The CNN Wire Latest updates on top stories
May 31st, 2009
Posted: 11:55 PM ET

By Alan Duke
CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) - Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to octuplets in January, will star in a reality television series about her family, a TV executive said.

The Eyeworks executive, who asked not to be named, confirmed a Us magazine report that quoted Suleman's lawyer, Jeff Czech, saying a deal has been reached after months of negotiations.

The "quasi-reality TV series" would be "an arrangement whereby several events in the children's lives would be filmed in a documentary series," Czech told Us.

Eyeworks' British division will produce the show, the Eyeworks executive said.

"There is a story to be told" about the family, he said.

"They might be several shows aired during a year. There are all kinds of possibilities. It really depends on what the networks want," Czech was quoted as saying.

Though he said the show has not been named, Suleman has sought to trademark her media nickname - Octomom - for a TV show and a line of diapers.

Suleman has six other children. All 14 were conceived through in-vitro fertilization.


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 11:51 PM ET

(CNN) - Nevada is legalizing domestic partnerships, with the state Assembly voting Sunday evening to override a veto by the governor, officials said.

The Assembly voted 28-14 to override Gov. Jim Gibbons' veto of a domestic partner bill, said Kathy Alden of the chief clerk's office.

With the vote, Nevada will extend most of the rights given to married couples to couples in domestic partnerships, including those of the same sex. The bill will take effect on October 1.

The Nevada Senate overrode the the governor's veto 14-7 on Saturday.

The decision by the Nevada Legislature follows a tumultuous week for proponents of same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships.

On Tuesday, California's Supreme Court upheld a ban against same-sex marriages that voters passed in November, but also ruled that about 18,000 same-sex marriages performed before the ban would remain valid.

Same-sex marriages are currently legal in four states - Connecticut, Iowa, Maine and Massachusetts.

Vermont's Legislature has passed a bill that will legalize same-sex marriages starting in September.

The District of Columbia voted May 5 to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, though it does not itself give marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

– CNN's Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 08:51 PM ET

(CNN) - A roundup of reaction to Sunday's killing of Dr. George Tiller, one of the few U.S. physicians to perform late-term abortions, as compiled by The CNN Wire:

President Barack Obama:
"I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder:
"The murder of Dr. George Tiller is an abhorrent act of violence, and his family is in our thoughts and prayers at this tragic moment. Federal law enforcement is coordinating with local law enforcement officials in Kansas on the investigation of this crime, and I have directed the United States Marshals Service to offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation. ... As a precautionary measure, we will also take appropriate steps to help prevent any related acts of violence from occurring."

Nancy Keenan, president, NARAL Pro-Choice America:
"Dr. Tiller's murder will send a chill down the spines of the brave and courageous providers and other professionals who are part of reproductive-health centers that serve women across this country. We want them to know that they have our support as they move forward in providing these essential services in the aftermath of the shocking news from Wichita."

David O'Steen, executive director, National Right to Life Committee:
"The National Right to Life Committee unequivocally condemns any such acts of violence regardless of motivation. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal."

Kim Gandy, president, National Organization for Women:
"This kind man and skilled doctor braved blockades, harassment, assault, and countless threats, including an attempted murder in 1993 when he was shot in both arms. He knew his life was in constant jeopardy, and that he would likely die at the hands of an anti-abortion terrorist - yet he continued to protect his patients and provide safe and legal abortions to women in often-desperate circumstances."

Troy Newman, president, Operation Rescue:
"Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning. We pray for Mr. Tiller's family that they will find comfort and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ."

Randall Terry, founder and former president, Operation Rescue:
"George Tiller was a mass murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions."

Cecile Richards, president, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
"The entire Planned Parenthood family is deeply saddened by the murder of Dr. George Tiller. While he was not a Planned Parenthood provider, he was an integral part of our community and his loss is felt by all of us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and those close to him who are suffering a personal tragedy."

Charmaine Yoest, president, Americans United for Life:
"We condemn this lawless act of violence. The foundational right to life that our work is dedicated to extends to everyone. Whoever is responsible for this reprehensible violence must be brought to justice under the law."


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 06:47 PM ET

(CNN) - Police had a suspect in custody Sunday in the killing of Dr. George Tiller, whose Wichita, Kansas, women's clinic was the epicenter of the state's battles over abortion for nearly two decades, investigators said.

Tiller was one of the few U.S. physicians who still performed late-term abortions, and already had survived a 1993 shooting outside his clinic. He was killed by a single gunshot Sunday morning at the Lutheran church he attended, police said.

His killing drew condemnation from supporters, from some of those who tried to shut down his practice and from President Barack Obama, who had urged Americans to seek "common ground" on the divisive issue just two weeks ago.

"However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," Obama said in a statement issued by the White House.

Sunday afternoon, authorities took a man into custody near Kansas City after stopping a car that matched a description of the killer's getaway vehicle. No charges had been filed, but Wichita police Detective Tom Stoltz told reporters "We think we have the right person arrested."


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 06:44 PM ET

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) - The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday about the contested U.S. Senate race between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman.

Coleman's attorneys announced in April that they would file an appeal seeking to overturn a district court's decision that he lost his bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate last November.

The three-judge district panel ruled Coleman did not prove his key argument, which is that potentially thousands of voters' absentee ballots were wrongly rejected because of inconsistencies among counties.

The state Supreme Court will hear brief oral arguments from both sides Monday, before issuing its opinion on this case some time this summer, said Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie.

What the court won't do is pick a winner. The judges can only affirm to the lower court's ruling or send it back to reconsider its earlier decision.

"No one really expects the Minnesota Supreme Court to send it back, but you can never expect with 100 percent certainty what is going to happen," Ritchie told CNN Radio.

While it's unclear when the court will hand down its decision, it's widely expected to be issued in the next month, he said.


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 05:54 PM ET

(CNN) - The daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton has been arrested in Florida on charges of child neglect resulting in the death of an infant, police said Sunday.

The Friday arrest of Amanda Brumfield stemmed from an incident in which a child fell, said Officer Lee Stevens of the Ocoee, Florida, police. No other details were available Sunday.

Thornton's publicist, Arnold Robinson, said the actor is estranged from his daughter "and has had no contact with her for quite some time.

"When informed about this situation, he (Thornton) commented that, 'Anytime a baby's life is lost is an unimaginable tragedy and my heart goes out to the baby's family and loved ones,' " Robinson told CNN in a written statement.


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 05:28 PM ET

LONDON, England (CNN) - Millvina Dean, believed to be that last survivor of the Titanic, has died at 97, a friend confirmed Sunday.

Dean was just an infant when the RMS Titanic - publicized as "practically unsinkable" as the largest passenger steamship at the time - struck an iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912 during its maiden voyage. The ship sank less than three hours later, killing more than 1,500 people.

Brian Ticehurst, a friend of Dean, said she died at 8 a.m. (3 a.m. ET) Sunday.


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 04:09 PM ET

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) - No running water, no electricity, no fuel and little food.

The stark situation in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where a month-long offensive against the Taliban has displaced more than 2 million civilians, has international Red Cross officials "gravely concerned."

Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) arrived at the scene this weekend for the first time since the onset of violence in the Swat Valley. The organization evacuated more than a dozen victims in need of urgent medical care and called for an immediate humanitarian response.

"The people of Swat need greater humanitarian protection and assistance immediately," Pascal Cuttat, head of the organization's delegation in Pakistan, said in a statement Sunday. "The ICRC will do its utmost to meet those needs without delay. Given what we have already seen on the ground, we are mobilizing additional resources, but safe and unimpeded access to the area remains essential for our teams to deliver."

Those who have left their homes to escape the violence tell of the whole valley being turned into a battlefield as citizens flee on foot, many of them with no shoes and some elderly. They fall ill from sun and heat exposure - particularly infants and those already weak and sick - as they flee.

According to the most recent United Nations numbers, about 2.4 million Pakistanis have registered as displaced persons since May 2. Currently, the clashes are concentrated near Mingora, the valley's largest city.

"People have been blocked for weeks," said Daniel O'Malley, who led the ICRC team. "There is no running water, no electricity, and food is scarce. There is no fuel left for generators and most medical facilities in the district are no longer functioning. Phone lines are down, so people have been cut off from the outside world and are anxious for contact with relatives who fled the area."

The Red Cross team visited Khwazakhela hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in Swat Valley, to deliver supplies and found a small group of hospital staff struggling to work without water, electricity or supplies," O'Malley said. "They simply cannot cope with the influx of patients."

The team evacuated 14 patients.


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 03:38 PM ET

(CNN) - Gasoline prices in the United States continue to rise, according to a survey published on Sunday.

Prices rose 19.29 cents per gallon over the last two weeks, bringing the average price of self-serve regular to just over $2.49, according to the May 29 Lundberg Survey.

"The price has been rising for 10 weeks. Over the 10 weeks, it has been a rise of just over 54 cents a gallon," said survey publisher Trilby Lundberg, who said most of the large hike has come in the past five weeks.

She said most of that rise comes from higher crude oil prices. "The rise in oil prices comes not from a surge in oil demand but from the weaker U.S. dollar," she said.

Rising ethanol prices and costs from smog prevention programs also contribute to the rise in prices, she said.

Despite the price hikes at the pump, the current price is $1.30 below the level a year ago. But she said that isn't deep enough to create the growth of gasoline demand. Such demand is shrinking because of rising unemployment.

About 5,000 gas stations around the country were surveyed. The city with the lowest average price was Tucson, Arizona, where a gallon of self-serve regular costs $2.22. The highest average price was Chicago at $2.76.


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May 31st, 2009
Posted: 03:34 PM ET

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) - The number of Iraqi civilians killed and wounded in May decreased from the previous month, according to figures from Iraq's Interior Ministry.

The ministry said 134 civilians were killed and 284 were injured in May. In April, 290 civilians were killed and 641 were wounded.

The number of security force casualties dropped as well, according to the ministry. Six Iraqi soldiers were killed and three Iraqi soldiers were wounded in May. In April, 24 were killed and 109 were wounded.

Twenty-five police officers were killed and 55 police were wounded in May. In April, 41 police were killed and 97 were wounded.


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