Stop tweeting and start cheering, linebacker says

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Jets linebacker to fans: Get off of the iPad and make some noise
  
• Bart Scott says the team's new stadium is quiet, blames gadgets
  
• As mobile gadgets emerge, sports leagues have responded with apps

RELATED TOPICS

• Twitter Inc.
• Apple iPad
• National Football League

(CNN) -- New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott isn't just getting ready for the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday's NFL season opener. He's taking on two additional opponents as well: Twitter and the iPad.

Scott, one of the Jets' most outspoken players, used a recent interview to call out his team's fans for being too digitally distracted.

"We have to challenge the people that [are] in the stadium now to get off their iPads and tweets and represent the stadium and get loud and make it a home-field advantage for us," Scott said Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.

Think of this as the football twist on that guy who sits behind home plate during baseball games with his cell phone glued to his ear.

Scott suggested that fans may be more apt to tinker with gadgets at the Jets' new, $1.7 billion stadium, where pricier tickets might lead to less rowdy crowds than at old Giants Stadium.

The continuing advent of mobile gadgetry has, apparently, caused sports teams to take a second look.

Before February's Super Bowl, the NFL apparently pondered whether iPads and other tablet computers would be allowed inside Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. By game time, the league had created its own Super Bowl apps for the iPad and Android devices.

"Ah, we can see it now: Fox cuts to the stands after a Green Bay Packers touchdown, only to find a quarter of the fans engrossed in watching the replay on their handheld tablets (Or, more likely, catching up on the latest ads they missed)," Noah Davis of MediaBistro wrote at the time.

For what it's worth, Scott seems to be taking his own advice and then some.

On his Twitter account, Scott hasn't tweeted in more than three days (somewhat of an anomaly among tweet-crazy pro athletes these days).

And if worse comes to worst, Daily News columnist Gary Myers has a suggestion:

"Maybe Jets fans can just turn up the volume on their iPads to make some noise."

(CNN) -- New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott isn't just getting ready for the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday's NFL season opener. He's taking on two additional opponents as well: Twitter and the iPad.

Scott, one of the Jets' most outspoken players, used a recent interview to call out his team's fans for being too digitally distracted.

"We have to challenge the people that [are] in the stadium now to get off their iPads and tweets and represent the stadium and get loud and make it a home-field advantage for us," Scott said Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.

Think of this as the football twist on that guy who sits behind home plate during baseball games with his cell phone glued to his ear.

Scott suggested that fans may be more apt to tinker with gadgets at the Jets' new, $1.7 billion stadium, where pricier tickets might lead to less rowdy crowds than at old Giants Stadium.

The continuing advent of mobile gadgetry has, apparently, caused sports teams to take a second look.

Before February's Super Bowl, the NFL apparently pondered whether iPads and other tablet computers would be allowed inside Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. By game time, the league had created its own Super Bowl apps for the iPad and Android devices.

"Ah, we can see it now: Fox cuts to the stands after a Green Bay Packers touchdown, only to find a quarter of the fans engrossed in watching the replay on their handheld tablets (Or, more likely, catching up on the latest ads they missed)," Noah Davis of MediaBistro wrote at the time.

For what it's worth, Scott seems to be taking his own advice and then some.

On his Twitter account, Scott hasn't tweeted in more than three days (somewhat of an anomaly among tweet-crazy pro athletes these days).

And if worse comes to worst, Daily News columnist Gary Myers has a suggestion:

"Maybe Jets fans can just turn up the volume on their iPads to make some noise."

Source 4SBA2H37W73H

Tecca TV: TechLife on cyborg bugs, fire surfing, pizza in space, and more! (Yahoo! News)

In this episode

• Pizza... in... SPAAAAAACE! Domino's unveils plans for the first pizza joint on the Moon
• Mind-controlled, self-powered robot bugs: University of Michigan researchers invent a tiny generator for cyborg insects
• Toss your cell phone, win a prize: Finland hosts hilariously awesome Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship
• U.S. Postal Service is going bankrupt: USPS hoping for a government miracle to avoid an email-induced default
• Hang ten… with fire! Surfer brings visually amazing addition to surfing by attaching a flare to his board

Thanks for tuning in to TechLife on Tecca TV, where we give you the 5 best technology-meets-lifestyle news stories in only 5 minutes! We try to bring a bit of Friday Fun to you each week.

Be sure to peruse the detailed show notes above to find more information on all the stories we covered in this episode. And if you missed our episode last week, be sure to check it out for our take on street-legal Batmobiles, an amazing time-lapse video of the stars, real-life bionic humans, and more.

As always, we would love your feedback on this week's episode of TechLife! Please let us know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to tune in next Friday for another episode of TechLife on Tecca TV!

This article originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

• Robo roaches dance to Gaga, not born this way
• Post-it note war declared, rages on between French office buildings
• Virgin Galactic posts job listing for commercial space astronauts

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Family: Arkansas man found dead in tub 'easily influenced'

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Cummins is "secure in his own innocence," his lawyer says
• "Dex had a very loving but trusting heart," Dexter Williams' family says in a statement
• "Anyone who knew him would agree that he was easily influenced," it says
• Williams, 24, was found dead in a hot tub next to a sleeping weatherman

(CNN) -- The family of a man whose lifeless, naked body -- wearing what appeared to be a dog collar -- was found in a hot tub next to a sleeping weatherman described him Thursday as someone who was "easily influenced."

"Dex had a very loving but trusting heart," the family of victim Dexter Paul Williams, 24, said in a statement released by their lawyer, Thomas Nichols. "Anyone who knew him would agree that he was easily influenced."

Christopher Barbour, 36, said he awoke Monday morning in his home outside Little Rock, Arkansas, to find Williams' body at the bottom of the empty tub, his face blue and purple and a chain around his neck, a Maumelle Police Department report said.

Asleep next to the corpse was KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins, 33, who had arrived at Barbour's house with Williams on Sunday night, Barbour told police.

(CNN) -- The family of a man whose lifeless, naked body -- wearing what appeared to be a dog collar -- was found in a hot tub next to a sleeping weatherman described him Thursday as someone who was "easily influenced."

"Dex had a very loving but trusting heart," the family of victim Dexter Paul Williams, 24, said in a statement released by their lawyer, Thomas Nichols. "Anyone who knew him would agree that he was easily influenced."

Christopher Barbour, 36, said he awoke Monday morning in his home outside Little Rock, Arkansas, to find Williams' body at the bottom of the empty tub, his face blue and purple and a chain around his neck, a Maumelle Police Department report said.

Asleep next to the corpse was KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins, 33, who had arrived at Barbour's house with Williams on Sunday night, Barbour told police.

In a statement issued on Cummins' behalf, lawyer Mark Hampton said Thursday that his client was devastated by the death of his friend. It added that Cummins was cooperating with authorities investigating the death and "looks forward to a conclusion of the inquiry, secure in his own innocence and confident that no foul play was involved."

On Sunday night, the three men had drunk and snorted illegal narcotics, though Barbour could not identify the drugs, according to a report by Officer Gregory Roussie. Around 10 p.m., Cummins and Williams moved into the hot tub, where Barbour joined them later; they continued drinking until Barbour retired for the night around 11, falling asleep on his couch in the living room, the report said.

Around 8 a.m. Monday, Barbour awoke to Cummins' snoring and discovered his two guests -- but no water -- in the hot tub, he told police.

"He observed that Dexter's head was lying behind Brett's left shoulder," Barbour told police, according to the report. Barbour said that after he awakened Cummins, the two men saw that Williams' face was discolored and his skin cold. Cummins screamed and ran to the living room, where he vomited next to the couch, Barbour said.

Maumelle police and fire rescue arrived at the home around 8:10, and they found Williams' body in the tub, a ring of blood around his head, the report said.

In the master bedroom, police found a pill bottle next to a pair of khaki cargo shorts on a storage ottoman, Sgt. David Collins said in his report.

No arrests had been made, but an investigation was under way, Lt. Jim Hansard told CNN on Thursday. "We don't have a crime -- yet," he said. "That's part of the investigation."

KARK made note of the incident on its website. "Our Meteorologist Brett Cummins was at the home at the time of the death and we felt we should share this with our viewers," the report said Tuesday. "Brett will not be on the air as he is mourning the loss of his friend. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Dexter Williams."

Police said they are not releasing preliminary autopsy results.

The family's statement asked for privacy. "While we are disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the death of our son, we are confident the authorities will fully investigate this tragic event," it said.

CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

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Bearish bets are on the rise

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Summer may be nearing an end, but the bears have come out to play.

Bearish bets against the S&P 500 rose to their highest levels in almost a year last month, as the benchmark index plunged nearly 18% from its April highs.

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America's most-shorted stocks These 10 S&P 500 companies have the biggest percentage of their shares on loan. Company Short interest GameStop 31.1% U.S. Steel 17.5% First Solar 16.3% Pulte Group 15.9% Pitney Bowes 15.5% Federated Investors 15.4% Teradyne 14.8% RR Donnelley 13.9% JC Penney 13.2% AK Steel 12.8% Source:Data Explorers. Data as of Sept. 6. web

The level of short interest in the S&P 500 (SPX) spiked to 3.03% at the end of August, according Data Explorers, a New York-based research firm that tracks short sales. At the start of the month, the level stood at 2.37%.

When investors "short" a stock, they borrow shares and quickly sell them with the hopes of buying them back later at a lower price.

"Increased uncertainties related to the budget process, the economic recovery and the European debt crisis" are a big reason why investors are wagering that stocks will continue to drop, said Todd Salamone, senior vice president at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Washington's ugly debate over raising the debt ceiling followed by Standard and Poor's credit downgrade at the start of August left a bad taste in investors' mouths.

The events acted as the catalyst for extreme volatility and a bruising sell-off in stocks, as investors also grappled with fears the U.S. economy would fall back into a recession and Europe's debt problems would spiral out of control.

None of those issues have been resolved.

"It almost goes without saying that short sellers have had a tough time making money during the last few years of the bull market," said Salamone. "But the landscape is changing, and they aren't feeling pressure at all right now."

During all of the recent market turmoil, stocks have dropped into negative territory for the year and below key technical levels that tend to support the market. Those trends typically favor short sellers, Salamone.

On top of that, negative sentiment among hedge fund managers is at its highest level in a year, according to the TrimTabs/BarclayHedge latest monthly survey. About half of the 86 hedge fund managers surveyed said they don't think the government will be able to agree on a deficit package, and 56% said they think the economy is already in a recession or will enter one soon.

Big hedge funds are getting slaughtered

Ryan Bend, a portfolio manager of the Federated Prudent Bear Fund (BEARX), has been bulking up the short positions in his fund recently, which range anywhere from 70% to 100% of the portfolio . For the first half of the year, the fund's short exposure was around 80%. By the end of July, the most recent data available, Bend boosted that to more than 90%.

"We're always looking for signals that confirm the bear thesis, and if we see a lot of them, we increase our short exposure," Bend said. "We've been running on cylinder for several weeks, and from our perspective, the fund is well positioned."

During August, the bear fund booked its best returns in a year, nearing 5%. The biggest wagers were placed against technology, financial and consumer discretionary stocks.

The consumer discretionary sector is picking up the greatest amount of short interest, with an average of more than 4% of total shares out on loan, according to research from Data Explorers.

GameStop (GME, Fortune 500) is the most shorted stock in the S&P 500, as investors worry about the video game retailer's slashed profit forecast and its struggles with declining store traffic amid increased competition from the digital world.

Department store chain JC Penney (JCP, Fortune 500) is also a highly shorted stock, as is Netflix (NFLX), whose stock has jumped 20% from the start of the year.

Other big names favored by short sellers include U.S. Steel (X, Fortune 500) and Pitney Bowes (PBI, Fortune 500).

0:00 / 5:56 This bear fund eats smoked stocks

As long as investors continue to doubt the strength of the economic recovery, Washington's ability to reach a compromise on the nation's deficit, and Europe's control over its money troubles, short interest is likely to keep rising.

"Investors are looking for some clarity, and until they get that, they'll stay cautious and protect themselves by short selling." said Nathan Rowader, director of investments at Forward Management.

But short selling activity probably won't near the peaks of the 2008-2009 bear market panic.

"They're just using short positions to take away some of the risk off the table," Rowader said. "Investors are unwilling to keep selling because stocks are still attractive in an environment where the Federal Reserve has intervened and valuations are as low as they are."

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Bernanke to Congress: Don't sacrifice recovery

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Sounding a bit like a broken record, Ben Bernanke once again urged lawmakers to not put the recovery at risk as they focus on slashing government spending over the long haul.

While the Federal Reserve Chairman's comments were nothing new, they seemed perfectly timed to coincide with the first meeting of the 12-member bipartisan debt super committee Thursday.

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"While prompt and decisive action to put the federal government's finances on a sustainable trajectory is urgently needed, fiscal policymakers should not, as a consequence, disregard the fragility of the economic recovery," Bernanke said in a speech in Minneapolis.

Bernanke has long urged lawmakers to bring the government's finances under control and rein in spending -- but over the long-term. In the short-term, he cautioned against massive government cuts that could squelch the already sluggish recovery.

"Fortunately, the two goals--achieving fiscal sustainability...and avoiding creation of fiscal headwinds for the recovery--are not incompatible," he said.

Reiterating his comments from a speech in Jackson Hole, Wy. two weeks ago, Bernanke also said the Federal Reserve stands ready to act if needed.

"The Federal Reserve will certainly do all that it can to help restore high rates of growth and employment," he said, repeating that sentence word-for-word from the Jackson Hole speech.

But he fell short of hinting of any specific measures.

0:00 / 3:54 Obama's uneven track record on jobs

"The Federal Reserve has a range of tools that could be used to provide additional monetary stimulus," he said.

The Fed's policymaking committee is next scheduled to meet Sept. 20 and 21. That two-day meeting was originally slated to last for one day. Economists who closely watch the central bank speculate that the Fed may use the extra day to consider a stimulus measure known as Operation Twist.

Under such a policy, the Fed would replace some of the short-term bonds already on its balance sheet, with longer-term Treasuries. The controversial move, last done in the 1960s, is meant to encourage lending and borrowing by bringing long-term interest rates down.

It's called a "twist" because it brings short-term bond rates up and long-term rates down.

Even though the Fed has pledged to keep its benchmark federal funds rate near zero until the middle of 2013, if the Fed were to sell short-term securities, such as 3-month Treasury bills, that could raise their rates. The benefit of such a program is that the Fed would not have to print more money to buy more long-term bonds.

Other possible tools could include lowering the rate the Fed currently pays banks to keep cash on reserve, or laying out explicit guidelines for how the central bank would react to changes in inflation or the unemployment rate.

Stimulus added jobs -- but not enough

Answering questions after his speech, Bernanke defended himself against critics who say the Fed's policies have recently led to a weaker dollar.

The Fed's efforts to keep inflation in check and promote a stronger recovery both help the dollar in the long run, he said.

"Ultimately the policy of maximum employment and price stability is consistent with a strong dollar policy," Bernanke said.

Bernanke also addressed dissent within the Fed. Three regional Fed presidents formally voted against Bernanke at the central banks' August meeting, but Bernanke said he welcomes internal debate and opposing views.

"There's a reason why it's a committee. There are 19 people around the table when we meet to discuss monetary policy," he said. "My view is, if two people always agree, one of them is redundant."

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Arkansas man found dead in tub 'easily influenced,' family says

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Cummins is "secure in his own innocence," his lawyer says
• "Dex had a very loving but trusting heart," Dexter Williams' family says in a statement
• "Anyone who knew him would agree that he was easily influenced," it says
• Williams, 24, was found dead in a hot tub next to a sleeping weatherman

(CNN) -- The family of a man whose lifeless, naked body -- wearing what appeared to be a dog collar -- was found in a hot tub next to a sleeping weatherman described him Thursday as someone who was "easily influenced."

"Dex had a very loving but trusting heart," the family of victim Dexter Paul Williams, 24, said in a statement released by their lawyer, Thomas Nichols. "Anyone who knew him would agree that he was easily influenced."

Christopher Barbour, 36, said he awoke Monday morning in his home outside Little Rock, Arkansas, to find Williams' body at the bottom of the empty tub, his face blue and purple and a chain around his neck, a Maumelle Police Department report said.

Asleep next to the corpse was KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins, 33, who had arrived at Barbour's house with Williams on Sunday night, Barbour told police.

In a statement issued on Cummins' behalf, lawyer Mark Hampton said Thursday that his client was devastated by the death of his friend. It added that Cummins was cooperating with authorities investigating the death and "looks forward to a conclusion of the inquiry, secure in his own innocence and confident that no foul play was involved."

On Sunday night, the three men had drunk and snorted illegal narcotics, though Barbour could not identify the drugs, according to a report by Officer Gregory Roussie. Around 10 p.m., Cummins and Williams moved into the hot tub, where Barbour joined them later; they continued drinking until Barbour retired for the night around 11, falling asleep on his couch in the living room, the report said.

Around 8 a.m. Monday, Barbour awoke to Cummins' snoring and discovered his two guests -- but no water -- in the hot tub, he told police.

"He observed that Dexter's head was lying behind Brett's left shoulder," Barbour told police, according to the report. Barbour said that after he awakened Cummins, the two men saw that Williams' face was discolored and his skin cold. Cummins screamed and ran to the living room, where he vomited next to the couch, Barbour said.

Maumelle police and fire rescue arrived at the home around 8:10, and they found Williams' body in the tub, a ring of blood around his head, the report said.

In the master bedroom, police found a pill bottle next to a pair of khaki cargo shorts on a storage ottoman, Sgt. David Collins said in his report.

No arrests had been made, but an investigation was under way, Lt. Jim Hansard told CNN on Thursday. "We don't have a crime -- yet," he said. "That's part of the investigation."

KARK made note of the incident on its website. "Our Meteorologist Brett Cummins was at the home at the time of the death and we felt we should share this with our viewers," the report said Tuesday. "Brett will not be on the air as he is mourning the loss of his friend. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Dexter Williams."

Police said they are not releasing preliminary autopsy results.

The family's statement asked for privacy. "While we are disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the death of our son, we are confident the authorities will fully investigate this tragic event," it said.

CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

(CNN) -- The family of a man whose lifeless, naked body -- wearing what appeared to be a dog collar -- was found in a hot tub next to a sleeping weatherman described him Thursday as someone who was "easily influenced."

"Dex had a very loving but trusting heart," the family of victim Dexter Paul Williams, 24, said in a statement released by their lawyer, Thomas Nichols. "Anyone who knew him would agree that he was easily influenced."

Christopher Barbour, 36, said he awoke Monday morning in his home outside Little Rock, Arkansas, to find Williams' body at the bottom of the empty tub, his face blue and purple and a chain around his neck, a Maumelle Police Department report said.

Asleep next to the corpse was KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins, 33, who had arrived at Barbour's house with Williams on Sunday night, Barbour told police.

In a statement issued on Cummins' behalf, lawyer Mark Hampton said Thursday that his client was devastated by the death of his friend. It added that Cummins was cooperating with authorities investigating the death and "looks forward to a conclusion of the inquiry, secure in his own innocence and confident that no foul play was involved."

On Sunday night, the three men had drunk and snorted illegal narcotics, though Barbour could not identify the drugs, according to a report by Officer Gregory Roussie. Around 10 p.m., Cummins and Williams moved into the hot tub, where Barbour joined them later; they continued drinking until Barbour retired for the night around 11, falling asleep on his couch in the living room, the report said.

Around 8 a.m. Monday, Barbour awoke to Cummins' snoring and discovered his two guests -- but no water -- in the hot tub, he told police.

"He observed that Dexter's head was lying behind Brett's left shoulder," Barbour told police, according to the report. Barbour said that after he awakened Cummins, the two men saw that Williams' face was discolored and his skin cold. Cummins screamed and ran to the living room, where he vomited next to the couch, Barbour said.

Maumelle police and fire rescue arrived at the home around 8:10, and they found Williams' body in the tub, a ring of blood around his head, the report said.

In the master bedroom, police found a pill bottle next to a pair of khaki cargo shorts on a storage ottoman, Sgt. David Collins said in his report.

No arrests had been made, but an investigation was under way, Lt. Jim Hansard told CNN on Thursday. "We don't have a crime -- yet," he said. "That's part of the investigation."

KARK made note of the incident on its website. "Our Meteorologist Brett Cummins was at the home at the time of the death and we felt we should share this with our viewers," the report said Tuesday. "Brett will not be on the air as he is mourning the loss of his friend. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Dexter Williams."

Police said they are not releasing preliminary autopsy results.

The family's statement asked for privacy. "While we are disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the death of our son, we are confident the authorities will fully investigate this tragic event," it said.

CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

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The death of a friend -- and an empowered patient

(CNN) -- It's never easy when you get that phone call, even when you've known for years that it might be coming. But on Friday, I got the call that someone I loved had died.

Just five days earlier, my friend Marci and I had been making plans for our kids to go trick-or-treating together, and now she's gone. I can't write that Marci Smith lost her battle with brain cancer, because Marci hated that phrase. Her husband, Tim, thinks she just didn't like the concept of losing at anything.

Actually, in my book, she beat cancer. Her disease was diagnosed when she was 43, when her son Joshua was 3 years old. Her doctor told her that statistically speaking, she had three to six months to live. That was in February 2007.

She beat cancer not just in the length of the time she survived, but in how she lived these last 4 years. As the cancer invaded Marci's brain and the chemotherapy poisoned her body, her spirit remained clean. She never expressed anger to me that she got cancer at such a young age and with such a young child, even though she certainly would have been entitled to.

It's not that Marci sugar-coated her illness: Tim remembers she was scared when she got the diagnosis, and she talked to me and her other friends about the brain surgeries and the awful side effects of the chemo. But Marci lived full speed ahead until she couldn't live anymore. She knew cancer would ultimately end her life, but she didn't let it ruin the life she had left.

"She was such a happy, positive person," Tim told me after her death. "She just wanted to enjoy every minute she had left. She never wanted to talk about 'what happens if I die.' "

Instead, Marci planned for life. She'd always wanted to visit all 50 states, and so over the past four years, she and Tim and Joshua visited the states she hadn't been to yet. She wanted to see Israel and Scotland, too, and the three of them took trips there. When a teenage family member needed her help, she took him into her home, since helping family and friends meant everything to her.

Marci taught me so much about living, and so much about being a smart patient. She was one of the first people I wrote about when I started the Empowered Patient column shortly after her diagnosis, and our frequent discussions about doctors and hospitals and treatments and choices have informed my writing since. Marci was the ultimate empowered patient, as she diagnosed her own cancer.

When her cancer was first diagnosed, doctors told Marci she had leiomyosarcoma, a particularly rare and aggressive form of cancer. A licensed practical nurse, Marci looked up the diagnosis online and called to tell me that something sounded strange -- she had the leiomyosarcoma only in her brain and nowhere else, and such leiomyosarcoma cases are so rare, they get written up in medical journals. Plus, people with leiomyosarcoma often have had diseases like HIV, or have had lots of radiation earlier in life. Marci had neither.

Her oncologist wanted Marci to start chemo right away, but she refused. Instead, she and Tim flew to a hospital in Florida that specialized in sarcomas, where they confirmed she didn't have leiomyosarcoma, but rather a much more common type of tumor, a glioblastoma multiforme.

If Marci had simply accepted her first diagnosis, she would have received the wrong treatment and most likely would have died quite quickly. She lived for 4 years -- she lived to see her son's seventh birthday -- because she was smart and she trusted her gut, the most important part of being an empowered patient.

Marci was in her kitchen the last time I visited her, surrounded by Tim, Joshua, her mother, and aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. The weekends at her house were like that, as she sustained a community for herself, her husband and son. I'd never seen a house so full of life in the face of death, but that's because Marci embraced all that was good no matter what horrible things lay ahead.

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Flier busted for phoning in flight

(CNN) -- Southwest Airlines confirmed Wednesday that it called the cops on a passenger who turned his phone on too soon during a flight to El Paso, Texas.

The passenger, identified only as a male, turned his phone on as his Southwest flight was descending for landing at El Paso on Monday evening, Southwest said in a statement.

The crew apparently asked the passenger to turn off his device, but "the customer did not comply, and we had the El Paso authorities meet the aircraft upon arrival," the statement said.

The airline did not offer further details about the incident or what happened to the passenger. The El Paso Police Department referred calls to the FBI office in El Paso. That office's public information officer did not immediately return calls Wednesday.

CNN's Matthew Carey contributed to this report.

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What's wrong with Stockholm

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Stockholm is so attractive that your feelings will toggle between admiration and jealousy
• How about this for expensive: You can pay $22 for a mediocre martini
• If you avoid boozing and be smart about where you eat, the prices won't make you cry
• Stockholm is part of a 24,000-island archipelago

RELATED TOPICS

• Stockholm
• Travel and Tourism

Brendan Francis Newnam hosts a national public radio show called "The Dinner Party Download" produced by American Public Media. He's the author of the CNN.com travel column "The State I'm In." Follow him on Twitter @bnewnam.

(CNN) -- A $22 martini. And this wasn't a martini served with gold flakes and unicorn eyelashes, either. In fact, it was barely a martini.

It was two oily Kalamata olives covered in an ounce of gin and an ounce of something that wasn't vermouth.

It was the worst thing-called-a-martini I've ever had. And the most expensive thing-called-a-martini I've ever paid for. And I won't let myself forget it, because it's the only thing I found wrong with the entire city of Stockholm.

I know what you're thinking: Surprise! A travel writer likes a place that he visited.

And it's true, travel stories tend to be as hard-hitting as a Dick Cheney interview on Fox. But believe me when I tell you that a short visit to Stockholm in the summer will have you seriously thinking about applying for a job at IKEA ... in Sweden.

In fact, Stockholm is so attractive and so user-friendly that your feelings about it will toggle between admiration and jealousy. It's like the neighbor with the groomed yard, the successful career and the loving family. Part of you aspires to be her. Another part wants to start negative rumors about her and tear up her yard by doing donuts on it in your unwashed Toyota Camry.

"Well, it's really expensive over there," you think. "At least they have that going against them."

And it's true it ain't cheap (See: aforementioned thing-called-a-martini), but it's kind of like dining at a baseball stadium: If you avoid boozing and be smart about where you eat, the prices won't make you cry.

I found a intercontinental flight to Stockholm from Croatia for 60 bucks. And for lodging, I used Air BnB, a newish website where people rent their homes when they are not using them.

My girlfriend and I found a one-bedroom apartment in central Stockholm for $650 a week. It included a kitchen where you could save money by cooking and a comfortable couch where you could save money by watching Swedish television and pretending you are actually walking around Sweden.

"Venice of the North"

"You Americans?" asked the guy sitting next to us. He was a just-this-side-of-handsome middle-aged man sitting with his long-blond-haired, red-bearded, modern Viking friend.

"Yes."

"We'd like to buy you a drink."

"Why?"

"Because we feel bad that you lost your 'A.' " Earlier that day, Standard & Poor's had downgraded America's credit.

So much for overcoming my attraction to Stockholm by dismissing the Swedes as cold and humorless.

The Joker and the Viking were just back from their month and a half summer vacations out on the islands. And lest you think my girlfriend and I had fallen in with Sweden's wealthy elite, you should know that almost everyone on Sweden speaks English, everyone has a minimum of five weeks vacation, and most people have vacation homes -- with 600,000 summer cottages, it has the highest number of second homes per capita in the entire world.

This would be a good place to tell you that Stockholm is part of a 24,000-island archipelago. Many of the country's summer cottages are on these islands, and Stockholm itself is spread out across 14 of them.

The city has been dubbed "Venice of the North," which (save for the fact that the water is clean and you can swim in it it and eat fish from it) seems apropos. The whole city is infused with maritime culture. Viking relics are strewn across the town's near 100 museums.

A painstakingly restored 64-gun warship from the 17th century is the centerpiece of the beloved Vasa Museum. And mountains of incredible seafood abound, both figuratively at classic Swedish restaurants like Tranan and Pelikan and literally at the city's food markets. The most stunning is Ostermalm Food Hall, where the ice-packed fish counter looks like Atlantis at low tide.

The Joker and the Viking taught us something else the night we met them: Sweden is in the middle of the "vodka belt," a ribbon of countries in Europe whose natives really like vodka a lot.

Perhaps not surprising for the home of Absolut but still an adjustment for visitors from the wine-with-dinner belt.

Living the good life

Sweden's also awash in beer of varying colors and varying strengths. And that night, with the help of our new friends, my girlfriend and I consumed all of the above until the sun came up. Which is less decadent than you might think, since in Stockholm during July, the sun rises around 3:30 in the morning.

The next day, we skipped breakfast and went directly to "fika," a noun/verb that means "break," as in coffee break. A coffee break that is usually accompanied by sweet baked goods. The cinnamon bun is the local favorite, but I fell hard for cardamom buns, which have all the same gooey texture as cinnamon buns but with a hot edge courtesy of the cardamom.

"Fika" is a big part of Swedish culture. Blending work with coffee breaks with friends and colleagues is one way to achieve "lagom," another hardly translatable Swedish word that roughly means "just enough." Not too much. Not too little.

Some say the word is a contraction of "laget om" ("around the team"), a phrase used in Viking times to specify how much one should drink from the horn as it is passed around in order for everyone to receive a fair share. Everyone receiving their fair share is a philosophy that lies at the root of Swedish society.

A coffee shop is a good place to witness the practical affects of "lagom." Amidst the pastries and the (extremely attractive!) people, one finds lots of men with one hand cradling a coffee and the other rocking a stroller.

On-duty dads are everywhere. This is not only because Sweden takes feminism very seriously ("lagom") but because Sweden has some of the most generous paternity benefits in the world. Families receive 13 months paid paternity leave per child, and two of those months are reserved for fathers so they too can raise their child.

Lagom.

The rest of our trip was filled with these sort of frustratingly beautiful and pleasant truths about Sweden: public transportation that was clean and on time. More vibrant neighborhoods than you are able to explore in a week, from schmancy Ostermalm to the medieval splendor of Gamla Stan (Stockholm's old town). Superb design everywhere, from light switches to community bikes (!).

Our last day there, we ogled people and boutique shops in trendy Sodermalm and saw a hare the size of a bumper car while strolling through one of the city's many parks. This all happened under a sky so electrifying -- a mottle of purple, blue, gray, white, orange and yellow -- that every hour or so, you found yourself standing still and staring up.

We ended our trip at a broad terrace bar overlooking the city.

"What's not to like about this place?" we wondered. Then I received my $22 thing-they-called-a-martini.

(CNN) -- A $22 martini. And this wasn't a martini served with gold flakes and unicorn eyelashes, either. In fact, it was barely a martini.

It was two oily Kalamata olives covered in an ounce of gin and an ounce of something that wasn't vermouth.

It was the worst thing-called-a-martini I've ever had. And the most expensive thing-called-a-martini I've ever paid for. And I won't let myself forget it, because it's the only thing I found wrong with the entire city of Stockholm.

I know what you're thinking: Surprise! A travel writer likes a place that he visited.

And it's true, travel stories tend to be as hard-hitting as a Dick Cheney interview on Fox. But believe me when I tell you that a short visit to Stockholm in the summer will have you seriously thinking about applying for a job at IKEA ... in Sweden.

In fact, Stockholm is so attractive and so user-friendly that your feelings about it will toggle between admiration and jealousy. It's like the neighbor with the groomed yard, the successful career and the loving family. Part of you aspires to be her. Another part wants to start negative rumors about her and tear up her yard by doing donuts on it in your unwashed Toyota Camry.

"Well, it's really expensive over there," you think. "At least they have that going against them."

And it's true it ain't cheap (See: aforementioned thing-called-a-martini), but it's kind of like dining at a baseball stadium: If you avoid boozing and be smart about where you eat, the prices won't make you cry.

I found a intercontinental flight to Stockholm from Croatia for 60 bucks. And for lodging, I used Air BnB, a newish website where people rent their homes when they are not using them.

My girlfriend and I found a one-bedroom apartment in central Stockholm for $650 a week. It included a kitchen where you could save money by cooking and a comfortable couch where you could save money by watching Swedish television and pretending you are actually walking around Sweden.

"Venice of the North"

"You Americans?" asked the guy sitting next to us. He was a just-this-side-of-handsome middle-aged man sitting with his long-blond-haired, red-bearded, modern Viking friend.

"Yes."

"We'd like to buy you a drink."

"Why?"

"Because we feel bad that you lost your 'A.' " Earlier that day, Standard & Poor's had downgraded America's credit.

So much for overcoming my attraction to Stockholm by dismissing the Swedes as cold and humorless.

The Joker and the Viking were just back from their month and a half summer vacations out on the islands. And lest you think my girlfriend and I had fallen in with Sweden's wealthy elite, you should know that almost everyone on Sweden speaks English, everyone has a minimum of five weeks vacation, and most people have vacation homes -- with 600,000 summer cottages, it has the highest number of second homes per capita in the entire world.

This would be a good place to tell you that Stockholm is part of a 24,000-island archipelago. Many of the country's summer cottages are on these islands, and Stockholm itself is spread out across 14 of them.

The city has been dubbed "Venice of the North," which (save for the fact that the water is clean and you can swim in it it and eat fish from it) seems apropos. The whole city is infused with maritime culture. Viking relics are strewn across the town's near 100 museums.

A painstakingly restored 64-gun warship from the 17th century is the centerpiece of the beloved Vasa Museum. And mountains of incredible seafood abound, both figuratively at classic Swedish restaurants like Tranan and Pelikan and literally at the city's food markets. The most stunning is Ostermalm Food Hall, where the ice-packed fish counter looks like Atlantis at low tide.

The Joker and the Viking taught us something else the night we met them: Sweden is in the middle of the "vodka belt," a ribbon of countries in Europe whose natives really like vodka a lot.

Perhaps not surprising for the home of Absolut but still an adjustment for visitors from the wine-with-dinner belt.

Living the good life

Sweden's also awash in beer of varying colors and varying strengths. And that night, with the help of our new friends, my girlfriend and I consumed all of the above until the sun came up. Which is less decadent than you might think, since in Stockholm during July, the sun rises around 3:30 in the morning.

The next day, we skipped breakfast and went directly to "fika," a noun/verb that means "break," as in coffee break. A coffee break that is usually accompanied by sweet baked goods. The cinnamon bun is the local favorite, but I fell hard for cardamom buns, which have all the same gooey texture as cinnamon buns but with a hot edge courtesy of the cardamom.

"Fika" is a big part of Swedish culture. Blending work with coffee breaks with friends and colleagues is one way to achieve "lagom," another hardly translatable Swedish word that roughly means "just enough." Not too much. Not too little.

Some say the word is a contraction of "laget om" ("around the team"), a phrase used in Viking times to specify how much one should drink from the horn as it is passed around in order for everyone to receive a fair share. Everyone receiving their fair share is a philosophy that lies at the root of Swedish society.

A coffee shop is a good place to witness the practical affects of "lagom." Amidst the pastries and the (extremely attractive!) people, one finds lots of men with one hand cradling a coffee and the other rocking a stroller.

On-duty dads are everywhere. This is not only because Sweden takes feminism very seriously ("lagom") but because Sweden has some of the most generous paternity benefits in the world. Families receive 13 months paid paternity leave per child, and two of those months are reserved for fathers so they too can raise their child.

Lagom.

The rest of our trip was filled with these sort of frustratingly beautiful and pleasant truths about Sweden: public transportation that was clean and on time. More vibrant neighborhoods than you are able to explore in a week, from schmancy Ostermalm to the medieval splendor of Gamla Stan (Stockholm's old town). Superb design everywhere, from light switches to community bikes (!).

Our last day there, we ogled people and boutique shops in trendy Sodermalm and saw a hare the size of a bumper car while strolling through one of the city's many parks. This all happened under a sky so electrifying -- a mottle of purple, blue, gray, white, orange and yellow -- that every hour or so, you found yourself standing still and staring up.

We ended our trip at a broad terrace bar overlooking the city.

"What's not to like about this place?" we wondered. Then I received my $22 thing-they-called-a-martini.

Source

Bernanke to Congress: Don't sacrifice recovery

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Sounding a bit like a broken record, Ben Bernanke once again urged lawmakers to not put the recovery at risk as they focus on slashing government spending over the long haul.

While the Federal Reserve Chairman's comments were nothing new, they seemed perfectly timed to coincide with the first meeting of the 12-member bipartisan debt super committee Thursday.

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"While prompt and decisive action to put the federal government's finances on a sustainable trajectory is urgently needed, fiscal policymakers should not, as a consequence, disregard the fragility of the economic recovery," Bernanke said in a speech in Minneapolis.

Bernanke has long urged lawmakers to bring the government's finances under control and rein in spending -- but over the long-term. In the short-term, he cautioned against massive government cuts that could squelch the already sluggish recovery.

"Fortunately, the two goals--achieving fiscal sustainability...and avoiding creation of fiscal headwinds for the recovery--are not incompatible," he said.

Reiterating his comments from a speech in Jackson Hole, Wy. two weeks ago, Bernanke also said the Federal Reserve stands ready to act if needed.

"The Federal Reserve will certainly do all that it can to help restore high rates of growth and employment," he said, repeating that sentence word-for-word from the Jackson Hole speech.

But he fell short of hinting of any specific measures.

0:00 / 3:54 Obama's uneven track record on jobs

"The Federal Reserve has a range of tools that could be used to provide additional monetary stimulus," he said.

The Fed's policymaking committee is next scheduled to meet Sept. 20 and 21. That two-day meeting was originally slated to last for one day. Economists who closely watch the central bank speculate that the Fed may use the extra day to consider a stimulus measure known as Operation Twist.

Under such a policy, the Fed would replace some of the short-term bonds already on its balance sheet, with longer-term Treasuries. The controversial move, last done in the 1960s, is meant to encourage lending and borrowing by bringing long-term interest rates down.

It's called a "twist" because it brings short-term bond rates up and long-term rates down.

Even though the Fed has pledged to keep its benchmark federal funds rate near zero until the middle of 2013, if the Fed were to sell short-term securities, such as 3-month Treasury bills, that could raise their rates. The benefit of such a program is that the Fed would not have to print more money to buy more long-term bonds.

Other possible tools could include lowering the rate the Fed currently pays banks to keep cash on reserve, or laying out explicit guidelines for how the central bank would react to changes in inflation or the unemployment rate.

Stimulus added jobs -- but not enough

Answering questions after his speech, Bernanke defended himself against critics who say the Fed's policies have recently led to a weaker dollar.

The Fed's efforts to keep inflation in check and promote a stronger recovery both help the dollar in the long run, he said.

"Ultimately the policy of maximum employment and price stability is consistent with a strong dollar policy," Bernanke said.

Bernanke also addressed dissent within the Fed. Three regional Fed presidents formally voted against Bernanke at the central banks' August meeting, but Bernanke said he welcomes internal debate and opposing views.

"There's a reason why it's a committee. There are 19 people around the table when we meet to discuss monetary policy," he said. "My view is, if two people always agree, one of them is redundant."

Source

Father demands release of captured Israeli (AP)

UNITED NATIONS – The father of an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas-allied militants more than five years ago called on the international community Thursday to demand the release of his son as a precondition for recognition of Palestine as a U.N. member state.

Gilad Schalit was captured inside Israel in June 2006 and has been held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas has demanded the release of hundreds of prisoners, including many who carried out deadly attacks on Israeli civilians, in exchange for Schalit.

The father, Noam Schalit, told a news conference that he came to New York to meet with diplomats from many countries and U.N. officials to press for his son's release ahead of expected Palestinian moves seeking U.N. recognition later this month.

He said the Palestinian U.N. observer mission turned down a request to meet with him, but he said he met with senior officials from the U.N., United States, Britain, France, Russia and Italy.

He thanked U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice for demanding his son's immediate release and U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos, who promised to "use all her channels to tell the Palestinians ... to comply with international humanitarian law" and allow Red Cross visits to him.

In a letter from Schalit's parents to governments released at the press conference, Noam and Aviva Schalit said: "We demand that the recognition of Palestine as a U.N. member state be preconditioned on a genuine, explicit and United Nations-monitored undertaking by the Palestinian Authority to comply with international law and to immediately release our son."

Noam Schalit said the last word from his son was in September 2009 and "we do not even know if he is alive."

At all his meetings in New York, Schalit said he has stressed that the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, signed a coalition agreement with Hamas last April.

"The Palestinian Authority cannot be allowed to ignore the commission of a grave breach of international humanitarian law by its coalition partner at the same time that it seeks the legitimacy and recognition of the international community," he said.

The Schalit family favors a Palestinian state existing side-by-side in peace with Israel but is not taking a position on the Palestinian request for U.N. recognition.

Egypt took charge of negotiations between Israel and Hamas from 2006-2009, and Schalit said there are attempts by Egypt's new government to take charge again. "So far, we haven't got any news about any breakthrough or any developments," he said.

Source

Military investigating Navy medic in bomb threat (AP)

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – The Marine Corps is taking over the investigation of a Navy medic who was arrested after Camp Pendleton officials found a threatening note in his barracks that prompted a high school evacuation, officials said Thursday.

Daniel Morgan will remain in the brig while military officials determine what charges to pursue against the 22-year-old accused of writing a note that said he had planted explosives at nearby San Clemente High School, said Camp Pendleton spokesman 1st Lt. Eric Flanagan.

Marine officials searched Morgan's barracks after he failed to report for duty Wednesday morning. When they found the note, the base contacted law enforcement in Orange County, which borders the base.

Authorities in San Clemente evacuated 3,200 students and 180 faculty members on the first day of school as bomb squads scoured the campus for explosives. None were found, and Camp Pendleton officials said no military-grade explosives were stolen from the base. Morgan turned himself in to base officials Wednesday afternoon.

Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said Thursday his department will not press charges because the threat originated on the base. Amormino added that investigators so far have found no connection between Morgan and the school, which sits only a few miles from the northern gate of Camp Pendleton.

Marine Corps officials declined to release details about Morgan or his military experience until he is formally charged.

Source

Actress Witherspoon hit by car, not seriously injured

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Witherspoon, 35 was struck by car while jogging Wednesday morning
• The driver of the car, 84, was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian
• Witherspoon is at home resting comfortably, her spokesperson says

(CNN) -- Reese Witherspoon was struck by a car Wednesday while out for a run in Santa Monica, California, but was not seriously injured, a spokesperson for the actress confirmed.

Police said Witherspoon was jogging around 11 a.m. near 20th Street and Georgina Avenue when she was struck, according to CNN Los Angeles affiliate KTLA.

Police said her injuries were minor, and her spokesperson, Nanci Ryder, said the actress was at home resting comfortably.

Police say the driver was an 84-year-old woman from Santa Monica, KTLA reported. She was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and released.

Witherspoon, 35, won an Oscar in 2006 for her role as June Carter in "Walk The Line." She has two children with her ex-husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, and earlier this year married Jim Toth, a Hollywood agent.

(CNN) -- Reese Witherspoon was struck by a car Wednesday while out for a run in Santa Monica, California, but was not seriously injured, a spokesperson for the actress confirmed.

Police said Witherspoon was jogging around 11 a.m. near 20th Street and Georgina Avenue when she was struck, according to CNN Los Angeles affiliate KTLA.

Police said her injuries were minor, and her spokesperson, Nanci Ryder, said the actress was at home resting comfortably.

Police say the driver was an 84-year-old woman from Santa Monica, KTLA reported. She was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and released.

Witherspoon, 35, won an Oscar in 2006 for her role as June Carter in "Walk The Line." She has two children with her ex-husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, and earlier this year married Jim Toth, a Hollywood agent.

Source

NYC mayor: NYPD not unfair in surveillance (AP)

NEW YORK – New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the New York Police Department's surveillance of the city's ethnic neighborhoods had not unfairly targeted any group in an effort to root out possible terror connections, and compared it to screening kids for measles.

An Associated Press investigation found that NYPD dispatched undercover officers into ethnic communities to monitor daily life and scrutinized more than 250 mosques and Muslim student groups in the years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Bloomberg refused to comment directly on the details of the AP's investigation. Later in an interview he said: "If there is a community where the crime rate is very high, to not put more cops in that community is ridiculous. If you want to look for cases of measles, you'll find a lot more of them among young people. That's not targeting young people to go see whether they have measles or not."

The mayor's comments Wednesday offered a revealing glimpse into how Bloomberg believes the city's law enforcement officials should walk what he says is a fine line — protecting the city against attack while upholding constitutional protections.

"I believe we should do what we have to do to keep us safe. And we have to be consistent with the Constitution and with people's rights. We live in a dangerous world, and we have to be very proactive in making sure that we prevent terrorism," he had said earlier in the day.

A number of advocates have questioned whether the NYPD's policies have gone too far as the department put many innocent people under scrutiny while hunting for terrorists. Several Muslim civil rights groups and a New York congresswoman have urged the Department of Justice to investigate the department for what critics see as racial profiling.

Bloomberg said no one should generalize about any group, but authorities must respond to the threat of criminal activity.

"What I find disgraceful is the automatic assumption that (in) any one religious group, everybody's a terrorist. That's not true. It is true that you can go to certain places where people give sermons and a lot of them are anti-American. But that doesn't mean that everybody is a terrorist," he said.

"But if you've got a clergyperson preaching anarchy, do you really think the police department shouldn't try to send somebody and listen and see if they're trying to foment a riot? You can't wait till the riot's on the streets," he said.

The AP's investigation found that the NYPD Intelligence Division maintained a list of 28 countries that, along with "American Black Muslim," it considered to be "ancestries of interest."

New York City's Muslims — a group that the mayor said tends to be well-educated and entrepreneurial — are supportive of police presence, he said.

"I think most Muslims want police protection. They don't want their kids ... falling off the ... train and going down the wrong path," the mayor said.

According to AP's investigation, the NYPD Intelligence Division used its list of "ancestries of interest" to dispatch a secret team of undercover officers into ethnic communities to eavesdrop and monitor daily life. The officers, known as rakers, filed daily reports on what they overheard.

The department also used undercover officers and informants to scrutinize more than 250 mosques and Muslim student groups, according to documents and interviews with people involved in the program. Mosques were singled out for further investigation based on suspected criminal activity but also for conservative Islamic beliefs, the documents show. At least one business was flagged for having a devout clientele.

All of this was done with unusually close help from the CIA, in a relationship that at times blurred the line between domestic and foreign spying.

Also Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a former FBI agent in Chicago, said he wasn't disturbed by the NYPD's practice of monitoring certain ethnic or religious communities when tracking terrorists. "I am opposed to racial profiling, I think it doesn't work, but there are things called criminal profiling," Rogers explained.

"If you're going to catch an Irish mob bank robbery crew ... you're normally going to show up in places where the Irish-connected folks are going to hang out," Rogers said. "In the FBI, we used to say that's a clue."

Rogers said the NYPD was doing nothing wrong when it hired former CIA employees to help it build its program, but said he would support a review.

Bloomberg said he believes the public is increasingly willing to give up aspects of their privacy in exchange for added safety. New facial-recognition technologies will soon make it possible to track exactly who is walking down the street, he said, adding that he believes "we're going in that direction."

"As the world gets more dangerous, people are willing to have infringements on their personal freedoms that they would not before," Bloomberg said.

___

Associated Press writer Matt Apuzzo and AP Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozier in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Samantha Gross can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/samanthagross

Source

43 die as hockey team's jet crashes

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The crash is "a catastrophic loss to the hockey world," NHL commissioner says
• Eleven of 45 people on board the plane were foreigners, Russian officials say
• Russian official says two survived crash in Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow
• The plane crashes on takeoff from Yaroslavl airport bound for Minsk, Belarus

RELATED TOPICS

• Accidents and Disasters
• Air Disasters
• Russia
• Yaroslavl

Moscow (CNN) -- A plane carrying a hockey team with international players, including some NHL veterans, crashed as it took off Wednesday afternoon from Russia's Yaroslavl airport, killing at least 43 people, Russian emergency officials said.

The Yak-42 aircraft was taking players for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl -- one of Russia's leading ice hockey teams -- to Minsk, the Belarusian capital, the Russian aviation authority told CNN.

Two of the 45 people aboard the plane, which included eight crew members, survived, a Russian Emergency Situations Ministry representative said. Eleven of those on the aircraft were foreigners, the ministry said.

Yaroslavl's regional governor, Sergei Vakhrukov, named the two survivors as Russian forward Alexander Galimov and flight crew member Alexander Sizov. Both are being treated in intensive care.

Si.com: Plane crash darkens hockey's grim summer

Thirty-five bodies have been recovered from the crash site so far, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said, and the search for those still missing continued into the night.

Many of the bodies were recovered from the Volga River after the plane crashed on its banks near the airport, the ministry said.

The Lokomotiv team, which was scheduled to play a match Thursday in the new Kontinental Hockey League, had a number of players with ties to the National Hockey League.

NHL.com cited Russia's Sov Sport website as confirming that the entire main roster of the team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl was on the plane, along with four players from the youth team.

CNN.com: NHL feels loss of plane crash

The team's head coach, Brad McCrimmon, 52, who was born in Canada, previously played in the NHL and was an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, NHL.com said.

Others who played in the NHL included Karel Rachunek, 32, a Czech native; Ruslan Salei, 36, from Belarus; Karlis Skrastins, 37, from Latvia; Pavol Demitra, 36, from Slovakia; and Josef Vasicek, 30, from the Czech Republic.

Demitra was a former Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks center, RIA Novosti reported, while fellow center Vasicek was formerly with the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes. Salei previously played for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Colorado Avalanche and the Red Wings.

SI.com: Team tragedies

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the crash "represents a catastrophic loss to the hockey world -- including the NHL family, which lost so many fathers, sons, teammates and friends who at one time excelled in our league. Our deepest condolences go to the families and loved ones of all who perished."

Lou Lamoriello, president of the New Jersey Devils, paid tribute to Alexander Vasyunov, a forward who played for the club last season, as "an outstanding young man and a gifted athlete."

Rachunek also played for the Devils in 2007-08, Lamoriello said, adding: "Both were members of the Devils family."

The Russian Hockey Federation expressed "its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and relatives, fans and the entire hockey community" in a statement on its website.

A Kontinental Hockey League statement said: "We are only beginning to understand the impact of this tragedy affecting the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl club on the friends we've lost and the international hockey community.

"First and foremost, our condolences go out to the families of the players, coaches and staff lost in today's tragedy. We know that there are many in the KHL family who will be grieving with us."

A national championship ice hockey match between Salavat Yulayev and Atlant was halted in the city of Ufa after reports of the crash.

Players from both teams and spectators observed a moment of silence before leaving the stadium. Many in the audience were crying, Russian state TV footage showed.

The president of the Russian national hockey league, Alexander Medvedev, took the microphone at the stadium to say representatives from both clubs had asked to call off the match because they had ties to those at Lokomotiv.

He said: "I would like to assure you that we'll do everything we can to make sure that the first-class ice hockey in Yaroslavl will continue and that the Lokomotiv club will remain as one of the strongest clubs in our Kontinental Hockey League."

An aviation agency spokesman, Sergei Izvolsky, told CNN the crash occurred around 4 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) during takeoff because the plane couldn't reach a safe altitude fast enough.

The aircraft collided with the antenna of the airport beacon, fell to the ground and broke into several pieces and caught fire, Izvolsky said.

It was a charter flight with a plane operated by Yak-Service Airlines, he said. Yaroslavl is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northeast of Moscow.

The Yakovlev Yak-42 was in proper technical order, the Russian Federal Aviation Agency's press officer, Andrei Pryanishnikov, told CNN. The plane went through cursory maintenance service before departure to Yaroslavl and fully complied with all safety standards, he said. The last time it underwent regular maintenance service was on August 16 in the city of Kazan.

Pryanishnikov said the plane was manufactured in 1993 and was certified airworthy until October 1.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the country's Investigative Committee and other law enforcement agencies to probe the crash.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also asked Transport Minister Igor Levitin to go to the scene to organize efforts to examine the cause of the crash, Putin's press office reported.

The crash came as an international political forum opened in Yaroslavl, with participants expected to include Medvedev, the prime ministers of France, Spain and Italy and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Medvedev plans to visit the crash scene to pay tribute to the victims before attending the forum Thursday, the Kremlin press office said.

CNN's Maxim Tkachenko, David Close, Josh Levs, Jennifer Deaton and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.

Moscow (CNN) -- A plane carrying a hockey team with international players, including some NHL veterans, crashed as it took off Wednesday afternoon from Russia's Yaroslavl airport, killing at least 43 people, Russian emergency officials said.

The Yak-42 aircraft was taking players for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl -- one of Russia's leading ice hockey teams -- to Minsk, the Belarusian capital, the Russian aviation authority told CNN.

Two of the 45 people aboard the plane, which included eight crew members, survived, a Russian Emergency Situations Ministry representative said. Eleven of those on the aircraft were foreigners, the ministry said.

Yaroslavl's regional governor, Sergei Vakhrukov, named the two survivors as Russian forward Alexander Galimov and flight crew member Alexander Sizov. Both are being treated in intensive care.

Si.com: Plane crash darkens hockey's grim summer

Thirty-five bodies have been recovered from the crash site so far, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said, and the search for those still missing continued into the night.

Many of the bodies were recovered from the Volga River after the plane crashed on its banks near the airport, the ministry said.

The Lokomotiv team, which was scheduled to play a match Thursday in the new Kontinental Hockey League, had a number of players with ties to the National Hockey League.

NHL.com cited Russia's Sov Sport website as confirming that the entire main roster of the team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl was on the plane, along with four players from the youth team.

CNN.com: NHL feels loss of plane crash

The team's head coach, Brad McCrimmon, 52, who was born in Canada, previously played in the NHL and was an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, NHL.com said.

Others who played in the NHL included Karel Rachunek, 32, a Czech native; Ruslan Salei, 36, from Belarus; Karlis Skrastins, 37, from Latvia; Pavol Demitra, 36, from Slovakia; and Josef Vasicek, 30, from the Czech Republic.

Demitra was a former Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks center, RIA Novosti reported, while fellow center Vasicek was formerly with the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes. Salei previously played for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Colorado Avalanche and the Red Wings.

SI.com: Team tragedies

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the crash "represents a catastrophic loss to the hockey world -- including the NHL family, which lost so many fathers, sons, teammates and friends who at one time excelled in our league. Our deepest condolences go to the families and loved ones of all who perished."

Lou Lamoriello, president of the New Jersey Devils, paid tribute to Alexander Vasyunov, a forward who played for the club last season, as "an outstanding young man and a gifted athlete."

Rachunek also played for the Devils in 2007-08, Lamoriello said, adding: "Both were members of the Devils family."

The Russian Hockey Federation expressed "its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and relatives, fans and the entire hockey community" in a statement on its website.

A Kontinental Hockey League statement said: "We are only beginning to understand the impact of this tragedy affecting the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl club on the friends we've lost and the international hockey community.

"First and foremost, our condolences go out to the families of the players, coaches and staff lost in today's tragedy. We know that there are many in the KHL family who will be grieving with us."

A national championship ice hockey match between Salavat Yulayev and Atlant was halted in the city of Ufa after reports of the crash.

Players from both teams and spectators observed a moment of silence before leaving the stadium. Many in the audience were crying, Russian state TV footage showed.

The president of the Russian national hockey league, Alexander Medvedev, took the microphone at the stadium to say representatives from both clubs had asked to call off the match because they had ties to those at Lokomotiv.

He said: "I would like to assure you that we'll do everything we can to make sure that the first-class ice hockey in Yaroslavl will continue and that the Lokomotiv club will remain as one of the strongest clubs in our Kontinental Hockey League."

An aviation agency spokesman, Sergei Izvolsky, told CNN the crash occurred around 4 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) during takeoff because the plane couldn't reach a safe altitude fast enough.

The aircraft collided with the antenna of the airport beacon, fell to the ground and broke into several pieces and caught fire, Izvolsky said.

It was a charter flight with a plane operated by Yak-Service Airlines, he said. Yaroslavl is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northeast of Moscow.

The Yakovlev Yak-42 was in proper technical order, the Russian Federal Aviation Agency's press officer, Andrei Pryanishnikov, told CNN. The plane went through cursory maintenance service before departure to Yaroslavl and fully complied with all safety standards, he said. The last time it underwent regular maintenance service was on August 16 in the city of Kazan.

Pryanishnikov said the plane was manufactured in 1993 and was certified airworthy until October 1.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the country's Investigative Committee and other law enforcement agencies to probe the crash.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also asked Transport Minister Igor Levitin to go to the scene to organize efforts to examine the cause of the crash, Putin's press office reported.

The crash came as an international political forum opened in Yaroslavl, with participants expected to include Medvedev, the prime ministers of France, Spain and Italy and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Medvedev plans to visit the crash scene to pay tribute to the victims before attending the forum Thursday, the Kremlin press office said.

CNN's Maxim Tkachenko, David Close, Josh Levs, Jennifer Deaton and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.

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Bahrain panel: 101 activists on hunger strike (AP)

MANAMA, Bahrain – More than 100 jailed Bahraini activists — including doctors who treated injured protesters during months of anti-government protests and crackdowns in the Gulf kingdom — are on hunger strike, an international panel said Wednesday.

The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that 84 opposition supporters are on hunger strike in prison. In addition, 17 detained activists have been hospitalized by the Interior Ministry for their refusal to eat.

Hundreds of activists have been imprisoned since February when Shiite-led demonstrations for greater rights began in the Sunni-ruled Bahrain, the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. More than 30 people have been killed since protests inspired by Arab uprisings began in February.

Large clashes broke out between riot police and youth protesters after a celebration over the release of one of the doctors from prison in northern city of Dih.

An unknown number of protesters were wounded when security forces fired shotguns, according to witnesses. Clashes between youth and police are a near nightly occurence in Bahrain, but Wednesday evening's clashes in Dih were the largest in weeks, witnesses said.

The five-member panel has been set up in June to investigate the unrest. Wednesday's statement said an international expert on hunger strikes will join the panel to visit the striking detainees and evaluate their condition.

"Medical advice will be provided and the expert will discuss the challenges of hunger strike," the statement said, adding that the hunger strike started nine days ago.

Among the jailed activists on hunger strike are doctors who are on trial in a special security court on charges of participating in efforts to overthrow Bahrain's 200-year-old monarchy.

The doctors' trial is being closely watched by rights groups, which have criticized Bahrain's use of the security court, which includes military prosecutors and civilians and military judges.

The case against 11 health professionals was back in the special tribunal on Wednesday. After the hearing, the eleven defendants were released from custody, although they remain charged with anti-state crimes, a lawyer for one of the doctors said. It was not immediately clear if the released doctors continue to strike.

The lawyer, Hassan Radhi, told The Associated Press the trial adjourned until Sept. 26.

Other jailed opposition supporters have joined the strike, including two prominent Shiite activists, Abdul Jalil al-Singace and Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. They were sentenced to life in prison in June for their role in protests.

The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry includes international judicial and human rights experts. They started the probe with the consent of the Sunni rulers.

The commission's findings are expected Oct. 30.

Shiites comprise about 70 percent of Bahrain's 525,000 people, but are blocked from top political and security posts.

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CNN Student News Transcript - September 7, 2011

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The daily transcript is a written version of each day's CNN Student News program
  
• Use this transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary
  
• Today's Daily Discussion poses critical thinking questions related to the program

(CNN Student News) -- September 7, 2011

Download PDF maps related to today's show:

• Texas
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Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program.

Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published.

(CNN Student News) -- September 7, 2011

Download PDF maps related to today's show:

• Texas
• Japan

Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program.

Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published.

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Police: Man suspected in W. Virginia killing spree shoots himself

(CNN) -- A man suspected of killing five people inside a West Virginia home killed himself after a police chase in Kentucky, authorities said.

Police arrived Monday at a home in the Morgantown area after receiving a request for a welfare check and found five bodies with gunshot wounds inside, West Virginia State Police said.

"The information that we developed on the suspect is that he left that residence in a vehicle of one of the victims," Capt. James Merrill told reporters Tuesday.

The suspect struck a vehicle, and when an elderly woman came out, "the suspect ran her over," Merrill said.

The man then drove on Interstate 79 and arrived at a gas station, "where he randomly shot and seriously wounded the station attendant in back of the neck," police said.

Merrill said the suspect then headed to Kentucky and led a brief chase with authorities from Lewis County.

"After a short pursuit, the suspect stopped his vehicle and fatally shot himself," Merrill said.

The suspect was identified as 22-year-old Shayne Riggleman of Morgantown. Police said he was an acquaintance of some of the victims.

Merrill said police do have a suspected motive, but did not want to divulge it, citing the ongoing investigation.

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GOP race picks up pace with debates

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Three GOP debates are slated for September
• Texas Gov. Perry is the front runner in several recent polls
• More debates are expected later in the year

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The pace of the 2012 race for the White House kicks into high gear Wednesday night, with the first of three Republican presidential debates scheduled over the next 15 days. And while it's the fourth GOP debate so far this cycle, it's the first to include Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who jumped into the race for the White House less than one month ago.

Joining Perry on the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, will be former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who's making his second bid for the GOP nomination, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who's making third run for the White House, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, businessman and former talk show host Herman Cain, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and former Utah Gov. and former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.

Five of the candidates -- Romney, Paul, Gingrich, Bachmann and Cain -- met Monday at the Palmetto Freedom Forum in Columbia, South Carolina. Perry was scheduled to attend, but canceled to return home to deal with the wildfires burning across Texas.

Perry's entry into the race last month has dramatically altered the landscape, with the Texas governor on the top of the pack according to six major national polls released in the last three weeks. Romney, the former front-runner in the polls, has now be relegated to second place in the surveys.

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The pace of the 2012 race for the White House kicks into high gear Wednesday night, with the first of three Republican presidential debates scheduled over the next 15 days. And while it's the fourth GOP debate so far this cycle, it's the first to include Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who jumped into the race for the White House less than one month ago.

Joining Perry on the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, will be former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who's making his second bid for the GOP nomination, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who's making third run for the White House, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, businessman and former talk show host Herman Cain, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and former Utah Gov. and former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.

Five of the candidates -- Romney, Paul, Gingrich, Bachmann and Cain -- met Monday at the Palmetto Freedom Forum in Columbia, South Carolina. Perry was scheduled to attend, but canceled to return home to deal with the wildfires burning across Texas.

Perry's entry into the race last month has dramatically altered the landscape, with the Texas governor on the top of the pack according to six major national polls released in the last three weeks. Romney, the former front-runner in the polls, has now be relegated to second place in the surveys.

The three debates this month and two more next month will be major tests for Perry, who doesn't have a lot of recent experience debating political rivals. While the spotlight will be on the Texas governor, it will also be shining on Romney. The question for the former Massachusetts governor: Does he attack Perry's record, or does he keep his line of fire directed at President Barack Obama?

Bachmann's mission in the debates: Try to grab back the spotlight that Perry grabbed from her on the day of her biggest victory. The Texas governor announced his candidacy on August 13, just a few hours before Bachmann won a crucial GOP presidential straw poll in Ames, Iowa. For the rest of the candidates on the stage, the objective is to show relevancy.

This week's debate is followed by a CNN/Tea Party Express GOP presidential debate Monday in Tampa, Florida, with another debate in Florida on September 22.

A New Hampshire debate on October 11 is followed a week later by a CNN debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 18.

CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

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What teachers want to tell parents

Editor's note: Ron Clark, author of "The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck -- 101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers," has been named "American Teacher of the Year" by Disney and was Oprah Winfrey's pick as her "Phenomenal Man." He founded The Ron Clark Academy, which educators from around the world have visited to learn.

(CNN) -- This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.

I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied, "Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."

Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.

So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?

For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.

Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent.

Please quit with all the excuses

The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone.
Ron Clark

And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn't started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks.

His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some "fun time" during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn't his fault the work wasn't complete.

Can you feel my pain?

Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don't want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions.

Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor

And parents, you know, it's OK for your child to get in trouble sometimes. It builds character and teaches life lessons. As teachers, we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons; we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79 on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don't set up a time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It's a 79, regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.

This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He made all A's this year!"

Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal's office.

Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.

And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.

Teachers walking on eggshells

I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen next. We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds. If they make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster.

My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off with a wash cloth, and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said, "Can you believe that woman did that?"

I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession? If our teachers continue to feel threatened and scared, you will rob our schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow's outstanding educators.

Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner.

If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, "I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me." If you aren't happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems.

We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible.

That's a teacher's promise, from me to you.

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Pentagon narrowing options for Iraq troops (AP)

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration is reviewing a number of options that could leave several thousand U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of the year, but only if Iraqi officials make a decision about what they want American forces to do.

U.S. officials are growing impatient, as they continue to wait for the Iraqis to make a specific request. Without that, all but a couple of hundred U.S. troops will pull out by the end of the year.

U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said they are finalizing several options. But they said key leaders, including President Barack Obama, have not yet made a decision because it still hinges on what Baghdad ultimately requests. Officials said they want to have the options ready by mid-month.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday that no decisions have been made, and that as far as he knows the Iraqis have not yet proposed a specific number.

"They have indicated a desire obviously for trainers to be there" beyond 2011, he said, "and obviously that will probably be at the core of whatever negotiations take place."

The White House has offered to keep as many as 8,500 or 10,000 troops in Iraq. The number could also be smaller, and the options under review would keep varying numbers of troops in the country depending on what types of assistance the Iraqis say they need.

Military leaders say the Iraqis have acknowledged they need further help in training and equipping their forces, gathering and sharing intelligence and protecting their air space and borders. The training program would require fewer U.S. troops, while broader security missions would call for a larger American force.

The decision is politically explosive in Iraq, where continued presence of U.S. troops would likely raise tensions and spur more violence.

There are about 46,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

A 2008 security agreement between Baghdad and Washington requires all U.S. troops to be out of Iraq by Dec. 31, but the country's shaky security situation and vulnerability to Iranian influence has prompted politicians on both sides to buck widespread public disapproval and reconsider the deadline.

___

Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana and Lara Jakes in Baghdad and AP National Security Writer Robert Burns in New York contributed to this report.

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