Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- If you placed bets on Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch joining the cast of "True Detective," it's time to collect your winnings.

After weeks of rumors, HBO has confirmed that McAdams, Kitsch and Kelly Reilly will also star in the second season of the network's acclaimed drama.

HBO, which shares a parent company with CNN, announced in September that Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn were going to be "True Detective's" season 2 leads.

The series, created and written by Nic Pizzolatto, follows a new story each season.

Its first season, which premiered earlier this year, focused on two detectives embroiled in a years-long hunt for a serial killer. It was an immediate hit, and at the 2014 Emmys "True Detective" picked up 12 nominations. That included two best lead actor in a drama nods for stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

The second season still involves detective work, but this time around the story is set in California. According to HBO, this season "three police officers and a career criminal must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder."

Colin Farrell plays a "compromised detective" named Ray Velcoro, "whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him." Vaughn stars as a criminal and entrepreneur named Frank Semyon, who's "in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner."

"Sherlock Holmes" actress Kelly Reilly will play the wife of Vaughn's character, and Rachel McAdams will play a county sheriff named Ani Bezzerides, whose "uncompromising ethics put her at odds with others and the system she serves."

And lastly, "Friday Night Lights" alum Taylor Kitsch will portray a "war veteran and motorcycle officer for the California Highway Patrol, running from a difficult past and the sudden glare of a scandal that never happened."

Sounds juicy. Production on "True Detective" season 2 is already under way in California.

Response: Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch and Kelly Reilly cast in "True Detective". The trio join Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn for season 2. The new season is currently in production in California.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- All this month, we will see thousands of college students from coast to coast, north to south, east to west, jumping up and down, yelling, screaming, pumping fists, sleeping outside in tents, painting their faces -- all a result of the usual frenzy surrounding March Madness.

That's the scene we see every year when college basketball teams are fighting and clawing their way to one of the precious 65 seeds that enter the NCAA Tournament.

But instead of doing all of that for basketball, these same students should say the heck with the games and put their energy, zeal and passion into two fundamental issues posing the most dramatic barriers to their college education: the rising cost of tuition and the lack of financial aid.

On Thursday, we saw students begin this process by leading rallies in cities nationwide to protest rising tuition costs. While our political leaders in Washington, D.C., are decrying the rising cost of health care, college tuition is exploding across the nation, from community colleges to technical schools to four-year public and private schools.

Education leaders say it's all about the economy, but when the cost of tuition is jacked up as high as 30 percent in some states, and so many parents are without jobs or are facing wage cutbacks, their children see no hope. Often they postpone school or cut back on hours they take per semester -- delays that keep the student from being able to graduate and find a good-paying job.

But marching and demanding a rollback of student tuition is just one front of the battle that students in college and high school should be waging. The other is fighting the banking lobby, which is spending millions of dollars on members of Congress to keep them from changing financial aid laws.

The Obama administration has proposed eliminating the substantial subsidies banks enjoy for handling most of the federal college loans processed, with virtually no risk. Federal officials say the banks are reaping upwards of $9 billion a year in these subsidies, which include interest collected, and the Obama administration wants to push more of that money to students by increasing Pell grants and Perkins loans.

Estimates have put the cost savings to taxpayers at more than $80 billion over the next 10 years. The changes also limit the maximum that students would pay to 10 percent of their income and would cut 10 years off of their repayment if they took a public service job.

The rationale is simple: If the federal government is already assuming the risk of loans, and no substantial data have been presented to show that the banks are truly making a difference with their loan counseling services, why not cut out the middle man, like Sallie Mae, and free up more money for students? Reining in this perk for the banks won't lower the cost of college, but it will make it easier for many students or parents to pay for it.

There are some grass-roots organizations fighting the banks, such as the United States Students Association, but they are going up against entrenched interests, and some of those are university officials. In some cases, the banking industry has used its financial power to wine and dine college officials, lavishing gifts, golf trips and other perks to keep them in line. So some of the very folks who should want students to get as much money as possible to stay in school are not always operating in their best interests.

So here you have two fundamental roadblocks facing students, and too many are only complaining about them and not focusing on action. Some even suggest they have no power to fight such well-funded interests. I say nonsense.

This February, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement sit-ins, which were launched in Greensboro, North Carolina. Four students at North Carolina A&T decided they'd had enough of the segregated lunch counters in downtown Greensboro. So they politely walked in and asked to be served. When refused and thrown out, they came back. And back. And back.

When word of their efforts spread, it was as if a wildfire had been sparked across the South. Black students in other Southern towns began to do the same, and lunch counter by lunch counter, drugstore by drugstore, department store by department store, Jim Crow was assaulted by the zealous actions of just a handful of students.

Over the course of our history, it has always been the nation's young who took to the streets, statehouses, college campuses and the halls of Congress to demand change.

It worked then, and it can work now.

It's time that we see college students, high school students who are looking forward to college, and the parents who are bearing the burden of paying for it, join those who are still paying back student loans to identify the banks that are fighting changes in the financial aid system and do the following if those banks persist:

• Remove your money from their coffers. If these banks are fighting against your best interests, they don't deserve your account. Take it to a community bank that will support your efforts.

• Stage pickets and sit-ins. Imagine what would happen if thousands of students fanned out across a city and picketed and actually led sit-ins in the banks. Yes, shut them down.

• Rally the masses online. Today's generation is far more proficient at text messages, social media and online video. Instead of talking about the latest celebrity news, use online media to galvanize and build a national movement.

• Hit the hallways of Congress and state legislatures. The heck with going skiing or hitting the beach during spring break. If they are still in session, come up with a list of legislators not fighting rising tuition or who are in the pockets of Sallie Mae and the banks. Send throngs of students from each district and make it clear that you will organize young voters and parents in those districts and throw them out of office if they continue to allow the banks to run roughshod.

• Engage celebrities in the battle. Kanye West, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Ashton Kutcher, P. Diddy and so many others have millions following them on Twitter and Facebook. It's time to enlist them in this battle.

Students, basketball is wonderful, and seeing your team in the Big Dance is great. But if tuition keeps going up and less money is available in the form of financial aid, you'll be cheering from afar because you won't be able to keep going to that school.

For America to be strong, we must cultivate, teach and train the next generation of leaders.

Students, the time for talk is over. The time for action is now. Many of you went to the polls to vote for Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain. Election Day 2008 was not the end, but the beginning. If you want change, then you better work for it.

Put those fervent minds to use in battling those who don't have your best interests at heart.

Let the fight begin.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin.

Response: Roland Martin tells students: Skip March Madness, fight to lower college costs instead. Obama proposed eliminating bank subsidies for student loans; banks balked, he says. He says students must press banks, lawmakers; stage sit-ins, pickets on education's behalf. Martin to students: If you want change, work for it.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- The California Assembly on Thursday passed a bill appropriating $20 million to kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard to settle her claims against the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, according to the chief clerk's office.

The bill passed on a 30-1 vote in the Senate and a 62-0 vote in the Assembly, according to CNN affiliate KCRA. Corrections officials entered into the settlement with Dugard, the station said.

Dugard vanished in 1991 at the age of 11. She was found in August 2009, living in a shed in the Antioch, California, backyard of Phillip Garrido, a registered sex offender who had been on parole since January 1988. Investigators say Garrido fathered two children with Dugard during her captivity. He and his wife, Nancy, are charged with 29 felony counts in the case. Both have pleaded not guilty.

In a report issued in November, the state inspector general's office found the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation failed to properly keep tabs on Garrido or properly supervise the officers assigned to his case.

"While it is true that Garrido's California parole was never officially violated, our review shows that Garrido committed numerous parole violations and that the department failed to properly supervise Garrido and missed numerous opportunities to discover his victims," the report said.

Parole officers failed to investigate utility wires running from Garrido's house toward the shed where Dugard was held, to check out the presence of a 12-year-old girl during a visit or to act on information the report said "clearly" showed Garrido had violated the terms of his release, the report said.

Dugard, who is now 30, her mother and her daughters had filed a claim saying state corrections officials failed to do their jobs, seeking psychological, physical and emotional damages, KCRA said.

The settlement process was "pretty much unprecedented," said Jeff Long, spokesman for Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, who sponsored the bill.

The language was inserted into a bill concerning claims against the state. Fuentes is chairman of the Assembly's Appropriations Committee, Long said. Every year as part of the budget process, the chair submits two bills for judgments against the state, Long said. It was decided that this would be the quickest way to get it through the Assembly, he said.

Officials thought the state might have a case if it fought Dugard's claim, but it wasn't worth the case going to a jury, Long said.

Because the constitutional deadline for an approved state budget has passed and California is in a new fiscal year without a budget, no appropriations can be made without Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's consent. Schwarzenegger has to request the bill be moved to his desk to sign it, Long said.

Garrido was paroled in August 1988 after serving 11 years of a federal kidnapping sentence. He also served a five-year term in Nevada for rape charges.

The November report from California Inspector-General David Shaw was limited to reviewing the actions of state parole officers in charge of monitoring Garrido from June 1999 until Dugard and her children were discovered. But Garrido was under the supervision of federal parole officers when authorities say he kidnapped Dugard in 1991, and they also "failed to detect Garrido's criminal conduct and his victims," the report says.

Garrido was only "properly supervised" for 12 out of the 123 months he was under California's supervision, "a failure rate of about 90 percent," Shaw told reporters in November.

CNN's Ashley Hayes and Rachel Brown contributed to this report.

Response: Jaycee Dugard missing 18 years before she was found in sex offender's backyard. Settlement process "unprecedented," says lawmaker's spokesman. Bill requires approval of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:NEW YORK (CNN) -- A crowd gathered Thursday for an emotional funeral in Manhattan's St. Thomas Church, where hundreds paid their respects to three young girls who died in a house fire in Stamford, Connecticut, on Christmas Day.

"My girls are in my heart," Madonna Badger, the girls' mother, told a room full of mourners in a brief reading at the midtown church.

"They are right here," she said, referring to her heart during the hourlong service. "This is where they live now."

The family of Lily, 10, and 7-year-old twins Grace and Sarah Badger -- who died in the fire along with their grandparents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson -- held a private service Wednesday.

"Nothing, not even death, will separate you from the love that Lily, Sarah and Grace brought to this life," said William Shillady of the United Methodist City Society.

The fire, which broke out around 5 a.m. Christmas Day in a three-story Victorian home, is believed to have been caused by smoldering embers removed from a fireplace, according to Stamford Chief Fire Marshal Barry Callahan.

Authorities said that Lomer Johnson fell through the roof rafters outside a window. One of the children's bodies was found just inside the window.

It appeared that Johnson was trying to get the child out, but died after climbing through the window, acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte said. The medical examiner's office said Johnson suffered from smoke inhalation in addition to trauma from the fall.

The girls' mother and a friend escaped the blaze.

CNN affiliate WFSB reported that Badger attempted to climb the renovation scaffolding outside the home in an apparent attempt to reach her family.

Authorities said it was unclear whether the home had working smoke detectors.

The city of Stamford later razed the three-story home, which was under renovation, after determining it was unsafe.

Response: NEW: A public funeral is held in Manhattan's St. Thomas Church. NEW: The service was for three young girls who died in a house fire in Stamford, Connecticut. The fire occurred on Christmas Day. A private service for the family was held on Wednesday.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Washington (CNN) -- It was a tale of two rulings -- the best of times and the worst of times for Obamacare in the federal appeals courts.

First, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit court of appeals ruled Tuesday against a key component of the law -- the federal subsidies for millions of people who signed up for health coverage.

The 2-1 decision created a legal path for a possible Supreme Court case that could essentially gut the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which passed with zero GOP votes.

A few hours later, all three judges on a 4th Circuit panel in Virginia decided the opposite by declaring the subsidies legal and proper.

What the court decisions mean for you

Opposing rulings

The opposing rulings increased the chances for the issue to reach the nation's highest court, and demonstrated the deep political divisions over the law despised by conservatives intent on undermining it.

Both judges in the majority of the 2-1 D.C. Circuit ruling were appointed by Republican presidents, while all three in the unanimous 4th Circuit panel were appointed by Democratic presidents.

Republicans immediately hailed the D.C. panel's ruling against the subsidies as evidence of what they called fatal flaws in the health care law.

"This is yet more evidence that Obamacare is not working -- and cannot work -- for the American people," said GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who faces a conservative primary challenger questioning his right-wing credentials.

At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest expressed confidence in the administration's legal position, saying Congress clearly intended for all Americans to have access to tax credits if needed so they could afford health insurance.

CNN Poll: Obama's numbers not great but holding steady

The issue: subsidies

The legal argument involves a provision in the health care law that says people who obtained coverage through state-run exchanges can get federal subsidies such as tax credits. It doesn't specifically say that those signing up on the federal exchange also are eligible.

Opponents of the law contend that lack of specificity renders illegal the subsidies for anyone who enrolled through the federal exchange.

Only 14 states and the District of Columbia set up their own exchanges, meaning that the 4.7 million who signed up for subsidized health coverage through HealthCare.gov could be affected.

"It will kill Obamacare," Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said of an eventual Supreme Court ruling against the subsidies. "It would make it very difficult for Obamacare to continue because the cost of health care is going to go sky high for those who are not in the state exchange."

For now, the law remains unchanged and the subsidized policies are unaffected until the legal case plays out, Earnest told reporters. The Justice Department said the government would appeal the D.C. panel's decision.

Partisan divide

The easiest fix -- changing the law to specify that it allows subsidies for coverage purchased through the federal government as well as state exchanges -- would mean reopening the debate in Congress.

Unlike last time, when Democrats held majorities in both the House and Senate, Republicans now control the House and are expected to make gains in the November election, perhaps taking over the Senate too.

That means Obama and Democrats have no chance of getting Congress to approve any remedial change in the law.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, one of the leading crusaders against the health care act, argued Tuesday that the federal subsidies amounted to assuming funding powers the Constitution granted Congress.

Earnest, however, said Congress intended "to ensure that every eligible American who applied for tax credits to make their health insurance more affordable would have access to those tax credits, whether or not the marketplace was operated by federal officials or state officials."

White House revises contraception opt out

Ambiguity

The opposing rulings Tuesday pivoted over the meaning of the word "ambiguous."

In Richmond, the 4th Circuit judges labeled the Affordable Care Act ambiguous on whether subsidies should be allowed for consumers getting insurance on federal exchanges.

When a law is ambiguous, courts give deference to a federal agency's interpretation of the law, which in this case is the Internal Revenue Service rule allowing the subsidies.

The D.C. Circuit decision concluded that Obamacare was unambiguous in restricting subsidies to insurance purchased on exchanges "established by the state," rather than the federal exchange.

In his dissent, though, appellate Judge Harry Edwards -- a Democratic appointee -- argued that labeling the phrase "established by the state" as unambiguous "strains fruitlessly to show plain meaning when there is none to be found."

Republicans to sue Obama over health law

Obamacare: Your guide to health insurance terms

CNNMoney's Tami Luhby and CNN's Joe Johns and Bill Mears contributed to this report,which was written by Tom Cohen.

Response: NEW: One ruling goes against the government, another supports its position. The rulings reignite the fierce political debate over Obamacare. For now, nothing changes until the cases completes the legal process. The issue would impact those who signed up for Obamacare on the federal exchange.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- I must have met Doc, as we called Maya Angelou, way before I remember.

We often attended readings, but the first time she absolutely caught my attention was at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

It wasn't all that cold, but Maya and others had fur coats on. My mother, who was a big fan of the Seven Sisters colleges, had come with me. We both had on cloth coats.

Doc, as we all know, was 6 feet or taller. Mommy was 4-foot-11, and I am 5-foot-2. Not only were we shorter, we felt smaller.

I looked at that group and made a silent vow to never allow my mother to be with this group again without a fur coat. We purchased one soon after.

When Mommy died, I shared that story with Doc.

Maya laughed. "We had no idea," she said. And laughed again. Mommy owes Doc.

Opinion: Maya Angelou: The definition of a phenomenal woman

When Doc moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she was not far from me in Virginia, so I got to see a lot of her. If I had any inkling she was frying chicken, I'd go down and spend the night. When Jay-Z sent her a case of wonderfully expensive champagne, those days I had to spend the night!

Everyone came to Doc's place, which was great fun. You'd wake up in the morning not knowing who would be down to breakfast. The superstars; the wonderfully funny; old friends from another country; a congressman. And Doc treated them all the same.

Maya Angelou remembered by those she inspired

Her ability to speak to everyone in the same voice was what made her the force she was.

Our only disagreements were about food.

She was a great cook, and I think of myself as a good one. We were arguing about rack of lamb, one of my specialties. My recipe comes from the late, great country cook Edna Lewis. I went home after my visit and decided I should not just talk the talk but also walk the walk.

I called my good friend Joanne Gabbin from Furious Flower Poetry Center to have her come with me to Doc's to cook. Jo is a great cook, too. We got on Doc's calendar, packed all our ingredients and spices and boogied on down.

Doc sat at the head of the table, where she could see everything going on in the kitchen. She inspected the lamb, checked the veggies, tasted everything and praised Joanne.

I think she loved me a little bit because she, like my only living aunt, always felt free to make minor corrections. "I think the lamb is a bit overdone," she offered.

"Well Edna Lewis is in heaven, and I checked with her before I put this on the table," I responded.

We both laughed. I know if the lamb was not done properly, she would have eaten it and not said a word.

I wanted to fry chicken for her, too, but time just ran out.

Our mutual friend, the late author Alex Haley, always said, "Find the good and praise it." Maya took it to heart. She would always seek the good in any situation, or she avoided the question.

Opinion: How Maya Angelou gave me life

In all my years of knowing her, I only heard her once speak ill of someone and that was well deserved.

Like everyone, I have read and reread "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings." And like that caged bird, Maya sought an inner freedom.

We only have to look at her life to see that she took every ounce of joy life had to offer.

I will remember her as a courageous woman who always wanted to love, and wish her a rightful place in literature.

Some of Angelou's most powerful speeches

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nikki Giovanni.

Response: Poet Nikki Giovanni knew Maya Angelou over the years and shares her memories. Angelou was a great cook and good friend, author says. Giovanni notes Angelou's special ability to speak to everyone in the same voice.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Mercedes and tire supplier Pirelli have been punished by world motorsport's governing body after conducting an unsanctioned tire test.

The Formula One team and Pirelli were called to an FIA tribunal following a three-day, 1,000 kilometer trial in Spain last month.

The FIA ruled Friday that the German manufacturer would not be able to take part in the upcoming young driver test event, with the team also having to split costs for the tribunal equally with Pirelli and the motorsort regulator.

Mercedes escaped a more severe penalty, with the tribunal having had the power to impose points penalties, fines or complete exclusion from the F1 world championship.

Despite punishing Mercedes, the tribunal concluded the team had no reason to think the test contravened competition rules, which forbid unsanctioned in-season testing.

It also ruled Pirelli had failed to offer other teams the chance to participate in the test.

The case was brought to a tribunal after rival teams Ferrari and Red Bull lodged a protest having learned of the test at the Circuit de Catalunya.

CNN's Formula One interactive

"The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team acknowledges and accepts the decision of the FIA international tribunal published today," read a statement from the team released on Friday.

"Mercedes accepts the proportionate penalties of a reprimand and suspension from the forthcoming young driver test that have been decided upon by the tribunal.

"Mercedes would like to once again restate its firm belief in proper due process and commend the FIA for the principle of an independent disciplinary body.

"The team would furthermore like to thank the international tribunal and its president for the fair hearing it received.

"In the best interests of the sport, the team does not intend to avail itself of any right to appeal the decision."

Mercedes will be on the grid when the 2013 Formula One season continued with British Grand Prix on June 30.

Response: The FIA bans Mercedes from taking part in forthcoming young driver test. Punishment comes after Mercedes and Pirelli took part in an unsanctioned tire test. FIA ruled that tire supplier Pirelli had failed to offer other teams the chance to test. The 2013 Formula One season continues with the British Grand Prix on July 30.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(Lonely Planet) -- From the steep slopes of volcanic Haleakala to the wealth of surf spots, Maui beckons lovers of sun, sand and surf. But venture just beyond the hotel buffet and discover what a foodie destination the Valley Island has become.

Maui's culinary landscape is heavily influenced by fresh, local and 'ono (delicious) flavors. Chefs, farmers, ranchers and fishermen work together toward a sustainable future where island ingredients are the featured attraction on daily menus and reflect the agriculture and people of Maui.

The Hawaiian Regional Cuisine movement started in 1991, with 12 founding chefs interested in focusing on using the freshest local ingredients to achieve the diverse flavors of island dishes.

Three of those original chefs head restaurants in Maui: Mark Ellman of Mala Ocean Tavern, Beverly Gannon of Hali'imaile General Store and Peter Merriman of Merriman's Kapalua.

Those and some of the founding chefs' more recent ventures -- including Ellman's newest, Honu, in Lahaina, Gannon's eponymous Gannon's and Merriman's Monkeypod Kitchen in Wailea -- are among the best places to get a sample of Maui flavor, straight from the farm to the table.

Lonley Planet: Hawaii for first-timers: how to choose an island

Just like the wealth and diversity of fresh local ingredients, their availability spans beyond large restaurants to smaller establishments. Get a taste of guri-guri, a treat crossed between ice cream and sherbet, at Tasaka Guri Guri.

Another sweet option is the island-style ice cream at Roselani Tropics Ice Cream, featuring local flavors such as vanilla, mango, pineapple and coffee. Home Maid Bakery's crispy manju has luscious fillings from azuki beans to coconut.

Take some island style home in a bag of Maui coffee. The best place to do your shopping is on a coffee estate, where you can get a look at where your morning beverage comes from, such as MauiGrown Coffee or Kupa'a Farms.

Farmers' markets and farm stands have become more than a regular shopping opportunity for locals -- they're now a common stop on a visitor's itinerary as well. Markets are an easy way to showcase Maui's farms and ranches and the food they produce.

Even big-name hotels are helping lead the way in supporting local farmers by including their products in sustainable and organic menus.Â The stand at Kula Country Farms, as well as farmers' markets in Makawao, Kahului and other locations throughout Maui are ideal opportunities to see the variety of locally raised products and produce on the island -- and buy some to taste.

Lonely Planet: Top 20 Hawaiian vistas

A visit to one of Maui's farms can be both fun and educational, especially when it's in Kula. In Upcountry Maui on the slopes of Mount Haleakala, the Kula area takes advantage of its rich volcanic soil and cool climate, and has been central to the island's culinary resurgence.

Much of the produce you'll find on the tables of Maui's best restaurants focusing on Hawaiian Regional Cuisine is grown in and around Kula, including the sweet Maui onion.

Start with a gourmet lunch tour and real farm-to-table experience at O'o Farm, an 8.5-acre natural farm operated by the Pacific'O and I'O restaurants. Milk a goat at the Surfing Goat Dairy, then see the cheese-making process before you sample some for yourself.

Get an exotic walking tour through the sweet-smelling fields of Ali`i Kula Lavender, or wander the grounds of Maui's Winery at Ulupalakua Ranch -- before you wander right into the tasting room.

Sustainable food on Maui isn't just about produce -- it also includes island-grazed beef and grass-fed lamb. Island ranching dates back to the 19th century, and is a large part of the local paniolo culture. The Maui Cattle Company produces meats from six ranch partners throughout the island, from Hana to the slopes of Haleakala.

While every day is a celebration with island cuisine options, Maui food festivals offer an opportunity to get immersed in a particular food item, like the Maui Onion Festival or the East Maui Taro Festival.

Others, like the 30-year-old Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, are multi-day culinary extravaganzas.

Lonely Planet: Hawaii or the Caribbean: how do you choose?

© 2011 Lonely Planet. All rights reserved.

Response: The best place to do your coffee shopping is on a coffee estate, such as Kupa'a Farms. Farmers' markets have become more than a regular shopping opportunity for locals. Sustainable food on Maui isn't just about produce, but also island-grazed beef.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- A woman who has been in a vegetative state for nearly 17 years was transferred to a private clinic Tuesday where she is expected to die -- ending what has been a lengthy and controversial legal fight.

A portrait of Eluana Englaro taken in July 2008 in Italy. Englaro has been in a vegetative state for nearly 17 years.

Eluana Englaro suffered irreversible brain damage in a car crash in 1992, when she was 20 years old. For years, her father has fought to have her feeding tube removed, saying it would be a dignified end to his daughter's life.

Beppino Englaro says that before the crash, his daughter visited a friend who was in a coma and told him she didn't want the same thing to happen to her should she ever be in the same state.

Euthanasia is illegal in Italy, but patients have the right to refuse treatment. It is on that basis that Englaro argued his daughter should be allowed to die, because she had expressed the wish not to be kept alive while in a coma -- indirectly refusing treatment, he said.

"We knew Eluana well, and we always thought of her as a champion of freedom," her father said in October. "She had clear ideas about her life and for her, life was about freedom -- not an obligation to live."

A series of legal battles finally ended in November, when Italy's highest court, the Court of Cassation, upheld a lower court ruling allowing Englaro to suspend his daughter's treatment.

But although Englaro had cleared the last legal hurdle, the court's decision sparked a new fight to find a hospital or clinic that would take out Eluana's feeding tube.

Several clinics initially came forward to say they could do it, but the Italian health minister then issued a decree to remind them of their duty of care. Under pressure to adhere to his decree, the clinics backed off.

Finally, a private clinic in the northeastern Italian city of Udine agreed to assist in Eluana's case.

Monday night, Eluana was transferred from the church-run hospital in Lecco, north of Milan, where she had been kept alive to the Udine clinic.

A handful of protesters tried to block the ambulance carrying Eluana from leaving the clinic, one of them holding a banner reading, "Only thieves and assassins act at night."

The case has been a controversial one in Italy, a heavily Catholic country where the Vatican has great influence.

Last Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims that "euthanasia is a false solution to suffering." Tuesday morning, a top Vatican official was quoted in the Italian media saying, "Stop the killer hands."

The Udine clinic says the removal of Eluana's tube will begin in about three days, and the process of allowing her to die will take about 20 days.

Clinic officials gave police an outline of the specific steps they are going to take with Eluana during that time. The outline adheres to the Cassation Court's ruling, which required certain steps and conditions once Eluana's feeding tube is removed.

Among the steps and conditions was a rule that no video or photography may be taken and that only certain people may enter the patient's room.

Response: Eluana Englaro has been in a coma for 17 years after a car crash. Englaro was transferred to a private clinic Tuesday where she is expected to die. Her father has fought for years to have her feeding tube removed.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Who is #Falcao?

Radamel Falcao Garcia Zarate, Falcao for short, is a Colombian soccer star.

He sent Twitter into meltdown on Monday when he joined Manchester United on a one-year loan from Monaco, swapping the French Riviera for a considerably higher tax bill and a city where it rains 53% of the year.

Aged 28, he scores goals. Lots of them. During spells with Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco, he's earned a reputation as one of Europe's finest strikers.

Monday was European football's "transfer deadline day," the last opportunity for the continent's top teams to sign new players. Imagine NFL draft day, only with no structure and more chaos.

Good news for Manchester United, then?

Yes and no. Falcao is good enough to improve any team, but United hardly needed another attacking player.

Last week it paid Real Madrid nearly $100m to sign Angel di Maria, a forward-thinking addition to a squad that already included the likes of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata.

Throw Falcao into the mix and United manager Louis van Gaal is spoiled for choice at the front of his line-up, but it's at the rear where his team is exposed.

United is yet to win this season and recently suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to third division team MK Dons in the League Cup.

Simply put, United signing Falcao is like buying a really nice sweater but forgetting to put on your trousers.

Wait, you said Colombia. Where was he at the World Cup?

The man nicknamed "El Tigre" (The Tiger) missed Colombia's run to the quarterfinals of Brazil 2014 with a knee injury he picked up in January.

The whole country was praying their star striker would be fit for selection, so much so that Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos even visited Falcao in hospital, but sadly it wasn't to be.

In his absence, James (pronounced "Ham-ez") Rodriguez scored six goals as Colombia swaggered its way into the last eight before defeat to hosts Brazil.

A new star was born, and Rodriguez is now strutting his stuff at Real Madrid having also left Monaco.

Did Falcao not fancy joining "Ham-ez" in Madrid?

Funny you should mention that.

On Saturday a Tweet sent from Falcao's official account said (a rough translation) "Go Madrid, a dream come true."

But Falcao swiftly denied sending the tweet, saying his profile had been compromised.

Pesky hackers...

Who is the middle man in the transfer?

Uber agent Jorge Mendes, who is seemingly doing his utmost to keep the Portuguese economy afloat. As well as Falcao and Rodriguez, Mendes brokered the deal to bring Di Maria to Old Trafford and Eliaquim Mangala to Manchester City.

Where can I find his Twitter account?

@FALCAO is his official Twitter handle. He's also on Instagram and if you head over there you'll find proof he's also pretty handy with a baseball bat.

He's a big guy...

Yep, with hair like Samson. But he's spoken for. His wife is Argentinean singer/songwriter Lorelei Taron. His dad Radamel Garcia was also a professional footballer, playing in Colombia, and he thinks his son is going all the way to the top.

"Falcao will lead Monaco to the Champions League," said Falcao's entirely impartial father when his son first signed for the French team in 2013. "Every team he plays for he makes better and he wins a title."

His dad was right. Monaco did qualify for the Champions League, even if Falcao missed most of last season through injury.

Now Falcao junior has a similar mission to help United qualify for Europe's top competition. The Manchester club isn't in Europe after an awful season under Alex Ferguson's successor David Moyes, who was subsequently sacked.

Response: Radamel Falcao joins Manchester United on a one-year loan from Monaco. Falcao will be counted on to help kickstart United's season. But some will be surprised that United did not sign a central defender. United has amassed two points from its opening three league games.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Watch out Howard Stern, it looks like Steve Harvey is angling for the title of "King of All Media."

Both outspoken men have much in common, including being unabashed divorcees, best-selling authors whose books were turned into hit movies ("Private Parts" and "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man," respectively) and hosts of no-holds-barred radio shows heard throughout the nation. But when it comes to TV, Harvey just may have the leg up.

Stern made his prime time debut this year as a judge on "America's Got Talent;" Harvey hosts "Family Feud" and his daytime talk show, "The Steve Harvey Show," is set to premiere on September 4.

"I think it's going to be great," Harvey said about the show, which is currently in production at NBC's Chicago studios. "It's going to be a daytime show with a wonderful comedic spin where people get to laugh out loud during the daytime. At the same time, we're going to have great take-aways about medical and weight, dieting, parenting, relationships. I got a lot to draw on."

Harvey, 55, joins a growing list of daytime TV hosts looking to fill the void left by Oprah Winfrey. Katie Couric and Ricki Lake will debut new shows this fall, and mainstays Ellen DeGeneres and Wendy Williams have been renewed through 2014.

Harvey is confident he can stand out from the crowd. "I think the uniqueness of (my show) is the male perspective, which is missing from daytime television," he said.

"Steve is like that wise but funny uncle we all have," Dawn Davis, Harvey's publisher at Harper Collins said. "The one with sage advice at graduation, and a healthy but gentle dose of truth-talking at Thanksgiving."

That personality goes a long way, said Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott whose company syndicates "The Steve Harvey Show" on radio across the country to 7 million listeners.

"Steve Harvey's audience growth and ratings have been consistently impressive," Talbott said. "His passion for entertaining has allowed him to connect with people across multiple platforms. He's truly a renaissance man."

As one of "The Original Kings of Comedy," he is used to trying to connect with audiences, but he recently retired from stand-up, claiming, "Comedy isn't what it used to be. There are not the venues available for these young acts to hone their skills and talents, which is really a shame. It's like musicians have become a dying breed; comedians have, too."

In August 2012, 15,000 fans attended his final stand-up show at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The concert, which was also streamed live Pay Per View, was the perfect send-off for Harvey, who cried tears of gratitude and joy at the end of the show.

"I think it's a great time to get out," he told CNN, backstage at the Arena. "I don't want to be 60 hoping y'all come see me. I don't want to be one of the ones where people say 'Man, whatever happened to so and so?' What people do is stay too long and then just all of a sudden, you ain't funny no more and people stop coming to see you. Instead of selling out theaters, you're back in comedy clubs and your light diminishes. I never wanted that; I wanted to go out on top."

Harvey knows success is never guaranteed, but he remains faithfully optimistic. "I've never done a talk show. I don't know how it's going to go, but I also know that God didn't bring me this far to leave me, so He causes things to happen."

Response: Steve Harvey has a daytime talk show debuting. He joins a growing list of other celebs on the daytime scene. The comic says he has retired from stand-up.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Sydney, Australia (CNN) -- The cause of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370's disappearance remains a mystery, but it has put the spotlight on the wildly varying approach governments with a stake in the search have handled the sensitivities and the facts.

The Malaysian government has been roundly criticized for weeks of muddled misinformation and its seemingly off-hand dealings with the distraught families of the passengers and crew of the missing airliner.

China, which has more than 150 of its citizens aboard the Boeing 777-200, has been unrelenting in its criticism of Malaysia's handling of the search and the lack of transparency in information, while Thailand was accused of withholding what might have been critical information about the MH370's possible flight path because it said no one had asked whether it had any intelligence.

Out of the fray emerged Australia and its conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a man known more for his pugilistic, take-no-prisoner style of politics, than his statesmanship and compassion.

On neither count has the Australian Premier, until now, impressed.

Spy claims

Abbott refused to apologize to the Indonesian President when the leaked Edward Snowden files revealed Australia had been spying on Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his inner circle, including his wife.

He has also run a tough, some say brutal, campaign against asylum seekers and the people smugglers who bring them to Australia across treacherous waters from Indonesia. Abbott, who accuses asylum seekers of illegally attempting to enter Australia, is comfortable with the policy masterminded by his predecessor, of sending those who seek refuge in Australia to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru -- neither considered by the UNHCR to be adequate to house them. Recently, the government announced it would stop funding legal assistance for asylum seekers who arrived by boat and are sitting in detention centers awaiting the chance to argue their case.

But when he rose to his feet on March 20 to tell the Australian Parliament that new satellite images showed what might be aircraft debris in the Indian Ocean, some 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers) off the coast of Western Australia and that an Australian-led search party would be investigating, Abbott made international headlines. Statesmanship peaked out from behind the curtains.

When days later no debris had been found, Abbott deflected criticism that he had jumped the gun saying the search area was "about the most inaccessible spot that you would imagine on the face of the earth.

"But if there is anything down there we will find it. We owe it to the families of those people to do no less."

Poll support

An informal poll in the Sydney Morning Herald showed many thought the prime minister had acted properly in announcing news of the satellite images. His compassion was perceived as real rather than political opportunism.

After announcing that there would be no time limit on the search effort and that his government would bear the cost of coordinating the international operation, an impassioned Abbott declared: "If the mystery is solvable, we will solve it." It was a personal commitment.

His determination to deliver "closure" for the families of those on board the jetliner stands in stark contrast to the approach of his Malaysian counterpart. While Najib Razak sanctioned sending a text message to families informing them that the aircraft had likely ended up in the southern Indian Ocean, Abbott told the families of the six Australian passengers on the flight the country had "an ache in its heart and nothing we can say or do will take that ache away."

And as the Australian-led search mission entered its second week, Abbott told grieving relatives what asylum seekers have never heard.

''I want them all to know ... that they will be in the arms of a decent country,'' he said. ''The government has decided to waive visa fees for any relatives wishing to come to Australia.''

'Eloquent and diplomatic'

Even Abbott's most fervent enemies would, if pressed, concede that the Australian premier has been both eloquent and diplomatic in the expression of his sorrow and grief for those who do not know if their relatives are by some miracle, still alive and if they are not, what caused their deaths.

But the same fervent enemies might also question whether Abbott sees an upside to statesmanship and compassion.

Tragedies of the scale of MH370 are rarely used for political gain without the real and imminent danger of significant political cost. But such tragedies can soften images, turn skeptical minds and give hope to those who've not been recipients of an open heart.

When on February 16, a young Iranian asylum seeker was killed in a riot at the Manus Island detention centre, the Australian Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison, claimed Reza Berati had died after leaving the confines of the Australian-run center, placing himself where Australia could not protect him.

"This was a very dangerous situation where people decided to protest in a very violent way and to take themselves outside the center and place themselves at great risk," Morrison told Australian media.

Soon afterwards, Morrison faced the media to admit Berati had in fact died inside the center. Abbott stood by him.

"You don't want a wimp running border protection, you want someone strong and decent. And Scott Morrison is both strong and decent," Abbott told parliament.

Different leader

Coming after years of hardline railing against the number of asylum seekers landing on to Australia's shores, with many perishing en route, the government's attitude seemed hard, even callous. Many Australians were shocked and held candlelit vigils around the country.

If Australians see the beginnings, perhaps even evidence of a different leader with Abbott's deep, heartfelt concern for the souls who boarded MH370 in Kuala Lumpar on route to Beijing, there's little chance this will wipe the memory of a leader who has shown little mercy to asylum seekers -- some of them children -- languishing in Australia's version of Guantanamo Bay.

But Australians might be convinced their prime minister has the capacity to change.

OPINION: Pilot: Why Flight 370 may never be found

Response: Search for MH370 has revealed differing approaches by governments involved. While Malaysian leaders have been criticized, Australia's PM has won praise. Attard: In contrast with Tony Abbott's tough line on issues such as asylum seekers. Abbott has vowed to help bring "closure" to families of those missing on MH370.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- No issue has been hotter throughout the run-up to the election than jobs -- and both candidates took pains to tackle the issue during their first debate Wednesday at the University of Denver.

"Over the last 30 months, we've seen 5 million jobs in the private sector created," Democratic incumbent Barack Obama said.

The facts:

In 2009, Obama's first full year in office, people in states across the country were losing their jobs at a startling clip. In Ohio, the unemployment rate was 10.6%.

But over the next few years, the nation saw slow increases in employment in the retail, education and health care sectors. Today, most states are gaining jobs. The key swing state of Ohio now has a 7.2% unemployment rate.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that a lot of jobs have been created under Obama's leadership -- 4.4 million by the bureau's latest count. What Obama did not say, however, was that the nation shed 4.3 million jobs during the early days of his term, and that the net gain since he took the oath of office in January 2009 is just 125,000 jobs.

Complete coverage of CNN's Fact Checks

Conclusion:

Many voters blame that initial weakness on the fractured economy Obama inherited from his Republican predecessor, former President George W. Bush. But in terms of sheer numbers, Obama's assertion that he created 5 million jobs does not tell the whole story and is therefore false.

Also during the debate, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that 23 million people are out of work in the nation.

"There is suffering in this country," said Romney. "And we talk about evidence. Look at the evidence of the last four years. It's absolutely extraordinary. We've got 23 million people out of work."

The facts:

When the recession began, workers in every category lost jobs, but those in the middle and higher wage groups lost more of them.

And when the jobs started coming back, the lower-wage jobs came back stronger. That means that, while the nation has replaced lost jobs, many of those new jobs pay less than the old ones did.

To reach his 23 million figure, Romney counts everyone who is unemployed, has stopped looking for work or is underemployed -- working for less money than before or able to find only a part-time job.

Conclusion:

Romney is stretching his figures to the breaking point -- which makes his claim false.

What it all means:

If history is any guide, the employment figures could prove key in this race. In August, the U.S. unemployment rate was 8.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. No president has been re-elected with an unemployment rate above 8% since Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s, during the Great Depression.

Fact Check: Oil and gas production

Fact Check: Is Donald Trump a small businessman?

Fact Check: Seniors drug prices

Fact Check: Green energy

Response: President Barack Obama says he created 5 million jobs. Mitt Romney says 23 million people are out of work in the nation. Employment figures could prove key to this race.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Sports media giant ESPN gave some of its 7,000 employees pink slips on Tuesday, the network said in a statement.

The Bristol, Connecticut-based company said it was looking at the financial bottom line.

"We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs. While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive," the statement said.

Some media reports placed the number of affected employees and open positions that would go unfilled as high as 400. ESPN had no comment on how many people would be let go.

ESPN, which operates eight domestic networks and 27 around the world, is 80% owned by Disney. It reported higher revenues from its cable networks in the last fiscal year. But it also said that increased programming costs were due largely to the rising costs of the rights to cover sports such as college and professional football.

The sports website Deadspin, which first reported the story, said many of the layoffs are in the technology department but quoted a source that said all departments are "under review."

Response: ESPN didn't comment on the number of employees affected. It has more than 35 networks around the world. Rising sports rights fees are affecting the company's bottom line. Deadspin says many employees in technology division to be let go.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- It's the greatest magic trick in the world. This act of wizardry is performed hundreds of millions of times every day with the press of a button, or more increasingly, with a gentle tap of the screen -- and poof, time stops.

The magic is photography.

Today, we're taking and uploading more than 200 million images per day via Facebook alone. Our phones have become our recording devices. Or as I like to see it: My camera can also make calls.

Smartphones have ushered in a golden age for photography. But disappointingly, much of the conversation has been focused on the device and the use of faux nostalgic filters rather than on how photographers can choose from a wide range of possibilities to be creative.

Art photography: When reality isn't good enough

We mustn't forget -- a magician's props, like a photographer's choice of camera, are only part of the illusion created. When the rabbit is pulled from the hat, its color or breed is irrelevant. What's important is the magician's ability to artfully make the rabbit appear and ultimately evoke astonishment from the audience. In photography, the equivalent is taking an image that evokes strong feelings, regardless of which device captured the picture or its nostalgic hue.

Smartphones have democratized photography, and Instagram, in particular, has given us an unprecedented platform for our snapshots. But instead of marveling at all the choices, there's some grumbling. Some professionals feel threatened as they see the playing field leveling; they interpret it as the end of skill and craft in photography. They should have no fear of such a thing.

12 tips to become a better smartphone photographer

Photography is rooted in the rich culture of amateurism. What's happening today is similar to the original proliferation of Kodak's Brownie camera starting in 1900. An inexpensive and easy-to-use camera in every hand didn't usher in the end of photography or automatically turn everybody into Richard Avedon.

Photo apps won't magically give Jane the smartphone photographer a better sense of composition, or lighting, or framing. The apps and filters only change a photo's look and aesthetic feel. That doesn't make it a better photo. If you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.

Photographing with a smartphone

For me, photography is my memory. I've chosen photography to prove that I exist. I see my captured view of the world as my search for meaning. For me, words are often inadequate, so I choose to define my experiences with photographs.

This little act of magic does not divorce me -- as the critic Susan Sontag implied in her book, "On Photography" -- from the here and now. In fact, it deepens my bond to the present moment.

An image I take, sprinkled with synthetic nostalgia, tells all: "I was here and this is what I saw." The camera phone allows me to offer a small taste of my here and now, on unprecedented levels, to a global audience with astonishing immediacy.

Why I use filters

The pictures of my childhood had a warmish, faded, slightly out of focus feeling. They are the memory of things past, comfort food for the eyes. It seems natural for me to add the option of nostalgic filters to my photographic process.

When we discover an old, faded, cracked and torn image, we handle it with care and respect. Time has honored it with its blessing.

My digital images, however, will never see the ravages of time. They'll always remain, preserved, pristine and forever in their original state, in the perfection of now, without the possibility of the flaws of the past creeping in and eroding it.

I want my memories, like the prints of my childhood, to fade, to mix with the ether of all that has come before. Because I know that time cannot touch my digital images, I add in the passage of time by using filters.

Embracing the present

It is all about time. It's about the time we are losing, and what the future will do to our memories. It's about the fact that technology can instantaneously compress our collective thoughts and images into binary digits of 1's and 0's.

We have a sea of images now. On the horizon, I see the forming of a new photographic language. Let's embrace photography, as it exists now. And let's continue to find our individual voice, perspectives, stories and style, regardless of the medium.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Richard Koci Hernandez.

Response: Richard Hernandez: Smartphones have ushered in a golden age for photography. He says that one can be creative in many ways, including the use of nostalgic filters. Hernandez: But some professionals see it as the end of skill and craft in photography. He says photo apps won't magically turn people into Richard Avedon.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(EW.com) -- Logan is back.

Rob Thomas has informed his "Veronica Mars" movie Kickstarter backers that Jason Dohring is officially on board. "We now have three actors officially cast. Veronica. Logan and the waiter who says, 'Your check, sir,'" he wrote in an email Tuesday night. "Don't worry. We're busily working on bringing your favorites into the fold. As a Veronica Mars backer, you'll be the first to know."

EW: Rob Thomas talks 10 things you should know about 'Veronica Mars movie

Since "Veronica Mars," Dohring has gone on to star in the one-season wonders "Moonlight" and "Ringer. "

At New York Comic Con in 2008, promoting the former, the CBS vampire drama co-starring Alex O'Loughlin, EW asked Dohring to name five things that should live forever in pop culture. His No. 5?

EW: More 'Veronica Mars' news

"Veronica Mars. Unfortunately, it didn't last forever, but it seems when you walk around a place like Comic Con that it does," he said. "Art's the kinda thing that stays with people. You emotionally invest in people and you emotionally invest yourself in something, and then it lasts. That's pretty amazing, actually, isn't it?"

See original story at EW.com.

CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly

© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Response: Jason Dohring is officially on board for the "Veronica Mars" movie. Since "Mars" he has appeared in one-season wonders "Moonlight" and "Ringer ". He told EW "Veronica Mars" should live forever in pop culture.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Washington (CNN) -- Republicans are spending the final weekend of campaigning before Tuesday's election sizing up the possibility of their first Senate majority in nearly a decade, but with key races still too close to call.

Latest polls show some critical Senate races tightening, guaranteeing a night of drama and suspense on Tuesday, as Republicans strive for a net gain of six seats to capture the chamber. A GOP victory would give the party complete control on Capitol Hill and the ability to constrain President Barack Obama's final two years in office.

But the best the GOP can hope for is a slim majority, which would do little to end the era of gridlock and partisan division that has stifled Washington for years and contributed to an ugly public mood ahead of the election.

Even if they win on Tuesday, there is no scenario in which Republicans will gain enough senators to build a 60 seat super-majority that is needed to move major legislation in a deeply partisan Congress.

Some races are so tight that turnout will be crucial. In Iowa, a CNN/ORC International poll had Republican Joni Ernst up by two points as she tries to grab a Senate seat held by the retiring Tom Harkin for nearly 30 years.

In North Carolina, Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan is clinging to a two-point margin in a state that leans Republican in another CNN survey.

In Kentucky, Sen. Mitch McConnell, the man in line to cap a long career on Capitol Hill by becoming Senate majority leader if Republicans win on Tuesday, appears to have opened a small gap over his Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes.

The GOP has a solid grip on the House and Republicans are expected to easily win Senate races in South Dakota, Montana and West Virginia.

Other battlegrounds are in Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Georgia and Colorado.

Top party surrogates and potential 2016 presidential candidates were fanning out in battleground states with three days to go.

Hillary Clinton appeared with Grimes in Kentucky, and pleaded with voters not to heed "fear" tactics from Republicans she called the "guardians of gridlock."

"Don't wake up the day after the election wishing you had done just a little more," Clinton told Grimes supporters. On Sunday, Clinton will take her turnout machine to New Hampshire to support Sen. Jeanne Shaheen who is in a surprisingly close tussle with challenger Scott Brown.

Her husband, Bill Clinton meanwhile tried to give Democrat Bruce Braley a boost in Iowa on Saturday.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was headlining a rally in Ohio for Republican Governor John Kasich, who is seeking re-election. Obama, who has been a drag on Democratic candidates, was nevertheless headed to Michigan on Saturday to campaign for Senate candidate Gary Peters and Representative Mark Schauer.

Georgia will meanwhile on Sunday hold the final debate before election day of a compelling race between Michelle Nunn and Republican David Perdue, in which Democrats are hopeful of pulling off a shock win.

Two Senate races, in Louisiana and Georgia could trigger run-off elections, so it is possible the fate of the chamber will be in limbo for weeks.

Response: Senate races tightening ahead of Tuesday's election. Best GOP can hope for is a slim majority. Turnout will be critical for both parties.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- "A fashion show's soundtrack is just as important as the venue, the seating and the production," said Alexander Wang, the 29-year-old designer of his own label.

Wang, who is also the new creative director of European fashion house Balenciaga, said music is an integral part of how he is inspired. When he presented his edgy fall 2013 looks at the historic Cunard Building in Manhattan's financial district, Wang juxtaposed the traditional space and its nostalgic feel with a soundtrack that he called "very industrial, very kind of Berlin underground."

Music was so important to Marcus Wainwright and David Neville's rag & bone label that they commissioned Radiohead front man Thom Yorke and producer Nigel Godrich to create a custom track for their show. Meanwhile, Carolina Herrera collaborated with composer and pianist Tom Hodge on an original score for her fashion show. Hodge, Herrera and producer Javier Peral worked with the London Contemporary Orchestra at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London last fall to create "Capriccio for Carolina," a score inspired by Beethoven's Kreutzer Violin Sonata.

When the lights dimmed at Michael Kors' runway show, the music swelled and the models appeared on the catwalk in vivid orange, bright blue and taxicab yellow. But Kors, who compares fashion shows to Broadway productions, said it is the music that brings it all to life. "This show we are using a fabulous new singer named Willy Moon. It's a little '50s, a little '80s, a little modern." The collection, which Kors calls "urban athleticism," focused on movement and speed, and was enhanced by Moon's soundtrack. Plus, Kors said the singer "is superstylish and fun and energetic and it kind of sets the mood."

Rebecca Taylor agrees. She said music "gives the girls (models) great energy for walking and makes everyone watching feel like they are a part of something exciting."

Here is a selection of songs played during New York Fashion Week:

Altuzarra

"Elephant Island 2" - Sleeparchive

"Time Lapse Variation" - New Tango Orquesta

"Preparation for Attack" - Zero Dark Thirty

Diane von Furstenberg

"Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer

"Like An Eagle" -- Dennis Parker

"No To Love" (Ewan Pearson's Permissive Society Remix) - Jessie Ware

"Inspector Norse" - Todd Terje

"More More More" - Andrea True Connection

"I'm Every Woman" - Chaka Khan

Alexander Wang

"I Turn My Arm" - Gazelle Twin

"Real Love" - Cult Days

"Jesus Piece" -- The Game

Carolina Herrera

"Capriccio for Carolina," - Tom Hodge, Javier Peral and the London Contemporary Orchestra

Oscar de la Renta

"As Time Goes By" - Bryan Ferry

"I'm In The Mood For Love" -- Bryan Ferry

"Polonaise" - Shigeru Umebayashi

Michael Kors

"I Wanna Be Your Man" - Willy Moon

"She Loves Me" - Willy Moon

"Yeah Yeah Yeah" - Willy Moon

rag & bone

Custom track by Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich

Rebecca Taylor

"After You" - Pulp (collaboration with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem)

"Fate Glory" - Montevideo

"Constant Conversations" - Passion Pit

"Work" - The 2 Bears

Thom Browne

"Stabat Mater Dolorosa" - Antonin Dvorak

"Storm" - Bjork

"Pearl" - Bjork

"Saint Matthew Passion" - J.S.Bach

Passion (Music for the Last Temptation of Christ) - Peter Gabriel - With This Love (Choir)

Victoria Beckham

"The Truth Is" - Chrysta Bell

"Swinging Upstream (Gab Demo 4)" - DJ Shadow

"Polish Poem" - Chrysta Bell

Jason Wu

"This Ladder is Ours" - The Joy Formidable

"Milk & Black Spiders" - Foals

"Here Comes the Rain Again" - Eurythmics

"Skyfall Remix" - Adele

"A Song For You" - Amy Winehouse

*This story is part of coverage from CNN National Correspondent Alina Cho, who returns with her latest installment of "Fashion: Backstage Pass from New York Fashion Week."

This season, Cho sits down with supermodel Naomi Campbell to talk about her legendary career and new reality show "The Face," take a tour of Coach President Reed Krakoff's 18,000-square-foot Manhattan town house, spend the day with a top model, buyer and editor to see the craziness and frenetic pace of fashion week (it's NOT all glitz and glamour) and talk one-on-one backstage with New York's hottest designer, Alexander Wang, who at age 29 was just named creative director of storied European fashion house Balenciaga. The special will also include interviews with Sarah Jessica Parker, Drew Barrymore, Diane von Furstenberg and Michael Kors.

Response: Music is an integral part of New York Fashion Week. One designer has commissioned a track for his show. Selections this year range from classical to more popular tunes.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Washington (CNN) -- The White House will announce a new economic advisory council on Friday, one that will be headed by Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO and chairman of General Electric.

"Because we still have a long way to go to get Americans back to work and strengthen our economy, the President will announce on Friday that he will sign a new Executive Order creating a new board, the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which will have a new composition and new mission as we move to a new phase in our economic recovery," a White House statement said.

"The Council will focus on finding new ways to promote growth by investing in American business to encourage hiring, to educate and train our workers to compete globally, and to attract the best jobs and businesses to the United States."

The council replaces the old Economic Recovery Advisory Board that was headed by Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

"President Obama has asked me to chair his new President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness," Immelt said in a Washington Post op-ed piece published Friday. "I have served for the past two years on the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, and I look forward to leading the next phase of this effort as we transition from recovery to long-term growth.

"The president and I are committed to a candid and full dialogue among business, labor and government to help ensure that the United States has the most competitive and innovative economy in the world," he said.

"Jeff Immelt's experience at GE and his understanding of the vital role the private sector plays in creating jobs and making America competitive makes him up to the challenge of leading this new Council," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "I also want to thank my friend Paul Volcker, whose service not just during this difficult period but for decades has been invaluable to me and the American people."

The development is the latest in a series of economic policy moves made by the White House in the new year.

Two weeks ago, the president tapped Treasury aide Gene Sperling as the new director of the National Economic Council.

Sperling, who succeeds economist Larry Summers as head of the council, currently is a counselor to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Among other things, he helped lead the administration's tax negotiations with congressional Republicans during December's lame-duck session of Congress.

Sperling also headed the National Economic Council during the Clinton administration. Top Democrats are pointing to Obama's decision to have him head the council as another sign the president is leaning more heavily on Clinton-era veterans as he starts working with a divided Congress.

Obama also named Clinton Commerce Secretary Bill Daley as his new chief of staff this month.

The U.S. economy continues to try to dig itself out of the job losses created by the recession that began in 2008.

In its most-recent unemployment report, the Labor Department said the U.S. economy added 103,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate fell from 9.8% to 9.4%.

Obama noted that there have now been 12 months of private-sector job growth for the first time since 2006.

A CNN/Opinion Research poll shows at least three-quarters of Americans consider economic conditions to be somewhat poor or very poor.

CNN's Greg Clary contributed to this report.

Response: The White House creates the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO and chairman of General Electric, will lead the group. The U.S. unemployment rate lingers between 9% and 10%.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN)  -- Manny Pacquiao returned home to a hero's welcome in his native Philippines on Friday after wresting the WBO welterweight title from Miguel Cotto on a 12th round technical knockout in Las Vegas.

'Pacman' has a fanatical following in the Philippines which has been further enhanced by his record breaking victory as he claimed his sixth world title at a different weight by beating Cotto on Saturday night.

"Welcome home, the world's bext boxer of all time," read a banner as thousands of fans greeted the 30-year-old.

Following his hard-fought victory over Puerto Rican Cotto, all the talk is of a cash-rich superfight with American Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year.

Leading promoter Bob Arum said he is ready to put the pay-per-view extravaganza at the 147-pound welterweight class, with Las Vegas the preferred venue.

Pacquiao played down the possibility as he talked to reporters on his return.

"We are not forcing a fight with him. It is right that he is the one challenging me, because my fights score more on pay-per-view," he said.

Pacquiao has greatly enhanced his reputation with successive wins over Oscar de la Hoya, Britain's Ricky Hatton and Cotto.

Mayweather returned to the ring with a comfortable win over Juan Manuel Marquez and has the reputation for grossing massive receipts from his pay-per-view appearances.

For the moment, Pacquiao will spend time at home with his wife, Jinkee, and three children and is also set to pursue his ambition to enter Filippino politics, standing for a congressional seat in his home island of Mindanao.

Response: Manny Pacquiao returns home to Philippines after Las Vegas triumph. Pacman won world title at sixth different weight after beating Miguel Cotto. Cash-rich fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the offing in the United States.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- If you're walking along the east African coast and chance upon a herd of brightly-striped elephants, flame-hued rhinos and a tower of crazily-colored giraffes, then don't panic, you're not hallucinating -- and neither have you stumbled on a psychedelic new species, sorry.

No, in fact this is the vibrant kingdom of skilful artisans where harmful waste is transformed into a colorful bliss -- one flip-flop at a time.

Ocean Sole is a Kenyan recycling company that's crafting whimsical pieces of art and fashion from discarded flip-flops and other plastic junk -- piles of rubbish that wash up on Kenya's sandy beaches.

Read this: Old boat sails turned into uplifting art

Inside its Nairobi-based workshop, reclaimed old sandals and other polluting pieces of rubber are fashioned into handmade animal toys, eye-popping curtains, intricate necklaces and even life-size sculptures. The playful creations are sold locally as well as in dozens of zoos, aquariums and stores in some 20 countries across the wold.

"It's a trade-based solution to the global problem of marine pollution," says Julie Church, the co-founder of Ocean Sole. "It gets people to think about the ocean and links them to waterways -- and we're doing it through business."

Environmental threat

Like in many other developing countries, flip-flops are the footwear of choice for millions of people in Kenya. Affordable and convenient, they are worn by both children and adults alike, as well as by scores of tourists visiting the white sand beaches in east Africa.

But once the sandals' walking life comes to an end, the ubiquitous footwear often embarks on another, more harmful, journey.

Masses of broken rubber flip-flops dumped in cities and villages are carried by sewage systems, rivers and other waterways into Kenyan coastlines every year. At the same time, countless of non-degradable flip-flops and other plastic waste ends up on the same shores, brought there by powerful currents from places as far away as China and Indonesia.

Read this: Artist's spectacular glasses 'give trash a second chance'

The flotsam and jetsam do not only spoil the natural beauty of the environment but are also a major hazard to the wildlife living there.

"Pollution in all our waterways is a big problem," says Church, who was born and raised in Kenya. "Rivers are clogged up with plastic and rubber and everything else," she adds. "When people say that the ocean is plastic soup, it really is, because plastic doesn't go away -- it just breaks down to smaller and smaller parts. Fish, whales, sharks are digesting that plastic and sooner or later that's going to work its way into our food chain."

Trade, not aid

The inspiration for Ocean Sole came in 1997 when Church, a marine conservationist at the time, started working in a sea turtle preservation project on the remote island of Kiwayu near the Kenya-Somalia border.

Whilst there, Church was shocked to find beautiful beaches strewn with a myriad of plastic objects that damaged the environment and obstructed the turtles from reaching their nesting sites.

But, with curious fascination, Church also watched how local children used this marine debris -- cast-off flip-flops and other junk they'd found by the sea -- to create their own toys to play with.

This triggered a thought on Church's mind: What if she could launch a project that would help clean the beaches and also boost development in the community? Inspired by the children's makeshift creations, Church then encouraged the local women to collect, wash and process the thrown-away flip-flops and transform them into colorful artefacts for a profit.

"We started a minor little program there," recalls Church, "with that sort of idea to link conservation and development together."

Transforming rubber, changing attitudes

What began as a part time initiative -- which was initially dubbed UniquEco -- has now been turned into a regular and growing business.

Ocean Sole, which provides direct employment today to more than 70 people, aims to recycle 400,000 flip-flops every year. It works with more than 10 suppliers who collect the raw material from waterways in and around Nairobi, as well as from the Kenyan coastline, and deliver it to the company's workshop.

Read this: Fishing craft to foosball tables, furniture to float your boat

There, Ocean Sole workers go through large bags full of broken flip-flops every day to select the ones they're going to use in their creations. The artisans then clean the rubber sandals and sort them according to their color. Next, they cut, mold and sand them as they turn the old flip-flops into their eye-catching creations.

"We are focused mainly on animals," says Church. "Our target markets are zoos, aquariums and museums worldwide -- we've done that because that's what we're good at making at the moment but we are exploring other products too."

Church says that Ocean Sole is for her "a means to an end," a more effective way to spread her green message than working as a marine conservationist.

"My goal is to create change in the way people live and change in the way people understand the world and its connections," she says.

"Certainly about the ocean, doing that through the business of recycling rubber that floats," she continues, "and doing it independently in a relative sustainable and grown up way where you have to have a market and a good product, you've got to be commercial," adds Church.

"I think only if we succeeded commercially we can really succeed in our goal which is to create attitudinal and lifestyle change."

READ THIS: Pizza maker 'gets Nairobi naked'

READ THIS: Teens turns $14 into paper bag empire

Response: Ocean Sole is a company turning broken flip-flops into colorful animal sculptures. Masses of rubber sandals blight beaches and waterways, creating an eco-disaster. Kenya-based Ocean Sole aims to recycle some 400,000 flip-flops every year. The company sells its creations in zoos, aquariums and stores around the world.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Country music act Sugarland settled a lawsuit with a co-founder who claimed she was owed a share of the group's profits since she left five years ago, according to a court filing.

Kristen Hall left the trio Sugarland to write songs and to pursue a solo career in 2005, leaving Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles to carry on as a duo.

Hall filed a federal lawsuit against her former bandmates two years ago demanding that she be paid a third of Sugarland's profits because of her role in founding the group and in creating their hit debut album in 2004.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten signed an order last week recognizing the settlement, although terms of the agreement were not included.

Lawyers have until December 13 to file the final papers or else Hall has the right to re-open the lawsuit, the order said.

The Atlanta-based group picked up their fourth Country Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year award last week. They won Grammys for best performance by a group or duo and best country song last year.

CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report.

Response: Kristen Hall claimed she was owed a share of the country duo's profits. Hall co-founded the group before Jennifer Nettles joined. Hall left the band in 2005 to pursue a solo career. Terms of the settlement are not public.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(EW.com) -- The next step after exposing the world of male strip clubs? Descending into a bordello-themed New Orleans nightclub, naturally.

EW has confirmed that Channing Tatum is developing an hourlong reality pilot for A&E that revolves around Saints & Sinners, a Bourbon Street bar/restaurant that Tatum opened with friend and business partner Keith Kurtz last fall. Tatum and Kurtz will executive produce, as will Original Media's Charlie Corwin.

Saints & Sinners offers "food, spirits, music, and a sinfully good time," according to its website. "Styled after the famous red-light district bordellos and burlesque halls of New Orleans' Storyville era, Saints & Sinners is Tatum's tribute to the city's ribald, good-time reputation."

Expect lots of wrought iron, red accents, and brightly-colored drinks in martini glasses. Just don't count on seeing Tatum's famous abs; it's currently unclear whether the actor will appear in the prospective series.

See the original story at EW.com.

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© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Response: Tatum is developing a reality pilot that revolves around Saints & Sinner. He and a friend opened the bar/restaurant together in New Orleans. It's unclear if he will appear on the show.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of people have fled fighting between Thailand and Cambodia over the past week, 30 people have been injured, and five Thai soldiers have been killed, the Thai Ministry of Public Health said Tuesday.

About 27,000 people are living in 33 temporary shelters in Thailand, the ministry said.

Clashes between the two sides began last Friday, with each country accusing the other of trying to seize two ancient temples.

Thai Foreign Minsiter Kasit Piromya visited the province and said in a statement Tuesday that Cambodia is still attacking Thais.

There was a brief exchange of fire between Cambodian and Thai troops Tuesday afternoon, but it was calmed quickly, Thai Col. Sansern Kaewkumnerd said.

There were no new casualties from the incident, which he said resulted from a misunderstanding stemming from a routine Air Force exercise.

Both sides claim the disputed temples are in their country. Thailand calls them Ta Kwai and Ta Muen, while Cambodia calls them Ta Krabey and Ta Moan. Much of the border between the two countries remains in dispute.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that the United States "remains deeply concerned about clashes between security forces along the Thailand-Cambodia border."

The U.S. government is speaking directly to Thai and Cambodian officials, and also supports efforts by Indonesia, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to work with both countries on a resolution, Clinton's statement said.

The fighting on the ground has been coupled with a war of words in recent days.

Cambodia said Monday that Thai warplanes had entered its airspace and that the Thai military had shelled populated Cambodian territory. Cambodia's government has said three of its troops have been killed in the fighting.

On Sunday, Sansern accused Cambodian troops of opening fire first and said Thai troops responded to protect their country's sovereignty.

In February, at least 10 people were killed when fighting flared up in another disputed border area between the two nations, prompting the United Nations Security Council to issue a statement calling on both sides to implement a cease-fire.

Those clashes, which lasted four days, stemmed from a longstanding conflict related to the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple. Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to the temple, which sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side. At the time, each nation accused the other of firing first.

CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.

Response: Fresh clash breaks out Tuesday but is calmed quickly, a Thai official says. Thai Health Ministry says 27,000 Thais are living in temporary shelters. Each side blames the other for the violence, which erupted near two disputed temples. U.S. Secretary of State Clinton says the United States is "deeply concerned".


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- Don Pardo, the announcer whose velvety baritone voice introduced "Saturday Night Live" hosts on NBC for decades, has died at age 96, the network announced.

Pardo was the announcer for "SNL" for all but one season over the program's 39-year run. Prior to announcing for the comedy show, he was a familiar voice on NBC, handling the announcing duties on such programs as the old "Price Is Right" and the Art Fleming-hosted version of "Jeopardy!"

In a tweet, "NBC Nightly News" described Pardo as "legendary," and cast members from "SNL's" long run chimed in with approval.

"Any SNL actor will tell u:the ultimate moment of your career was hearing Don Pardo say your name. Each week he represented a dream come true," tweeted Rachel Dratch, who appeared on the show from 1999 to 2006.

Seth Myers, who spent years on "SNL" before recently beginning his own late-night talk program, wrote, "RIP Don Pardo. A voice that meant so much."

Pardo was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, on February 22, 1918. He began his career in theater in his native New England, but switched to announcing after being offered a job by a Providence, Rhode Island, radio station.

While visiting NBC in New York in 1944 -- there to see some of his heroes at work -- Pardo was offered a job with the network, according to The New York Times. He stayed for the next seven decades.

He became a familiar voice to generations of radio listeners and, later, TV watchers. Indeed, he was the NBC staff announcer on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was shot.

"He was among the first to tell the nation about the assassination attempt on President John F. Kennedy," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The next year, he became the announcer for a game show that almost rivaled Pardo himself for longevity: "Jeopardy!" The original version, with Fleming as host, ran from 1964 to 1975.

Pardo could regularly be heard telling viewers that the show's questions came from the Grolier encyclopedia and promising contestants some nice parting gifts, including a supply of Rice-a-Roni, "the San Francisco treat."

In 1984, Pardo got a chance to parody himself on "Weird Al" Yankovic's recording of "I Lost on Jeopardy," informing the floundering Yankovic that he was "a complete loser." He also had a bit part in the video.

"Very sad to hear of the passing of my old friend Don Pardo - truly one the all-time greats," tweeted Yankovic..

But for most people under 50, Pardo will always be the voice of "SNL." Though he was on staff at NBC, he seemed an odd choice for the show, his seemingly strait-laced bearing contrasting with the wild antics of what was, originally, the most iconoclastic comedy show on network TV.

But that, said "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels, was the idea.

"It couldn't have been a more different culture," Michaels told The New York Times. "But it was perfect for us."

Pardo also appeared in the movie "Radio Days" and on an episode of "30 Rock," among other credits.

People we've lost in 2014

See more comedy content at CNN Comedy.

Response: Don Pardo was 96 years old. He was best known for introducing "Saturday Night Live" hosts. Pardo was among first to report on JFK being shot. NBC personalities remember him as legendary.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:London (CNN) -- It's not unusual for a visiting head of state to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in London's Westminster Abbey -- but when it happens on Tuesday, the gesture will be anything but routine. This is history in the making.

The commemoration by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, will take place during the first state visit by an Irish leader to the United Kingdom. It follows on from Queen Elizabeth's trip to Dublin in May 2011, the first by a British monarch to the republic since it gained independence from London in 1921.

The countries are close neighbors but have a long, contentious, often violent history which has left thousands dead, among them Lord Mountbatten, a relative of the Queen who was killed by an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb in 1979. The very fact that the British and the Irish once fought with each other under the same flag is still very difficult for many Irish Republicans to stomach.

But the relationship between the two countries has gradually normalized since the peace process of the 1990s. That will be formally acknowledged when Higgins pays his respects at the tomb of an unknown British soldier who died during World War One when Ireland was under British rule.

Diplomats from both countries are stressing the significance of the five-day trip. Dan Mulhall, the Irish Ambassador to London, has said that Dublin is "now willing to look at the facts of history" rather than shying away from them.

Meanwhile a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson has said that the visit is about acknowledging the past but also "demonstrating that the relationship is moving on and looking to the future." The spokesperson stressed that both state visits are "pivotal moments in our shared history."

The Queen's trip nearly three years ago included a visit to Croke Park, a Dublin sports stadium where 14 people were killed by British forces in 1920 during the war of independence.

She also spoke in Gaelic during a dinner in Dublin to audible gasps in the room; and visited Northern Ireland in June 2012, when she shook hands with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, now the province's deputy first minister.

These were all highly symbolic moments that politicians couldn't create to the same effect -- and Buckingham Palace is well aware of that. A palace spokesperson said last month that the Queen herself has become a symbol of the warming relationship between the two countries.

The significance of this week's state visit will be further underlined by the presence of McGuinness at a reception hosted by the Queen on Thursday afternoon at Windsor Castle - a move unthinkable only a decade ago.

The palace spokesperson confirmed that the Queen is heavily invested in the state visit and that it is personal for her, adding that "the Queen is across every detail."

Expect the Irish President to have everything laid on for him, with all the pomp and ceremony that the royal household can muster.

Tensions still remain in Northern Ireland: while the bloodshed of previous decades has largely stopped there are still occasional incidents which pose a threat to life and tensions remain between the communities.

But Anglo-Irish relations are improving with each symbolic moment -- and this week's state visit is as symbolic as it gets.

READ: Mary Robinson: Finally, Britain and Ireland are reconciled

Response: Visit of Irish president marks first state trip to London since 1921. Queen Elizabeth made historic visit to Dublin nearly three years ago. Foster: Relations between two countries have gradually normalized since 1990s.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:WASHINGTON (CNN)  -- President Obama declared Monday that his stimulus plan is "starting to work" and that 2,000 transportation projects -- costing much less than expected -- are under way.

President Obama on Monday says the transportation projects will help create or save jobs.

"Competition for these projects is so fierce, and contractors are doing such a good job cutting costs, the projects are consistently coming in under budget," Obama said Monday.

The president gave a rapid-fire list of savings: a bid for road work in Connecticut is $8.4 million less than the state budgeted; Louisiana has a project coming in $4.7 million less than expected; projects in Colorado are averaging about 30 percent under the state forecast; and some bids in California are nearly half of what the state projected.

The administration said those savings will stretch the agency's $48 billion stimulus budget.

"Our recovery dollars can go further, and we can do more projects," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "This is great news."

LaHood hosted the president and vice president at his department's headquarters in Washington for the  announcement. Officials did not give an overall estimate of money saved from competitive bids.

The three leaders also claimed a victory in the amount of transportation work approved so far, saying the agency has approved its 2,000th infrastructure project as part of the stimulus.

"Some may have thought it would have taken months to get to this point," Obama said, "but we have approved these projects in just 41 days."  Watch as Obama says projects are coming in ahead of schedule »

The stimulus bill was signed February 17, but transportation dollars did not begin flowing until later.

The president said the 2,000th transportation project to receive stimulus funds is one to widen and add an overpass to a stretch of Interstate 94 near Portage, Michigan. Vice President Joseph Biden plans to attend the groundbreaking in June.

Obama said the highway projects from the stimulus bill will create or save 150,000 jobs by the end of next year.

He pointed to the aggressive contractor interest in transportation projects, along with tax cuts going to millions of families from the stimulus plan, and implied it marks a turning point in the economic recovery effort.

"Today, I think it's safe to say that this plan is beginning to work," the president said.

Response: NEW: President Obama: "Projects are consistently coming in under budget". Stimulus dollars have funded 2,000 transportation projects, officials say. Administration says savings will stretch $48 billion stimulus budget for infrastructure. Officials didn't give overall estimate of money saved from competitive bids.


Prompt:
Explain the text in one sentence.
 Text:(CNN) -- The Ohio state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would curb the collective bargaining rights of public workers and strip away their power to strike.

Lawmakers approved the measure by a count of 17 to 16, with six Republicans voting in opposition.

The bill, known as Senate Bill 5, is supported by Republican Governor John Kasich. It would curb a 1983 Ohio state law that affords collective bargaining rights to public employees.

"No surprise," said Senate President Tom Niehaus. "I've been saying for weeks that we have the votes to pass this bill. It reflects the diverse interests that our members have around the state of Ohio," he said.

The near-500-page proposal was modified Tuesday with Republican-supported amendments cobbled into a single omnibus package.

Modifications include new measures to settle workplace arbitration, limits on worker vacation and an end to their ability to negotiate health care and automatic pay raises based on seniority.

The amended legislation would also restore collective bargaining rights on wages but ban strikes by all public-sector workers, imposing fines and terminating employment contracts for those who defy the ban.

Democratic lawmakers described the proposal as union-busting. Their GOP counterparts argued that it's needed to tackle an overreach of union influence they regard as an impediment to fiscal reform.

"It passed by the most narrowest of margin," said Democratic State Senator Joe Schiavoni. "That really shows how much public outcry on this bill. That they can change a 27-year-old law in three weeks is scary."

Meanwhile, protesting crowds gathered in Columbus, Ohio, chanting slogans like "Shame on you!" following the Senate vote.

Earlier Wednesday the measure sailed through a Senate Labor Committee following a last-minute GOP shuffle that resulted in the replacement of Republican Senator Bill Seitz.

Seitz said he mostly supported the bill, and the need for collective bargaining reform, but disagreed with a provision that would allow employer management to "impose its will on the final terms of the contract when fact-finding and mediation fail."

"That violates the fundamental principle that one cannot be simultaneously a judge and an advocate in his own cause," he said, calling for an "elected, independent, neutral" party to adjudicate those cases involving state workers.

The bill now moves onto the Republican-controlled House where lawmakers are expected to take up the measure on March 10.

Ohio, often considered a battleground for presidential politics, faces an $8 billion shortfall in the next two-year budget.

CNN's Julian Cummings contributed to this report

Response: Ohio Senate passes bill to curb collective bargaining rights of public workers. Lawmakers approved the measure by a count of 17 to 16; six Republicans voted no. Legislation would also strip public workers' power to strike.