Tennis: Czechs eye Fed Cup semi-finals, US, Japan fight back

PARIS: Defending champions the Czech Republic, bidding to become the first country in 18 years to capture three successive Fed Cup titles, opened a 2-0 lead over Australia in their first round clash on Saturday.

Petra Kvitova gave the holders a convincing start in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava when the world number eight beat Australia's 168-ranked Jarmila Gajdosova 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.

Lucie Safarova, the world number 18, then snatched two tie-breaks for a 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) win over ninth-ranked Samantha Stosur.

The other three World Group One ties were level after the first day.

Italy and the United States, Russia against Japan and the tie between Serbia and Slovakia were all heading for a dramatic conclusion on Sunday with two reverse singles and a doubles to play.

Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, who led the Czechs to victory in 2011 and 2012, struggled for composure in the first set before dominating the second.

"It wasn't an easy match and she had moments when she played very well, but she also helped me a few times," said the 22-year-old.

Safarova then battled Stosur in a tight match, with each woman giving up five breaks.

"It was very hard, the matches with her are always tight. But I handled it very well," said the 26-year-old Safarova.

Stosur, 28, failed to convert five set points in the first set and then gave up a break as she served for the second set.

"Unfortunately for me, I guess she got all those important points to get it back even and then kick on and get each set," said the 2011 US Open champion.

Seventeen-time champions United States battled back on the Rimini clay courts against Italy, the 2006, 2009 and 2010 champions, to stand 1-1.

Italy had defeated the USA in the 2009 and 2010 finals and looked on course for another comfortable win when Sara Errani outclassed Jamie Hampton 6-2, 6-1.

But Varvara Lepchenko, the Americans' top player in the absence of Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens, marked her debut with a come-from-behind 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Roberta Vinci.

In Moscow, Ayumi Morita drew Japan level 1-1 against Russia by dismantling Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-2.

Earlier, Maria Kirilenko, Russia's leading player after Maria Sharapova was not selected, put the home team in front with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 win over 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm.

"Katya (Makarova) is a very strong player, who is in the world's top 20, and I needed to perform my best tennis against her to win," said Morita.

In Nis, Serbia, last year's runners-up, and Slovakia were locked at 1-1 but the visitors suffered a heartbreaking end to the day when Dominika Cibulkova was serving for the match against Vesna Dolonc.

Cibulkova was 6-4, 5-4 ahead but had to concede the match after suffering cramps.

"The cramps started in her right calf muscle and although we gave her magnesium the pain soon spread to the rest of the body," said Slovakia team captain Matej Liptak.

"These things can happen and I feel really sorry for Dominika, but more importantly the first priority for us is that she recovers fully. We can't say now whether she will be fit to play on Sunday."

Daniela Hantuchova had earlier seen off Bojana Jovanovski 7-5, 6-2 to give Slovakia a 1-0 lead.

- AFP/jc

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Almost famous: See celebs' early roles

By Henry Hanks, CNN

updated 5:05 PM EST, Thu February 7, 2013

Stars who started out like GoDaddy's geek

Jesse Heiman

Sylvester Stallone

John Travolta

Keanu Reeves

Courtney Cox

Matt LeBlanc

Tina Fey

Rainn Wilson

Megan Fox

Dean Winters

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Pastor: Slain teen the face of violence epidemic

CHICAGO A prominent Chicago pastor remembered a slain 15-year-old girl Saturday as the face of an "epidemic of violence causing funeral processions around the country."

Father Michael Pfleger spoke at Hadiya Pendleton's funeral, telling a packed South Side church that "we must become the interrupters of funeral processions."

Pendleton was a band majorette and honor student who was shot and killed on Jan. 29, just a few days after performing for events surrounding President Obama's inauguration. Police say Pendleton was an innocent victim in a gang-related shooting.

Hundreds of mourners and dignitaries including first lady Michelle Obama stood and applauded Pendleton's family for their strength after her death brought national attention to the city's staggering gun violence.

Mrs. Obama met privately with the family and accompanied the girl's mother to the open casket at the front of a packed South Side church just before the start of the service.

Mrs. Obama, who grew up on Chicago's South Side, put her arm around Cleopatra Pendleton and patted her back. The woman threw her head back and wailed as the lid of her daughter's flower-strewn casket was closed.

Moments later, the hundreds in attendance rose to their feet to begin the service with a round of applause "to the strength of this family." Then, the choir began to sing so loud the floor shook.

Some of Illinois' most recognizable politicians and clergy were also in attendance, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Father Michael Pfleger. But Pendleton's family says her funeral service was not about politics — it was about remembering a girl who loved to dance, who once appeared in an anti-gang video.

"Everything is about Hadiya," said Shatira Wilks, one of Pendleton's cousins and a family spokeswoman.

None of the dignitaries was slated to speak during the service, which was officiated by the teen's pastor, the Rev. Courtney Maxwell, and the Rev. Eric Thomas, the pastor of the Greater Harvest Baptist Church, where the service was held. The teen's brother was also expected to speak, and the musical group that Pendleton was a member of will perform.

Pendleton was shot and killed while she talked with friends after school at a park not far from the Obamas' home in the Kenwood neighborhood. Police have said the shooting appears to be a case of mistaken identity involving gang members who believed the park was their territory. No charges have been filed.

Pendleton's death brought new attention to Chicago's homicide rate and the national debate over gun violence. Pendleton's slaying came in a January that was the city's deadliest in a decade. In 2012, Chicago recorded 506 homicides.

Earlier Saturday morning, a line of hundreds stretched from the church as mourners filed past Pendleton's casket. A woman who walked in with the girl's family sobbed loudly while organ and piano music played.

A glossy, eight-page funeral program included photos of Pendleton and details about her life, including her favorite foods — cheeseburgers, fig cookies, Chinese and ice cream — and the numerous school organizations she was involved in, and said she wanted to major in pharmacology and journalism in college.

The program also included a copy of a handwritten note from Mr. Obama addressed to the girl's family.

"Michelle and I just wanted you to know how heartbroken we are to have heard about Hadiya's passing," it reads. "We know that no words from us can soothe the pain, but rest assured that we are praying for you, and that we will continue to work as hard as we can to end this senseless violence. God bless, Barack Obama."

Other dignitaries at the service were Gov. Pat Quinn, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett — all of whom are from Chicago.

Quinn mentioned Pendleton's death in his State of the State address earlier this week as he called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

"There are no words in the English language — or any language — to relieve the pain of parents who lose a child," said Quinn, who said he spoke with Pendleton's family two days before his speech.

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After Blizzard, Northeast Begins to Dig Out

The Northeast began the arduous process of cleaning up after a fierce storm swept through the region leaving behind up to three feet of snow in some areas.

By early this morning, 650,000 homes and businesses were without power and at least five deaths were being blamed on the storm: three in Canada, one in New York and one in Connecticut, The Associated Press reported.

The storm dumped snow from New Jersey to Maine, affecting more than 25 million people, with more than two feet falling in areas of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The Postal Service closed post offices and suspended mail delivery today in New England.

As the storm waned, officials in the hardest hit areas cautioned residents to remain indoors and off the roads to ease the clean-up.

Massachusetts was hard hit by the storm, with more than two feet of snow in Boston and even more in coastal areas. State police and national guard troops helped rescue more than 50 stranded motorists and even helped deliver a baby girl, according to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

Patrick enacted the first statewide driving ban since the 1978 blizzard, which left 27 inches of snow and killed dozens. The ban was to be lifted at 4 p.m. today, the governor said.

However, Patrick cautioned residents to act with extreme caution even after the ban is over.

"Stay inside and be patient," Patrick said.

In Massachusetts a boy reportedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning as he helped his father shovel snow on Saturday, according to ABCNews.com affiliate WCVB-TV in Boston.

For residents along the coast, the waning snowfall didn't mean the end of the storm. Storm surges along the Massachusetts coastline forced some residents out of their homes Saturday morning.

"We've got 20-foot waves crashing and flooding some homes," Bob Connors on Plum Island told WCVB. "We have power and heat and all that. We just have a very angry ocean. In my 33 years, I've never seen the seas this high."

Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Blizzard Shuts Down Parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts Watch Video

Blizzard 2013: Power Outages for Hundreds of Thousands of People Watch Video

Blizzard 2013: Northeast Transportation Network Shut Down Watch Video

FULL COVERAGE: Blizzard of 2013

In Connecticut, Gov. Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency and closed all roads in the state. The state police responded to more than 1,600 calls over the last 24 hours and the governor called up an additional 270 National Guard members.

"If you're not an emergency personnel that's required to be somewhere, stay home," Malloy said.

Overnight, snow fell at a rate of up to five to six inches per hour in parts of Connecticut. In Milford, more than 38 inches of snow had fallen by this morning.

In Fairfield, Conn. firefighters and police officers on the day shift were unable to make it to work, so the overnight shift remained on duty.

PHOTOS: Blizzard Hits Northeast

The wind and snow started affecting the region during the Friday night commute.

In Cumberland, Maine, the conditions led to a 19-car pile-up and in New York, hundreds of commuters were stranded on the snowy Long Island Expressway. Police and firefighters were still working to free motorists early this morning.

"The biggest problem that we're having is that people are not staying on the main portion or the middle section of the roadway and veering to the shoulders, which are not plowed," said Lt. Daniel Meyer from the Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol.

In New York, authorities are digging out hundreds of cars that got stuck overnight on the Long Island Expressway.

Bob Griffith of Syosset, N.Y., said he tried leave early to escape the storm, but instead ended up stuck in the snow by the side of the road.

"I tried to play it smart in that I started early in the day, when it was raining," said Griffith. "But the weather beat us to the punch."

Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone said the snow had wreaked havoc on the roadways.

"I saw state plows stuck on the side of the road. I've never seen anything like this before," Bellone said.

However, some New York residents, who survived the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, were rattled by having to face another large and potentially dangerous storm system with hurricane force winds and flooding.

"How many storms of the century can you have in six months?" said Larry Racioppo, a resident of the hard hit Rockaway neighborhood in Queens, New York.

READ: Weather NYC: Blizzard Threatens Rockaways, Ravaged by Sandy

Snowfall Totals

In New York, a little more than 11 inches fell in the city.

By this morning, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said nearly all of the primary roads had been plowed and the department of sanitation anticipated that all roads would be plowed by the end of the day.

"It looks like we dodged a bullet, but keep in mind winter is not over," said Bloomberg.

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Gun violence plans: What's in the works

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Connecticut school massacre prompts a number of proposals in Washington aimed at curbing gun violence


• They include a ban on assault weapons that insiders say has little chance of getting through Congress


• Some bipartisan support for proposals to expand background checks around gun purchases

Washington (CNN) -- December's school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, has prompted congressional lawmakers and the White House to offer a number of proposals aimed at curbing gun violence.

Here are some of the measures garnering the most attention:

The White House plan

President Barack Obama signed 23 executive actions, which don't require congressional approval, to strengthen existing gun laws and take related steps on mental health and school safety.

He has also called on Congress to reinstate the Clinton-era assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, to restrict ammunition magazines to no more than 10 rounds, and to expand background checks to anyone buying a gun, whether at a store or in a private sale at an auction or convention.

Assault weapons ban revisited

A proposal by Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-California, would not ban ownership of assault weapons outright, but would prohibit new ones from being manufactured, sold or imported. It would also outlaw ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

She said the goal is to "dry up the supply of these weapons over time." The measure, along with a companion bill in the House, is opposed by the nation's powerful gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association.

Cracking down on straw purchases

Vermont Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has called for stronger background checks and a crackdown on so-called straw purchases, in which people who can pass background checks buy weapons for others. Leahy has proposed a measure to increase penalties for straw purchasers.

Curbing gun trafficking

A new House bipartisan gun control bill seeks to make gun trafficking a federal crime. It has some bipartisan support and mirrors a measure proposed in the Senate.

House Democratic efforts

A group of House Democrats, who were part of the chamber's Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, unveiled 15 proposals to address gun violence. The measures largely echoed those previously backed by the White House.

The package is similar to other Democratic measures that would address background checks, ban high capacity magazines, and crack down on gun trafficking.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Viginia, told CNN that he supports beefed up background checks for gun sales.

Closing gun show loophole

A group of four senators working behind the scenes on a bipartisan bill to expand background checks on gun sales is making significant progress, according to sources in both parties familiar with their work.

The group includes Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, who has an A rating with the National Rifle Association, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, a long time advocate of gun rights.

The legislation would effectively require background checks on private gun purchases made with non-licensed gun dealers, according to sources in both parties. That would include closing the so-called gun show loophole.

Political play

House Speaker John Boehner has said he has no plans to bring any measure up for a vote until the Senate acts first.

Republicans oppose any assault weapons ban and rural-state Democrats facing tough re-election fights are unlikely to support it as well, meaning that proposal has little chance of passing Congress.

There is some bipartisan support for expanded background checks, especially to keep guns out of the hands of people with mental illness. A number of lawmakers may also support limiting the size of ammunition magazines.

Some lawmakers have said that various gun proposals may be addressed in separate bills, rather than a comprehensive package, which could more easily be targeted by opponents.

The top Democrat in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, has a good rating from gun rights groups and has said he would work to ensure that a variety of proposals are brought to the floor for consideration.

He opposed the 1994 assault weapons ban and has indicated support for expanding background checks but refuses to endorse a new weapons prohibition.

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Cricket: Pollard century fails to prevent easy Australian win

SYDNEY: Australia maintained their dominance over the West Indies cruising to a five-wicket victory to lead their one-day international series 4-0 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

Only a belligerent unbeaten century from man-of-the-match Kieron Pollard gave the West Indies a respectable score of 220 after they were 55 for six at one stage.

But it was easily run down by the Australians, who secured victory with 31 balls to spare and will now go after a series clean sweep in Melbourne on Sunday.

If not for Pollard's 109 off 136 balls it would have been an even more emphatic victory for Michael Clarke's team who always had control of the run chase under lights.

Shane Watson followed up his 122 in Wednesday's 39-run series-clinching win in Canberra with 76 off 84 balls and skipper Clarke hit 37 off 65 balls before he was out gloving down the leg-side to express bowler Tino Best with the scores level.

Glen Maxwell came in and hit the winning run with Matthew Wade not out 13.

Yet despite Australia's dominance the towering Pollard was named man-of-the-match for preventing his team's innings from falling apart after it had tottered at 55 for six before a series of late partnerships gave his side something to defend.

"It's unfortunate that we ended up on the losing side but I just tried to keep my team in the game and thanks to Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo for calming me down and encouraging me to go forward," Pollard said.

It was Pollard's third ODI century and his second against Australia and he had to curb his usual aggressive batting style as the West Indies threatened to repeat their total of 70 in the first ODI of the series in Perth.

"I saw a lot of balls that (Glen) Maxwell bowled and there were a lot of tempting deliveries to go after but I had to curb that," Pollard said.

Mitchell Johnson ripped into the West Indies top order removing Johnson Charles (0) Kieran Powell (9) and Darren Bravo (4) to have the tourists wobbling at 17 for three.

Bravo's brother, Dwayne, lasted eight balls for his three before he was given out leg before wicket to Maxwell on review.

Narsingh Deonarine, in for injured Chris Gayle, got a thick edge off Ben Cutting to Aaron Finch at second slip for 10. Wicketkeeper Devon Thomas went for seven after a long review concluded that the ball carried to Finch at slip for Cutting's second wicket.

Andre Russell put on 35 runs with Pollard for the eighth wicket before he holed out to Maxwell at long-off off James Faulkner for 18 off 17 balls.

Sunil Narine joined in the best partnership of the innings of 64 before he was caught behind off Clint McKay for 23.

Best was run out for one in a mix-up with Pollard in the final over.

Johnson finished with three for 36 off his 10 overs and Cutting captured three for 45 off 10.

Finch made 25 before he was dismissed in the 10th over of the Australian innings leg before wicket to spinner Narine.

Watson and Phillip Hughes put on 62 for the second wicket before Hughes was caught at slip off the back of his glove for 23 as he tried to lap sweep Narine.

Watson had a bit of luck along the way when he was dropped on 32 by wicketkeeper Devon Thomas and Narine botched a run out with the Australian opener well out of his ground when on 51.

He was finally out when he could not get out of the way of a rearing Best delivery and was caught behind.

Adam Voges, in the team for injured George Bailey, made 28 off 39 balls before he holed out to Darren Sammy off Russell and Clarke was the last man out with the scores tied.

Best finished with two for 38 and Narine two for 34.

- AFP/de

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Search for former LA cop focuses on mountain resort

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

Ex-cop at center of California manhunt

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Navy bases in California and Nevada are now on "heightened security"


• NEW: The Los Angeles County jail is on lockdown as a precaution


• There's been no trace of Dorner since police lost his tracks Thursday, sheriff says


• Police believe he killed three people, including a police officer

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Arguably the most wanted man in America, fired police Officer Christopher Jordan Dorner may well be in hiding -- plotting his next move after allegedly killing three people. Officers toting high-powered weapons fanned out Friday across thousands of square miles, searching for their former colleague.

More than 100 officers zeroed in on a mountain resort town west of Los Angeles where searchers Thursday found Dorner's burned-out pickup truck. An approaching storm threatened to hinder the already difficult manhunt.

"We're going to continue searching until we either discover he left the mountain or we find him," Sheriff John McMahon said Friday.

"It's extremely dangerous," he said.

Related: Manhunt leaves LAPD officers 'tense'

Meanwhile, the county jail in downtown Los Angeles was in lockdown Friday as a precaution after a civilian female employee of the Twin Towers Correctional Facility spotted someone fitting Dorner's description, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Elsewhere, U.S. Navy installations throughout California and Nevada were "maintaining a heightened security posture," a U.S. military official told CNN.

"Security personnel are on the lookout" for Dorner, the official said. The measure was ordered overnight by Rear Adm. Dixon Smith, commander of the Navy's southwest region.

The official declined to discuss security procedures, but said the move was made after it became clear that Dorner earlier this week was able to get access to the Naval Base at Point Loma and stay in a motel there.

Two sailors reported that he approached them Wednesday and spoke with them for about 10 minutes. The conversation took place at a coastal "riverine" unit in San Diego where Dorner served in 2006. As a Navy reservist, Dorner held security jobs with that unit.

The Navy is not certain if Dorner still possesses any military identification he might try to use to access a facility. The official confirmed an investigation is under way to determine what military identification he still might have.

Dorner had limited flight training in 2009 at the Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada before serving in San Diego.

In the California mountains, SWAT teams took to snowcats and sped up the mountain while other officers prowled forest roads in an armored personnel carrier. They were searching for Dorner among dozens of abandoned and empty cabins dotting the mountainside above the town. Schools in the community shut down amid the tension.

The 270-pound former Navy lieutenant promised to bring "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" to police officers and their families, calling it the "last resort" to clear his name and get back at a department that he claims mistreated him.

Dorner, 33, is wanted in the killing of two people in Irvine, California, on Sunday and in the shooting of three Los Angeles-area police officers Thursday, which killed one of them.

One of the victims of the Irvine killings, Monica Quan, was the daughter of the retired police officer who represented Dorner in his efforts to get his job back, police have confirmed.

Related: Dorner's grudge dates back to 2007

Despite the killings, Dorner seemed to be getting some sympathy. Where police see a violent killer, others saw Dorner as kind of an epic anti-hero waging war against an institution they see as corrupt.

"God bless you Chris #Dorner," one Twitter user posted. "I believe in what goes around comes around. The LAPD is crooked."

Another tweeter said Dorner was wrong, but the "#LAPD has done much worse things than he has."

"My opinion of the suspect is unprintable," Riverside police Chief Sergio Diaz said, hours after one of his officers was killed. "The manifesto, I think, speaks for itself (as) evidence of a depraved and abandoned mind and heart."

Related: Timeline of events

Here's what is known so far:

-- Dorner, who worked as a Los Angeles Police Department officer from 2005 to 2008, is accused of killing Quan and her fiance Sunday in Irvine, then shooting two Riverside, California, police officers and an LAPD officer Thursday. Police say he unleashed numerous rounds at the Riverside officers, riddling their car with bullets and killing a 34-year-old officer. The second officer in the car was seriously wounded, and the LAPD officer suffered only minor injuries, police said.

-- In a lengthy letter provided by police, Dorner said he had been unfairly fired by the LAPD after reporting another officer for police brutality. He decried what he called a continuing culture of racism and violence within the department, and called attacks on police and their families "a necessary evil that I do not enjoy but must partake and complete for substantial change to occur within the LAPD and reclaim my name."

-- Leads have taken police from Los Angeles to San Diego to Las Vegas to the California mountain resort town of Big Bear, where police found Dorner's widely sought gray pickup, thoroughly burned. Despite door-to-door searches and a constant presence since Thursday, police had found no trace of him Friday, McMahon said. Trackers lost footprints believed to be Dornan's in a wooded area near the truck. Investigators turned up no additional evidence that he had either left the area or remained, he said.

-- The LAPD and other agencies have gone to extremes to protect officers. Forty teams of officers were guarding people named as targets in Dorner's letter. On Thursday, one of the teams shot at a pickup that resembled Dorner's but turned out to be a Los Angeles Times newspaper delivery vehicle.

-- Despite Dorner's statement in the letter that "when the truth comes out, the killing stops," Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said authorities don't plan to apologize to Dorner or clear his name. Dorner's firing, Beck said Thursday, had already been "thoroughly reviewed."

-- In Nevada on Thursday, FBI agents searched Dorner's Las Vegas home. The search forced some of Dorner's neighbors out of their homes for several hours, CNN affiliate KLAS reported.

"It's too close to home. It's kind of scary," neighbor Dan Gomez told KLAS.

A message to the media

In addition to posting his manifesto online, Dorner reached out directly to CNN, mailing a parcel to AC360 anchor Anderson Cooper's office at CNN in New York.

The package arrived on February 1 and was opened by Cooper's assistant. Inside was a hand-labeled DVD, accompanied by a yellow Post-it note reading, in part, "I never lied" -- apparently in reference to his 2008 dismissal from the LAPD.

The package also contained a coin wrapped in duct tape. The tape bears the handwritten inscription: "Thanks, but no thanks, Will Bratton." It also had letters that may be read as "IMOA," which could be a commonly used Internet abbreviation for "Imagine a More Open America," or possibly "1 MOA," which means one minute of angle, perhaps implying Dorner was notably accurate with a firearm.

The coin is a souvenir medallion from former LAPD Chief William Bratton, of a type often given out as keepsakes. This one, though, was shot through with bullet holes: three bullet holes to the center and one that nicked off the top.

The editorial staff of AC360 and CNN management were made aware of the package Thursday. Upon learning of its existence, they alerted Bratton and law enforcement.

Bratton headed the LAPD at the time Dorner was dismissed.

CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton, Sara Weisfeldt, Barbara Starr, Pete Janos, Mallory Simon, Brad Lendon, Deanna Hackney and Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

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Ohio Amish beard-cutting ringleader gets 15 years

Samuel Mullet Sr.

/

WKBN/U.S. Attorney

(AP) CLEVELAND - Samuel Mullet Sr., the ringleader in hair- and beard-cutting attacks on fellow Amish in Ohio, was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison.

Pictures:  Amish members convicted in beard-cutting attacks

Before his sentencing, Mullet told Judge Dan Aaron Polster in Cleveland that he had been blamed for running a cult and was ready to take the punishment. Polster was also sentenced 15 years while other Amish got prison terms ranging from one to seven years.

Mullet, his ankles in chains and a white beard down to mid-chest, said if his community is seen as a cult, "Then I'm going to take the punishment for everybody."

With relatives of victims and his family sitting on opposite sides of the public gallery, Mullet said he has lived his life trying to help others.

"That's been my goal all my life," Mullet, 67, said to a hushed courtroom, with his fellow defendants and their attorneys sitting at four defense tables and filling the jury box.

"I'm not going to be here much longer," said Mullet, who didn't elaborate on any health issues.

Mullet and his family deny his community is a cult. The government asked for a life sentence for Mullet. The defense asked for two years or less.

The 10 men and six women were convicted last year in five attacks in Amish communities in 2011. The government said the attacks were retaliation against Amish who had defied or denounced Mullet's authoritarian style.

Amish believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards once they marry. Cutting it would be offensive to Amish.

The defendants were charged with a hate crime because prosecutors believe religious differences brought about the attacks.

Nine of 10 men who were convicted have been locked up awaiting sentencing. The six women, who all have children, have been free on bond.

In a rare interview last week in Bergholz at the sprawling Mullet farm amid rolling hills in eastern Ohio, Mullet's unmarried 19-year-old grandson, Edward Mast, discussed the family's attitude.

He said they are steadfast in the belief that the attacks didn't rise to the level of a hate crime.

"The beard, what it stands for me, what I know about it, once you're married, you just grow a beard. That's just the way the Amish is," Mast said.

As for the victims, he added, "They got their beard back again, so what's the big deal about it?"

Arlene Miller, 48, of Carrollton, whose husband, an Amish bishop, was among the victims, thinks Mullet deserves a tough sentence and the others should get less time if they get cult deprogramming counseling.

"It's a cult," she said. "Their minds were programmed in the wrong way by Sam Mullet, so we feel like these people are very deceived and they are actually victims of Sam Mullet."

She said there were no winners in the ordeal.

"There's no happy ending to this," she said.

Complete coverage of the Amish beard-cutting attacks on Crimesider

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Bring drones out of the shadows?

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• John Brennan's confirmation hearing is a chance to ask about drone program, author says


• Sarah Holewinski: Brennan is one of a few officials who knows full story on drones


• She says senators need to ask about damage drone program does to civilians, U.S. reputation


• Holewinski: CIA should hand over drone program to Defense Department

Editor's note: Sarah Holewinski is executive director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict, which advocates protections for civilians affected by armed conflict. She was a member of the White House AIDS policy team in President Bill Clinton's second term.

(CNN) -- The president's pick for CIA director -- John Brennan -- is one of a handful of U.S. officials who understands America's covert drone campaign inside and out.

Nearly everyone else is in the dark about the whos, wheres and whys of the program, including most members of Congress. But Brennan is also one of the few U.S. officials who's stood in front of a public audience and tried to explain the targeting of terrorists outside recognized battlefields. And while overseeing a massive use of lethal force, Brennan is also known inside the administration as a moderating voice in the fight against terrorism.

Sarah Holewinski

The fact is, Brennan's personal views are as opaque as the drone campaign itself. He may assume leadership of the CIA and decide a clandestine agency should not conduct what is an obvious military operation (a stance I and many others would fully support); after all, a veteran of the CIA may believe the agency should get back to gritty intelligence gathering.

CNN Explains: U.S. drones

Or, maybe Brennan believes that when it comes to the fight against al Qaeda, the public and its Congress should trust the executive office to protect the American people by whatever means it sees fit.

One way or the other, this week's Senate confirmation hearings should be an opportunity to bring Brennan's views out of the shadows, along with the basic attributes and justifications of the covert drone campaign. The man, the machine and the policy are inextricably linked.

Bergen: John Brennan, America's drone warrior

U.S. officials have consistently claimed that offering too many details about the covert drone program could threaten national security. Fair enough; some classification for national security is understandable. But the secrecy surrounding covert drone use is unduly excessive and not in keeping with the transparent government President Barack Obama promised.

Since the bulk of Brennan's hearing will be behind closed doors, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has no reason to shy away from asking tough questions about the drone program. It matters that Congress is there to represent the American people. On their behalf, Congress has a duty to ensure the use of lethal force beyond our borders is being considered and carried out responsibly, with due consideration for the harm it may inflict on civilian populations.

Talk Back: Should U.S. be able to kill American terrorist suspects without trial?

Senators might ask a very basic question to Brennan, one that is seldom clearly answered by the administration: "What impact is the drone campaign against al Qaeda and its associates having?"

John Brennan, President Barack Obama's choice for CIA director, has been deeply involved in the U.S. drone program.

This is a fundamental question of accountability any U.S. official involved in setting or carrying out counterterrorism policy should be able to answer. That answer may describe a dwindling kill list, but it must also put forward facts about what impact drones are having on civilians living under them.

U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq learned that the positive or negative impacts of an operation on the local population are an important metric of mission effectiveness. Commanders worked hard to reverse anti-American sentiment caused by a seemingly callous U.S. attitude toward civilian deaths and injuries. In the case of counterterrorism operations, palpable anger toward America would be antithetical to the goal of decreasing the number of terrorists and those who support their cause.

As it stands, it's unclear whether anyone, including Brennan, knows what negative consequences are emerging on the ground because of remote drones.

Rather, claims of low civilian casualties and drone precision capabilities paint a picture of extreme effectiveness in taking out terrorists while sparing civilians. It's true that a drone is precise, meaning it will hit what it is aimed at -- a building, a bunker or a person. But there are valid concerns about whether the target hit is the right one.

Opinion: When are drone killings illegal?

Remote drones likely rely on sources that may be questionable such as video and cell phone intercepts to identify a target. Civilians may be mistakenly targeted as combatants and counted as such because there are no ground troops to conduct a battle damage assessment, interview witnesses or properly identify bodies.

Civilians may also get caught up in so-called "signature strikes" in which operators target individuals based on behavior, not on known identity. This is legally questionable but also has real ramifications for civilians living under drones.

If a civilian in Pakistan doesn't know what behavior makes him a target for U.S. drones, he cannot fully protect himself and his family. If a drone harms his family, even mistakenly, our research shows they won't receive an apology, explanation or any help from the United States. Certainly there will be no love lost for America.

Any deaths and injuries are compounded by psychological trauma, displacement and fear and suspicion among neighbors. One Pakistani told us, "We fear that the drones will strike us again. ... My aged parents are often in a state of fear. We are depressed, anxious and constantly remembering our deceased family members."

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former commander of international forces in Afghanistan, recently noted, "What scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world. ... (T)he resentment created by American use of unmanned strikes ... is much greater than the average American appreciates. They are hated on a visceral level, even by people who've never seen one or seen the effects of one."

The drone program needs to come out of the shadows, with explanations about who is a civilian, who is a target, and how drone operators distinguish between the two.

The CIA should get out of the drone operation business, handing it over to the Defense Department, which has a culture of learning lessons, accountability to Congress and a new openness about civilian protection after 10 years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Drone operators should be trained in civilian protection best practices, and any civilian harmed should receive recognition and help for their losses, in accordance with the values American policymakers have espoused about humanity even during times of war.

The Senate may confirm Brennan as head of the CIA. It should also confirm where he stands on government accountability for lethal force and the CIA's role in the remote drone program.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sarah Holewinski.

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Gymnastics: Silver lining for Singapore gymnasts

SINGAPORE: Singapore's gymnasts may have missed out on the opportunity to compete in this year's South-east Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar in December after their sport was axed by the hosts.

However, they will still get to compete in two regional championships - of similar standard to the gymnastics competition at the biennial Games - at the tail end of the year.

According to Singapore Gymnastics (SG) President Philip Chan, the South-east Asian Gymnastics Zone (SEAGZONE), a grouping of ASEAN affiliates in the Asian Gymnastics Union (AGU), has decided to organise the SEAGZONE Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the SEAGZONE Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships to make up for the sport's exclusion at the SEA Games.

The former will be organised by the Myanmar Gymnastics Federation in November, while the SG will host the Rhythmic Championships in December.

Chan told TODAY that, while the news of gymnastics' exclusion from the SEA Games was disappointing, it did not come as "a complete surprise".

"The decision by the Myanmar Olympic Committee to drop gymnastics from the SEA Games because of the host's bleak prospects of podium success is regrettable, but it is also within its rights as organiser," he said.

"Singapore Gymnastics and the other national affiliates of SEAGZONE had been hoping for the best, while planning for the worst."

Gymnastics, which produced a team gold medal, two individual silver medals and an individual bronze medal for Singapore at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia, was one of three sports dropped from this year's edition following a meeting by the SEA Games Federation last Tuesday. The other two sports were tennis and tenpin bowling.

The staging of the two regional championships also means that the SG will have a strong case in ensuring that its annual funding from the Singapore Sports Council is unaffected.

"There is no concern over this because the results of the two SEAGZONE Championships are equivalent in standard to the SEA Games," Chan explained.

He also sees a silver lining emerging from this setback.

"This just means that our gymnasts have another reason to work harder in preparation for the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships as well as the 28th SEA Games in Singapore in 2015, when we also hope to introduce the trampoline event for the first time."

Still, there was no denying the disappointment felt by the national gymnasts. "I was looking forward to taking part in the SEA Games. Now that it's cancelled, I just have to move on and wait for the next one," said Chermaine Yeo, 16.

Joey Tam, part of the women's team that won gold in 2011, rued the missed opportunity for both her and her younger team-mates.

"It's a missed opportunity. This would have been a good chance for the younger ones to gain experience and exposure," said the 19-year-old.

"Also, the SEA Games is one of the events that we athletes dream about competing in.

"When you're part of that huge Singapore contingent and you know that people at home are watching you and cheering you on, you can't help but feel proud and inspired." - TODAY

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