2014 news

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

'Entourage' movie trailer debuts

Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara star in "Entourage."

The 'Entourage' TV series ended in 2011

Fans have been clamoring for a film

The movie debuts in June 2015

(CNN) -- Get ready to hug it out.

The trailer for the "Entourage" movie has been released and fans can finally rest assured that, yes, this is really happening. In the sneak peek, Vince, E, Drama, and Turtle return having made a movie that Ari seems none too pleased with.

And much like the popular HBO show gave a glimpse into life inside Hollywood, the trailer for the "Entourage" film begins with the trailer for Vince's new movie.

The series, about a fictional Hollywood A-lister and his band of bros, ended in 2011 after eight seasons. Since then there has been buzz of a possible film reunion for the characters.

The time frame for the movie plot is reportedly set six months after the series ended. Vince, played by Adrian Grenier, has finished a film he worked on with Ari, played by Jeremy Piven. Entourage member Turtle, played by Jerry Ferrara, has trimmed down.

"We know each other," Turtle says to a woman after she assaults his car. "Do you remember me?"

"Didn't you used to be really fat?" the woman responds.

Haley Joel Osment, Billy Bob Thorton and Mark Wahlberg also appear in the film.

The "Entourage" movie is scheduled to premiere on theaters in June 5, 2015.

Poll: This is a low-stress Christmas

Americans are experiencing lowest levels of holiday stress in years, a new CNN/ORC poll says

Fewer Americans are decorating natural trees and sending holiday cards

Less than 40% believe a terrorist attack is likely over the holiday season

Washington (CNN) -- 'Tis indeed the season to be jolly for Americans, who are experiencing their lowest levels of holiday stress in years, according to a new CNN/ORC nationwide poll.

The poll suggests they've already decked their halls with boughs of holly, as only 30% of the public said they're feeling a great deal or fair amount of stress from all the things they need to do to get ready for Christmas.

RELATED: Read the entire CNN/ORC poll

That's a steep drop from 2005, when a vast majority of Americans must've left the tree-trimming to the last minute, as 86% said they felt a great deal or fair amount of stress that year. In 1989, 76% felt the same, perhaps because they waited too long to buy the new Nintendo Game Boy, the hot toy released that year.

Santa gives grandfather a day off work

Americans may be feeling less stress this year in part because they're not dealing with the often messy hassle of putting up a natural tree, and the pressure to make sure far-flung extended family members get their Christmas cards in time.

Sailor's Christmas 'sneak attack' on mom

The survey found a slight majority of Americans -- 51% -- plan to have an artificial Christmas tree this year, up from just 39% in 1996. And only 58% of Americans planned to send holiday cards this year, down from 74% in 2006.

Dr. Christmas: Hollywood tree stylist

But that doesn't mean Americans are losing their holiday spirit: 95% say they celebrate Christmas. But the country is split on whether observers view it more as a family holiday -- 47% -- or as a religious holiday, 46%. That's a shift from 1992, when a slight majority of Americans said Christmas was more of a religious celebration.

For most Americans, the holiday moment to look forward to is Christmas Day -- that's when 58% of the nation opens their presents. A lucky 20% of the nation opens them both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The poll also found Americans aren't as concerned as they used to be about a terrorist attack will hitting over the holidays.

Now, just 39% say a terrorist attack is very or somewhat likely, down from more than half in 2010.

The survey was conducted through live interviews of 1,011 adults nationwide via landlines and cell phones and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points; no attempt was made to reach Santa Claus about his stress levels, which presumably peak this time of year.

China censors news on Sony hack

News on Sony hack is censored in China, with just a few stories that get little play

Government-controlled search engine turns up just one article on "North Korea hack"

U.S. government believes N. Korean hackers are launching attacks from China

Beijing (CNN) -- Censorship is a part of daily life in China. News articles are erased from online search engines, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are banned, and CNN is routinely blacked out for Chinese viewers.

Instagram was a huge hit in China -- until the government banned it during the Hong Kong protests.

"All good things must end," one young Chinese woman told me -- seemingly resigned to the fact that she can no longer post photos on Instagram.

While such restrictions would likely incite mass outrage in many Western countries, citizens in China seem to mostly accept the fact that they relinquish a tremendous amount of freedom in exchange for living in this booming country.

North Korea hypes up hacking rhetoric

Chinese media censor Hong Kong protest

How censored are China's journalists?

China's Communist Party will do whatever it takes to stay in power. Censorship is just one tool -- along with quickly quelling civil disobedience.

Of course, China feels like a utopia of liberty when compared with the repressive North Korean regime. I distinctly remember feeling a sense of freedom and relief when landing in Beijing after a recent visit to Pyongyang.

In the DPRK, the average citizen has never heard of the Internet or social media. Contact with the outside world is forbidden for all but the most elite members of this reclusive society. Propaganda rules the television airwaves and fills the pages of state-run newspapers.

Censorship in China

The Sony hack story has received limited news coverage in China. Stories have appeared on CCTV's newscasts and in newspapers like China Daily, though with far less prominence than some other international news outlets.

In Shenyang on Tuesday, an Internet search for "North Korea" on China's leading (and government-controlled) search engine Baidu.com revealed a list of mostly positive articles about the DPRK.

A Baidu search for "North Korea hack" revealed just one nearly two-week-old article naming the DPRK as "one of several suspects" in the Sony hacking investigation. An identical search on unrestricted Google on Wednesday found more than 36 million articles.

When questioned by foreign reporters on Tuesday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying shied away from directly addressing the issue on the Sony hacking probe.

"We need sufficient evidence before drawing any conclusion," she said at a news conference, adding that the U.S. and North Korea should communicate.

Of course, any substantive communication is unlikely given the two countries have no diplomatic ties.

The Great Firewall of China

Censorship is the reality of life behind the Great Firewall of China -- officially known as the Golden Shield Project. China's Ministry of Public Security has been heavily censoring content for more than a decade.

The Chinese government acknowledges that the Internet is a vital tool to support the country's rapid economic growth.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba transactions totaled nearly $250 million last year, more than Amazon and eBay combined. Alibaba's overall revenue soared 54% to over $2.7 billion in 2014. China e-commerce transactions are expected to skyrocket to more than $700 billion by 2017.

But with the Internet comes the risk of sharing information that, the Chinese government worries, could destabilize the country. In China, any threat to the Communist Party's tightly clenched grip must be controlled.

It's why you're likely to find very little mention of North Korea's bureau 121 in this nation suspected of having its own shadowy People's Liberation Army unit 61398 -- believed to be responsible for cyberespionage. Incidentally, the Chinese military has also denounced the U.S. for having its own massive cyberspying program.

As all of this continues to unfold, one thing is certain: International news organizations like CNN will continue with extensive coverage. And, thanks to heavy-handed government censors, most citizens of China will continue get only the news deemed appropriate by the government.

U.S. pays Alan Gross $3.2 million

The U.S. Agency for International Development has paid Alan Gross $3.2 million in a settlement

Gross and his wife had filed a $60 million lawsuit in 2012 against the U.S. government and DAI

Gross was released after a five-year imprisonment in Cuba last week

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Agency for International Development has paid Alan Gross $3.2 million, settling a claim over the former contractor freed last week by Cuba after five years in prison, a spokesman for the federal agency tells CNN.

USAID, the agency which oversees foreign aid, said it finalized the settlement with Development Alternatives, Inc (DAI).

READ: Gross release -- how it happened

Cuban-Americans voice disgust over deal

Gross was employed by the Maryland-based company when he was arrested in 2009 trying to provide cell phones and other communications equiment to Cuba's Jewish community under a USAID program. The U.S. maintained Gross was trying to help Cubans access the Internet as part of democracy-building program in a country where information is tightly controlled.

Breakthrough reaction from Havana streets

Gross was serving a 15-year sentence for trying to subvert the Cuban government, but was released last week as part of a landmark deal that paved the way for a restoration of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba after more than 50 years.

Behind the Cuba policy deal

In a statement released Tuesday, USAID said the settlement -- agreed to in principle in November -- calls for payment by USAID for unanticipated claims under a cost-reimbursement contract, including claims related to Gross. DAI had been seeking $7 million in costs before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.

"The settlement avoids the cost, delay and risks of further proceedings, and does not constitute an admission of liability by either party," the statement said. The USAID spokesman said as part of the settlement agreement, the agency agreed to pay Gross the $3.2 million directly.

Gross and his wife, Judy, filed a $60 million lawsuit in November 2012 for gross negligence against the U.S. government and DAI. They settled with DAI for undisclosed terms in May 2013, and a U.S. district court threw out his claim against the U.S. government. That ruling was upheld on appeal last month.

Planes clip each other at airport

Boeing 737s bump into each other on tarmac at LaGuardia International Airport

The incident involved Southwest Airlines and American Airlines flights

One was taxiing toward the runway and clipped another headed toward a gate

There were no injuries

(CNN) -- It's not your typical holiday travel snag.

Two planes bumped into each other on the tarmac at New York's LaGuardia International Airport around 11 a.m. Tuesday.

After a hectic morning, passenger Stormie Alsruhe, 30, was just settling into her seat on Southwest Airlines Flight 449 looking forward to enjoying her coffee.

"And then there was this bump. I look out the window and I actually see the tip of the plane (wing) falling off," said Alsruhe, who was heading to join her husband's family in Denver for the holidays.

"I saw it kind of dangle and it just fell. And I thought, 'OK great, we're not taking off now,' " she said.

The wingtip of the Southwest 737 clipped an American Airlines 737 awaiting a gate at LaGuardia. There were no injuries, according to both airlines. The Southwest aircraft bound for Denver has been taken out of service for inspection and repairs, the airline said.

"The 143 customers on board (Southwest) Flight 449 deplaned the aircraft via air stairs and were (bused) to the terminal where our teams are working to get them to their destinations," Southwest said in a statement.

Alsruhe said she is flying to Denver on Tuesday afternoon on another flight.

The American plane, operating as Flight 1104, had originated from Dallas Fort-Worth. The plane was "taxiing to its gate at LaGuardia Airport when its left horizontal stabilizer and the winglet of a moving Southwest Airlines 737 made contact," American said in a statement.

A winglet is a vertical extension of an airliner wing that is designed to save fuel.

Passengers tweeted photos of the damage Tuesday. "Plane I was on had its wing clipped," one said.

.@SouthwestAir plane I was on had its wing clipped; impact with @AmericanAir plane; unclear who is at fault @ LGA http://ift.tt/1t91Kc7

— Arí Isaacman Astles (@Ari_Be_Free) December 23, 2014

The American flight's 143 passengers and six crew members exited the plane normally through the jet bridge, the airline said, and the plane is being inspected. Passengers on the next scheduled flight will be moved to a different plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident. The FAA said the Southwest aircraft was on Taxiway A preparing for departure while the American flight was taxiing to the gate.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the incident didn't impact operations.

How did loaded guns get onto planes?

Affidavit: A baggage handler helped smuggle guns through the secure part of the airport

Delta employees entering their parking lot and the secure area of the airport aren't screened

Agent: After clearing security, the employee met an accomplice in a restroom with a backpack

Delta: "We take seriously any activity that fails to uphold our strict commitment to the safety and security"

Atlanta (CNN) -- A baggage handler for Delta Air Lines moved a lot more than just luggage, authorities say -- he also helped smuggle firearms.

And his accomplice managed to board a flight with 18 guns and ammunition in his carry-on bag, an affidavit states.

Eugene Harvey, who worked for Delta at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, is accused of trafficking firearms and entering an airport area in violation of security requirements.

According to Harvey's arrest warrant affidavit, here's how the operation worked:

- Harvey used his security clearance to help provide guns to a passenger named Mark Quentin Henry after Henry cleared security.

- Henry allegedly brought the firearms in his carry-on luggage on at least five flights from Atlanta to New York between May 1 and December 10.

- During that time frame, Henry supplied a total of 129 handguns and two assault rifles to co-conspirators in New York, the affidavit states.

- One of those co-conspirators ended up selling the firearms to an undercover New York police officer.

Henry was arrested in New York on December 10 after landing at JFK airport with 18 handguns in his bag -- seven of which were loaded, the affidavit says.

"During the post-arrest interview, Henry informed the investigating agents that he had flown from Atlanta to New York with the 18 firearms and associated ammunition in his carry-on bag," FBI task force agent George Taylor wrote in the affidavit.

So how could a man get more than a dozen guns on a flight in his carry-on backpack?

"Had the eighteen firearms been inside the Oakley bag when Henry passed through TSA screening, the firearms would have been discovered," Taylor wrote.

"Accordingly, I reasonably believe the eighteen firearms bypassed security."

Transfer in men's restroom?

On the morning of December 10, the affidavit says, baggage handler Harvey used his security clearance to enter Delta's employee parking lot and then the secure area of the airport.

"Employees entering this area are not subjected to screening by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), neither at the time of entry into the employee parking lot, nor upon entry to the internal secure/restricted area at Hartsfield-Jackson," the affidavit states.

Surveillance video showed that on the same morning, the passenger Henry cleared security with a black Oakley backpack. He then went to sit down at the airport's Concourse B.

According to Taylor, that's when Henry started texting Harvey. Moments later, Harvey entered a men's restroom in Concourse B. And Henry followed.

After one minute, the affidavit says, Henry walked out of the restroom with the backpack.

The criminal complaint also says on several occasions this year, Harvey used his security clearance to enter the secure Delta employee parking lot -- even though he was supposed to be off or on sick leave.

And on each of those dates, Henry boarded a flight from Atlanta to New York.

Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant told CNN the airline is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.

"We take seriously any activity that fails to uphold our strict commitment to the safety and security of our customers and employees," he said.

Poll: Obama approval on upswing

New poll shows Obama's approval rating at 20-month high

Americans starting to feel positive about economy

More Americans still disapprove of Obama's job performance than approve

Honolulu (CNN) -- Improving views of the economy have helped hike President Barack Obama's approval rating to a 20-month high, a new CNN/ORC poll showed Tuesday, as markets climbed to record levels at news of an economy in overdrive.

More Americans still disapprove of the job Obama is doing as President. But at 48%, Obama's approval rating is at its highest point in CNN polling since May 2013.

The gains were driven by newfound backing among women, independents and millennials — groups where Obama's approval numbers jumped 10 percentage points from a month ago.

RELATED: Read the entire CNN/ORC poll

Meanwhile, Obama's approval numbers ticked down among men, Republicans and Americans between 35 and 49 years old.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden posted the first selfie to his new Instagram account on Wednesday, April 16 -- and it was with President Barack Obama. The White House Twitter account also posted the photo with a simple caption: "Pals." Click through to see more photos of Biden and Obama together.

Obama is introduced by Biden as he arrives at an event in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, on April 16. In a recent CBS News interview, Obama said Biden "will go down as one of the finest vice presidents in history" and has been "a great partner in everything that I do."

Obama and Biden walk at the White House together after Obama delivered a statement April 1 on the Affordable Care Act.

Obama and Biden meet for lunch at the White House in January.

Obama and Biden have lunch with active duty service members at a Washington restaurant in November.

Obama and Biden meet with House Democratic leaders in the Oval Office of the White House in October.

Biden laughs at the White House in June.

Biden and Obama shake hands at a White House reception in March 2012.

Obama and Biden share a laugh in July 2012 as the U.S. men's basketball team plays a exhibition game in Washington before the Olympics.

'Pals': The Obama-Biden partnership

$\'Pals\': The Obama-Biden partnership$ 'Pals': The Obama-Biden partnership

Here's a look at the 44 presidents of the United States. George Washington, the first president (1789-1797)

John Adams, the second president (1797-1801)

Thomas Jefferson, the third president (1801-1809)

James Madison, the fourth president (1809-1817)

James Monroe, the fifth president (1817-1825)

John Quincy Adams, the sixth president (1825-1829)

Andrew Jackson, the seventh president (1829-1837)

Martin Van Buren, the eighth president (1837-1841)

William Henry Harrison, the ninth president (March to April 1841)

John Tyler, the 10th president (1841-1845)

James K. Polk, the 11th President (1845-1849)

Zachary Taylor, the 12th president (1849-1850)

Millard Fillmore, the 13th president (1850-1853)

Franklin Pierce, the 14th president (1852-1857)

James Buchanan, the 15th president (1857-1861)

Abraham Lincoln, the16th president (1861-1865)

Andrew Johnson, the 17th president (1865-1869)

Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president (1869-1877)

Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president (1877-1881)

James A. Garfield, the20th president (March to September 1881)

Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president (1881-1885)

Grover Cleveland, the 22nd president (1885-1889) and the 24th president (1893-1897)

Benjamin Harrison, the23rd president (1889-1893)

William McKinley, the 25th president (1897-1901)

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president (1901-1909)

William Howard Taft, the 27th president (1909-1913)

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president (1913-1921)

Warren G. Harding was the 29th president (1921-1923)

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president (1923-1929)

Herbert Hoover, the 31st president (1929-1933)

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president (1933-1945)

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president (1945-1953)

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president (1953-1961)

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president (1961-1963)

Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president (1963-1969)

Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president (1969-1974)

Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president (1974-1977)

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president (1977-1981)

Ronald Reagan, the 40th president (1981-1989)

George H.W. Bush, the 41st president (1989-1993)

William J. Clinton, the 42nd president (1993-2001)

George W. Bush, the 43rd president (2001-2009)

Barack Obama, the 44th president (2009-present)

Presidents of the United States

27.William Howard Taft .president

Presidents of the United States

Obama discusses Cuba relations

The approval jump follows a late-quarter jolt in Obama's governing agenda, which gained momentum after unilateral actions on immigration and relations with Cuba. Separate surveys have showed those moves popular among the American people.

Obama: Trip to Cuba not in the works

It all amounts to some welcome good news for Obama, whose unpopularity — despite consistently improving economic conditions — led to widespread losses for his party in November's midterm elections.

Obama: Chance for new outcome with Cuba

Tuesday's poll still reflected pervasive disaffection for Obama: 56% of respondents said the President has fallen short of their expectations, and 49% said his policies would take the country in the wrong direction.

McCain: U.S. rewarding Cuba for bad behavior

The steady economic recovery has posed a conundrum for the White House, which wants some credit for decisions that helped pull the country from last decade's recession. To the frustration of Obama and his aides, polls until recently showed Americans largely pessimistic about the country's financial state, despite solid job growth and a bull market on Wall Street.

In public remarks — even those unrelated to the economy — Obama has touted the latest positive economic sign. But even as the unemployment rate dipped below 6%, a large portion of Americans were still gloomy about the economy.

That's because of how people felt about their own economic standing, which for many still includes stagnant wages or jobs in low-paying service fields.

READ: U.S. economy grows incredible 5%

But as the recovery powers on, and the days of the downturn fade further into the past, Americans appear to have turned the page in their views of the economy.

Tuesday's CNN/ORC poll showed for the first time in seven years, a majority of Americans — 51% — have a positive view of the economy, a sharp increase from the 38% who felt that way in October.

The jump was present in every demographic group — men, women, whites, non-whites, urban, rural — and was largest among Americans who earn less than $50,000 annually.

Americans' increasingly positive economic views parallel a drop in gas prices — a phenomenon most experts say a President has little control over.

And they come as new data show the American economy growing at a surging rate. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that gross domestic product grew at 5% in the third quarter — its fastest pace in more than a decade.

Stocks rose sharply, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average topping 18,000 for the first time ever and the S&P 500 also reaching new heights.