Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Madrid (CNN) -- It's a check for $2 million, issued to a man with a California driver's license. And it was found in a subway car in Madrid, police say.

"We have his name. We're trying to locate this person," a National Police spokesman in Madrid told CNN on Thursday.

"We won't just hand it over. We have to verify that the origin of the money is not illicit," said the spokesman, who by custom is not identified.

The check was issued by Bank of America, and it's post-dated to January 2014, the spokesman said.

A maintenance worker for Madrid's Metro, or subway system, found it Wednesday. A train running on line 5, which roughly traverses the capital from east to west, reported a problem with doors that wouldn't fully close at the Diego de Leon station.

Homeless man turns in $40k, gets $91k

The train was sent to a maintenance yard, following protocol, and a worker who inspected the doors found a brown leather wallet that contained the $2 million check, the California driver's license and some credit cards, a Metro de Madrid spokeswoman said.

"It appears that the wallet was stolen on the Metro," the spokeswoman said. "The thief looked inside, grabbed the cash -- but didn't see the check -- and then threw the wallet away."

Usually, these kinds of discarded stolen wallets end up on a station platform. But this one landed in the doorway of a Metro car, preventing it from closing properly, she said.

Madrid's Metro handles an average of 2 million passengers a day, but this is believed to be the first time that one of them was carrying a $2 million check, the police spokesman said.

Why would someone with such a large check be riding in the subway, instead of in a chauffeured car?

Police would like to ask the owner of the check that question, too, the spokesman said.

Police have contacted the U.S. Embassy in Madrid for help in finding the check's owner, but the embassy had no immediate comment.

Response: A maintenance worker for Madrid's subway system found the check Wednesday. It was in a wallet and made out to a man with a California driver's license. "It appears that the wallet was stolen on the Metro," a subway system spokeswoman says. "We have to verify that the origin of the money is not illicit," a police spokesman says.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- At 16, gymnast McKayla Maroney has already accomplished enough to give her license for a break. But the gold- and silver-medalist isn't stopping, even while on the mend from a recent injury.

Maroney hurt her left leg after suffering a fall during a stop on Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions in September, and she's been recovering slowly but surely, she recently told CNN. One upside to her time away from the tour, though, is that she was able to squeeze in an appearance on The CW's "Hart of Dixie," which returns for a second season Tuesday.

Yet for Maroney, it wasn't simply a fun opportunity -- it's part of a larger goal to one day become a working actress.

"I've always wanted to be an actress ... Ever since I was very little, I really liked being in front of a camera. I've always been drawn to it and I've always wanted to pursue it, just like gymnastics," she said. "It's something that you kind of put in your brain and you never let go of. "

With gymnastics being a sport that retires its athletes at a young age, Maroney has been putting all of her energy toward her athletic goals while she has youth on her side. But "after it's all said and done with the Olympics and Worlds and whatever I get the chance to do, I think that would be my time to really get into acting, something that I want to have as my job when I'm older," she said.

If there was one actor she looks up to and hopes to pattern her career after, the gymnast said, it'd be Angelina Jolie.

"I really like Angelina Jolie, all the jobs that she's done," she said, pointing to Jolie's turn in the action thriller "Salt" as a favorite. "I'm kind of more into movies, because I'm really into getting into [character] and being that person and selling it as well as she always does."

"I like comedy, I like romantic stuff. I think the movie 'Easy A' is super cute and I love Emma Stone, she's an amazing actress and I love how she does all different sorts of things, and that's what I'd like to do. I'm not one kind of person, and that's the whole thing about being an actress, being able to play all different kind of roles."

And so, with help from an agent she acquired a few months before the Olympics, the 16-year-old champ has been looking for ways to break into the industry. The "Hart of Dixie" guest appearance in an upcoming episode came through said agent, and, given that she was momentarily at home from the tour, she went for it.

"It was my first time ever doing anything like that," Maroney said. "Gymnastics, you're in the gym eight hours a day and acting, that's a full-time job as well. So I finally had the time to do it, and I had the best time."

The CW show stars Rachel Bilson ("The O.C.") as Dr. Zoe Hart, a city doctor who's had to adjust to living in small-town Alabama after accepting a job from a physician who left half his practice to her in his will. Maroney will portray the friend of Rose (McKaley Miller), herself a friend of Zoe's.

"Zoe has this guy that she's going on a date with, and Rose really likes this guy, and there's a little bit of drama and I'm kind of backing up Rose," Maroney explained.

Maroney may be green, but she's without trepidation, saying that learning lines and acting on set felt like it came naturally.

"I've done acting classes before, and school plays, and I've always loved it," she added. "It's weird, I was watching ['Hart of Dixie'] the same day that my agent told me that they might want me on the show. I really like the character Rose on the show ... and I thought if I was ever going to be on the show, I'd really want to play her, and then I ended up being her best friend. So it was really surreal and kind of special."

She's also lined up a guest actor role on "Pretty Little Liars" (as a huge fan, she said, "I kind of always thought that it was Toby" who was the elusive "A"), which she hopes to shoot at some point in the future.

"Everything that I'm doing, I love to do. I really just take things one step at a time. Even when things get hard, I just believe that everything happens for a reason," she said. "Life goes on, and you have to make the best of everything. You really do have to enjoy life, because it's short."

But before fans of her athletic prowess fear Maroney's cutting her gymnastics career short in favor of Hollywood, rest assured that she's not done yet.

"Right now, I'm only 16, and gymnastics will always be a part of me," she said of her future plans. "I'm really an athletic person and I don't think I could let go entirely of the sport. I really want to try to go to this next Olympics, [and] after I heal up I'll be back in the gym working as hard as I possibly could just like I did for this Olympics. You can't just say that you want to try ... you have to be focused for whatever you do, just like acting. So I'll really be getting into trying to work for the next Olympics, and in between that I'll be doing, hopefully, little things like what I just did."

Response: McKayla Maroney snagged an appearance on the CW's "Hart of Dixie". The gymnast says she's "always wanted to be an actress". She assures fans she's not cutting her gymnastics career short for acting.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Los Angeles (CNN) -- Delays in deposing Kanye West and other witnesses in the divorce of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries mean the 72-day marriage may not legally end until next year, lawyers said at a hearing Wednesday.

Humphries, an NBA forward, accuses Kardashian, a reality TV star, of fraud by entering the marriage only to make millions of dollars with their wedding, Humphries' lawyer, Marshall Waller, told Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephen Moloney.

The August 20, 2011, wedding was aired in October on E! Entertainment in a two-part special titled "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event." Kardashian filed for divorce at the end of October.

"Ms. Kardashian had no intention of going through with the marriage," Waller said. "The wedding was simply for the benefit of her television show."

Humphries is asking for an annulment of the marriage instead of a divorce.

"To what end does he want this annulment?" Kardashian lawyer Laura Wasser asked in court Wednesday.

Wasser accused Waller of dragging his feet in making his case with vague charges. Kardashian's legal fees have already reached $250,000, which Wasser said she will try to force Humphries to pay. "We're going to ask for every penny to be paid by Kris," she said.

Humphries' case is taking longer to build because of delays in getting documents from NBC Universal and Bunim/Murray Productions, two companies involved in the wedding broadcast, Waller said.

"I'm trying to find information out and somebody is trying to stop me," he said.

The deposition of Kardashian will not happen until after Humphries' lawyers have reviewed the production documents, Waller said.

Kris Jenner, Kardashian's mother, is among the 33 people listed as witnesses by Humphries. While she has accepted a subpoena, she will not be questioned until Humphries' lawyer gets her business records, Waller said.

Kanye West, Kardashian's current boyfriend, could be a key witness in the divorce trial, but the hip-hop star has so far evaded Humphries' efforts to subpoena him for a deposition, Waller said.

Kardashian answered the door at her Los Angeles home on July 16 when a process server knocked and said told her he had something for West, Waller said. "She said he was on phone and she wouldn't accept it, so he left it," he said.

West was not there at the time, Kardashian lawyer Laura Wasser said. The server -- who she described as "a strange individual" -- left the subpoena in a Nordstrom department store box, she said.

Efforts to reach West though his lawyer and publicist have been unsuccessful, Waller said.

Humphries' girlfriend will be deposed by Kardashian's lawyers in New York Tuesday, Wasser said. The lawyer did not name the girlfriend in court.

Judge Moloney set the next hearing for November 28. A trial date of early 2013 may be set then, he said.

Response: Subpoena for Kanye West in Nordstrom box left at Kardashian door, her lawyer says. "I'm trying to find information ... somebody is trying to stop me," Kris Humphries' lawyer says. Humphries' girlfriend will be deposed by Kardashian's lawyers in New York Tuesday. A 2013 trial date may be set at the next hearing in November, the judge says.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo has announced her retirement from tennis, revealing that she no longer has the desire to play and train.

The 30-year-old won two Grand Slam tournaments in 2006 as she spent 34 weeks at the top of the rankings, but has suffered a gradual slide since following a series of injuries and ended this year at No. 21.

The Frenchwoman won the Paris Indoor Open earlier this year, but it proved to be a false dawn in her return to top form and she skipped the final two tournaments of 2009.

"I came here to announce the end of my career. I made this decision after careful consideration," she told reporters at an emotional press conference on Thursday.

"I don't want to train anymore. I had to make a decision, which became evident in the last few months and weeks. When you grow older, it's more difficult to stay at the top.

"It's a bit sad, but this is the right decision. I was lucky enough to have an exceptional career and to experience very strong feelings on the court.

"I dreamt of this career, I dreamt of winning a Grand Slam title. I lifted trophies in every city in the world and I lived 10 magical and unbelievable years."

Mauresmo claimed her first major win at the Australian Open when Justine Henin pulled out with injury during the final, but she defied her doubters by beating the Belgian to claim the Wimbledon title later that year.

Henin and her compatriot have both ended their relatively brief retirements this year, but Mauresmo said she was unlikely to have a similar change of mind.

"Even if I've learned to never say never, the players you are thinking about stopped earlier than me before coming back," she said.

WTA Tour chair Stacey Allaster paid tribute to the player.

"Amelie's accomplishments not only include winning two Grand Slam titles and becoming the first French player to reach the world No. 1 ranking, but leading France to a Fed Cup victory, and generously donating her time to various social causes," she said.

"Amelie is an extraordinary player, one of the nicest and friendliest personalities on tour, and a true champion both in tennis and in life."

Mauresmo won the junior French Open and Wimbledon titles in 1996 before heading to the senior circuit, where she reached the Australian Open final in 1999 before losing to Martina Hingis.

She became the first French player, male or female, to reach the top of the rankings in 2004, when she won the silver medal at the Athens Olympics, losing to Henin in the final.

But her career came off the rails in 2007, missing two months due to injury and finishing outside the top-10 for the first time in seven seasons.

The following year was even worse as she ended it outside the top-20. Mauresmo won 25 titles overall, and was a losing finalist 23 times.

Response: Former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo announces her retirement from tennis. The 30-year-old holds an emotional press conference, saying she has lost motivation. She was the first French player, male or female, to reach the top of the rankings. But her career has been on a downward spiral since suffering injuries during 2007.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Millions of American parents spend countless hours trying to figure out how to help their children get better grades, better teachers or better schools.

They may want to take a page from Finland, which is considered to have one of the leading education systems in the world. Finnish students consistently score near the top in the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, for reading, mathematics and science. The 2012 PISA results tell us that in these three subjects combined Finland ranks third after Korea and Japan. In comparison, American students' combined performance in reading, mathematics and science places the United States at 21st among 34 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

For some, education in Finland is utopia: a dreamland where teaching is the most desired profession, authorities trust schools and political parties agree on the direction of educational reforms.

For others, they are surprised to hear that in Finland children don't start school until they are 7 years old. They have less homework than their peers in other countries. A child's socioeconomic background is less of an impediment to academic performance. And there is only one standardized test, which is administered in the final year of high school.

What are the main factors that prevent American students from achieving the kind of success that Finnish students attain?

There are three things that have positively affected the quality of Finnish schools that are absent in American schools. First, Finland has built a school system that has over time strengthened educational equity. This means early childhood education for all children, funding all schools so they can better serve those with special educational needs, access to health and well-being services for all children in all schools, and a national curriculum that insists that schools focus on the whole child rather than narrow academic achievement.

Opinion: Should schools ban homework?

Second, teachers in Finland have time to work together with their colleagues during the school day. According to the most recent data provided by the OECD the average teaching load of junior high school teachers in Finland is about half what it is in the United States. That enables teachers to build professional networks, share ideas and best practices. This is an important condition to enhancing teaching quality.

Finally, play constitutes a significant part of individual growth and learning in Finnish schools. Every class must be followed by a 15-minute recess break so children can spend time outside on their own activities. Schooldays are also shorter in Finland than in the United States, and primary schools keep the homework load to a minimum so students have time for their own hobbies and friends when school is over.

The difference is pronounced in America, where a national poll of elementary school principals found that up to 40% of U.S. school districts have reduced or eliminated recess in order to free more time for core academics, and one in four elementary schools no longer provides recess to all grades.

I hear people often arguing that because the United States is much bigger, more diverse, and more unequal, it's harder to reach higher quality education. But even if this were true, it would not explain why in Finland students learn better in their schools than in most other places in the world.

Opinion: Let kids sleep late

Some aspects of the American school system are not helpful in improving education quality and equity. First, education in the United States is too much defined by testing and data. If getting the data using frequent standardized tests occupies up to one-third of all available time to teach, that will alone prevent students from making the marks they should.

Second, American education places too much faith in marketplace choice, which parents have because of expanded access to charter schools. This weakens the public school structure that is fundamental to many successful education systems elsewhere.

Finally, more students in America have novice or nonprofessional teachers in their classrooms today than ever. Frequent turnover of teachers in thousands of American schools undermines the entire education system.

What would be the way forward then? The United States can't become Finland, but there is a lot it can learn about what works and what doesn't.

One affordable and smart step would be to terminate policies and practices that prevent American teachers from teaching what matters most to their students. Redesigning current punitive accountability for schools and abolishing unnecessary standardized tests would remove a big burden from schools and leave teachers with more time to focus on real learning.

Opinion: Get schools out of the 1890s

The ultimate test for the American education system will be whether it can bring equity to the forefront of education policies. When poverty explains up to half of student achievement, schools must have measures to better cope with the harmful consequences that disadvantaged family backgrounds have on teaching and learning in many schools. Enhancing equity has been one key to success in Finland.

Response: Many American parents worry about their kids getting good grades and doing well in school. Pasi Sahlberg: Finland has one of the leading education systems in the world. He says U.S. can learn from Finland in building an education system that enhances equity. Sahlberg: U.S. education focuses on testing and data, which skews teaching priorities.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for the brother of President Lee Myung-bak on bribery charges, a court official said Wednesday, dealing a blow to the governing party ahead of elections later this year.

Lee Sang-deuk, a former six-term lawmaker, has been charged over allegations he received about half a million dollars from the savings banks Solomon and Mirae in exchange for exerting influence over officials investigating the banks, the court official said.

He was taken to a detention center early Wednesday after the issuing of the arrest warrant, said the court official, who declined to be identified because she is not authorized to speak publicly on the case.

Lee Sang-deuk is considered to have been the major force behind Lee Myung-bak's presidential election in 2007.

The incumbent president won't be running for re-election later this year because the law limits presidents to only one five-year term, but the arrest taints the image of his governing party.

Lee Sang-deuk's lawyer did not return calls seeking comment on Wednesday.

The president's brother said he was sorry as he was taken to the detention center but did not comment further, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

The operations of Solomon and Mirae were suspended in May for six months by the authorities, prompting anger from people who were unable to retrieve money they had deposited in the banks.

Lee Sang-deuk is not the first relative of a South Korean president to face criminal charges.

"Families of former presidents have been misusing power before," said Kwang Won-taek, professor at Seoul National University. "The current's president's term is going to end soon and the suspicions are surfacing."

Former President Roh Moo-hyun committed suicide in 2009 amid an investigation into a bribery scandal that had tarnished his reputation. His older brother was convicted and sentenced to prison.

And former President Kim Dae-jung's three sons were also imprisoned for corruption by the end of his presidential term.

Lee Sang-deuk's arrest came after the announcement by Park Geun-hye, the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, that she would be running for president this year.

Park Chung-hee, who was shot and killed by his intelligence chief in 1979, stirs mixed reactions among South Koreans.

Some members of older generations consider him a national hero who built up the nation's economy, but some critics say he was a dictator who abused human rights.

Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that she would aim for "transparent, capable, and service-oriented government" if she were to be elected, Yonhap reported.

Her mother was shot and killed in 1974 by a Japanese-born Korean who had close ties to North Korea.

Response: Lee Sang-deuk is seen as a major force in the president's election. He is alleged to have received money from troubled savings banks. Relatives of previous South Korean presidents have also faced charges. The daughter of a former president says she will run for president this year.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- An Iowa community was shut down much of Sunday afternoon while emergency crews remained hard at work, sifting through wreckage caused by a wave of powerful tornadoes that swept across the state overnight.

The twisters caused major damage to about 60% of Mapleton, a city of about 1,200 residents, Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt told reporters Sunday.

It was all part of a violent storm system that struck overnight, originating in eastern Nebraska and following a warm front across northern Iowa, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Boksa.

But despite causing extensive damage, it did not lead to any fatalities, said Stefanie Bond, a spokeswoman for Iowa's Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division.

Wildfires in Texas | Flooding in upper Midwest

Mapleton was among the hardest-hit areas. Initially, concerns about a gas leak had prompted all nonresidents to be barred from the community, which is about 45 miles southeast of Sioux City. By 5 p.m., people were being allowed back in, though authorities remained on the scene, according to the sheriff's department.

The high winds tossed cars and tractors, tore off roofs, caused a car wash to collapse, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Yet Pratt said there had been only minor injuries, giving credit to advance warning as well as an emergency response effort that included authorities both local and from elsewhere.

"There was major devastation to the southwest portion of town, but no fatalities," the sheriff said.

Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad issued a disaster proclamation for Monona County, according to a statement from his office. The proclamation allows officials to use state funds to help. He later issued a similar proclamation for Pocahontas County, which also suffered severe damage.

He then toured the tornado-ravaged town on Sunday afternoon, posting pictures online of uprooted trees and conversations with residents. On his Twitter page, Branstad wrote, "Please keep the victims in your thoughts and prayers."

The twisters struck just before midnight Saturday.

Amateur video recorded by storm chasers shows a large funnel cloud spinning across a flat terrain outside Mapleton.

In the background, a passenger can be heard exclaiming, "It's going to hit that town! ... Mapleton's in big trouble!"

Did you witness the storm? Share your story

Afterward, National Guard troops were brought into the area, according to Stefanie Bond, a public information officer for the state's Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division. She also said that natural gas service was temporarily shut off in the city.

The Red Cross was also on the ground providing assistance. Bruce Spence, a government liaison for the group, called the damage to the town "extensive."

"The whole town is without power. Main Street is a disaster," he told CNN. "They've shut down the town. As we speak, I'm looking down one of the residential streets. There's debris all over, trees are down.

"This isn't going to get fixed soon," Spence said.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa, reported tornado sightings by storm chasers and trained spotters in as many as 11 towns and cities in northern and west-central Iowa over a four-hour period Saturday night.

At least three of the twisters, including the Mapleton tornado, caused significant damage, according to Boksa.

In Early, a town of 1,600 residents, a tornado ripped roofs off buildings and homes and uprooted large trees, authorities said. There were no reports of injuries in that town. In Schaller, a twister knocked down a dozen trees and felled multiple power poles, the weather service reported.

Tammie Pech, a Red Cross spokeswoman, said the agency was opening shelters in Mapleton and Early to take in storm victims. Only four people slept in the Mapleton shelter overnight Sunday, Spence said. Most displaced residents opted to stay with family and friends, he said.

The National Weather Service also reported major damage in Nemaha, possibly from a tornado.

Bond noted that strong winds also tore through hog pens in Pocohontas Country, in central Iowa, and Kossuth County, in the east along the Illinois border.

Three cities in Fayette County -- Fayette, Westgate and Maynard -- were without power for about an hour Sunday evening due to a blown transformer, the state's emergency management spokeswoman said.

Randy Frank, Fayette County's homeland security and emergency management coordinator, said that the challenges continued well after the tornadoes came through, with sustained winds blowing at least 50 mph into Sunday evening.

"Our biggest problem right now is fuel fires out of control," said Frank, whose county is about 255 miles from Monona County. "And it's that way across the state, with the wind, which (can) be very dangerous in (fanning) the fire."

CNN's Greg Morrison, Greg Botelho and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.

Response: NEW: A Fayette County official says fuel fires, fanned by strong winds, are a concern. Mapleton had been shut down as authorities probed a possible gas leak. A Red Cross liaison calls the city's Main Street "a disaster," with debris everywhere. Other Iowa communities are also hit hard by overnight twisters.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Kevin Pippen left his father's nursing home knowing he had to make a change.

His father wasn't obese or dying of lung cancer. But seeing his quality of life made Pippen want to delay death as long as possible.

"It was just a wake-up call," the 57-year-old from Georgetown, Kentucky, says, "knowing if I kept smoking and eating the way I was, and not exercising, I was probably going to be where he is a lot quicker than I should be."

A couple of weeks later, in July 2011, Pippen bought nicotine patches, started exercising and never looked back.

"I was miserable when I was large, but I would never admit it," he wrote on iReport. "I can remember looking at myself in the mirror thinking how wonderful it would be to just wake up one morning, healthy and physically fit."

Pippen's wife, Susan, enjoyed walking every night after dinner. He joined her on the evening jaunts, until he started experiencing shooting pains in his arms and had trouble breathing. A visit to the VA Medical Center revealed that he had an 80% blockage in one of his coronary arteries and Type 2 diabetes.

In November 2011, doctors inserted a stent to improve the blood flow to his heart. He barely fit on the operating table.

Doctors offered to get him into a bariatric center for gastric bypass surgery as well, but Pippen refused.

Instead, the former Airman 1st Class went on a low-carb diet, remembering that his drill instructor had forbidden potatoes and bread when an overweight Pippen entered boot camp. He had always loved comfort food -- biscuits and gravy, mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers with fries -- so the switch was difficult at first. But Pippen isn't a man to do things halfway, his wife says.

It only took one nicotine patch, and an inspiring self-help book, for Pippen to quit smoking.

"Kevin becomes very focused on whatever he is working on at any one time," Susan says. "I think when Kevin made the decision to get healthy, it made it easier for both of us -- that we both had to make time for exercise, and our eating choices had to be healthier."

The couple started planning their meals and grocery shopping together, trying new foods like kale and spaghetti squash. They even created healthier versions of their old favorites, like pizza.

Pippen took group fitness classes at their gym and swam laps on the weekends. He did Zumba and kickboxing and body sculpting and spinning -- basically anything to get moving.

"I love it when I'm with a group of people because it just motivates the crap out of me," he says. "You don't want to be left behind, so it makes you try harder."

In the first year, he lost 117 pounds.

Susan worried that once Pippen reached his goal, he would revert to his old habits. He was neglecting his business in his efforts to lose weight; nothing else seemed to matter.

"Once I decide to do something, don't get in my way," Pippen says with a laugh. "It may take me a while to make that decision, but once I do I'm so driven."

Over the next 8 months he lost another 70 pounds.

Pippen is now maintaining at 182 pounds. His body fat percentage is approximately 17%. Susan isn't much of a scale person, but she's lost a significant amount of weight as well. She dropped from a size 10 to a size 2, and now wears extra-small shirts.

Neither is worried about going back to their old lifestyle; they like the energy these healthy habits have given them too much to quit.

Pippen gave up his low-carb diet after the first year and has switched to calorie counting. He tries to eat less than 1,850 a day by making tiny swaps, like using unsweetened almond milk instead of 1%.

He notices that people treat him differently now that he's healthy, whether it's at the grocery store or the gym. He feels better and he thinks that self confidence shows.

The couple goes to boot camp on Mondays, and takes a spinning class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pippen does kickboxing on Wednesdays and swims laps on the weekends, while Susan runs on the treadmill. She plans to do a few races next year.

"The hardest part for me is exercising when I don't want to," she says. "The easiest is eating a little chocolate every day without the guilt, and buying new clothes!"

Response: Kevin Pippen lost 188 pounds in two years, cutting his body weight in half. His wife, Susan, has gotten fit as well, dropping from a size 10 to a size 2. The couple focuses on eating healthy meals and works out almost every day.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. An aerial endeavor that would take 17-year-old pilot Haris Suleman and his father, Babar, around the world in just 30 days and into the record books.

The journey, months in the planning, would take the pair on a 26,500-mile odyssey, with 25 stops planned in 15 countries. The aim was to raise funds for a charity in Pakistan that helps poverty-stricken children go to school.

Instead, the American teenager is now confirmed dead and his father is missing after their plane crashed into the ocean off American Samoa on Tuesday night.

Haris had been due home in Indiana on Saturday, his sister Hiba Suleman told reporters Wednesday.

His body has been recovered, she said. But their father, also a pilot, has not been found.

"We're hoping my dad is alive and well, and we're going to keep praying until we have a definitive answer," Hiba Suleman said.

She told reporters the plane was about 23 miles from the island when it crashed. Her father wouldn't have let Haris take off if the weather was bad, she said.

It is unclear why the plane crashed or why the duo took off at night.

"He was doing something that he loved. He was doing something adventurous," she said of her brother, who received his pilot's license in June. And he was doing it for a good cause, she added.

Read more from CNN affiliate WTHR

'On my bucket list forever'

In an interview with CNN affiliate WISH TV last month, only days before the pair set off, Haris appeared excited as he outlined their itinerary -- which if completed in 30 days in their single-engine plane would have made him the youngest pilot to achieve the feat.

He also told how he and his father had received survival training in case of having to ditch their plane in the water.

Babar Suleman, asked about the inherent risk involved in such a venture, said he put his faith in sound preparations.

"In all these endeavors, the biggest part of the whole thing is the planning," he said. "While he was training and getting his license, I was busy planning all the different segments, all the different fuel stops, different cruise profiles. I set up all of the plans and he will do all the execution."

The record-breaking attempt, he said, "has been on my bucket list forever."

Babar Suleman also spoke of the importance of the work done by the Seeds of Learning charity, an Indiana group which supports the work of the Citizens Foundation in Pakistan.

The money raised, he said, would help open schools "for underprivileged children who otherwise would not have a hope of getting an education and may even end up in the wrong hands."

He expanded on his charitable motivation for the trip in his blog, Around the World in 30 Days, explaining how in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States he had come to the conclusion "that lack of proper education contributed to the events of that day."

The work of the Citizens Foundation to provide education to thousands of impoverished Pakistani children is, he said, "the noblest of all causes."

The last entry on the blog is posted from Bali, Indonesia.

'Huge heart'

The principal of the high school where Haris was a rising senior said the school was deeply saddened by his death.

"Haris' adventurous spirit and huge heart led him to reaching for this personal goal while also seeking to raise funds and awareness for schools supported by The Citizens Foundation, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan," said Melvin Siefert, principal of Plainfield High School.

A soccer coach at the school told the Indianapolis Star that Haris was a great student and a talented player.

"Haris loved to joke a lot," David Knueve told the newspaper. "He just got the team sort of laughing at the right moments."

His sister said Haris planned to be an engineer like his father.

The oldest sibling, a brother, was trying to get from London to American Samoa to pick up Haris' body but there were only a few flights, Hiba Suleman said.

Emergency beacons

A Coast Guard spokeswoman, Petty Officer Melissa McKenzie, said a plane would aid in the search for Babar Suleman.

He and Haris were wearing "gumby" suits that could help them survive a water landing, Hiba Suleman said. She said they had taken a course in how to survive a crash in the ocean.

They also had life rafts aboard.

The next legs of the trip were supposed to cross the Pacific Ocean, with stops in Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) and Hawaii.

The plane has yet to be recovered, but emergency beacons were sending out signals.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane was a Beechcraft Bonanza A36.

Teen attempts record-setting solo flight around the world

Dutch teen completes historic, controversial solo sail around the globe

Response: Coach says young pilot was a soccer player who had a knack for when to tell joke. Haris Suleman, 17, was at the controls during his trip around the world. His father, Babar Suleman, was traveling with him and is missing. Haris' sister says her brother and dad had trained for a water landing.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Miami, Florida (CNN) -- From the custom-made, hand-beaded white dress to silver-studded high-heeled shoes, diamond jewelry and tiara, Jenny Ferro is preparing for a day she's dreamed about since she was 3 years old.

"I'm really excited," says Jenny, eagerly nodding her head. "Really, really, a lot!"

She isn't getting married. The 15-year-old is preparing for her quinceañera, a coming-of-age ritual in Latin culture, marking a young girl's entrance into womanhood. The centuries-old tradition began as a ceremony to introduce girls to society on their 15th birthday and signified that they were ready for marriage. Today, many quinceañeras have become much more elaborate.

Jenny and her mother, Marlene Ferro, have worked out every detail of the party well in advance, from the rehearsal to the reception to the flower girl and the music. The theme of the party is bedazzled.

First, there is the dress, which Marlene had designed specially for her daughter. It cost about $800. Then there are the shoes, high-heeled and silver to match the dress. During the party, the high heels will be ceremoniously slipped onto her feet to replace her flat shoes -- a symbolic transition of her journey from childhood to womanhood.

"It makes her look like a princess," gushes Marlene Ferro.

Quinceañeras are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. One reason for their popularity is a greater acceptance of Latin culture in America, according to Michele Salcedo, author of "Quinceañera!" a comprehensive guide to the celebration.

"The 15th birthday, culturally, is a milestone. It doesn't have to be celebrated with a party at all, but it is generally marked by something quite special," Salcedo says.

Experts believe the quinceañera is rooted in Mayan, Aztec and European traditions. Today, many coming-of-age ceremonies resemble lavish "Sweet 16" celebrations. Beyond the elaborate apparel, food and festivities, modern quinceañeras often feature a court of 15 people, typically consisting of family and friends. As the event continues to grow in popularity, the makeup of the court has also changed.

"It has gone beyond Latinos, so that a lot of Latino girls will have not only family members in court but they will reach out to non-Latino friends," says Salcedo. "So it's a way of reaching out and extending social ties and bringing people in who might not otherwise have an opportunity to know a Latino family and to know the culture."

Family plays the largest role in the quinceañera, leading up to and during the party. Mothers, fathers, grandparents and godparents can spend years preparing a night to remember for the young girl. The tradition is just as important to the family as it is to the young woman. The large, extravagant celebrations often symbolize a family's hard work and success.

How has America changed Latinos?

Marlene Ferro, who emigrated from Cuba as a child with her parents, says Jenny's quinceañera was a gift to both of them. The 43-year-old, single mother of three, saved for years and estimates that she spent at least $20,000 on her daughter's quinceañera.

"I was able to accomplish something that I had been looking forward to for 15 years," says Marlene Ferro.

The parties can be as big and expensive as a family can imagine and costs can escalate into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Salcedo. She recommends that families manage expectations before the party planning even begins.

iReporter Alexis Fernandez's quinceañera was a big event in Alaska

"Sometimes people go way overboard and [spend] much more on the celebration than they can afford and that's the downside of the quinceañera," says Salcedo. "Because when it's done right it can be a beautiful family celebration and a celebration of a milestone that a young girl goes through."

Quinceañeras have changed over the years. Even though her tiara was taller than her daughter's, Marlene says her quinceañera was simple. It was a small gathering at her sister's apartment with family and friends. She wore borrowed jewelry from a family member, had a homemade cake and danced with her father. Marlene Ferro's 15th birthday present was a telephone in her bedroom.

"I didn't have a big quince party. I chose to have a small party with my friends," she remembers. "My dress was really easy ... I didn't have an option. It was this one or that one. Now, we give our kids the option."

iReporter Diamond Ramirez's mother, grandmother never had quinceañeras

There's a spiritual element to these celebrations as well, says Salcedo. The church plays a role in helping to prepare teenage girls for this transition to womanhood. Ceremonies and classes before the coming-of-age celebration teach the young women that with adulthood come certain responsibilities, both physical and spiritual.

"When it's done in the spirit that it probably should be, the girl has certain responsibilities and by the end of the process, she's met them and she has showed her mother that she can, in fact, be responsible and she does acquire ... a bit more maturity then she [had] before," says Salcedo.

As the celebrations become more popular in the United States, they also offer an opportunity for more Americans to participate.

"It's a way to push back a lot of the negativity that a lot of Latinos feel is directed at Latinos," says Salcedo. "It is a way for people who have recently arrived, or maybe not so recently arrived, to say 'I have done well here' ... I'm throwing this party for my daughter and I'm inviting all of you to partake of my generosity so that you can see exactly how well we've done."

Response: Quinceañeras, or 15th birthday celebrations, mark a girl's transition to womanhood. Jenny Ferro, 15, has been preparing for her celebration since she was 3 years old. Marlene Ferro estimates she spent $20,000 on her daughter's quinceañera. Expert: The elaborate parties are a way for Latinos to say 'I have done well here'.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:LONDON, England -- Painfully hot, they make your eyes water, your heart race and can turn your face embarrassingly red.

Chilies have been used for many millenia both for their medicinal benefits and exciting falvor.

Once only a staple of cuisine from far flung regions of the world, chilies can now be found in almost any dish around the globe.

Last week an Indian woman wolfed down 51 "ghost chilies," -- the world's spiciest -- in two minutes and smeared the seeds on her eyes for an entry into the Guinness World Records.

Anandita Dutta Tamuly, 28, achieved the bizarre and fiery undertaking in the Indian north-eastern state of Assam.

She was cheered on by British chef Gordon Ramsay, who also attempted a bite of the hot stuff before begging for water. A single seed can cause watering eyes, as well as a burning sensation in the mouth that can last up to five hours.

A chili's spiciness is measured in Scoville units; the number of times a chili extract must be diluted in water in order for it to lose its heat.

The "ghost chili", also known as bhut jolokia, has more than 1 million Scoville units, while Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units and jalapeno peppers from 2,500 to 8,000 units.

Chilies have formed part of the diet in the Americas since approximately 7,500 BC and owe most of their fame to their sometimes unbearably spicy flavor.

But they have also long been recognized for their health benefits. Scientific research --and legend--  have attributed health wonders to chilies over the years.

Diego Alvarez Chanca, a physician on explorer Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, first wrote about the pepper's medicinal effects back in 1494.

Below we look at effects eating chilies has on the body.

Skin

Other than for its flavor-enhancing qualities, chili is, oddly enough, used to fight the summer heat.

As the chili causes extreme sweating and blood rushing to the face, it cools the body down when the sweat evaporates, making it useful for combating heat.

These same heat inducing properties are said to have a cumulative effect and over time are believed to alleviate pain when used in treatments for anything from arthritis and psoriasis to shingles and severe burns.

Brain

The substances that give chili peppers their intensity when eaten or applied on the skin are called capsaicinoids.

When consumed, capsaicinoids connect with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat.

Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot.

The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and releasing endorphins, called the body's "natural painkillers" and "happy hormones."

Stomach

Chilies have long been associated with soothing the digestive system, by acting as stomach cleansers. According to the UK Food Guide, chili helps to settle stomach upset and encourages the production of good digestive acid.

Chili aficionados believe the fruits can also induce weight loss because the substance that makes them "hot" speed up the body's metabolism.

However, one study by the American Institute of Cancer Research performed in Mexico showed in 2003 that a high consumption of chilies (approximately nine to 25 jalapeno peppers per day) is in fact associated with stomach cancer.

Immune system

Red chilies contain high amounts of carotene and vitamin C. It is said that chilies contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits. Chili peppers are also a good source of vitamin B6 and are very high in potassium, magnesium and iron, giving them a reputation for naturally boosting the body's immune system.

Heart and other cardiovascular effects

A 2006 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that after adding chili to the diet, bad cholesterol, that can often lead to heart problems, took a longer time to develop into heart diseases.

Response: An Indian woman last week wolfed down 51 "ghost chilies" in two minutes. The ghost chili has 1 million Scoville units, the measurement of a chili's heat. Chilies have also long been recognized for their health benefits.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:LONDON, England (CNN) -- From "Gladiator" to "The Lion King", "Pirates of the Caribbean" to "The Simpsons," film composer Hans Zimmer's versatile and imaginative scores have added aural color, light and shade to the on-screen action.

Composer Hans Zimmer, interviewed by CNN's Screening Room

Nominated for an Oscar seven times (he won for 1995's "The Lion King"), Zimmer had just two weeks of formal music lessons as a child. He worked as an assistant to film composer Stanley Myers in London where he learnt "how to wrestle an orchestra to the ground" while making the coffee. That led to a job with Myers on Nic Roeg's epic "Eureka" -- and the rest is film history.

CNN's The Screening Room talked to him about the magic that music can bring to the movies.

.................................

CNN: What is the reality behind the glamour of working as a film composer?

Hans Zimmer: It's an industry that relies so heavily on the idea that I will wake up tomorrow morning with a great tune in my head. This usually doesn't happen, so it's a whole industry based on the fallacy that we, the filmmakers, will actually come up with some good ideas and meet our deadlines, when really we sit in our rooms by ourselves and knock our heads against the wall until something happens.

Most of my ideas are terrible and occasionally there's a glimmer of hope and a decent tune comes out; but to make a movie you have to rely very heavily on the creative input of everyone else. I love speaking with the editors, hanging out with the director and whoever. The movie shapes itself through these conversations.

CNN: Which comes first, the music or the film?

HZ: It changes all the time. You grab a fragment of something to start an idea with; tiny ideas. It's a complete hodgepodge of ways of sneaking up on the beast. For instance, on "Pirates 3," a lot of the music was written while Gore was shooting or before he went off shooting the movie. Finally, I moved the whole studio to Disney's cutting rooms because being in the same space as the movie makes a difference and part of what I should do is try to inspire the production.

With "The Simpsons," I thought, "Hang on a second, they've been around for years but none of the characters have any themes really." So I was just noodling around. I try to understand my characters. Why are they like this? And why would I find it even remotely compelling to watch a story about a weird character like this and what's funny about it? And after all this semi-intelligent talk it really comes down to flailing around and hoping that some of those notes make sense and that they can tell a story.

CNN: Your score for "Gladiator" really stands out. What inspired you on this film?

HZ: It started off with Ridley phoning me. He goes, "I'm going to be shooting this big battle scene south of London. Why don't you come over and we'll have a chat?" And I'm driving through this wood and I get to a dirt track; and it's a miserable day, only the way England in November can be.

Suddenly I'm in this Roman encampment with these beautiful tents and in the background there are guys just killing each other with swords in the mud. It's a big battle scene and it's grubby as hell, but Ridley and I are having this meeting in the Marcus Aurelius tent set and he's got this beautiful bed in there with a mink throw on top of it and it's all purple and red and silk and there are all these amazing marble busts.

I started thinking about antiquity and about going to Rome and seeing these fantastic artifacts which enrich our life nowadays, and how it was really all built on the blood and sweat of slaves. And I thought, "How benign, how wonderful. We see these sculptures and we forget how people have suffered for this." I thought, "I want to find the most benign, banal music and sort of savage it up and make it our battle music." I thought of Viennese waltzes. So all the battles are scored with these Viennese waltzes.

CNN: Is your relationship with the director the key to getting the score perfect?

HZ: Yes, there has to be an element of friendship and trust and at the same time an element of give and take. A director can be in control on pretty much everything: he can rewrite lines in the script; he can act a little for the actors; he can look into the camera and adjust all that. But when it comes to music, it's tricky territory: what's he going to say to me? C major to F major? That would be good here? It's meaningless, so the conversation becomes different. You want to take their vision, whatever it is, beyond what he had.

CNN: How do you find sounds?

HZ: I go there. With Ridley's "Black Hawk Down," I sent Mark Stridenfeld, who's now composing Ridley's new film, out into the desert to these villages to see what they play. I told him, "See if you can buy any instruments or record some of the stuff." Mark came back with a plethora of weird instruments which we then had to wonder, 'Do you blow into this or do you hit it?' I've spent a lot of time going to Africa and recording indigenous instruments or choirs or whatever. Anything can become a musical sound. The wind on telegraph wires is a great sound; get it into your machine and play it and it becomes interesting.

CNN: Describe the moment of playing your first musical sketches to a director.

HZ: Terror. You can't defend it and it's very simple: however it lands, this thing that you have slaved over, if it doesn't resonate; if it doesn't communicate, you gotta start again. It's -- I'm hedging around having to say the sentence because it sounds pretentious -- you write stuff from your heart. When you play anything for anybody for the first time it's terrifying because you're letting them having a look at a very vulnerable part of you.

CNN: You have to be such a chameleon as a composer.

HZ: I love ducking and diving. I did "Black Rain" and "Driving Miss Daisy" in the same month. I finished "Pirates," had one day off and got into "The Simpsons" and it's a very different language. And I think that's what keeps it interesting; certainly for me.

CNN: Tell us a bit about the relationship between a movie score composer and a songwriter, for example Elton John in "The Lion King."

HZ: This was pretty early on in my career. I'm a huge Elton fan and always was. Elton had done these piano demos. I took the first one, 'Circle of Life,' and made up my mind there were two ways I could approach it: I could either be really respectful of Elton's notes and what he had done, and very slavishly try to orchestrate it, or I could try to make it my own, usurp it, throw my stuff at it and go crazy, which is pretty much what I did. Then they had to show it to Elton and I'm sitting next to him, pretty nervous -- and on the CD you get Elton's version and my version and you can see how radically different they are -- and the great thing about him is he's so secure in his artistry as a songwriter that he loved it. And it was the beginning of a very good friendship.

CNN: Are there particular challenges working on animated films as opposed to live action films?

HZ: With animated film you have to create the sonic world; there's nothing there. You get to color things in more and you're allowed to overreach yourself a little bit more and it's great fun.

CNN: You've also mentored a number of others. Why is that important for you?

HZ: When I first started working here I noticed there was the A-list and then no one else got to work, and the A-list was pretty small. The other thing that really bugged me was that people who had an enormous amount of talent didn't get to do these movies 'cause they couldn't get hold of the technology. And I thought 'hey I have a studio' and these are my friends. So I let them have access to the tools and let people hear their music; simple as that.

CNN: When do you think a score works best as opposed to a soundtrack of pre-existing songs?

HZ: It depends. "The Graduate" must be the best use of songs ever in a movie; it adds a layer to the movie you wouldn't ever get from a score. "The Mission Law," "Chariots of Fire," "Lawrence of Arabia" -- I can't imagine those movies would have worked as well with just a bunch of songs put into them. It doesn't matter how good they are. They serve different purposes. Songs come with baggage. A score usually doesn't -- a score is strictly for that moment in time.

CNN: What distinguishes a great score from a good score?

HZ: There are very few great scores. I can think of a handful: "Once upon a time in the West," Randy Newman's score for "Avalon," "Brazil," Michael Cayman's score; just using one song and creating a whole world out of it. "Lawrence of Arabia." The movie and the score are truly one and it gives you an incredibly complete experience. They are of a musical quality; they transcend background music. They have a point of view, they have a great tune attached to them and incredible craftsmanship. E-mail to a friend

Response: Hans Zimmer's scores include "The Lion King" and "The Simpsons Movie". Zimmer contrasted bloody battles with Viennese waltzes in "Gladiator". Zimmer says a great score is when "the music and the movie are truly one".


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:John Henson -- a son of the late, great children's entertainment visionary Jim Henson --  died after a "sudden, massive heart attack," his family's company said.

The Jim Henson Company announced the death of the 48-year-old son of its iconic founder in a Facebook post Saturday.

He died Friday while at home with one of his two daughters, the post said. John Henson is also survived by his wife, Gyongyi, and his siblings Lisa, Cheryl, Brian and Heather.

Two other members of his family had top jobs in their father's namesake company, with Brian Henson as chairman and Lisa Henson as CEO. John Henson is listed prominently as one of five members of  "the Henson family" on the company's website.

John Henson served as a shareholder and board member of The Jim Henson Company.

According to imdb.com, John Henson was active in the family business in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, perhaps most notably for his portrayal of Sweetums, a large, gruff-looking, lovable character on "The Muppets."

His father, Jim, died suddenly in 1990, after a celebrated career in which he launched shows like "The Muppets," "Fraggle Rock" and created beloved characters from "Sesame Street" such as Big Bird, Elmo, the Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch.

Last April, John's mother, Jane Nabel Henson -- who met Jim in a puppetry class at the University of Maryland in 1954 and married him five years later -- died at the age of 79 after a "long battle with cancer."

Jane Henson dies of cancer

The Jim Henson Company itself remains busy with fantasy and sci-fi productions as well as children's animated series such as "Sid the Science Kid" and "Dinosaur Train."

People we've lost in 2014

Response: John Henson dies at home at the age of 48, the Jim Henson Company announces. He suffered a "sudden, massive heart attack," according to the company. John was a shareholder, board member with the Jim Henson Company. His father helped develop "The Muppets," "Fraggle Rock" and "Sesame Street".


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The world's population is forecast to hit 7 billion in 2011, the vast majority of its growth coming in developing and, in many cases, the poorest nations, a report released Wednesday said.

Riders cram into a train last month in New Delhi, India. India's population is expected to be 1.7 billion by 2050.

A staggering 97 percent of global growth over the next 40 years will happen in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Population Reference Bureau's 2009 World Population Data Sheet.

"The great bulk of today's 1.2 billion youth -- nearly 90 percent -- are in developing countries," said Carl Haub, a co-author of the report. Eight in 10 of those youth live in Africa and Asia.

"During the next few decades, these young people will most likely continue the current trend of moving from rural areas to cities in search of education and training opportunities, gainful employment, and adequate health care," Haub continued, calling it one of the major social questions of the next few decades.

In the developed world, the United States and Canada will account for most of the growth -- half from immigration and half from a natural increase in the population -- births minus deaths, according to the report.

High fertility rates and a young population base in the developing world will fuel most of the growth, especially in Africa, where women often give birth to six or seven children over a lifetime, the report says. The number is about two in the United States and 1.5 in Canada.

A stark contrast can be drawn between Uganda and Canada, which currently have about 34 million and 31 million residents, respectively. By 2050, Canada's population is projected to be 42 million, while Uganda's is expected to soar to 96 million, more than tripling.

"Even with declining fertility rates in many countries, world population is still growing at a rapid rate," said Bill Butz, president of the bureau. "The increase from 6 billion to 7 billion is likely to take 12 years, as did the increase from 5 billion to 6 billion. Both events are unprecedented in world history."

By 2050, India is projected to be the world's most populous nation at 1.7 billion, overtaking current leader China, which is forecast to hit 1.4 billion. The United States is expected to reach 439 million for No. 3 on the list.

Response: Global population to reach 7 billion in two years, research institute projects. Most growth is occurring in developing and poor nations, study finds. Uganda's population expected to almost triple by 2050. India projected to overtake China as most populous country.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Following this week's revelation that J.K. Rowling penned a crime thriller under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the "Harry Potter" creator has joined a long line of women who have written novels under a cloak of masculinity.

While some authors choose to write under a pen name as a form of artistic expression, many female authors purposefully opt for a male pseudonym to appeal to a wider audience, says Carmela Ciuraru, author of "Nom de plume: A (secret) history of pseudonyms".

"Sadly in certain genres, it still helps to be a man -- particularly in crime or science fiction," Ciuraru told CNN.

"Sometimes it's easier to be taken seriously as a man, and J.K. Rowling is in a difficult position as her reputation means that her work can't be judged on merit alone," she adds.

With Rowling's book "The Cuckoo's Calling" climbing the charts on Amazon bestselling list, CNN takes a look at renowned female writers, past and present, who have adopted male pen names.

Louisa May Alcott (A.M. Barnard)

Best known for her seminal tale "Little Women", Louisa May Alcott, spent much of her early career writing under the nom de plume A. M. Barnard.

Featuring feisty women who did not conform to the ideal of the 19th century female, her early novels "A Long Fatal Love Chase" and "Pauline's Passion and Punishment" were hidden beneath an ambiguous pseudonym, giving Alcott the artistic license to explore different conceptions of the fairer sex without fear of disapproval.

This darker literary alter ego confronted racier themes, and was discovered more than 50 years after Alcott's death by book dealer Leona Rostenberg in 1942. Letters between the author and a Boston publisher in 1855 and 1856 read, "We would like more stories from you ... and if you prefer you may use the pseudonym of A.M. Barnard or any other man's name if you will."

Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb)

After a highly successful career as a novelist under her own name, Nora Roberts decided to adopt a more elusive tag for her "...in Death" collection: a canon comprising of 43 published works, with three more set for release later this year.

Unlike J. K. Rowling's quick reveal -- a mere three months after joining the literary world as Robert Galbraith -- Roberts kept her pen name under wraps until the 12th installment of her romantic thriller series.

Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot)

Famed for her novels exploring psychological realism, Mary Ann Evans -- better known to the literary world as George Eliot -- was not short of opinions on fellow female writers. Publishing an essay in 1856 entitled "Silly Novels by Lady Novelists," Evans lambasted the glut of unremarkable work produced by women in the era, which she believed diminished the credibility of female writers as a whole.

It was this that spurred the "Middlemarch" writer on to use a male pseudonym, musing: "By a peculiar thermometric adjustment, when a woman's talent is at zero, journalistic approbation is at the boiling pitch; when it attains mediocrity it is already no more than summer heat; and if she ever reaches excellence, critical enthusiasm drops to the freezing point."

Christina Lynch and Meg Howrey (Magnus Flyte)

"City of Dark Magic" came across as a rather intriguing debut novel from novice author Magnus Flyte when it was published in 2012. But it was soon revealed that the brains behind the book were Meg Howrey, an actress and author, and Christina Lynch, a journalist and TV producer.

Citing themselves as Magnus's 'wranglers,' the duo maintains his existence as an mysterious enigma, even 'interviewing' him for their blog. Explaining their decision to adopt a single fictitious name for themselves, Howrey said: "We had both read a raft of articles talking about how men don't buy books written by women."

They may have been proven correct, as their first novel has spawned a successful sequel with the male nom de plume still intact.

The Bronte sisters (Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell)

Perhaps the most successful literary dynasty of all time, Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte collectively produced some of the world's best loved novels during the 19th century. Publishing works under male names beginning with the same first letter as their own, Currer, Acton and Ellis Bell produced their first offering -- a collection of poems -- in 1846, before going on to publish individual novels shortly after.

"Charlotte really believed in their talents, and was actually very controlling about the publication of their work," says Ciuraru. "She was incredibly bold for an unmarried woman, but she was determined that they would publish as men in order to get reviews that wouldn't be condescending."

Response: J.K. Rowling is the latest female writer to publish under a male pseudonym. Author Carmela Ciuraru says in some genres it's easier to be taken seriously as man. Revealed after only three months, Rowling wanted to keep the pseudonym under wraps.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:New York (CNN) -- Barneys' internal review of accusations of racial bias toward customers absolves employees of racial profiling and places the blame on the police.

The review states that "Barneys employees did not request, require, nor initiate the actions of the New York Police Department" in stopping and detaining the two African-American customers who were wrongly accused of credit card fraud.

The report by the retailer reviewed two incidents earlier this year -- one involving Kayla Phillips, 21, who was stopped after making a purchase at Barneys, and Trayon Christian, 19, who was detained for questioning after a purchase.

Both shoppers claimed they were targeted by Barney's employees and NYPD officers because of their race.

The report also claims to have found no Barneys policy, written or unwritten, directing employees of the Loss Prevention department to engage in racial profiling and points out the department has a formal policy against racial profiling.

Barneys is not the only major retailer facing accusations of racial profiling.

Jenny Mendez, a former New York Police Department officer who lost her job after a shoplifting, has filed lawsuit seeking $40 million in damages from Macy's.

Mendez was tried and found not guilty of shoplifting. At the trial, a Macy's detective admitted to lying on internal paperwork, saying Mendez admitted guilt when she had not, according to court transcripts. Mendez and her attorney claim she was stopped because she is Hispanic.

Mendez and her mother were shopping at a Macy's store in New York City on November 23, 2012, when she was detained.

Her lawsuit, filed on November 13, 2013, is independent of the class-action lawsuit against Macy's and the NYPD filed by "Treme" actor Rob Brown, said Mendez's attorney, Philip Karasyk. Brown's suit claims he was racially profiled while shopping at a Macy's store in June.

NY attorney general investigating racial profiling claims

In the Barneys case, Michael Yaki, who serves on the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights, conducted the review of the high-end retailer's actions and policies after public allegations of racial profiling, according to the retailer.

Michael Bartholomew Palillo, an attorney representing Christian in a civil suit against the department store, disputed the findings and said the report is self-serving.

"I can see how they're trying to do damage control," he said, "but it's not like police officers are just hanging out in stores waiting for people to commit crimes. They're in stores because people call them."

The NYPD did not return requests for comment Wednesday.

Opinion: Jay Z can fight racial profiling in retail

Response: Two Barneys shoppers say they were racially profiled when accused of credit card fraud. Barneys internal review: "Employees did not request ... nor initiate" NYPD actions. Upscale retailer has a formal anti-racial-profiling policy, the report notes. Attorney for one customer dismisses report as "damage control".


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- NATO representatives and lawmakers from alliance nations will meet in Iceland Thursday to discuss security challenges that are likely to arise as the Arctic Circle thaws.

Global warming is opening up more parts of the Arctic to development and raising security concerns.

The area -- one of the planet's most fragile and pristine ecosystems -- sits atop a bounty of untapped fossil fuels. And as the melting polar ice makes the Arctic more accessible to ships, several countries are scrambling to claim jurisdiction in the area.

"The economic interests are reflected in ... competing claims by relevant stakeholders, and resumed military presence in the area," NATO said on its Web site. "As it is a region of enduring strategic importance for NATO and allied security, developments in the High North require careful and ongoing examination."

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 90 billion barrels of oil, 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are recoverable in the frozen region north of the Arctic Circle.

At the same time, Arctic water is warming so quickly that the entire region could be ice-free by 2013.

Already Russia, Canada, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland are fighting to lay claim to the Arctic's icy real estate.

Unlike Antarctica, which has a treaty that prohibits territorial claims, there is no agreement for the vast expanse of the Arctic. So questions about drilling rights and shipping lanes are somewhat murky.

According to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, countries are entitled to exclusive economic zones up to 200 miles from their shores. But some countries are trying to extend that zone.

Russian scientists want to prove the seabed below the North Pole is part of the Eurasian continental shelf, an area called the Lomonosov Ridge.

If that is the case, the region would be under Russian control. Moscow argued before a U.N. commission in 2001 that the ridge is an extension of its continental territory. But the United Nations asked for more evidence.

Danish scientists are trying to prove that the Lomonosov Ridge is connected to Greenland, and Canadian scientists are looking for links between the ridge and Ellesmere Island, a Canadian territory.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will attend the two-day conference in Reykjavek.

Response: NATO meeting in Iceland to discuss Arctic security challenges. Thawing of Arctic poses questions over who controls region's resources. Number of countries laying claim to Arctic due to untapped fossil fuel deposits.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- One tornado stayed on the ground for 95 miles as it tore through towns in Kentucky and West Virginia. Two other twisters left behind 49-mile paths of destruction.

The dynamically charged nature of Friday's atmosphere created an ideal environment for producing long-track, devastating tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.

Officials from the weather service identified at least 45 separate tornadoes in last week's deadly outbreak across the Midwest and South. The unusually severe storm system affected millions of people in 10 states, officials said.

Neighborhoods were flattened. Schools were in ruins. Dozens died.

Cleanup begins after tornado outbreaks

The strongest tornado appears to be the one that hit Henryville, Indiana, with maximum winds at 175 mph. That tornado stayed on the ground for 49 miles across Washington, Scott, Clark and Jefferson counties in Indiana and Trimble County in Kentucky.

The twister rated EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which weather service officials use to measure the intensity of tornadoes and the damage they are likely to cause.

In Henryville, a school bus hurtled into a restaurant.

The walls of Stephanie Decker's home crashed down. As she scrambled to protect her sons, the wreckage broke seven of her ribs and severed both of her legs.

Woman loses legs in tornado while saving kids

Winds scattered Lori Lynch's most treasured possessions. A woman found her high school diploma in Cincinnati -- more than 100 miles away, CNN affiliate WAVE reported.

The EF-3 tornado that struck the small town of West Liberty, Kentucky, packed winds of 140 mph and stuck to the earth for 95 miles -- 60 miles in Kentucky and 35 miles into West Virginia.

The twister left normally tranquil West Liberty looking like "a war zone," Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear told reporters Sunday.

National Guard troops helped the town comb through debris while authorities investigated storm fatalities.

"In all the years I've been coroner, I've never seen bodies in the condition they're in," said Raymond Van Cleave, the coroner for Morgan County, Kentucky.

Just 20 miles south of West Liberty, another long-track EF-3 tornado swept through Salyersville, Kentucky, packing 160 mph winds. That twister was also on the ground for 49 miles, with a 48-mile track through Kentucky and an additional mile into West Virginia, officials said.

It struck a group of rescuers who were heading to West Liberty, throwing their truck across the street.

"It kept peppering us with debris and rocks and dirt and stuff. It was just something unreal. I'd never been through anything like that," 1st Lt. Tommy Hereford told CNN affiliate WLEX.

Impact Your World: How you can help

The 45 twisters confirmed by the weather service were among 144 reports of tornadoes, which may include multiple reports of the same tornado, in last week's outbreak, which started Friday.

By the time calm returned Saturday, 41 were dead: 23 in Kentucky, 13 in Indiana, three in Ohio, and one each in Alabama and Georgia.

Federal and local officials were still assessing the damage Wednesday.

Less than 1% of the tornadoes that form each year reach EF-4 or EF-5 intensity, and few are on the ground for more than a few miles.

The tornado with the longest recorded path in U.S. history was the Tri-State Tornado of 1925, which was rated an F-5 on the Fujita scale -- the previous model for tornado intensity -- and was on the ground for 219 miles over a 3Â½-hour period. That twister still stands as the single deadliest tornado, responsible for 695 deaths when it tore through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

The Joplin, Missouri, tornado on May 22, 2011, was the deadliest tornado the United States has seen in the last 60 years, with 161 dead.

CNN's Alanne Orjoux and Sandra Endo contributed to this report.

Response: High-intensity tornadoes are rarely on the ground for more than a few miles. A twister that hit West Liberty, Kentucky, stayed on the ground for 95 miles. Two other tornadoes left behind 49-mile paths of destruction. Last week's tornadoes killed 41 people across 10 states.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Washington (CNN) -- The 2012 presidential election shattered spending records, further polarized a divided country and launched a thousand hashtags. The race appeared to be a nail-biter going into Tuesday night but in the end, it came down to the state that most had been saying for weeks that it would â€” Ohio.

Here are five things we learned from Tuesday

Victorious Obama faces familiar challenges

1. The GOP has a Latino problem

"If we don't do better with Hispanics, we'll be out of the White House forever," says Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ana Navarro, who was the national Hispanic co-chair of Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.

"The big issue Republicans are going to have to wrestle with is the Hispanic issue," adds Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ari Fleischer, who served as President George W. Bush's first press secretary. "Republicans are going to have to find a different way forward."

The national exit polls tell the story. Latinos are the fastest growing-segment of the population. Their share of the vote expanded from 9% in 2008 to 10% in this election. The president won 67% of the vote four years ago. He increased that to 71% this year.

Latinos were crucial in helping Obama win the battleground states of Colorado and Nevada, and in putting the president in the lead for Florida's 29 electoral votes. And they were just as important in turning the former swing state of New Mexico into what appears to be an increasingly safe state for the Democrats.

CNN Election Center: 2012 exit polls

If the current trend continues, Arizona and Texas could turn from red to purple.

The 2012 election is a loud wake-up call for the GOP to change its stance on illegal immigration.

And that's being acknowledged by arguably the best known Latino Republican senator.

"The conservative movement should have particular appeal to people in minority and immigrant communities who are trying to make it, and Republicans need to work harder than ever to communicate our beliefs to them," said Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in a statement Tuesday night.

Opinion: Five things Obama must do

2. The youth vote came up big â€” and the white vote got smaller

A big question heading into Election Day was whether younger voters would show up at the polls.

More of them did than last time.

According to national exit polls, 18-29 year olds increased from 17% to 18% of the electorate from 2004 to 2008. They made up 19% of the electorate this time around. That jump in size from four years ago made up for the president's drop in capturing the youth vote, from 66% in 2008 to 60% in 2012.

It wasn't just age, but also race, that worked in the president's favor.

Obama's share of the white vote dropped from 43% four years ago to 39% this year. But that was negated by the shrinking of the white vote from 74% of the electorate four years ago to 72% now. And the African-American percentage of the electorate stayed steady at 13%. Some GOP strategists said that the white vote needed to be 74% for Romney to win.

"The youth vote and the black vote turned out once again and that's to the president's credit," Fleischer said.

World worries as U.S. fiscal cliff looms

3. The auto bailouts helped drive Obama to victory in Ohio

For months, the Obama campaign touted the taxpayer bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler, and they were given prominent prime-time placement during the Democratic National Convention in early September. It's a strategy that the Obama campaign thought could be the difference in Ohio, a major base for the auto industry that eventually decided the election.

"The American auto industry is back on top," Obama said campaigning last week in the Buckeye State.

The bailouts were started under President George W. Bush in 2008 but Obama grabbed the keys to the program the next year, managing and funding the assistance.

Romney opposed the bailout and pushed for a privately financed and managed bankruptcy of the two automakers. The Obama campaign and other Democrats have attacked Romney over his opposition to the federal intervention, which aided the companies through their eventual bankruptcies.

And in the final weeks leading up the the election, the Obama campaign highlighted pushback by General Motors and Chrysler to a Romney TV ad and a radio spot this past week that claimed both domestic auto makers were sending U.S. jobs to China.

Portman stands by Romney auto ads

It seemed to work. Nearly six in 10 Ohio voters said they approved of the federal government's role in helping the troubled domestic automakers, and according to exit polls, the president won three quarters of those voters.

Economy tops voter concerns in exit polls

4. Romney wasn't able to expand the map

Much was made of campaign visits by Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, to Pennsylvania in the final weekend before the election, and Romney's return to the Keystone State on Election Day. The Romney campaign and allied super PACs supporting the GOP nominee flooded Pennsylvania airwaves in the final weeks with a flurry of TV ads.

To a lesser degree, there was a similar push in Minnesota, another solidly Democratic state where public opinion polls tightened last month.

There was talk by Romney campaign officials of being on offense and of expanding the electoral map.

It didn't pan out.

While Romney performed stronger than 2008 Republican nominee John McCain in Pennsylvania and Minnesota, it wasn't enough. And of the swing states that swung blue four years ago, it appears Romney was only able to turn Indiana and North Carolina red again.

Romney's 'all' proved not enough

5. What will $6 billion get you?

We had a Democratic president, a Republican House of Representatives, and Democratic Senate going into the 2012 election. And we'll have a Democrat in the White House, with a Republican House and a Democratic Senate after the election.

When all the bills are in, total spending for the 2012 election (all federal and state races) could top a record-breaking $6 billion. And what did all that money buy?

2012 election priciest to date: $4.2 billion tab and rising

Some would argue ... nothing.

Response: The president increased his support with Latinos, the fastest growing segment of the population. Changes in the size of the youth vote and the white vote worked in Obama's favor. The auto bailout helped Obama in Ohio, a crucial battleground. Romney failed to expand the map and lost in Pennsylvania and Minnesota.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(Financial Times) -- South Korean financial regulators will investigate the Seoul branches of Standard Chartered and HSBC in light of money laundering allegations against both banks by regulators in the US.

A spokeswoman for South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service on Thursday said the regulator would review the banks' responses to preliminary written inquiries before visiting their offices around the end of this month.

She added the investigation was prompted entirely by developments in the US, and that the regulator had no specific grounds to suspect wrongdoing by the banks' Korean branches.

New York state regulators this week accused StanChart of breaching sanctions against Iran through illicit transactions -- which the bank denies -- while HSBC took a $700m charge last month to cover US fines over its Mexican division's failure to prevent money laundering.

"We will look into their businesses related to money laundering comprehensively to see if they reported suspicious transactions, including those with the countries with which financial transactions are restricted, and if they verified their customers [before such transactions]," the FSS said.

HSBC said: "We will provide all the information FSS is requesting on a timely basis and we will give any other support they need."

StanChart said: "We can say that we are in regular dialogue with our local regulators on all relevant matters, and we will cooperate fully with the FSS.

We would also like to note that the Group strongly rejects the position or portrayal of facts as set out in the order issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services."

Shares in StanChart on Monday suffered their heaviest one-day fall in decades after New York state's Department of Financial Services branded it a "rogue institution" and accused it of having breached US sanctions by carrying out $250bn worth of transactions with the Iranian government.

StanChart has angrily denied the allegations, saying it had identified only $14m worth of non-compliant transactions, which it attributes clerical errors. It is now considering a countersuit against the DFS.

Interactive timeline

One former senior regulator said that financial watchdogs in South Korea -- which has long seen the US as its most important ally -- would be particularly concerned by any suggestion of illicit dealings with Iran.

"The Korean financial regulators have always been quite mindful of the US sanctions and the regulations related to Iranian counterparties," he said. "It's always been a serious issue for the government and the regulators, and I think this is part of that."

The investigation comes less than a month after South Korean competition authorities launched an investigation into nine commercial banks, including StanChart's local operation, over suspicions that they may have colluded to manipulate the country's benchmark lending rate.

Both banks have had a mixed experience in South Korea. HSBC has attained a foothold in wholesale banking, but has struggled to make an impact in the retail banking market. It reached a preliminary agreement in April to sell its Korean retail business to Korea Development Bank, but talks broke down last month.

StanChart, which acquired Korea First Bank in 2005, was badly affected last year by strikes caused by its attempt to introduce performance-related pay.

© The Financial Times Limited 2012

Response: South Korean financial regulators will investigate local branches of Standard Chartered and HSBC. Comes after money laundering allegations against both banks by regulators in the U.S..


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Washington (CNN) -- Senior Navy enlistees seeking credentials to train others on using nuclear reactors that power carriers and subs are under investigation for cheating on an exam that may have involved classified information, top military officials said Tuesday.

The troubling disclosure comes just weeks after the Air Force alleged widespread cheating on a proficiency test by officers with oversight responsibilities for nuclear missiles. Both involved written exams.

"To say that I'm disappointed would be an understatement," Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, said at a news conference.

Staff at the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in Charleston, South Carolina, allegedly shared information about the test on reactor operations among themselves, officials said of their findings so far.

There is no indication students were involved.

The allegations came to light after a sailor in the unit came forward to share his concerns about potential dishonesty on exams.

Navy responds to allegations

About 30 naval engineering watch supervisors have been decertified, meaning they cannot carry out certain duties, according to a Navy official.

Those cited had previously been certified on nuclear systems, gone to sea, returned to shore duty and had to be certified as instructors to stand watch at training reactors.

Navy officials said staff must qualify to operate and instruct students on a training reactor.

The last incident of this kind occurred in 2010 aboard a sub, Navy officials said.

Adm. John Richardson, director of the propulsion program, said the investigation is ongoing but did not disclose what information may have been exchanged.

"But it's fair to say that these exams and the operation of the plants do involve classified information and that will be an active part of the investigation to fully understand that," he said.

Navy officials stressed that the nuclear propulsion systems are not related to nuclear weapons.

The Air Force scandal has swept up 92 officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base. That case involves a proficiency test.

Some of those involved are accused of cheating on the test via text messaging last summer while others are accused of not speaking up about it.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James described hearing about a culture for perfection within that unit that created a climate of undue stress and fear.

But Richardson saw no parallels with the Air Force on that issue.

Air Force cheating scandal

"With respect to the morale and the necessity to pass these exams in order to advance, that's not really a dimension of our program," he said.

CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

Response: Navy cheating follows scandal at Air Force nuclear base over proficiency exam. The Navy case involves enlistees testing to use nuclear reactors that power ships and subs. About 30 people have lost their authority to perform certain duties.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Washington (CNN) -- With just days to go until a self-imposed deadline, fixes to the problem-plagued Obamacare website are "definitely on track," Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday.

In a conference call with state and local officials, Sebelius added that "this isn't a magic 'turn on the on switch'" to fix HealthCare.gov, but a continual process in which "the experience is vastly improved each and every day."

"We are definitely on track to have a significantly different user experience by the end of this month -- that was our commitment -- than people experienced on October 1" when the enrollment website launched, she said.

"We've added hardware, we've added software; we're continuing to work on the parts of the website that were too confusing to people," Sebelius continued, urging the officials "to not hesitate to recommend that people go to HealthCare.gov and get signed up because that experience is currently working much better and it will continue to work much better."

On Monday, a White House spokesman said the administration would meet President Barack Obama's goal of having the website working for the "vast majority" of users by November 30.

Supreme Court to take up Obamacare contraception case

Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that the tech team working on HealthCare.gov has increased the site's capacity, boosting it to a level of 50,000 "concurrent" users.

Recurring breakdowns, error messages and delays botched the federal web portal rollout on October 1, opening the President's signature health care reform effort to new and fierce Republican criticism while questions about the administration's ability to manage the sweeping health insurance overhaul.

The GOP opposition targets the entire 2010 Affordable Care Act, not just the website woes, as the ultimate example of big government run amok. In particular, they accuse Obama and Democrats of having lied when they pledged that people could keep health coverage they liked.

Cancellation notices to some private policy holders -- a tiny percentage compared to the overall number of Americans who get their coverage through their employers or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid -- fueled the Republican charges.

In response, Obama said insurers can choose to continue offering canceled policies, even if they failed to meet new requirements under the health care reforms.

At the same time, he defended the overall goal of Obamacare to make make affordable health coverage available to millions of previously uninsured or under-insured Americans.

On Tuesday, Obama repeated his criticism of Republicans who seek to dismantle the reforms instead of working with the White House and Democrats to fix any problems and build on them.

"We'd be a lot further along if we could just get folks to act with some sense, if we didn't have one wing of one party that was a little less obsessed with repealing health care for 40 million people, more concerned with making sure the law works," he said in remarks during a visit to the Dreamworks Studio in California.

Enrollment figures for the first month after the opening of the new health insurance exchanges under Obamacare were much lower than initially expected. Now some states have reported stronger numbers, and Sebelius said Tuesday that more people were signing up daily.

Boehner signs up for Obamacare, with government support

She declined to provide any specifics, even when asked by a local official on the call for a demographic breakdown on who was signing up. Such details weren't yet available, Sebelius said.

According to a CNN count based on available figures, just over 200,000 people have signed up for new private health insurance under Obamacare -- either through the national system or networks set up in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

The enrollment period runs until March 31, and officials have said the target for the first year was seven million people.

In addition, more than 370,000 have signed up for Medicaid under state programs expanded through the health care reforms, the CNN count shows.

Sebelius told the conference call with state and local officials that Improvements to HealthCare.gov would continue beyond December 1.

She urgent the officials to continue their efforts to spread information in their communities to help people enroll for Affordable Care Act coverage, saying: "You tap into local events, you know the communities better than anyone, you know the targets for high numbers of uninsured and under-insured folks who live in your area, and I think that partnership is just hugely important."

CNN analysis: No Obamacare subsidy for some low-income Americans

CNN's Jim Acosta and Z. Byron Wolf contributed to this report.

Response: NEW: CNN count shows more than 200,000 enrolled in Obamacare so far. Health Secretary Sebelius urges state and local officials to push Obamacare enrollment. Sebelius projects a "significantly different user experience" on the website by December 1. Botched Obamacare website rollout has become a political flashpoint in Washington.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(EW.com) -- Here is a round up of some of the recent casting news out of Hollywood:

• Kevin Hart and Ice Cube will reprise their roles in the just-announced sequel to Ride Along. Tim Story will also return to direct the film for Universal with Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi penning the script. The $25 million buddy comedy scored an A CinemaScore, broke January box office records, stayed in the top spot for three weekends in a row, and has already passed the coveted $100 million mark (its domestic total is currently resting at $116 million). They could start shooting the sequel as early as this summer. [Variety]

• The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus is set to team up with Robert Kirkman on a big-screen project — Air, a sci-fi thriller starring Djimon Hounsou. Both will play custodial workers surviving in an underground cryogenic facility after a nuclear fall-out. Chris Pasetto will make his directorial debut on the project. [THR]

• Brie Larson (Short Term 12) is in talks to join the Judd Apatow comedy Trainwreck, starring Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. The plot is being kept a secret. [Variety]

• Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) has taken on a supporting role in the Entourage movie. Guesses on whether or not he'll be playing himself? [Deadline]

EW: Casting Net - Brittany Snow is back for 'Pitch Perfect 2'; Plus, Jessica Alba, more

• Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust & Bone) is set to star in Felix van Groeningen's (The Broken Circle Breakdown) Beligica, a drama about two brothers who start a bar in Belguim. [Variety]

• Micah Hauptman (Parker) will join Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, and Jason Clarke in Baltasar Kormákur's Everest. He'll play the part of filmmaker and avid climber David Breashears, who co-directed the 1996 IMAX film Everest and the PBS Frontline documentary Storm Over Everest about the 1996 disaster. [Deadline]

• Charles S. Dutton (Alien 3) will play Chank Middleton, a friend of Gregg Allman's, in the Allman Brothers biopic My Cross to Bear. [Deadline]

• Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch has joined the cast of The Grief of Others, about a couple whose baby dies shortly after his birth. Wendy Moniz (Betrayal) and Trevor St. John (One Life to Live) will play the parents for director Patrick Wang. [Variety]

See the original story at EW.com.

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Response: Tim Story will return to direct "Ride Along 2". Haley Joel Osment is in for "Entourage" movie. 'SNL' alum Rachel Dratch has joined cast of "The Grief of Others".