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Ohio women return home to families; details begin to emerge about escape from captivity- Martin Savidge reports
The first time most of America heard Amanda Berry's voice was on a frantic 911 call.
"I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years," the 27-year-old woman said on the call, which was made on Monday. "And I'm here. I'm free now."
A day later, Berry could be heard again. This time talking to relatives, she seemed positive, even upbeat - telling her grandmother Fern Gentry in Tennessee that she's "fine" and that the 6-year-old girl also rescued Monday from a Cleveland home is indeed her own.
"I love you honey, thank God," her tearful grandmother said, in a call recorded by CNN affiliate WJHL. "... I've thought about you all this time. I never forgot about you."
READ MORE: Women reunite with families; details begin to emerge
Fmr. Republican governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford gets chance at 'political redemption', wins his former seat in House- Jim Acosta reports
Mark Sanford is living proof that life is full of second chances.
The former Republican governor of South Carolina, whose political career was left for dead along the Appalachian Trail after an extramarital affair, asked for, and Tuesday received, political redemption as he won a special election to fill a vacant House seat that he once occupied.
"I want to acknowledge a God not just of second chances but third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth chances, because that is the reality of our shared humanity," Sanford said at his victory celebration after defeating his Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Colbert Busch. "I am one imperfect man saved by God's grace."
And at a news conference minutes later, Sanford added that "I think we're always on the search for redemption and I think this is certainly a degree of political redemption."
READ MORE: Sanford completes political comeback in South Carolina race
Three missing women who disappeared in separate incidents between 2002-2004 found alive – CNN’s Martin Savidge reports
Three women who vanished without a trace a decade ago were found alive Monday night in a Cleveland neighborhood not far from where they were abducted. Three suspects, all brothers, are arrested and awaiting charges, police say. Amanda Berry is one of the victims who disappeared in three separate incidents between 2002 and 2004. It was her frantic, breathless 911 call that brought the ordeal to an end. This morning CNN’s Martin Savidge has the latest on the escape and the three women’s conditions.
READ MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/07/us/ohio-missing-women-found/index.html?hpt=us_c2
Air Force official who served as branch chief for Sexual Assault Prevention program arrested on sexual assault charges – Barbara Starr reports
(CNN) - An Air Force officer who served as a branch chief for the service's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program was arrested and charged with sexual battery over the weekend.
Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, 41, has been removed from current duty, an Air Force official said Monday. The official declined to be named because it is an ongoing law enforcement matter.
Krusinski was placed in charge of a section of the service's sexual assault prevention and response program in February, running a five-person office, the Air Force official said.
He was arrested just after midnight Saturday in Arlington, Virginia, and is accused of grabbing a woman's breasts and buttocks, Arlington County police said. Police said the woman fought off her assailant when he tried to grab her again before she called authorities. ...
Krusinski's arrest comes as the Pentagon has been under closer scrutiny from Congress over its handling of sexual assault cases in the uniformed services.
READ MORE: Hagel: 'Outrage, disgust' as Air Force leader charged with sexual battery
Limousine fire kills 31-year-old bride and four of her friends – CNN's Nick Valencia reports
Monday morning investigators continue to piece together the clues to figure out how a limousine suddenly burst into flames – killing five people headed to a bachelorette party, including the bride-to-be.
For more on this story: Bride, 4 friends die in bachelorette limo
– CNN's Nick Valencia reports
Closing argument brings Jodi Arias to tears – Ted Rowlands reports
Jodi Arias breaks down in tears as the prosecution wraps up its final argument by repeatedly calling her a liar.
Calif. wildfires threaten thousands as officials rush to contain blaze – Stephanie Elam reports
CNN's Stephanie Elam on the ongoing wildfires in California and efforts to contain the blaze.
READ MORE: Roaring winds fuel raging California wildfire, expected to continue Friday
California wildfire burns nearly 3,000 acres, forces home evacuations – Kyung Lah reports
Banning, California (CNN) - Firefighters continue to battle what has been a fast-growing Southern California wildfire,one that has already consumed more than 2,950 acres.
The spread of the blaze seemed to slow early Thursday morning and crews gained greater containment, now pegged at 35%, according to the state agency Cal Fire.
The Riverside County Fire Department said 425 firefighters were involved in what's being called the Summit Fire. Six air tankers dropped chemical retardants on the flames.
There were no exact numbers on how many people had been evacuated, but authorities said a 200-unit mobile home park in Cherry Valley had been cleared.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Kyung Lah shares more details on the ongoing wildfires in Riverside County, California and the potential for more wildfires in the region.
READ MORE: California wildfire burns nearly 3,000 acres
Will U.S. intervene in case of U.S. citizen sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in N. Korea? Dan Rivers reports
eoul, South Korea (CNN) - A North Korean court has sentenced a U.S. citizen to 15 years of hard labor, saying he committed "hostile acts" against the secretive state.
The country's Supreme Court delivered the sentence against Pae Jun Ho, known as Kenneth Bae by U.S. authorities, on Tuesday, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday.
The KCNA article said Bae a Korean-American, was arrested November 3 after arriving as a tourist in Rason City, a port in the northeastern corner of North Korea. It didn't provide any details about the "hostile acts" he is alleged to have committed.
Following the sentence, his case could get caught up in the tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, which spiked recently after the North carried out its latest underground nuclear test in February and as the United States and South Korea held joint military drills in the region.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Dan Rivers shares more details on the sentencing of Bae, and whether a U.S. representative could intervene in his case to argue for his release.
READ MORE: North Korea sentences U.S. citizen to 15 years of hard labor
The cost of feeding a family of four in 2013
The USDA regularly monitors what it costs to feed a family of four in the U.S. This morning on "Early Start," we're getting a new look at exactly how much Americans shell out for food every week. Christine Romans shares details.
It costs a family of four about $21 a day for food, and on a weekly basis the thrifty plan is $146. On a more generous plan, families are looking at spending $289 a week for grub.
The USDA crunches these numbers so it has a guideline for nutrition assistance, or food stamps.
There are some common sense ways to make the low-cost food plan work, including:
* Avoid buying pre-cut, pre-washed or instant food.
* Canned or frozen vegetables can be cheaper than fresh.
* Cook meals that stretch, like stew and casserole
* Plan your meals.
How much do you pay for groceries every week? Share your tips for big savings on the grocery bill in the comments below.
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