text:
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- When Michael Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion last month, the singer's arms were riddled with marks and their veins had collapsed -- both characteristics found in intravenous drug users, sources told CNN on Tuesday.

A source says Michael Jackson had "paper white skin. As white as a white T-shirt."

The revelations add to the speculation that prescription drugs played a part in Jackson's death on June 25. The exact cause is pending toxicology results that aren't due for at least another week.

A source involved with the investigation into Jackson's death told CNN that Jackson had "numerous track marks" on his arms -- and that those marks "could certainly be consistent with the regular IV use of a drug, like Diprivan."

The sources did not want to be identified because the investigation is ongoing.

The source said investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in the singer's $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills, but he would not confirm whether Diprivan was among them.  Watch what sources say on condition of Jackson's body Â»

He also cautioned that it was too soon to say whether an intravenous drip of Diprivan caused the track marks. Some appeared fresh; others older, he said. The new ones could have resulted from the IVs that paramedics used when they tried to revive Jackson after he was found unconscious.

Another source with knowledge of the case said Jackson's veins were collapsed in both arms, suggesting frequent intravenous drug use.

The first source said Jackson's body was "lily white from head to toe," perhaps the result of vitiligo -- a condition that causes the skin to lose melanin and produce slowly enlarging white patches.

The second source said Jackson had "paper white skin. As white as a white T-shirt."

The singer also did not have any hair -- a lingering effect, possibly, of an accident in 1984 when Jackson suffered burns to his scalp while shooting a commercial for Pepsi.

Also, said the second source, Jackson was emaciated -- despite the vigor he's seen displaying in a taped rehearsal clip shot two nights before his death.

The drug Diprivan, known by its generic name Propofol, is administered intravenously in operating rooms as a general anesthetic.

Last week, a nutritionist -- Cherilyn Lee -- said Jackson pleaded for the drug despite being told of its harmful effects, because he had difficulty falling asleep.

Sources close to Jackson told CNN that the insomniac singer traveled with an anesthesiologist who would "take him down" at night and "bring him back up" during a world tour in the mid-'90s.

The California state attorney general's office is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in Jackson's death investigation. The office confirmed it is investigating some doctors who treated Jackson over the years.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is also looking into the role of drugs.

Los Angeles police have interviewed Jackson's cardiologist, Dr. Conrad Murray. They impounded Murray's car, saying it might contain evidence, possibly prescription medications. Police did not say whether they found anything.

Through his lawyers, Murray has released several statements, saying he would not be commenting until the toxicology results from Jackson's autopsy are released.

Dr. Neil Ratner, the anesthesiologist who accompanied Jackson during the HIStory tour in the mid-'90s, also refused to comment, although he acknowledged Jackson suffered from a sleep disorder.

CNN's Susan Chun contributed to this report.

text: LOS

text: ANGELES

text: California

text: CNN

text: When

text: Michael

text: Jackson

text: collapsed

text: at

text: his

text: rented

text: mansion

text: last

text: month

text: the

text: singer

text: 's

text: arms

text: were

text: riddled

text: with

text: marks

text: and

text: their

text: veins

text: had

text: collapsed

text: both

text: characteristics

text: found

text: in

text: intravenous

text: drug

text: users

text: sources

text: told

text: CNN

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: A

text: source

text: says

text: Michael

text: Jackson

text: had

text: paper

text: white

text: skin

text: As

text: white

text: as

text: a

text: white

text: T

text: shirt

text: The

text: revelations

text: add

text: to

text: the

text: speculation

text: that

text: prescription

text: drugs

text: played

text: a

text: part

text: in

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: death

text: on

text: June

text: The

text: exact

text: cause

text: is

text: pending

text: toxicology

text: results

text: that

text: are

text: n't

text: due

text: for

text: at

text: least

text: another

text: week

text: A

text: source

text: involved

text: with

text: the

text: investigation

text: into

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: death

text: told

text: CNN

text: that

text: Jackson

text: had

text: numerous

text: track

text: marks

text: on

text: his

text: arms

text: and

text: that

text: those

text: marks

text: could

text: certainly

text: be

text: consistent

text: with

text: the

text: regular

text: IV

text: use

text: of

text: a

text: drug

text: like

text: Diprivan

text: The

text: sources

text: did

text: not

text: want

text: to

text: be

text: identified

text: because

text: the

text: investigation

text: is

text: ongoing

text: The

text: source

text: said

text: investigators

text: found

text: numerous

text: bottles

text: of

text: prescription

text: drugs

text: in

text: the

text: singer

text: 's

text: month

text: rented

text: mansion

text: in

text: Holmby

text: Hills

text: but

text: he

text: would

text: not

text: confirm

text: whether

text: Diprivan

text: was

text: among

text: them

text: Watch

text: what

text: sources

text: say

text: on

text: condition

text: of

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: body

text: Â

text: He

text: also

text: cautioned

text: that

text: it

text: was

text: too

text: soon

text: to

text: say

text: whether

text: an

text: intravenous

text: drip

text: of

text: Diprivan

text: caused

text: the

text: track

text: marks

text: Some

text: appeared

text: fresh

text: others

text: older

text: he

text: said

text: The

text: new

text: ones

text: could

text: have

text: resulted

text: from

text: the

text: IVs

text: that

text: paramedics

text: used

text: when

text: they

text: tried

text: to

text: revive

text: Jackson

text: after

text: he

text: was

text: found

text: unconscious

text: Another

text: source

text: with

text: knowledge

text: of

text: the

text: case

text: said

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: veins

text: were

text: collapsed

text: in

text: both

text: arms

text: suggesting

text: frequent

text: intravenous

text: drug

text: use

text: The

text: first

text: source

text: said

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: body

text: was

text: lily

text: white

text: from

text: head

text: to

text: toe

text: perhaps

text: the

text: result

text: of

text: vitiligo

text: a

text: condition

text: that

text: causes

text: the

text: skin

text: to

text: lose

text: melanin

text: and

text: produce

text: slowly

text: enlarging

text: white

text: patches

text: The

text: second

text: source

text: said

text: Jackson

text: had

text: paper

text: white

text: skin

text: As

text: white

text: as

text: a

text: white

text: T

text: shirt

text: The

text: singer

text: also

text: did

text: not

text: have

text: any

text: hair

text: a

text: lingering

text: effect

text: possibly

text: of

text: an

text: accident

text: in

text: when

text: Jackson

text: suffered

text: burns

text: to

text: his

text: scalp

text: while

text: shooting

text: a

text: commercial

text: for

text: Pepsi

text: Also

text: said

text: the

text: second

text: source

text: Jackson

text: was

text: emaciated

text: despite

text: the

text: vigor

text: he

text: 's

text: seen

text: displaying

text: in

text: a

text: taped

text: rehearsal

text: clip

text: shot

text: two

text: nights

text: before

text: his

text: death

text: The

text: drug

text: Diprivan

text: known

text: by

text: its

text: generic

text: name

text: Propofol

text: is

text: administered

text: intravenously

text: in

text: operating

text: rooms

text: as

text: a

text: general

text: anesthetic

text: Last

text: week

text: a

text: nutritionist

text: Cherilyn

text: Lee

text: said

text: Jackson

text: pleaded

text: for

text: the

text: drug

text: despite

text: being

text: told

text: of

text: its

text: harmful

text: effects

text: because

text: he

text: had

text: difficulty

text: falling

text: asleep

text: Sources

text: close

text: to

text: Jackson

text: told

text: CNN

text: that

text: the

text: insomniac

text: singer

text: traveled

text: with

text: an

text: anesthesiologist

text: who

text: would

text: take

text: him

text: down

text: at

text: night

text: and

text: bring

text: him

text: back

text: up

text: during

text: a

text: world

text: tour

text: in

text: the

text: The

text: California

text: state

text: attorney

text: general

text: 's

text: office

text: is

text: helping

text: the

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: Police

text: Department

text: in

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: death

text: investigation

text: The

text: office

text: confirmed

text: it

text: is

text: investigating

text: some

text: doctors

text: who

text: treated

text: Jackson

text: over

text: the

text: years

text: The

text: U.S.

text: Drug

text: Enforcement

text: Administration

text: is

text: also

text: looking

text: into

text: the

text: role

text: of

text: drugs

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: police

text: have

text: interviewed

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: cardiologist

text: Dr.

text: Conrad

text: Murray

text: They

text: impounded

text: Murray

text: 's

text: car

text: saying

text: it

text: might

text: contain

text: evidence

text: possibly

text: prescription

text: medications

text: Police

text: did

text: not

text: say

text: whether

text: they

text: found

text: anything

text: Through

text: his

text: lawyers

text: Murray

text: has

text: released

text: several

text: statements

text: saying

text: he

text: would

text: not

text: be

text: commenting

text: until

text: the

text: toxicology

text: results

text: from

text: Jackson

text: 's

text: autopsy

text: are

text: released

text: Dr.

text: Neil

text: Ratner

text: the

text: anesthesiologist

text: who

text: accompanied

text: Jackson

text: during

text: the

text: HIStory

text: tour

text: in

text: the

text: also

text: refused

text: to

text: comment

text: although

text: he

text: acknowledged

text: Jackson

text: suffered

text: from

text: a

text: sleep

text: disorder

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Susan

text: Chun

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: How many marks were on his arms exactly?

answer: "numerous track marks"

text: "numerous track marks"

question: what cuased his death?

answer: exact cause is pending toxicology results

text: exact cause is pending toxicology results

question: Who is the second source being referred to?

answer: "paper white skin. As white as a white T-shirt."

text: "paper white skin. As white as a white T-shirt."

question: Who is handling the toxicology tests?

answer: The California state attorney general's office is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in Jackson's death investigation.

text: The California state attorney general's office is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in Jackson's death investigation.


text:
Editor's Note: Daniel J. Mitchell is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian public policy research foundation. He formerly worked at The Heritage Foundation and as an economist for Republican Sen. Bob Packwood and the Senate Finance Committee. He also served on the 1988 Bush-Quayle transition team.

Daniel Mitchell says an auto bailout would subsidize bad management and reward inflexible unions.

(CNN) -- General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and the United Auto Workers union are pouring millions of dollars into a lobbying campaign for a taxpayer bailout.

The money devoted to influence peddling in Washington would be better spent on improving quality and finding ways to reduce a bloated cost structure, but both management and UAW have decided that fleecing taxpayers is a better option.

A taxpayer bailout would be a terrible mistake. It would subsidize the shoddy management practices of the corporate bureaucrats at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, and it would reward the intransigent union bosses who have made the synonymous with inflexible and anti-competitive work rules.

Perhaps most important, though, is that a bailout would be bad for the long-term health of the American auto industry. It would discriminate against the 113,000 Americans who have highly-coveted jobs building cars for Nissan, BMW and other auto companies that happen to be headquartered in other nations.

These companies demonstrate that it is possible to build cars in America and make money. Putting them at a competitive disadvantage with handouts for the U.S.-headquartered companies would be highly unjust.

A bailout also would be bad for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. The so-called Big Three desperately need to fundamentally restructure their practices. More specifically, the car companies need to endure some short-term pain in order to restore long-term viability. But that won't happen if politicians raid the treasury.

Getting access to taxpayer money would be akin to giving an alcoholic the key to a liquor cabinet. It also would be bad for American taxpayers and the American economy. For instance:

â¢ A bailout will hurt the overall economy by misallocating resources. When politicians grant special favors to a certain industry or a particular union, such decisions necessarily mean that market forces are being replaced by special-interest deal-making. This type of interference with free markets is why nations such as France, Germany and Japan tend to grow more slowly and enjoy less prosperity.

But if America goes down this same path of government intervention, it is inevitable that we will suffer the same fate of stagnation and higher unemployment.

â¢ A bailout will encourage other industries to seek taxpayer handouts. The Wall Street bailout was a disaster in many ways, most notably as measured by the weak stock market and economic volatility. But another negative aspect of the bailout is that other industries have now decided that it is OK to stick their snouts in the public trough, as well.

First Wall Street's high fliers get a bailout. Now the inefficient management and union at the Big Three want a handout. Who will be next in line to pillage taxpayers? Giving handouts in exchange for political support is akin to getting high. Once politicians decide they like the buzz of campaign contributions, they'll turn into junkies with ordinary Americans footing the bill.

â¢ A bailout is a perverse transfer from poor taxpayers to rich taxpayers. America's Founding Fathers surely never envisaged that the federal government would take money from one group of Americans and give it to another group. Yet much of the federal budget is devoted to redistribution programs.

Bailouts are a particularly bizarre form of redistribution, however, because the corporate bureaucrats at the Big Three are among the very richest Americans. The UAW bosses make extravagant salaries, as well, and even regular union workers make an average total compensation including benefits of approximately $70 per hour, far higher than the average American.

The government should not be in the business of giving unearned wealth to any group of citizens, but surely liberals and conservatives both can agree that politicians should not be taking money from middle class taxpayers and giving it to upper-middle class and rich taxpayers.

Advocates oftentimes admit that bailouts are not good policy, but they invariably argue that short-term considerations should trump long-term sensible policy. Their biggest assertion is that a bailout is necessary to prevent bankruptcy, and that avoiding this result is critical to prevent catastrophe.

But Chapter 11 protection may be precisely what is needed to put American auto companies back on the path to profitability. Bankruptcy laws specifically are designed to give companies an opportunity - under court supervision - to reduce costs and streamline operations.

Bankruptcy would not be popular in some quarters, to be sure. The bloated management structure would be streamlined and many overpaid executives would be unhappy about having to find new jobs.

The UAW would be equally upset, particularly since bankruptcy might force an end to extravagant pension benefits and inefficient workplace practices. But bankruptcy is akin to getting an alcoholic to put down the bottle. There clearly will be short-term discomfort, but compassionate people recognize that this is the best approach.

America is on a dangerous path. The Wall Street bailout was a mistake. It transferred a huge amount of money from the productive sector of the economy to the government, and also exacerbated "moral hazard" by rewarding companies and executives who made dumb decisions. But this may be the tip of the iceberg.

A bailout of U.S.-headquartered auto companies also would be a mistake, as would bailouts of homeowners or any other constituency. If politicians genuinely want to help the economy, they should focus on reducing the burden of government, not increasing it.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daniel Mitchell.

text: Editor

text: 's

text: Note

text: Daniel

text: J.

text: Mitchell

text: is

text: a

text: senior

text: fellow

text: at

text: the

text: Cato

text: Institute

text: a

text: libertarian

text: public

text: policy

text: research

text: foundation

text: He

text: formerly

text: worked

text: at

text: The

text: Heritage

text: Foundation

text: and

text: as

text: an

text: economist

text: for

text: Republican

text: Sen.

text: Bob

text: Packwood

text: and

text: the

text: Senate

text: Finance

text: Committee

text: He

text: also

text: served

text: on

text: the

text: Bush

text: Quayle

text: transition

text: team

text: Daniel

text: Mitchell

text: says

text: an

text: auto

text: bailout

text: would

text: subsidize

text: bad

text: management

text: and

text: reward

text: inflexible

text: unions

text: CNN

text: General

text: Motors

text: Ford

text: Chrysler

text: and

text: the

text: United

text: Auto

text: Workers

text: union

text: are

text: pouring

text: millions

text: of

text: dollars

text: into

text: a

text: lobbying

text: campaign

text: for

text: a

text: taxpayer

text: bailout

text: The

text: money

text: devoted

text: to

text: influence

text: peddling

text: in

text: Washington

text: would

text: be

text: better

text: spent

text: on

text: improving

text: quality

text: and

text: finding

text: ways

text: to

text: reduce

text: a

text: bloated

text: cost

text: structure

text: but

text: both

text: management

text: and

text: UAW

text: have

text: decided

text: that

text: fleecing

text: taxpayers

text: is

text: a

text: better

text: option

text: A

text: taxpayer

text: bailout

text: would

text: be

text: a

text: terrible

text: mistake

text: It

text: would

text: subsidize

text: the

text: shoddy

text: management

text: practices

text: of

text: the

text: corporate

text: bureaucrats

text: at

text: General

text: Motors

text: Ford

text: and

text: Chrysler

text: and

text: it

text: would

text: reward

text: the

text: intransigent

text: union

text: bosses

text: who

text: have

text: made

text: the

text: synonymous

text: with

text: inflexible

text: and

text: anti

text: competitive

text: work

text: rules

text: Perhaps

text: most

text: important

text: though

text: is

text: that

text: a

text: bailout

text: would

text: be

text: bad

text: for

text: the

text: long

text: term

text: health

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: auto

text: industry

text: It

text: would

text: discriminate

text: against

text: the

text: Americans

text: who

text: have

text: highly

text: coveted

text: jobs

text: building

text: cars

text: for

text: Nissan

text: BMW

text: and

text: other

text: auto

text: companies

text: that

text: happen

text: to

text: be

text: headquartered

text: in

text: other

text: nations

text: These

text: companies

text: demonstrate

text: that

text: it

text: is

text: possible

text: to

text: build

text: cars

text: in

text: America

text: and

text: make

text: money

text: Putting

text: them

text: at

text: a

text: competitive

text: disadvantage

text: with

text: handouts

text: for

text: the

text: U.S

text: headquartered

text: companies

text: would

text: be

text: highly

text: unjust

text: A

text: bailout

text: also

text: would

text: be

text: bad

text: for

text: General

text: Motors

text: Ford

text: and

text: Chrysler

text: The

text: so

text: called

text: Big

text: Three

text: desperately

text: need

text: to

text: fundamentally

text: restructure

text: their

text: practices

text: More

text: specifically

text: the

text: car

text: companies

text: need

text: to

text: endure

text: some

text: short

text: term

text: pain

text: in

text: order

text: to

text: restore

text: long

text: term

text: viability

text: But

text: that

text: wo

text: n't

text: happen

text: if

text: politicians

text: raid

text: the

text: treasury

text: Getting

text: access

text: to

text: taxpayer

text: money

text: would

text: be

text: akin

text: to

text: giving

text: an

text: alcoholic

text: the

text: key

text: to

text: a

text: liquor

text: cabinet

text: It

text: also

text: would

text: be

text: bad

text: for

text: American

text: taxpayers

text: and

text: the

text: American

text: economy

text: For

text: instance

text: â¢

text: A

text: bailout

text: will

text: hurt

text: the

text: overall

text: economy

text: by

text: misallocating

text: resources

text: When

text: politicians

text: grant

text: special

text: favors

text: to

text: a

text: certain

text: industry

text: or

text: a

text: particular

text: union

text: such

text: decisions

text: necessarily

text: mean

text: that

text: market

text: forces

text: are

text: being

text: replaced

text: by

text: special

text: interest

text: deal

text: making

text: This

text: type

text: of

text: interference

text: with

text: free

text: markets

text: is

text: why

text: nations

text: such

text: as

text: France

text: Germany

text: and

text: Japan

text: tend

text: to

text: grow

text: more

text: slowly

text: and

text: enjoy

text: less

text: prosperity

text: But

text: if

text: America

text: goes

text: down

text: this

text: same

text: path

text: of

text: government

text: intervention

text: it

text: is

text: inevitable

text: that

text: we

text: will

text: suffer

text: the

text: same

text: fate

text: of

text: stagnation

text: and

text: higher

text: unemployment

text: â¢

text: A

text: bailout

text: will

text: encourage

text: other

text: industries

text: to

text: seek

text: taxpayer

text: handouts

text: The

text: Wall

text: Street

text: bailout

text: was

text: a

text: disaster

text: in

text: many

text: ways

text: most

text: notably

text: as

text: measured

text: by

text: the

text: weak

text: stock

text: market

text: and

text: economic

text: volatility

text: But

text: another

text: negative

text: aspect

text: of

text: the

text: bailout

text: is

text: that

text: other

text: industries

text: have

text: now

text: decided

text: that

text: it

text: is

text: OK

text: to

text: stick

text: their

text: snouts

text: in

text: the

text: public

text: trough

text: as

text: well

text: First

text: Wall

text: Street

text: 's

text: high

text: fliers

text: get

text: a

text: bailout

text: Now

text: the

text: inefficient

text: management

text: and

text: union

text: at

text: the

text: Big

text: Three

text: want

text: a

text: handout

text: Who

text: will

text: be

text: next

text: in

text: line

text: to

text: pillage

text: taxpayers

text: Giving

text: handouts

text: in

text: exchange

text: for

text: political

text: support

text: is

text: akin

text: to

text: getting

text: high

text: Once

text: politicians

text: decide

text: they

text: like

text: the

text: buzz

text: of

text: campaign

text: contributions

text: they

text: 'll

text: turn

text: into

text: junkies

text: with

text: ordinary

text: Americans

text: footing

text: the

text: bill

text: â¢

text: A

text: bailout

text: is

text: a

text: perverse

text: transfer

text: from

text: poor

text: taxpayers

text: to

text: rich

text: taxpayers

text: America

text: 's

text: Founding

text: Fathers

text: surely

text: never

text: envisaged

text: that

text: the

text: federal

text: government

text: would

text: take

text: money

text: from

text: one

text: group

text: of

text: Americans

text: and

text: give

text: it

text: to

text: another

text: group

text: Yet

text: much

text: of

text: the

text: federal

text: budget

text: is

text: devoted

text: to

text: redistribution

text: programs

text: Bailouts

text: are

text: a

text: particularly

text: bizarre

text: form

text: of

text: redistribution

text: however

text: because

text: the

text: corporate

text: bureaucrats

text: at

text: the

text: Big

text: Three

text: are

text: among

text: the

text: very

text: richest

text: Americans

text: The

text: UAW

text: bosses

text: make

text: extravagant

text: salaries

text: as

text: well

text: and

text: even

text: regular

text: union

text: workers

text: make

text: an

text: average

text: total

text: compensation

text: including

text: benefits

text: of

text: approximately

text: per

text: hour

text: far

text: higher

text: than

text: the

text: average

text: American

text: The

text: government

text: should

text: not

text: be

text: in

text: the

text: business

text: of

text: giving

text: unearned

text: wealth

text: to

text: any

text: group

text: of

text: citizens

text: but

text: surely

text: liberals

text: and

text: conservatives

text: both

text: can

text: agree

text: that

text: politicians

text: should

text: not

text: be

text: taking

text: money

text: from

text: middle

text: class

text: taxpayers

text: and

text: giving

text: it

text: to

text: upper

text: middle

text: class

text: and

text: rich

text: taxpayers

text: Advocates

text: oftentimes

text: admit

text: that

text: bailouts

text: are

text: not

text: good

text: policy

text: but

text: they

text: invariably

text: argue

text: that

text: short

text: term

text: considerations

text: should

text: trump

text: long

text: term

text: sensible

text: policy

text: Their

text: biggest

text: assertion

text: is

text: that

text: a

text: bailout

text: is

text: necessary

text: to

text: prevent

text: bankruptcy

text: and

text: that

text: avoiding

text: this

text: result

text: is

text: critical

text: to

text: prevent

text: catastrophe

text: But

text: Chapter

text: protection

text: may

text: be

text: precisely

text: what

text: is

text: needed

text: to

text: put

text: American

text: auto

text: companies

text: back

text: on

text: the

text: path

text: to

text: profitability

text: Bankruptcy

text: laws

text: specifically

text: are

text: designed

text: to

text: give

text: companies

text: an

text: opportunity

text: under

text: court

text: supervision

text: to

text: reduce

text: costs

text: and

text: streamline

text: operations

text: Bankruptcy

text: would

text: not

text: be

text: popular

text: in

text: some

text: quarters

text: to

text: be

text: sure

text: The

text: bloated

text: management

text: structure

text: would

text: be

text: streamlined

text: and

text: many

text: overpaid

text: executives

text: would

text: be

text: unhappy

text: about

text: having

text: to

text: find

text: new

text: jobs

text: The

text: UAW

text: would

text: be

text: equally

text: upset

text: particularly

text: since

text: bankruptcy

text: might

text: force

text: an

text: end

text: to

text: extravagant

text: pension

text: benefits

text: and

text: inefficient

text: workplace

text: practices

text: But

text: bankruptcy

text: is

text: akin

text: to

text: getting

text: an

text: alcoholic

text: to

text: put

text: down

text: the

text: bottle

text: There

text: clearly

text: will

text: be

text: short

text: term

text: discomfort

text: but

text: compassionate

text: people

text: recognize

text: that

text: this

text: is

text: the

text: best

text: approach

text: America

text: is

text: on

text: a

text: dangerous

text: path

text: The

text: Wall

text: Street

text: bailout

text: was

text: a

text: mistake

text: It

text: transferred

text: a

text: huge

text: amount

text: of

text: money

text: from

text: the

text: productive

text: sector

text: of

text: the

text: economy

text: to

text: the

text: government

text: and

text: also

text: exacerbated

text: moral

text: hazard

text: by

text: rewarding

text: companies

text: and

text: executives

text: who

text: made

text: dumb

text: decisions

text: But

text: this

text: may

text: be

text: the

text: tip

text: of

text: the

text: iceberg

text: A

text: bailout

text: of

text: U.S

text: headquartered

text: auto

text: companies

text: also

text: would

text: be

text: a

text: mistake

text: as

text: would

text: bailouts

text: of

text: homeowners

text: or

text: any

text: other

text: constituency

text: If

text: politicians

text: genuinely

text: want

text: to

text: help

text: the

text: economy

text: they

text: should

text: focus

text: on

text: reducing

text: the

text: burden

text: of

text: government

text: not

text: increasing

text: it

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Daniel

text: Mitchell

question: what did daniel bailing say about bailout?

answer: would subsidize bad management and reward inflexible unions.

text: would subsidize bad management and reward inflexible unions.

question: Who does Mitchell say would receive unfair treatment in the deal?

answer: 113,000 Americans

text: 113,000 Americans

question: what would companies do for companies?

answer: demonstrate that it is possible to build cars in America and make money.

text: demonstrate that it is possible to build cars in America and make money.

question: what did mitchell say about auto execs, workers and unions?

answer: bailout would subsidize bad management

text: bailout would subsidize bad management

question: Who is making statements about the auto industry bailout?

answer: Daniel Mitchell

text: Daniel Mitchell


text:
(CNN) -- There's an old saying that a lie can go halfway around the world while the truth is putting its boots on -- and in politics, a steady drumbeat of misinformation and mischaracterization can too often shape the national debate.

So we wanted to set up a regular online column to confront fear-mongering with the facts, whether it comes from the right or the left during the 2012 campaign. Working with the CNN research team, we'll investigate candidate claims and call bull when necessary. At a time when partisan spin can disproportionately dominate our democracy, this is an attempt to be an independent voice and an honest broker.

Tuesday night's CNN national security debate offered plenty of red meat along with principled policy disagreement. But one candidate in particular kept playing fast and loose with the facts: Michele Bachmann. It's part of her usual schtick: playing politics by talk radio rules, where impact is far more important than accuracy.

Here's one of my favorite Bachmann howlers from last night:

"This is one thing we know about Barack Obama. He has essentially handed over our interrogation of terrorists to the ACLU. He's outsourced it to them. Our CIA has no ability to have any form of interrogation for terrorists."

Sounds scary -- and what I love about this particular riff is that it hits so many paranoid-style themes all in one place.

There is the image of President Obama as the naÃÂ¯ve professor, an out-of-touch egghead compromising national security by bringing in card-carrying members of the ACLU to interrogate terrorists. Not only that, he's "outsourced" the effort, taking jobs away from our fighting men and women. Finally, there's the bedrock proof point that makes the rhetoric sound real: Our CIA now has no ability to interrogate terrorists.

Somewhere, Jack Bauer must be weeping. But what are the facts?

The CNN research team has fact-checked such claims from Bachmann before and found that "The controversial CIA 'black site' prison program, where the suspect of the USS Cole bombing and others were interrogated immediately after arrest, has been dismantled. ... However, the CIA is still interrogating terror suspects in the field in certain cases. For example, CNN reported in July that CIA operatives have secretly traveled to Mogadishu, Somalia, to help interrogate terrorism suspects about terror operations in East Africa and Yemen. ... In a separate incident earlier this year, CNN reported that Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, a Somali whom the U.S. indicted for providing material support to al Qaeda linked groups, was interrogated for weeks by U.S. authorities on a Navy amphibious assault ship before he was transferred to FBI custody and brought to the United States to make an appearance in federal court this past July."

In other words, Bachmann's claims aren't true. They have more to do with fear-mongering than facts. And of course, her characterization of the Obama administration as pursuing a "doctrine of appeasement" flies in the face of Osama bin Laden's corpse and a massive escalation of drone strikes that have killed numerous high-level al Qaeda operatives based on actionable intelligence.

This riff is echoed by repeated accusations from presumptive front-runner Mitt Romney that Obama "apologizes for America." Again, it's a popular narrative that plays off liberal stereotypes from the late 1960s, but it's not rooted in the reality of this administration.

The subject of energy independence also inspired Bachmann to reach for a bridge too far. Here's what she said last night: "Energy independence is something that President Obama certainly has avoided. ... Almost every decision that the president has made since he came in has been one to put the United States in a position of unilateral disarmament, including the most recent decision he made to cancel the Keystone Pipeline."

Here, Bachmann reflexively reaches for the rhetoric of cold war weakness -- "unilateral disarmament" -- saying that he has "certainly avoided" any effort at "energy independence." But as the failed half-billion-dollar Solyndra investment shows, the administration, for better or worse, has put a lot of capital into creating "green jobs" as a way of decreasing our dependence on foreign oil while building a 21st-century energy industry. Beneath all the play-to-the-base rhetoric is this core claim: that Obama made a decision to cancel the Keystone Pipeline. Not quite.

Instead, the administration made a play to its own base by delaying any decision on the Keystone pipeline until after the election 2013, pending further review. This made environmental protesters happy, giving them at least a short-term win. But both the pro and con claims over the pipeline in terms of job creation and environmental impact have probably been overstated. And the CNN truth squad had no problem calling Bachmann's Keystone claims "misleading."

I couldn't help but notice a Politico report that Bachmann received an overheated nod of support (but not an endorsement) from Glenn Beck on his radio show this week. The Pied Piper of the paranoid style said that of all the candidates in the 2012 GOP field, Bachmann "truly comes the closest to embodying the spirit of Lincoln or Washington."

I can't think of any qualities that those two American icons share with the congresswoman from Minnesota, but I know there's at least one clear contrast: George Washington never told a lie.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Avlon.

text: CNN

text: There

text: 's

text: an

text: old

text: saying

text: that

text: a

text: lie

text: can

text: go

text: halfway

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: while

text: the

text: truth

text: is

text: putting

text: its

text: boots

text: on

text: and

text: in

text: politics

text: a

text: steady

text: drumbeat

text: of

text: misinformation

text: and

text: mischaracterization

text: can

text: too

text: often

text: shape

text: the

text: national

text: debate

text: So

text: we

text: wanted

text: to

text: set

text: up

text: a

text: regular

text: online

text: column

text: to

text: confront

text: fear

text: mongering

text: with

text: the

text: facts

text: whether

text: it

text: comes

text: from

text: the

text: right

text: or

text: the

text: left

text: during

text: the

text: campaign

text: Working

text: with

text: the

text: CNN

text: research

text: team

text: we

text: 'll

text: investigate

text: candidate

text: claims

text: and

text: call

text: bull

text: when

text: necessary

text: At

text: a

text: time

text: when

text: partisan

text: spin

text: can

text: disproportionately

text: dominate

text: our

text: democracy

text: this

text: is

text: an

text: attempt

text: to

text: be

text: an

text: independent

text: voice

text: and

text: an

text: honest

text: broker

text: Tuesday

text: night

text: 's

text: CNN

text: national

text: security

text: debate

text: offered

text: plenty

text: of

text: red

text: meat

text: along

text: with

text: principled

text: policy

text: disagreement

text: But

text: one

text: candidate

text: in

text: particular

text: kept

text: playing

text: fast

text: and

text: loose

text: with

text: the

text: facts

text: Michele

text: Bachmann

text: It

text: 's

text: part

text: of

text: her

text: usual

text: schtick

text: playing

text: politics

text: by

text: talk

text: radio

text: rules

text: where

text: impact

text: is

text: far

text: more

text: important

text: than

text: accuracy

text: Here

text: 's

text: one

text: of

text: my

text: favorite

text: Bachmann

text: howlers

text: from

text: last

text: night

text: This

text: is

text: one

text: thing

text: we

text: know

text: about

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: He

text: has

text: essentially

text: handed

text: over

text: our

text: interrogation

text: of

text: terrorists

text: to

text: the

text: ACLU

text: He

text: 's

text: outsourced

text: it

text: to

text: them

text: Our

text: CIA

text: has

text: no

text: ability

text: to

text: have

text: any

text: form

text: of

text: interrogation

text: for

text: terrorists

text: Sounds

text: scary

text: and

text: what

text: I

text: love

text: about

text: this

text: particular

text: riff

text: is

text: that

text: it

text: hits

text: so

text: many

text: paranoid

text: style

text: themes

text: all

text: in

text: one

text: place

text: There

text: is

text: the

text: image

text: of

text: President

text: Obama

text: as

text: the

text: naÃÂ¯ve

text: professor

text: an

text: out

text: of

text: touch

text: egghead

text: compromising

text: national

text: security

text: by

text: bringing

text: in

text: card

text: carrying

text: members

text: of

text: the

text: ACLU

text: to

text: interrogate

text: terrorists

text: Not

text: only

text: that

text: he

text: 's

text: outsourced

text: the

text: effort

text: taking

text: jobs

text: away

text: from

text: our

text: fighting

text: men

text: and

text: women

text: Finally

text: there

text: 's

text: the

text: bedrock

text: proof

text: point

text: that

text: makes

text: the

text: rhetoric

text: sound

text: real

text: Our

text: CIA

text: now

text: has

text: no

text: ability

text: to

text: interrogate

text: terrorists

text: Somewhere

text: Jack

text: Bauer

text: must

text: be

text: weeping

text: But

text: what

text: are

text: the

text: facts

text: The

text: CNN

text: research

text: team

text: has

text: fact

text: checked

text: such

text: claims

text: from

text: Bachmann

text: before

text: and

text: found

text: that

text: The

text: controversial

text: CIA

text: black

text: site

text: prison

text: program

text: where

text: the

text: suspect

text: of

text: the

text: USS

text: Cole

text: bombing

text: and

text: others

text: were

text: interrogated

text: immediately

text: after

text: arrest

text: has

text: been

text: dismantled

text: However

text: the

text: CIA

text: is

text: still

text: interrogating

text: terror

text: suspects

text: in

text: the

text: field

text: in

text: certain

text: cases

text: For

text: example

text: CNN

text: reported

text: in

text: July

text: that

text: CIA

text: operatives

text: have

text: secretly

text: traveled

text: to

text: Mogadishu

text: Somalia

text: to

text: help

text: interrogate

text: terrorism

text: suspects

text: about

text: terror

text: operations

text: in

text: East

text: Africa

text: and

text: Yemen

text: In

text: a

text: separate

text: incident

text: earlier

text: this

text: year

text: CNN

text: reported

text: that

text: Ahmed

text: Abdulkadir

text: Warsame

text: a

text: Somali

text: whom

text: the

text: U.S.

text: indicted

text: for

text: providing

text: material

text: support

text: to

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: linked

text: groups

text: was

text: interrogated

text: for

text: weeks

text: by

text: U.S.

text: authorities

text: on

text: a

text: Navy

text: amphibious

text: assault

text: ship

text: before

text: he

text: was

text: transferred

text: to

text: FBI

text: custody

text: and

text: brought

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: to

text: make

text: an

text: appearance

text: in

text: federal

text: court

text: this

text: past

text: July

text: In

text: other

text: words

text: Bachmann

text: 's

text: claims

text: are

text: n't

text: true

text: They

text: have

text: more

text: to

text: do

text: with

text: fear

text: mongering

text: than

text: facts

text: And

text: of

text: course

text: her

text: characterization

text: of

text: the

text: Obama

text: administration

text: as

text: pursuing

text: a

text: doctrine

text: of

text: appeasement

text: flies

text: in

text: the

text: face

text: of

text: Osama

text: bin

text: Laden

text: 's

text: corpse

text: and

text: a

text: massive

text: escalation

text: of

text: drone

text: strikes

text: that

text: have

text: killed

text: numerous

text: high

text: level

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: operatives

text: based

text: on

text: actionable

text: intelligence

text: This

text: riff

text: is

text: echoed

text: by

text: repeated

text: accusations

text: from

text: presumptive

text: front

text: runner

text: Mitt

text: Romney

text: that

text: Obama

text: apologizes

text: for

text: America

text: Again

text: it

text: 's

text: a

text: popular

text: narrative

text: that

text: plays

text: off

text: liberal

text: stereotypes

text: from

text: the

text: late

text: but

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: rooted

text: in

text: the

text: reality

text: of

text: this

text: administration

text: The

text: subject

text: of

text: energy

text: independence

text: also

text: inspired

text: Bachmann

text: to

text: reach

text: for

text: a

text: bridge

text: too

text: far

text: Here

text: 's

text: what

text: she

text: said

text: last

text: night

text: Energy

text: independence

text: is

text: something

text: that

text: President

text: Obama

text: certainly

text: has

text: avoided

text: Almost

text: every

text: decision

text: that

text: the

text: president

text: has

text: made

text: since

text: he

text: came

text: in

text: has

text: been

text: one

text: to

text: put

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: in

text: a

text: position

text: of

text: unilateral

text: disarmament

text: including

text: the

text: most

text: recent

text: decision

text: he

text: made

text: to

text: cancel

text: the

text: Keystone

text: Pipeline

text: Here

text: Bachmann

text: reflexively

text: reaches

text: for

text: the

text: rhetoric

text: of

text: cold

text: war

text: weakness

text: unilateral

text: disarmament

text: saying

text: that

text: he

text: has

text: certainly

text: avoided

text: any

text: effort

text: at

text: energy

text: independence

text: But

text: as

text: the

text: failed

text: half

text: billion

text: dollar

text: Solyndra

text: investment

text: shows

text: the

text: administration

text: for

text: better

text: or

text: worse

text: has

text: put

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: capital

text: into

text: creating

text: green

text: jobs

text: as

text: a

text: way

text: of

text: decreasing

text: our

text: dependence

text: on

text: foreign

text: oil

text: while

text: building

text: a

text: century

text: energy

text: industry

text: Beneath

text: all

text: the

text: play

text: to

text: the

text: base

text: rhetoric

text: is

text: this

text: core

text: claim

text: that

text: Obama

text: made

text: a

text: decision

text: to

text: cancel

text: the

text: Keystone

text: Pipeline

text: Not

text: quite

text: Instead

text: the

text: administration

text: made

text: a

text: play

text: to

text: its

text: own

text: base

text: by

text: delaying

text: any

text: decision

text: on

text: the

text: Keystone

text: pipeline

text: until

text: after

text: the

text: election

text: pending

text: further

text: review

text: This

text: made

text: environmental

text: protesters

text: happy

text: giving

text: them

text: at

text: least

text: a

text: short

text: term

text: win

text: But

text: both

text: the

text: pro

text: and

text: con

text: claims

text: over

text: the

text: pipeline

text: in

text: terms

text: of

text: job

text: creation

text: and

text: environmental

text: impact

text: have

text: probably

text: been

text: overstated

text: And

text: the

text: CNN

text: truth

text: squad

text: had

text: no

text: problem

text: calling

text: Bachmann

text: 's

text: Keystone

text: claims

text: misleading

text: I

text: could

text: n't

text: help

text: but

text: notice

text: a

text: Politico

text: report

text: that

text: Bachmann

text: received

text: an

text: overheated

text: nod

text: of

text: support

text: but

text: not

text: an

text: endorsement

text: from

text: Glenn

text: Beck

text: on

text: his

text: radio

text: show

text: this

text: week

text: The

text: Pied

text: Piper

text: of

text: the

text: paranoid

text: style

text: said

text: that

text: of

text: all

text: the

text: candidates

text: in

text: the

text: GOP

text: field

text: Bachmann

text: truly

text: comes

text: the

text: closest

text: to

text: embodying

text: the

text: spirit

text: of

text: Lincoln

text: or

text: Washington

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: think

text: of

text: any

text: qualities

text: that

text: those

text: two

text: American

text: icons

text: share

text: with

text: the

text: congresswoman

text: from

text: Minnesota

text: but

text: I

text: know

text: there

text: 's

text: at

text: least

text: one

text: clear

text: contrast

text: George

text: Washington

text: never

text: told

text: a

text: lie

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: John

text: Avlon


text:
(CNN) -- While all eyes seem to be on "Slumdog Millionaire" for the Oscars, one very courageous little girl will be focused on another India-based film at the ceremony.

Pinki, like millions in developing countries, had to live with her deformity and suffer the social consequences.

It's called "Smile Pinki," and it's up for an Oscar, too -- nominated for best short documentary, which it won on Sunday.

The little girl watching it from inside the Oscar ceremony has traveled all the way to Los Angeles, California, from her small Indian village with her dad -- and it has been an incredible journey for Pinki Sonkar.

"Smile Pinki" tells the story of her transformation from a sad outcast to a vibrant 8-year-old with plenty of spunk.

Pinki was born with a cleft lip, and her impoverished family did not have the money for corrective surgery.

Like millions of other children born with the lip deformity in developing countries, Pinki simply had to live with it and suffer the social consequences.

Her father Rajendra Sonkar says: "She used to go to school and the kids would not befriend her. She would say, 'I don't want to go to school.'"  Watch how Pinki was transformed by the operation Â»

"Pinki was a depressed, sad, lonely, shy, young little girl, growing up on the periphery of the society in a little village," said Satish Kalra, director of Smile Train's South Asian region, after meeting with Pinki.

The little girl's own family was ashamed of her, Kalra says.

But all of that has changed. Pinki is now a real pistol, full of energy and confidence, and she has a fantastic smile too -- thanks to the Smile Train charity.

Smile Train teaches doctors in their own countries to operate on cleft lips, a deformity afflicting up to four million children across the world. iReport: Share your Oscar predictions

Pinki just happened to be one of the chosen candidates for surgery and was also chosen to be the subject of the documentary.

The film chronicles her transformation, following her from her village to the hospital and home again.

"She has absolutely and totally changed," said Pinki's surgeon, Dr. Subodh Kumar.

The film's director is Megan Mylan. She has won several awards but not an Oscar -- until now.

For Pinki and her dad, being able to see the film's director win an Oscar would be a thrill.

But they know they already have the greatest prize: Pinki's new smile.

"I am so happy that my daughter's lips have been repaired," her dad Rajendra said with a smile, expressing hope that the movie will inspire people to help children whose families can't afford the surgery.

text: CNN

text: While

text: all

text: eyes

text: seem

text: to

text: be

text: on

text: Slumdog

text: Millionaire

text: for

text: the

text: Oscars

text: one

text: very

text: courageous

text: little

text: girl

text: will

text: be

text: focused

text: on

text: another

text: India

text: based

text: film

text: at

text: the

text: ceremony

text: Pinki

text: like

text: millions

text: in

text: developing

text: countries

text: had

text: to

text: live

text: with

text: her

text: deformity

text: and

text: suffer

text: the

text: social

text: consequences

text: It

text: 's

text: called

text: Smile

text: Pinki

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: up

text: for

text: an

text: Oscar

text: too

text: nominated

text: for

text: best

text: short

text: documentary

text: which

text: it

text: won

text: on

text: Sunday

text: The

text: little

text: girl

text: watching

text: it

text: from

text: inside

text: the

text: Oscar

text: ceremony

text: has

text: traveled

text: all

text: the

text: way

text: to

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: California

text: from

text: her

text: small

text: Indian

text: village

text: with

text: her

text: dad

text: and

text: it

text: has

text: been

text: an

text: incredible

text: journey

text: for

text: Pinki

text: Sonkar

text: Smile

text: Pinki

text: tells

text: the

text: story

text: of

text: her

text: transformation

text: from

text: a

text: sad

text: outcast

text: to

text: a

text: vibrant

text: old

text: with

text: plenty

text: of

text: spunk

text: Pinki

text: was

text: born

text: with

text: a

text: cleft

text: lip

text: and

text: her

text: impoverished

text: family

text: did

text: not

text: have

text: the

text: money

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text: Like

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text: children

text: born

text: with

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text: lip

text: deformity

text: in

text: developing

text: countries

text: Pinki

text: simply

text: had

text: to

text: live

text: with

text: it

text: and

text: suffer

text: the

text: social

text: consequences

text: Her

text: father

text: Rajendra

text: Sonkar

text: says

text: She

text: used

text: to

text: go

text: to

text: school

text: and

text: the

text: kids

text: would

text: not

text: befriend

text: her

text: She

text: would

text: say

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: go

text: to

text: school

text: Watch

text: how

text: Pinki

text: was

text: transformed

text: by

text: the

text: operation

text: Â

text: Pinki

text: was

text: a

text: depressed

text: sad

text: lonely

text: shy

text: young

text: little

text: girl

text: growing

text: up

text: on

text: the

text: periphery

text: of

text: the

text: society

text: in

text: a

text: little

text: village

text: said

text: Satish

text: Kalra

text: director

text: of

text: Smile

text: Train

text: 's

text: South

text: Asian

text: region

text: after

text: meeting

text: with

text: Pinki

text: The

text: little

text: girl

text: 's

text: own

text: family

text: was

text: ashamed

text: of

text: her

text: Kalra

text: says

text: But

text: all

text: of

text: that

text: has

text: changed

text: Pinki

text: is

text: now

text: a

text: real

text: pistol

text: full

text: of

text: energy

text: and

text: confidence

text: and

text: she

text: has

text: a

text: fantastic

text: smile

text: too

text: thanks

text: to

text: the

text: Smile

text: Train

text: charity

text: Smile

text: Train

text: teaches

text: doctors

text: in

text: their

text: own

text: countries

text: to

text: operate

text: on

text: cleft

text: lips

text: a

text: deformity

text: afflicting

text: up

text: to

text: four

text: million

text: children

text: across

text: the

text: world

text: iReport

text: Share

text: your

text: Oscar

text: predictions

text: Pinki

text: just

text: happened

text: to

text: be

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: chosen

text: candidates

text: for

text: surgery

text: and

text: was

text: also

text: chosen

text: to

text: be

text: the

text: subject

text: of

text: the

text: documentary

text: The

text: film

text: chronicles

text: her

text: transformation

text: following

text: her

text: from

text: her

text: village

text: to

text: the

text: hospital

text: and

text: home

text: again

text: She

text: has

text: absolutely

text: and

text: totally

text: changed

text: said

text: Pinki

text: 's

text: surgeon

text: Dr.

text: Subodh

text: Kumar

text: The

text: film

text: 's

text: director

text: is

text: Megan

text: Mylan

text: She

text: has

text: won

text: several

text: awards

text: but

text: not

text: an

text: Oscar

text: until

text: now

text: For

text: Pinki

text: and

text: her

text: dad

text: being

text: able

text: to

text: see

text: the

text: film

text: 's

text: director

text: win

text: an

text: Oscar

text: would

text: be

text: a

text: thrill

text: But

text: they

text: know

text: they

text: already

text: have

text: the

text: greatest

text: prize

text: Pinki

text: 's

text: new

text: smile

text: I

text: am

text: so

text: happy

text: that

text: my

text: daughter

text: 's

text: lips

text: have

text: been

text: repaired

text: her

text: dad

text: Rajendra

text: said

text: with

text: a

text: smile

text: expressing

text: hope

text: that

text: the

text: movie

text: will

text: inspire

text: people

text: to

text: help

text: children

text: whose

text: families

text: ca

text: n't

text: afford

text: the

text: surgery

question: Which charity provided Pinki's operation?

answer: Smile Train

text: Smile Train

question: What was Pinki Sonkar born with?

answer: a cleft lip,

text: a cleft lip,

question: Who was once an outcast?

answer: Pinki Sonkar.

text: Pinki Sonkar.

question: where was the documentary filmed

answer: India-based

text: India-based

question: Where is Pinki Sonkar from?

answer: small Indian village

text: small Indian village

question: How many children worldwide have cleft lips?

answer: four million

text: four million

question: What won best short documentary?

answer: "Smile Pinki,"

text: "Smile Pinki,"


text:
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (CNN) -- Four men behind a Swedish file-sharing Web site used by millions to exchange movies and music have been found guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law in a landmark court verdict in Stockholm.

A Pirate Bay server, confiscated by police last year, on display in Stockholm's Technical Museum.

The four defendants -- Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi and Carl Lundstrom, three founders and one patron of The Pirate Bay -- were sentenced to one year in jail and also ordered to pay 30 million kronor ($3.6 million) in damages to several major media companies including Warner Brothers, Columbia, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony BMG and EMI.  The defendants are free without restrictions while they appeal the judgment.

The Pirate Bay allows users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software, but does not host the files itself. It claims more than 3.5 million registered users.

The court case, which involved both a criminal case and a civil claim brought by the media companies, marks a key victory for anti-piracy campaigners, who had long targeted the Web site. Should the perpetrators of Internet piracy be punished? Have your say

The year-long prison terms are for violating Swedish law, while the damages are compensation to the media giants in the civil case -- though the court ordered the men to pay just one-third of the 110 million kronor ($13 million) which the companies had asked for.

Friday's verdict did not include an order to shut down The Pirate Bay site.

Its owners have consistently shrugged off legal threats and police raids, posting letters from entertainment industry lawyers on their Web site with mocking responses.

When Dreamworks studio demanded that the site act over file-sharing of Dreamworks' movie "Shrek 2," The Pirate Bay threatened to sue for harassment and lodge a formal complaint "for sending frivolous legal threats."

"It is the opinion of us and our lawyers that you are ... morons," the response continued, suggesting that studio representatives perform a sexual act. The response closed with an obscenity.

Site owners dismissed the effects of a police raid in 2006, saying the site had been down longer on other occasions due to illness or drunkenness than when "the U.S. and Swedish government forces the police to steal our servers ... yawn."

But Magnus Eriksson, who in 2003 co-founded the "loosely formed group of theorists, artists and programmers" that spawned The Pirate Bay, says there are serious issues at stake.

He does not think copyrighted material should be free for everyone, "but that it already is."

"The control over what people communicate is lost and we have to adapt to this new state of things," he said via e-mail. "To monitor all communications, fight all new digital technologies and spread a culture of fear in what should be a free and open communication network is not a desirable option."

Entertainment companies claim The Pirate Bay has hurt their box office profits, part of an annual loss the Motion Picture Association of America claims to be about $6 billion a year worldwide.

"Hollywood studios are businesses. They're there to make money," said association lawyer Thomas Dillon. "It costs $100 million to make a feature film, so of course they're quite keen to get some back. So I don't accept this argument that there's some benefit to culture in allowing people to make copies of commercial films and getting them for free."

Monique Wadsted, a Swedish lawyer for the MPAA, said The Pirate Bay was also harming individual artists.

A victory for the entertainment companies "will, of course, be for all authors all around the world, some kind of redress... because what is going on now is actually a plundering of the author's works," she said via e-mail.

"If some authors find it good to market their products using file-sharing or whatever, they are free to do that," she added. "But that is not what is happening at the moment. What's happening at the moment is that authors' and rights holders' works are file-shared against their will and that is not acceptable."

She argued that The Pirate Bay "is specifically tailored for copyright infringement."

The prosecution claims the site provides a search engine that helps people find and download copyrighted material including movies, music and games -- in effect, enabling copyright theft.

The site's supporters say they're doing nothing wrong under Swedish law because the site doesn't actually put the copyrighted material on the Web site.

Internet piracy and illegal downloading from peer-to-peer systems are some of the biggest piracy problems in Europe, the MPAA argues.

Internet piracy is growing at a faster rate in Europe than anywhere else in the world, the MPAA says, because of increased broadband use, weak laws, and lenient public perceptions.

Sweden's official efforts to battle online piracy have been weak, the MPAA says.

Eriksson, the co-founder of the group that led to The Pirate Bay, says the MPAA's argument that file-sharing hurts movie studio revenues is "nonsense."

"Cinema is doing better than ever," he said by e-mail. "They only claim this because they calculate losses by looking at the number of downloads and imagining that all of them would have been a purchase if they hadn't been downloaded first."

Eriksson said what was at stake in the Swedish courtroom was the future of the Internet itself.

"The Internet revolution meant that we created a global network where any digital entity could connect and exchange information with any other," he said. "Anti-piracy efforts must be seen in the light of a counter-revolution against this that goes all the way to the very infrastructure of the net."

He suggested that even if The Pirate Bay is convicted of facilitating making works public through its indexing service, which he does not expect, Internet piracy will not stop.

"The prosecution can't understand that The Pirate Bay is just one stratification of a social and technological change that is decentralized," he said.

"Piracy does not have a head that you can cut off, and The Pirate Bay is just a technology allowing communication, a part of the Internet infrastructure."

CNN's Neil Curry in Stockholm, Sweden, and Mairi Mackay in London, England, contributed to this report.

text: STOCKHOLM

text: Sweden

text: CNN

text: Four

text: men

text: behind

text: a

text: Swedish

text: file

text: sharing

text: Web

text: site

text: used

text: by

text: millions

text: to

text: exchange

text: movies

text: and

text: music

text: have

text: been

text: found

text: guilty

text: of

text: collaborating

text: to

text: violate

text: copyright

text: law

text: in

text: a

text: landmark

text: court

text: verdict

text: in

text: Stockholm

text: A

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: server

text: confiscated

text: by

text: police

text: last

text: year

text: on

text: display

text: in

text: Stockholm

text: 's

text: Technical

text: Museum

text: The

text: four

text: defendants

text: Fredrik

text: Neij

text: Gottfrid

text: Svartholm

text: Warg

text: Peter

text: Sunde

text: Kolmisoppi

text: and

text: Carl

text: Lundstrom

text: three

text: founders

text: and

text: one

text: patron

text: of

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: were

text: sentenced

text: to

text: one

text: year

text: in

text: jail

text: and

text: also

text: ordered

text: to

text: pay

text: million

text: kronor

text: million

text: in

text: damages

text: to

text: several

text: major

text: media

text: companies

text: including

text: Warner

text: Brothers

text: Columbia

text: Twentieth

text: Century

text: Fox

text: Sony

text: BMG

text: and

text: EMI

text: The

text: defendants

text: are

text: free

text: without

text: restrictions

text: while

text: they

text: appeal

text: the

text: judgment

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: allows

text: users

text: to

text: exchange

text: files

text: including

text: movies

text: music

text: games

text: and

text: software

text: but

text: does

text: not

text: host

text: the

text: files

text: itself

text: It

text: claims

text: more

text: than

text: million

text: registered

text: users

text: The

text: court

text: case

text: which

text: involved

text: both

text: a

text: criminal

text: case

text: and

text: a

text: civil

text: claim

text: brought

text: by

text: the

text: media

text: companies

text: marks

text: a

text: key

text: victory

text: for

text: anti

text: piracy

text: campaigners

text: who

text: had

text: long

text: targeted

text: the

text: Web

text: site

text: Should

text: the

text: perpetrators

text: of

text: Internet

text: piracy

text: be

text: punished

text: Have

text: your

text: say

text: The

text: year

text: long

text: prison

text: terms

text: are

text: for

text: violating

text: Swedish

text: law

text: while

text: the

text: damages

text: are

text: compensation

text: to

text: the

text: media

text: giants

text: in

text: the

text: civil

text: case

text: though

text: the

text: court

text: ordered

text: the

text: men

text: to

text: pay

text: just

text: one

text: third

text: of

text: the

text: million

text: kronor

text: million

text: which

text: the

text: companies

text: had

text: asked

text: for

text: Friday

text: 's

text: verdict

text: did

text: not

text: include

text: an

text: order

text: to

text: shut

text: down

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: site

text: Its

text: owners

text: have

text: consistently

text: shrugged

text: off

text: legal

text: threats

text: and

text: police

text: raids

text: posting

text: letters

text: from

text: entertainment

text: industry

text: lawyers

text: on

text: their

text: Web

text: site

text: with

text: mocking

text: responses

text: When

text: Dreamworks

text: studio

text: demanded

text: that

text: the

text: site

text: act

text: over

text: file

text: sharing

text: of

text: Dreamworks

text: movie

text: Shrek

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: threatened

text: to

text: sue

text: for

text: harassment

text: and

text: lodge

text: a

text: formal

text: complaint

text: for

text: sending

text: frivolous

text: legal

text: threats

text: It

text: is

text: the

text: opinion

text: of

text: us

text: and

text: our

text: lawyers

text: that

text: you

text: are

text: morons

text: the

text: response

text: continued

text: suggesting

text: that

text: studio

text: representatives

text: perform

text: a

text: sexual

text: act

text: The

text: response

text: closed

text: with

text: an

text: obscenity

text: Site

text: owners

text: dismissed

text: the

text: effects

text: of

text: a

text: police

text: raid

text: in

text: saying

text: the

text: site

text: had

text: been

text: down

text: longer

text: on

text: other

text: occasions

text: due

text: to

text: illness

text: or

text: drunkenness

text: than

text: when

text: the

text: U.S.

text: and

text: Swedish

text: government

text: forces

text: the

text: police

text: to

text: steal

text: our

text: servers

text: yawn

text: But

text: Magnus

text: Eriksson

text: who

text: in

text: co

text: founded

text: the

text: loosely

text: formed

text: group

text: of

text: theorists

text: artists

text: and

text: programmers

text: that

text: spawned

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: says

text: there

text: are

text: serious

text: issues

text: at

text: stake

text: He

text: does

text: not

text: think

text: copyrighted

text: material

text: should

text: be

text: free

text: for

text: everyone

text: but

text: that

text: it

text: already

text: is

text: The

text: control

text: over

text: what

text: people

text: communicate

text: is

text: lost

text: and

text: we

text: have

text: to

text: adapt

text: to

text: this

text: new

text: state

text: of

text: things

text: he

text: said

text: via

text: e

text: mail

text: To

text: monitor

text: all

text: communications

text: fight

text: all

text: new

text: digital

text: technologies

text: and

text: spread

text: a

text: culture

text: of

text: fear

text: in

text: what

text: should

text: be

text: a

text: free

text: and

text: open

text: communication

text: network

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: desirable

text: option

text: Entertainment

text: companies

text: claim

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: has

text: hurt

text: their

text: box

text: office

text: profits

text: part

text: of

text: an

text: annual

text: loss

text: the

text: Motion

text: Picture

text: Association

text: of

text: America

text: claims

text: to

text: be

text: about

text: billion

text: a

text: year

text: worldwide

text: Hollywood

text: studios

text: are

text: businesses

text: They

text: 're

text: there

text: to

text: make

text: money

text: said

text: association

text: lawyer

text: Thomas

text: Dillon

text: It

text: costs

text: million

text: to

text: make

text: a

text: feature

text: film

text: so

text: of

text: course

text: they

text: 're

text: quite

text: keen

text: to

text: get

text: some

text: back

text: So

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: accept

text: this

text: argument

text: that

text: there

text: 's

text: some

text: benefit

text: to

text: culture

text: in

text: allowing

text: people

text: to

text: make

text: copies

text: of

text: commercial

text: films

text: and

text: getting

text: them

text: for

text: free

text: Monique

text: Wadsted

text: a

text: Swedish

text: lawyer

text: for

text: the

text: MPAA

text: said

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: was

text: also

text: harming

text: individual

text: artists

text: A

text: victory

text: for

text: the

text: entertainment

text: companies

text: will

text: of

text: course

text: be

text: for

text: all

text: authors

text: all

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: some

text: kind

text: of

text: redress

text: because

text: what

text: is

text: going

text: on

text: now

text: is

text: actually

text: a

text: plundering

text: of

text: the

text: author

text: 's

text: works

text: she

text: said

text: via

text: e

text: mail

text: If

text: some

text: authors

text: find

text: it

text: good

text: to

text: market

text: their

text: products

text: using

text: file

text: sharing

text: or

text: whatever

text: they

text: are

text: free

text: to

text: do

text: that

text: she

text: added

text: But

text: that

text: is

text: not

text: what

text: is

text: happening

text: at

text: the

text: moment

text: What

text: 's

text: happening

text: at

text: the

text: moment

text: is

text: that

text: authors

text: and

text: rights

text: holders

text: works

text: are

text: file

text: shared

text: against

text: their

text: will

text: and

text: that

text: is

text: not

text: acceptable

text: She

text: argued

text: that

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: is

text: specifically

text: tailored

text: for

text: copyright

text: infringement

text: The

text: prosecution

text: claims

text: the

text: site

text: provides

text: a

text: search

text: engine

text: that

text: helps

text: people

text: find

text: and

text: download

text: copyrighted

text: material

text: including

text: movies

text: music

text: and

text: games

text: in

text: effect

text: enabling

text: copyright

text: theft

text: The

text: site

text: 's

text: supporters

text: say

text: they

text: 're

text: doing

text: nothing

text: wrong

text: under

text: Swedish

text: law

text: because

text: the

text: site

text: does

text: n't

text: actually

text: put

text: the

text: copyrighted

text: material

text: on

text: the

text: Web

text: site

text: Internet

text: piracy

text: and

text: illegal

text: downloading

text: from

text: peer

text: to

text: peer

text: systems

text: are

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: biggest

text: piracy

text: problems

text: in

text: Europe

text: the

text: MPAA

text: argues

text: Internet

text: piracy

text: is

text: growing

text: at

text: a

text: faster

text: rate

text: in

text: Europe

text: than

text: anywhere

text: else

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: the

text: MPAA

text: says

text: because

text: of

text: increased

text: broadband

text: use

text: weak

text: laws

text: and

text: lenient

text: public

text: perceptions

text: Sweden

text: 's

text: official

text: efforts

text: to

text: battle

text: online

text: piracy

text: have

text: been

text: weak

text: the

text: MPAA

text: says

text: Eriksson

text: the

text: co

text: founder

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: that

text: led

text: to

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: says

text: the

text: MPAA

text: 's

text: argument

text: that

text: file

text: sharing

text: hurts

text: movie

text: studio

text: revenues

text: is

text: nonsense

text: Cinema

text: is

text: doing

text: better

text: than

text: ever

text: he

text: said

text: by

text: e

text: mail

text: They

text: only

text: claim

text: this

text: because

text: they

text: calculate

text: losses

text: by

text: looking

text: at

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: downloads

text: and

text: imagining

text: that

text: all

text: of

text: them

text: would

text: have

text: been

text: a

text: purchase

text: if

text: they

text: had

text: n't

text: been

text: downloaded

text: first

text: Eriksson

text: said

text: what

text: was

text: at

text: stake

text: in

text: the

text: Swedish

text: courtroom

text: was

text: the

text: future

text: of

text: the

text: Internet

text: itself

text: The

text: Internet

text: revolution

text: meant

text: that

text: we

text: created

text: a

text: global

text: network

text: where

text: any

text: digital

text: entity

text: could

text: connect

text: and

text: exchange

text: information

text: with

text: any

text: other

text: he

text: said

text: Anti

text: piracy

text: efforts

text: must

text: be

text: seen

text: in

text: the

text: light

text: of

text: a

text: counter

text: revolution

text: against

text: this

text: that

text: goes

text: all

text: the

text: way

text: to

text: the

text: very

text: infrastructure

text: of

text: the

text: net

text: He

text: suggested

text: that

text: even

text: if

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: is

text: convicted

text: of

text: facilitating

text: making

text: works

text: public

text: through

text: its

text: indexing

text: service

text: which

text: he

text: does

text: not

text: expect

text: Internet

text: piracy

text: will

text: not

text: stop

text: The

text: prosecution

text: ca

text: n't

text: understand

text: that

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: is

text: just

text: one

text: stratification

text: of

text: a

text: social

text: and

text: technological

text: change

text: that

text: is

text: decentralized

text: he

text: said

text: Piracy

text: does

text: not

text: have

text: a

text: head

text: that

text: you

text: can

text: cut

text: off

text: and

text: The

text: Pirate

text: Bay

text: is

text: just

text: a

text: technology

text: allowing

text: communication

text: a

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: Internet

text: infrastructure

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Neil

text: Curry

text: in

text: Stockholm

text: Sweden

text: and

text: Mairi

text: Mackay

text: in

text: London

text: England

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What did they do?

answer: violate copyright law

text: violate copyright law

question: What did supporters say?

answer: they're doing nothing wrong under Swedish law because the site doesn't actually put the copyrighted material on the Web site.

text: they're doing nothing wrong under Swedish law because the site doesn't actually put the copyrighted material on the Web site.

question: What were four men in Sweden charged with?

answer: guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law in a landmark court verdict in Stockholm.

text: guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law in a landmark court verdict in Stockholm.

question: What did prosecutors say about The Pirate Bay?

answer: allows users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software, but does not host the files itself.

text: allows users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software, but does not host the files itself.

question: What does the site allow?

answer: users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software,

text: users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software,

question: What does site allows users to do?

answer: exchange

text: exchange

question: How much were they fined?

answer: 30 million kronor ($3.6 million)

text: 30 million kronor ($3.6 million)

question: What did prosecutors say?

answer: The prosecution claims the site provides a search engine that helps people find and download copyrighted material including movies, music and games

text: The prosecution claims the site provides a search engine that helps people find and download copyrighted material including movies, music and games

question: What was the sentence?

answer: one year in jail and

text: one year in jail and


text:
(CNN) -- A man described as a former employee shot and killed two people and seriously wounded another at a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, construction company before workers wrestled him to the ground, sheriff's officials said.

Dianna Tullier, 44, of Walker, Louisiana, and Cheryl D. Boykin, 55, of Denham Springs, Louisiana were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. They were both clerical workers in the construction office.

The suspect, identified as Richard Matthews, 53, of Slaughter, Louisiana, parked outside Grady Crawford Construction Co. shortly before 2 p.m. and entered a building, where he shot a female dispatcher, said Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Casey Rayborn Hicks.

Hicks said Matthews then went into a second company building and killed two people inside.

Matthews left the second building to reload his weapon, Hicks said. He re-entered that building, shot at and missed a fourth person, Hicks said.

Four people then wrestled Matthews to the ground. One of them, a foreman at the construction company, put his finger between Matthews' finger and the trigger guard of Matthews' gun, stopping the gunman from shooting, Hicks said.

The four people held Matthews down until police arrived.

Matthews was transported to the sheriff's office in downtown Baton Rouge, Hicks said, and was being questioned.

Hicks said police are uncertain if Matthews has prior arrests, mental health or substance abuse issues.

Matthews will be booked on two counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, Hicks said.

As he was escorted in for questioning, in response to a reporter's question about the shooting, the Matthews replied numerous times: "I couldn't get my unemployment, they wouldn't give me my unemployment."

CNN's Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: A

text: man

text: described

text: as

text: a

text: former

text: employee

text: shot

text: and

text: killed

text: two

text: people

text: and

text: seriously

text: wounded

text: another

text: at

text: a

text: Baton

text: Rouge

text: Louisiana

text: construction

text: company

text: before

text: workers

text: wrestled

text: him

text: to

text: the

text: ground

text: sheriff

text: 's

text: officials

text: said

text: Dianna

text: Tullier

text: of

text: Walker

text: Louisiana

text: and

text: Cheryl

text: D.

text: Boykin

text: of

text: Denham

text: Springs

text: Louisiana

text: were

text: pronounced

text: dead

text: at

text: the

text: scene

text: officials

text: said

text: They

text: were

text: both

text: clerical

text: workers

text: in

text: the

text: construction

text: office

text: The

text: suspect

text: identified

text: as

text: Richard

text: Matthews

text: of

text: Slaughter

text: Louisiana

text: parked

text: outside

text: Grady

text: Crawford

text: Construction

text: Co.

text: shortly

text: before

text: p.m.

text: and

text: entered

text: a

text: building

text: where

text: he

text: shot

text: a

text: female

text: dispatcher

text: said

text: Baton

text: Rouge

text: Sheriff

text: 's

text: Office

text: Public

text: Information

text: Officer

text: Casey

text: Rayborn

text: Hicks

text: Hicks

text: said

text: Matthews

text: then

text: went

text: into

text: a

text: second

text: company

text: building

text: and

text: killed

text: two

text: people

text: inside

text: Matthews

text: left

text: the

text: second

text: building

text: to

text: reload

text: his

text: weapon

text: Hicks

text: said

text: He

text: re

text: entered

text: that

text: building

text: shot

text: at

text: and

text: missed

text: a

text: fourth

text: person

text: Hicks

text: said

text: Four

text: people

text: then

text: wrestled

text: Matthews

text: to

text: the

text: ground

text: One

text: of

text: them

text: a

text: foreman

text: at

text: the

text: construction

text: company

text: put

text: his

text: finger

text: between

text: Matthews

text: finger

text: and

text: the

text: trigger

text: guard

text: of

text: Matthews

text: gun

text: stopping

text: the

text: gunman

text: from

text: shooting

text: Hicks

text: said

text: The

text: four

text: people

text: held

text: Matthews

text: down

text: until

text: police

text: arrived

text: Matthews

text: was

text: transported

text: to

text: the

text: sheriff

text: 's

text: office

text: in

text: downtown

text: Baton

text: Rouge

text: Hicks

text: said

text: and

text: was

text: being

text: questioned

text: Hicks

text: said

text: police

text: are

text: uncertain

text: if

text: Matthews

text: has

text: prior

text: arrests

text: mental

text: health

text: or

text: substance

text: abuse

text: issues

text: Matthews

text: will

text: be

text: booked

text: on

text: two

text: counts

text: of

text: first

text: degree

text: murder

text: and

text: two

text: counts

text: of

text: attempted

text: murder

text: Hicks

text: said

text: As

text: he

text: was

text: escorted

text: in

text: for

text: questioning

text: in

text: response

text: to

text: a

text: reporter

text: 's

text: question

text: about

text: the

text: shooting

text: the

text: Matthews

text: replied

text: numerous

text: times

text: I

text: could

text: n't

text: get

text: my

text: unemployment

text: they

text: would

text: n't

text: give

text: me

text: my

text: unemployment

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Shawn

text: Nottingham

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What did the official say?

answer: Dianna Tullier, 44, of Walker, Louisiana, and Cheryl D. Boykin, 55, of Denham Springs, Louisiana were pronounced dead at the scene,

text: Dianna Tullier, 44, of Walker, Louisiana, and Cheryl D. Boykin, 55, of Denham Springs, Louisiana were pronounced dead at the scene,

question: What did the suspect say as he was escorted by police?

answer: "I couldn't get my unemployment, they wouldn't give me my unemployment."

text: "I couldn't get my unemployment, they wouldn't give me my unemployment."

question: What says official about victims?

answer: were pronounced dead at the scene,

text: were pronounced dead at the scene,

question: What did the good sumeritan do to stop him from shooting?

answer: put his finger between Matthews' finger and the trigger guard of Matthews' gun,

text: put his finger between Matthews' finger and the trigger guard of Matthews' gun,

question: Who was the suspect?

answer: Richard Matthews,

text: Richard Matthews,

question: What is the name of the suspect?

answer: Richard Matthews,

text: Richard Matthews,

question: Where are the victims from?

answer: Louisiana,

text: Louisiana,


text:
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (CNN) -- Nine bodies have been found in a common grave in the desert south of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, according to Chihuahua state prosecutor's spokeswoman Daniela Gonzalez.

Police look on as one of the nine bodies found in a common grave near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is removed.

Investigators have yet to determine the identities of the seven men and two women found in the grave, Gonzalez said. They have not released information on how they were killed or how long they have been there.

Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, has become one of the major battlegrounds as drug cartels fight both each other and Mexican authorities. The conflict has made violence increasingly common in Juarez, Tijuana and other Mexican border towns.

Extreme violence among warring drug cartels and the Mexican government has long plagued Juarez and the state of Chihuahua, but the situation has been getting worse.

Last month, the city's chief of police was obliged to quit after threats from organized crime to kill a policeman every day that he remained on the job.  Watch as mayor of Juarez talks about who is responsible for slayings Â»

Earlier this month, the U.S. Consulate in Juarez specifically warned Americans to avoid an area southeast of the city.

The discovery of the bodies comes as 5,000 Mexican soldiers are descending this weekend on Juarez in an effort to end the violence that has claimed more than 400 lives so far this year.

Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz told CNN he is hopeful Operacion Conjunto Chihuahua (Chihuahua Joint Operation) will be successful.

"The reality is that the military presence in the last several weeks has caused the violence to subside," he said. "We were averaging about 10 murders a week; and since February 26, when the troops starting arriving, we have been averaging about one."

Enrique Torres, spokesman for the Chihuahua Joint Operation, said by Sunday there will be 7,500 military personnel, 2,300 federal police and 1,600 city police working together to patrol the city and aggressively fight the cartels.

"We are launching a full frontal attack" Torres said. "We will also be tackling other types of organized crime -- money laundering and kidnappings."

Corruption among the police force has been a major concern to local and international authorities. Torres said the city has been preparing for a year to "clean up the local police."  Watch panel discuss escalating drug war Â»

Already, he said, more than 500 city police officers have been fired because they failed to pass the "trust test." As part of the "clean-up," federal authorities have been requiring officers to take a polygraph test.

To prevent corruption among the just arrived soldiers, Torres said they will be frequently rotated. "They will only work in the region one to two months and then they will be sent to other parts of the country."

Ferriz, the mayor, said government officials are doing everything in their power to stop the violence; they have brought in consultants from Colombia and adapted programs that have proven successful there, such as a civilian corruption watchdog program.

But he explained that a big part of the problem is coming from the north.

"The majority of the weapons used for homicides here have been identified as coming from the United States" he said.

Ferriz said that during a recent raid, local police confiscated two .50-caliber military-style rifles. Some weeks later they arrested another man bringing in another .50-caliber rifle.

"He bought it off the internet in the U.S.," Ferrez said. "It is so easy there for organized crime to get access to these types of weapons. The arms and cash contraband into Mexico from the United States must be stopped."

Ferriz siad he plans to travel next week to Washington to meet with U.S. lawmakers about the security situation in and around Juarez.

text: CIUDAD

text: JUAREZ

text: Mexico

text: CNN

text: Nine

text: bodies

text: have

text: been

text: found

text: in

text: a

text: common

text: grave

text: in

text: the

text: desert

text: south

text: of

text: Ciudad

text: Juarez

text: Mexico

text: according

text: to

text: Chihuahua

text: state

text: prosecutor

text: 's

text: spokeswoman

text: Daniela

text: Gonzalez

text: Police

text: look

text: on

text: as

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: nine

text: bodies

text: found

text: in

text: a

text: common

text: grave

text: near

text: Ciudad

text: Juarez

text: Mexico

text: is

text: removed

text: Investigators

text: have

text: yet

text: to

text: determine

text: the

text: identities

text: of

text: the

text: seven

text: men

text: and

text: two

text: women

text: found

text: in

text: the

text: grave

text: Gonzalez

text: said

text: They

text: have

text: not

text: released

text: information

text: on

text: how

text: they

text: were

text: killed

text: or

text: how

text: long

text: they

text: have

text: been

text: there

text: Juarez

text: which

text: is

text: across

text: the

text: border

text: from

text: El

text: Paso

text: Texas

text: has

text: become

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: major

text: battlegrounds

text: as

text: drug

text: cartels

text: fight

text: both

text: each

text: other

text: and

text: Mexican

text: authorities

text: The

text: conflict

text: has

text: made

text: violence

text: increasingly

text: common

text: in

text: Juarez

text: Tijuana

text: and

text: other

text: Mexican

text: border

text: towns

text: Extreme

text: violence

text: among

text: warring

text: drug

text: cartels

text: and

text: the

text: Mexican

text: government

text: has

text: long

text: plagued

text: Juarez

text: and

text: the

text: state

text: of

text: Chihuahua

text: but

text: the

text: situation

text: has

text: been

text: getting

text: worse

text: Last

text: month

text: the

text: city

text: 's

text: chief

text: of

text: police

text: was

text: obliged

text: to

text: quit

text: after

text: threats

text: from

text: organized

text: crime

text: to

text: kill

text: a

text: policeman

text: every

text: day

text: that

text: he

text: remained

text: on

text: the

text: job

text: Watch

text: as

text: mayor

text: of

text: Juarez

text: talks

text: about

text: who

text: is

text: responsible

text: for

text: slayings

text: Â

text: Earlier

text: this

text: month

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Consulate

text: in

text: Juarez

text: specifically

text: warned

text: Americans

text: to

text: avoid

text: an

text: area

text: southeast

text: of

text: the

text: city

text: The

text: discovery

text: of

text: the

text: bodies

text: comes

text: as

text: Mexican

text: soldiers

text: are

text: descending

text: this

text: weekend

text: on

text: Juarez

text: in

text: an

text: effort

text: to

text: end

text: the

text: violence

text: that

text: has

text: claimed

text: more

text: than

text: lives

text: so

text: far

text: this

text: year

text: Juarez

text: Mayor

text: Jose

text: Reyes

text: Ferriz

text: told

text: CNN

text: he

text: is

text: hopeful

text: Operacion

text: Conjunto

text: Chihuahua

text: Chihuahua

text: Joint

text: Operation

text: will

text: be

text: successful

text: The

text: reality

text: is

text: that

text: the

text: military

text: presence

text: in

text: the

text: last

text: several

text: weeks

text: has

text: caused

text: the

text: violence

text: to

text: subside

text: he

text: said

text: We

text: were

text: averaging

text: about

text: murders

text: a

text: week

text: and

text: since

text: February

text: when

text: the

text: troops

text: starting

text: arriving

text: we

text: have

text: been

text: averaging

text: about

text: one

text: Enrique

text: Torres

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: Chihuahua

text: Joint

text: Operation

text: said

text: by

text: Sunday

text: there

text: will

text: be

text: military

text: personnel

text: federal

text: police

text: and

text: city

text: police

text: working

text: together

text: to

text: patrol

text: the

text: city

text: and

text: aggressively

text: fight

text: the

text: cartels

text: We

text: are

text: launching

text: a

text: full

text: frontal

text: attack

text: Torres

text: said

text: We

text: will

text: also

text: be

text: tackling

text: other

text: types

text: of

text: organized

text: crime

text: money

text: laundering

text: and

text: kidnappings

text: Corruption

text: among

text: the

text: police

text: force

text: has

text: been

text: a

text: major

text: concern

text: to

text: local

text: and

text: international

text: authorities

text: Torres

text: said

text: the

text: city

text: has

text: been

text: preparing

text: for

text: a

text: year

text: to

text: clean

text: up

text: the

text: local

text: police

text: Watch

text: panel

text: discuss

text: escalating

text: drug

text: war

text: Â

text: Already

text: he

text: said

text: more

text: than

text: city

text: police

text: officers

text: have

text: been

text: fired

text: because

text: they

text: failed

text: to

text: pass

text: the

text: trust

text: test

text: As

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: clean

text: up

text: federal

text: authorities

text: have

text: been

text: requiring

text: officers

text: to

text: take

text: a

text: polygraph

text: test

text: To

text: prevent

text: corruption

text: among

text: the

text: just

text: arrived

text: soldiers

text: Torres

text: said

text: they

text: will

text: be

text: frequently

text: rotated

text: They

text: will

text: only

text: work

text: in

text: the

text: region

text: one

text: to

text: two

text: months

text: and

text: then

text: they

text: will

text: be

text: sent

text: to

text: other

text: parts

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: Ferriz

text: the

text: mayor

text: said

text: government

text: officials

text: are

text: doing

text: everything

text: in

text: their

text: power

text: to

text: stop

text: the

text: violence

text: they

text: have

text: brought

text: in

text: consultants

text: from

text: Colombia

text: and

text: adapted

text: programs

text: that

text: have

text: proven

text: successful

text: there

text: such

text: as

text: a

text: civilian

text: corruption

text: watchdog

text: program

text: But

text: he

text: explained

text: that

text: a

text: big

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: problem

text: is

text: coming

text: from

text: the

text: north

text: The

text: majority

text: of

text: the

text: weapons

text: used

text: for

text: homicides

text: here

text: have

text: been

text: identified

text: as

text: coming

text: from

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: he

text: said

text: Ferriz

text: said

text: that

text: during

text: a

text: recent

text: raid

text: local

text: police

text: confiscated

text: two

text: military

text: style

text: rifles

text: Some

text: weeks

text: later

text: they

text: arrested

text: another

text: man

text: bringing

text: in

text: another

text: rifle

text: He

text: bought

text: it

text: off

text: the

text: internet

text: in

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Ferrez

text: said

text: It

text: is

text: so

text: easy

text: there

text: for

text: organized

text: crime

text: to

text: get

text: access

text: to

text: these

text: types

text: of

text: weapons

text: The

text: arms

text: and

text: cash

text: contraband

text: into

text: Mexico

text: from

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: must

text: be

text: stopped

text: Ferriz

text: siad

text: he

text: plans

text: to

text: travel

text: next

text: week

text: to

text: Washington

text: to

text: meet

text: with

text: U.S.

text: lawmakers

text: about

text: the

text: security

text: situation

text: in

text: and

text: around

text: Juarez

question: What city was the grave near?

answer: Ciudad Juarez,

text: Ciudad Juarez,

question: Where was the common grave?

answer: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,

text: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,

question: What has the city become a major front for?

answer: drug cartels

text: drug cartels

question: Where is Ciudad Juarez?

answer: Mexico,

text: Mexico,

question: Where were the nine bodies found?

answer: near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,

text: near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,