Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, face corruption charges in a scandal that encompassed the Chicago Cubs, President-elect Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat and a children's hospital, according to an affidavit.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich talks to laid-off workers in Chicago on Monday.

The men were each charged with a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and a count of solicitation of bribery, authorities said.

According to the affidavit outlining some of the charges against the Blagojevich and Harris, here are some of the details that led authorities to charge the officials:

Senate seat

Blagojevich said in phone conversation that he is conspiring to trade the Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for positions that Obama has the power to appoint, namely the secretary of health and human services post.  Watch how the FBI's tapes show the governor wanted to trade seat »

In a November 3 conversation with an adviser, Blagojevich discussed receiving a kickback for appointing someone, identified only as "Senate Candidate 1," to the vacant Senate seat. Obama reportedly backed the Senate candidate.

"During the call, Rod Blagojevich stated, 'Unless I get something real good for [Senate Candidate 1], s--t, I'll just send myself, you know what I'm saying?' " the affidavit says.

He later said, "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying? And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself," according to the affidavit.

The governor said the seat "is a f---ing valuable thing; you just don't give it away for nothing."

"Blagojevich has also been intercepted conspiring to sell the Senate seat in exchange for his wife's placement on paid corporate boards or Rod Blagojevich's placement at a private foundation in a significant position with a substantial salary," the affidavit says.

Intercepted phone calls indicate that the governor also has conspired to sell the Senate seat in exchange for millions of dollars in funding for "a nonprofit organization that he would start and that would employ him at a substantial salary after he left the governorship," according to the affidavit.

Tribune Co.

Blagojevich and Harris threatened to withhold financial assistance from the Tribune Co. unless the company fired certain editorial board members who had been critical of Blagojevich and had called for the governor's impeachment.

The money was related to the sale or financing of Wrigley Field, home stadium of the Chicago Cubs, a team owned by the Tribune Co.

The governor instructed Harris to tell the Tribune's financial adviser that the assistance, which Blagojevich estimated to be worth at least $100 million, was contingent on the ouster of several board members.

In a November 4 phone call, Blagojevich told Harris to tell the Tribune adviser, "Our recommendation is fire all those f---ing people, get 'em the f--- out of there and get us some editorial support." The affidavit gives only one name, Deputy Editorial Page Editor John McCormick.

In a follow-up conversation, Harris said he had informed the adviser that the newspaper needed "wholesale changes"

"This is a priority. Stay on it, right. I mean, he, he gets the message, doesn't he?" Blagojevich asked.

"Oh, yeah. He got it loud and clear," Harris reportedly replied.

In another follow-up conversation, Harris said the Tribune owner told the financial adviser that he "was very sensitive to our concerns" and that certain cuts personnel cuts were imminent. On November 21, Harris said he had singled out McCormick "as somebody who was the most biased and unfair."

Beginning November 30, Blagojevich began talking to a sports consultant and a Cubs officials about making state money available for Wrigley Field.

Children's hospital

On October 8, Blagojevich told a person described only as "Individual A" that he was willing to make $8 million available for Children's Memorial Hospital, but "I want to get [Hospital Executive 1] for 50."

Individual A felt that Blagojevich was talking about a $50,000 campaign contribution from the hospital's chief executive officer and that the $8 million referred to a recent commitment by Blagojevich to secure state funds via "some type of pediatric care reimbursement."

"Intercepted phone conversations between Rod Blagojevich and others indicate that Rod Blagojevich is contemplating rescinding his commitment of state funds to benefit Children's Memorial Hospital because Hospital Executive 1 has not made a recent campaign contribution," the affidavit says.

Response: Affidavit says Blagojevich called Senate seat "a f---ing valuable thing". Governor talked of getting newspaper employees fired for editorials, affidavit says. Blagojevich wanted campaign contribution for funding children's hospital, it says.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Australian wonder mare Black Caviar extended her unbeaten streak to 25 races in some style on Saturday, blowing away her rivals in the TJ Smith Stakes at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse.

Her 25th victory was also her 15th at the sports highest level, overtaking the mark of 14 Group 1 wins set by the legendary Kingston Town in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

It was in 2011 that Black Caviar posted what many consider her greatest-ever performance in this very race, beating Hay List by three lengths after trailing him by the same distance coming into the home straight. On this occasion no such heroics were required.

Facing one of her toughest-ever fields, including her old foe Hay List, admittedly not the force he once was, and the in-form Bel Sprinter, Black Caviar's regular rider Luke Nolen had to jockey for position in the early stages as he sought to overcome an unfavorable inside draw.

The decisive move came around 300 meters out, when Nolen guided her away from the softer ground by the rail and settled her behind the leaders towards the middle of the track. From there, all Nolen had to do was pull the pin and the six-year-old instantly responded, lengthening away from the rest of the field with her to claim her eight consecutive Group 1 win.

All day Sydneysiders had celebrated the presence of one of Australia's most popular sporting heroes. Flags in her trademark salmon and black colors fluttered over Sydney's iconic harbor, while the capacity crowd ensured Randwick Racecourse was filled the rafters.

Speaking after the race, Black Caviar's trainer Peter Moody praised the crowd, adding that he was "extremely proud" of his mare for breaking Kingston Town's record. As Black Caviar was cheered on her way back to the winners' enclosure her jockey noted, "You can see what she means to racing. To be part of that -- words escape me."

With Black Caviar's form seemingly better than ever despite her age, her connections have hinted that a return to Royal Ascot, scene of her narrowest-ever victory, may be on the cards later this summer before a rendezvous with Frankel in the breeding shed in what would surely be considered the racing world's own royal wedding.

Response: Black Caviar wins 25th straight race on Saturday in Sydney -- 15th straight at highest level. Jockey on Black Caviar: "You can see what she means to racing. To be part of that -- words escape me.". Black Caviar's connections hint that a return to Royal Ascot may be on the cards this summer.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- A typhoon that left at least 18 people dead and thousands displaced in the Philippines was expected to move offshore Wednesday afternoon, the state-run Philippines News Agency reported early Wednesday.

A baby boy was among the dead after Typhoon Nesat -- referred to in the Philippines as Pedring -- slammed into the Philippines Tuesday, Philippine authorities said.

Four people were reported killed in Metro Manila, two in Central Luzon, and one in Catanduanes, the Office of Civil Defense said. Three more were reported injured and four were missing as of Tuesday afternoon.

Pedring, struck the agricultural provinces of Isabela and Aurora the hardest. But storm alerts were also issued for more than 40 other areas, including Metro Manila, the state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

More than 64,000 people have been affected by the typhoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said, with several thousand families now being helped in evacuation centers.

More than 100 people have been rescued across the country, the NDRRMC said, many of them from boats.

In Albay, in southern Luzon, more than 3,000 people were affected, the state-run news agency said early Wednesday.

The storm was centered about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Baguio City, in northwestern Luzon, the state-run news agency said, citing PAGASA.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, PAGASA said, Pedring had maximum sustained winds of 120 kph (75 mph) near the center, with gusts of up to 150 kph (93 mph) and was forecast to move west-northwest at 19 kph.

On Tuesday, weather officials said the storm was packing top winds of 140 kph (87 mph).

The presidential palace announced the suspension of all classes for schools and work for government agencies in Manila and other affected areas. The Philippine Stock Exchange also suspended trading.

Some roads around Manila were impassable due to flooding and falling debris, including branches that had been ripped off trees.

Several areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces were without electricity as the powerful storm cut power and transmission lines.

DJ Santa Ana, head of news operations at TV5 in Manila, told CNN it was likely to take some time to restore the power supply in major parts of Metro Manila.

Santa Ana said people in the capital remained calm as the rain kept coming down, although one part of eastern Manila had to be evacuated because of flooding.

Between a half-inch to 1 inch of rain an hour is forecast within the 650 km diameter of the typhoon, state forecasters said.

CNN iReporter Sherbien Dacalanio said power was out in some parts of Quezon City for hours. Several restaurants had to close down because of the high winds and many people did not venture out.

Dacalanio said the winds had uprooted street lights and brought down trees and road signs, but that luckily there was no flooding near his home.

At least 46 domestic flights were canceled and six international flights were delayed due to the storm, aviation officials said.

Journalist Arlene Espiritu contributed to this report

Response: NEW: Storm expected to move offshore in the afternoon, state news agency says. NEW: Sustained winds are 120 kph, with gusts of 150 kph. Typhoon Nesat, known in the Philippines as Pedring, struck early Tuesday. More than 64,000 people are affected by the typhoon, disaster officials say.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- When I won the reality show competition "Survivor: Africa" in 2001, I never dreamed that an obscure African flower would provide the drug that later helped me survive cancer. But that's the way my life has unfolded.

One day I was battling opponents for a million dollars, the next I was battling lymphoma for my life.

I couldn't have won either fight without having nature on my side. Now I'm working hard to protect natural areas that will provide the source of future drugs that could save millions of lives.

On the show we were expected to live off the land. I learned very early that survival would mean figuring out how to work with, rather than against, nature.

We used thorny acacia plants to keep predators away from our camp. We drank from the same watering hole as elephants and giraffes, learning the best times to drink and how to stay out of their way.

Nature was a good teacher. I won $1 million and the confidence that I could survive just about any challenge.

In 2009, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and it turned out that the confidence I gained on "Survivor" proved even more valuable than the million dollars. But not even the trials of the show could have prepared me for the greatest struggle of my life.

Chemotherapy drugs wracked my body for months. But as they worked I found some comfort when I learned that one of them was derived from an African flower, the rosy periwinkle.

The drug born of this flower, vincristine, was part of the regimen that saved my life. My cancer is now in remission and once again I owe my survival to working with nature.

My case is not an isolated one. It turns out that dozens of plants in nature manufacture anti-cancer agents as chemical defenses. Scientists figured this out years ago, and 80 percent of all anti-cancer drugs possess an active ingredient from the natural world.

This promise extends to other diseases as well, with half the new drugs created in the past 25 years derived from nature.

According to a recent study, natural drugs and related products are used to treat 87 percent of all known diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and HIV.

Yet this pharmaceutical pipeline is in danger.

Researchers unraveled the biochemistry of the snakeroot plant to improve the treatment of hypertension, but the plant is now threatened by deforestation in Indonesia.

Scientists derived a compound for treating severe chronic pain from a cone snail found in Pacific coral reefs, though its habitat is now threatened by destructive fishing practices and marine pollution.

The first antiviral medication approved for the treatment of HIV/AIDS came from a marine sponge, yet marine habitats around the world are threatened by pollution, overfishing and climate change.

Given the accelerating destruction of rainforests, reefs and other natural habitats around the world, we must take action today -- as there's no telling how many useful undiscovered natural compounds we could lose for tomorrow.

Right now, there's a bipartisan bill in Congress, the Global Conservation Act of 2010, that seeks to address extinction and natural resource depletion worldwide by laying out a strategy for helping other countries protect millions of square miles of natural habitat.

President Obama must put his weight behind this bill and the Congress must pass it soon.

According to the World Conservation Union, more than 16,000 species, plant and animal alike, are in danger of extinction, largely because of human activities.

Indeed, scientists warn that two-thirds of the planet's 10 million species could face extinction by the end of the century. Time is not on our side.

I won "Survivor: Africa," and I've won my battle against cancer. But in each case, I didn't do it alone. I had the most unlikely of partners: a small watering hole and, later, a flower.

I don't know what I'll need from nature next or where the newest nature-based medicines will come from, but I'm not willing to risk losing any of them.

The rosy periwinkle saved my life. Who knows what could save yours?

Response: Winner of TV's "Survivor: Africa" beat cancer with chemo from African plant. Ethan Zohn's brush with death spurred him to save natural habitats. Zohn urges Congress to pass bill that outlines strategy to protect natural habitats.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Ten-man Chelsea produced an astonishing comeback to recover from 2-0 down on the night and beat defending champions Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in a scarcely believable Champions League semifinal at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Chelsea began the second-leg tie with a slender 1-0 lead and looked doomed when captain John Terry was sent off for violent conduct in the 37th minute and Andres Iniesta put Barcelona 2-1 up overall shortly afterward.

But Ramires put Chelsea ahead on away goals moments before halftime and Chelsea somehow held off wave after wave of Barcelona attack after the break before snatching a 2-2 draw.

Lionel Messi hit the bar with a penalty early in the second half and later had another shot pushed onto the post by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Substitute Fernando Torres completed the most unlikely of wins when he scored on the break in injury time to guarantee Chelsea's place in the final of Europe's top club competition for the second time in the English side's history.

Is Chelsea win sport's greatest upset?

"It is an incredible achievement by this group of players," said Chelsea coach Robeto di Matteo, who took over in early March on an interim basis when Andre Villas Boas was sacked.

"A lot of people have written us off but we showed the character these players have."

Chelsea will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the May 19 final at the latter's Allianz Arena. They will have to do without Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles, who will all be suspended, but that was at the back of the players' minds as they celebrated one of the club's greatest wins.

"It was not beautiful," Torres said, "and we were playing the best team in the world, but Barcelona did not take their chances and, in the end, it worked for us."

Barcelona, meanwhile, now only have the Spanish Cup to play for after losing to Real Madrid at the weekend and all but conceding the La Liga title.

"It wasn't meant to be this year," coach Josep Guardiola said. "The first thing that goes through my head is immense sorrow.

"We played exceptionally well for 180 minutes, we did everything we could to be in the final. We've never worked this hard to be in a final. We failed because we didn't score (more goals)."

Having come away from the first leg ahead due to Didier Drogba's goal, Chelsea traveled to the Camp Nou knowing Barcelona had won their last 15 home matches in the Champions League.

Things started badly when defender Gary Cahill limped off after 12 minutes and got worse when midfielder Sergio Busquets put Barcelona ahead in the 35th minute from Isaac Cuenca's cutback.

Two minutes later, former England captain Terry inexplicably raised his knee as he ran up behind Alexis Sanchez and was shown a straight red card -- leaving Chelsea without both their center halves.

"I want to apologize to the lads and the fans," Terry said later. "I feel like I've let the lads down."

A minute after Terry departed, Iniesta looked to have set Barcelona on their way to the final when he finished off a trademark passing move with a precise, low shot into the far corner from Messi's through ball.

Terry's absence meant midfielder Ramires was pushed into action as a right back but it was the Brazilian who unexpectedly gave Chelsea hope before halftime.

Barcelona had their own defensive reorganization to carry out when Gerard Pique came off after 25 minutes with a head injury to be replaced by Dani Alves, and the hosts were wide open at the back as Ramires skipped on to Frank Lampard's pass and expertly lifted the ball over the stranded Victor Valdes.

Barcelona began the second half in determined mood and quickly won a penalty when Drogba -- who was otherwise superb -- slid in rashly and brought down Cesc Fabregas.

Messi stepped up to try to score his 64th goal of the season but smacked the bar with his spot kick. The three-time world player of the year is still yet to score against Chelsea.

It still seemed only a matter of time before Barcelona got the crucial goal but as the minutes ticked down amid increasing desperation among the home fans, it began to look like fate was on Chelsea's side.

Sanchez had the ball in the net but the offside flag was up against Alves before Messi was again denied when Cech got fingertips to his shot minutes before full time, leaving him without a goal against Chelsea in eight games.

Torres, by contrast, has hardly found the net since moving to Chelsea but it was left to the misfiring Spaniard to run through and score his eighth goal in 11 games against Barcelona.

In the English Premier League on Tuesday, Bolton came from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 2-1 to raise hopes of escaping relegation and leave their opponents just three points above the drop zone.

Response: Chelsea sub Fernando Torres seals 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona. Chelsea captain John Terry sent off in the 37th minute. Barcelona take lead through Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta before Ramires scores away goal. Lionel Messi hits the bar with a penalty, and later has a shot pushed onto the post.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Sudan qualified for the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Burkina Faso 2-1 at the Estadio de Bata on Monday, ending a four-decade wait for victory at the tournament.

Two goals in either half from Mudather Eltaib was enough to secure second place in Group B ahead of Angola, who lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast at the Estadio de Malabo.

Eltaib gave Sudan the lead in the 33rd minute when he sidefooted past keeper Daouda Diakite.

It stayed that way until the 80th minute when Eltaib found the target again, capitalizing on a mistake by Diakite before firing home into an empty net.

Burkina Faso skipper Moumouni Dagano managed a consolation goal moments before the end, but it couldn't stop Sudan recording a first win in the competition for 42 years to set up a meeting with Group A winners Zambia on February 4.

Etuhu: Expect more shocks at the Africa Cup of Nations

Ivory Coast were assured of a place in the final eight of the competition before Monday's matches, while their opponents Angola needed a point to progress.

Despite fielding an under-strength side -- stars Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Salomon Kalou all started on the bench -- The Elephants ran out comfortable winners.

Goals from Emmanuel Eboue in the 33rd minute and a Wilfried Bony strike midway through the second half ensured maximum points from the group and confirmed a meeting with co-hosts Equatorial Guinea at the same stadium next Saturday.

Response: Sudan progress to quarterfinals after beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in final Group B match. Angola are out after losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast in Malabo. Sudan's first win in competition in over four decades sets up tie with Zambia. Ivory Coast meet co-hosts Equatorial Guinea in quarterfinals.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN)A Canadian tourist was killed after a small inflatable tour boat collided with a whale off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, authorities said Thursday.

The victim was identified as Jennifer Karren, 35, according to the Baja California Sur Prosecutor General's Office.

Karren is a Canadian from Calgary, Alberta, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Two other people aboard the Cabo Adventures' vessel were injured in the incident that happened Wednesday a quarter-mile from the Bay of Santa Maria, the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office for the Protection of the Environment said.

That federal agency is investigating the incident, it said.

The inflatable boat, called the Cabo Adventure 9 and designed for recreational diving, was carrying nine people and was returning from a snorkel tour when a side of the craft collided with the whale, authorities said.

The skipper, José Salazar Tendis, tried to avoid the whale, officials said.

Salazar couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

Karren fell in the water, and a tour guide and another passenger jumped in and brought her back on the boat, the federal agency said.

The vessel captain immediately informed naval rescue officials, and the boat returned to shore as first aid and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation were performed on Karren, the federal agency said. A tourist aboard the watercraft who was also a nurse performed CPR, authorities said.

The Canadian woman was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the Baja California Sur Prosecutor General's Office.

The tour company's general director, Felipe Diez-Canedo, released a statement through Mexican authorities that expressed regret that one of its guests died, despite receiving first aid and being transported to the hospital.

CNN's Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report.

Response: Jennifer Karren, 35, of Calgary, Alberta, falls overboard and later dies, authorities say. Two other tourists are injured on the small inflatable boat.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Hollywood should apologize to Iran for "insults and accusations against the Iranian nation," a top aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a visiting Hollywood delegation Sunday.

"The Wrestler," starring Mickey Rourke was also attacked for being insulting towards Iran.

Oscar-nominated "American Beauty" star Annette Bening was among the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to hear the remarks, Iran's state-run ISNA news agency said.

"Representatives of Iran's film industry should only have an official meeting with representatives of the Academy and Hollywood if they apologize for the insults and accusations against the Iranian nation during the past 30 years," said Javad Shamghadri, Ahmadinejad's advisor on the arts, ISNA reported.

He singled out the 1991 Sally Field thriller "Not Without My Daughter," about an American woman who marries an Iranian and then tries to flee Iran with their child, and the comic-book-inspired action flick "300" as "two clear examples of total lies." Do you think an apology is warranted?

TheHollywood delegation, which ISNA said also includes AMPAS president Sid Ganis, is supposed to meet with Iranian filmmakers and hold a news conference on March 7. The Academy did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.

But Shamghadri demanded to know how the meetings could produce results.

"How can we sit and have a sincere meeting with American film makers while they they humiliate and insult the Iranian people and the great revolution of this nation?" he asked, ISNA reported.

"The Iranian nation and its revolution has repeatedly and undeservedly been attacked by Hollywood movies," he said.

"The film "The Wrestler" is the latest among them," he said of the film for which Mickey Rourke received an Oscar nomination this year. "We know that even right now there are other films being made with the aim of insulting and accusing the great nation of Iran and its rich culture."

"The Wrestler" features a character known as The Ayatollah, played by Ernest Miller, who takes on Rourke's Randy 'The Ram' Robinson.

-- CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report.

Response: Ahmadinejad's advisor on the arts was speaking to a Hollywood delegation. Shamghadri: Comic-book-inspired action flick "300" an example of a "total lies". Iran repeatedly and undeservedly attacked by Hollywood movies, he said. Report: Hollywood delegation supposed to meet Iranian filmmakers in March.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- One of the most recognizable brands in the world. And the man who made it happen -- Howard Schultz. He took over Starbucks in 1987 with a vision of bringing Italian coffeehouse culture to the U.S. -- The Starbuck Experince, he called it.

Today a mass market phenomenon that sells tens of millions of cups of coffee every week. At last count 14,000 stores across more than 40 countries, and 10,000 more planned in the next four years.

Schultz attended the first of CNN's Boardroom Masterclasses and spoke to Andrew Stevens about his business strategies.

Schultz: I think when you look at Starbucks as a business case what we've done and the way we do business is quite different than a classic consumer brand, and let me be specific. Most consumer brands that have emerged in the last 10-20 years have been built through traditional marketing and traditional advertising. Starbucks is not an advertiser, people think we are a great marketing company but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising.

Stevens Just quickly, was that always the plan?

Schultz: Well, when we started we had no money. We had no choice, we had to figure out a different way, but the point I want to make is that we built the brand by the experience and when you look back at history of starbucks we are the quintessential experiential brand built by what happens inside of our stores.

The mantra has been this: if you want to exceed the expectations of your customer, you can't do that unless you exceed the expectations of your people first, which means you have to treat people with respect and dignity. People want to be a part of something larger than themselves and at the end of the race there has to be something in it for them.

The most fragile asset of any kind of company, and certainly a consumer brand, is whether or not you can build an enduring level of trust with both your customer and your employees.

Stevens: What are your "Golden business rules," which don't just apply to Starbucks but apply right across the board?

Schultz: I think you have to be 100 percent authentic and true. When you're building a business or joining a company you have to be transparent, you can't have two sets of information for two sets of people. I think a great leader, at times, has to demonstrate a level of vulnerability and share with people how you really feel.

In order to achieve success it takes unbridled enthusiasm and passion. You have to find something that you really really love and I think you have to be willing to understand that this is hard to do, to build great enduring success and it takes personal sacrifice. Great businesses succeed at a high level of profitability because they are doing fantastic things for their people, for their customers and their communities. Find that fragile balance and you will build a profitable business.

Stevens: I do want to ask you, because it will happen one day, you will step down from Starbucks, the proverbial bus is always out there -- what do you want your legacy to be, how do you want to be remembered for what you've done at Starbucks?

Schultz: It's hard to answer that question because I'm a long way from that bus!

Stevens: A lot of employees will be happy to hear that.

Schultz: But I would say something like this, that the success of the company is linked to the fact that the company really did try to have a conscience and a soul in everything it did and the success of the company was shared with its people, that would be enough for me. E-mail to a friend

Response: Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks spoke at CNN's Boardroom Masterclass. The coffee shop chain has 14,000 stores across more than 40 countries. Schultz: "To achieve success it takes unbridled enthusiasm and passion".


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Former Vice President Al Gore endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday, urging Americans to reject what he called the Bush administration's legacy of "incompetence, negligence and failure."

In Detroit on Monday, Al Gore endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president.

"Americans simply cannot afford to continue the policies of the last eight years for another four," Gore, the party's 2000 presidential nominee, told Obama supporters at a rally in Detroit, Michigan.

Perceived as a senior statesman in the Democratic party, Gore brings a certain force to Obama's campaign, political analysts have said.

Monday marked Gore's debut in the 2008 election; he had not weighed in while Obama was still battling Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Amid thousands of cheering supporters, Gore began by addressing head-on the criticism that Obama doesn't have enough experience to lead the nation.

The former vice president turned Nobel Prize winner playfully said he recalled one Republican nominee wondering out loud whether his Democratic rival for president was "naive and inexperienced."

"And yet another said the United States cannot afford to risk the future of the free world with inexperience and immaturity in the White House," said Gore. "Who were they talking about? Every single one of those quotes came from the campaign of 1960, when the the Republicans attacked John Fitzgerald Kennedy for allegedly lacking the age and experience necessary to be president."

Richard Nixon was the Republican nominee in 1960.

Joining Obama in the midst of the candidate's two week swing through the nation to talk about his plans to revitalize the economy, Gore praised  Obama as someone who could mobilize people, young and old, who had never before taken part in politics. Gore went on to praise the nominee's vision on the environment, domestic and international issues.

Saying he will do whatever he can to support Obama's bid for the White House, Gore said Obama has "inspired" him. "I feel that same spirit in this auditorium tonight, building all over this country this year," he said.  "Take it from me, elections matter," Gore said.

"If you think the next appointments to our Supreme Court are important, you know that elections matter. If you live in the city of New Orleans, you know that elections matter. If you or a member of your family are serving in the active military, the National Guard or Reserves, you know that elections matter.

"If you are a wounded veteran, you know that elections matter. If you've lost your job; if you're struggling with a mortgage, you know that elections matter."  Watch Gore say Americans must let Washington know that they want a change »

Gore cited concerns about the environment, lead-painted toys and food safety -- even pet foods -- as other reasons to vote for the Democrat.

"After the last eight years, even our dogs and cats have learned that elections matter," Gore said, adding, "After eight years of lost jobs and lower wages, we need change. After eight years of incompetence, negligence and failure, we need change."

Gore said the Bush administration has "dishonored and disrespected" the Constitution and led the nation through "eight years of the most serious foreign policy mistakes in the entire history of our nation."

The Tennessean newspaper noted Obama was among the few senators in either party who argued against the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq prior to the invasion Gore called a "blunder."

He called for Americans to move beyond partisanship and select in Obama a leader who can "solve the climate crisis and create a bright future."

GOP spokesman Alex Conant reacted to Gore's criticism of President Bush. "This election isn't about changing the past, it's about changing the future," he told The Associated Press on Monday evening.

Calling attention to the fact that Gore's 2000 running mate, Sen. Joe Lieberman, has since left the Democratic Party to become an independent and is backing Sen. John McCain, he said, "It's telling that half of the 2000 Democratic ticket endorsed John McCain early in the campaign, while the other half waited until Barack Obama had been the presumptive nominee for weeks."

Response: In front of thousands of cheering supporters, Gore made his '08 election debut. Gore: America cannot withstand another four years like the previous eight. The Nobel Prize winner drew a connection between JFK and Obama. Gore's support carries significant weight, analysts say.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Zimbabwe has known only one leader in its entire 33-year history as an independent nation, and President Robert Mugabe hopes that doesn't change any time soon.

Voters head to the polls Wednesday for the first time since the violence-marred election in 2008 to choose between the 89-year-old incumbent and his arch political rival-turned-prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai.

Interactive: Democracy in Africa

As the July 31 vote day approaches, Zimbabwean election officials and some human rights organizations are giving sharply different assessments on the likely validity of the vote.

Once again, there are allegations that Mugabe's government is targeting the opposition through military intimidation and arrests, and that it is padding the voter list.

But the deputy chairwoman of Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission insists that the country is ready for the elections, and vowed the outcome will be valid.

"Elections will be credible, free and fair," Joyce Kazembe told the South African Press Association this week.

Some 600 foreign observers are monitoring the ballot, in addition to 6,000 local monitors, according to SAPA. Zimbabwe did not invite Western observers to monitor the elections because of sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his top officials for rights abuses.

The African Union, which has sent more than 60 members to monitor the elections, has also expressed confidence in the process.

"The environment in Zimbabwe so far reassures us that that the conditions are good for the election to be held on July 31," Aisha Abdullahi, AU commissioner for political affairs, said at a news conference last week, according to SAPA.

Some observers say that the country may not be as ready as the African Union and Zimbabwe officials suggest.

A Human Rights Watch investigation last month found that the Zimbabwe national army "has deployed soldiers across the country, intimidating, beating, and otherwise abusing perceived supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change or those critical of the government."

Zimbabwe, seeking election funding, turns to neighboring countries

Zimbabwe's government has also arrested lawyers and members of organizations they see as threatening, according to Beatrice Mtetwa, a human rights lawyer based in Zimbabwe.

"Certainly in the last nine months we've seen a lot of civil society activists being arrested," Mtetwa told CNN's Christiane Amanpour last month. "I also believe that my arrest is part of that crackdown because they want as few human rights lawyers to be out there during the election period as they can manage to stop," she added.

Mtetwa was detained in March after she asked police for a search warrant when they searched one of her clients' homes, Amnesty International documented. When she told the police that what they were doing was "unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal and undemocratic," she was arrested for "obstructing the course of justice."

There are also concerns that the voter roll may be inaccurate.

More than 1 million people on the roll were found to be either deceased or departed, while 63 constituencies had more registered voters than inhabitants, according to a report last month by Research and Advocacy Unit, a Harare-based non-governmental research organization.

"Such statistics suggest that the gap between the ideal and the actual impinges upon the integrity of Zimbabwe's electoral process," the report stated.

Opposition party leaders and observers have called for postponement of elections, saying that more time is required to establish a transparent voting process.

At a news conference on Friday -- just five days before the election -- Tsvangirai said that "there is clear evidence of manipulation" in poll preparations.

Tsvangirai claimed that ballot papers cast in his favor during early voting for security services were discovered tossed in a bin.

"There is a desperate attempt to subvert the people's will," he said.

Early voting for security services members has already seen problems due to shortages of ballot papers and voting ink. Out of 63,268 people who were eligible to vote in the early polling, only 37,108 voted, according to Kazembe.

Tsvangirai and the Southern Africa Development Community have urged Mugabe to delay the ballot.

There are fears that this election could descend into violence like the last election in 2008, which resulted in a runoff. Tsvangirai pulled out of the runoff, citing intimidation, torture, mutilation and murder of his supporters.

Regional leaders dismissed Zimbabwe's 2008 election as a sham, and the SADC pressured Mugabe to form a power-sharing agreement with Tsvangirai and his opposition Movement for Democratic Change. As a result, the two bitter rivals entered into an uneasy governing coalition in 2009.

Some 6.4 million voters in Zimbabwe -- about half of the country's population -- will be eligible to cast their ballots on Wednesday, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

The elections will be held under a new constitution endorsed in a referendum in March that limits the president to two five-year terms. Mugabe is allowed to seek another term because the new charter does not apply retroactively.

Last week, Mugabe had a few words for critics of the upcoming election.

In response to criticisms from the United States on his push for elections without key reforms, Mugabe said at a rally, "Keep your pink nose out of our affairs, please."

Opinion: Africa's rocky road to democracy

Response: Zimbabwe's presidential elections are next week. The last vote in 2008 was marred by violence. Robert Mugabe, 89, has been the country's only president.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Some years ago, I interviewed a pair of farmers selling pastured, hormone- and antibiotic-free turkeys for $4.75 a pound. They were heritage breed birds, Bourbon reds whose numbers had dwindled to dangerously low levels as the broad-breasted white -- the Butterball -- dominated.

At the time, the farmers were still a little queasy about slaughtering and selling livestock they'd raised. (One farmer had been a longtime vegetarian.) But by giving these turkeys a productive death, they explained, they were actually helping them survive.

If they weren't for dinner, these birds just weren't useful. They were neither cuddly nor well-behaved. They made terrible pets, and weren't well-suited for life in the wilderness. They weren't destined for poultry popularity, either -- maybe your grandparents would recognize their gamey flavor, but it was nothing like the gravy-slathered protein that generations had gobbled down over the holidays.

But if they enticed enough Thanksgiving cooks to prepare them, the farmers saw a win for biodiversity and the birds. Give them a reason to exist, and these turkeys could thrive.

I thought of those birds recently when College Board President and CEO David Coleman explained sweeping changes planned for the SAT exam. Come spring 2016, the essay will be optional. The score scale will return to familiar ol' 1600. The test prep will be free, and delivered via Khan Academy.

And, the SAT word will be no more, Coleman said. Just like those old-timey turkeys, it seems there's limited use for the $5 words we've come to expect from the SAT.

"Today, when we say that someone has used an SAT word, it often means a word you have not heard before and are not likely to soon hear again," Coleman explained in his announcement.

You know these words if you took the test, its preparatory cousin, the PSAT, or almost any college-minded standardized test. You flipped through their definitions on flash cards, or faced them in a spelling bee, if you were that kind of kid. You probably still use a number of them: "threatened," "vigilant," "predicting," "ousting" and "strengthened" all appeared on an SAT test in 2013.

Of course, "bellicosity," "obduracy" and "garrulous" were on the test, too.

After the frenzy and stress of SAT cramming, the words become kind of a parenthetical joke, a chance to finally giggle at the absurdity of it all. Drop "mellifluous" or "loquacious" into a sentence after the college applications are sent, and you can actually stop to appreciate it -- "Hey, I just used an SAT word!"

Coleman said he's done indulging tricks and flash cards that promise to beat his test, especially at the expense of deep, analytical reading and understanding. If the college exam tests only obscure vocabulary words, "students stop reading and start flipping," he said.

The redesigned SAT will instead focus on words students are likely to use over and over again, he said, like "synthesis" and "empirical."

"The SAT will honor the best work of our classrooms -- reading widely and learning how words work in their different contexts," he said. "We aim to offer worthy challenges, not artificial obstacles."

But I wondered, if the SAT abandons these words, what will become of "treacly" and "mendacious"? Are they turkeys on the verge of extinction?

Hardly, linguist Geoffrey Nunberg explained. The SAT wasn't keeping them alive, he said, and flash cards weren't doing justice to many words, anyway.

Sure, those quick definitions did well enough for a multiple choice test. "You can pick 'em out of a lineup," said Nunberg, who teaches in University of California Berkeley's School of Information. "If you see 'mendacious' and you think 'dishonest,' you've got the main idea."

But "empirical," he said? Now that's a complex word. It's got varied and layered meanings, some buried deep in history, or evolving only now.

"Under the guise of providing more user-friendly, fair tests, they're merely substituting one set of SAT words for another," Nunberg said. "If anything, this calls for more tutoring, and more background than the old words."

He suspects that students might remember more from their SAT study sessions than anybody realizes, but the words are even less forgettable if students learn them through reading instead of flash cards. Regardless, the test will never get much credit; if you memorize a word and use it often enough, he said, you're unlikely to be able to pinpoint that you learned it for the SAT.

And if you don't use it?

"If people don't use the word," Nunberg said, "it's because they don't need the word."

There are no guarantees about the vocabulary of the future SAT. The College Board certainly hasn't released a list of banned words, and it's not as if the passages will suddenly read like "Fun with Dick and Jane." It wouldn't be a test, Nunberg said, if everybody could answer all the questions correctly.

"Everything is an SAT word to somebody," he said.

Consider just one of the changes coming to the SAT in 2016: Each exam will include passages from meaningful historic documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

In King's nearly 7,000-word letter, he dropped "cognizant," "superficial," "moratorium," "unfettered," "ominous," "ordinance," "paternalistically," "incorrigible," "zeitgeist," "sanctimonious," "nullification," "gladiatorial," "scintillating" and "existential." Any of them could be called an "SAT word." Any of them could be on the new test.

So, word lovers, do not mourn the next generation's vocabulary. Educators, do not celebrate the end of flash cards. The SAT word is dead, long live the SAT word. These turkeys still have a long time to cook.

What do you think of the changes to the SAT? Share your thoughts in the comments, on Twitter @CNNschools or on CNN Living's Facebook page!

Response: The College Board says the next SAT won't include little-used, forgettable "SAT words". The college test will incorporate words with different meanings based on context. Changing the SAT won't necessarily mean vocabulary words fade into obscurity. Linguist: "Everything is an SAT word to somebody".


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Apostle Islands National Shoreline, Wisconsin (CNN) -- For thousands of years, waves on the largest of the Great Lakes have battered northwest Wisconsin, shaping the dramatic sandstone caves of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

But that punishment halted this winter when 93% of Lake Superior froze, creating a spectacular icy landscape many locals say they haven't seen in a generation.

It's a serendipitous spinoff from the five Great Lakes being virtually frozen over this winter, a rare event that marks the arctic misery afflicting the Midwest. At one point, more than 90% of the world's largest surface freshwater system was frozen over, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. That figure for the Great Lakes fell to 84% as of Wednesday.

The massive freeze, however, has created natural wonders.

Bob Krumenaker, the National Park Service's superintendent at Lakeshore, said there have been thousands of additional visitors flocking to ice caves.

"The caves form almost the same kind of features that you'd find in an underground limestone cave -- the soda straws, the curtains, the stalactites -- but they're all forming out of ice in just days and weeks instead of something that would form underground in limestone over hundreds of thousands of years," he said.

This season has easily been the busiest in terms of visitors: In the past two months, more than 120,000 people have made the roughly three-mile round-trip trek by foot over a frozen Lake Superior to see the ice formations and caves that will melt away in just a few weeks.

Debbie Stumpf was one of the intrepid visitors Wednesday.

She likened the experience to "walking into a hall of gods."

"How many chances do you have to lay on your back and look up at icicles?" she said.

The journey to the caves is a big part of the experience.

"I like that we have to walk so far out to get here. We've seen some really unique people out here," she said.

Visitors have hailed from all over the world this winter, including China, Japan, Australia and Hungary, Krumenaker said. They all helped make this year the busiest in the history of the park, which received National Lakeshore status under the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1970.

CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

Response: The ice caves are spectacular this winter at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The freezing of the Great Lakes has created a natural wonder. More than 120,000 people walk three miles round-trip over a frozen Lake Superior. The caves are like "walking into a hall of gods," visitor says.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Titleholders Inter Milan relieved the pressure on under-fire manager Rafael Benitez by qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League along with Group A rivals Tottenham on Wednesday night.

The Italian champions scraped a 1-0 win at home to Dutch league winners Twente to go through to the last 16 ahead of the final round of matches on December 7.

Veteran Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso scored the winner in the 55th minute after Wesley Sneijder's free-kick hit the defensive wall.

The Dutch midfielder had earlier hit the woodwork from a similar situation and missed an early chance from close range for injury-hit Inter.

Third-placed Twente hit the crossbar through second-half substitute Denny Landzaat in the 75th minute, but now face a drop into the second-tier Europa League.

England's Tottenham, playing in Europe's top club competition for the first time, remained top of the table after crushing Werder Bremen 3-0.

The German club next host Inter in their final match, having only two points from five matches -- three behind Twente with a worse goal difference, meaning their European season is effectively over.

Tottenham went ahead in the sixth minute when defender Younes Kaboul followed up his match-winning goal from Saturday's London derby against Arsenal to volley in a right-wing cross from winger Aaron Lennon.

Croatia midfielder Luka Modric made it 2-0 in the first minute of first-half injury-time as he calmly poked in a volley after striker Peter Crouch headed down a cross from fullback Alan Hutton.

Gareth Bale hit the bar with a free-kick five minutes after the break, but had a penalty saved by goalkeeper Tim Wiese soon after when Modric was fouled by Felix Kroos.

However, Crouch sealed victory with 11 minutes to play as he converted Lennon's low cross after Bale's floated center hit the top of the bar.

Barcelona qualified from Group D with a 3-0 victory away to Panathinaikos, which eliminated the Greek side.

Winger Pedro scored twice while Leo Messi continued his sensational scoring run to give the Catalan club an unassailable 11 points from five games.

Daniel Alves set Pedro free for the 27th-minute opener, firing in a low shot, then the Brazil fullback charged forward to start a super move that ended in Messi converting Adriano's cross in the 63rd minute.

Six minutes later, Alves and Andres Iniesta combined to give Pedro a simple second goal.

The Spanish champions finished top following Rubin Kazan's earlier 1-0 win at home to second-placed Copenhagen, which left the Russians just a point behind the Danes ahead of their trip to Barca's Nou Camp next month.

Christian Noboa's penalty in first-half injury-time gave Rubin a first home win in the competition in six attempts.

The club's captain scored after Bebras Natcho's free-kick was handled by veteran winger Jesper Gronkjaer, and his side held on for victory after Copenhagen's Dame N'Doye hit the crossbar and goalkeeper Sergei Ryzhikov denied substitute Kenneth Zohore in time added on.

Manchester United qualified from Group C with a 1-0 win away to Scottish side Rangers, as Wayne Rooney scored the winner in his first start since early October.

The England striker netted an 87th-minute penalty after Brazilian defender Fabio da Silva was fouled by Steven Naismith.

It was Rooney's second match in four days, having come on as a substitute on Saturday following an ankle injury and the controversy over whether he would stay at the English club which ended in him signing a new five-year contract.

Third-placed Rangers will now drop into the Europa League regardless of the result of their final match against Bursaspor.

The Turkish club will finish bottom following the 6-1 thrashing at Valencia, who need to beat United to finish top.

The Spanish side, however, are guaranteed a place in the second round following a four-goal first-half blitz at the Mestalla.

Juan Mata's 17th-minute penalty was followed by the first of striker Roberto Soldado's two goals, then fellow striker Aritz Aduriz netted at the near post at the second attempt and winger Joaquin whipped a deflected effort into the top corner.

Soldado rounded the keeper and fired into the roof of the net 10 minutes after halftime before Pablo Batalla converted a low cross at the far post, then Alejandro Dominguez wrapped up Valencia's win with 12 minutes left.

French club Lyon went through for the eight successive year despite losing 3-0 at Schalke, who also qualified from Group B.

The German side led 2-0 inside the first 20 minutes through Peruvian midfielder Jefferson Farfan and Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who capped victory with his second goal with a minute to play.

Veteran Spanish striker Raul set up Farfan with a deflected pass after pouncing on an attempted clearance by Pape Diakhate, then Peer Kluge's cross provided Huntelaar with the second.

Lyon had key midfielder Yoann Gourcuff stretchered off with an ankle injury in the second half, then Huntelaar's late deflected effort gave Schalke a perfect home record and put his side a point clear ahead of the December 7 trip to Portugal.

Schalke will face a Benfica side who surprisingly crashed 3-0 at bottom club Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The Israelis picked up their first victory to leave Benfica three points behind Lyon, as attacking midfielder Eran Zahavi scored in each half either side of defender Douglas da Silva's 74th-minute goal from a corner.

Response: Tottenham and Inter Milan qualify for knockout stages of Champions League. Barcelona go through from Group D after eliminating Panathinaikos with 3-0 win. Manchester United and Valencia seal last-16 places with Group C victories. Lyon progress from Group B despite 3-0 defeat at Schalke, who also qualify.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Sitting in the first lady's box listening to the President Barack Obama push for movement on immigration reform, Cristian Avila no longer had to keep his head down and live in fear of being deported.

While the President dedicated only a brief part of his State of the Union address to immigration, his message went beyond his speech, and the evidence was sitting among the guests invited to join the first lady in the viewing box.

"I feel honored and excited to be here. If it wasn't for receiving my DACA last summer I wouldn't have been able to attend the State of the Union," Avila told CNN.

The 23-year-old and his siblings are just one of the many thousands of recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Avila was illegally brought into the United States with his younger brother and sister when he was 9 years old

DACA is a government program enacted in 2012 that stopped deporting some undocumented young people and instead granted them temporary work authorization and a two-year reprieve from deportation.

Obama hits the road to push State of the Union message

The recipients have become one of the most visible groups advocating for immigration reform.

Avila caught the attention of the Obama administration during his 22-day fast on the National Mall in support of immigration reform last November. And, for the last two years, Avila's been working as a voter engagement coordinator for Mi Familia Vota, a non-profit Latino civic engagement program.

"At the time, immigration reform seemed like it was dead. We won the hearts of the American people. We revived the conversation," Avila said.

Obama pleaded for cooperation and pointed out how getting immigration reform done this year was important for the country's recovering economy.

"If we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, and law enforcement -- and fix our broken immigration system," Obama said.

Without attacking House Republicans, the President described how both parties in the Senate passed a comprehensive bill last summer and said both parties in the House want to do the same. He said immigration reform would not only help the economy but shrink the deficit by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades.

"When people come here to fulfill their dreams -- to study, invent, contribute to our culture -- they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everybody. So let's get immigration reform done this year," he said.

Obama spoke of immigration reform in broad strokes but that might have something to do with the plans of House Republican leaders to outline their principles for immigration reform at a party meeting this week.

Opinion: Can Obama deliver action on inequality?

"We're going to outline our standards, principles of immigration reform and have a conversation with members," House Speaker John Boehner said during a news conference after a party meeting.

Obama steered clear of specific immigration reform policies. There was no mention of stopping the deportations of undocumented immigrants without criminal records, despite countless pleas from activists all over the country.

Avila and his siblings no longer live in fear of being deported but his parents face that threat every time they leave their homes for work.

"I grew up with the fear of being deported. My mom would always tell me to put my head down," Avila said.

"I still have the constant fear of my parents being deported. They are fearful and targeted even though they earn their living in an honest way," said Avila, "One of the reasons that I keep strong is for them."

Still, Avila remains optimistic that immigration reform will happen in 2014.

"We are closer than ever before. It shouldn't take any longer," Avila said.

Response: Sitting in the first lady's box was DREAMer Cristian Avila. "If it wasn't for receiving my DACA last summer I wouldn't be here," activist said. Avila caught the attention of Obama administration during his 22-day immigration fast. He's optimistic about immigration reform despite fearing his parents being deported.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Vienna, Austria (CNN) -- Negotiations between Western powers and Iran to reach a permanent agreement on the future of Tehran's nuclear ambitions are likely to be extended beyond the July 20 deadline, a senior U.S. official and a Western diplomat told CNN on Tuesday.

The sources, who did not speak for full attribution, said the United States and its partners in the negotiations -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- had not started talking about an extension with the Iranians.

But there are a number of potential time frames being discussed among the United States and its partners, ranging up to six months, the sources said.

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday in Vienna the negotiations have not yet bridged some "very real gaps."

Kerry told reporters there had been "tangible progress on key issues," but negotiators have yet to arrive at a "workable formula."

He said he would return to Washington to consult with the White House and lawmakers on options for moving forward, including whether to extend the talks beyond the deadline.

"Our team will continue working very hard to try to reach a comprehensive agreement that resolves the international community's concerns," Kerry said of the negotiators.

Despite the continued differences, Kerry said he believed there was a way ahead.

"But -- and this is a critical point -- while there is a path forward, Iran needs to choose to take it. And our goal now is to determine the precise contours of that path, and I believe we can," he said.

Responding to reporters' questions, he added that trust has to be built because of Iran's past track record in pursuing a secret nuclear program.

Tehran insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, but the world powers fear it plans to build nuclear weapons.

"We don't see any benefit in Iran developing a nuclear weapon," Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday.

He said Iran has a number of advantages over its neighbors, including "the fact that we have better technology," which Iran doesn't need to augment with nuclear weapons.

Possible extension

While a six-month extension would give them the maximum negotiating time, the Obama administration has domestic considerations to weigh, including a November deadline after which new sanctions on Iran would have to be imposed under U.S. law.

There are also opponents in Congress who could use the chance for an extension to try to torpedo a deal.

When asked about prospects for an extension, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he was "not in a position to speculate about which path will be taken."

An interim deal that took effect in January required Iran to dismantle or freeze some of its nuclear program and open it to more international inspections in return for limited relief from crippling international sanctions.

That set the stage for the current talks on a permanent accord.

CNN's Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report. Labott reported from Washington and Crawford from Vienna.

Response: John Kerry: There are still "very real gaps" between Iran and six world powers. Progress has been made but no workable formula has been found yet, he says. NEW: There could be an extension of a July 20 deadline to reach a permanent deal. Iran says its intentions are peaceful; the world powers fear it wants nuclear weapons.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN)  -- Real Madrid took a giant stride towards the knockout stage of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Auxerre for their second straight win in the tough Group G on Tuesday night.

A late goal from substitute Angel di Maria sealed the points for Jose Mourinho's men who beat Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 in the Bernabeu in their group opener.

The visitors had dominated the game and created a series of chances, but  looked set for another goalless draw until di Maria struck with nine minutes left.

The Argentine winger controlled a right-wing cross on his chest before volleying home.

Auxerre had offered precious little in attack but moments before Real defender Pepe's header struck his own post and bounced clear.

The win leaves them with six points from two games, two clear of AC Milan, who drew 1-1 with Ajax in the other match played Tuesday in a group of three teams with illustrious records in the competition.

Former Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic dealt his old side a blow with Milan's equalizer -- his third in the tournament having scored twice in the opening 2-0 win over Auxerre.

The Swede combined with Clarence Seedorf to pull them level in the 37th minute.

Ajax had gone ahead in the 23rd minute, with Uruguay international Luis Suarez playing a vital part as he foxed Alessandro Nesta before sending a low cross for Moroccan international Mounir El Hamdaoui to score past past Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.

In Group H, Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk are forging clear after two straight wins apiece.

Arsenal scored a thrilling 3-1 victory at 10-man Partizan Belgrade, while Ukrainian side Shakhtar were equally convincing 3-0 winners against Braga.

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal were coming off a shock 3-2 defeat to West Brom in the English Premier League on Saturday but survived some scares for a comfortable win.

Man of the match Jack Wilshere brilliantly set up Andrey Arshavin to give them a 15th minute but Partizan draw level against the run of play through Brazil-born striker Cleo from the spot.

Partizan Marko Jovanovic lost early in the second-half as he conceded a penalty but Arshavin saw his penalty saved by goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic before striker Marouane Chamakh put them ahead again on 71 minutes.

Sebastien Squillaci nodded home substitute Samir Nasri's corner to make it 3-1 in the 82nd minute before the underfire Lukasz Fabianski dived to his right to save Cleo's late penalty for Partizan.

Shakhtar's Brazilian stars Douglas Costa and Luiz Adriano were key to their win as Braga, thrashed 6-0 at Arsenal in the first match, lost heavily on their home ground.

Costa set up his teammate and compatriot for the first two goals and added the third from the spot in the last minute when converted after Paulo Cesar had fouled Willian in the area.

Response: Real Madrid beat Auxerre 1-0 for second successive win in Group G. Angel di Maria scores a late winner for Jose Mourinho's team in France. Zlatan Ibrahimovic grabs equalizer for AC Milan against Ajax. Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk maintain perfect records in Group H.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- The Department of Energy is putting federal money behind the development of small-scale nuclear reactors that supporters say are cheaper, safer and easier to build, though the design still needs federal approval.

The first award under a $452 million program to boost the development of small modular reactors will go to a consortium led by Babcock & Wilcox and the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Southeastern utility that already operates three commercial nuclear plants. The reactors will be about a third the size of those now used in nuclear power plants, with the B&W design generating about 180 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power almost 200,000 homes.

However, industry skeptics say the economics and the safety of the concept remain untested.

The total amount of the award has yet to be calculated, but the government will pay up to half the project cost and will work with the companies to get the new reactors licensed and operating within 10 years, the Energy Department said.

"Restarting the nation's nuclear industry and advancing small modular reactor technologies will help create new jobs and export opportunities for American workers and businesses, and ensure we continue to take an all-of-the-above approach to American energy production," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement announcing Tuesday's decision.

Unlike current designs, the units -- shorthanded as SMRs -- are designed to be installed underground instead of being located inside towering concrete buildings. They could run longer on the same nuclear fuel, and additional reactors could be added in a "plug and play" fashion, said Paul Genoa of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry's trade association.

"You don't have to build a 1,000- or 1,500-megawatt power plant and hope that demand catches up," said Genoa, the NEI's senior director of policy development. "You can build chunks of power to more closely meet your demand curve."

Nuclear plants provide about 20% of the U.S. electric power supply, but most of the 104 operating reactors date back to the 1960s and '70s. The Obama administration has supported the construction of the first new reactors since the 1979 partial meltdown at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant, providing $8 billion in federal support for two nuclear power plants in Georgia.

The industry and the Energy Department say that would make SMRs a good choice for small utilities. But the designs are still under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, whose approval is the worldwide "gold seal," Genoa said.

The NRC launched a widespread review of U.S. nuclear safety after the meltdowns at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011 caused by that nation's devastating tsunami. Genoa said safety and security recommendations issued after that disaster -- and after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on New York and Washington -- are being included "from the ground up."

Japan's nuclear fight intensifies

Placing the reactors underground would make them less vulnerable to the shaking from earthquakes, and the surrounding earth would absorb much of the heat released if an accident occurred, Genoa said. The new designs are "orders of magnitude safer" than existing plants, "and we believe those plants are safe," he said.

But Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the advantages touted by the industry -- smaller facilities and fewer workers -- could be "invitations to disaster."

"What Fukushima has shown us is that existing nuclear power plants don't have the personnel or resources to cope with severe emergencies," said Lyman, a physicist and senior scientist with the watchdog group. In addition, the modular design could make it more difficult to inspect and maintain key components, many of which would be located within the pressure vessel at the heart of the reactor, he said.

Lyman also questioned claims that about the cost advantages of the smaller reactors, noting that the boom in natural gas is squeezing even established nuclear utilities.

"The SMRs are without a doubt going to be more expensive than even large reactors," he said. "Their economics are only getting worse."

Genoa acknowledged that some design issues "cut both ways," and that the first companies to adopt the new technology will incur higher costs. But he said the experience of other industries, such as aerospace or the U.S. nuclear submarine program, shows costs can drop significantly over the life of a program.

"It's important to understand that these designs are in the early stage -- at best 20% to 30% complete," he said.

Response: The Energy Department announces support for small modular reactor design. Supporters say the units will be cheaper and safer than current reactors. U.S. regulators are still reviewing the designs.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- "Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes," a terrified Christopher Gamez chanted as he coasted 7,000 feet above South Padre Island, Texas, his heart racing.

One by one, Gamez watched as three people were "sucked" out of the plane and whipped violently into the thrashing winds and mist. "Just put your head back and breathe," he told himself, seconds before joining the others.

But why would someone with a severe fear of heights willingly plummet from the sky? To cross "skydiving" off his mental bucket list, of course.

Gamez was inspired to dream up his list of goals after watching MTV's "The Buried Life", a reality TV show about four friends who set out to accomplish the tasks on their joint bucket list.

The show, which wrapped its first season in March, has motivated many young adults to create such lists right now, rather than waiting until they're about to "kick the bucket" like Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman's terminally ill characters in "The Bucket List" or Queen Latifah's supposedly terminally ill character in "Last Holiday."

Gamez said he tuned in every week, but he knew he wanted to live his own version of "The Buried Life" five minutes in to the first episode.

"If you had one day to live, what would you do?" a voice asks viewers during the show's opening credits. "Would you climb a mountain? Would you kiss the girl of your dreams? Would you tell someone how you feel? Now, if you had a whole lifetime to live, would you lose that drive, or would your list just keep getting longer?"

"[The guys on the show] inspired me and they pushed me to [go skydiving]," he said. "To see them go out with no fear and do the things they wanted to do -- it made me want to do those things, too."

The show's title was inspired by a 19th century Matthew Arnold poem by the same name.

The stars on the show -- Ben, Dave, Duncan and Jonnie -- decided "The Buried Life" summed up their concerns about getting bogged down with daily routine and losing their passion for life.

"What do you want to do before you die?" became the premise for their new lifestyle and, eventually, the MTV series that allowed them to cross Number 53 off their bucket list: "Make a badass TV show."

That list is under their control.

"What they do and how they do it and who they contact and help -- that's their decision," said Brent Haynes, a senior vice president at MTV, who first realized the project's potential when he saw footage of the guys sneaking into the Video Music Awards to walk the red carpet.

Rather than arresting them, we gave them a TV show, Haynes joked.

Others like the guys' ideas.

"The more I watch 'The Buried Life' and the more I've seen them experience things, the more I've wanted to do it," Megan Fulton said.

The 18-year-old Emory University student said she appreciates what the guys stand for.

In 2008, Fulton's friend died about three days after being diagnosed with an infection. The loss prompted Fulton and her friends to create a bucket list made up of kind gestures, long-term goals, personal achievements and travel destinations.

Some of the items, like pay for someone's groceries and adopt a dog from a shelter, were crossed off rather quickly, she said. But goals like start a flash mob, travel to Lebanon -- from where Fulton and her sister were adopted -- and overcome her crippling stage fright, will be more difficult to accomplish.

"If they can take part in a Krump [dance] competition, I think I can get up and say a few lines in front of people," she said. "They've really helped me and they don't even know it."

One of Fulton's favorite aspects of the show is that every time the cast members cross something off their bucket list, they help a stranger accomplish one of his or her own goals. For example, in the series finale, the guys help a young man who was adopted at birth find his biological father. Because Fulton was adopted, the episode meant a lot to her, she said.

"You can actually care about people and still be cool," Fulton said. "[It's] a good trend to have caught on."

Just one bucket list wasn't enough for 21-year-old Kevin Cheaney. The Michigan State University student wrote two -- one for specific goals he wanted to accomplish during 2010 and one for long-term goals.

Like Fulton, Cheaney was inspired to write a bucket list after his friend died suddenly in a motorcycle accident last summer.

"It opened up my eyes," he said. "Life is kind of short."

Though Cheaney hasn't yet found the time to be someone's hero, save someone's life or race Germany's legendary Nürburgring track, just writing the lists is an accomplishment, he said.

"A lot of these things, like taking more pictures and visiting old friends, aren't going to be difficult," Cheaney said. "They're just going to improve me as a person and make me appreciate life more and really enjoy it to the max."

Celestine Chua, who has never seen the TV series, came across the bucket list concept while surfing the Internet in 2009.

The 25-year-old from Singapore eventually decided to write her own bucket list, which she shares with the public on her Web site as a reminder to "live every moment to the fullest when you're in good health."

Despite already opening her own school for personal development in Singapore and starting an online talk show, Chua said she thinks No. 14, "experience true love," will be the most challenging goal to accomplish.

"You might think [a bucket list is] just a list of goals, but if you're really thinking about things you want to see, experience and feel before you die, then the whole concept of setting goals is totally different," Chua said. "When we start thinking about what we want to do before we die, our goals become totally different. Fall in love, see the Empire State building. That's the magic of the bucket list -- it removes limits."

Gamez agrees. That's why he's not ending his "buried life" with skydiving, which he said he would do again in a heartbeat, by the way.

Bungee jumping and riding a bull are next.

"I'm hooked," he said.

Response: "The Buried Life" follows four friends as they accomplish tasks on their bucket list. The show has motivated many young adults to pursue their goals early on in life. "What do you want to do before you die?" became the premise for the MTV series.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck off the coast of Japan on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The earthquake hit 468 kilometers (302 miles) south-southwest of Tokyo at a depth of 348 kilometers, according to the USGS.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.

The USGS gave the quake a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 before downgrading it to 6.8.

Ohio looks into quakes' possible link to fracking

Japan lies along the Pacific "ring of fire," an area of high seismic and volcanic activity stretching from New Zealand in the South Pacific up through Japan, across to Alaska and down the west coasts of North and South America.

Last year, a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan, leaving thousands of people dead or missing. The March 11 earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves and sparked a nuclear crisis.

Response: The earthquake hit 468 kilometers (302 miles) south-southwest of Tokyo. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Excitement is building for what are expected to be jubilant festivities to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the throne.

The flags are already out across the United Kingdom and CNN will be at the heart of action as the country gears up for a long weekend of revelry from June 2-5.

CNN International will be covering all the key events online and on air, but if you're planning to join in the fun, here is a guide to what's happening.

And if you are out and about celebrating, send us your photos and videos.

Infographic: The queen in numbers

June 5 2012: 0630 (ET), 1030 (CET) Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession

The final day of this spectacular royal weekend commences with a National Service of Thanksgiving in St Paul's Cathedral. A prayer has been written specially for the event, which will be attended by the queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family.

Later, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will join the queen and Prince Philip for a Diamond Jubilee lunch provided at Westminster Hall.

Following their meal, a carriage procession (from 1020 [ET], 1420 [CET]) will convey the royal party to Buckingham palace. Their route will take them from Whitehall, past Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and straight on to the official London residence of the British sovereign

iReport: Have you met a royal? Share your images with CNN

Following their meal, a carriage procession will convey the royal party to Buckingham palace. Their route will take them from Whitehall past Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and straight on to the official London residence of the British sovereign.

Upon return to the palace, there will be a 60-gun salute from the King's Troop followed by the Royal Family's appearance on the balcony at approximately 1125 (ET)/1525 (CET) where they will watch a feu de Joie (a rifle salute by The Queen's Guard) and a Royal Air Force flypast.

Read more: The young queen who grew into a modern monarch

Key players

This year we have already seen the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams deliver the "Motion for an Humble Address on the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee" in the House of Lords.

During the central Diamond Jubilee weekend itself we will see most of the royal family in attendance as well as political heads like British Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. It is also likely we will see familiar faces such as former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Interactive: The Windsor family tree

Getting around the city

Travel around London is expected to be difficult and use of public transport is advised as many roads and bridges will be closed due to ongoing special events. Transport for London (TFL) has suggested avoiding travel through the city center if you are not attending an event, particularly on June 3. They also advise buying travel tickets in advance to avoid long waits in lines. For more information on traveling to specific events, check the TFL website.

What's next

During the Diamond Jubilee year, the queen has embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom traveling as widely as possible. With the help of other members of the royal family including Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Duchess of Cambridge, Kate and Princess Beatrice. After the celebrations of in June, the queen will continue on her tour visiting a variety of stops in Britain and Scotland.

The queen has also asked her family to represent her on trips abroad. We've already seen Prince Harry journey to The Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica where he "beat" the world's fastest man Usain Bolt. Additionally, the Princess Royal recently returned from South Africa and Mozambique.

Other members of the royal family to undertake trips to Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories will include Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall; Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Andrew, the Duke of York; The Earl and Countess of Wessex; the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

Response: All you need to know about the celebrations of the Queen's 60-year reign. Need-to-know guide: Find out where to go, what you can do and when it's going to happen. Key players -- Who's going and to what event? We've got the details.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Mila Kunis is living the dream.

The actress has a thriving career and baby on the way with fiance Ashton Kutcher. But according to a recent interview with W Magazine, it's even more of a fairy tale, as Kutcher was her first kiss.

"My first real kiss ever was with him on the show," Kunis said of "That '70s Show," the 1998-2006 series in which the pair co-starred.

Calling Kutcher the "love of my life," Kunis shared how they shared in a tradition of many high school couples -- even if, for them, it was make-believe.

"And when That '70s Show had a prom, my date for the prom turned out to be my fiance," she said. "We can honestly say that we went to prom together! I do think that in that episode I went home with someone else. We don't talk about that part."

It appears that Kunis can totally relate to those of us who once fantasized about that dreamy celeb, though she actually snagged her star.

"We all get movie star crushes," she said. "I'm marrying mine."

Mila Kunis to men: Stop saying you're pregnant

Mila Kunis talks pregnancy, wants natural birth

See more comedy content at CNN Comedy.

Response: Kunis says "That '70s Show" co-star Kutcher was her first kiss. The pair went to prom together on their show. She calls him the love of her life.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Disbelieving Chelsea fans have been celebrating with their Champions League-winning team in London on a victory parade the day after the club won the trophy for the first time in their history.

Chelsea's squad and temporary manager Roberto di Matteo traveled on two open-top buses, waving blue scarves as they showed off the famous trophy with the "big ears."

Cheering fans crowded onto the streets and even climbed up trees and lampposts and onto bus stops around southwest London to catch a glimpse of their heroes, including matchwinner Didier Drogba.

Chelsea, who overcame Barcelona in the semifinals, were 1-0 down against Bayern Munich with seven minutes remaining at the Allianz Arena, but Drogba conjured an 88th-minute equalizer.

The Ivorian striker then scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out with what could be his final kick for Chelsea. The 34-year-old's contract runs out this summer, and he has been linked with a move to China.

It capped a remarkable few months for Chelsea, who sacked Portuguese manager Andre Villas Boas in late March with the team toiling in the Premier League and trailing 3-1 against Napoli after the first leg of their Champions League last 16 match.

Under Di Matteo, Chelsea somehow overturned the deficit against Napoli, but a miraculous victory over Barcelona managed to overshadow that.

Chelsea looked doomed again after skipper John Terry was sent off early in the second leg and they went 2-1 down on aggregate, but once again the Blues triumphed against the odds -- and repeated the trick against Bayern in the German's club's home stadium.

The win also guaranteed Chelsea a place in the Champions League next season after missing out via the Premier League by only finishing sixth. Tottenham, who finished fourth in the English league, will have to settle for the Europa League.

As the buses came to a halt on Sunday, Terry, who was suspended for the final but lifted the trophy with Frank Lampard, led the players and fans in a chant of "champions, champions, ole ole ole."

When the microphone was passed to Drogba, he was serenaded by both players and fans with "Didier Drogba, we want you to stay."

Roman Abramovich, the club's wealthy Russian owner, was also on the parade to witness the celebrations of Drogba, Fernando Torres, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech, Juan Mata, and countless other signings made under his big-spending ownership.

Winning the Champions League had been Abramovich's dream and plenty of managers were fired over their failure to deliver it, but Di Matteo's future is still far from secure.

"Whatever the club decides I will respect, it's as simple as that," the Italian coach said after the match in Munich.

As the Chelsea fans celebrated, the mood in Munich was predictably somber.

Once the delirious opposition fans had departed -- an estimated 100,000 Chelsea supporters were in Munich -- the city was left to mourn what most of the German newspapers saw as a desperately unlucky defeat.

Sports daily Bild's headline read: "Schweini, we are crying with you!"

Bastian Schweinsteiger, the talisman of the Bayern team who came through the youth system at the club, hit the post with a hesitant penalty in the shoot out.

Former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben had missed a chance to wrap it up even before the shoot out when he had a penalty saved by Cech in extra time.

Chelsea had one corner in the entire match and scored from it through Drogba. Bayern had 20 corners, and 43 attempts on goal to Chelsea's nine.

"It's like a nightmare," Bayern director of sport Christian Nerlinger said. "When you see how the game played itself out, it's like a bad film.

"This is frustrating and depressing to digest. This defeat is very difficult to take."

Munich daily SÃ¼ddeutsche Zeitung concluded: "How much bad luck fits into a single football match?"

Response: Chelsea parade the Champions League trophy through southwest London. The Blues beat Bayern Munich on penalties for their first ever Champions League win. Chelsea captain John Terry leads players and fans in chant of "champions". Bayern fans in disbelief after seeing team waste chances to win in their home stadium.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Los Angeles (CNN) -- Broadcast icon Dick Clark, the longtime host of the influential "American Bandstand," has died, publicist Paul Shefrin said. He was 82.

Clark suffered a heart attack while at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica for an outpatient procedure, his publicist said Wednesday. "Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful."

The family has not yet decided whether there will be a public memorial service for the multifaceted Clark, although Shefrin said, "There will be no funeral."

Clark suffered what was then described as "a mild stroke" in December 2004, just months after announcing he had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

That stroke forced Clark to cut back on his on-camera work, including giving up the hosting duties for the "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" specials. He returned as a co-host with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2005.

Clark anguished each year over whether to continue appearing on the annual show because of limitations on his speech from the stroke, U.S. Rep. David Dreier, a longtime friend, told CNN Wednesday.

"But then he would get deluged by people who were stroke victims and other people who had infirmities and they were such admirers of his fighting spirit," said Dreier, R-California.

Share your memories of Dick Clark

Clark's "American Bandstand" work, which he began when it was a local TV show in Philadelphia in 1956, earned him the nickname "America's oldest living teenager." The dance show was picked up by ABC and broadcast nationally a year later.

"If you didn't go on 'American Bandstand,' you hadn't made it yet," singer Aretha Franklin told "AC360."

The savvy entrepreneur was a pioneer in introducing African-American and other performers to millions of young TV viewers. His audiences were integrated, among the first on television.

"Only God is responsible for making more stars than Dick Clark," said singer Tony Orlando, who was 16 when he first appeared on Clark's show in 1961.

Entertainers told CNN on Wednesday that Clark knew that music transcends race.

"Dick understood the connection that music had. It wasn't about black, it wasn't about white," Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men told "Piers Morgan Tonight."

Seacrest gave a statement to CNN expressing deep sadness for "the loss of my dear friend Dick Clark."

"He has truly been one of the greatest influences in my life," Seacrest said. "I idolized him from the start, and I was graced early on in my career with his generous advice and counsel. When I joined his show in 2006, it was a dream come true to work with him every New Year's Eve for the last six years."

Seacrest called Clark "smart, charming, funny and always a true gentleman."

Another major figure on the music scene was too upset to talk about Clark's death. Radio host Casey Kasem's wife, Jean, told CNN that Clark served as substitute host for Kasem's popular "American Top 40."

"We just feel that he was one of the most magnanimous human beings that we ever knew in the industry," Jean Kasem said of Clark.

Clark became wealthy as a businessman, producing successful TV shows through Dick Clark Productions. He created the American Music Awards in the 1970s, a competitor to the Grammy Awards.

He sold the company to Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder in 2007.

"One of the real draws when we purchased Dick Clark Productions was the opportunity to build on the tremendous foundation of programming that this icon of American broadcasting created," Snyder said Wednesday. "I got to know Dick over the past five years, and he was just as personable and warm in person as he was on television. Once you got to know Dick, it was obvious why he was so beloved by his fans. He was, in every sense of the word, a giant."

Born Richard Wagstaff Clark in Mount Vernon, New York, on November 30, 1929, he began his broadcast career working at a radio station managed by his father.

Clark, who was married three times, is survived by his wife, Kari, two sons and a daughter.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Clark in its nonperformer category in 1993.

Clark also hosted numerous other television favorites, including the "Pyramid" game shows and "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes."

"This guy was the best," said singer Freddy Cannon, who appeared on "American Bandstand" 110 times. "He helped me from the very bottom of my career all through the '80s and the '90s, and he's going to be missed a lot."

Former CNN talk host Larry King said Clark's secret for success was his ability to be natural on camera.

"The hardest thing in the business is to be yourself, and no one knew that better than Dick Clark," King said.

Singer Donny Osmond said Clark was one of a kind: "If someone cannot fill your shoes, you are a legend. And Dick Clark was a legend."

Clark's passing follows by less than three months the death of another TV dance show icon, Don Cornelius, the creator of "Soul Train." Cornelius was found dead of what authorities said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Los Angeles on February 1. He was 75.

People we've lost in 2012: The lives they lived

CNN's Denise Quan and JD Cargill contributed to this report.

Response: NEW: Entertainers recall "American Bandstand" influence. Dick Clark died of a heart attack while at a Santa Monica hospital, his publicist says. He suffered a stroke in December 2004, reducing his on-camera work. Clark started "American Bandstand" as a local TV show in Philadelphia in 1956.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:NEW YORK (CNN) -- It's a good thing Chrisette Michele didn't choke last week when she heard the news she had a No. 1 album on her hands.

Chrisette Michele's album "Epiphany" debuted at No. 1 earlier in May.

"I was backstage at the David Letterman show on a couch, probably eating grapes," says the singer-songwriter. "I always eat grapes before I go on."

The acid and pectin in the fruit help prepare her voice for performing, the 26-year-old goes on to explain. But nothing, she says, could have prepared her for the excitement she'd feel upon learning her sophomore album, "Epiphany," debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart. She had to go chill out at a lakeside ranch for a couple of days to let it all sink in.

But this isn't Michele's first big career moment: She won a Grammy this year in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category for her single, "Be OK," featuring will.i.am. The song first appeared on her soul-tinged 2007 debut album "I Am," for which she penned all her own lyrics.

This time around, Michele, whose voice has earned her comparisons to Billie Holiday and Jill Scott, relinquished some songwriting duties to R&B singer Ne-Yo.

Michele talked to CNN about the experience of sharing pen and paper, the real-life epiphany behind "Epiphany" and why she likes making mischief.  Watch Michele belt out a tune »

CNN: Have you had a big epiphany recently?

Michele: I have epiphanies all the time, because I'm always thinking. I'm a thinker. I'm always writing poetry, I'm always coming to conclusions.

The latest epiphany is that I really don't have to be afraid of anybody. And the reason why it was an epiphany was when I first started, I was so afraid that maybe they won't like me. And I was just being myself, I was being really honest. And so I felt that if they didn't like me that would really hurt.

But I found out that there's a lot more lovers out there than I realized, and the world is much smaller than I thought. And so there's no need to be afraid.

CNN: Tell me about the single.

Michele: "Epiphany" is about a girl who's sitting on her couch and saying "You know what? I'm sick and tired of waiting for these phone calls. I'm sick and tired of waiting for him to come home." I think I'm just about over being his girlfriend. And that's her epiphany. That's her a-ha moment.

CNN: How does this album demonstrate how you've progressed as an artist?

Michele: One way is that I didn't write some of the songs. Pride destroyed! Ego smashed! Pens, pencils thrown across the room! It was so tough at first.

But then I started working with Ne-Yo. Ne-Yo is the easiest person to talk to, and he made my experiences come to life with his lyrics. I was afraid that if somebody took the pen and the pad that it would suddenly turn into somebody else. But he did a wonderful job of capturing Chrisette Michele and it was a beautiful experience.

CNN: Who's your favorite jazz performer in the world?

Michele: Ella Fitzgerald. But I can't narrow it down to just one. I get excited when we talk about jazz.

CNN: Which living jazz musician would you like to work with?

Michele: Diana Krall. A female piano player is always pretty cool to me. I went to school, did jazz and there weren't a lot of ladies who sat down and did those jazz things at the keys that she does.

CNN: Why don't you think young people appreciate jazz as much?

Michele: I'm an advocate of music in schools. It's important to me that music is in as many schools as possible across this country and across the world. I think that it's a lost art form because kids aren't as exposed to it as maybe they used to be, or should be. I was exposed heavily to jazz and that's why I love it.

CNN: I hear you're a bit of a prankster.

Michele: When I was in school I used to prank my teachers all the time. But I was really, really nice. I love to make people laugh. And even in those pranks, the teachers would laugh most of the time.

CNN: What's your favorite album of 2009 so far?

Michele: Mine (smiles mischievously).

CNN: Besides yours.

Michele: What is in my iPod right now on repeat is John Legend's "Evolver." I can't get enough of that record. I also love Adele's new album. It's incredible, especially the live side. Those are two that are on my radar.

Response: Chrisette Michele's album "Epiphany" debuted at No. 1 earlier in May. Michele has earned comparisons to Billie Holiday; she admires Ella Fitzgerald. Singer reluctant to give up songwriting duties, but enjoyed working with Ne-Yo.