Obama: Ebola 'national security priority'

• President Barack Obama: "We have to mobilize the international community"


• On "Meet the Press," he warns inaction could have dire consequences down the road


• The president of Doctors Without Borders has criticized the U.S. response

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Sunday signaled for the first time that he is likely to dispatch U.S. military resources to help fight the serious outbreak of Ebola in several countries in West Africa.

"We have to make this a national security priority. We have to mobilize the international community, get resources in there," the President said to Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"We're going to have to get U.S. military assets just to set up, for example, isolation units and equipment there, to provide security for public health workers surging from around the world."

Obama's comments come after sharp criticism from Dr. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, last week.

"States with the required capacity have a political and humanitarian responsibility to come forward and offer a desperately needed, concrete response to the disaster unfolding in front of the world's eyes ... rather than limit their response to the potential arrival of an infected patient in their countries," Liu said.

Obama cautioned that inaction could have dire consequences.

"If we don't make that effort now, and this spreads not just through Africa but other parts of the world, there's the prospect then that the virus mutates. It becomes more easily transmittable. And then it could be a serious danger to the United States," Obama said.

American Ebola survivor Dr. Keith Brantly pleaded for help from the international community in a recent op-ed for Time.

"The national governments of West Africa are overwhelmed," Brantly said.

"This is a global problem, and it requires the action of national governments around the world."

Obama echoed Brantly's sentiments, arguing that U.S. leadership is necessary for a health crisis of this magnitude.

"When I go before Congress, and I say, 'Let's give some public health aid to countries like Liberia, so that they can set up hospitals and nurses and vaccinations, et cetera,' you know, sometimes, you know, the American public says, 'Why are we wasting money on them?' " Obama said, explaining, "When we make those short-term investments now, it really pays a lot of dividends in the future."

The Ebola outbreak has been centered in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, with a handful of cases in Nigeria. The overall fatality rate is 50%, WHO said, ranging from 39% in Sierra Leone to 64% in Guinea, according to the latest figures.

Sierra Leone plans nationwide lockdown

Mariano Castillo and Greg Botelho contributed to this report

Are Rubio, Cruz running for president?

• Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz both say they're now more interested in running for President


• Rubio says the current Senate gridlock is limiting his ability


• Cruz says foreign policy is playing into his decision

(CNN) -- A fresh round of clues arrived this week from two Republican lawmakers who are regularly asked about their desire to pursue their party's nomination in 2016.

While each cited different reasons, both Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas say they're now more interested in running.

Rubio says the current Senate gridlock is limiting his ability to advocate for the kind of policies he sees as critical for moving America forward and that the White House might be a better place for that.

"I'll have to make a decision in 2016 either way, because I'm up for re-election in the Senate. And for me it's not going to be about the position, it's going to be about where can I best advocate for a 21st century reform agenda that allows us to usher in another American century," Rubio told CBS' "Face the Nation."

"The decision I have to make is can I best do that as a senator, or can I best do that as running and hopefully winning a presidency," he said. "And that's a question I'll have more clarity on after this mid-term, because I can promise you this: the one place where I will not be able to do that from is a Senate that is still run by [Majority Leader] Harry Reid that allows no votes on anything of substance or importance."

Cruz, however, says that in addition to midterm election outcomes, events outside of Washington are playing into his decision.

In an interview with ABC News, Cruz again denounced President Barack Obama's foreign policy and said he thinks voters want the United States to play a more prominent role in world affairs.

"The American people in 2014 and also November 2016 are going to be looking for leaders who want to work to restore America's leadership in the world," Cruz said.

One factor Cruz said is impacting his decision to seek higher office: the debate in the Republican Party on how deeply the United States should be enmeshed in global crises.

"It increases my interest in doing everything I can to change the direction we're on," Cruz said.

On some issues, Paul and Christie sound a lot alike

CNN's Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed to this report.

Shelling during Ukraine 'ceasefire'

• NEW: A woman is killed in shelling near Mariupol, the local government says


• Shelling and explosions heard near Donetsk airport, city government says


• Kiev and pro-Russian rebels have blamed each other for ceasefire breaches


• "There is so much confusion," a Mariupol resident says

Mariupol, Ukraine (CNN) -- Shelling hit areas near two key cities in eastern Ukraine on Sunday morning, intensifying fears that a ceasefire that took effect less than two days ago may be falling apart.

The fledgling truce between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists began Friday evening, and both sides were already accusing each other of violating it by Saturday.

Sporadic artillery and machine gun fire rang out in the early hours of Sunday on the outskirts the strategic port city of Mariupol. A gas station was set on fire, and cars carried wounded civilians down the roads.

Shelling and explosions were also heard near the airport of the flashpoint city of Donetsk on Sunday morning, the city council said on its website.

Explosions in Mariupol amid ceasefire

Swedish minister outlines Russia measures

NATO to pressure Russia over Ukraine

In both cities, the source of the weapons fire wasn't immediately clear.

The Mariupol city government said that pro-Russian rebels had carried out the shelling near the city overnight. It said one woman was killed and three people wounded.

The Russian news agency Itar-Tass late Saturday quoted rebel officials as saying that Ukrainian forces continued to shell Donetsk and rebel positions near Mariupol. The RIA Novosti news agency reported that four Donetsk residents were killed in the shelling.

Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Col. Andriy Lysenko told reporters in Kiev on Saturday that the situation was calmer than before the truce, but that there had been a number of "provocations" by rebels. They included 10 instances of shelling in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, he said.

In a sign the government was still hoping to stick to the ceasefire deal, Lysenko said a prisoner exchange would begin soon, although he didn't specify a time or date.

Does ceasefire in Ukraine have any chance of holding?

'So much confusion'

Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels have been locked in vicious fighting in eastern Ukraine since April, leaving more than 2,200 people dead, according to the United Nations.

The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the region, where shelling has destroyed homes and infrastructure. Nationwide, more than a million people have been displaced from their homes by the fighting, most of them in the east.

One old man in Mariupol shook his head gloomily when asked if he thought the ceasefire would last.

"There is so much confusion," Gennady Andreyavich said. "We really don't know what will happen, because when people say we must live in a united Ukraine and we see at the same time Ukrainian forces in retreat -- what should we think?"

Ukrainian forces and the rebels have engaged in fierce fighting over the past week in the territory between the Russian border and Mariupol.

A previous unilateral ceasefire declared by the Ukrainian government in June broke down after 10 days.

Poroshenko and Putin talk

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the signing of the ceasefire deal in the Belarusian city of Minsk, Poroshenko's office said Saturday in a statement.

The leaders agreed that the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been mostly upheld and they discussed further steps to make the truce last, the statement said.

Some areas at the heart of the conflict reported that calm was prevailing.

Luhansk city council said that Saturday was the first day in over a month with no shooting. The city office has started working on repairs to the power and water supply.

Russian warning over sanctions

In spite of the ceasefire agreement, Putin remains under pressure from the West over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government and the West accuse Moscow of supporting the rebels with weapons and fighters -- allegations that Moscow has repeatedly denied.

Hours after the truce came into effect, EU leaders meeting in Brussels, Belgium, agreed on a new round of economic sanctions against Russian interests. They are due to be formally adopted on Monday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry warned Saturday that if new EU sanctions are imposed, Russia "certainly will respond," Russian state-run news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Amnesty International, meanwhile, accused Ukrainian militia and separatists of carrying out war crimes. The human rights group singled out Russia for a buildup of armor and artillery in eastern Ukraine.

Putin has voiced sympathy for the separatists, many of whom are ethnic Russians. But he denies that Russia has armed and trained the rebels, or sent its troops over the border.

NATO: An amusing show for Putin?

NATO's moment of truth on Ukraine

CNN's Diana Magnay reported from Mariupol, and Jethro Mullen wrote and reported from Hong Kong. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark, Lindsay Isaac, Reza Sayah, Michael Martinez and Alla Eshchenko contributed to this report. Journalist Victoria Butenko also contributed from Kiev.

7 deluxe reasons to visit Oman

The Chedi Muscat's narrow infinity pool, which the hotel claims is the longest pool in all of Oman, stretches to the Indian Ocean and is a major draw for both for foreign tourists and locals.

Muscat is the only city on the Arabian Peninsula with its own opera house. It blends traditional Omani design with modern acoustic technology and is one of the most recognizable sights in Muscat.

Jabal Akhdar, located at nearly 10,000 feet up in the Hajar Mountain range, is uniquely covered with trees and shrubs in an otherwise mostly desert landscape. Oman's green mountain can be discovered from the comforts of the newly-built five-star Alila Jabal Akhdar.

Zighy Bay is home to a Six Senses resort with more than 80 villas. The resort offers the region's most unique way to reach a hotel room: para-sailing from a rocky overlook 1,000 feet above.

Centuries ago, Omanis dominated the Indian Ocean and earned a reputation as the best seafarers in the world. Omani sailors like the legendary Sinbad used wooden dhows to expand their Gulf sultanate's reach as far south as Zanzibar in East Africa.

Camping under the stars in the desert is a favorite Omani pastime. Wahiba Sands is a rejuvenating desert retreat far from the bustle of Muscat, where Bedouin tour guides offer desert safaris and overnight camping treks.

One of the most popular dishes in Oman is called shuwa, succulent lamb served with spice-infused rice. The whole process can take a full day, which is why shuwa is typically served as a feast only on Omani holidays and special occasions.

• The Chedi Muscat hotel claims its infinity pool is the longest pool in Oman


• Six Sense Zighy Bay offers a unique way to get to your room: parasailing from a rocky overlook 1,000 feet above the resort


• Shuwa is a lamb with rice dish typically served as a feast only on Omani holidays and special occasions

(CNN) -- While the United Arab Emirates draws international visitors to its flashy five-star hotels and massive shopping malls, its neighbor to the east, Oman, has taken a slightly more subtle approach to developing its tourism industry.

Oman is hoping that the preservation of its heritage sites and spectacular landscapes -- rather than rapid modernization of both -- will attract visitors seeking a more laid back Arabian experience.

The capital, Muscat, may not have many towering glass skyscrapers, but that doesn't mean that visitors to this Gulf nation have to rough it.

Oman has a wealth of luxury experiences that provide modern comforts in a unique Middle Eastern setting.

1. The Chedi, Muscat

Muscat's waterfront has a charming promenade next to the city's old Matrouh souq, perfect for a sunset stroll. The bazaar next door is small, but has narrow alleys lined with carpet and spice vendors, and is one of the most authentic in the Middle East.

The beachfront Chedi Hotel, just west of the old city, is one of Muscat's best. Built in traditional Omani style and with a bright white facade, its 182 rooms and high ceilings offer an atmosphere of palatial grandeur.

The Chedi's narrow infinity pool, which the hotel claims is the longest pool in all of Oman, stretches to the Indian Ocean and is major draw.

The Chedi Muscat ; North Ghubra 32, Way No. 3215, Street No. 46, Muscat; +968 2452 4400

The Royal Opera House is worth a visit, even without a show.

2. Royal Opera House

Abu Dhabi and Doha may be building world-class museums like the Louvre and the Guggenheim, but Muscat is the only city on the Arabian Peninsula with its own opera house.

Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, opened the Royal Opera House Muscat in 2011. The main hall seats around 1,000 and regularly stages concerts, ballets and theatrical productions.

It has hosted international artists such as Placido Domingo and the London Symphony Orchestra.

The beautifully constructed building itself is worth a visit even if you can't catch a show; it blends traditional Omani design with modern acoustic technology and is one of the most recognizable sights in Muscat.

Royal Opera House Muscat ; Al Kharjiyah St., Muscat; +968 2440 3300

MORE: Paradise with a conscience

3. The Green Mountain

No visit to Oman would be complete without seeing the stunning views from the top of Jabal Akhdar, located at nearly 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) up in the Hajar Mountain range. It's just a short drive from the capital.

Jabal Akhdar, whose name means "green mountain" in Arabic, is covered with trees and shrubs in an otherwise mostly desert landscape.

With its mild temperatures year-round, Jabal Akhdar is the perfect retreat for visitors looking for outdoor adventure or an off-road trek.

Tourists can discover Oman's green mountain from the comforts of a newly built five-star hilltop resort. The luxurious Alila Jabal Akhdar opened earlier this year, and offers a pool, spa and 86 rooms with sweeping views of the mountains.

Alila Jabal Akhdar ; Plot No.4 Al Roose, Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa; +968 2534 4200

4. Zighy Bay

Located just north of the United Arab Emirates, the small enclave of Musandam is one of the most geographically unique areas in Gulf region.

For centuries, only boats could access the traditional Omani fishing villages that dot the coastline of this mountainous peninsula.

But a new dirt road built over the jagged cliffs now allows for land access to Zighy Bay, a secluded cove that has a stunning stretch of white-sand beach.

Zighy Bay is also home to a Six Senses resort with more than 80 villas, many with their own private pools. The resort offers the region's most unique way to get to a hotel room: parasailing from a rocky overlook 1,000 feet above.

Six Senses Zighy Bay ; Musandam Peninsula; Dibba Bayeh, Oman; +968 2673 5555

Sunset cruises and overnight yacht tours are a huge upgrade from Sinbad's days of wooden dhows.

5. Sailing explorations

Centuries ago, Omanis dominated the Indian Ocean and earned a reputation as the best seafarers in the world. Omani sailors like the legendary Sinbad used wooden dhows to expand their Gulf sultanate's reach as far south as Zanzibar in East Africa.

Today, the government is hoping that its maritime heritage will draw tourists to its own shores.

"Oman's dramatic coastline with its secluded coves, beautifully sandy beaches, enchanting islands and rich marine life is undoubtedly best explored by sea," says Oman Sail's Ghada Al-Said.

Oman Sail is a government-funded project that teaches Omani children modern sailing techniques. It also offers bespoke charter packages for tourists, from sunset cruises to overnight yacht tours.

Oman Sail ; 18th November St., The Wave Muscat, Muscat; +968 2418 1400

MORE: 10 outrageous spas in the Middle East

6. Wahiba Sands

Camping under the stars in the desert is a favorite Omani pastime and Wahiba Sands is one of the favorite locations to do it -- a rejuvenating desert retreat far from Muscat, where Bedouin tour guides offer desert safaris and overnight camping treks.

The 1,000 Nights Camps may be the most exclusive "hotel" in the entire desert. The rooms are large air-conditioned tents that have all the amenities of most five-star hotels: bathrooms, televisions and even a refrigerated mini-bar.

1,000 Nights Camps ; Mandinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Oman; +968 9944 8158

7. Shuwa

One of the most popular dishes in Oman is called shuwa, succulent lamb served with spice-infused rice.

Preparing shuwa typically involves slaughtering a sheep, marinating the meat with coriander, black pepper, cumin and cardamom, and then slow-cooking the morsels in an underground sand oven with charcoal.

The whole process can take a full day, which is why shuwa is typically served as a feast only on Omani holidays and special occasions.

There are several high-end restaurants in Muscat that serve home-cooked shuwa within minutes of ordering. One of the better ones is called Kargeen, a family-style restaurant with outdoor garden seating low to the ground in typical Omani fashion.

Kargeen ; Al Bashair St., Muscat; +968 2469 9055

Is in-flight phone usage necessary?

• Hong Kong the latest region to open the door for extra phone usage on planes


• Alec Baldwin kicked off a flight in 2011 for refusing to turn off phone

(CNN) -- Unless you're traveling in first or business, or you're a child who's been plied with more toys and candies than you normally get in a week, air travel can be an uncomfortable affair.

It's cramped, the booze comes in bottles way too small and if you're not being reclined into, you're being shouted at for reclining.

Worst of all, you can't even play a game of Words With Friends while sitting on the runway.

Or you couldn't.

Aviation authorities around the world are starting to liberalize the regulations governing electronic devices on planes.

Last year Europe and the United States began to allow "gate-to-gate" use of phones, tablets and e-readers and in the last two weeks Australia and Hong Kong have followed suit.

For years people have called for the "nonsensical" rules barring the use of phones during takeoff and landing to be overhauled and now it appears they're getting their way.

But I for one won't be utilizing these new rules.

Liberation from the phone

Despite air travel's well known frustrations, it provides, at least for those few minutes either side of cruising, a break from the bleeps, bloops and jingles of the always-on generation.

For a few precious minutes the real world returns.

Books become things to read, rather than things you plan to read once you've written a few emails.

The window becomes a frame highlighting the outside, rather than something to avoid in case that annoying sunlight glares too brightly on the screen.

People who spend much of their time with heads bent toward their smart phones as if their necks have suddenly lost all strength, eyeballs flickering with the flashes, detonations, bursts and blasts of whatever game is in vogue that hour, resume a human posture, make eye contact, respond when spoken to.

Airlines have stopped short of allowing people to talk on their phones.

Are we so addicted to our smart phones that we can't leave them alone for even a fraction of a fraction of a day?

Our sidewalks are already plagued by hordes of downward-gazing phone-walkers, eyes fastened to their screens with unwavering application.

Like a new race of tech-enabled humans, they navigate streets, escalators and public transport systems without ever lifting their eyes or crashing into each other -- a triumph of peripheral perception or perhaps evidence they're all connected in some kind of Borgian super-conscious dimension.

The plane cabin was one place we could escape this techno overload.

Could vs. should

To be clear, this isn't a complaint about the airlines, which are simply supplying an extra service to their customers.

It's a lament, and I suppose a challenge -- just because you can, doesn't mean you have to.

I always enjoy the liberating call from the captain: "Please turn off all electronic devices until we are at cruising altitude."

And I'm not alone.

In a study undertaken in 2013 by the Airline Passenger Experience Association and the Consumer Electronics Association, 40% of passengers wanted to use their devices from gate to gate, which means 60% did not.

The new regulations don't even extend to transmissions -- devices must remain in "flight mode" -- so is it even worth it?

I'll go further, and say it's not even worth taking your phone on the plane these days.

In-flight entertainment provides more movies, TV shows and other programs than you could watch during 10 flights. And don't forget those books.

Phones and tablets are also an extra inconvenience during the security checks.

British Airways is one carrier that now requires all devices to be powered up, and if you refuse or cannot, the device won't be allowed on the plane.

Traveling conjures enough headaches without adding "cell phone anxiety" to the mix.

What do you think? Do you want to use your phone from gate to gate, or do you enjoy a little "off time" on a flight?

James Durston is a senior producer for CNN Travel, and enjoys flying phone free.

Obama urged to ditch immigration plan

• Two top lawmakers say Obama should drop plan for executive action to get immigration reform


• Issue should be dealt with legislatively, says Sen. Dianne Feinstein


• "He needs to work with Congress on this," says Rep. Mike Rogers


• Obama said Saturday he would delay any action on immigration until after midterm elections

(CNN) -- One day after President Barack Obama announced that he is delaying executive action on immigration, top lawmakers urged the President to ditch his plans for an executive action altogether and work with Congress.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein indicated she'd prefer the President not act unilaterally at all.

"The way this should be done is legislatively," the California Democrat said on CNN's "State of the Union." She said anything done through presidential action would be challenged in the courts.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, agreed, adding the President is being "prudent" by not acting.

"I think that was wise. He needs to work with Congress on this," he said, also on "State of the Union."

Latinos 'really pissed off' with the GOP

On Saturday, the President announced he is delaying any action on immigration that could have protected many undocumented immigrant workers and families from deportation until after the midterm elections in November. His move prompted critics and analysts to determine his decision was political as Democrats are struggling to maintain control of the Senate.

Even Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, who is a strong proponent of immigration reform, said "it's clear that playing it safe is what is going on at the White House and among Democratic circles."

He said Democrats have looked at polling in red, Southern states with small Latino populations, including Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas and Louisiana, where Democratic Senate candidates are at risk of losing in November.

"Playing it safe means walking away from our values and our principles," he added on ABC's "This Week."

Obama said that he decided to postpone taking action because "the politics did shift midsummer" because of the record number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border.

The President also said that he needs to spend time explaining to the American public his reasons for acting on immigration.

"I want to spend some time, even as we're getting all our ducks in a row for the executive action, I also want to make sure that the public understands why we're doing this, why it's the right thing for the American people, why it's the right thing for the American economy," he said in an interview aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

But the President has also received criticism for his delay. Immigration reform advocates have said they are "bitterly disappointed."

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, expressed a similar sentiment, saying on "Fox News Sunday" that he's "deeply disappointed" that the President hasn't yet acted.

While Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-California said Latinos and immigrant communities are "frustrated" with the President for taking so long to act, he said the majority of frustration is placed at the feet of Congress.

"The first blame is with Congress not doing its job, and now the President is forced to have to take a measure like executive actions," he said on CNN.

The Senate passed a comprehensive piece of immigration legislation in 2013 but it has been stalled in the House. That inaction led the President to announce at the beginning of the summer that he would act in spite of congressional inaction.

Rogers said he hopes the President never moves forward on such an executive action, calling it "risky" for his relationship with Republicans.

"I think it's very risky for the President. He already has a credibility crisis. If he takes this step, it would make for a very long two years," Rogers said.

CNN's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report

Rivers' family, friends say goodbye

• NEW: "It was exactly the show Joan wanted -- hilarious, irreverent," Geraldo Rivera says


• NEW: Actor Hugh Jackson sings one of Rivers' favorite songs, "Smile"


• Rivers, 81, was hospitalized after suffering cardiac and respiratory arrest at a clinic


• She was on life support, and died Thursday

(CNN) -- Joan Rivers is getting the "Hollywood" funeral she wanted, "a huge showbiz affair with lights, camera and action."

Mourners walked a red carpet into a synagogue in Manhattan on Sunday morning, where the New York City Gay Men's Chorus opened the service with song.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Whoopi Goldberg, Donald Trump, Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters and Joy Behar were among the A-list to D-list celebrity friends seen arriving for the private service inside Temple Emanu-El.

The highlight was Howard Stern's vagina joke, Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera told CNN afterward.

"It was exactly the show Joan wanted -- hilarious, irreverent," Rivera said.

Rivers, 81, died Thursday in New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, a week after she suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest during a medical procedure at a clinic.

Celebrities, including television journalist Barbara Walters, pictured, arrive for Joan Rivers' memorial service at Temple Emanu-El in New York City on Sunday, September 7. Rivers passed away on September 4 after suffering respiratory and cardiac arrest during a medical procedure on August 28.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker

"Today" show co-hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb

Actress and TV personality Kelly Osbourne

Radio host Howard Stern and wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern

Comedian and actress Whoopi Goldberg

Business mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump

New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams

Fashion designer Michael Kors

Fashion designer Carolina Herrera

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Photos: Celebrities pay respects to Joan Rivers

Rivers' endoscopy clinic in the spotlight

Joan Rivers' 'Tonight Show' legacy

Joan Rivers: Memorable moments

Joan Rivers: A pointed, pioneering comedian

She talked about her mortality and what she wanted at her "showbiz" funeral in her 2013 book, "I Hate Everyone... Starting With Me."

She called for paparazzi and publicists "making a scene" outside the funeral, which she said should "be Hollywood all the way." In fact, Fifth Avenue was lined with more television crews, live reporters and fans than would gather for most Hollywood premieres.

Inside the temple, Rivers wanted entertainment. "I don't want some rabbi rambling on; I want Meryl Streep crying, in five different accents. I don't want a eulogy; I want Bobby Vinton to pick up my head and sing 'Mr. Lonely.'"

Instead of Vinton singing his 1964 hit, she had the Gay Men's Chorus and a song list including show tunes like "That's Entertainment," "Nothing Like a Dame" and "What a Wonderful World." They closed with "Big Spender."

Joan Rivers: In her own words

Speakers included New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a longtime friend of Rivers, and "Inside Edition" host Deborah Norville.

"It was Joan all the way," with orchids filling the 2,000-seat sanctuary, Norville said after the funeral. "You can't see the alter because there were so many flowers."

Kathy Griffin: Respect must be paid

Ripa on Rivers: Heaven just got funnier

2010: Joan Rivers on being a comedian

A rabbi offered an opening prayer after the show tunes, followed by a songs from Broadway star Audra McDonald.

Actor Hugh Jackman sang "Smile," a favorite of Rivers. The song's lyrics captured the feel of the service: "Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile, even though it's breaking."

Rivers' daughter, Melissa, read a letter she wrote in which she pretended to be her mother's landlord. She said her mother was late on the rent and had torn down a wall without permission because she wanted more space.

The service ended with the New York Police Department's bagpipe band leading the procession out of the temple to the tunes of "New York, New York," and "Give My Regards to Broadway."

Rivers wrote in her book that she wanted to "look gorgeous, better dead than I do alive," dressed in a Valentino gown and with a Harry Winston-designed toe tag.

"And I want a wind machine so that even in the casket my hair is blowing just like Beyonce's," she wrote.

The raspy-voiced comedian was a household name. Brash and sassy, she poked fun at herself and the world in sometimes vicious, but witty, zingers.

She was as quick-witted as she was sharp-tongued, saying things everyone may have been thinking, but few were brave enough to voice.

"My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh," her daughter said last week.

"Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon."

Rivers had been on life support at Manhattan's Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was transported after she stopped breathing at the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic on August 28.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

Rivers was undergoing an apparently minor elective procedure at the clinic when she suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest, according to the New York Fire Department.

Paramedics took her by ambulance to Mount Sinai Hospital, about a mile from the clinic, where she was initially listed in critical condition.

The state health department is investigating whether there was any malpractice by the doctors or staff at Yorkville Endoscopy, according to New York law enforcement officials.

No criminal investigations are currently under way in Rivers' death, the officials said. The clinic has not responded to repeated calls from CNN about the state's investigation.

Share your memories

CNN's David Shortell contributed to this report.