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Deadly blasts reported at Xinjiang market
5/21/2014 10:30:24 PM
- NEW: Photos on social media show flames, victims being carried from scene
- Two SUVs drive into people at a market in Urumqi, Xinhua reports
- Explosives are thrown from the vehicles, one of which blows up
- The blasts come less than a month after an attack at train station killed 3
Hong Kong (CNN) -- A series of explosions struck a market Thursday in the capital of the far western Chinese region of Xinjiang, causing an unspecified number of deaths and injuries, state media reported.
Two SUVs plowed into people gathered at the open market in Urumqi at 7:50 a.m., and explosives were thrown out of the vehicles, China's official news agency Xinhua said.
One of the SUVs then exploded, according to Xinhua, which cited a witness in the market who said he heard a dozen big bangs.
UPDATE: Photo from Weibo user who claims to be at scene of explosion in China's Urumuqi, capital of #Xinjiang pic.twitter.com/eOjdUfXjuq
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) May 22, 2014 Images circulating on social media showed flames and smoke billowing out from the end of a tree-lined street guarded by police officers. Other pictures showed wounded people being carried away from the scene of the blasts.
All of the wounded have been taken to several hospitals in the area, Xinhua reported, citing police.
String of recent attacks
The reported attack at the market comes less than a month after an explosion hit a train station in Urumqi, killing three people and wounding 79 others.
That blast, described as a terrorist attack by Chinese authorities, took place on April 30, just after Chinese President Xi Jinping had wrapped up a visit to the restive region.
Chinese officials have linked a mass knife attack in March that killed 29 people at a train station in the southwestern city of Kunming to Islamic separatists from Xinjiang.
They have also blamed separatists for an attack in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in October in which a car rammed into a pedestrian bridge and burst into flames, killing two tourists and the three occupants of the vehicle.
Ethnic tensions
The knife-wielding assailants in the Kunming attack and the people in the car that hit Tiananmen were identified as Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim ethnic group from Xinjiang.
Ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and Han Chinese people, millions of whom have migrated to resource-rich Xinjiang in recent decades, have repeatedly boiled over into deadly violence in recent years.
Uyghurs say they resent harsh treatment from Chinese security forces and Han people taking the lion's share of economic opportunities in Xinjiang. The Han are the predominant ethnic group in China, making up more than 90% of the overall population.
The deadliest violence in decades took place in July 2009, when rioting and clashes in Urumqi between Uyghurs and Han Chinese killed around 200 people and wounded 1,700. That unrest was followed by a heavy crackdown by Chinese authorities.
'Shield' star charged with wife's killing
5/21/2014 3:07:30 AM
- NEW: No known domestic violence between Jace and his wife, LAPD says
- Jace was under financial stress, fighting to keep his home, court docs say
- Jace called 911 to report his wife was shot, a detective says
- Playing an LAPD detective in "The Shield" is Jace's biggest and longest-running role
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jace, who played a Los Angeles cop in TV's "The Shield," has been arrested in the fatal shooting of his wife, police said Tuesday.
Police found April Jace, 40, shot to death in her south Los Angeles home Monday night, Los Angeles Police Det. Lyman Doster said.
Michael Jace, 51, called 911 to report that his wife had been shot, Det. Dean Vinluan said, adding that he "was on the phone with the operator." Neighbors who heard gunshots also called 911, he said.
"At this moment, the motive of the murder is believed to be domestic violence," a police statement said.
Investigators detained Jace at the couple's Hyde Park-area home Monday night and booked the actor on a homicide charge early Tuesday, according to Doster.
Jace was booked into a Los Angeles jail with bail set at $1 million.
CNN has been unable to find the name of any lawyer Jace may have hired to defend him in this homicide case. He is not expected to appear in court before Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney said.
Two children were in the home when their mother was shot, Vinluan said. The children, whose ages he would not reveal, were taken to a police station and then handed over to a representative of California's Department of Children and Family Services, he said.
Investigators have found no reports of domestic violence between the husband and wife at their south Los Angeles residence, LAPD Det. Iasparro said.
A woman described as a close friend of his first wife said in a sworn statement that she witnessed Jace physically abusing his wife in 1997. The declaration was in court records from Jace's 2005 custody case concerning his son with Jennifer Bitterman.
Jace "choked and hit" his wife and "slammed her against the wall while (their infant son) screamed in his crib next to her," Maria De Le Vegas said in the sworn declaration obtained by CNN.
Jace "was raging and out of control, and seeing the extent of his anger was one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen," she said.
Jace appeared to be suffering severe financial strain in recent years, according to court documents obtained by CNN. The actor filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in March 2011, citing $500,000 in debts and an annual income of around $80,000 from residuals from his TV and film work, the documents said.
Jace had defaulted on the $411,000 mortgage on the south Los Angeles home where his wife died, according to the documents. His bankruptcy case is still active, according to his lawyer.
He married April Jace in June 2003, a year after divorcing his first wife, with whom he shared a son who is now a teen.
The FX police drama "The Shield" was the biggest and longest-running role in Jace's 22-year acting career. He appeared in 89 episodes as Julien Lowe, who started as a rookie officer in an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct in 2002 and rose through the ranks to become a detective before the series ended in 2008, according to the Internet Movie Database.
He acted on several episodes of "Southland," another TV drama about Los Angeles police, between 2009 and 2012.
Jace often played a law enforcement or military officer on television shows. He is credited with roles in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Private Practice," "The Mentalist," "Burn Notice" and "NYPD Blue."
He had the title role of Michael Jordan in the 1999 TV movie about the NBA star, "Michael Jordan: An American Hero."
Jace played Officer Brown in Russell Crowe's 2009 film "State of Play," and he portrayed a Black Panther member in the 1994 blockbuster movie "Forrest Gump."
April Jace had worked for the past year as a financial aid counselor at Biola University, a private school in La Mirada, California, according to the school.
"We are obviously shocked and saddened by this terrible news, to lose a wonderful colleague, mother and friend," Biola President Barry Corey said in a written statement.
"April's radiant personality brought great energy to the financial aid office," financial aid director Geoff Marsh said. "Her love for helping students and families and her great work ethic earned the respect and love of her coworkers. Her smiling face and helpful spirit will be missed by all."
Photos: Shocking Hollywood crimes
CNN's Dottie Evans and Selin Darkalstanian contributed to this report.
Search resumes for lost yacht crew
5/21/2014 3:09:42 AM
- Six ships and three planes scouring Atlantic Ocean
- Four British sailors are believed to have abandoned ship Friday
- The 39-foot Cheeki Rafiki began taking on water the day before
(CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard's search for four British sailors missing in the Atlantic Ocean since late last week resumed Tuesday morning, the service said.
The Coast Guard, in a statement, said the new search involved six ships and three planes, including a Canadian C-130. The search focused on an area 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
The 39-foot (12 meters) Cheeki Rafiki was sailing from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom last Thursday when it began taking on water, according to the yacht's managing agent.
"Unfortunately, we lost contact during the early hours of Friday morning, and we believe the crew abandoned to the life raft," Doug Innes said in a statement on Sunday.
The Royal Yachting Association identified the missing yachtsmen as skipper Andrew Bridge, 21; Steve Warren, 52; Paul Goslin, 56; and James Male, 23.
The Coast Guard's Boston-based 1st District coordinated a multinational search of more than 4,100 square miles for the crew.
The Coast Guard said that a merchant vessel Saturday located an overturned hull that matched the description of the Cheeki Rafiki, but there was no sign of the sailors.
Innes describes the Cheeki Rafiki on his company's website as "a performance racer/cruiser and suitable for both the inshore and offshore circuit" and that she is "equipped for trans-Atlantic sailing and racing."
Sailor so 'rich' he forgot $100k yacht
CNN's Elwyn Lopez, Haimy Assefa and Jo Shelley contributed to this report.
U.S. prison system is failing nation
5/21/2014 8:21:02 AM
- A vast number of Americans are behind bars or under correctional supervision
- Gingrich, Jones: The prison system doesn't work; it turns out more hardened criminals
- They say radical innovation is needed to make prisons focus on rehabilitation
- Authors: Online education should be used; wardens should be incented to improve results
Editor's note: Newt Gingrich and Van Jones are co-hosts of CNN's "Crossfire," which airs at 6:30 p.m. ET weekdays. A former speaker of the House, Gingrich was a candidate in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries. Jones is president and founder of Rebuild the Dream, an online platform focusing on policy, economics and media. He was President Barack Obama's green jobs adviser in 2009. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors.
(CNN) -- The numbers are arresting.
If Americans under correctional supervision counted as a city of their own, they would form the largest city in the United States after New York.
The number of people in prison, on parole or on probation, 6.9 million Americans, exceeds the populations of the second- and third-largest cities, Los Angeles and Chicago, combined. Or the size of the next four -- Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Antonio -- put together.
Thirty-eight U.S. states are home to fewer people than live under the corrections system in this country. There are about as many people behind bars as live in Chicago. That's one in every 108 Americans. One in 35 are under some form of correctional supervision.
Among African Americans, the numbers are even more horrifying. According to the NAACP, one in three black males born in the United States today is likely to spend time in prison at some point in his life. That's compared with one in six Hispanic males or one in 25 white males.
It would be hard to overstate the scale of this tragedy. For a nation that loves freedom and cherishes our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the situation should be intolerable. It is destroying lives and communities.
Our corrections system is not correcting. Within three years of being released from prison, nearly half of prisoners are convicted of another crime with one out of every four ending up back in prison.
When a typical bureaucracy does its job this badly, it wastes money, time and paper. The corrections bureaucracy, in failing to correct the large majority of inmates in its charge, not only wastes money but also wastes lives, families and entire cities.
The current system is broken beyond repair. It's a human, social and financial disaster. We need a radical strategy of replacement of these huge bureaucracies that lack any meaningful oversight.
A number of states, most recently Mississippi, have already begun to take important first steps by directing nonviolent offenders to community supervision and other forms of correction. These measures keep violent offenders off the streets and lesser offenders out of prison, where too often the only education they receive is how to become a more hardened criminal.
In Hawaii, Judge Steven Alm has pioneered a model of probation enforcement that has dramatically reduced violations through consequences that are immediate, predictable and proportionate.
New York City created a social impact bond to finance prisoner rehabilitation programs run by a nonprofit organization. They will pay out to investors based on savings from a decline in recidivism.
There are no doubt countless similar reforms that would reduce rates of incarceration, and we should pursue them. But it is also time for more fundamental changes. We need to rethink prisons, parole and probation for the 21st century.
Newt Gingrich and Van Jones
At a time when high-quality education is increasingly digital and in many cases free, shouldn't we provide opportunities for prisoners to learn skills that will enable them to support themselves as upstanding citizens when they are released?
We know that inmates who earn a GED while incarcerated are substantially less likely to return to prison. There are readily available online tools that our prisons could use extensively for a minimal cost to increase the number of inmates receiving valuable education and skills training.
Khan Academy has replicated virtually the entire K-12 curriculum online for free. Udacity and other online education sites offer introductions to software programming for free. Our prisons should be using tools such as these extensively. They offer the opportunity to interrupt the cycle of poverty, a failing education system, crime and incarceration.
At most prisons, however, inmates would never be allowed to spend eight hours a day working on educational courses and are instead forced to mill about their cells with little or nothing to occupy their time.
Of course, there are significant barriers for convicted felons to get jobs even with education programs. But without some training, it's almost impossible for many. And with tight budgets and increasing prison populations, states have already been cutting back on the rehabilitation component.
Technology should revolutionize more than just the prisons' rehabilitation programs. It should completely transform the corrections and criminal justice systems.
Van is involved in a computer science education initiative for urban youth called #YesWeCode, which in February held a "hackathon" with students in Oakland, California. One of the hacks the kids came up with was an app to remind them of their court dates.
It's sad, but in an age when the dentist's office calls automatically to remind us of appointments, shouldn't the court system do that as well if it prevents kids from spending time in jail?
Similarly, technology should enable much more effective probation and community supervision, especially new options that could allow nonviolent offenders to remain with their families living productive lives under an appropriate level of restriction.
Almost any activity to which we might sentence low-level offenders --apprenticeship programs, school, literacy or computer science boot camps, community service -- would be a better use of taxpayer dollars than sticking them idle in prison with hardened criminals.
Unfortunately, the current corrections bureaucracy has embraced none of this innovation -- in part because it is captive to the prison guards' unions or the private prison lobby, and in part because it lacks any incentives or sufficient competition based on the right metrics.
The incarceration industry has grown into a billion dollar industry, with corrections being among the most expensive budget items in many states, increasingly outpacing what they spend on higher education.
Years ago, Van proposed that states give wardens a financial incentive to cut the rates of recidivism for inmates leaving their prisons. More than 65% of inmates in California return to prison within three years of their release, where they will again cost taxpayers an average of $47,000 each year.
Surely it is worth giving wardens a substantial portion of the savings for every inmate that leaves their prison and does not re-offend. Such incentives would spark dramatically more innovation and investment in rehabilitation, job training and job placement programs for prisoners. That would be a revolutionary change from prison administrators' current incentives, which are often to keep as many people in custody as possible.
Finally, we need real market competition that rewards success at every step of the process -- in probation and parole offices as well as prisons. That doesn't just mean privatizing prisons or rewarding probation services with the same failed metrics.
We need competition of methods and ideas based on the right criteria: When we send prisoners home, do they have the skills to reintegrate in their communities as working, law-abiding citizens? Or do they end up coming back?
With more than 2 million of our fellow citizens in prison and millions more in danger of returning, Americans on both the left and the right should be able to agree on the need to replace our broken corrections system and work together to do so.
Through Rebuild the Dream's #Cut50 initiative, at CNN's "Crossfire" and elsewhere, we will be working together to explore ways to reduce the prison population substantially in the next decade.
We should start by opening our prisons and probation offices to innovation to save money, achieve better outcomes for individuals and ensure better safety for us all.
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What's the big deal about sexting?
5/21/2014 6:50:27 AM
- Rey Junco: American society has a double standard when it comes to sexuality
- Junco: Sexting, if not abused or exploited, is not a social evil
- He says sexting is a way to express one's sexual identity, especially for teenagers
- Junco: But sexting presents legal and social ramifications, including bullying
Editor's note: Rey Junco is an associate professor of library science at Purdue University and a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He is the author of the upcoming book, "Engaging Students through Social Media: Evidence-Based Practices for Use in Student Affairs." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- American society has a double standard when it comes to sexuality. We have a puritanical taboo against talking about sexuality directly, yet we are fine with the sexual images that pervade television and glossy magazines.
We sexualize children in advertising by turning girls into objects that bear little resemblance to what young women actually look like. And we do this in movies where even animated characters take on curvaceous hips and big breasts.
But then when it comes to our kids having some kind of sexual identity, we freak out. That needs to stop.
We vilify sexting, or sending sexually explicit messages and images via text messaging. But sexting, if not taken to the extreme or exploited by bullies, is not the social evil that it is made out to be.
Sexting is a normal part of human sexual expression not only for adolescents, but for adults as well. New data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project show that adults 25 to 34 years old are more likely to sext than those in other age groups.
Anxious parents might think that sexting leads to a slew of negative consequences like early and risky sexual behavior. But there is evidence to suggest this is not the case. The proportion of American adolescents who are sexually active has declined in recent years (though the rates are still high and warrant concern). Adolescent pregnancy rates have also declined over the last two decades, perhaps due to more teenagers using contraception.
Sexting is not related to riskier sexual behaviors like having unprotected sex. About the only thing sexting is related to is sexual activity — adolescents who are sexually active are more likely to sext.
Sexting doesn't indicate a significant change in teenage sexual behaviors; it just makes teenage sexual behaviors more visible to adults. Sexting can help adolescents discover their sexual identity, something that is developmentally appropriate in the teenage years, whether they are sexting or not.
But sexting is not without problems.
Because laws have not yet caught up with the realities of technology use, in some states, a minor could potentially be charged under child pornography laws for sexting. There are a few, rare instances when this has happened. In these cases, there is usually quite a bit of backlash against prosecutors attempting to indict minors under child pornography laws. Seventeen states have created legislation that either decriminalizes sexting or makes it a misdemeanor.
States like Florida and Vermont make the creation, possession, or sending of a nude image of a minor by a minor a non-criminal violation for the first offense. That being said, there is nothing stopping an overzealous prosecutor in another state from making an example of a teenager and charging him with the most severe penalty possible.
The social consequences of sexting are more troubling. Messages shared in confidence can be shared with other people or broadcast to a wider audience. Luckily, this doesn't happen often. One study found only 2% of sexters had their photo shared with someone they didn't want to see it.
Although it's unlikely, imagine how future employers might evaluate your daughter if they Google her and find a sexually explicit image. What is more likely is that your teenage daughter's peers will share and shame her for the image.
In the worst cases, sexting can lead to tragedy. Thirteen-year-old Hope Witsell sexted a photo to her boyfriend. Somehow, a classmate got hold of the photo and passed it around. Before you know it, the photo went viral. Witsell committed suicide reportedly after repeated bullying and taunts from other students who called her names like "slut" or "whore." Eighteen-year-old Jessica Logan also committed suicide reportedly after her boyfriend circulated a nude picture of her that was meant to be seen in confidence. These cases are heartbreaking. They show that we must educate young people, especially young men, about how harmful such acts can be. And as a society, we must do more to raise awareness and combat bullying and cyberbullying.
If sexting is not abused and done discretely, it is an acceptable form of exploration of sexual identity, especially for adolescents. You can talk about sexting as a way to talk with your teenage son or daughter about safe sex. Once you have established a good rapport, explain the pitfalls of sexting — that if they're not careful, nude images of them can be shared with the whole world and used to harm their reputations.
Adolescents are naturally impulsive because the teenage brain is still developing the ability to self-regulate. Try to be understanding and keep your cool. Remember: Sexting is the ultimate form of safe sex — the sender and receiver are not even in the same room.
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China outrage at U.S. hacking charges
5/21/2014 5:48:54 AM
- China Foreign Ministry spokesman calls on U.S. to withdraw charges
- Indictment alleges five People's Liberation Army officers hacked computers
- United Steel Workers Union, Westinghouse, Alcoa among victims, Eric Holder says
- China suspends participation in the joint China-U.S. Cyber Working Group
(CNN) -- China has accused the United States of "hypocrisy" and "double standards" following its decision to charge five Chinese army officers with cybertheft against major American businesses.
The Foreign Ministry in Beijing even took the step of summoning U.S. Ambassador Max Baucus late Monday, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, as tensions between the two countries threatened to escalate into a full-scale diplomatic incident.
Earlier Monday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the men, all members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), "maintained unauthorized access to victim computers to steal information from these entities that would be useful" to the victims' competitors in China.
Holder said some of the "victims" included U.S. Steel Corp., Westinghouse, Alcoa, Allegheny Technologies, the United Steel Workers Union and SolarWorld.
READ: What were China's hacker spies after?
In an unusual move, the men were named in the indictment document as Wang Dong, Sun Kailiang, Wen Xinyu, Huang Zhenyu and Gu Chunhui. These are the first charges against Chinese state officials for what the U.S. says is a widespread problem, U.S. officials told CNN before Holder's remarks.
But in a written statement Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry said "it is widely known that the U.S. has for a long time been using its advanced technology and infrastructure to perpetrate large scale theft of secrets and eavesdropping against foreign political leaders, enterprises and individuals.
"From WikiLeaks to the (Edward) Snowden incident, the U.S. hypocrisy and double standards have been abundantly clear. The Chinese PLA has been a serious victim of this kind of behavior from the U.S. Statistics show that in recent years the PLA's international internet terminals have suffered a large number of attacks. IP addresses show that a large number of those attacks come from the U.S.
"China demands that the U.S. give a clear explanation of its internet theft of secrets and eavesdropping on China and immediately cease such activities."
On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Qin Gang, said the charges against its army officers were based on "intentionally-fabricated facts" that "grossly violate the basic norms governing international relations," and urged Washington to "immediately correct its mistakes and withdraw the indictments."
Qin also revealed China would be suspending its involvement in the joint China-U.S. Cyber Working Group, set up in April last year to work on measures to address cybersecurity -- an issue that has driven a wedge between the two governments in the past.
What we know about the Chinese army's alleged cyber spying unit
President's concern
At a regular news briefing at the White House, press secretary Jay Carney was asked about Monday's developments.
"This is an issue that has been brought up by President Obama with (Chinese) President Xi (Jinping) in their meetings as recently as in March as a general problem that we have seen and reflects the president's overall concern about cybersecurity," Carney said. "We have consistently and candidly raised these concerns with the Chinese government, and today's announcement reflects our growing concern that this Chinese behavior has continued."
Jen Psaki, U.S. State Department
He was adamant that the U.S. "intelligence programs serve a specific national security mission, and that does not include providing a competitive advantage to U.S. companies or U.S. economic interests," Carney said. "In other words, we do not do what those Chinese nationals were indicted for earlier today. Period."
A spokeswoman for the State Department told reporters that Washington wants to have more dialogue with Beijing about the issue.
"We remain deeply concerned about Chinese government-sponsored, cyber-enabled theft of trade secrets and other sensitive business information for commercial gain," Jen Psaki said. "And, again, this was specific to the actions of ... of just a few individuals. And we hope that the Chinese government can understand that."
Impacts real people
This was a law enforcement case, she added, not a diplomatic one.
"We continue to believe -- and this is relevant to us, our role here at the State Department -- that we can have a constructive and productive relationship with China," she said. "We're ready to work with China to prevent these types of activities from continuing."
Joining Holder, David Hickton, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, said the alleged hacking has caused the victimized U.S. companies to lose capital investments in research and technology.
He added that the "important message" is that cyberespionage "impacts real people in real and painful ways," he said.
"The lifeblood of any organization is the people who work, strive and sweat for it. When these cyberintrusions occur, production slows, plants close, workers get laid off and lose their homes," Hickton said.
"Hacking, spying and cybertheft for commercial advantage can and will be prosecuted criminally even when the defendants are state actors," he said.
READ: More than 100 people nabbed in global hacker crackdown
CNN's David McKenzie, Tim Schwarz, Pamela Brown, Evan Perez, Kevin Wang and Larry Register contributed to this report.
Raw MH370 data to be revealed
5/20/2014 6:52:14 AM
- Inmarsat and Malaysian officials say they are working to release raw satellite data
- Families have been clamoring for the information for months
- The data could allow for an independent analysis of what happened on March 8
- "Their intentions have to be backed by actions," the husband of a passenger says
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CNN) -- After months of clamoring, the MH370 raw satellite data that families have been demanding may soon be publicized.
Until now, Inmarsat, the company whose satellites communicated with the missing plane in its last hours, has said it didn't have the authority to release it.
But on Tuesday, Inmarsat and Malaysian authorities said they were trying to make the raw data accessible.
"In line with our commitment towards greater transparency, all parties are working for the release of the data communication logs and the technical description of the analysis for public consumption," Inmarsat and the Malaysian aviation officials said in a joint statement.
"It must also be noted that the data communication logs is just one of the many elements of the investigation information," the officials said.
The statement did not say when the information would be released. But publication of the raw satellite data could allow for independent analysis of what happened on March 8, the day Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people on board.
Some relatives of passengers weren't sure what to make of the announcement.
"Their intentions have to be backed by actions, so I'd like to wait to see when that really happens," said K.S. Narendran, whose wife was on the plane.
"Secondly, it's just one piece of the whole amount of data that has been used to conduct the search," Narendran told CNN's Don Lemon. "So when sharing Inmarsat data by itself is important, I think it will be essential as time goes by for the larger set of data to also be made available."
But CNN aviation analyst Jeff Wise said "the box is going to open" when the data gets publicized.
"It could produce more theories. It will probably cancel out a lot of theories," he said.
Either way, the release will hopefully give "a much better understanding of what's been going on all this time."
Inmarsat 'working' to make raw MH370 data public
Conflicting accounts
On Monday, Malaysia's acting transportation minister said the government asked Inmarsat to publicize the satellite data.
Malaysian officials told CNN last week that their government did not have the raw data. But Inmarsat officials said the company provided all of it to Malaysian officials "at an early stage in the search."
"We've shared the information that we had, and it's for the investigation to decide what and when it puts out," Inmarsat Senior Vice President Chris McLaughlin said last week.
But a senior Malaysian official told CNN that the government needed Inmarsat's help to pass on the data to families "in a presentable way."
"We are trying to be as transparent as possible," the official said. "We have no issues releasing the data."
Whenever the information comes out, it may help answer questions by critics who are skeptical about where officials have been searching for the plane.
Some scientists studying the disappearance and relatives of those on board have become increasingly critical of the lack of public information about why the search has focused on the southern Indian Ocean.
Did Inmarsat data point Flight 370 searchers in wrong direction?
Cannes: Movie maker courts controversy with MH370 thriller
CNN's Saima Mohsin reported from Kuala Lumpur; Holly Yan reported and wrote from Atlanta.
'Chocolate King' wants Ukraine top job
5/20/2014 4:56:12 PM
- Poroshenko made his wealth in the candy business
- He leads the field of 20 candidates in Sunday's election
- The "Chocolate King" wants closer ties with Europe
Chernihiv, Ukraine (CNN) -- Petro Poroshenko is already the "Chocolate King" of Ukraine, but he has his sights set higher: He wants to be president.
He's a billionaire thanks to the candy company he started nearly 20 years ago, but, asked recently if it's an advantage to be an oligarch when running for president, Poroshenko sidestepped the question with a hint of a smile on his lips and a hint of steel in his eyes.
"I don't know," he said in English. "You should ask an oligarch about that."
Poroshenko, 48, isn't Ukraine's wealthiest man; his $1.3 billion fortune makes him seventh, according to Forbes magazine's list of the world's billionaires.
But his wealth includes experience as well as money. He's a former foreign minister and former chairman of Ukraine's national security and defense council, and now a member of parliament, focusing on European integration.
Given the opinion polls ahead of Sunday's election, political analyst Igor Popov has no doubt that Poroshenko will be elected president. He leads by a wide margin over his nearest rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, in a field of more than 20 candidates.
But if Poroshenko does win, he'll be inheriting a tough job.
His country has been wracked by months of violence, with Moscow laying claim to Crimea and separatists declaring independence in several eastern regions of the country bordering Russia.
That's the very reason Poroshenko says it's so important to have a presidential election now, when the country has an interim president following the flight to Russia of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych earlier this year.
"We need a legitimate, strong, powerful commander-in-chief of our armed forces. We need a legitimate president who can open dialogue, direct dialogue with all our partners," Poroshenko said ahead of a campaign rally in this city about a two-hour drive north of the capital Kiev, in central Ukraine.
Rally in the rain
Hundreds of people stood out in the rain in the city's main square for a long speech by Poroshenko during the event, which ended with candidate and crowd singing Ukraine's national anthem and a pro-Ukrainian pop song worthy of the kitschy Eurovison song contest.
Lights of yellow and blue, the colors of Ukraine's national flag, played over the crowd as they sang. When it was over, Poroshenko worked the crowd, handing out autographed cards with his face on them, aides continually replenishing his supply.
When the campaign rally was over, he spoke exclusively to CNN.
"My first step immediately after the election would be a visit, not to Brussels, not to Moscow and not even to Washington. My first visit would be to Donetsk," he said, referring to one of the main separatist regions in the east, an area now styling itself the independent Donetsk People's Republic.
The purpose of the trip would not be to negotiate with the self-styled separatist leaders, he said, denying that they truly represented the people.
"If it is a terrorist, they are not representing the people. They have just 500 people with guns," he said, working a small wooden cross on rosary beads between his fingers throughout the interview.
But, he said, he was more than willing to talk to anyone elected by the people, and he has no objection to more local self-control.
People across Ukraine have "the right to speak any language they want. The right to elect the leaders they want. The right for the decentralization of power," he said.
He was firm on his two main goals.
"European integration -- no compromise," he declared. "Crimea and eastern Ukraine, we are fighting for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of my country. No compromise."
Tough enough?
But challenged on whether he could work with Vladimir Putin, he dodged the question, refusing even to mention Russia's president by name.
Instead, he talked about working with major European powers.
And pressed again specifically on Russia and Putin, he fell back on the format of ongoing round table discussions with Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union.
Poroshenko argues that his country has earned the right to join the EU.
"Ukraine has already passed a very important exam in February, March, April of this year. More than 100 Ukrainians gave their lives in fighting for democracy," he said.
While he said he personally would like Ukraine to join NATO, he recognizes that it's not possible at the moment.
"At present we have a war situation. NATO unfortunately will not accept Ukraine," he said.
The chocolate king has vowed to sell the candy business that made his fortune if he is elected president, but he won't give up his television channel.
He gave two reasons for holding onto Channel Five.
"Because this channel two times saved the country, and, reason number two, because the channel is not for sale," he said.
Hollywood ending
It's possible Poroshenko will win outright in the first round by getting more than 50% of the vote. If he fails to cross that hurdle, he'll face the runner-up in a run-off election.
Some Ukrainians are hoping the race will be over on Sunday.
One woman wrapped in the Ukrainian flag at the Poroshenko campaign rally said she was planning to vote for him because he's the leading candidate and she wants the race settled as soon as possible.
In fact, there is little difference in policy between Poroshenko and Tymoshenko, allies a decade ago in the Orange Revolution who have since become rivals.
Igor Popov, the political analyst, said whoever wins the election will disappoint the Ukrainian people.
"The Ukrainian people are looking at all these crises, dreaming that it's a Hollywood movie and when the movie finishes we will see a happy ending," he said. "Now the Ukrainian people are dreaming that the next day after presidential elections, war will stop and the currency rate will come back to normal and all the problems will be solved."
That's not going to happen.
"Nobody could solve all the Ukrainian problems soon and fast, but maybe when we compare Mr. Poroshenko to other politicians, he has the biggest chance to reunite the country," Popov added.
Poroshenko himself does not lack confidence.
At one point during his interview with CNN, he referred to European integration as a goal for "his first term."
And later he interrupted a question about what he would do if he wins with a correction: "When I win."
READ: Russian troops still at Ukrainian border despite withdrawal pledge, NATO says
READ: Who's in charge here? In one eastern Ukrainian city, answer isn't clear
READ: Polls close in eastern Ukraine amid allegations of fraud and double-voting
Journalists Lena Kashkarova, Victoria Butenko and Azad Safanov contributed to this report.
Putin: From powerhouse to pariah
5/21/2014 4:12:39 AM
- St Petersburg, dreamt up by Tsar Peter the Great, is now best known as president Vladimir Putin's hometown
- Last year Putin used SPIEF -- Russia's Davos -- to showcase his international links and political influence
- This year, the Ukraine crisis is overshadowing the forum, and many executives are staying away from Putin
- The president's ambitions to foster investment and raise living standards has been stymied by the crisis
Editor's note: John Defterios is CNN's Emerging Markets Editor and anchor of Global Exchange, CNN's business show focused on the emerging and BRIC markets. Follow John on Twitter.
St Petersburg (CNN) -- St Petersburg has been a city of splendor for more than three centuries, and bears the name of the man who dreamt it all up: Tsar Peter the Great.
But since Vladimir Putin took power in 2000, this city has been best known as the hometown of the president, and those in his inner circle who call the shots within the Kremlin and in business.
Anna Scherbakova, bureau chief for the financial daily Vedomosti, said the power structure of "Team Putin," is woven through with the city's elite.
"There are a lot of St Petersburg-born people in the Russian cabinet," she said. "Also the CEOs of the Russian big monopolies like Gazprom, like Rosneft, like Sberbank."
In a symbol of the city's rising prominence, the state-run energy giant Gazprom will move its headquarters here next year at a cost of nearly $2 billion.
John Defterios
The St Petersburg International Economic Forum, or SPIEF, is Putin's version of Davos. It is a showcase event for his administration and a chance for CEOs of the Global 100 to rub shoulders with those who matter most in this near $2 trillion economy.
But it is obvious, with a long, long list of no shows from corporate America and Europe, the tone has changed dramatically for the worse at SPIEF 2014.
According to Scherbakova, "it could painful for the president's self esteem."
A year ago, the forum kicked off what was designed to be a smooth agenda of orchestrated events.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel shared the stage with the president in a panel that I chaired. Tensions between them were obvious, but so too were overriding bilateral trade interests.
A few months later, Putin talked of re-igniting growth as he hosted the G20 Summit in St Petersburg. In December, he moved to rescue Ukraine with a $15 billion bailout for his old ally, the now ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.
Shortly thereafter, he was hosting the high-priced Sochi Winter Olympics.
But it is Putin's annexation of Crimea and unrest in Eastern Ukraine which will define 2014 and very likely his legacy. Putin's popularity has skyrocketed at home, but that is weighed against economic isolation abroad.
During the height of the Western-led banking crisis, Putin chided co-members of the G8 for their careless ways and lack of corporate governance. Today, the economic tide of growth has moved out on Russia.
And that, according to Peter Truscott, former UK Energy Minister and Putin biographer, will force the Kremlin to take measured steps going forward.
John Defterios
"If a military conflict were to spread into Ukraine, against the background of further economic and trade sanctions, then I think Putin might lose support," Truscott said. "That's why I think Russia is very wary of full military intervention in eastern and southern Ukraine at the moment."
In the spring of 2013, the Russian president promised protestors he would raise their standards of living by fostering investment.
Having most U.S. and many European corporate leaders staying away from his annual gathering on the Neva River will not assist in the effort.
And the event that was scheduled to round off the president's calendar on the global stage -- the G8 summit, due to be held during St Petersburg's long white nights -- has been canceled. Instead, there will only be the G7 in Brussels.
READ MORE: The European Union needs a new vision
WATCH MORE: Is the EU out of its economic crisis?
EXPLORE: Protest parties shake up Europe election
Same-sex marriage, state-by-state
5/21/2014 5:17:57 AM
- The Supreme Court issued its U.S. v. Windsor ruling last June
- Since then, several states have legalized gay marriage on their own
- Federal judges have struck several state bans, calling them unconstitutional
- Expert: "This will only authoritatively be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court"
(CNN) -- The wave started last summer in the Supreme Court.
At 5-4, the high court's decision on United States v. Windsor wasn't unanimous. And it wasn't decisive: The federal government would now have to recognize marriages between gay and lesbian couples, but the ruling did not overturn prohibitions on such legal unions within individual states.
Yet the prevailing opinion has proven to be momentous, especially given what's happened in its aftermath.
Since Windsor, many states have acted -- either via their courts or their legislatures -- to legalize same-sex marriage. And, over the past six months, federal judges have moved several other states in the same direction.
These district judges have cited Justice Anthony Kennedy's ruling on Windsor -- even though, in the opinion of University of California at Berkeley law professor Jesse Choper, that decision is "very cautious" and references both individual and state rights arguments.
They have repeatedly claimed that having one set of marriage rules for heterosexuals and another for gays and lesbians violates the 14th Amendment's assertion that no "state (can) deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
With about 70 cases working their way through the court systems, more district judges could issue their own decisions affecting yet more states. And three-judge appeals court panels will hear more cases, as has already happened in the 10th circuit out of Denver and the 4th out of Richmond, Virginia.
Carl Tobias, a constitutional law professor at the University of Richmond, believes it's likely that the LGBT advocates' winning streak will end somewhere on the appellate level. While district judges function more independently, appeals court judges "tend to be more ideological," Tobias notes, and thus it's more likely they cumulatively will express opinions on both sides of the debate.
That said, whatever these appeals courts decide might be moot. Experts say this fast-moving wave of decisions will ultimately climax where it began, on the nation's top court -- with so-called "swing" justice Kennedy most likely siding with the winner.
As Choper says, "This will only authoritatively be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court."
Until then, here's a breakdown of what's happened in key states on same-sex marriage since the Windsor ruling on June 26, 2013 -- based on key developments by state, timed roughly to when they happened.
CALIFORNIA
The Golden State has figured prominently in the same-sex marriage fight for years, with both sides winning key victories. It's perhaps fitting, then, that California's fate on this matter was effectively decided the same day as the Windsor case.
Four and a half years earlier, voters passed Proposition 8 amending the state's constitution to ban gay marriage. But several federal courts struck down that prohibition, even if their rulings didn't take effect immediately.
Meanwhile, California's leaders decided not to defend Prop 8. This ended up being key when the Supreme Court got the case. It ruled that private parties, rather than government officials, do not have "standing" to defend the voter-approved ballot measure -- clearing the way for same-sex marriages in California to resume immediately.
DELAWARE
For all the talk about courts, there has also been a lot of movement in state legislatures moving the needle on same-sex marriage over the past 11 months.
Delaware -- which previously had civil unions for gay and lesbian couples -- adopted full-fledged marriage rights on July 1, just a few days after the Windsor ruling.
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island similarly opened up to same-sex marriage on August 1, three months after Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed a landmark law in that state.
MINNESOTA
That same August day, Minnesota joined the same club following the passage of a similar law through its legislature. At that point, 13 states plus the District of Columbia allowed same-sex marriage.
Seven more states allowed civil unions between same-sex couples at that point in time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, though six of those also had laws against gay marriage.
NEW JERSEY
In September, Judge Mary Jacobson of New Jersey's Mercer County Superior Court ruled that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry in her state. The state's Supreme Court shortly thereafter denied state officials' attempt to temporarily prevent such marriages.
The biggest surprise may have been when Gov. Chris Christie -- a Republican with rumored presidential aspirations who vetoed a same-sex marriage bill in February 2012 -- decided to end his legal fight. That set the stage for gay and lesbian couples to wed in the Garden State starting on October 21.
HAWAII
During the 1990s the state Supreme Court found that giving marriage licenses to straight couples but not gay and lesbian ones was unconstitutional. But that decision did not lead to equal rights on marriage; in fact, a same-sex marriage ban made it into the state's constitution a few years later.
It wasn't until late last year (and nearly two years after civil unions were allowed) that gay and lesbian couples were given the chance to marry in the Aloha State, after a law moved through the state's legislature.
ILLINOIS
Illinois' state legislature passed a law in November, which Gov. Pat Quinn signed later that month, setting the stage for same-sex marriages there.
They were supposed to start June 1, 2014 -- but things didn't turn out that way.
A few days after Quinn put pen to paper, Patricia Ewert and Verinta Gray -- who was then suffering from a terminal cancer and died the following March according to local media reports -- wed.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled in February that same-sex couples in Chicago and surrounding Cook County could marry right away, contending "there is no reason to delay further when no opposition has been presented to this court."
NEW MEXICO
It was unanimous: Five justices on New Mexico's Supreme Court all agreed in December that their state's existing laws prohibiting same-sex marriage violated the state's constitution. That made New Mexico the 17th state to legalize gay marriage.
In the months before this decision, eight counties had been issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples -- unions that were now affirmed to be valid and ordered be recognized statewide.
UTAH
Until December 20, 2013, most of the states in which same-sex marriages were overturned had a progressive or at least moderate history. But not so for Utah, where Republicans have won the most votes in the last 12 presidential elections -- including Mitt Romney garnering a whopping 73% of the vote in 2012, compared to Barack Obama's 25%.
That day, a federal judge ruled Utah's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Christmas Eve denied state officials bid to temporarily stay that ruling. In fact, it wasn't until the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in January 6 to temporarily block the decision that the case was sent back to the appeals court.
In April,10th Circuit judges began hearing that appeal. But even as everyone waited for their decision, other courts continued to churn: U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball decided May 19 that the state must recognize the more than 1,000 gay and lesbian couples during that 3-week stretch in late December and early January, according to a copy of the ruling posted by SCOTUSblog.
OKLAHOMA
U.S. District Court Judge Terence Kern similarly opined on January 14 that "Oklahoma's constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."
But his ruling didn't take right away. Kern stayed his own ruling until the likely appeals worked their way through the legal process. As with the Utah case, that 10th Circuit heard arguments on Oklahoma in December.
KENTUCKY
The Bluegrass State was thrust into this debate on February 12, after U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II declared that "it is clear that Kentucky's laws treat gay and lesbian persons differently in a way that demeans them." Yet like Kern, Heyburn prevented his own ruling from immediately taking effect.
Politicians took the next step in March. Stating Heyburn "got it right" and that "these laws will not likely survive upon appeal," state Attorney General Jack Conway said he wouldn't devote state resources to an appeal. But Gov. Steven Beshear -- a Democrat, like Conway -- said he'd hire outside lawyers to press the case, contending that "Kentucky should be part of this process" until the Supreme Court weighs in.
VIRGINIA
Virginia's same-sex marriage ban -- including a constitutional amendment that passed in 2006 -- was struck done one day after that of Kentucky. U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen followed Heyburn's lead in another way, too, by staying her ruling pending appeal.
The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals heard 70 minutes of arguments on the case on May 13, during which time its members offered dramatically different views over the constitutionality and scope of Virginia's ban.
What the three judges in Richmond seemed to agree on was that both sides of the issue were using the intermediate court as a "way-station up (Interstate) 95" to the Supreme Court, where the social, political and legal debate will ultimately and almost certainly be resolved.
TEXAS
Virginia may have been the first traditionally Southern state to have its same-sex marriage ban struck down. But it's not seen as being nearly as conservative as Texas, where San Antonio-based federal Judge Orlando Garcia issued a sweeping decision on February 26 saying the current state restrictions serve "no legitimate government purpose."
The ruling was immediately stayed pending appeal. Still, LGBT advocates in the state of Gov. Rick Perry and former President George W. Bush celebrated the judgment nonetheless, with one plaintiff calling it "an awesome first step."
MICHIGAN
The court action moved to the Great Lakes in March, when U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman issued a decision he said "affirms the enduring principle that regardless of whoever finds favor in the eyes of the most recent majority, the guarantee of equal protection must prevail."
He did not put off his ruling, as other judges had done. The next day, the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals instituted a temporary stay -- by which time some gay and lesbian couples had married in the meantime.
OHIO
In February, a Quinnipiac University survey found that 50% of Ohio voters support legalizing same-sex marriage in their state -- the same place where, over eight years earlier, a state constitutional amendment barring this very thing was passed.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Black moved Ohio in that direction on April 14, ruling that the state must recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other states as valid. But he did not put this ruling in effect immediately. Nor did he open the doors to gay and lesbian couples from actually marrying within Ohio.
ARKANSAS
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza on May 9 broke a string of seven consecutive decisions by federal judges on same-sex marriage, though his sentiment was the same: His state's law barring gay and lesbian couples from marrying should not stand.
One week later -- after a back-in-forth in which Piazza was forced to issue an updated, "final" order -- Arkansas' Supreme Court stopped any more same-sex marriages in the state. All of this left the legal status of more than 400 gay and lesbian couples who had gotten marriage licenses in the meantime in limbo.
IDAHO
As the Arkansas drama was unfolding, U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Wagahoff Dale ruled that Idaho, too, shouldn't be able to prevent gay and lesbian couples from marrying. Like other judges, she asserted the state's marriage ban didn't jive with the Constitution's 14th Amendment.
Dale was firm in her decision, but still gave a few days before the order could take effect (and, thus, same-sex couples could marry). That hasn't happened, with local media (including the Idaho Statesman) reporting Tuesday the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals staying Dale's ruling pending appeal.
OREGON
On Monday, the same-sex marriage prohibition written into Oregon's state constitution after a 2004 vote was struck down by U.S. District Judge Michael McShane. And it may stay down: While the National Organization for Marriage filed an appeal, no state officials have said they'll challenge McShane's ruling.
Unless or until a high court steps in, the first marriages Monday between gay and lesbian couples could continue indefinitely.
PENNSYLVANIA
The Keystone State was the last to see its gay marriage ban fall, at least in some fashion. U.S. District Judge John E. Jones said that Pennsylvania's current ban (written into the state's legal code, but not its constitution) is not legally valid and opined that, in the future, "the label same-sex marriage will be abandoned, to be replaced simply by marriage."
There were a few things up in the air after Jones' ruling. For one, Pennsylvania officially has a three-day waiting period between when one applies for a marriage license and it's granted. Moreover, it's not certain the state will challenge Jones' decision: state Attorney General Kathleen Kane has said she will not, while Gov. Tom Corbett is reviewing the decision and should issue a statement on Wednesday.
Paul McCartney ill, postpones shows
5/20/2014 10:33:09 AM
- Paul McCartney got sick in Japan, postponed shows
- Postponements are rare occurrence for former Beatle
- McCartney: "I'm so disappointed"
- Tour scheduled to go to Seoul, then over to America in June
(CNN) -- Paul McCartney fans in Japan are going to have to wait a little longer to get "Out There."
The former Beatle, currently on his "Out There" tour in Asia, was forced to postpone two shows at the Tokyo National Stadium due to an undisclosed illness. The cancellations are a rare occurrence for the McCartney, who has proven an iron man while maintaining a global tour schedule over the past several years. He'll turn 72 in June.
"Doctors have ordered Paul complete rest and he has been doing all he can to get better," read a statement on McCartney's official website posted Sunday. "Paul has only ever had to reschedule a handful of shows in his entire career and is so upset about this situation, he hates to let people down."
McCartney wanted to perform against doctor's orders, the statement continued, "but his team, along with the doctors, wouldn't allow it."
McCartney plans to reschedule the shows, which were originally planned for May 18-19. Shows scheduled for May 21, at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan, and May 24, at Osaka's Yanmar Stadium Nagai, have also been postponed.
The musician was disappointed, according to his site.
"Thank you so much for your kind messages of support," McCartney wrote. "I'm so very touched. Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight. I was really hoping that I'd be feeling better today. I'm so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down."
McCartney is currently performing in support of his album "New," which was released in October. His tour is scheduled to continue in Seoul, South Korea, on May 28, before coming to the United States on June 14.
Same-sex marriage, state-by-state
5/21/2014 6:14:33 AM
- The Supreme Court issued its U.S. v. Windsor ruling last June
- Since then, several states have legalized gay marriage on their own
- Federal judges have struck several state bans, calling them unconstitutional
- Expert: "This will only authoritatively be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court"
(CNN) -- The wave started last summer in the Supreme Court.
At 5-4, the high court's decision on United States v. Windsor wasn't unanimous. And it wasn't decisive: The federal government would now have to recognize marriages between gay and lesbian couples, but the ruling did not overturn prohibitions on such legal unions within individual states.
Yet the prevailing opinion has proven to be momentous, especially given what's happened in its aftermath.
Since Windsor, many states have acted -- either via their courts or their legislatures -- to legalize same-sex marriage. And, over the past six months, federal judges have moved several other states in the same direction.
These district judges have cited Justice Anthony Kennedy's ruling on Windsor -- even though, in the opinion of University of California at Berkeley law professor Jesse Choper, that decision is "very cautious" and references both individual and state rights arguments.
They have repeatedly claimed that having one set of marriage rules for heterosexuals and another for gays and lesbians violates the 14th Amendment's assertion that no "state (can) deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
With about 70 cases working their way through the court systems, more district judges could issue their own decisions affecting yet more states. And three-judge appeals court panels will hear more cases, as has already happened in the 10th circuit out of Denver and the 4th out of Richmond, Virginia.
Carl Tobias, a constitutional law professor at the University of Richmond, believes it's likely that the LGBT advocates' winning streak will end somewhere on the appellate level. While district judges function more independently, appeals court judges "tend to be more ideological," Tobias notes, and thus it's more likely they cumulatively will express opinions on both sides of the debate.
That said, whatever these appeals courts decide might be moot. Experts say this fast-moving wave of decisions will ultimately climax where it began, on the nation's top court -- with so-called "swing" justice Kennedy most likely siding with the winner.
As Choper says, "This will only authoritatively be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court."
Until then, here's a breakdown of what's happened in key states on same-sex marriage since the Windsor ruling on June 26, 2013 -- based on key developments by state, timed roughly to when they happened.
CALIFORNIA
The Golden State has figured prominently in the same-sex marriage fight for years, with both sides winning key victories. It's perhaps fitting, then, that California's fate on this matter was effectively decided the same day as the Windsor case.
Four and a half years earlier, voters passed Proposition 8 amending the state's constitution to ban gay marriage. But several federal courts struck down that prohibition, even if their rulings didn't take effect immediately.
Meanwhile, California's leaders decided not to defend Prop 8. This ended up being key when the Supreme Court got the case. It ruled that private parties, rather than government officials, do not have "standing" to defend the voter-approved ballot measure -- clearing the way for same-sex marriages in California to resume immediately.
DELAWARE
For all the talk about courts, there has also been a lot of movement in state legislatures moving the needle on same-sex marriage over the past 11 months.
Delaware -- which previously had civil unions for gay and lesbian couples -- adopted full-fledged marriage rights on July 1, just a few days after the Windsor ruling.
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island similarly opened up to same-sex marriage on August 1, three months after Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed a landmark law in that state.
MINNESOTA
That same August day, Minnesota joined the same club following the passage of a similar law through its legislature. At that point, 13 states plus the District of Columbia allowed same-sex marriage.
Seven more states allowed civil unions between same-sex couples at that point in time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, though six of those also had laws against gay marriage.
NEW JERSEY
In September, Judge Mary Jacobson of New Jersey's Mercer County Superior Court ruled that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry in her state. The state's Supreme Court shortly thereafter denied state officials' attempt to temporarily prevent such marriages.
The biggest surprise may have been when Gov. Chris Christie -- a Republican with rumored presidential aspirations who vetoed a same-sex marriage bill in February 2012 -- decided to end his legal fight. That set the stage for gay and lesbian couples to wed in the Garden State starting on October 21.
HAWAII
During the 1990s the state Supreme Court found that giving marriage licenses to straight couples but not gay and lesbian ones was unconstitutional. But that decision did not lead to equal rights on marriage; in fact, a same-sex marriage ban made it into the state's constitution a few years later.
It wasn't until late last year (and nearly two years after civil unions were allowed) that gay and lesbian couples were given the chance to marry in the Aloha State, after a law moved through the state's legislature.
ILLINOIS
Illinois' state legislature passed a law in November, which Gov. Pat Quinn signed later that month, setting the stage for same-sex marriages there.
They were supposed to start June 1, 2014 -- but things didn't turn out that way.
A few days after Quinn put pen to paper, Patricia Ewert and Verinta Gray -- who was then suffering from a terminal cancer and died the following March according to local media reports -- wed.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled in February that same-sex couples in Chicago and surrounding Cook County could marry right away, contending "there is no reason to delay further when no opposition has been presented to this court."
NEW MEXICO
It was unanimous: Five justices on New Mexico's Supreme Court all agreed in December that their state's existing laws prohibiting same-sex marriage violated the state's constitution. That made New Mexico the 17th state to legalize gay marriage.
In the months before this decision, eight counties had been issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples -- unions that were now affirmed to be valid and ordered be recognized statewide.
UTAH
Until December 20, 2013, most of the states in which same-sex marriages were overturned had a progressive or at least moderate history. But not so for Utah, where Republicans have won the most votes in the last 12 presidential elections -- including Mitt Romney garnering a whopping 73% of the vote in 2012, compared to Barack Obama's 25%.
That day, a federal judge ruled Utah's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Christmas Eve denied state officials bid to temporarily stay that ruling. In fact, it wasn't until the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in January 6 to temporarily block the decision that the case was sent back to the appeals court.
In April,10th Circuit judges began hearing that appeal. But even as everyone waited for their decision, other courts continued to churn: U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball decided May 19 that the state must recognize the more than 1,000 gay and lesbian couples during that 3-week stretch in late December and early January, according to a copy of the ruling posted by SCOTUSblog.
OKLAHOMA
U.S. District Court Judge Terence Kern similarly opined on January 14 that "Oklahoma's constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."
But his ruling didn't take right away. Kern stayed his own ruling until the likely appeals worked their way through the legal process. As with the Utah case, that 10th Circuit heard arguments on Oklahoma in December.
KENTUCKY
The Bluegrass State was thrust into this debate on February 12, after U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II declared that "it is clear that Kentucky's laws treat gay and lesbian persons differently in a way that demeans them." Yet like Kern, Heyburn prevented his own ruling from immediately taking effect.
Politicians took the next step in March. Stating Heyburn "got it right" and that "these laws will not likely survive upon appeal," state Attorney General Jack Conway said he wouldn't devote state resources to an appeal. But Gov. Steven Beshear -- a Democrat, like Conway -- said he'd hire outside lawyers to press the case, contending that "Kentucky should be part of this process" until the Supreme Court weighs in.
VIRGINIA
Virginia's same-sex marriage ban -- including a constitutional amendment that passed in 2006 -- was struck done one day after that of Kentucky. U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen followed Heyburn's lead in another way, too, by staying her ruling pending appeal.
The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals heard 70 minutes of arguments on the case on May 13, during which time its members offered dramatically different views over the constitutionality and scope of Virginia's ban.
What the three judges in Richmond seemed to agree on was that both sides of the issue were using the intermediate court as a "way-station up (Interstate) 95" to the Supreme Court, where the social, political and legal debate will ultimately and almost certainly be resolved.
TEXAS
Virginia may have been the first traditionally Southern state to have its same-sex marriage ban struck down. But it's not seen as being nearly as conservative as Texas, where San Antonio-based federal Judge Orlando Garcia issued a sweeping decision on February 26 saying the current state restrictions serve "no legitimate government purpose."
The ruling was immediately stayed pending appeal. Still, LGBT advocates in the state of Gov. Rick Perry and former President George W. Bush celebrated the judgment nonetheless, with one plaintiff calling it "an awesome first step."
MICHIGAN
The court action moved to the Great Lakes in March, when U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman issued a decision he said "affirms the enduring principle that regardless of whoever finds favor in the eyes of the most recent majority, the guarantee of equal protection must prevail."
He did not put off his ruling, as other judges had done. The next day, the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals instituted a temporary stay -- by which time some gay and lesbian couples had married in the meantime.
OHIO
In February, a Quinnipiac University survey found that 50% of Ohio voters support legalizing same-sex marriage in their state -- the same place where, over eight years earlier, a state constitutional amendment barring this very thing was passed.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Black moved Ohio in that direction on April 14, ruling that the state must recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other states as valid. But he did not put this ruling in effect immediately. Nor did he open the doors to gay and lesbian couples from actually marrying within Ohio.
ARKANSAS
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza on May 9 broke a string of seven consecutive decisions by federal judges on same-sex marriage, though his sentiment was the same: His state's law barring gay and lesbian couples from marrying should not stand.
One week later -- after a back-in-forth in which Piazza was forced to issue an updated, "final" order -- Arkansas' Supreme Court stopped any more same-sex marriages in the state. All of this left the legal status of more than 400 gay and lesbian couples who had gotten marriage licenses in the meantime in limbo.
IDAHO
As the Arkansas drama was unfolding, U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Wagahoff Dale ruled that Idaho, too, shouldn't be able to prevent gay and lesbian couples from marrying. Like other judges, she asserted the state's marriage ban didn't jive with the Constitution's 14th Amendment.
Dale was firm in her decision, but still gave a few days before the order could take effect (and, thus, same-sex couples could marry). That hasn't happened, with local media (including the Idaho Statesman) reporting Tuesday the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals staying Dale's ruling pending appeal.
OREGON
On Monday, the same-sex marriage prohibition written into Oregon's state constitution after a 2004 vote was struck down by U.S. District Judge Michael McShane. And it may stay down: While the National Organization for Marriage filed an appeal, no state officials have said they'll challenge McShane's ruling.
Unless or until a high court steps in, the first marriages Monday between gay and lesbian couples could continue indefinitely.
PENNSYLVANIA
The Keystone State was the last to see its gay marriage ban fall, at least in some fashion. U.S. District Judge John E. Jones said that Pennsylvania's current ban (written into the state's legal code, but not its constitution) is not legally valid and opined that, in the future, "the label same-sex marriage will be abandoned, to be replaced simply by marriage."
There were a few things up in the air after Jones' ruling. For one, Pennsylvania officially has a three-day waiting period between when one applies for a marriage license and it's granted. Moreover, it's not certain the state will challenge Jones' decision: state Attorney General Kathleen Kane has said she will not, while Gov. Tom Corbett is reviewing the decision and should issue a statement on Wednesday.
Boko Haram blamed for dozens of deaths in Nigeria
5/21/2014 7:00:54 AM
Kano, Nigeria (CNN) -- Thirty people were killed in separate Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria's Borno state this week, local residents told CNN.
On Monday, Boko Haram attackers on motorcycles killed 10 in the village of Shawa, residents said. On Tuesday, gunmen from the terrorist group stormed the village of Alagarno, killing 20, they said.
Both villages are close to where more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by the same group.
In both villages attacked this week, residents say Boko Haram set fire to homes.
Residents in Shawa said the militants also fired machine guns at residents, and those in Alagarno say food stores were also burned.
READ: Blasts at market kill 118 in central Nigeria, official says
READ: Opinion: Media turns Boko Haram into 'superstar monsters'
'Militants' killed in Pakistan airstrike
5/21/2014 12:34:14 PM
- Pakistani military claims it killed 60 militants in North Waziristan
- A Taliban commander calls the casualties local tribesmen
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The Pakistani military carried out airstrikes early Wednesday in the country's northwest, targeting alleged militant hideouts in the volatile region.
The army claimed it killed 60 militants, including some key commanders, and injured 30 others in North Waziristan, a loosely governed tribal area that borders Afghanistan.
A local Taliban commander, Umar Khurrassani, challenged that report, and said 39 tribesmen, including women and children, were killed. If those tribesmen were affiliated with the Taliban commander, the Pakistani army would consider some of them militants.
One area resident told CNN that up to 20 civilians had been killed in the airstrikes.
Malik Gul Saleh Jan said that it's difficult to assess the exact figure of the dead and injured because it is hard to reach some residents by phone. Many left their homes due to fear of shelling and bombing, he said.
Earlier this year, the military carried out a series of strikes in the region, considered to be a stronghold for extremist groups.
Read: Stream of al Qaeda threats has U.S. intelligence concerned
Read: FBI agent arrested in Pakistan, sought to board flight while carrying ammunition
Protest parties shake up EU elections
5/21/2014 5:18:42 AM
- Euroskeptic parties are expected to claim a big chunk of votes in EU election
- However, their power inside the parliament will likely to be diluted by a lack of cooperation
- The protest vote is likely to put pressure on governments of the member states
Editor's note: Explore Europe's main protest parties in the map above. Click on each country to find out more. Watch The Business View with Nina dos Santos, weekdays at 12pm CET, for more on the European elections. This interactive map may not work on all mobile devices.
(CNN) -- Europe's protest parties are dominating the headlines ahead of this week's crucial European elections.
The euroskeptics -- from the UKIP in the United Kingdom to Jobbik in Hungary -- are demanding tighter border controls, nationalized decision-making and a dissolution of the currency union.
There are several reasons for the surge in support, including the disillusionment of those caught in the backdraft of economic crisis and a desire by some voters to punish the political establishment.
But while the euroskeptic parties are expected to claim a significant chunk of votes, their power inside the parliament will likely to be diluted by a lack of cooperation.
They have little in common aside from a dislike of the Brussels bureaucracy, and a pan-euroskeptic political group is unlikely, according to political scientist Duncan McDonnell.
"The euroskeptic label covers parties of both right and left, many of whom object to the EU for very different reasons -- the radical left denounce Europe as a free-market promoting friend of high finance, while the right objects to a loss of national sovereignty and bureaucracy," said McDonnell, a political science fellow at the European University Institute in Florence.
However, the rise in euroskeptic parties' political clout is likely to put pressure on national governments of the member states.
Five years after the financial crisis exploded, the call for change with the bloc has become louder. Now, with the election just days away, the decades-old institution could face a shake-up that will rewrite its future.
Nina dos Santos: The European Union needs a new vision
This interactive map may not work on all mobile devices.
Planes in near miss at U.S. airport
5/21/2014 3:37:46 AM
- The FAA changes runway rules at site of near miss at Newark Airport in April
- The aircraft were operating on intersecting runways during the April incident
- As a result, one of the runways will not be used for arrivals when the other has takeoffs
Washington (CNN) -- The rules for takeoffs and landings at Newark Liberty International Airport have changed after two planes came within yards of colliding last month, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday.
United Express Flight 4100, an Embraer ERJ-145 operated by ExpressJet, was cleared to take off on runway 4R at the same time United Airlines Flight 1243, a Boeing 737, was landing on the intersecting runway 29 on April 24.
The 737 flew 135 yards vertically and 50 yards laterally from the smaller regional jet.
"The FAA has investigated the recent air traffic incident at Newark and has taken steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future," according to a statement from the agency. Runway 29 is no longer used for arriving flights when planes are taking off on the intersecting runway 4R.
In the April incident, on air traffic control radio captured by the website LiveATC.net, the tower can be heard telling the pilot of the 737 to "go around" and circle the airport.
The controller told the ERJ to watch out for the larger plane on the right.
"Yeah, we were putting the nose down, and, he was real close," the pilot responds.
Close calls at Newark have happened before, including four in 2008, according to a Department of Transportation inspector general's report.
In one instance, on January 16, 2008, a 737 from Continental Airlines (which has since merged with United) was at risk of hitting an Embraer 145 operating as Continental Express.
It happened at the same intersection and involved the same type of aircraft as April incident, but the planes never got within a mile of each other.
That case was attributed to a mistake by an air traffic controller.
The National Transportation Safety Board will not make a determination of what caused the most recent incident until it releases its final report, which is expected to take months.
United Airlines is working with the agency to investigate the incident, an airline spokeswoman has told CNN.
CNN's Laura Dolan contributed to this report.
What's the big deal about sexting?
5/21/2014 11:53:41 AM
- Rey Junco: American society has a double standard when it comes to sexuality
- Junco: Sexting, if not abused or exploited, is not a social evil
- He says sexting is a way to express one's sexual identity, especially for teenagers
- Junco: But sexting presents legal and social ramifications, including bullying
Editor's note: Rey Junco is an associate professor of library science at Purdue University and a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He is the author of the upcoming book, "Engaging Students through Social Media: Evidence-Based Practices for Use in Student Affairs." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- American society has a double standard when it comes to sexuality. We have a puritanical taboo against talking about sexuality directly, yet we are fine with the sexual images that pervade television and glossy magazines.
We sexualize children in advertising by turning girls into objects that bear little resemblance to what young women actually look like. And we do this in movies where even animated characters take on curvaceous hips and big breasts.
But then when it comes to our kids having some kind of sexual identity, we freak out. That needs to stop.
We vilify sexting, or sending sexually explicit messages and images via text messaging. But sexting, if not taken to the extreme or exploited by bullies, is not the social evil that it is made out to be.
Sexting is a normal part of human sexual expression not only for adolescents, but for adults as well. New data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project show that adults 25 to 34 years old are more likely to sext than those in other age groups.
Anxious parents might think that sexting leads to a slew of negative consequences like early and risky sexual behavior. But there is evidence to suggest this is not the case. The proportion of American adolescents who are sexually active has declined in recent years (though the rates are still high and warrant concern). Adolescent pregnancy rates have also declined over the last two decades, perhaps due to more teenagers using contraception.
Sexting is not related to riskier sexual behaviors like having unprotected sex. About the only thing sexting is related to is sexual activity — adolescents who are sexually active are more likely to sext.
Sexting doesn't indicate a significant change in teenage sexual behaviors; it just makes teenage sexual behaviors more visible to adults. Sexting can help adolescents discover their sexual identity, something that is developmentally appropriate in the teenage years, whether they are sexting or not.
But sexting is not without problems.
Because laws have not yet caught up with the realities of technology use, in some states, a minor could potentially be charged under child pornography laws for sexting. There are a few, rare instances when this has happened. In these cases, there is usually quite a bit of backlash against prosecutors attempting to indict minors under child pornography laws. Seventeen states have created legislation that either decriminalizes sexting or makes it a misdemeanor.
States like Florida and Vermont make the creation, possession, or sending of a nude image of a minor by a minor a non-criminal violation for the first offense. That being said, there is nothing stopping an overzealous prosecutor in another state from making an example of a teenager and charging him with the most severe penalty possible.
The social consequences of sexting are more troubling. Messages shared in confidence can be shared with other people or broadcast to a wider audience. Luckily, this doesn't happen often. One study found only 2% of sexters had their photo shared with someone they didn't want to see it.
Although it's unlikely, imagine how future employers might evaluate your daughter if they Google her and find a sexually explicit image. What is more likely is that your teenage daughter's peers will share and shame her for the image.
In the worst cases, sexting can lead to tragedy. Thirteen-year-old Hope Witsell sexted a photo to her boyfriend. Somehow, a classmate got hold of the photo and passed it around. Before you know it, the photo went viral. Witsell committed suicide reportedly after repeated bullying and taunts from other students who called her names like "slut" or "whore." Eighteen-year-old Jessica Logan also committed suicide reportedly after her boyfriend circulated a nude picture of her that was meant to be seen in confidence. These cases are heartbreaking. They show that we must educate young people, especially young men, about how harmful such acts can be. And as a society, we must do more to raise awareness and combat bullying and cyberbullying.
If sexting is not abused and done discretely, it is an acceptable form of exploration of sexual identity, especially for adolescents. You can talk about sexting as a way to talk with your teenage son or daughter about safe sex. Once you have established a good rapport, explain the pitfalls of sexting — that if they're not careful, nude images of them can be shared with the whole world and used to harm their reputations.
Adolescents are naturally impulsive because the teenage brain is still developing the ability to self-regulate. Try to be understanding and keep your cool. Remember: Sexting is the ultimate form of safe sex — the sender and receiver are not even in the same room.
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Deadly blasts reported at Xinjiang market
5/21/2014 9:46:57 PM
Hong Kong (CNN) -- A series of explosions struck a market Thursday in the capital of the far western Chinese region of Xinjiang, causing an unspecified number of deaths and injuries, China's official news agency Xinhua reported.
Two vehicles plowed into people gathered at the market in Urumqi at 7:50 a.m., the news agency said, and explosives were thrown out of the vehicles.
One of the vehicles then exploded, Xinhua reported.
S. Korea fires warnings at NK ships
5/21/2014 1:22:45 AM
![[File] View of N.Korea's west coast from the S. Korea-controlled island of Yeonpyeong near the Yellow Sea on April 14, 2013.](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140520185915-north-korea-yellow-sea-story-top.jpg)
- South Korean Navy fires at three North Korean patrol boats Tuesday
- North's boats crossed Northern Limit Line around 4 p.m., South Korean official says
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- The South Korean Navy fired warning shots after three North Korean patrol boats crossed the maritime border at the Yellow Sea, an official with the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
The North Korean boats crossed into the South Korean waters at the boundary, known as Northern Limit Line (NLL), at around 4 p.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) on Tuesday. The ships returned to the northern side after a South Korean naval vessel fired ten warning shots.
The NLL is the de facto maritime border, which stretches from the western coast of the peninsula into the Yellow Sea, marking the boundary between the two neighbors. It was set by the United Nations following the Korean War but the North does not recognize it.
Incidents have been known to occur on and around the border, including one earlier this year when North and South Korean artillery batteries exchanged hundreds of shells.
READ: 3 found drones came from North Korea, South's defense ministry says
READ: Report: N. Korea fires on South during North's military drills; South responds
READ: Analysis: North Korea acts up again; how should West react?
On the move? Russian troops seen packing up
5/21/2014 11:30:53 AM
- NEW: "Our troops are no longer on the border," Russian President Vladimir Putin says
- U.S. official: "There is some evidence of preparations for potential movement"
- Ukraine's presidential election is set for Sunday
- Detained Russia Today journalist to be freed, Ukrainian Defense Ministry says
Washington (CNN) -- The United States has seen the first preliminary signs that Russian forces may be preparing to move away from Ukraine's eastern border, a U.S. defense official told CNN on Wednesday.
"There is some evidence of preparations for potential movement," the official said. "At a few locations there is evidence of troops packing up, but nothing has moved yet."
The official declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information. The official also declined to specify the locations and emphasized that actual movement has not yet occurred.
This latest assessment was made days after Russia formally announced it had ordered its troops off the border. And it comes ahead of Ukraine's presidential election scheduled for Sunday.
The United States has estimated that 40,000 troops were on the border. Ever since the latest announcement, the U.S. has been watching for signs of movement to show up in satellite imagery from the area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops near the Ukraine border to return to their bases, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. The withdrawal has started, he said, and could take some time to finish.
But despite Moscow's assertion, there were no signs of the troops' withdrawal, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said hours later.
The United States, which along with other Western countries has sanctioned Russia for its disputed takeover of Crimea, has threatened additional punishment for Russia if it fails to pull its troops back from the border.
Putin: 'Our troops are no longer on the border'
On Wednesday, Putin said that "our troops are no longer on the border," the Kremlin website said. The President made the remarks during a trip to Shanghai, China, it said.
"They really were quite close to the border and you certainly heard about that. A while back I gave the command to the Ministry of Defence to withdraw them to their training grounds. They are also located in the adjacent regions, in Rostov region, nearby. But now the Ministry of Defence received another instruction. To withdraw them even from these training grounds," he said.
Putin said the upcoming elections factored into his decision.
"I would like to stress again it is done not because we are embarrassed to keep our troops there -- we are a sovereign state and we keep our troops where we want to -- but to be able to set up extra favorable conditions around the coming presidential elections in Ukraine. To avoid any speculation about that, such a decision was made," he said, according to the website.
Detained journalist to be freed
A journalist detained in Ukraine is to be freed, authorities said.
Earlier Wednesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed to CNN that Russia Today journalist Graham Phillips had been detained and turned in to the Security Service of Ukraine.
The Ukraine Defense Ministry later said Phillips was set to be handed over to the British Consulate in Kiev.
Earlier, the UK Foreign Office said it was "aware of the detention of a British national. We are in contact with the Ukrainian authorities and stand ready to provide consular assistance."
READ: Ukraine's 'Chocolate King' aims for top job
READ: Who's in charge here? In one eastern Ukrainian city, answer isn't clear
CNN's Olga Pavlova, Victoria Butenko and Carol Jordan contributed to this report.
U.S. troops in Chad hunting kidnappers
5/21/2014 4:04:41 PM
- NEW: A Pentagon official says a Predator drone is joining the search
- U.S. sending 80 members of its armed forces to Chad to help in search for the girls
- Pentagon spokesman: "These are not combat troops"
- Troops are going to Chad because it's "a great location" geographically, he says
(CNN) -- The United States deployed 80 members of its armed forces to Chad to help in the search for the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, the White House said Wednesday.
"These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area," it said in a letter.
"The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required."
President Barack Obama informed the House speaker and the president of the Senate of the move.
The forces will be involved in maintaining aircraft and analyzing data, but because they are armed, the President is required by law to inform the speaker of the House, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
"These are not combat infantry troops that we put into Chad," Kirby told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" on Wednesday. "These are folks that are there to support the reconnaissance mission."
Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls last month from a school in northern Nigeria. Officials have speculated that the militants may have transported them to neighboring Chad or Cameroon, but it's not clear where the girls are or whether they've left Nigeria.
So why are troops deploying to Chad?
"Just geographically, Chad's a great location to do this from," Kirby said, adding that the United States has a good relationship with its government.
Reconnaissance flights will be searching an area roughly the size of West Virginia, he said, that includes parts of Nigeria and other countries.
The deployment is not based on any new intelligence leads, a senior administration official said.
"The truth is, we don't know exactly where they are," Kirby said. "We still believe that they've broken up into small groups and dispersed."
A U.S. Predator drone will now be aiding in the search for the girls, a Pentagon official told CNN. Half of the new group of U.S. troops will be operating the launch and recovery of the unarmed drone on its missions, and half of them will be providing security on the ground in Chad.
Nigeria asks U.N. to designate Boko Haram as terrorist group
Also Wednesday, Nigeria asked the United Nations to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization as its escalating attacks spread alarm nationwide.
If approved, it will enable countries to impose arms embargoes, travel bans and asset freezes.
A United Nations al Qaeda committee is expected to decide when it meets Thursday. Nigeria's request lists the terror group as an affiliate of al Qaeda.
This is a "significant step" in the fight against terror, said Joy Ogwu, the Nigerian ambassador to the United Nations.
The United States branded Boko Haram a terrorist group last year, providing greater access to its finances and more ability to limit its movements. U.S. officials have said Boko Haram does not have financing in the United States.
The insurgent group has escalated its attacks in Africa's most populous nation as its bloodletting extends far beyond its hotbed in the rural northeast.
In attacks that appear to be getting more frequent, twin blasts killed at least 118 people Tuesday at a market in the central city of Jos.
The explosions went off 20 to 30 minutes apart, sparking an inferno that sent crowds running and screaming, covered in blood.
Nigerian authorities described the blasts as "terrorist activities" but declined to speculate on who might be responsible.
In separate attacks in Borno state this week, at least 30 people were killed by members of the terror group, according to local residents.
Boko Haram attackers swooped in on motorcycles Monday and killed 10 people in one village, residents said.
A day later, gunmen stormed a nearby village and killed 20 others, residents said.
During the attacks, Boko Haram set fire to homes and food stores, residents said, and fired machine guns. The group has not claimed responsibility for those attacks.
Both villages are close to where the more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped. Boko Haram claimed responsibility in a chilling video and said he was willing to free the girls in exchange for imprisoned militants.
"These vicious attacks on defenseless Nigerian civilians and Boko Haram's abduction last month of more than 200 girls in Chibok are unconscionable, terrorist acts demanding accountability and justice," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
Officials condemn attacks, vow to stamp out terrorism
The sudden escalation of attacks, together with the failure to find the missing schoolgirls, has spread concern about the government's inability to quash the insurgency. Protesters have gathered daily nationwide to express frustration over the lack of progress in rescuing the schoolgirls.
"Last weekend in Paris the international community and regional leaders made clear their collective determination to support Nigeria and defeat the scourge of terrorism," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.
"The Jos attack has only strengthened our resolve."
Nigeria and four neighboring countries -- including Chad -- will share intelligence and border surveillance in the search for the missing girls while Western nations will provide technical expertise and training in a new effort against the extremists.
The plan was announced over the weekend during a security summit hosted by French President Francois Hollande to address the growing threats from the group.
Boko Haram translates to "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language. It says its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.
Blasts at market kill 118 in central Nigeria, official says
Opinion: Media turns Boko Haram into 'superstar monsters'
CNN's Barbara Starr and Richard Roth and journalist Aminu AbuBakr contributed to this report.
What martial law means for Thailand
5/21/2014 4:53:46 PM
- Thai military says it's imposition of martial law is not a coup d'etat
- Declaration made on army at 3 a.m. local time to cause "minimum fuss"
- Army chief says the move was necessary to restore law and order
- Commentators watching and waiting for military's next move
(CNN) -- It was 3 a.m. in Thailand. Presumably barely anyone was watching.
But the country's military chief chose that hour to appear on army-run Channel 5 television Tuesday to declare martial law across the country.
"This is not a coup," said Gen. Prayuth Chan-Ocha, hours before the nation's people woke to the new public order; with soldiers stationed at intersections and tanks on the streets.
The army says it has taken control to ensure law and order in a country split by deep political divisions, two weeks after the country's Constitutional Court removed caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from government.
"The defendant has abused her position as prime minister," said the judge in the ruling. "Her prime ministership has ... ended."
Nine cabinet ministers were also removed from office, while Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan was appointed caretaker prime minister.
How has the caretaker prime minister reacted?
Niwatthamrong has not been removed from his post, although one of his aides, who declined to be named, told CNN the government had not been consulted before the military made its move.
"We have to watch and see if what declared by the Army Chief is well honored," he said, calling the events of Tuesday morning "a half coup d'etat."
Niwatthamrong later issued a statement on the imposition of martial law:
"With reference to the Royal Thai Army's declaration of the martial law to preserve order and bring back peacefulness to the country, the government wishes the same for national peace, and hopes that the martial law is imposed by way of peaceful means and equality with no violence and discrimination and under the legal state and the rule of law which is in accordance with the government's ongoing policy," he said.
"This action of the Royal Thai Army's must be under the principles of constitution and democracy with the King as head of state."
A long history of coups
The people of Thailand are all too familiar with coup d'etats. There have been at least 18 actual and attempted military takeovers since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
The last one was in 2006 when the military sent tanks onto the streets before ousting then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the brother of Yingluck, who is now living in exile to avoid a corruption conviction he claims is politically motivated.
Thaksin's supporters, known as red shirts, have also rallied around Yingluck, slamming her ousting as a "judicial coup." Thousands of protesters swarmed the streets following the ruling, seeking the removal of the caretaker government.
Their political rivals allege Yingluck is acting as a puppet leader for her brother and campaigned for her removal.
The anti-government movement includes "yellow shirts," predominantly urban, middle class members of the royalist establishment. Members of the "red shirts" are typically rural working class.
What does martial law look like in Thailand?
Within hours of declaring martial law, Gen. Prayuth announced he would be leading a new security task force, the Peace Keeping Command Center (PKCC). The task force's advisory committee also includes chiefs of the navy, air force and national police, he said.
Andrew Marshall
Soldiers were dispatched to stand guard at television stations. Broadcasters, including 10 satellite TV stations, were ordered to shut down "to ensure that information will be distributed rightly and to prevent any distortions which could lead to misunderstandings and it could lead to wide spread conflicts."
Images posted on social media showed soldiers patrolling the streets of Bangkok. Paul Quaglia, director at PQA Associates told CNN they were positioned at intersections but so far there was no sign of unrest.
"Traffic is a real mess here at the moment. But there's no violence. I think what the military is trying to do with this 'martial law light,' if I can say that, is to convince protesters to go home. They're trying to dial down the tensions here as well as preempt several large rallies and strikes that were scheduled for later this week," he said.
Andrew Marshall, a journalist and author who focuses on Thailand, told CNN the military's decision to announce martial law at night indicated it was trying to do so "with minimal possible fuss."
What happens next?
Marshall said it would become clearer in the next couple of days what the army's intentions are; whether it's going to call an election or appoint a new government.
"If they appoint a government it's a coup by another name and you might see the start of violence from the red shirts," he said.
"Martial law means the police are sidelined and they are no longer responsible for security. And the police in Thailand are seen as heavily supportive of Thaksin and his allies, which is the red side of the battle. So when you've got a police force that's suddenly been sidelined that's another combustible element in this mix.
"So Thailand is kind of on a knife-edge," he said.
Did the military have no choice?
Gen. Prayuth's move to impose martial law didn't come as a surprise, wrote Saritdet Marukatat, digital editor for the Bangkok Post. The army chief warned last week the military could be forced to act to end violent protests.
"The country was moving towards a possible bloody clash between the two camps, leaving no choice for the army commander but to try to prevent it. As a general, he had only two choices: a military coup or martial law," Marukatat wrote.
"He picked the softer option and did as he had promised in last week's statement, that the army does not want a coup because it would meaning tearing down the 2007 constitution."
However, Sunai Phasuk from Human Rights Watch Thailand said the situation in the country had not yet justified the army's intervention.
"There is no concrete proof that the situation in Thailand is out of control to the extent that an enforcement of the martial law is essential. With the enforcement of martial law, the army is one step closer to taking over power completely from civilian administration."
"At the moment, military authorities have superior power over civil authority in keeping public order. There is no check and balance; there are no safeguards against rights violations; there are no remedies for any damage cause by the army. The fate of the nation is essentially in Gen. Prayuth's hands," he said.
Could the military broker peace in Thailand?
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor, said the declaration of martial law in Thailand had broken the deadlock between warring parties, and the army was now in a position to mediate a possible resolution.
"We've been paralyzed in Thailand because on one side we have protesters bent on replacing the government, and on the other side we have a caretaker government refusing to resign."
"If the army can play a mediating role in search of a compromise that satisfies all sides then we can find a way out of this crisis. But if it does not, if the army plays a partisan role, then we can see a lot more crises in Thailand," he warned.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department encouraged all parties to "respect democratic principles" and also stressed the need for elections "to determine the will of the Thai people."
READ: Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra dismissed from office by court
READ: Ousted Thai PM Yingluck to face impeachment over rice program
READ: Protesters descend on Thai capital seeking government's ouster
READ: Army chief issues warning
CNN's Kocha Olarn and Tim Hume contributed to this report.
U.S. troops in Chad hunting kidnappers
5/21/2014 5:50:15 PM
- NEW: A Pentagon official says a Predator drone is joining the search
- U.S. sending 80 members of its armed forces to Chad to help in search for the girls
- Pentagon spokesman: "These are not combat troops"
- Troops are going to Chad because it's "a great location" geographically, he says
(CNN) -- The United States deployed 80 members of its armed forces to Chad to help in the search for the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, the White House said Wednesday.
"These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area," it said in a letter.
"The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required."
President Barack Obama informed the House speaker and the president of the Senate of the move.
The forces will be involved in maintaining aircraft and analyzing data, but because they are armed, the President is required by law to inform the speaker of the House, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
"These are not combat infantry troops that we put into Chad," Kirby told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" on Wednesday. "These are folks that are there to support the reconnaissance mission."
Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls last month from a school in northern Nigeria. Officials have speculated that the militants may have transported them to neighboring Chad or Cameroon, but it's not clear where the girls are or whether they've left Nigeria.
So why are troops deploying to Chad?
"Just geographically, Chad's a great location to do this from," Kirby said, adding that the United States has a good relationship with its government.
Reconnaissance flights will be searching an area roughly the size of West Virginia, he said, that includes parts of Nigeria and other countries.
The deployment is not based on any new intelligence leads, a senior administration official said.
"The truth is, we don't know exactly where they are," Kirby said. "We still believe that they've broken up into small groups and dispersed."
A U.S. Predator drone will now be aiding in the search for the girls, a Pentagon official told CNN. Half of the new group of U.S. troops will be operating the launch and recovery of the unarmed drone on its missions, and half of them will be providing security on the ground in Chad.
Nigeria asks U.N. to designate Boko Haram as terrorist group
Also Wednesday, Nigeria asked the United Nations to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization as its escalating attacks spread alarm nationwide.
If approved, it will enable countries to impose arms embargoes, travel bans and asset freezes.
A United Nations al Qaeda committee is expected to decide when it meets Thursday. Nigeria's request lists the terror group as an affiliate of al Qaeda.
This is a "significant step" in the fight against terror, said Joy Ogwu, the Nigerian ambassador to the United Nations.
The United States branded Boko Haram a terrorist group last year, providing greater access to its finances and more ability to limit its movements. U.S. officials have said Boko Haram does not have financing in the United States.
The insurgent group has escalated its attacks in Africa's most populous nation as its bloodletting extends far beyond its hotbed in the rural northeast.
In attacks that appear to be getting more frequent, twin blasts killed at least 118 people Tuesday at a market in the central city of Jos.
The explosions went off 20 to 30 minutes apart, sparking an inferno that sent crowds running and screaming, covered in blood.
Nigerian authorities described the blasts as "terrorist activities" but declined to speculate on who might be responsible.
In separate attacks in Borno state this week, at least 30 people were killed by members of the terror group, according to local residents.
Boko Haram attackers swooped in on motorcycles Monday and killed 10 people in one village, residents said.
A day later, gunmen stormed a nearby village and killed 20 others, residents said.
During the attacks, Boko Haram set fire to homes and food stores, residents said, and fired machine guns. The group has not claimed responsibility for those attacks.
Both villages are close to where the more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped. Boko Haram claimed responsibility in a chilling video and said he was willing to free the girls in exchange for imprisoned militants.
"These vicious attacks on defenseless Nigerian civilians and Boko Haram's abduction last month of more than 200 girls in Chibok are unconscionable, terrorist acts demanding accountability and justice," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
Officials condemn attacks, vow to stamp out terrorism
The sudden escalation of attacks, together with the failure to find the missing schoolgirls, has spread concern about the government's inability to quash the insurgency. Protesters have gathered daily nationwide to express frustration over the lack of progress in rescuing the schoolgirls.
"Last weekend in Paris the international community and regional leaders made clear their collective determination to support Nigeria and defeat the scourge of terrorism," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.
"The Jos attack has only strengthened our resolve."
Nigeria and four neighboring countries -- including Chad -- will share intelligence and border surveillance in the search for the missing girls while Western nations will provide technical expertise and training in a new effort against the extremists.
The plan was announced over the weekend during a security summit hosted by French President Francois Hollande to address the growing threats from the group.
Boko Haram translates to "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language. It says its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.
Blasts at market kill 118 in central Nigeria, official says
Opinion: Media turns Boko Haram into 'superstar monsters'
CNN's Barbara Starr and Richard Roth and journalist Aminu AbuBakr contributed to this report.
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