(CNN) -- Temperatures reached 94 degrees by noon in Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday and were expected to keep climbling as a record heat wave gripped the Pacific Northwest.
"One-hundred is the all-time record for Seattle for any day, for any month, for any year," according to Cliff Mass, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington.
But cranking up the air conditioning isn't an option for many in Seattle.
"We're really not prepared for it," Mass said. "Most homes don't have air conditioning and a lot of stores don't. This is not like the East Coast or the Southwest. Temperatures generally in the summer are only in the 70s. Eighties are considered pretty warm."
Mass' weather blog -- cliffmass.blogspot.com -- warns that heat kills more people around the world every year than storms do.
With current temperatures, evenings don't provide much relief, either. Because of unusually high humidity, temperatures haven't been dropping to the typical mid- to high-50s.
Seattle had a high of 97 degrees on Tuesday, tying its all-time high recorded in 1998. Tuesday's low matched the record of 69 degrees.
The temperature in Olympia, Washington, was 101 degrees Tuesday, exceeding the previous high of 100 in 1998, according to the National Weather Service.
The heat wave has lasted several days, which is also unusual. What Mass calls the onshore push -- a surge of air from over the Pacific Ocean -- typically cools the area after a few days. Those winds are expected Friday.
Oregon also is feeling the heat and posting record highs.
It was 106 degrees in Portland on Tuesday, eclipsing the previous high of 101, which was set in 1998. It was 108 in Medford, 3 degrees above the 105-degree record set in 2003; and Salem was 107, exceeding the 2003 record of 99.
Libba Letton, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods Market, said the chain's Portland stores were passing out free water.
Federal panel issues H1N1 vaccine guidelines
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A federal advisory committee issued sweeping guidelines Wednesday for a vaccination campaign against the pandemic swine flu strain, identifying more than half the U.S. population as targets for the first round of vaccinations.
The advisory panel's guidelines don't trigger the start of vaccinations but are usually accepted by the government.
The priority groups include pregnant women; health care and emergency services personnel; children, adolescents and young adults up to age 24; household and caregiver contacts of children younger than six months; and healthy adults with certain medical conditions.
The guidelines were approved in a near-unanimous vote by the 15-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. One person dissented on whether to include people ages 19 to 24 among those targeted.
The vote does not trigger a decision to vaccinate against the disease, also called H1N1, but the federal government typically follows the committee's recommendations.
The recommendations could prove especially important if the pandemic strain, which emerged this spring, spreads widely before sufficient quantities of vaccine can be produced to protect everyone. The recommendations are intended to ensure that members of the most vulnerable groups get priority.
Earlier Wednesday, federal officials said they are on track to initiate a mass vaccination campaign by October, although many details remain to be worked out. Clinical trials to assess vaccine safety and efficacy are just getting under way at a handful of centers across the country.
Dr. William Schaffner, a flu researcher at Vanderbilt University, which is running one of the clinical trials, played down safety concerns that have been raised because safety data are limited.
"There is no alternative" to approving the new vaccine based on the limited data, he said. Fortunately, he added, "the novel H1N1 vaccine is created exactly the same way our seasonal vaccine is created, year in and year out."
Dr. Wellington Sun of the Food and Drug Administration said data from those trials would probably be available in September.
However, Dr. Robin Robinson, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at the Department of Health and Human Services, said that that even if federal regulators determine that the vaccine is safe and effective, it would take an additional four to six weeks before it could be packaged and available to the public.
About half of Americans -- 159 million -- fall into one of the five main target groups, including 102 million people aged 6 to 18.
Robinson had predicted earlier that 120 million vaccine doses would most likely be available within a month after the campaign starts.
Dr. Anthony Fiore of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who led the group's deliberations, said it made sense to target such a large group because it appears that vaccine supplies will be sufficient.
Part of that estimate is based on experience with seasonal flu vaccine; Fiore said that, typically, only 20 percent to 50 percent of people in targeted groups seek out seasonal flu vaccine.
Even if two doses of the swine flu vaccine are required to confer protection -- something that will be determined in clinical trials -- suppliers would probably be able to ramp up production quickly enough to meet demand, Fiore said.
But the advisory committee approved a backup plan in case supplies are more limited. In such a case, the priority groups would be pregnant women, health care and emergency services workers with direct patient contact, household contacts of children younger than 6 months, children age 6 months to 4 years and children younger than 19 with chronic medical conditions -- a total of 42 million people.
The panel also recommended that, once sufficient supplies exist to meet the needs of all targeted groups, the vaccine should be offered to healthy adults ages 25 to 64. Once those needs are met, vaccinations would be recommended for people older than 65.
The targeted groups differ starkly from the recommendations for seasonal flu vaccine campaigns, which include people 65 and older in the highest-risk group.
The difference is based largely on data showing vastly higher infection rates among younger people; the rate of laboratory-confirmed cases in Americans 65 and older is just 0.06 per 100,000, compared with 2.6 per 100,000 for the group with the highest infection rates, children 5 to 11.
Studies have found that many older Americans carry at least some antibody protection against the new virus, probably because it is similar to flu viruses that circulated widely in the 1920s through the early 1950s.
Some of the most alarming complications have been seen in pregnant women. A paper published Wednesday in the journal Lancet reported that pregnant women infected with H1N1 are more likely to be hospitalized and even die. Of the 45 H1N1 deaths reported to the CDC between April 15 and June 16, six (13 percent) were among pregnant women.
Obesity has not been determined to be a risk factor, Fiore said.
The H1N1 flu vaccination campaign would run concurrent with the usual seasonal flu campaign, which the committee recommended get under way as soon as possible.
Vanderbilt's Schaffner said patients should get the seasonal vaccine before distribution centers are swamped with demand for the pandemic vaccine.
But he also warned that the new vaccine might be of limited use. "The virus and the vaccine are in a race; the virus may win," he said.
If the pandemic strain starts spreading fast between now and October, he said, hospitals and medical personnel will be pushed to the limit.
"It's like thinking about a hurricane. You batten down the hatches. You do everything you can. But when the hurricane arrives, damage will occur. This one is going to be a doozy."
The advisory panel's guidelines don't trigger the start of vaccinations but are usually accepted by the government.
The priority groups include pregnant women; health care and emergency services personnel; children, adolescents and young adults up to age 24; household and caregiver contacts of children younger than six months; and healthy adults with certain medical conditions.
The guidelines were approved in a near-unanimous vote by the 15-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. One person dissented on whether to include people ages 19 to 24 among those targeted.
The vote does not trigger a decision to vaccinate against the disease, also called H1N1, but the federal government typically follows the committee's recommendations.
The recommendations could prove especially important if the pandemic strain, which emerged this spring, spreads widely before sufficient quantities of vaccine can be produced to protect everyone. The recommendations are intended to ensure that members of the most vulnerable groups get priority.
Earlier Wednesday, federal officials said they are on track to initiate a mass vaccination campaign by October, although many details remain to be worked out. Clinical trials to assess vaccine safety and efficacy are just getting under way at a handful of centers across the country.
Dr. William Schaffner, a flu researcher at Vanderbilt University, which is running one of the clinical trials, played down safety concerns that have been raised because safety data are limited.
"There is no alternative" to approving the new vaccine based on the limited data, he said. Fortunately, he added, "the novel H1N1 vaccine is created exactly the same way our seasonal vaccine is created, year in and year out."
Dr. Wellington Sun of the Food and Drug Administration said data from those trials would probably be available in September.
However, Dr. Robin Robinson, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at the Department of Health and Human Services, said that that even if federal regulators determine that the vaccine is safe and effective, it would take an additional four to six weeks before it could be packaged and available to the public.
About half of Americans -- 159 million -- fall into one of the five main target groups, including 102 million people aged 6 to 18.
Robinson had predicted earlier that 120 million vaccine doses would most likely be available within a month after the campaign starts.
Dr. Anthony Fiore of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who led the group's deliberations, said it made sense to target such a large group because it appears that vaccine supplies will be sufficient.
Part of that estimate is based on experience with seasonal flu vaccine; Fiore said that, typically, only 20 percent to 50 percent of people in targeted groups seek out seasonal flu vaccine.
Even if two doses of the swine flu vaccine are required to confer protection -- something that will be determined in clinical trials -- suppliers would probably be able to ramp up production quickly enough to meet demand, Fiore said.
But the advisory committee approved a backup plan in case supplies are more limited. In such a case, the priority groups would be pregnant women, health care and emergency services workers with direct patient contact, household contacts of children younger than 6 months, children age 6 months to 4 years and children younger than 19 with chronic medical conditions -- a total of 42 million people.
The panel also recommended that, once sufficient supplies exist to meet the needs of all targeted groups, the vaccine should be offered to healthy adults ages 25 to 64. Once those needs are met, vaccinations would be recommended for people older than 65.
The targeted groups differ starkly from the recommendations for seasonal flu vaccine campaigns, which include people 65 and older in the highest-risk group.
The difference is based largely on data showing vastly higher infection rates among younger people; the rate of laboratory-confirmed cases in Americans 65 and older is just 0.06 per 100,000, compared with 2.6 per 100,000 for the group with the highest infection rates, children 5 to 11.
Studies have found that many older Americans carry at least some antibody protection against the new virus, probably because it is similar to flu viruses that circulated widely in the 1920s through the early 1950s.
Some of the most alarming complications have been seen in pregnant women. A paper published Wednesday in the journal Lancet reported that pregnant women infected with H1N1 are more likely to be hospitalized and even die. Of the 45 H1N1 deaths reported to the CDC between April 15 and June 16, six (13 percent) were among pregnant women.
Obesity has not been determined to be a risk factor, Fiore said.
The H1N1 flu vaccination campaign would run concurrent with the usual seasonal flu campaign, which the committee recommended get under way as soon as possible.
Vanderbilt's Schaffner said patients should get the seasonal vaccine before distribution centers are swamped with demand for the pandemic vaccine.
But he also warned that the new vaccine might be of limited use. "The virus and the vaccine are in a race; the virus may win," he said.
If the pandemic strain starts spreading fast between now and October, he said, hospitals and medical personnel will be pushed to the limit.
"It's like thinking about a hurricane. You batten down the hatches. You do everything you can. But when the hurricane arrives, damage will occur. This one is going to be a doozy."
The top ten golf movies
(CNN) -- The drama of the action in-and-around the golf course has enraptured fans of the game through the generations and around the world. But the same drama that pulls in the crowds has also provided rich material for filmmakers too.
Stars of the screen including Dean Martin, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy have all starred in club-themed movies, as have more contemporary celebrities like Adam Sandler, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Will Smith.
Though the stories committed to celluloid vary in their approach - from The Stooges comedic farce entitled "Three Little Beers," to the Ben Hogan biopic "Follow the Sun," - the central attraction of golf remains at all the film's core.
Stars of the screen including Dean Martin, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy have all starred in club-themed movies, as have more contemporary celebrities like Adam Sandler, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Will Smith.
Though the stories committed to celluloid vary in their approach - from The Stooges comedic farce entitled "Three Little Beers," to the Ben Hogan biopic "Follow the Sun," - the central attraction of golf remains at all the film's core.
Regina Spektor tackles dolphins, dance on new album
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Regina Spektor has pretty pale blue eyes, but you won't see them if she's performing.
Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor has just released her third album.
"I play most of my songs with my eyes closed," says the Moscow, Russia-born singer-songwriter.
"I don't know why, but a lot of the time I don't realize that I'm doing it. It's weird."
Perhaps, but here's a musician who's known for being a little quirky.
On the track "Folding Chairs" off her new album, "Far" (Sire Records) Spektor imitates the sound a dolphin makes. And in the music video for her peppy song "Dance Anthem of The '80s" she gets her face so close to the camera that at times you think she's going to gobble it up.
But in person, the classically trained pianist is shy and soft spoken. And she recalls her third album's debut last month at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart -- a career high -- with genuine surprise. Watch an interview with Regina Spektor »
"I was in England when I found out," she says. "It was just very, very trippy."
Spektor invited CNN to crash the set at AOL's New York headquarters last week where she was filming a live performance for the music show, "The Interface."
She talked about the floppiness of the '80s and what it's like to be a songwriter who never writes anything down. The following is an edited version of the interview.
CNN: Your song "Eet" is about forgetting the lyrics to your favorite song. Do you ever forget the lyrics of your own songs when you're performing?
Regina Spektor: Yeah. I forget a lot. I try not to. I practice, but it all depends on how much coffee I've had before. Sometimes when I get the balance wrong, then all of a sudden all my songs become a mystery to me. It's like the teleprompter inside my head just goes off and I can't remember anything.
CNN: So what are you thinking about when you're performing with your eyes closed?
Spektor: I'm not really thinking that much of anything. I'm sort of in this state that's between thought and feeling. I think it's more of a feel state than a think state.
CNN: Your song "Dance Anthem of the '80s" is very cute. Did the music of that decade make a big impression on you?
Spektor: Yeah, I think because I spent all the '80s in the Soviet Union, my '80s were the '90s...even the beginning of 2000 actually. But I just love the fun of it. I think that it's not so dark and "me." It's very extroverted and it just doesn't take itself seriously. Fun, weird sounds and fun hair, and floppy everything.
Even though artistically it was really a fun decade, I think economically it was a very dangerous decade. It was a time of big, fast spenders and people who just didn't really think about the consequences of their greed.
CNN: What was the appeal of working with four different producers for your new album?
Spektor: Well, I sort of figured that since I get to make albums pretty rarely -- so far it's been one every three years - that I should take as much opportunity as I can and learn from people. I loved working with David Kahn on the last record, "Begin to Hope." And then this time I worked with him and then three more producers and just tried to learn as much as I could from each one.
CNN: Was there any concern that the album might not sound cohesive?
Spektor: No. I don't know why everybody wants things to be cohesive in the first place. I really love different things, and I think that things feel great when they're thrown in contrast. That's how you let one thing fulfill the other. I like things that are just all over the place.
CNN: Is it true that when you're creating a song you don't write anything down?
Spektor: Yeah, but I wouldn't say that's a good thing. I think it's pretty stupid. I just sort of play it over and over again until it's cemented in my head. I'm not good about writing stuff down. I don't know. I think it's some sort of laziness. It's how I forget a lot of stuff.
CNN: But it seems to work. The good ones stick.
Spektor: Yeah and some of the bad ones stick, and some of the good ones get forgotten.
CNN: So when do you know you have something that's worth recording?
Spektor: I feel that feeling all the time that I need to record before I forget it. I've actually gotten better because I used to just have to hold the songs in my head until the next time I would record them. But now I have a laptop and I've learned how to do GarageBand. It remembers for me.
CNN: How involved are you with coming up with the concepts for your music videos?
Spektor: Well (with) some of them I'm very involved. And (with) some of them I wasn't involved at all.
CNN: You just showed up?
Spektor: No I've never been that not involved. I guess my not involved at all is still very involved. I think it's really cool that musicians get to make music videos because it's our chance to learn about cameras and cinematography and this whole other world that goes on. My first ever video which was for a song called "Us" I made with my friend Adria Petty. We're always coming up with things together. We kind of incubate and make a lot of art together, share ideas.
But it's really fun the other way, too, like when I made a video with Mark Webb for "Fidelity." That was really cool because he had listened to the song and the video concept was his idea. And I just got to come in and be directed more, be part of his take on a song, and that was really fun, too.
Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor has just released her third album.
"I play most of my songs with my eyes closed," says the Moscow, Russia-born singer-songwriter.
"I don't know why, but a lot of the time I don't realize that I'm doing it. It's weird."
Perhaps, but here's a musician who's known for being a little quirky.
On the track "Folding Chairs" off her new album, "Far" (Sire Records) Spektor imitates the sound a dolphin makes. And in the music video for her peppy song "Dance Anthem of The '80s" she gets her face so close to the camera that at times you think she's going to gobble it up.
But in person, the classically trained pianist is shy and soft spoken. And she recalls her third album's debut last month at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart -- a career high -- with genuine surprise. Watch an interview with Regina Spektor »
"I was in England when I found out," she says. "It was just very, very trippy."
Spektor invited CNN to crash the set at AOL's New York headquarters last week where she was filming a live performance for the music show, "The Interface."
She talked about the floppiness of the '80s and what it's like to be a songwriter who never writes anything down. The following is an edited version of the interview.
CNN: Your song "Eet" is about forgetting the lyrics to your favorite song. Do you ever forget the lyrics of your own songs when you're performing?
Regina Spektor: Yeah. I forget a lot. I try not to. I practice, but it all depends on how much coffee I've had before. Sometimes when I get the balance wrong, then all of a sudden all my songs become a mystery to me. It's like the teleprompter inside my head just goes off and I can't remember anything.
CNN: So what are you thinking about when you're performing with your eyes closed?
Spektor: I'm not really thinking that much of anything. I'm sort of in this state that's between thought and feeling. I think it's more of a feel state than a think state.
CNN: Your song "Dance Anthem of the '80s" is very cute. Did the music of that decade make a big impression on you?
Spektor: Yeah, I think because I spent all the '80s in the Soviet Union, my '80s were the '90s...even the beginning of 2000 actually. But I just love the fun of it. I think that it's not so dark and "me." It's very extroverted and it just doesn't take itself seriously. Fun, weird sounds and fun hair, and floppy everything.
Even though artistically it was really a fun decade, I think economically it was a very dangerous decade. It was a time of big, fast spenders and people who just didn't really think about the consequences of their greed.
CNN: What was the appeal of working with four different producers for your new album?
Spektor: Well, I sort of figured that since I get to make albums pretty rarely -- so far it's been one every three years - that I should take as much opportunity as I can and learn from people. I loved working with David Kahn on the last record, "Begin to Hope." And then this time I worked with him and then three more producers and just tried to learn as much as I could from each one.
CNN: Was there any concern that the album might not sound cohesive?
Spektor: No. I don't know why everybody wants things to be cohesive in the first place. I really love different things, and I think that things feel great when they're thrown in contrast. That's how you let one thing fulfill the other. I like things that are just all over the place.
CNN: Is it true that when you're creating a song you don't write anything down?
Spektor: Yeah, but I wouldn't say that's a good thing. I think it's pretty stupid. I just sort of play it over and over again until it's cemented in my head. I'm not good about writing stuff down. I don't know. I think it's some sort of laziness. It's how I forget a lot of stuff.
CNN: But it seems to work. The good ones stick.
Spektor: Yeah and some of the bad ones stick, and some of the good ones get forgotten.
CNN: So when do you know you have something that's worth recording?
Spektor: I feel that feeling all the time that I need to record before I forget it. I've actually gotten better because I used to just have to hold the songs in my head until the next time I would record them. But now I have a laptop and I've learned how to do GarageBand. It remembers for me.
CNN: How involved are you with coming up with the concepts for your music videos?
Spektor: Well (with) some of them I'm very involved. And (with) some of them I wasn't involved at all.
CNN: You just showed up?
Spektor: No I've never been that not involved. I guess my not involved at all is still very involved. I think it's really cool that musicians get to make music videos because it's our chance to learn about cameras and cinematography and this whole other world that goes on. My first ever video which was for a song called "Us" I made with my friend Adria Petty. We're always coming up with things together. We kind of incubate and make a lot of art together, share ideas.
But it's really fun the other way, too, like when I made a video with Mark Webb for "Fidelity." That was really cool because he had listened to the song and the video concept was his idea. And I just got to come in and be directed more, be part of his take on a song, and that was really fun, too.
Jude Law to become a dad again
(Entertainment Weekly) -- Actor Jude Law is expecting his fourth child, his spokesperson said.
Actor Jude Law's publicist confirmed he is expecting his fourth child.
In a statement released to Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, the single actor confirmed that he will once again become a father.
"Jude Law can confirm that, following a relationship last year, he has been advised that he is to be the father of a child due in the fall of this year," the statement said.
"Mr. Law is no longer in a relationship with the individual concerned but he intends to be a fully supportive part of the child's life. This is an entirely private matter and no other statements will be made."
The statement was released exclusively to Entertainment Weekly, whose site broke the story on Wednesday.
Law, 36, has three children with ex-wife Sadie Frost.
The handsome British actor known for appearing in movies such as "Cold Mountain" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and headlines a few years ago after an alleged fling with his children's caregiver and a broken engagement with actress Sienna Miller.
He is scheduled to appear in "Hamlet" on Broadway in October and will star opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the movie "Sherlock Holmes" slated to open Christmas Day.
Actor Jude Law's publicist confirmed he is expecting his fourth child.
In a statement released to Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, the single actor confirmed that he will once again become a father.
"Jude Law can confirm that, following a relationship last year, he has been advised that he is to be the father of a child due in the fall of this year," the statement said.
"Mr. Law is no longer in a relationship with the individual concerned but he intends to be a fully supportive part of the child's life. This is an entirely private matter and no other statements will be made."
The statement was released exclusively to Entertainment Weekly, whose site broke the story on Wednesday.
Law, 36, has three children with ex-wife Sadie Frost.
The handsome British actor known for appearing in movies such as "Cold Mountain" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and headlines a few years ago after an alleged fling with his children's caregiver and a broken engagement with actress Sienna Miller.
He is scheduled to appear in "Hamlet" on Broadway in October and will star opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the movie "Sherlock Holmes" slated to open Christmas Day.
Schumacher to make sensational F1 comeback
(CNN) -- Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher will make a dramatic return to Formula One as a replacement for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa.
Michael Schumacher will make a dramatic return to Formula One as a replacement for Felipe Massa.
1 of 2 more photos » The 40-year-old German, who retired from the sport in 2006, won five of his seven titles while competing for Ferrari, and has retained his links with the Italian manufacturer as a team advisor.
Schumacher told CNN: "The most important thing first: thank God, all news concerning Felipe is positive. I wish him all the best again.
"I met Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo from Ferrari on Wednesday afternoon and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take Felipe's place.
"Though it is true that my Formula One chapter has closed, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore their current unfortunate situation. As the competitor I am I also very much look forward to facing this challenge."
Schumacher's spokesperson Sabine Kehm confirmed to CNN: "He is coming back pending medical exams and will be in the Ferrrari cockpit for the next race in Valencia on August 23 if those tests go well."
Ferrari later confirmed Schumacher's return in a statement: "Ferrari intends to entrust Michael Schumacher with Felipe Massa's car for as long as the Brazilian driver is not able to race.
"Michael Schumacher has shown his willingness and in the next few days he will undergo a specific program of preparation at the end of which it will be possible to confirm his participation in the championship starting with the European Grand Prix."
Rumors began to surface about Schumacher's likely return on Tuesday, with Kehm telling CNN at the time: "There is no offer from Ferrari, but if they decided they need him, Michael would certainly weigh his options."
Meanwhile, Massa has been moved out of intensive care at the AEK military hospital in Budapest, with his personal doctor convinced he will race again.
Massa's rapid improvement since undergoing surgery on Saturday to repair a fractured skull following his crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, has prompted doctors to move the Brazilian to his own private room.
It means Massa is now off the critical list, although the 28-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by medical staff. Initial fears that the Brazilian may never drive again, due to concerns surrounding the sight in his left eye, also appear to have eased.
Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni told Press Association Sport: "The most important situation is that Felipe is out of intensive care and now in his own private room.
Michael Schumacher will make a dramatic return to Formula One as a replacement for Felipe Massa.
1 of 2 more photos » The 40-year-old German, who retired from the sport in 2006, won five of his seven titles while competing for Ferrari, and has retained his links with the Italian manufacturer as a team advisor.
Schumacher told CNN: "The most important thing first: thank God, all news concerning Felipe is positive. I wish him all the best again.
"I met Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo from Ferrari on Wednesday afternoon and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take Felipe's place.
"Though it is true that my Formula One chapter has closed, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore their current unfortunate situation. As the competitor I am I also very much look forward to facing this challenge."
Schumacher's spokesperson Sabine Kehm confirmed to CNN: "He is coming back pending medical exams and will be in the Ferrrari cockpit for the next race in Valencia on August 23 if those tests go well."
Ferrari later confirmed Schumacher's return in a statement: "Ferrari intends to entrust Michael Schumacher with Felipe Massa's car for as long as the Brazilian driver is not able to race.
"Michael Schumacher has shown his willingness and in the next few days he will undergo a specific program of preparation at the end of which it will be possible to confirm his participation in the championship starting with the European Grand Prix."
Rumors began to surface about Schumacher's likely return on Tuesday, with Kehm telling CNN at the time: "There is no offer from Ferrari, but if they decided they need him, Michael would certainly weigh his options."
Meanwhile, Massa has been moved out of intensive care at the AEK military hospital in Budapest, with his personal doctor convinced he will race again.
Massa's rapid improvement since undergoing surgery on Saturday to repair a fractured skull following his crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, has prompted doctors to move the Brazilian to his own private room.
It means Massa is now off the critical list, although the 28-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by medical staff. Initial fears that the Brazilian may never drive again, due to concerns surrounding the sight in his left eye, also appear to have eased.
Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni told Press Association Sport: "The most important situation is that Felipe is out of intensive care and now in his own private room.
Arizona girl's attack sheds light on rape in Liberia
(CNN) -- The allegation is shocking: an 8-year-old girl lured to a storage shed with the promise of chewing gum, pinned down and sexually assaulted by four boys, none of them older than 14.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has made cracking down on sex crimes a top priority in Liberia.
1 of 3 The response from the girl's family sent a second and equally stunning shockwave through their Phoenix, Arizona, community: "The parents felt that they had been shamed or embarrassed by their child," reported Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill.
As a result, the girl was taken into custody by Arizona's child welfare agency.
The prosecutor who charged the four boys called the crime "heartrending" and "deeply disturbing." But to those familiar with Liberia, the west African nation where the families of all of the children are from, the crime and response are both part of a sadly familiar story.
"It's something that happens every day in every community in Liberia," said Tania Bernath, a researcher for the human rights group Amnesty International.
The country was racked by a brutal civil war for most of 14 years. During that time, rape was used by fighters on all sides as a tool of war and a way to spread terror and demoralize enemies.
A United Nations report in 2004, the year after much of the fighting stopped, estimated that 60 to 70 percent of all women in the nation had been the victims of sexual violence.
A 2006 government report said that of 1,600 women surveyed, 92 percent reported some kind of sexual violence, including rape.
"They would have cases where they would rape the wife in front of the husband -- things like that, really breaking down communities," said Bernath, who spent several years in Liberia working for a relief organization.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has made cracking down on sex crimes a top priority in Liberia.
1 of 3 The response from the girl's family sent a second and equally stunning shockwave through their Phoenix, Arizona, community: "The parents felt that they had been shamed or embarrassed by their child," reported Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill.
As a result, the girl was taken into custody by Arizona's child welfare agency.
The prosecutor who charged the four boys called the crime "heartrending" and "deeply disturbing." But to those familiar with Liberia, the west African nation where the families of all of the children are from, the crime and response are both part of a sadly familiar story.
"It's something that happens every day in every community in Liberia," said Tania Bernath, a researcher for the human rights group Amnesty International.
The country was racked by a brutal civil war for most of 14 years. During that time, rape was used by fighters on all sides as a tool of war and a way to spread terror and demoralize enemies.
A United Nations report in 2004, the year after much of the fighting stopped, estimated that 60 to 70 percent of all women in the nation had been the victims of sexual violence.
A 2006 government report said that of 1,600 women surveyed, 92 percent reported some kind of sexual violence, including rape.
"They would have cases where they would rape the wife in front of the husband -- things like that, really breaking down communities," said Bernath, who spent several years in Liberia working for a relief organization.
Baby cut from slain mom's womb found alive
(CNN) -- A baby believed to be ripped from the womb of its mother has been found, Massachusetts police said Wednesday. In addition, authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the crime.
Darlene Haynes was found slain and wrapped in bedding in her apartment closet, according to authorities.
Police had searched for the baby since Monday, when her mother, Darlene Haynes, was found dead in the closet of her Worcester apartment.
Officers received tips from women who became suspicious of Julie A. Corey, a friend of Haynes who turned up with a newborn girl at the time that Haynes went missing.
Haynes told friends she delivered a baby sometime between July 23 and July 24 at an undisclosed Massachusetts hospital, according to authorities.
Police learned that Corey had moved to New Hampshire with a boyfriend. Police later found Corey and the baby Wednesday afternoon in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
The baby was in fairly good health and was taken to a hospital, Worcester police said.
Corey, 35, was arrested and charged with being a fugitive from justice.
Don't Miss
Woman killed, fetus cut from body
Police discovered Haynes' body Monday, after neighbors complained about a stench.
Haynes, 23, was found in the closet of a bedroom, wrapped in bedding. Police think she had been dead for several days. She was last seen on July 23, and Corey was one of the last people to see her, authorities said. Watch neighbors describe victim »
A friend of Haynes told CNN affiliate WHDH that she received a text message from Haynes at 11:20 p.m. Thursday that said she was having wine coolers with a friend at her apartment.
Darlene Haynes was found slain and wrapped in bedding in her apartment closet, according to authorities.
Police had searched for the baby since Monday, when her mother, Darlene Haynes, was found dead in the closet of her Worcester apartment.
Officers received tips from women who became suspicious of Julie A. Corey, a friend of Haynes who turned up with a newborn girl at the time that Haynes went missing.
Haynes told friends she delivered a baby sometime between July 23 and July 24 at an undisclosed Massachusetts hospital, according to authorities.
Police learned that Corey had moved to New Hampshire with a boyfriend. Police later found Corey and the baby Wednesday afternoon in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
The baby was in fairly good health and was taken to a hospital, Worcester police said.
Corey, 35, was arrested and charged with being a fugitive from justice.
Don't Miss
Woman killed, fetus cut from body
Police discovered Haynes' body Monday, after neighbors complained about a stench.
Haynes, 23, was found in the closet of a bedroom, wrapped in bedding. Police think she had been dead for several days. She was last seen on July 23, and Corey was one of the last people to see her, authorities said. Watch neighbors describe victim »
A friend of Haynes told CNN affiliate WHDH that she received a text message from Haynes at 11:20 p.m. Thursday that said she was having wine coolers with a friend at her apartment.
Couple boogies into spotlight with viral wedding video
(CNN) -- Sometimes, the effects of fame can ripple like a stone dropped in a pond.
A YouTube video shows a Minnesota wedding party dancing down the aisle.
Take the case of Minnesota residents Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson. The couple had a fun idea for their wedding party to do a nontraditional procession to a catchy tune, "Forever" by Chris Brown.
The joyous video of the group busting their loosely choreographed moves down the aisle went viral after the newlyweds posted it on YouTube. Soon they were being deluged by the media and flown to New York to appear on national television.
Since then, millions have watched the funky wedding march and helped transform Heinz and Peterson into instant celebrities.
Amy Carlson Gustafson, a pop culture reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, reported on the story that she said has not only stirred up the hometown folks, but also showed a different side of Minnesota.
"I think people are loving it," she said. "It's really fun and it's especially fun in Minnesota where a lot of people think we are a bunch of uptight Scandinavians who sit around and say 'You betcha.' This video helps to debunk that a little bit."
That sense of fun and whimsy has enchanted many and led to Heinz and Peterson being sought for interviews by everyone from their local publications to the major networks. Watch guests at the wedding discuss the experience »
Don't Miss
YouTube student rap stars take on poetry
Chris Brown asks for forgiveness for assault
But they have apparently also learned quickly about the downside of fame.
The New York Post reported the pair was caught in the crossfire of the battle of the morning shows.
According to the newspaper, ABC flew Heinz and Peterson to the Big Apple after booking them to appear on "Good Morning America."
Things soured, the paper's Page Six column reported, after ABC learned the couple had also taped a segment for the rival "Today" show, which aired before the couple's appearance on "Good Morning America."
Adding fuel to the fire was a planned live re-creation of the dance by the wedding party scheduled for Saturday morning on "Today."
When it appeared that Heinz and Peterson weren't adhering to the age-old "dance with who brung ya" rule, their ABC-sponsored hotel and flight home were canceled, the paper said.
"We've been kicked out of our room," Heinz told the Post after the incident. "New York is cutthroat. That's what we've learned."
"Today" reportedly stepped in and secured a new room and flight for Heinz and Peterson.
Reporter Gustafson said she spoke with mother-of-the-bride Marge Peterson, who said her daughter and new son-in-law were done talking to the media.
"They are not used to this type of publicity," Gustafson said.
Shane Mercado can relate.
The 27-year-old from New York posted a video last year of himself mimicking step-for-step Beyonce's dance moves from her "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" music video.
Mercado said he did it at the suggestion of a friend and before he knew it, he was a YouTube sensation.
"Once I did it I thought 'What did I just do?' " he recalled. "The response was overwhelming."
Soon, Mercado was a minor celebrity being asked for autographs and dancing his routine on the "Bonnie Hunt Show."
"Extra" even arranged for him to surprise Beyonce on the red carpet during the premier of her film "Cadillac Records"
Not only did the superstar singer know who he was, Mercado said, but so did other celebs.
"The actress Gabrielle Union knew who I was," Mercado said. "That just blew me away.'
Mercado said he doesn't consider himself famous and finds the notoriety humbling.
The loss of anonymity is challenging, he said. Suddenly, the number of people "in your business" dramatically increases. He said he can imagine how Heinz and Peterson are feeling: overwhelmed.
"That was their [wedding] and it was probably very private to them," Mercado said. "It can be a bit much to handle and if they were not ready to handle it, then it's not a good thing."
Being sucked into a vortex of whirlwind publicity can be a heady experience, said Atlanta, Georgia-based photographer Ross Oscar Knight.
Two years ago, Knight photographed an elaborately staged engagement planned by Robert Gray Jr. to surprise his girlfriend, Keisha Williams.
Gray rented 10 rooms at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, and filled them with rose petals, candles, and music.
As Gray led Williams to each room, friends and family were waiting with well wishes and prayers, all leading up to his proposal.
A slide show of Knight's pictures of the moving event scored millions of hits and crashed several sites linking to it, the photographer said.
"I immediately started getting calls from all over the world," Knight said. "We got an extra phone line because so many calls were coming in."
Not only were people touched, but many also wanted to have their engagements documented, Knight said, so there are sure to be dancing-down-the-aisle videos to come.
Knight said Gray and Williams, whose fairy-tale engagement attracted the attention of national publications like Essence Magazine, have married but decided to do so quietly after shutting down a Web site they had started to keep fans updated.
"They did a private ceremony because they didn't want any of that released to the media," Knight said. "I think they got to see stardom and what can happen when there is so much of a focus put on you."
Someone else who has also been thrust into the spotlight, albeit again, is singer Chris Brown, whose song the Heinz-Peterson wedding party danced to.
Despite increased demand on iTunes for the single "Forever" and speculation by media outlets like Gawker.com that the wedding video could help rehabilitate Brown's image, US Weekly staff editor Lindsay Powers said she doesn't believe all will be forgiven.
Brown, who has publicly apologized for assaulting his girlfriend, the singer Rihanna, has a long way to go before the tide of public opinion can be swayed, Powers said.
"I think that Chris Brown has had considerable career damage over these past couple of months," she said. "I think that people are going to say that's a catchy song, they'll go to iTunes and download it to their iPods, but I don't think that because people like the song they are going to like Chris Brown."
A YouTube video shows a Minnesota wedding party dancing down the aisle.
Take the case of Minnesota residents Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson. The couple had a fun idea for their wedding party to do a nontraditional procession to a catchy tune, "Forever" by Chris Brown.
The joyous video of the group busting their loosely choreographed moves down the aisle went viral after the newlyweds posted it on YouTube. Soon they were being deluged by the media and flown to New York to appear on national television.
Since then, millions have watched the funky wedding march and helped transform Heinz and Peterson into instant celebrities.
Amy Carlson Gustafson, a pop culture reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, reported on the story that she said has not only stirred up the hometown folks, but also showed a different side of Minnesota.
"I think people are loving it," she said. "It's really fun and it's especially fun in Minnesota where a lot of people think we are a bunch of uptight Scandinavians who sit around and say 'You betcha.' This video helps to debunk that a little bit."
That sense of fun and whimsy has enchanted many and led to Heinz and Peterson being sought for interviews by everyone from their local publications to the major networks. Watch guests at the wedding discuss the experience »
Don't Miss
YouTube student rap stars take on poetry
Chris Brown asks for forgiveness for assault
But they have apparently also learned quickly about the downside of fame.
The New York Post reported the pair was caught in the crossfire of the battle of the morning shows.
According to the newspaper, ABC flew Heinz and Peterson to the Big Apple after booking them to appear on "Good Morning America."
Things soured, the paper's Page Six column reported, after ABC learned the couple had also taped a segment for the rival "Today" show, which aired before the couple's appearance on "Good Morning America."
Adding fuel to the fire was a planned live re-creation of the dance by the wedding party scheduled for Saturday morning on "Today."
When it appeared that Heinz and Peterson weren't adhering to the age-old "dance with who brung ya" rule, their ABC-sponsored hotel and flight home were canceled, the paper said.
"We've been kicked out of our room," Heinz told the Post after the incident. "New York is cutthroat. That's what we've learned."
"Today" reportedly stepped in and secured a new room and flight for Heinz and Peterson.
Reporter Gustafson said she spoke with mother-of-the-bride Marge Peterson, who said her daughter and new son-in-law were done talking to the media.
"They are not used to this type of publicity," Gustafson said.
Shane Mercado can relate.
The 27-year-old from New York posted a video last year of himself mimicking step-for-step Beyonce's dance moves from her "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" music video.
Mercado said he did it at the suggestion of a friend and before he knew it, he was a YouTube sensation.
"Once I did it I thought 'What did I just do?' " he recalled. "The response was overwhelming."
Soon, Mercado was a minor celebrity being asked for autographs and dancing his routine on the "Bonnie Hunt Show."
"Extra" even arranged for him to surprise Beyonce on the red carpet during the premier of her film "Cadillac Records"
Not only did the superstar singer know who he was, Mercado said, but so did other celebs.
"The actress Gabrielle Union knew who I was," Mercado said. "That just blew me away.'
Mercado said he doesn't consider himself famous and finds the notoriety humbling.
The loss of anonymity is challenging, he said. Suddenly, the number of people "in your business" dramatically increases. He said he can imagine how Heinz and Peterson are feeling: overwhelmed.
"That was their [wedding] and it was probably very private to them," Mercado said. "It can be a bit much to handle and if they were not ready to handle it, then it's not a good thing."
Being sucked into a vortex of whirlwind publicity can be a heady experience, said Atlanta, Georgia-based photographer Ross Oscar Knight.
Two years ago, Knight photographed an elaborately staged engagement planned by Robert Gray Jr. to surprise his girlfriend, Keisha Williams.
Gray rented 10 rooms at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, and filled them with rose petals, candles, and music.
As Gray led Williams to each room, friends and family were waiting with well wishes and prayers, all leading up to his proposal.
A slide show of Knight's pictures of the moving event scored millions of hits and crashed several sites linking to it, the photographer said.
"I immediately started getting calls from all over the world," Knight said. "We got an extra phone line because so many calls were coming in."
Not only were people touched, but many also wanted to have their engagements documented, Knight said, so there are sure to be dancing-down-the-aisle videos to come.
Knight said Gray and Williams, whose fairy-tale engagement attracted the attention of national publications like Essence Magazine, have married but decided to do so quietly after shutting down a Web site they had started to keep fans updated.
"They did a private ceremony because they didn't want any of that released to the media," Knight said. "I think they got to see stardom and what can happen when there is so much of a focus put on you."
Someone else who has also been thrust into the spotlight, albeit again, is singer Chris Brown, whose song the Heinz-Peterson wedding party danced to.
Despite increased demand on iTunes for the single "Forever" and speculation by media outlets like Gawker.com that the wedding video could help rehabilitate Brown's image, US Weekly staff editor Lindsay Powers said she doesn't believe all will be forgiven.
Brown, who has publicly apologized for assaulting his girlfriend, the singer Rihanna, has a long way to go before the tide of public opinion can be swayed, Powers said.
"I think that Chris Brown has had considerable career damage over these past couple of months," she said. "I think that people are going to say that's a catchy song, they'll go to iTunes and download it to their iPods, but I don't think that because people like the song they are going to like Chris Brown."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)