: it

text: upon

text: themselves

text: to

text: create

text: something

text: entirely

text: different

text: a

text: new

text: kind

text: of

text: Internet

text: porn

text: It

text: started

text: when

text: the

text: makers

text: of

text: Spore

text: released

text: a

text: Creature

text: Creator

text: program

text: that

text: allowed

text: users

text: to

text: develop

text: their

text: own

text: characters

text: to

text: drum

text: up

text: hype

text: before

text: the

text: game

text: 's

text: scheduled

text: release

text: in

text: September

text: The

text: game

text: a

text: joint

text: venture

text: from

text: Sims

text: creator

text: Will

text: Wright

text: and

text: Electronic

text: Arts

text: allows

text: users

text: to

text: create

text: a

text: unique

text: creature

text: and

text: then

text: control

text: its

text: evolution

text: from

text: a

text: single

text: cell

text: into

text: a

text: complex

text: cultural

text: civilization

text: Within

text: hours

text: of

text: the

text: Creature

text: Creator

text: 's

text: release

text: gamers

text: had

text: gone

text: creature

text: crazy

text: designing

text: millions

text: of

text: critters

text: that

text: were

text: all

text: thrown

text: into

text: a

text: database

text: and

text: shown

text: on

text: a

text: YouTube

text: channel

text: for

text: the

text: public

text: to

text: see

text: But

text: scrolling

text: through

text: the

text: database

text: past

text: the

text: three

text: legged

text: sea

text: horse

text: past

text: the

text: seven

text: eyed

text: wildebeest

text: and

text: the

text: half

text: motorcycle

text: half

text: pig

text: revealed

text: something

text: many

text: users

text: did

text: n't

text: expect

text: Buried

text: among

text: the

text: more

text: wholesome

text: attempts

text: were

text: two

text: legged

text: dancing

text: testicles

text: a

text: giant

text: breast

text: monster

text: and

text: a

text: four

text: legged

text: phallic

text: fornication

text: machine

text: for

text: starters

text: Watch

text: Bradshaw

text: demonstrate

text: the

text: Creature

text: Creator

text: and

text: Spore

text: Â

text: These

text: naughty

text: some

text: would

text: say

text: obscene

text: creations

text: have

text: spawned

text: an

text: Internet

text: meme

text: nicknamed

text: Sporn

text: short

text: for

text: Spore

text: porn

text: For

text: EA

text: the

text: developer

text: of

text: Spore

text: it

text: 's

text: the

text: downside

text: to

text: tapping

text: into

text: the

text: booming

text: user

text: generated

text: content

text: arena

text: which

text: has

text: made

text: sites

text: like

text: YouTube

text: Flickr

text: MySpace

text: Facebook

text: and

text: Second

text: Life

text: so

text: popular

text: These

text: games

text: and

text: sites

text: often

text: allow

text: people

text: to

text: create

text: and

text: host

text: their

text: own

text: content

text: in

text: addition

text: to

text: creating

text: cartoon

text: personas

text: called

text: avatars

text: for

text: themselves

text: Many

text: of

text: the

text: popular

text: user

text: generated

text: content

text: sites

text: have

text: faced

text: similar

text: challenges

text: in

text: trying

text: to

text: control

text: obscene

text: material

text: In

text: Second

text: Life

text: users

text: can

text: read

text: Slustler

text: a

text: cyberporn

text: magazine

text: or

text: buy

text: programs

text: that

text: allow

text: them

text: to

text: have

text: animated

text: sex

text: with

text: other

text: characters

text: Whether

text: it

text: 's

text: modeling

text: clay

text: dolls

text: or

text: crayons

text: a

text: small

text: number

text: of

text: people

text: can

text: be

text: counted

text: on

text: to

text: use

text: it

text: for

text: something

text: vulgar

text: said

text: Lucy

text: Bradshaw

text: Spore

text: 's

text: executive

text: producer

text: Despite

text: its

text: Sporn

text: issues

text: Spore

text: is

text: poised

text: to

text: become

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: popular

text: games

text: because

text: of

text: its

text: ability

text: to

text: let

text: people

text: tell

text: their

text: own

text: story

text: rather

text: than

text: one

text: mapped

text: out

text: for

text: them

text: Bradshaw

text: said

text: Rather

text: than

text: putting

text: players

text: in

text: the

text: shoes

text: of

text: Luke

text: Skywalker

text: or

text: Frodo

text: Baggins

text: we

text: 're

text: giving

text: them

text: the

text: opportunity

text: to

text: be

text: George

text: Lucas

text: or

text: Peter

text: Jackson

text: as

text: they

text: create

text: their

text: own

text: universe

text: from

text: scratch

text: she

text: said

text: But

text: for

text: every

text: George

text: Lucas

text: and

text: Peter

text: Jackson

text: there

text: 's

text: always

text: a

text: spoiler

text: Enter

text: the

text: Spornmaster

text: a

text: old

text: Web

text: developer

text: who

text: refused

text: to

text: give

text: his

text: name

text: for

text: this

text: interview

text: He

text: like

text: many

text: others

text: has

text: spent

text: hours

text: creating

text: characters

text: and

text: turning

text: them

text: into

text: sexual

text: beings

text: It

text: came

text: up

text: simply

text: as

text: something

text: silly

text: and

text: juvenile

text: to

text: do

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: creatures

text: are

text: not

text: just

text: static

text: Users

text: can

text: create

text: animated

text: scenarios

text: for

text: the

text: characters

text: to

text: engage

text: in

text: some

text: of

text: which

text: include

text: sexually

text: graphic

text: acts

text: When

text: EA

text: got

text: word

text: of

text: the

text: Sporn

text: creations

text: it

text: began

text: working

text: with

text: YouTube

text: to

text: pull

text: them

text: down

text: Players

text: who

text: repeatedly

text: upload

text: offensive

text: content

text: are

text: warned

text: suspended

text: and

text: eventually

text: banned

text: Bradshaw

text: said

text: But

text: the

text: policing

text: is

text: n't

text: restricted

text: to

text: EA

text: and

text: YouTube

text: Users

text: also

text: are

text: able

text: to

text: flag

text: and

text: report

text: content

text: that

text: they

text: find

text: offensive

text: That

text: angered

text: some

text: content

text: creators

text: who

text: feel

text: that

text: they

text: should

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: create

text: whatever

text: they

text: want

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: totally

text: ridiculous

text: overreaction

text: the

text: old

text: Web

text: developer

text: said

text: I

text: admit

text: it

text: is

text: silly

text: and

text: juvenile

text: but

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: think

text: there

text: 's

text: anything

text: perverted

text: vile

text: or

text: awful

text: about

text: it

text: If

text: people

text: find

text: it

text: offensive

text: they

text: can

text: simply

text: not

text: search

text: for

text: it

text: online

text: No

text: one

text: is

text: forcing

text: anyone

text: to

text: see

text: this

text: content

text: In

text: response

text: he

text: created

text: a

text: site

text: to

text: preserve

text: as

text: many

text: of

text: his

text: naughty

text: creations

text: as

text: possible

text: He

text: said

text: many

text: other

text: creators

text: of

text: Sporn

text: have

text: told

text: him

text: that

text: they

text: too

text: were

text: only

text: joking

text: around

text: But

text: the

text: Web

text: developer

text: and

text: other

text: Sporn

text: creators

text: have

text: had

text: their

text: share

text: of

text: critics

text: On

text: blogs

text: and

text: message

text: boards

text: some

text: have

text: called

text: these

text: creators

text: perverts

text: I

text: consider

text: this

text: very

text: similar

text: to

text: child

text: pornography

text: at

text: least

text: to

text: the

text: extent

text: of

text: distributing

text: the

text: material

text: to

text: children

text: said

text: old

text: Michael

text: James

text: from

text: Calgary

text: Alberta

text: James

text: said

text: he

text: has

text: flagged

text: about

text: of

text: the

text: disgusting

text: creations

text: EA

text: plans

text: to

text: make

text: sure

text: nobody

text: sees

text: the

text: content

text: if

text: they

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: Bradshaw

text: said

text: When

text: playing

text: Spore

text: users

text: will

text: be

text: given

text: three

text: choices

text: regarding

text: people

text: 's

text: creations

text: to

text: receive

text: no

text: outside

text: content

text: to

text: receive

text: content

text: from

text: buddies

text: only

text: or

text: to

text: receive

text: all

text: external

text: content

text: Bradshaw

text: hopes

text: the

text: sexual

text: characters

text: do

text: n't

text: spoil

text: Spore

text: for

text: everyone

text: or

text: get

text: in

text: the

text: way

text: of

text: what

text: she

text: says

text: is

text: a

text: revolutionary

text: game

text: User

text: created

text: content

text: gives

text: players

text: total

text: control

text: over

text: their

text: game

text: experience

text: and

text: empowers

text: them

text: to

text: express

text: their

text: creativity

text: in

text: ways

text: that

text: they

text: never

text: thought

text: possible

text: Bradshaw

text: said

text: It

text: also

text: gives

text: them

text: a

text: powerful

text: emotional

text: connection

text: to

text: the

text: game

text: since

text: they

text: 've

text: created

text: the

text: world

text: from

text: scratch

text: Miles

text: Moffit

text: a

text: gamer

text: attending

text: the

text: University

text: of

text: Georgia

text: who

text: has

text: created

text: tons

text: of

text: clean

text: characters

text: on

text: his

text: own

text: is

text: glad

text: to

text: know

text: EA

text: will

text: be

text: regulating

text: what

text: makes

text: it

text: into

text: the

text: game

text: Moffit

text: is

text: eagerly

text: awaiting

text: the

text: game

text: 's

text: September

text: release

text: And

text: if

text: by

text: chance

text: a

text: Sporn

text: character

text: shows

text: up

text: in

text: his

text: virtual

text: Spore

text: world

text: he

text: has

text: a

text: plan

text: My

text: initial

text: reaction

text: to

text: discovering

text: it

text: in

text: my

text: final

text: game

text: would

text: be

text: to

text: ban

text: it

text: so

text: it

text: would

text: n't

text: show

text: up

text: again

text: and

text: then

text: blow

text: it

text: to

text: pieces

text: for

text: the

text: sheer

text: satisfaction

text: of

text: it

text: Moffit

text: said

text: Go

text: ahead

text: create

text: a

text: walking

text: phallus

text: See

text: how

text: long

text: it

text: lasts

text: in

text: the

text: databases

text: and

text: galaxies

text: of

text: Spore

question: What are the sexual creatures know as?

answer: "Sporn," short for "Spore" porn.

text: "Sporn," short for "Spore" porn.

question: Who is banning them?

answer: EA and YouTube.

text: EA and YouTube.

question: Who is EA banning?

answer: Players

text: Players

question: For which new game does Creature Creator allow gamers to design characters?

answer: "Spore"

text: "Spore"

question: What is used to design characters in the Spore game?

answer: a Creature Creator program

text: a Creature Creator program

question: What company created Spore?

answer: Will Wright and Electronic Arts,

text: Will Wright and Electronic Arts,

question: What company allows gamers to design characters for Spore?

answer: Electronic Arts,

text: Electronic Arts,

question: What are the sexual creatures called?

answer: "Sporn,"

text: "Sporn,"


text:
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Paint markings found on pieces of two planes that collided over suburban Los Angeles indicate the nose of one aircraft slammed into the middle fuselage of the other, according to a federal investigator.

Investigators on Monday walk past the tail section of a plane lying in a car dealership.

Five people died in the accident in Corona, California, including a man on the ground who was killed when one plane's engine crashed through the roof of a car dealership where he worked, said National Transportation Safety Board investigator Wayne Pollack.

The NTSB, assisted by FBI evidence experts, completed the cleanup of wreckage and body parts that were spread over a commercial area of car dealerships, restaurants and other businesses near the Riverside Freeway Monday afternoon.

Investigators don't yet know if both single-engine planes were approaching the nearby Corona airport for landing, but it was apparently a Sunday afternoon pleasure flight for each.

The two men in the Cessna 150 were ejected after the plane was struck broadside by the Cessna 172, Pollack said. The bodies of the two men flying in the Cessna 172 were found inside the plane after it crashed to the ground, he said.

The FBI helped the NTSB mark where each piece was found, although the investigation does not involve any criminal aspect, Pollack said. The wreckage was being trucked to Palmdale, California, Monday evening. Aviation experts there will examine it for more clues about what caused the collision, he said.

There were two licensed pilots on board the Cessna 150, which was rented from a local flight school, Pollack said. One of the two people on board the other plane -- a Cessna 172 -- was licensed to fly, he said.

The victims from one plane were identified as Scott Lawrence, 55, and Paul Carlson, 73, both from Cerritos, California. The dead from the other aircraft were Brandon Johnson, 24, from Costa Mesa, California. and Anthony Guzman, 20, from Hesperia, Calif., according to the Riverside County Coroner's Office.

The car dealership employee who died was Earl Smiddy, 58, from Moreno Valley, California, the coroner said.

Weather is not believed to have been a factor since it was clear and winds were calm at the time, Pollack said.

Corona is about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.  E-mail to a friend

text: LOS

text: ANGELES

text: California

text: CNN

text: Paint

text: markings

text: found

text: on

text: pieces

text: of

text: two

text: planes

text: that

text: collided

text: over

text: suburban

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: indicate

text: the

text: nose

text: of

text: one

text: aircraft

text: slammed

text: into

text: the

text: middle

text: fuselage

text: of

text: the

text: other

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: federal

text: investigator

text: Investigators

text: on

text: Monday

text: walk

text: past

text: the

text: tail

text: section

text: of

text: a

text: plane

text: lying

text: in

text: a

text: car

text: dealership

text: Five

text: people

text: died

text: in

text: the

text: accident

text: in

text: Corona

text: California

text: including

text: a

text: man

text: on

text: the

text: ground

text: who

text: was

text: killed

text: when

text: one

text: plane

text: 's

text: engine

text: crashed

text: through

text: the

text: roof

text: of

text: a

text: car

text: dealership

text: where

text: he

text: worked

text: said

text: National

text: Transportation

text: Safety

text: Board

text: investigator

text: Wayne

text: Pollack

text: The

text: NTSB

text: assisted

text: by

text: FBI

text: evidence

text: experts

text: completed

text: the

text: cleanup

text: of

text: wreckage

text: and

text: body

text: parts

text: that

text: were

text: spread

text: over

text: a

text: commercial

text: area

text: of

text: car

text: dealerships

text: restaurants

text: and

text: other

text: businesses

text: near

text: the

text: Riverside

text: Freeway

text: Monday

text: afternoon

text: Investigators

text: do

text: n't

text: yet

text: know

text: if

text: both

text: single

text: engine

text: planes

text: were

text: approaching

text: the

text: nearby

text: Corona

text: airport

text: for

text: landing

text: but

text: it

text: was

text: apparently

text: a

text: Sunday

text: afternoon

text: pleasure

text: flight

text: for

text: each

text: The

text: two

text: men

text: in

text: the

text: Cessna

text: were

text: ejected

text: after

text: the

text: plane

text: was

text: struck

text: broadside

text: by

text: the

text: Cessna

text: Pollack

text: said

text: The

text: bodies

text: of

text: the

text: two

text: men

text: flying

text: in

text: the

text: Cessna

text: were

text: found

text: inside

text: the

text: plane

text: after

text: it

text: crashed

text: to

text: the

text: ground

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: FBI

text: helped

text: the

text: NTSB

text: mark

text: where

text: each

text: piece

text: was

text: found

text: although

text: the

text: investigation

text: does

text: not

text: involve

text: any

text: criminal

text: aspect

text: Pollack

text: said

text: The

text: wreckage

text: was

text: being

text: trucked

text: to

text: Palmdale

text: California

text: Monday

text: evening

text: Aviation

text: experts

text: there

text: will

text: examine

text: it

text: for

text: more

text: clues

text: about

text: what

text: caused

text: the

text: collision

text: he

text: said

text: There

text: were

text: two

text: licensed

text: pilots

text: on

text: board

text: the

text: Cessna

text: which

text: was

text: rented

text: from

text: a

text: local

text: flight

text: school

text: Pollack

text: said

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: two

text: people

text: on

text: board

text: the

text: other

text: plane

text: a

text: Cessna

text: was

text: licensed

text: to

text: fly

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: victims

text: from

text: one

text: plane

text: were

text: identified

text: as

text: Scott

text: Lawrence

text: and

text: Paul

text: Carlson

text: both

text: from

text: Cerritos

text: California

text: The

text: dead

text: from

text: the

text: other

text: aircraft

text: were

text: Brandon

text: Johnson

text: from

text: Costa

text: Mesa

text: California

text: and

text: Anthony

text: Guzman

text: from

text: Hesperia

text: Calif.

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: Riverside

text: County

text: Coroner

text: 's

text: Office

text: The

text: car

text: dealership

text: employee

text: who

text: died

text: was

text: Earl

text: Smiddy

text: from

text: Moreno

text: Valley

text: California

text: the

text: coroner

text: said

text: Weather

text: is

text: not

text: believed

text: to

text: have

text: been

text: a

text: factor

text: since

text: it

text: was

text: clear

text: and

text: winds

text: were

text: calm

text: at

text: the

text: time

text: Pollack

text: said

text: Corona

text: is

text: about

text: miles

text: east

text: of

text: downtown

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

question: What hit the cessna 150?

answer: 172,

question: What were the planes on?

answer: car dealership.

text: car dealership.

question: How many planes collided?

answer: two

text: two

question: What age was Earl Smiddy?

answer: 58,

question: What agencies finish removing wreckage?

answer: NTSB, assisted by FBI evidence experts,

text: NTSB, assisted by FBI evidence experts,

question: What did the engine crash into?

answer: the roof of a car dealership

text: the roof of a car dealership

question: Who died when his engine crashed through a car dealership?

answer: Earl Smiddy,

text: Earl Smiddy,

question: Which agencies removed wreckage from the commercial area?

answer: The NTSB, assisted by FBI evidence experts,

text: The NTSB, assisted by FBI evidence experts,


text:
(CNN)  -- Oguchi Onyewu, who made his AC Milan debut in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Mexico's Club America, is the first player from the United States to be signed by the Serie A giants and is a rising talent in world football.

Oguchi Onyewu has cut a commanding figure at the center of defense for the U.S. national team.

The "Rossoneri" have put their faith in a 27-year-old defender, who has become a lynchpin of his national team in recent times -- but how did the stopper climb the ladder of success?

The imposing Onweyu, who stands 1.93 meters tall and tips the scales at 95 kilograms, was born in Washington D.C., one of a family of five to Nigerian-born parents.

While at high school in Maryland, he showed immediate promise and was selected for a soccer academy run by International Management Group (IMG).

After graduation, Onyewu spent two years in collegiate soccer at Clemson University before taking his chance in Europe. CNN's Patrick Snell interviews Onyewu. Â»

He was originally at Metz in France before being loaned out to La Louviere in the Belgium league and finally to Standard Liege where he has spent the majority of his professional career.

Because of his strong performances with Standard, Onyewu was constantly linked with a number of leading European clubs, but finally had his chance when sent out on loan to Newcastle United in the English Premier League.

Joining for the back end of the 2006-07 season, he formed an uncertain partnership with Titus Bramble in the center of defense, which, combined with the arrival of new manager Sam Allardyce, was to cost him his place.

Newcastle decided not to make his loan move permanent and Onyewu returned to Standard to help them win successive Belgian league titles.

He was involved in a controversial incident at the end of the current season during the championship playoff against Anderlecht.

Onyewu claimed Anderlecht defender Jelle Van Damme called him a "dirty ape" and persisted despite being reported to the referee.

The Times of London reported on June 2 that Onyewu had taken legal action in a Brussels court over the alleged slur, hoping it will help eradicate such incidents in the future.

His lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont said Onyewu felt compelled to take it further.

"He was convinced it was his duty to lodge the complaint," Dupont said.

"It is not a question whether Van Damme is racist. The issue is that these slurs are still used on the pitch, and are being used because they know it hurts."

Onyewu made his debut for the U.S. national team in 2004 and played all three games for the side before their exit from the 2006 World Cup.

But it was his performances in the recent Confederations Cup in South Africa which showed his qualities to the full.

After the U.S. beat Egypt 3-0 to reach the semifinals, Onyewu was outstanding again in the shock 2-0 defeat of world number one-rated Spain to reach the final.

The U.S. went on to lose the final 3-2 to Brazil, but Onyewu had again sparked renewed interest, including Milan, who had tracked him since 2004.

He signed a three-year deal earlier this month with the seven-time European champions, who are in a rebuilding process after the retirement of club legend Paulo Maldini and departure of Kaka to Real Madrid.

Onyewu is the second U.S. international to play in Serie A.

Former national captain Alexi Lalas played for Padova in the 1990s.

text: CNN

text: Oguchi

text: Onyewu

text: who

text: made

text: his

text: AC

text: Milan

text: debut

text: in

text: a

text: friendly

text: defeat

text: to

text: Mexico

text: 's

text: Club

text: America

text: is

text: the

text: first

text: player

text: from

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: to

text: be

text: signed

text: by

text: the

text: Serie

text: A

text: giants

text: and

text: is

text: a

text: rising

text: talent

text: in

text: world

text: football

text: Oguchi

text: Onyewu

text: has

text: cut

text: a

text: commanding

text: figure

text: at

text: the

text: center

text: of

text: defense

text: for

text: the

text: U.S.

text: national

text: team

text: The

text: Rossoneri

text: have

text: put

text: their

text: faith

text: in

text: a

text: old

text: defender

text: who

text: has

text: become

text: a

text: lynchpin

text: of

text: his

text: national

text: team

text: in

text: recent

text: times

text: but

text: how

text: did

text: the

text: stopper

text: climb

text: the

text: ladder

text: of

text: success

text: The

text: imposing

text: Onweyu

text: who

text: stands

text: meters

text: tall

text: and

text: tips

text: the

text: scales

text: at

text: kilograms

text: was

text: born

text: in

text: Washington

text: D.C.

text: one

text: of

text: a

text: family

text: of

text: five

text: to

text: Nigerian

text: born

text: parents

text: While

text: at

text: high

text: school

text: in

text: Maryland

text: he

text: showed

text: immediate

text: promise

text: and

text: was

text: selected

text: for

text: a

text: soccer

text: academy

text: run

text: by

text: International

text: Management

text: Group

text: IMG

text: After

text: graduation

text: Onyewu

text: spent

text: two

text: years

text: in

text: collegiate

text: soccer

text: at

text: Clemson

text: University

text: before

text: taking

text: his

text: chance

text: in

text: Europe

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Patrick

text: Snell

text: interviews

text: Onyewu

text: Â

text: He

text: was

text: originally

text: at

text: Metz

text: in

text: France

text: before

text: being

text: loaned

text: out

text: to

text: La

text: Louviere

text: in

text: the

text: Belgium

text: league

text: and

text: finally

text: to

text: Standard

text: Liege

text: where

text: he

text: has

text: spent

text: the

text: majority

text: of

text: his

text: professional

text: career

text: Because

text: of

text: his

text: strong

text: performances

text: with

text: Standard

text: Onyewu

text: was

text: constantly

text: linked

text: with

text: a

text: number

text: of

text: leading

text: European

text: clubs

text: but

text: finally

text: had

text: his

text: chance

text: when

text: sent

text: out

text: on

text: loan

text: to

text: Newcastle

text: United

text: in

text: the

text: English

text: Premier

text: League

text: Joining

text: for

text: the

text: back

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: season

text: he

text: formed

text: an

text: uncertain

text: partnership

text: with

text: Titus

text: Bramble

text: in

text: the

text: center

text: of

text: defense

text: which

text: combined

text: with

text: the

text: arrival

text: of

text: new

text: manager

text: Sam

text: Allardyce

text: was

text: to

text: cost

text: him

text: his

text: place

text: Newcastle

text: decided

text: not

text: to

text: make

text: his

text: loan

text: move

text: permanent

text: and

text: Onyewu

text: returned

text: to

text: Standard

text: to

text: help

text: them

text: win

text: successive

text: Belgian

text: league

text: titles

text: He

text: was

text: involved

text: in

text: a

text: controversial

text: incident

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: current

text: season

text: during

text: the

text: championship

text: playoff

text: against

text: Anderlecht

text: Onyewu

text: claimed

text: Anderlecht

text: defender

text: Jelle

text: Van

text: Damme

text: called

text: him

text: a

text: dirty

text: ape

text: and

text: persisted

text: despite

text: being

text: reported

text: to

text: the

text: referee

text: The

text: Times

text: of

text: London

text: reported

text: on

text: June

text: that

text: Onyewu

text: had

text: taken

text: legal

text: action

text: in

text: a

text: Brussels

text: court

text: over

text: the

text: alleged

text: slur

text: hoping

text: it

text: will

text: help

text: eradicate

text: such

text: incidents

text: in

text: the

text: future

text: His

text: lawyer

text: Jean

text: Louis

text: Dupont

text: said

text: Onyewu

text: felt

text: compelled

text: to

text: take

text: it

text: further

text: He

text: was

text: convinced

text: it

text: was

text: his

text: duty

text: to

text: lodge

text: the

text: complaint

text: Dupont

text: said

text: It

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: question

text: whether

text: Van

text: Damme

text: is

text: racist

text: The

text: issue

text: is

text: that

text: these

text: slurs

text: are

text: still

text: used

text: on

text: the

text: pitch

text: and

text: are

text: being

text: used

text: because

text: they

text: know

text: it

text: hurts

text: Onyewu

text: made

text: his

text: debut

text: for

text: the

text: U.S.

text: national

text: team

text: in

text: and

text: played

text: all

text: three

text: games

text: for

text: the

text: side

text: before

text: their

text: exit

text: from

text: the

text: World

text: Cup

text: But

text: it

text: was

text: his

text: performances

text: in

text: the

text: recent

text: Confederations

text: Cup

text: in

text: South

text: Africa

text: which

text: showed

text: his

text: qualities

text: to

text: the

text: full

text: After

text: the

text: U.S.

text: beat

text: Egypt

text: to

text: reach

text: the

text: semifinals

text: Onyewu

text: was

text: outstanding

text: again

text: in

text: the

text: shock

text: defeat

text: of

text: world

text: number

text: one

text: rated

text: Spain

text: to

text: reach

text: the

text: final

text: The

text: U.S.

text: went

text: on

text: to

text: lose

text: the

text: final

text: to

text: Brazil

text: but

text: Onyewu

text: had

text: again

text: sparked

text: renewed

text: interest

text: including

text: Milan

text: who

text: had

text: tracked

text: him

text: since

text: He

text: signed

text: a

text: three

text: year

text: deal

text: earlier

text: this

text: month

text: with

text: the

text: seven

text: time

text: European

text: champions

text: who

text: are

text: in

text: a

text: rebuilding

text: process

text: after

text: the

text: retirement

text: of

text: club

text: legend

text: Paulo

text: Maldini

text: and

text: departure

text: of

text: Kaka

text: to

text: Real

text: Madrid

text: Onyewu

text: is

text: the

text: second

text: U.S.

text: international

text: to

text: play

text: in

text: Serie

text: A.

text: Former

text: national

text: captain

text: Alexi

text: Lalas

text: played

text: for

text: Padova

text: in

text: the

question: Who is the first U.S.-born player to be signed by AC Milan?

answer: Oguchi Onyewu,

text: Oguchi Onyewu,

question: What university did Onyewu attend?

answer: Clemson

text: Clemson

question: Who was a star performer for the US team in 2009 Confederations Cup

answer: Oguchi Onyewu,

text: Oguchi Onyewu,

question: Who was a star performer in the 2009 Confederation Cup?

answer: Oguchi Onyewu,

text: Oguchi Onyewu,

question: Who was the first U.S.-born player to be signed by AC Milan?

answer: Oguchi Onyewu,

text: Oguchi Onyewu,

question: Who is Oguchi Onyewu?

answer: the first player from the United States to be signed by the Serie A giants and is a rising talent in world football.

text: the first player from the United States to be signed by the Serie A giants and is a rising talent in world football.

question: Which university did he go to?

answer: Clemson

text: Clemson

question: Who has Nigerian parents?

answer: Oguchi Onyewu,

text: Oguchi Onyewu,


text:
Editor's note: Nell Minow is editor and chairwoman of the Corporate Library, an independent research company, and was named one of the 20 most influential people in corporate governance by Directorship magazine and "the queen of good corporate governance" by BusinessWeek Online. She has co-written three books.

Nell Minow says AIG's board must be held accountable for the $160 million in bonus payments.

(CNN) -- The stories about the outrageous $160 million bonus payments at AIG have all omitted the most important names.

They are the members of AIG's Board of Directors Compensation Committee.

These people should have been on the hot seat before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, alongside CEO Ed Liddy. Although there is a lot of blame to go around, ultimately the buck stops -- or, I should say, the bucks should have stopped -- with them.

Why haven't we learned that it is the boards who are responsible for the massive failures of strategy and risk management at these companies? Regulators, journalists, securities analysts and investors routinely ignore the most obvious indicators of investment risk that are presented by bad boards of directors.

This is particularly obvious in the case of AIG, which has been a serial offender in corporate governance, especially in executive compensation.

Those of us who remember former CEO Hank Greenberg's departure from AIG in 2005, after a corporate governance meltdown that included excessive compensation, appreciate the irony of his comment to ABC News that the retention bonuses were "mind-boggling." Mr. Kettle, Pot is on line 1.

Compensation committees are not responsible for individual pay packages below the CEO, but they are responsible for determining their overall structure -- and for making sure that the CEO's job includes effective management on compensation issues.

Retention of employees may be a legitimate goal of a compensation program, but it can be accomplished in a way that is both effective and credible by being tied to performance goals and by delaying vesting until after the bailout funds are returned to taxpayers.

The Corporate Library released a report in February about the boards of the bailout companies, many of which were outliers in their governance and compensation practices. Some of these were clear indicators of investment and liability risk. In several cases, we found individuals who not only sat on more than four corporate boards but also sat on more than one of these particularly troubled boards during this period.

Former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, for example, served on the boards of Morgan Stanley, General Motors and Wachovia -- and at various times was also a director at Merck, VF Corp., Krispy Kreme and Cousins Properties.

Several other directors from these troubled boards also sat on either five or six boards altogether. We call the phenomenon of directors who serve on four or more corporate boards "overboarding."

Overboarding can limit the time and attention a director has for each board. It can also be an indicator of -- or a contributor to -- so many relationships and connections that it makes it more difficult to provide the respectful skepticism necessary for independent oversight.

In all, 11 of the 27 companies we identified as "troubled" had at least one overboarded director. Six had more than one; at Merrill Lynch, there were five. By comparison, fewer than 30 percent of S&P 500 companies have even a single overboarded director, and fewer than 5 percent have more than one.

Another key finding from our analysis: Shareholders at these companies were well aware of the relative weakness of these boards and had expressed their dissatisfaction by withholding votes from many of these individuals the year before these companies collapsed.

At least 13 individual directors, all of whom sat on at least three corporate boards during this period, had received a 13 percent or higher negative vote.

The highest of these was a 38.58 percent negative vote received by Sir Winfried F.W. Bischoff at McGraw-Hill, where he sat on the compensation committee. Bischoff also served on the boards at Citigroup (as chairman and interim CEO), Eli Lilly and Prudential.

Although the businesses of these companies do not overlap enough to impair Bischoff's designation as an "independent" director or to create legal conflict of interest concerns, it is relevant that McGraw-Hill owns ratings agency Standard & Poor's, which not only rates the other companies for which he was a director but also issues ratings on which the other companies rely in their assessment of risk.

Because of the extensive involvement that financial services companies have in many different aspects of the business of large public corporations, directors of those companies in particular should be especially cautious about overlaps and conflicts.

Badly designed compensation is an indicator of poor corporate governance, and poor corporate governance is an indicator of investment risk. Instead of trying to tax the bonuses at AIG, the government and the shareholders should insist on new directors.

The company's Web site says the compensation committee has five members. The two longest serving ones are James F. Orr III, who joined the committee on May 17, 2006 and Virginia M. Rometty, who joined it on January 17, 2007, according to the company's 2007 proxy statement.

The committee's charter says its responsibility include making recommendations to the full board regarding AIG's compensation programs and reviewing and approving any hiring, severance or termination payments.

People say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. In this case, insanity is allowing the same people to continue to serve on the board after massive failure and expecting them to produce a different result.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nell Minow.

text: Editor

text: 's

text: note

text: Nell

text: Minow

text: is

text: editor

text: and

text: chairwoman

text: of

text: the

text: Corporate

text: Library

text: an

text: independent

text: research

text: company

text: and

text: was

text: named

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: influential

text: people

text: in

text: corporate

text: governance

text: by

text: Directorship

text: magazine

text: and

text: the

text: queen

text: of

text: good

text: corporate

text: governance

text: by

text: BusinessWeek

text: Online

text: She

text: has

text: co

text: written

text: three

text: books

text: Nell

text: Minow

text: says

text: AIG

text: 's

text: board

text: must

text: be

text: held

text: accountable

text: for

text: the

text: million

text: in

text: bonus

text: payments

text: CNN

text: The

text: stories

text: about

text: the

text: outrageous

text: million

text: bonus

text: payments

text: at

text: AIG

text: have

text: all

text: omitted

text: the

text: most

text: important

text: names

text: They

text: are

text: the

text: members

text: of

text: AIG

text: 's

text: Board

text: of

text: Directors

text: Compensation

text: Committee

text: These

text: people

text: should

text: have

text: been

text: on

text: the

text: hot

text: seat

text: before

text: the

text: House

text: Financial

text: Services

text: Subcommittee

text: on

text: Capital

text: Markets

text: Insurance

text: and

text: Government

text: Sponsored

text: Enterprises

text: alongside

text: CEO

text: Ed

text: Liddy

text: Although

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: blame

text: to

text: go

text: around

text: ultimately

text: the

text: buck

text: stops

text: or

text: I

text: should

text: say

text: the

text: bucks

text: should

text: have

text: stopped

text: with

text: them

text: Why

text: have

text: n't

text: we

text: learned

text: that

text: it

text: is

text: the

text: boards

text: who

text: are

text: responsible

text: for

text: the

text: massive

text: failures

text: of

text: strategy

text: and

text: risk

text: management

text: at

text: these

text: companies

text: Regulators

text: journalists

text: securities

text: analysts

text: and

text: investors

text: routinely

text: ignore

text: the

text: most

text: obvious

text: indicators

text: of

text: investment

text: risk

text: that

text: are

text: presented

text: by

text: bad

text: boards

text: of

text: directors

text: This

text: is

text: particularly

text: obvious

text: in

text: the

text: case

text: of

text: AIG

text: which

text: has

text: been

text: a

text: serial

text: offender

text: in

text: corporate

text: governance

text: especially

text: in

text: executive

text: compensation

text: Those

text: of

text: us

text: who

text: remember

text: former

text: CEO

text: Hank

text: Greenberg

text: 's

text: departure

text: from

text: AIG

text: in

text: after

text: a

text: corporate

text: governance

text: meltdown

text: that

text: included

text: excessive

text: compensation

text: appreciate

text: the

text: irony

text: of

text: his

text: comment

text: to

text: ABC

text: News

text: that

text: the

text: retention

text: bonuses

text: were

text: mind

text: boggling

text: Mr.

text: Kettle

text: Pot

text: is

text: on

text: line

text: Compensation

text: committees

text: are

text: not

text: responsible

text: for

text: individual

text: pay

text: packages

text: below

text: the

text: CEO

text: but

text: they

text: are

text: responsible

text: for

text: determining

text: their

text: overall

text: structure

text: and

text: for

text: making

text: sure

text: that

text: the

text: CEO

text: 's

text: job

text: includes

text: effective

text: management

text: on

text: compensation

text: issues

text: Retention

text: of

text: employees

text: may

text: be

text: a

text: legitimate

text: goal

text: of

text: a

text: compensation

text: program

text: but

text: it

text: can

text: be

text: accomplished

text: in

text: a

text: way

text: that

text: is

text: both

text: effective

text: and

text: credible

text: by

text: being

text: tied

text: to

text: performance

text: goals

text: and

text: by

text: delaying

text: vesting

text: until

text: after

text: the

text: bailout

text: funds

text: are

text: returned

text: to

text: taxpayers

text: The

text: Corporate

text: Library

text: released

text: a

text: report

text: in

text: February

text: about

text: the

text: boards

text: of

text: the

text: bailout

text: companies

text: many

text: of

text: which

text: were

text: outliers

text: in

text: their

text: governance

text: and

text: compensation

text: practices

text: Some

text: of

text: these

text: were

text: clear

text: indicators

text: of

text: investment

text: and

text: liability

text: risk

text: In

text: several

text: cases

text: we

text: found

text: individuals

text: who

text: not

text: only

text: sat

text: on

text: more

text: than

text: four

text: corporate

text: boards

text: but

text: also

text: sat

text: on

text: more

text: than

text: one

text: of

text: these

text: particularly

text: troubled

text: boards

text: during

text: this

text: period

text: Former

text: White

text: House

text: Chief

text: of

text: Staff

text: Erskine

text: Bowles

text: for

text: example

text: served

text: on

text: the

text: boards

text: of

text: Morgan

text: Stanley

text: General

text: Motors

text: and

text: Wachovia

text: and

text: at

text: various

text: times

text: was

text: also

text: a

text: director

text: at

text: Merck

text: VF

text: Corp.

text: Krispy

text: Kreme

text: and

text: Cousins

text: Properties

text: Several

text: other

text: directors

text: from

text: these

text: troubled

text: boards

text: also

text: sat

text: on

text: either

text: five

text: or

text: six

text: boards

text: altogether

text: We

text: call

text: the

text: phenomenon

text: of

text: directors

text: who

text: serve

text: on

text: four

text: or

text: more

text: corporate

text: boards

text: overboarding

text: Overboarding

text: can

text: limit

text: the

text: time

text: and

text: attention

text: a

text: director

text: has

text: for

text: each

text: board

text: It

text: can

text: also

text: be

text: an

text: indicator

text: of

text: or

text: a

text: contributor

text: to

text: so

text: many

text: relationships

text: and

text: connections

text: that

text: it

text: makes

text: it

text: more

text: difficult

text: to

text: provide

text: the

text: respectful

text: skepticism

text: necessary

text: for

text: independent

text: oversight

text: In

text: all

text: of

text: the

text: companies

text: we

text: identified

text: as

text: troubled

text: had

text: at

text: least

text: one

text: overboarded

text: director

text: Six

text: had

text: more

text: than

text: one

text: at

text: Merrill

text: Lynch

text: there

text: were

text: five

text: By

text: comparison

text: fewer

text: than

text: percent

text: of

text: S&P

text: companies

text: have

text: even

text: a

text: single

text: overboarded

text: director

text: and

text: fewer

text: than

text: percent

text: have

text: more

text: than

text: one

text: Another

text: key

text: finding

text: from

text: our

text: analysis

text: Shareholders

text: at

text: these

text: companies

text: were

text: well

text: aware

text: of

text: the

text: relative

text: weakness

text: of

text: these

text: boards

text: and

text: had

text: expressed

text: their

text: dissatisfaction

text: by

text: withholding

text: votes

text: from

text: many

text: of

text: these

text: individuals

text: the

text: year

text: before

text: these

text: companies

text: collapsed

text: At

text: least

text: individual

text: directors

text: all

text: of

text: whom

text: sat

text: on

text: at

text: least

text: three

text: corporate

text: boards

text: during

text: this

text: period

text: had

text: received

text: a

text: percent

text: or

text: higher

text: negative

text: vote

text: The

text: highest

text: of

text: these

text: was

text: a

text: percent

text: negative

text: vote

text: received

text: by

text: Sir

text: Winfried

text: F.W.

text: Bischoff

text: at

text: McGraw

text: Hill

text: where

text: he

text: sat

text: on

text: the

text: compensation

text: committee

text: Bischoff

text: also

text: served

text: on

text: the

text: boards

text: at

text: Citigroup

text: as

text: chairman

text: and

text: interim

text: CEO

text: Eli

text: Lilly

text: and

text: Prudential

text: Although

text: the

text: businesses

text: of

text: these

text: companies

text: do

text: not

text: overlap

text: enough

text: to

text: impair

text: Bischoff

text: 's

text: designation

text: as

text: an

text: independent

text: director

text: or

text: to

text: create

text: legal

text: conflict

text: of

text: interest

text: concerns

text: it

text: is

text: relevant

text: that

text: McGraw

text: Hill

text: owns

text: ratings

text: agency

text: Standard

text: Poor

text: 's

text: which

text: not

text: only

text: rates

text: the

text: other

text: companies

text: for

text: which

text: he

text: was

text: a

text: director

text: but

text: also

text: issues

text: ratings

text: on

text: which

text: the

text: other

text: companies

text: rely

text: in

text: their

text: assessment

text: of

text: risk

text: Because

text: of

text: the

text: extensive

text: involvement

text: that

text: financial

text: services

text: companies

text: have

text: in

text: many

text: different

text: aspects

text: of

text: the

text: business

text: of

text: large

text: public

text: corporations

text: directors

text: of

text: those

text: companies

text: in

text: particular

text: should

text: be

text: especially

text: cautious

text: about

text: overlaps

text: and

text: conflicts

text: Badly

text: designed

text: compensation

text: is

text: an

text: indicator

text: of

text: poor

text: corporate

text: governance

text: and

text: poor

text: corporate

text: governance

text: is

text: an

text: indicator

text: of

text: investment

text: risk

text: Instead

text: of

text: trying

text: to

text: tax

text: the

text: bonuses

text: at

text: AIG

text: the

text: government

text: and

text: the

text: shareholders

text: should

text: insist

text: on

text: new

text: directors

text: The

text: company

text: 's

text: Web

text: site

text: says

text: the

text: compensation

text: committee

text: has

text: five

text: members

text: The

text: two

text: longest

text: serving

text: ones

text: are

text: James

text: F.

text: Orr

text: III

text: who

text: joined

text: the

text: committee

text: on

text: May

text: and

text: Virginia

text: M.

text: Rometty

text: who

text: joined

text: it

text: on

text: January

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: company

text: 's

text: proxy

text: statement

text: The

text: committee

text: 's

text: charter

text: says

text: its

text: responsibility

text: include

text: making

text: recommendations

text: to

text: the

text: full

text: board

text: regarding

text: AIG

text: 's

text: compensation

text: programs

text: and

text: reviewing

text: and

text: approving

text: any

text: hiring

text: severance

text: or

text: termination

text: payments

text: People

text: say

text: that

text: the

text: definition

text: of

text: insanity

text: is

text: doing

text: the

text: same

text: thing

text: over

text: again

text: and

text: expecting

text: a

text: different

text: result

text: In

text: this

text: case

text: insanity

text: is

text: allowing

text: the

text: same

text: people

text: to

text: continue

text: to

text: serve

text: on

text: the

text: board

text: after

text: massive

text: failure

text: and

text: expecting

text: them

text: to

text: produce

text: a

text: different

text: result

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Nell

text: Minow

question: who should be held to account?

answer: AIG's board

text: AIG's board

question: who  is ultimately responsible for the firm's mistakes?

answer: the boards

text: the boards

question: what does she say about finance firm board members ?

answer: must be held accountable for the $160 million in bonus payments.

text: must be held accountable for the $160 million in bonus payments.

question: what is it that Nell Minow say people overlook

answer: obvious indicators of investment risk

text: obvious indicators of investment risk


text:
(CNN) -- When pitcher Josh Faiola walks out of the dugout on opening day with the Lake Erie Crushers, he'll already have a large group of fans in the stands -- his new roommates at the Belvedere of Westlake assisted living facility.

Pitcher Josh Failoa stands as residents and friends of The Belvedere of Westlake welcome him Tuesday.

The 25-year-old, who was drafted in 2006 by the Baltimore Orioles and is trying to work his way to the majors, admits he was caught a little off guard when he was told about his new housing situation.

"At first I was like, 'OK, that's a little different,' " he said. "I was taken aback at first."

And he was also the butt of a couple jokes from his teammates.

"They were saying things like 'So what's the deal? Do you have to go to bed early?' " Faiola said.

But then he told them about his room -- a large suite, with his own kitchenette, washer and dryer, furniture and a TV.

"Then they changed their tune," he said. "They were like 'That's awesome. Are they any other vacancies?' "

Like many of the players in the independent Frontier League who don't rake in the big bucks, Faiola is living with a host family.

But his host family is a little different. Most of the players live with families with younger children. But in his case, Faiola is the young one -- about 55 years younger than the rest of his "roommates."

Eighty-four-year-old Meda Dennis, who has been living in the center for four years, said Faiola's arrival is the most exciting thing to happen since a good Elvis impersonator showed up.

"It's been quite exciting because he's young and new and interesting and we're old," she joked.

Faiola made his way to the assisted living center in Westlake, Ohio, near Cleveland, with the help of Cindy Griffiths-Novak. She heard the new local baseball team was looking for host families for the players. But because she has a 3- and 4-year-old at home, she turned to her family's assisted living center as an option for Faiola.

Griffiths-Novak went to the residents with the idea and they unanimously voted for Faiola to live there.

But his new housing situation is about more than just a place to crash after the game.

"It certainly is great for the residents because now we get a lot of energy and youth and excitement," Griffiths-Novak said.

It has turned into an exciting time for the residents, who jumped at the chance to decorate the entire facility before the pitcher's arrival.

"You should see the decorations," Griffiths-Novak said. "The residents all signed motivational good luck pennants for him, there's a 40-foot banner, we have a whole thing dedicated to Josh. I'm sure he is so embarrassed with all of the baseball cards with their face on it."

They've made signs telling him he's in a league of his own, but they've also set their expectations high for him.

"Some of the pendants say things like 'Don't get cut, move your butt,' " Griffiths-Novak said. "He's certainly going to be under the microscope! We'll be watching and keeping track of all of his stats."

Faiola was awestruck when he walked in and saw all of the decorations. The activity director has been doing craft activities with the residents -- making visors with baseball logos and Crushers necklaces in anticipation of the game.

Dennis is looking forward to watching their new ace pitcher hit the mound even though she hasn't seen a baseball game live in a while.

"Anything's better than the Indians right now," Dennis joked. "We'll definitely be cheering for him, though, and if he happens to have a bad game, he'll have a lot of shoulders to cry on. But I don't think he'll need them."

Norma J. Lane, 85, said even though she's more of a football fan, she's looking forward to following Faiola and baseball more closely.

"We are just wishing him well because it's such a great experience for all of us," Lane said. "We're looking forward to having him around."

Faiola said he is excited to help bring some fun to the residents, some of whom are already considering him to be like a grandson.

"I always loved spending time with my grandparents and one of my great-grandparents was in an assisted living home and I remember how excited she was to see us when we went to visit her," he said. "And they are being so nice to open up this place to me, so hopefully I can bring a little bit of joy."

Faiola, who had surgery two years ago and was dropped from the Orioles during spring training, is hoping his stint with the Crushers can help get him picked up by a Major League team.

Regardless of what happens, he knows he has the support of his new roommates.

"They've all really come out and supported me, they even bring me food and give me snacks," he said. "I couldn't ask for anything better. And with all of them watching so closely, I'll have to keep my game up. They've definitely set a high bar for me."

text: CNN

text: When

text: pitcher

text: Josh

text: Faiola

text: walks

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: dugout

text: on

text: opening

text: day

text: with

text: the

text: Lake

text: Erie

text: Crushers

text: he

text: 'll

text: already

text: have

text: a

text: large

text: group

text: of

text: fans

text: in

text: the

text: stands

text: his

text: new

text: roommates

text: at

text: the

text: Belvedere

text: of

text: Westlake

text: assisted

text: living

text: facility

text: Pitcher

text: Josh

text: Failoa

text: stands

text: as

text: residents

text: and

text: friends

text: of

text: The

text: Belvedere

text: of

text: Westlake

text: welcome

text: him

text: Tuesday

text: The

text: old

text: who

text: was

text: drafted

text: in

text: by

text: the

text: Baltimore

text: Orioles

text: and

text: is

text: trying

text: to

text: work

text: his

text: way

text: to

text: the

text: majors

text: admits

text: he

text: was

text: caught

text: a

text: little

text: off

text: guard

text: when

text: he

text: was

text: told

text: about

text: his

text: new

text: housing

text: situation

text: At

text: first

text: I

text: was

text: like

text: OK

text: that

text: 's

text: a

text: little

text: different

text: he

text: said

text: I

text: was

text: taken

text: aback

text: at

text: first

text: And

text: he

text: was

text: also

text: the

text: butt

text: of

text: a

text: couple

text: jokes

text: from

text: his

text: teammates

text: They

text: were

text: saying

text: things

text: like

text: So

text: what

text: 's

text: the

text: deal

text: Do

text: you

text: have

text: to

text: go

text: to

text: bed

text: early

text: Faiola

text: said

text: But

text: then

text: he

text: told

text: them

text: about

text: his

text: room

text: a

text: large

text: suite

text: with

text: his

text: own

text: kitchenette

text: washer

text: and

text: dryer

text: furniture

text: and

text: a

text: TV

text: Then

text: they

text: changed

text: their

text: tune

text: he

text: said

text: They

text: were

text: like

text: That

text: 's

text: awesome

text: Are

text: they

text: any

text: other

text: vacancies

text: Like

text: many

text: of

text: the

text: players

text: in

text: the

text: independent

text: Frontier

text: League

text: who

text: do

text: n't

text: rake

text: in

text: the

text: big

text: bucks

text: Faiola

text: is

text: living

text: with

text: a

text: host

text: family

text: But

text: his

text: host

text: family

text: is

text: a

text: little

text: different

text: Most

text: of

text: the

text: players

text: live

text: with

text: families

text: with

text: younger

text: children

text: But

text: in

text: his

text: case

text: Faiola

text: is

text: the

text: young

text: one

text: about

text: years

text: younger

text: than

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: his

text: roommates

text: Eighty

text: four

text: year

text: old

text: Meda

text: Dennis

text: who

text: has

text: been

text: living

text: in

text: the

text: center

text: for

text: four

text: years

text: said

text: Faiola

text: 's

text: arrival

text: is

text: the

text: most

text: exciting

text: thing

text: to

text: happen

text: since

text: a

text: good

text: Elvis

text: impersonator

text: showed

text: up

text: It

text: 's

text: been

text: quite

text: exciting

text: because

text: he

text: 's

text: young

text: and

text: new

text: and

text: interesting

text: and

text: we

text: 're

text: old

text: she

text: joked

text: Faiola

text: made

text: his

text: way

text: to

text: the

text: assisted

text: living

text: center

text: in

text: Westlake

text: Ohio

text: near

text: Cleveland

text: with

text: the

text: help

text: of

text: Cindy

text: Griffiths

text: Novak

text: She

text: heard

text: the

text: new

text: local

text: baseball

text: team

text: was

text: looking

text: for

text: host

text: families

text: for

text: the

text: players

text: But

text: because

text: she

text: has

text: a

text: and

text: old

text: at

text: home

text: she

text: turned

text: to

text: her

text: family

text: 's

text: assisted

text: living

text: center

text: as

text: an

text: option

text: for

text: Faiola

text: Griffiths

text: Novak

text: went

text: to

text: the

text: residents

text: with

text: the

text: idea

text: and

text: they

text: unanimously

text: voted

text: for

text: Faiola

text: to

text: live

text: there

text: But

text: his

text: new

text: housing

text: situation

text: is

text: about

text: more

text: than

text: just

text: a

text: place

text: to

text: crash

text: after

text: the

text: game

text: It

text: certainly

text: is

text: great

text: for

text: the

text: residents

text: because

text: now

text: we

text: get

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: energy

text: and

text: youth

text: and

text: excitement

text: Griffiths

text: Novak

text: said

text: It

text: has

text: turned

text: into

text: an

text: exciting

text: time

text: for

text: the

text: residents

text: who

text: jumped

text: at

text: the

text: chance

text: to

text: decorate

text: the

text: entire

text: facility

text: before

text: the

text: pitcher

text: 's

text: arrival

text: You

text: should

text: see

text: the

text: decorations

text: Griffiths

text: Novak

text: said

text: The

text: residents

text: all

text: signed

text: motivational

text: good

text: luck

text: pennants

text: for

text: him

text: there

text: 's

text: a

text: banner

text: we

text: have

text: a

text: whole

text: thing

text: dedicated

text: to

text: Josh

text: I

text: 'm

text: sure

text: he

text: is

text: so

text: embarrassed

text: with

text: all

text: of

text: the

text: baseball

text: cards

text: with

text: their

text: face

text: on

text: it

text: They

text: 've

text: made

text: signs

text: telling

text: him

text: he

text: 's

text: in

text: a

text: league

text: of

text: his

text: own

text: but

text: they

text: 've

text: also

text: set

text: their

text: expectations

text: high

text: for

text: him

text: Some

text: of

text: the

text: pendants

text: say

text: things

text: like

text: Do

text: n't

text: get

text: cut

text: move

text: your

text: butt

text: Griffiths

text: Novak

text: said

text: He

text: 's

text: certainly

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: under

text: the

text: microscope

text: We

text: 'll

text: be

text: watching

text: and

text: keeping

text: track

text: of

text: all

text: of

text: his

text: stats

text: Faiola

text: was

text: awestruck

text: when

text: he

text: walked

text: in

text: and

text: saw

text: all

text: of

text: the

text: decorations

text: The

text: activity

text: director

text: has

text: been

text: doing

text: craft

text: activities

text: with

text: the

text: residents

text: making

text: visors

text: with

text: baseball

text: logos

text: and

text: Crushers

text: necklaces

text: in

text: anticipation

text: of

text: the

text: game

text: Dennis

text: is

text: looking

text: forward

text: to

text: watching

text: their

text: new

text: ace

text: pitcher

text: hit

text: the

text: mound

text: even

text: though

text: she

text: has

text: n't

text: seen

text: a

text: baseball

text: game

text: live

text: in

text: a

text: while

text: Anything

text: 's

text: better

text: than

text: the

text: Indians

text: right

text: now

text: Dennis

text: joked

text: We

text: 'll

text: definitely

text: be

text: cheering

text: for

text: him

text: though

text: and

text: if

text: he

text: happens

text: to

text: have

text: a

text: bad

text: game

text: he

text: 'll

text: have

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: shoulders

text: to

text: cry

text: on

text: But

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: think

text: he

text: 'll

text: need

text: them

text: Norma

text: J.

text: Lane

text: said

text: even

text: though

text: she

text: 's

text: more

text: of

text: a

text: football

text: fan

text: she

text: 's

text: looking

text: forward

text: to

text: following

text: Faiola

text: and

text: baseball

text: more

text: closely

text: We

text: are

text: just

text: wishing

text: him

text: well

text: because

text: it

text: 's

text: such

text: a

text: great

text: experience

text: for

text: all

text: of

text: us

text: Lane

text: said

text: We

text: 're

text: looking

text: forward

text: to

text: having

text: him

text: around

text: Faiola

text: said

text: he

text: is

text: excited

text: to

text: help

text: bring

text: some

text: fun

text: to

text: the

text: residents

text: some

text: of

text: whom

text: are

text: already

text: considering

text: him

text: to

text: be

text: like

text: a

text: grandson

text: I

text: always

text: loved

text: spending

text: time

text: with

text: my

text: grandparents

text: and

text: one

text: of

text: my

text: great

text: grandparents

text: was

text: in

text: an

text: assisted

text: living

text: home

text: and

text: I

text: remember

text: how

text: excited

text: she

text: was

text: to

text: see

text: us

text: when

text: we

text: went

text: to

text: visit

text: her

text: he

text: said

text: And

text: they

text: are

text: being

text: so

text: nice

text: to

text: open

text: up

text: this

text: place

text: to

text: me

text: so

text: hopefully

text: I

text: can

text: bring

text: a

text: little

text: bit

text: of

text: joy

text: Faiola

text: who

text: had

text: surgery

text: two

text: years

text: ago

text: and

text: was

text: dropped

text: from

text: the

text: Orioles

text: during

text: spring

text: training

text: is

text: hoping

text: his

text: stint

text: with

text: the

text: Crushers

text: can

text: help

text: get

text: him

text: picked

text: up

text: by

text: a

text: Major

text: League

text: team

text: Regardless

text: of

text: what

text: happens

text: he

text: knows

text: he

text: has

text: the

text: support

text: of

text: his

text: new

text: roommates

text: They

text: 've

text: all

text: really

text: come

text: out

text: and

text: supported

text: me

text: they

text: even

text: bring

text: me

text: food

text: and

text: give

text: me

text: snacks

text: he

text: said

text: I

text: could

text: n't

text: ask

text: for

text: anything

text: better

text: And

text: with

text: all

text: of

text: them

text: watching

text: so

text: closely

text: I

text: 'll

text: have

text: to

text: keep

text: my

text: game

text: up

text: They

text: 've

text: definitely

text: set

text: a

text: high

text: bar

text: for

text: me

question: Who will the doctors be watching?

answer: Griffiths-Novak

text: Griffiths-Novak

question: Who is staying at Belvedere of Westlake facility?

answer: Josh Faiola

text: Josh Faiola

question: Where is the Belvedere of Westlake facility?

answer: Ohio,

text: Ohio,


text:
(CNN) -- Torrential rains and flooding since June have affected 600,000 people in 16 West African nations, the United Nations reported Tuesday.

People walk in the flooded streets of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, last week.

The worst hit have been Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana and Niger, said Yvon Edoumou, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. So far, 159 people have died, he said. Sierra Leone has also been hard hit, according to the U.N.

Edoumou said removing water from flooded areas is a top priority, but powerful pumps are in short supply.

"Some people refused to leave their homes so they are living in floodwaters," he said.

The United Nations has not yet received reports of waterborne diseases, but Edoumou said a real threat exists of diarrhea or, worse, cholera.

The U.N. World Food Programme said Tuesday it has begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims.

WFP has set a goal of feeding 177,500 people, mainly in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, where 150,000 people have been affected and key infrastructure -- including a central hospital, schools, bridges and roads -- has been damaged.

The flooding in Burkina Faso is the worst in 90 years, WFP said.

Many of those in Ouagadougou most needing help were already receiving aid from WFP, but those rations were lost in the floodwaters, the U.N. reported.

"It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away, leaving them hungry and destitute," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said.

Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger, the U.N. reported. In Agadez, Niger, a town about 458 miles (738 km) north of the capital, Niamey, close to 988 acres (400 hectares) of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away.

Herve Ludovic de Lys, head of OCHA in West Africa, said natural disasters have a lasting effect that unravels years of progress against poverty.

"The situation is very worrying," he said in an OCHA statement issued Tuesday.

The rainy season in West Africa begins in June and continues through late September. In 2007, 300 people died and 800,000 were affected by the storms.

This year, fears abound that more heavy rain will fall in already waterlogged areas.

Despite the misery, Edoumou said the rains are a mixed blessing for countries dependent on agriculture. The harvest this year will be more bountiful, he said.

text: CNN

text: Torrential

text: rains

text: and

text: flooding

text: since

text: June

text: have

text: affected

text: people

text: in

text: West

text: African

text: nations

text: the

text: United

text: Nations

text: reported

text: Tuesday

text: People

text: walk

text: in

text: the

text: flooded

text: streets

text: of

text: Ouagadougou

text: Burkina

text: Faso

text: last

text: week

text: The

text: worst

text: hit

text: have

text: been

text: Burkina

text: Faso

text: Senegal

text: Ghana

text: and

text: Niger

text: said

text: Yvon

text: Edoumou

text: a

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: U.N.

text: Office

text: for

text: the

text: Coordination

text: of

text: Humanitarian

text: Affairs

text: or

text: OCHA

text: in

text: the

text: Senegalese

text: capital

text: Dakar

text: So

text: far

text: people

text: have

text: died

text: he

text: said

text: Sierra

text: Leone

text: has

text: also

text: been

text: hard

text: hit

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: U.N.

text: Edoumou

text: said

text: removing

text: water

text: from

text: flooded

text: areas

text: is

text: a

text: top

text: priority

text: but

text: powerful

text: pumps

text: are

text: in

text: short

text: supply

text: Some

text: people

text: refused

text: to

text: leave

text: their

text: homes

text: so

text: they

text: are

text: living

text: in

text: floodwaters

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: United

text: Nations

text: has

text: not

text: yet

text: received

text: reports

text: of

text: waterborne

text: diseases

text: but

text: Edoumou

text: said

text: a

text: real

text: threat

text: exists

text: of

text: diarrhea

text: or

text: worse

text: cholera

text: The

text: U.N.

text: World

text: Food

text: Programme

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: it

text: has

text: begun

text: distributing

text: food

text: to

text: tens

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: homeless

text: flood

text: victims

text: WFP

text: has

text: set

text: a

text: goal

text: of

text: feeding

text: people

text: mainly

text: in

text: Ouagadougou

text: the

text: capital

text: of

text: Burkina

text: Faso

text: where

text: people

text: have

text: been

text: affected

text: and

text: key

text: infrastructure

text: including

text: a

text: central

text: hospital

text: schools

text: bridges

text: and

text: roads

text: has

text: been

text: damaged

text: The

text: flooding

text: in

text: Burkina

text: Faso

text: is

text: the

text: worst

text: in

text: years

text: WFP

text: said

text: Many

text: of

text: those

text: in

text: Ouagadougou

text: most

text: needing

text: help

text: were

text: already

text: receiving

text: aid

text: from

text: WFP

text: but

text: those

text: rations

text: were

text: lost

text: in

text: the

text: floodwaters

text: the

text: U.N.

text: reported

text: It

text: is

text: always

text: the

text: poor

text: and

text: vulnerable

text: who

text: suffer

text: the

text: most

text: from

text: floods

text: like

text: these

text: as

text: their

text: few

text: remaining

text: assets

text: are

text: swept

text: away

text: leaving

text: them

text: hungry

text: and

text: destitute

text: WFP

text: Executive

text: Director

text: Josette

text: Sheeran

text: said

text: Roads

text: and

text: buildings

text: have

text: been

text: ruined

text: from

text: Mauritania

text: to

text: Niger

text: the

text: U.N.

text: reported

text: In

text: Agadez

text: Niger

text: a

text: town

text: about

text: miles

text: km

text: north

text: of

text: the

text: capital

text: Niamey

text: close

text: to

text: acres

text: hectares

text: of

text: vegetable

text: crops

text: and

text: hundreds

text: of

text: livestock

text: were

text: washed

text: away

text: Herve

text: Ludovic

text: de

text: Lys

text: head

text: of

text: OCHA

text: in

text: West

text: Africa

text: said

text: natural

text: disasters

text: have

text: a

text: lasting

text: effect

text: that

text: unravels

text: years

text: of

text: progress

text: against

text: poverty

text: The

text: situation

text: is

text: very

text: worrying

text: he

text: said

text: in

text: an

text: OCHA

text: statement

text: issued

text: Tuesday

text: The

text: rainy

text: season

text: in

text: West

text: Africa

text: begins

text: in

text: June

text: and

text: continues

text: through

text: late

text: September

text: In

text: people

text: died

text: and

text: were

text: affected

text: by

text: the

text: storms

text: This

text: year

text: fears

text: abound

text: that

text: more

text: heavy

text: rain

text: will

text: fall

text: in

text: already

text: waterlogged

text: areas

text: Despite

text: the

text: misery

text: Edoumou

text: said

text: the

text: rains

text: are

text: a

text: mixed

text: blessing

text: for

text: countries

text: dependent

text: on

text: agriculture

text: The

text: harvest

text: this

text: year

text: will

text: be

text: more

text: bountiful

text: he

text: said

question: What is the number of people that have died?

answer: 159

question: how many people died due to flooding?

answer: 159

question: what the officer said?

answer: "The situation is very worrying,"

text: "The situation is very worrying,"

question: What does the UN distribute?

answer: food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims.

text: food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims.

question: how many died?

answer: 159

question: what is U.N. doing?

answer: begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims.

text: begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims.

question: how many homeless

answer: tens of thousands

text: tens of thousands