News article:

The songwriter of "Electric Slide" reached out to EDM.com to dispel any rumors.

 Unfortunately, we received word from Bunny Wailer and his team that this was a false internet rumor. In a statement made directly to EDM.com, Neville Livingston stated:

 At no time have I ever lent credence to a rumor that the song was inspired by anything other than Eddie Grant’s Electric Avenue. To state otherwise is a falsehood and offends my legacy, the legacy of the singer Marcia Griffiths, and tarnishes the reputation of a song beloved by millions of fans the world over.

 Despite the rumors being false,

 The original article can be found below:

 We are shook. The legendary song we all know and love, "The Electric Slide", also known as "The Electric Boogie", has revealed its true meaning from the songwriter himself Neville Livingston. The 71-year-old has been rumored to have confirmed the song is about a vibrator.

 Wait, what?!

 Yes, a ladies favorite toy. We had no idea! Sources say Livingston aka Bunny Wailer, was inspired to write the song after a girlfriend told him she didn't need him she had her vibrator called the "Electric Slide". Damn. Although this is unconfirmed yet, take a look at the lyrics for yourself and decide. We will never be the same.

 We have reached out for an official statement, but this is still life-changing.

 It's electric!

 You can't see it (it's electric!)

 You gotta feel it (it's electric!)

 Ooh, it's shakin' (it's electric!)

 Jiggle-a-mesa-cara

 She's a pumpin' like a matic

 She's a movin' like electric

 She sure got the boogie

 You gotta know it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 Now you can't hold it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 But you know it there,

 Here, there and everywhere

 I've got to move,

 I'm going on a party ride

 I've got to groove, groove, groove,

 And from this music

 I just can't hide

 Are you comin' with me?

 Come let me take you on a party ride

 And I'll teach you, teach you, teach you

 I'll teach you the electric slide

 Some say it's mystic

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 You can't resist it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 You can't do without it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 Jiggle-a-mesa-cara she's a pumpin' like a matic

 She's movin' like electric

 She sure got the boogie

 Don't want to lose it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 But you can't choose it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 But you know it's there,

 Here, there and everywhere

 I've got to move,

 Come let me take you on a party ride

 And I'll teach you, teach you, teach you

 I'll teach you the electric slide

 You can't see it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 You gotta feel it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 Ooh, it's shakin'

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 Jiggle-a-mesa-cara she's a pumpin' like a matic

 She's movin' like electric

 She sure got the boogie

 You gotta know it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 Now you can't hold it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 But you know it's there,

 Here, there and everywhere

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!

 Quotes originally appeared on aazios. ||||| Lots of songs are about sex and orgasms, but “Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide)” is not one of them.

 No, despite rumors that made their way this week across social media and into some news outlets ― including HuffPost ― that song you danced to at your niece’s bat mitzvah and your cousin Sara’s wedding is not about a vibrator.

 The outlet Aazios, an online source of LGBTQ news and entertainment, got the ball rolling on Tuesday when it reported an unnamed source “close to” the songwriter Neville Livingston, aka Bunny Wailer, had confirmed the song was about a vibrator. The publication said the source reached out to Wailer in Kingston, Jamaica, where he lives, to find the real meaning.

 “I’m surprised it took people this long to figure out,” Aazios reported the source said.

 But that interpretation is apparently not true. Livingston adamantly denied the rumor in a statement to EDM:

 “At no time have I ever lent credence to a rumor that the song was inspired by anything other than Eddie Grant’s Electric Avenue,” he said. “To state otherwise is a falsehood and offends my legacy, the legacy of the singer Marcia Griffiths, and tarnishes the reputation of a song beloved by millions of fans the world over.”

 Despite the truth being out there, people were rattled (yet excited) by the idea that the song could possibly have been about a sex toy:

 How old were y’all when y’all found out the electric slide was about a vibrator? I was right now years old. Literally. — TR (@TrevRichHD) June 28, 2018

 Going over Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle lyrics because I missed the memo that the Electric Slide is about a vibrator and everything is a lie. pic.twitter.com/RW6f7W8QSC — lauren warren (@iamlaurenp) June 27, 2018

 What’s this I hear about “the electric slide” being about a damn vibrator pic.twitter.com/YzswHnv1OY — Mik. (@imnotmikkishep) June 28, 2018

 The writer of "The Electric Slide" song has confirmed it's about a vibrator, now it makes sense why women love dancing it to it at weddings while the men stand there not knowing what to do. — Dan Regan (@Social_Mime) June 27, 2018

 Caribbean people leaving the party now that we know The Electric Slide is about a vibrator pic.twitter.com/Ww82IPyPjb — problematic aries ♈ (@vintagexpast) June 28, 2018

 Today I learned that Electric Boogie AKA The Electric Slide is about a vibrator and I’ve never laughed harder in my entire life about anything.

 My faith in humanity is temporarily restored. — Bebo (@BoldBebo) June 28, 2018

 The internet ruins everything 😭 Did you know “The Electric Slide” is about a vibrator? Yup. The internet broke down the lyrics and our childhoods have been ruined: https://t.co/Se8A0vmPY1 pic.twitter.com/OafbdyblUc — MadameNoire (@MadameNoire) June 28, 2018 ||||| 71 year old songwriter Neville Livingston aka Bunny Wailer is putting a rumor to rest by clarifying that the Electric Slide, also known as the Electric Boogie is indeed about a vibrator. Rumors of the songs meaning began circulating on social media a few weeks ago and everyone has been desperate for answers. According to a source close to Livingston, word of the question about the origins of the song reached him in Kingston, Jamaica where he currently resides and he put the rumors to rest. "I'm surprised it took people this long to figure out" the source tells us he said. Apparently Livingston wrote the song after a girlfriend told him she didn't need him because she had a toy she nicknamed the "electric slide"

 Lets examine the lyrics:

 It's electric!

 You can't see it (it's electric!)

 You gotta feel it (it's electric!)

 Ooh, it's shakin' (it's electric!)

 Jiggle-a-mesa-cara

 She's a pumpin' like a matic

 She's a movin' like electric

 She sure got the boogie

 You gotta know it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 Now you can't hold it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 But you know it there,

 Here, there and everywhere

 I've got to move,

 I'm going on a party ride

 I've got to groove, groove, groove,

 And from this music

 I just can't hide

 Are you comin' with me?

 Come let me take you on a party ride

 And I'll teach you, teach you, teach you

 I'll teach you the electric slide

 Some say it's mystic

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 You can't resist it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 You can't do without it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 Jiggle-a-mesa-cara she's a pumpin' like a matic

 She's movin' like electric

 She sure got the boogie

 Don't want to lose it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 But you can't choose it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 But you know it's there,

 Here, there and everywhere

 I've got to move,

 Come let me take you on a party ride

 And I'll teach you, teach you, teach you

 I'll teach you the electric slide

 You can't see it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 You gotta feel it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 Ooh, it's shakin'

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie)

 Jiggle-a-mesa-cara she's a pumpin' like a matic

 She's movin' like electric

 She sure got the boogie

 You gotta know it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 Now you can't hold it

 (It's electric

 Boogie woogie, woogie!)

 But you know it's there,

 Here, there and everywhere

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 Ola ola eh, ola eh (don dela don deloh!)

 If he's not talking about a vibrator I don't know what he's talking about. Are we still going to play this at every cookout, wedding, graduation and prom. Yes. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Ah, the internet. This week, it gave birth to a rumor about the legendary song "The Electric Slide" that became so widespread the songwriter had to come forward to officially debunk it. No, says Bunny Wailer, the song isn't about a woman's vibrator. "At no time have I ever lent credence to a rumor that the song was inspired by anything other than [Eddy] Grant's Electric Avenue," Wailer, aka Neville Livingston, tells EDM. "To state otherwise is a falsehood and offends my legacy, the legacy of the singer Marcia Griffiths, and tarnishes the reputation of a song beloved by millions of fans the world over." Well. As HuffPost (which cops to being among the sites to report the rumor as truth) explains, it's not crystal clear where it all started, but the rumor officially kicked into gear when the LGBTQ website Aazios ran a story with a definitive-sounding headline of "Writer Confirms 'The Electric Slide' Is About a Vibrator." The story, which includes the lyrics, has a quote from an anonymous source who says Wailer confirmed the rumor. That story set off a social media frenzy, which the real Wailer is now trying to shut down. Myth-busting site Snopes digs into the whole mess and concludes the rumor is indeed "False."


– Jesse Jackson is organizing a march this weekend in remembrance of Hadiya Pendleton, the Chicago teen who was killed just days after performing with her school band at President Obama's inauguration. Chicago already has some of the nation's strictest gun laws, but Jackson says he's hoping to inspire action on other factors that lead to gang violence. "It's not just about gun laws," he said on MSNBC. "It's about gun flow and drug flow and job flow." Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition will participate in the march, as will Rev. Al Sharpton, Politico reports. Hadiya's shooting is believed to be gang-related, but police say neither the 15-year-old nor anyone she was with had gang ties. Indeed, in sixth grade she even recorded an anti-gang PSA, the Chicago Tribune reports. It's heartbreaking to watch now: "So many children in the world have died from gang violence," another girl in the video tells the camera. "More than 500 children have died from being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Expand this summary.

Hadiya Pendleton: 4 years before slaying, girl made anti-gang video

 "Hi, my name is Hadiya. This commercial is informational for you and your future children," she begins. "So many children out there are in gangs and it's your job as students to say no to gangs and yes to a great future."

 The sixth-grader can barely keep from smiling, self-conscious in front of the camera as she delivers a very serious message.

 The video then shows shots of a boy slumped in a stairwell, another boy sprawled against a locker, a girl lying on the floor against a wall as a classmate next to Hadiya says, "So many children in the world have died from gang violence. More than 500 children have died from being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

 Four years after Hadiya Pendleton made that public service video at Carter G. Woodson Elementary School, police are saying the same thing about her.

 Hadiya had just finished her final exams at King Prep High School, where she was a sophomore, and was hanging out with friends from the school's volleyball team when she was gunned down in a park in the 4400 block of South Oakenwald Avenue. Thursday afternoon, police announced the reward for information leading to an arrest in the shooting had increased to $24,000, up from $11,000 announced Wednesday.

 Hadiya and the others had sought shelter from a rainstorm under a canopy at the park around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday when a gunman jumped a fence, ran toward them and opened fire, police said.

 As the teens scattered, Hadiya and two teenage boys were shot. Hadiya was hit in the back and pronounced dead at Comer Children's Hospital less than an hour after the shooting. The wounds suffered by the boys were not life-threatening.

 Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy stressed that neither Hadiya nor anyone in the group she was with were involved with gangs. But it appears the gunman mistook the students for members of a rival gang, he said. The shooter was last seen fleeing in a white Nissan.

 “These were good kids by everything that I learned," McCarthy said at a Wednesday news conference, where a reward of $11,000 was announced. "Wrong place at the wrong time.”

 Hadiya was shot a little more than a week after performing with the King College Prep band in Washington during President Barack Obama's inauguration festivities. The shooting occurred in a park about a mile north of Obama's Kenwood home.

 The shooting has drawn the attention of both the White House, which is pushing for national gun control, and City Hall as Chicago closes on a violent January. Hadiya was the 42nd homicide victim this year in the city, where killings last year climbed above 500.

 Hadiya's father, Nathaniel Pendleton, pleaded for someone to step forward and bring the 15-year-old's killer to justice.

 "She was destined for great things," he said.

 Hadiya was a majorette with the band at King, one of the city's elite selective-enrollment schools. She dreamed of going to Northwestern University and talked about becoming a pharmacist or a journalist, maybe a lawyer.

 Police have reported no arrests. ||||| The Rev. Jesse Jackson pledged to march this weekend on behalf of the Windy City teenager who was shot and killed, days after performing at an event for President Barack Obama’s Inauguration.

 Jackson said the march would feature his Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the Rev. Al Sharpton, among others. He added that there are a number of factors that drive gun violence beyond gun laws, which are stringent in Chicago.

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 “It’s not just about gun laws; it’s about gun flow and drug flow and job flow,” Jackson said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “We know where they’re manufactured. And you cannot stop them. Rahm [Emanuel] is doing a tremendous job, I think, trying to maneuver … But he’s in this box, guns coming in. And when the plants close and the jobs leave, so poverty and drugs and guns and race are factors.”

 Jackson was responding to a question about why Chicago has already seen more than 40 murders in 2013 despite tough gun restrictions. He noted that guns come into Chicago from outside city limits, where gun laws are more lax.

 The reverend’s comments come several days after 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed about a mile from Obama’s Chicago home. A week earlier, she had participated in inaugural events with her high school band and came to the president’s Inauguration, news reports said.

 “It’s a terrible tragedy anytime a young person is struck down,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said at a press briefing on Wednesday. He added, “The president and first lady’s thoughts are with the family.”

 Jackson said that the coalition of social justice activists plans to march on Saturday to the spot where she was killed. |||||


Write a summary based on this article:

Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton are welcoming a little one to their newly-formed family -- but it isn't a baby. The Telegraph reports the newlyweds have just adopted a cocker spaniel puppy, whose name has not been released.

 According to the report, the puppy is barely a few months old and is the son of Kate's mother's dog, Ella.

 US Weekly reports the couple was initially worried they weren't ready to take care of a pet, but after a short trial period, all fears were assuaged.

 "William and Catherine fell in love with the pup instantly and it wasn't long before they decided to keep him," a Palace aide told the magazine. "He's now part of the royal fold!" ||||| Duke and Duchess welcome new arrival: Kate and Wills adopt pet cocker spaniel but the name remains a mystery

 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge now have a three-month old puppy

 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed a new addition to their family - an adorable three-month old puppy.

 The couple acquired the male cocker spaniel in early December and have been happily settling him in at their rented farmhouse in North Wales.

 Remarkably, however, William and Kate have given palace aides strict instructions not to publicly reveal the name of their pet, arguing that it is a ‘private’ matter.

 ‘He is a private pet and they do not want his name to be made public although the couple are happy to confirm that they do, indeed, have a new dog,’ a spokesman at St James’s Palace, the couple’s London headquarters, intoned.

 Royal sources say the black pup is ‘a few months old’ and comes from a litter bred by Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, who adores the breed.

 ‘I don’t know whether the Middleton family dog is a boy or a girl, but the Duke and Duchess’s puppy is the result of the family dog breeding with one belonging to another breeder,’ said an aide.

 The new dog is the couple’s first together and replaces Prince William’s black labrador, Widgeon, who died about two years ago.

 Over the years, the Royal Family have embraced dogs as their favoured pets.

 Formal portraits from the 17th century onwards show kings, queens and their children happily posing with their beloved animals, from pugs to greyhounds, King Charles spaniels to corgis.

 Some pets have even merited their own portraits, and, as in many households, were considered very much members of the family.

 Prince William’s black labrador, Widgeon, died about two years ago (left, stock picture) but now he has acquired a male cocker spaniel with wife Kate

 When Queen Victoria’s beloved collie, Noble, died at Balmoral in 1887, he was buried in the grounds of the castle and given his own gravestone, which read:

 'Noble by name by nature noble too

 Faithful companion sympathetic true

 His remains are interred here'

 A terrier named Caesar belonging to King Edward VII was given even greater status when, having outlived the king, he walked behind His Majesty’s coffin in the funeral procession.

 The current Queen is, of course, associated with the corgi.

 The breed was introduced to the Royal Family by her father, King George VI, in 1933 when he bought a corgi called Dookie from a local kennels.

 For her eighteenth birthday, The Queen was given a corgi named Susan from whom numerous successive dogs were bred.

 Some corgis were mated with dachshunds (most notably Pipkin, who belonged to Princess Margaret) to create ‘dorgis’.

 At present, The Queen owns three corgis, Monty, Willow and Holly and three dorgis, Cider, Candy and Vulcan, who travel with her everywhere, with Her Majesty looking after them herself as much as possible.

 Tradition: The current Queen is associated with the corgi

 Other members of the Royal Family own dogs of various breeds. The Duchess of Cornwall owns two Jack Russell terriers, Tosca and Rosie, and recently acquired a rescue pup called Beth from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

 Spaniels are one of the oldest known breeds of dogs and are believed to have to come to the UK during Caesar’s invasion in 55 and 54 BC.

 It is assumed they originated from Spain as the word spaniel is believed to have been derived from Hispania or possibly from the French phrase chiens de l’Espagnol (dog of Spain).

 Spaniels were initially bred to flush game out of dense brush but by the late 1600’s had become specialized into water and land breeds.

 The difference between cocker and springer spaniels is that the former are smaller, more compact, dogs and can have marginally more placid temperaments.

 As a breed cocker spaniels have friendly, affectionate, happy natures and considered to be wonderful family pets.

 The arrival of the couple’s anonymous new pooch is particularly timely as he will help keep Kate, 30, company while her husband is posted to the Falkland Islands for six weeks.

 Search and Rescue pilot William, 29, will fly out tonight with his Sea King crew on a routine deployment to the region, leaving his wife on her own.

 She is expected to spend more time in London while he is away and will largely live with her pup at Kensington Palace, the couple’s London base.

 Last night betting firm Ladbrokes were offering odds of 10/1 on the dog being called Charlie, 33/1 on Bouncer and 66/1 on Fenton, after the now world-famous hound seen chasing deer in Richmond Park, which became a YouTube sensation.

 The pup has not been formally revealed in public yet but has been seen being walked by the couple on beaches near their Anglesey home. |||||

– You may have heard the happy news: Prince William and Kate Middleton are the proud parents of a 3-month-old cocker spaniel. However, if you were hoping to find out what they're calling the puppy, prepare to be disappointed. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have strictly instructed aides not to reveal his name, the Daily Mail reports. Says a spokesperson, "He is a private pet and they do not want his name to be made public although the couple are happy to confirm that they do, indeed, have a new dog." Click for pictures of the "private pet."


Further Details Released in Connection with 13 Year Old's Death

 On January 25, 2015, at 11:07 AM, Eagan Police Officers responded to 1794 Silver Bell Circle after a fifteen year old male from inside the residence called to report his thirteen year old brother Suhayb Hassan, was unresponsive and bleeding. The caller initially reported to dispatchers his brother had been running with a knife inside the residence and had fallen where he accidentally stabbed himself. Police officers, firefighters, and HealthEast Paramedics arrived and attempted life saving measures, but unfortunately the victim, Suhayb Hassan, was pronounced dead at the scene.

 Once police arrived at the scene, the fifteen year old told responding officers he lied to dispatchers, and admitted he accidently shot his brother.

 Through further questioning, investigators learned the boys recently discovered their father owned a handgun and stored it within the residence. While home alone with their eleven year old sister, the boys found the hidden 9 mm pistol which was unloaded. In close proximity was a magazine containing cartridges for the firearm.

 At some point, the firearm was loaded then thought to be unloaded

 by one of the boys where they then began to chase each other while playing “cops and robbers”.

 The fifteen year old pressed the trigger and unintentionally fired the weapon towards his brother. Only one round was fired, which struck Suhayb in the chest. The eleven year old was uninjured and did not witness the incident.

 No one is in custody at this time and we do not anticipate any future arrests. Nonetheless, the case continues to be investigated with the assistance of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. Although this appears to be a horrible accident, upon completion of this investigation, the facts we gather will be presented to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office for review.

 There is no further information available at this time. ||||| The site of the accidental shooting death of a 13-year-old boy in Eagan on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. (Pioneer Press: Nick Ferraro)

 Suhayb Jamal Hassan (Photo Courtesy of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district)

 The 13-year-old Eagan boy who died Sunday morning was accidentally shot in the chest by his older brother with their father's handgun during a game of "cops and robbers," police said Monday.

 The victim's 15-year-old brother initially told emergency dispatchers about 11:30 a.m. that his brother -- identified Monday as Suhayb Jamal Hassan -- was running with a knife inside their home, fell and accidentally stabbed himself, said police detective Desiree Schroepfer, a department spokeswoman.

 The 15-year-old reported that his brother was unresponsive and bleeding from a wound. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

 Police initially described the incident as "suspicious," and after questioning, the 15-year-old admitted to investigators that he had accidentally shot his brother, Schroepfer said.

 The victim was an eighth-grader at Blackhawk Middle School in Eagan, Schroepfer said.

 School district officials said the school notified students of Suhayb's death Monday morning and provided additional counselors.

 "Many of them knew what had happened by the time they arrived at school this morning," said Tony Taschner, spokesman for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district.

 Police have not released the name of the 15-year-old boy. Schroepfer said the investigation was continuing.

 Investigators said the boys recently had learned that their father owned a handgun and kept it in the home in the 1700 block of Silver Bell Circle.

 While home alone with their 11-year-old sister, the boys found the hidden 9mm pistol.

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 The handgun was unloaded, but a loaded magazine was nearby.

 At some point, the gun was loaded, then thought to be unloaded. The boys were chasing each other while playing "cops and robbers," Schroepfer said.

 The 15-year-old pulled the trigger and unintentionally fired one round toward his brother, Schroepfer said. His brother was struck in the chest.

 The sister was uninjured and did not witness the shooting, police said.

 Police said the shooting appeared to be a "horrible accident." Schroepfer said no arrests were expected.

 However, police said the results of their investigation will be turned over to the Dakota County attorney's office.

 On Monday afternoon, no one answered the door at the family's home, a split-level house in a cul-de-sac.

 A neighbor said she often saw the two boys walking to school in the morning. The parents also have a second daughter, the neighbor said.

 "I think they have rented the home for about two years," said the neighbor, who asked not to be identified. "It's so sad. You hear about this happening a lot ... kids playing with guns."

 Christopher Magan contributed to this report. Nick Ferraro can be reached at 651-228-2173. Follow him at twitter.com. NFerraroPiPress.

  |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Two brothers playing with their dad's handgun ended with the younger accidentally dead at the hands of the older in a game of "cops and robbers" gone horrifically wrong. As the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, 13-year-old Suhayb Jamal Hassan, his 15-year-old brother, and an 11-year-old sister were at their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Eagan on Sunday morning when the boys found their dad's unloaded 9mm pistol, with ammunition nearby. "They began to play with the gun and sometime during the incident the gun was loaded and then believed to have been unloaded by one of the boys," an Eagan detective says, per KARE. The 15-year-old boy pretended to shoot Suhayb, but the gun was loaded and went off, striking Suhayb in the chest. The older boy called 911, telling them at first that Suhayb had accidentally fallen on a knife; he later admitted that he'd accidentally shot Suhayb. Emergency responders pronounced the boy dead at the scene. "We do not anticipate any future arrests," says the city of Eagan in a statement. It adds that while an investigation is being conducted, the case "appears to be a horrible accident." "It's so sad," says a neighbor. "You hear about this happening a lot ... kids playing with guns."


Here is a news article: — Nancy Mace, the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, and state Sen. Lee Bright, one of the Legislatures more outspoken libertarians, say they will announce soon that they will run against U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in next years Republican primary.

 The two challengers would join Richard Cash, an Easley businessman who lost a 2010 Republican congressional runoff, in trying to block Graham from winning a third six-year term in the Senate.

 However, a large field of libertarian opponents could help Graham by splintering Tea Party voters among his challengers, S.C. political scientists said. If Im Lindsey Graham, I want two or three people opposing me, Citadel political scientist Scott Buchanan said.

 On her website, Mace said Thursday that she plans to make her announcement at 9 a.m. Saturday at a GOP breakfast in her hometown of Goose Creek.

 Mace, who runs a Charleston public relations agency that has done political work, said she would talk about her campaign then. The 35-year-old political newcomer has said for months that she was mulling a run against Graham. The Seneca Republican has been targeted by Tea Party followers because, they say, of his willingness to compromise with Democrats on some issues.

 Bright, a 43-year-old Spartanburg County truck company owner, said Thursday he plans to enter the race within the next few weeks.

 Bright said he was waiting to see if either U.S. Reps. Trey Gowdy, R-Spartanburg, or Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens, enter the GOP primary against Graham. The congressmen have not announced any plans to challenge Graham, whom Bright said is too willing to allow government to intrude into private lives.

 Unlike Mace, Bright said he has a voting record that voters can use to judge his commitment to limited government. In 2011, for instance, Bright introduced a bill to study creating a S.C. currency in case the federal government fell into financial ruin.

 My having a record in the state Senate similar to the record of (former U.S. Sen.) Jim DeMint had in the U.S. Senate would be appealing to South Carolinians, Bright said.

 Cash, 53, said the additional candidates will bring more interest into the race. He said he is not just running against Graham but wants to share his positive message of hope and heritage.

 The Graham campaign declined comment until the candidates formally announce they are running.

 With only 10 months before the June 2014 primary, Mace, Bright and Cash need to raise lots of cash fast to have a chance of overcoming the $6.3 million that the Graham campaign has on hand.

 Grahams supporters also have started a super PAC to support his re-election bid. An anti-Graham political organization also was formed last month to defeat the 58-year-old senator.

 Bright said he thinks he can raise the $5 million necessary to run a competitive campaign.

 Some money could come from outside the state, such as from the Club for Growth, said Mark Tomkins, a University of South Carolina political scientist.

 Do the Koch brothers come in? Tomkins said of the influential Midwestern businessmen known for backing conservative candidates. Im not sure they are not pleased with Graham. Theres a lot of money out there none of us know about.

 Mace faces a tough challenge in going up against Graham, a seasoned politician, The Citadels Buchanan said. However, a good showing  winning about 40 percent of the primary vote  could propel her to another future office, such as the state Legislature.

 Theres something to said for going through the gauntlet, Buchanan said. Shes aiming high on this one.

 Bright will run a very aggressive campaign, experts said.

 He is the in-your-face, red-meat conservative who will play real well with voters who are critical of Lindsey, Buchanan said.

 But Tompkins said a Bright candidacy could anger libertarians who prefer Mace, popular in some circles because she broke the gender barrier at South Carolinas previously all-male military college.

 He doesnt offer a story that can attract coverage the way Nancy Mace does, Tompkins said of Bright. With lots of time to go, I would expect conservatives to work hard to come behind a single candidate  and she may be better positioned than he is to take advantage of that effort.

 Political analysts also said Grahams positions on some issues have grown more conservative as his 2014 re-election drew closer. For instance, Graham has launched several attacks against the Obama administration for its handling of the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

 Hes trying to cover his flank on the right side, Buchanan said of Graham.

 Even if he wins re-election, a hard-fought GOP primary could send a message to Graham. It puts pressure to be less cooperative and (not) sign on to those grand bargains with Democrats, Tompkins said.

 CORRECTION: This story was updated to reflect Lindsey Graham's correct number of terms in the Senate. ||||| The Constitution. The Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence. To some these are little more than historical documents, but to conservatives these are the law of the land. It is clear as one reads them, the foundation of our country was built with limited government and the free market in mind.

 However, Washington is out of touch. Special interests throw money at career politicians. These same politicians fail to lead and simply react to the latest controversy to gain a spot on Sunday morning talk shows.

 With congressional approval at an all time low, it’s easy to understand why some would prefer to appear on television sets rather than face their constituents back at home.

 President Reagan once said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” that we must fight for it, protect it and hand it down to future generations.

 Yesterday South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham endorsed President Obama’s intrusive arm of big brother regarding the collection of data and phone records:

 “I’m a Verizon customer. I don’t mind Verizon turning over records to the government if the

 government is going to make sure that they try to match up a known terrorist phone with somebody in the United States. I don’t think you’re talking to the terrorists. I know you’re not. I know I’m not. So we don’t have anything to worry about.”

 Senator Graham went on to challenge Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. In his attack, Graham leads us to believe that “In Senator Paul’s world” those who value the constitution would leave America in a weakened position against its enemies. However, true conservatives believe that we can follow the constitution and defend our country against the enemy without sacrificing our freedom.

 One week Senator Graham wants to debate the rights granted in the Second Amendment and another he questions the First Amendment rights of American citizens. And yesterday he tells us it’s ok for the government to search our phone records even if we are law abiding citizens.

 Most would agree with Senator Graham that radical Islam is the foremost threat to our nation’s security. However, if we are truly protecting Americans from this grave threat, then how does it make sense to supply arms and aid to countries who support radical Islam, bring harm to our allies, burn our flag, hate our culture and allow terrorists to plot against the United States and her friends?

 In Senator Graham’s world, arming al-Qaeda in Syria is a good idea.

 In Senator Graham’s world, your rights as an American citizen are granted by the ruling political class and not by our Creator.

 In Senator Graham’s world, government should always be trusted but never the American citizen.

 In Senator Graham’s world, the Constitution doesn’t exist.

 In Senator Graham’s world, the entire Bill of Rights is negotiable.

 In Senator Graham’s world, our constitutional rights seem constantly up for debate.

 In Senator Graham’s world, he says we’re fighting for freedom but is the first to surrender all of them.

 In Senator Graham’s world, America is going broke, and taxing hard working Americans while spending more money the country simply does not have.

 In Senator Graham’s world, I am concerned about the future of our country.

 Maybe Senator Graham has been living in a world of his own for too long.

 ###

 Nancy Mace is the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. She is the author of In the Company of Men published by Simon and Schuster. She is a small business owner of a public relations and marketing firm, The Mace Group, based in Charleston, South Carolina. ||||| The first female graduate of the Citadel is raising money in preparation for a 2014 primary challenge against GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

 Nancy Mace is scheduled to officially announce her political plans on Saturday, and the married mother of two is already signaling her intent to oust Mr. Graham from office next year by asking supporters to donate to her campaign.

 “I need your help to make sure that South Carolina’s conservative values are represented in the U.S. Senate,” Mrs. Macesaid on her website. “We have a long campaign ahead of us, and we can’t do it without your support.”

 Tea party groups have been clamoring for someone to try to topple Mr. Graham, who they say has habitually sold out the limited government principles that fuel the grass-roots movement. They call him a “RINO,” or “Republican In Name Only.”

 Mrs. Mace’s campaign announcement will come roughly a week after a conservative South Carolina group launched a grassroots campaign targeting Mr. Graham in the 2014 election.

 Carolina Conservatives United, a non-profit organization, said Mr. Graham has made a habit of saying one thing, but doing another, selling out their limited government principles and showing “contempt” for small government advocates.

 “We never know which Lindsey Graham will show up in Washington each day,” said Bruce Carroll, the group’s chairman. “He’s more likely to side with liberal Senate Democrats on important votes than with Senator Tim Scott or the South Carolina Republican Congressional delegation.”

 Mrs. Mace delivers a similar message on her website.

 “Voters here in South Carolina are frustrated with the status quo,” she said. “Washington is out of touch, and the only way to change Washington is to change who we send to Washington.”

 Mr. Graham appears to be in good financial shape as he looks toward winning a third term. As of June 30, he had $6.3 million cash on hand for re-election, and polls have shown he is on sturdy footing. ||||| The first woman to graduate from the Citadel is planning to challenge South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in the Republican primary next year.

 Charleston businesswoman Nancy Mace will head to Goose Creek Saturday to announce her Senate campaign, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

 “This isn’t about one senator,” Mace told TheDCNF. “The only way to change Washington is to change who we send to Washington.”

 “Washington is out of touch,” she added. “Voters are frustrated. They’re looking for someone authentic.”

 In a June fundraising email, the Senate Conservatives Fund listed Graham as one of three Republican senators the group would support a primary campaign against if “strong, conservative challengers emerge.”

 Mace, who has written articles for The Daily Caller, is a Fort Bragg native who graduated from South Carolina’s military college in 1999, becoming the first woman graduate since the Citadel was founded in 1842. She later wrote a memoir of her experience at the school and runs a public relations firm in Charleston.

 Last year, Club for Growth president Chris Chocola told a Christian Science Monitor event that Graham was a potential target.

 “If you’re looking to the horizon of 2014,” Chocola said, “the sun may rise over South Carolina.”

 South Carolina Republican state Sen. Tom Davis predicted to TheDCNF last year that “someone will challenge Lindsey Graham.”

 After Graham spoke out in support of the National Security Agency’s data collection practices under the Obama administration, Mace wrote a scathing post at the conservative blog RedState chastising the senator.

 “In Senator Graham’s world, the Constitution doesn’t exist,” she wrote. “In Senator Graham’s world, the entire Bill of Rights is negotiable.”

 Mace’s phrasing is a play on Graham’s criticism of Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul in the wake of the NSA leaks: “[I]n Rand Paul’s world, you have almost no defense against terrorists.”

 “In Senator Graham’s world, arming al-Qaeda in Syria is a good idea,” Mace retorted.

 When Paul ran ads against several swing state Democratic senators who voted against his proposal to stop foreign aid to Egypt, Pakistan and Libya, Graham came to their aid. Graham joined West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in a conference call defending his vote.

 “I think the overwhelming majority of Americans oppose giving tax dollars to countries that hate our culture, burn our flag and train terrorists,” Mace told TheDCNF.

 Mace said that Graham refers to his Republican critics as being “to the left of Obama, but he has has been with Obama on many issues.” She pointed to the Gang of Eight immigration bill — Graham’s harshest critics nickname him “Grahamnesty” — along with the Troubled Assets Relief Program bailout, cap and trade and his votes to confirm Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

 Mace argued that justices in the mold of these Obama appointments “upheld Obamacare,” the controversial federal health care reform law she would like to defund.

 Last year, Graham distanced himself from the Americans for Tax Reform pledge against tax increases, causing the group’s leader Grover Norquist to brand him “not a thought leader in the Republican Party.”

 The New York Times quoted Graham saying he was willing to accept higher tax revenues to prevent cuts in defense spending, although his office later clarified that he was referring only to closing tax loopholes.

 With more than $6.3 million in cash on hand, Graham will be a formidable opponent for newcomer Mace. The two-term senator easily turned back a primary challenge from former Republican National Committeeman Buddy Witherspoon in 2008.

 South Carolina Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy told an interviewer earlier this year, “Lindsey Graham will be fine.”

 “He’s not in trouble,” Gowdy said. “He’s a better lawyer than I am. He’s more persuasive than I am.”

 The South Carolina Republican primary is scheduled for June 2014.

 Follow Jim on Twitter

 Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@ dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

 Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. ||||| In Washington, thousand-page “reform” bills are frequently passed before anyone knows what’s in them. The latest is supposed to fix our broken immigration system. The bill, which was cobbled together by the Senate’s so-called Gang of Eight, would grant legal status to those in our country illegally before securing the border — and it’s not clear it would really secure the border at all.

 But the biggest problem with the bill is the way its authors seem to have ignored the economic impact amnesty will have on law-abiding, taxpaying citizens for decades to come.

 I don’t believe the Gang of Eight’s claim that this plan will be deficit neutral, despite the recent Congressional Budget Office estimate. After all, when was the last time the government correctly estimated the cost of legislation? Common sense suggests that the tax revenue collected from the newly legalized low-wage workers will not offset the cost of the benefits to which they will be legally entitled. According to a recent Heritage Foundation study, the bill would cost taxpayers $6.3 trillion. And even the CBO concluded that the bill would decrease wages and increase the unemployment rate, at least in the short term.

 Moreover, rewarding illegal immigrants sends a terrible message to those working hard to earn citizenship the right way. We simply can’t reward those whose first act in our country was to break the law.

 The notion of “comprehensive” immigration reform reminds me a lot of “comprehensive” healthcare reform. It will be years before we understand the true cost of Obamacare and the burden it will have on businesses and taxpayers. Likewise, if the Senate immigration bill becomes law, it will be years before we understand its full impact.

 On Thursday, 14 Republican senators joined with the Democrats to vote for this bill. It is a shame that one of them — Lindsey Graham — represents my home state of South Carolina.

 South Carolina needs a senator who will put border security first, not just pay lip service to it. South Carolina needs a senator who will work for the people he represents and not for the leftists who crafted this bill. South Carolina needs a senator who will not subsidize or incentivize more illegal immigration, who will not support legislation that will increase unemployment, and who will not support pork-laden legislation drafted behind closed doors.

 Most of all, South Carolina needs a senator who will put forth solutions that help our economy. We should secure the border, fix our broken visa program, and then work toward finding a way to address illegal immigration without encouraging more of it.

 Nancy Mace, the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina, is the author of “In the Company of Men,” published by Simon and Schuster. She is the owner of a public relations and marketing firm, The Mace Group. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Lindsey Graham has drawn a potentially formidable primary challenger. Nancy Mace, the first woman to ever graduate from the Citadel, plans to throw her hat in the ring, she tells the Daily Caller. Mace, 35, graduated from the military college back in 1999, and has since written a memoir and founded a PR firm. She'll officially announce her candidacy tomorrow, but she's already been raising money in preparation, the Washington Times reports. Mace has gotten a head start attacking Graham online; in a Red State column last month she savaged him at length for supporting the NSA's phone surveillance programs. In another on the Caller she sounds like she's trying out campaign language, with a series of "South Carolina needs a senator who..." statements as she blasts him for backing immigration reform. But Mace will also have to beat two other libertarian-leaning challengers who could split the Tea Party vote, the State points out.


Write a summary based on this article:

As 2011 winds down, Funny or Die has formalized plans for dedicated coverage of the 2012 presidential election.

 "Live Funny or Die" launched Nov. 8, with an introductory video featuring most of the Republican candidates -- or at least comedians impersonating them.

 Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Michele Bachman and Rick Perry are all represented, though the focus is clearly on Herman Cain, played here by Mike Tyson.

 "Hello, Herman Cain here, with a message for the internet: You're way too complicated," Tyson says, before singing a little song about pizza.

 Darrell Hammond takes on Perry, in what can only be described as a combination of his Saturday Night Live impersonations of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

 President Obama impersonator Reggie Brown also makes a cameo at the end to explain the only two things you need to hold a captive audience online: cats and breasts. ||||| ♫ (Hail To The Chief) ♫

 (ding)

 ♫ (Hail To The Chief) ♫

 Mitt: Hello, I'm Mitt Romney.

 And I'd like to thank Funny or Die

 for giving me this opportunity to

 speak directly to the Internet.

 Hermie: Hello, Hermie King here

 with a message for the Internet ...

 You're way too complicated!

 Ron: Hey everybody, this is Ron Paul.

 I just wanted to thank Funny or Die for

 letting me talk directly to their audience

 and clarify what my political ...

 Michele: I'm Michele Bachmann,

 the current frontrunner

 for the GOP nomination!

 Marcus: And I'm Marcus Bachmann!

 And we built this dream together!

 Nothin's gonna stop us now! (laughs)

 That's from my favorite movie "Mannequin"!

 Rick: Hello, Governor Rick Perry here.

 I know I saluted a second ago,

 but I always salute when I ...

 After I squeeze one out!

 Mitt: Is anyone in the whole world

 excited about me being president?

 Nope.

 Hermie: Funny or Die.

 Why are there two options?

 My 1-1-1 plan calls for one.

 Website where you can search for one word

 and get one response.

 Ron: Hey Mitch, are you sure they can

 see me there in the shot?

 Are you sure you're framed up right?

 Michele: Marcus, do you

 think there's another website

 where I can get another kid?

 Marcus: I don't know,

 whenever you're outta town,

 I find everything I need on Craigslist.

 Mitt: I'm going to be

 your next president ...

 Because I'm not crazy and I'm not black.

 So you might as well get used to it.

 Rick: (laughing)

 Have you awesome bitches seen the one

 where that baby panda sneezes?

 Oh man, I love that. It's adorable!

 Singing: ♫ Pizza-pizza-pie ♫

 Mitt: I'll see ya later, Internet!

 And remember to vote "funny" ...

 Oh wait, no, die.

 Funny.

 Obama: Funny or Die.

 That's a kitten in a box and ...

 these are boobs!

 BAM! That's it!

 That's how you talk to the internet!

 ♫ (Star Spangled Banner)♫

 Hermie: CANE! |||||

– Is Mike Tyson actually turning into a comedian? First there was his roast appearance and now this: He’s been cast as Herman Cain in Funny or Die’s new election season parody series “Live Funny or Die." The series launched last week with a video featuring most of the candidates—including Darrell Hammond as Rick Perry and infamous Obama impersonator Reggie Brown as the president, according to the Hollywood Reporter. But it’s this video, a full blast of Tyson, that’s got us in stitches. In a perfect marriage of actor and material, Tyson’s Cain explains his rise in the polls thusly: “The Tea Party loves crazy more than they hate black.” He then lays out campaign promises like “I’m gonna wear a flag pin the size of a fat baby’s head and show off the cool handshake Jesus and I have been working on,” pausing occasionally to randomly shout “Cain!” It must be seen to be believed.


Here is a news article: The son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, Francis is the first pope from Latin America. Before the installation Mass, he called his native country, and his voice was broadcast in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, to the delight of the crowds that had maintained an all-night vigil awaiting the Mass from the man they had known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

 Francis is also the first Jesuit pope; the order is based on service, and its members have traditionally shunned climbing the church hierarchy. In his homily, Francis quoted Scripture to say that as bishop of Rome, he was endowed with “a certain power.” But he added, “Let us never forget that authentic power is service.”

 Video

 “He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked St. Joseph,” Francis said during the Mass, which fell on the Feast of St. Joseph. “He must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.”

 Francis’ reference to St. Joseph could also be interpreted as a signal to Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus and former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, whose decision to step down last month shook the Catholic world. On Tuesday, Francis sent his predecessor a warm greeting “full of affection and gratitude,” drawing long applause from the crowd. The Vatican said Tuesday that Francis had also called Benedict to wish him a happy name day, and offered “his and the church’s thanks for his service.” It called the conversation “broad and cordial.”

 The Vatican statement said that “Benedict followed the events of these days with intense participation,” including the installation Mass, “and assures his successor his continued closeness in prayer.”

 About 150,000 to 200,000 people attended the Mass, the Vatican said. As it began, Francis received two symbolic emblems of his role as leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics: the fisherman’s ring, which recalls how St. Peter fished for food and later for souls, and the pallium, a white woolen vestment decorated with red crosses that symbolizes the role of the pope as a good shepherd.

 Video

 “Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives,” Francis said in his homily. “We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness,” he added.

 Advertisement Continue reading the main story

 His words resonated with Andreina Baldi, 58, a housewife from Rome who attended the Mass. “This is why we are all here, his warmth,” she said. “He just said that we should all open our arms to welcome God’s people, anybody, the poor, the youngest, those in jail. And he is already doing so.”

 Anna Di Renzo, an artist from the northern Italian village of Portacomaro, the ancestral home of Francis’ family, said, “In just a few days, he has conquered our hearts.”

 The Vatican said that representatives of 132 countries and international organizations were to attend the Mass. They included Robert Mugabe, the autocratic president of Zimbabwe. He is the subject of a travel ban by European countries because of Zimbabwe’s human rights record. The Vatican has said that it does not issue invitations but welcomes leaders who come.

 In St. Peter’s Square, Brother Gregory Lucrezia of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, originally of Garrison, N.Y., said he hoped that under Francis, the Catholic Church would return to a mission of service. “I don’t think he’ll solve everyone’s problems, because they are many and deep, but his prayerful attitude and ability to unite everyone” should go a long way, he said. ||||| Rome (CNN) -- It was with a call for the protection of the weakest in society that Francis was officially inaugurated Tuesday as the Catholic Church's 266th pontiff, before a crowd of tens of thousands bathed in sunlight.

 Giving his homily before the throngs in St. Peter's Square, Francis showed the humility and concern for ordinary people that have been noted since he became the first Latin American to be elected pope six days ago.

 What do you think about the new pope? Tell us

 Before he spoke, he was given the official symbols of his papacy: a lamb's wool shawl, to represent his role as "the good shepherd," and the Fisherman's Ring, to represent his role of spreading the gospel.

 The ring is not solid gold like that of his predecessors, but made of gold-plated silver -- again reflecting his desire for simplicity.

 The pope delivered his homily in Italian, rooted in a message of looking after the poor and sick, as well as the natural world.

 He reflected first on the symbolism of the date: this is the day that Catholics celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph to honor Jesus' father on Earth, the carpenter Joseph.

 Francis spoke of Joseph's role in protecting not only Jesus and Mary, but also the church.

 He spoke too of the need to protect "all creation, the beauty of the created world" as instructed by the Bible and shown by St. Francis of Assisi, whose name he took as pope.

 This, he said, "means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about."

 Catholics: 5 ways for Francis to move forward

 He warned of the consequences if people do not look after one another.

 "Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened."

 And he urged those in power to live up to their duties, and to all to avoid evil, hatred and pride.

 "I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: Let us be 'protectors' of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment," he said.

 Kissing babies

 After his homily, 500 priests dispensed communion to the throngs of locals, pilgrims, tourists and dignitaries gathered for the historic occasion.

 Between 150,000 and 200,000 people turned out in and around St. Peter's Square, said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman. Police in the area told CNN there were fewer people than expected but declined to give an estimate.

 Pope Francis earlier made his way into the square atop an open-top vehicle, spending 17 minutes circling among the crowds in bright sunshine.

 He wore the simple iron cross that he's had since he was appointed bishop and that he had on when he first appeared to the world as pope. And he chose black shoes rather than the red ones favored by Benedict XVI.

 When the gathered faithful held up babies and young children for him to kiss, he obliged. He also stepped out of his sport utility vehicle to kiss the head of a man with a physical disability.

 Even though at least a dozen security officers in suits walked alongside the SUV as he circled the square, his decision to bypass the Popemobile, which his last two predecessors used, was telling.

 The Mercedes Benz G-Class SUV afforded him the kind of direct contact with people he has embraced since becoming pope.

 Had he been in the Popemobile, he would have been behind bulletproof glass, which was installed in 1981 after an assassination attempt on John Paul II.

 Filipino priest and CNN iReporter Joel Camaya, who was among those in St. Peter's Square, was enthralled by the spectacle, and the contrasting humility, of the newly elected pontiff.

 "The Pope spoke with such passion and force that the words exuded life and thus, as he spoke, there were instances of spontaneous applause," he said. "In the piazza, people who haven't even known each other exchanged smiles, happy that they belonged to one big family."

 Francis called his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Monday afternoon to wish him well on the day of the Feast of St. Joseph and to thank him again for his service. Benedict, in turn, said he had been following the events since Francis' selection closely and assured his closeness in prayer.

 Pope's sister prayed he wouldn't be picked; now she's proud

 Style or substance?

 The Mass which inaugurated Francis as bishop of Rome and marked the official start of his papacy was short, lasting about two hours. This was in keeping with the spirit of simplicity embraced by the new pontiff, the Vatican said before the occasion.

 Francis has already made an impression as a pope of the people who is concerned about the welfare of the poor. But he inherits a church wracked by a decades-old sexual abuse scandal and claims of corruption in the clergy.

 Monsignor Kevin Irwin told CNN the Catholic Church probably would not have to wait long before the changes in style already seen under Francis become changes in substance.

 "It comes down to personnel," he said. "The personnel changes you make in any corporation make all the difference. Leadership matters -- but then who are the other people who help implement his program?"

 The Vatican said Saturday that Francis had provisionally confirmed members of the Vatican hierarchy in their positions, but would take time to reflect before any final appointments are confirmed.

 Irwin said he believes the key changes are likely to come in the late spring or early summer.

 Francis, as a member of the Jesuit order, "gets into things" and is tenacious, he said. "This is a 'take-charge' pope, I would say."

 Pope's openness to keep guards on their toes

 World figures

 Back in St. Peter's Basilica, the newly installed bishop of Rome greeted the dignitaries who had flocked from around the world to attend the inauguration Mass.

 President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, from Francis' native Argentina, was the first head of state to step up.

 Vice President Joe Biden, leading the U.S. presidential delegation, was also among those to meet the 76-year-old pope, as was Zimbabwe's controversial President Robert Mugabe.

 Mugabe is subject to a European Union travel ban but allowed to visit the continent for religious events and international conferences.

 Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone -- effectively the Vatican's prime minister -- was at the pope's side as, standing, he gave his greetings for close to an hour and a half.

 The formal encounters over, Francis then went to the barriers around the sides of the basilica to greet priests, nuns and other well-wishers.

 In his first tweet after his inauguration on the @Pontifex account, Pope Francis said: "Let us keep a place for Christ in our lives, let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation."

 He then tweeted again: "True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable."

 Argentines watch Mass

 Back in Francis' home city, the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, the faithful packed the main square to watch the event on large screens set up throughout the Plaza de Mayo.

 According to the state-run newspaper Telam, a telephone call Francis had made from the Vatican was played to all present, saying: "Thanks for the prayers."

 He added, "Let us be aware of one another, care for life, nature, children and old people," before concluding by asking those present to pray for him.

 Groups also gathered in other cities throughout Argentina to watch the early morning Mass, Telam reported.

 The event in St. Peter's Square was attended by 132 delegations from around the world, including six reigning sovereigns and 31 heads of state.

 Bergoglio's journey to top of the church

 Those delegations are among scores from nations and international organizations traveling to the Vatican, led by heads of states and governments.

 European Union leaders Jose Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy were among those present.

 House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi accompanied Biden in the U.S. delegation, the White House said. On Friday, House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, said he would send a separate bipartisan congressional delegation.

 Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, in a letter sent to Francis on Tuesday, offered the "deep affection, prayerful support and sincere pledge of fidelity" of the U.S. bishops and more than 70 million Catholics in the country.

 Also at the Vatican were groups from the Americas, including Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Canada, and from European nations such as Italy, Holland, Belgium and Germany.

 Representatives from across Christianity -- Eastern and Western -- were also present, along with members of other religions, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.

 This is also one of the busiest times of the year on the Christian calendar, which will mean many public appearances for the new pontiff.

 Less than a week away is Palm Sunday, the holiday that kicks off Holy Week, which culminates in Easter celebrations.

 The Vatican press office said Francis will also have one other task to keep him busy: figuring out "how to answer the millions of e-mail messages that have already been received, despite the fact that he still doesn't have an official address."

 Pope Francis breaks with tradition

 Hada Messia reported from Rome and Richard Allen Greene from London; Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported in London. CNN's Ben Wedeman, Ben Brumfield, Marilia Brocchetto, Sarah Brown, Dugald McConnell, Brian Todd, Claudia Rebaza and Jason Hanna also contributed to this report. ||||| VATICAN CITY Pope Francis set the tone for a new, humbler papacy at his inaugural Mass on Tuesday where he called for the Church to defend the weak and protect the environment.

 Addressing up to 200,000 people including many foreign leaders gathered under bright sunshine in St. Peter's Square, the Argentine pope underlined his central message since he was elected by a secret conclave of cardinals last Wednesday - that the Church's mission was to defend the poor and disadvantaged.

 The Mass, formally installing Francis as head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, was much simpler and an hour shorter than the baroque splendor of his predecessor Benedict's inauguration in 2005.

 Although he is as conservative doctrinally as Benedict Francis's simpler style and emphasis on the poor marked a sea change from his predecessor that has been widely welcomed by Catholics.

 The first Jesuit pope inherits a Church mired in scandals over priests' sexual abuse of children and the leak of confidential documents alleging corruption and rivalry between cardinals inside the Church government or Curia.

 He has also been accused by some critics in Argentina of not doing enough to oppose human rights abuses under a military government during the 1976-1983 "dirty war" when some 30,000 leftists were kidnapped and killed. The Vatican has denied the accusations.

 In his homily, delivered on the steps of the giant St. Peter's Basilica, Francis, 76, said the Church's mission "means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live.

 "It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about."

 The message chimed with the teachings of the 13th century St. Francis of Assisi, from whom the pope took his name and who is a symbol of poverty, simplicity, charity and love of nature.

 In another sign that he wants to maintain a simple life, Francis is still staying at the Vatican hotel where he lived during the conclave and did not move into a suite reserved for him, a spokesman said. It is not clear when he will move into the Apostlic Palace.

 In his homily, Francis said that whenever human beings failed to care for the environment and each other, "The way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically in every period of history there are 'Herods' who plot death, wreak havoc and mar the countenance of men and women."

 OPEN

 Before the Mass, the pope toured St. Peter's Square in an open white jeep, abandoning the bullet-proof popemobile often used by Benedict.

 He stopped frequently to greet those in the huge, flag-waving crowd, kissing babies and getting out to bless a disabled man.

 "He is a simple, humble person, he is not like the untouchable popes, he seems like someone normal people can reach out to," said Argentine electrician Cirigliano Valetin, 51, who works in southern Italy.

 Argentinian Cardinal Leonardo Sandri told Reuters: "For me this is a call to humility and service to others that will mark his papacy... This is a new breeze of fresh air that is blowing through the Church and the name of that breeze is Francis."

 Six sovereigns, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, other leaders as well as heads of many other faiths were among the 130 delegations. They included Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Russian Orthodox and Anglican leaders.

 Francis called for world leaders to be "protectors of one another and of the environment ... Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives. Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts."

 For the Mass he wore plain white vestments, trimmed with gold and brown, and black lace-up shoes, in contrast to the stylish red loafers that Benedict wore.

 "We have gone from the rigid theology professor to a teacher of Christian simplicity," said Italian church historian Alberto Melloni, referring to the contrast between the warm, common touch of Francis and Benedict's stiff, intellectual manner.

 The ceremony was shortened to two hours after a three-hour service in 2005 when Benedict began his papacy. The Vatican said Francis later telephoned Benedict to wish him well for Tuesday's feast of St. Joseph, the saint day of the former Joseph Ratzinger.

 FAVOUR

 Before the Mass, Francis collected his newly minted gold ring and pallium, a liturgical woollen band worn around the neck, that had been placed overnight on the tomb of St. Peter under the basilica's altar.

 Hundreds of priests, sheltering from the sun under umbrellas in the Vatican's white and yellow colors, distributed communion to the crowd while Francis watched from a raised throne behind the altar.

 Francis greeted foreign delegations inside the basilica after the Mass. They included Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, who has been under a European Union travel ban since 2002 because of allegations of vote rigging and human rights abuses. He was able to travel to the Vatican because it is a separate territory, outside the EU.

 The pope also met Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew from Istanbul, the first time the spiritual head of Orthodox Christians has attended a Roman pope's inaugural Mass since the Great Schism between western and eastern Christianity in 1054.

 Before the Mass, Latin America's first pope made a surprise phone call to thousands of his compatriots listening at loudspeakers in the Plaza de Mayo square in Buenos Aires where they had gathered hours before dawn to watch the celebrations on large television screens.

 In his message, at 3.30 a.m. (0630 GMT), the former Buenos Aires Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio thanked the crowd for their prayers "which I need a lot".

 "I want to ask you a favor, that we walk together, that we look after each other... Don't forget this bishop who, though far away, cares so much for you," he said.

 In the United States, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found 85 percent of those who said they were aware of the new pope had a favorable view of him, including 94 percent of Catholics.

 Two-thirds of U.S. adults, including 9 out of 10 Catholics, expect him to be a good leader of the Catholic Church.

 About 50 percent, however, said they would have liked to see someone younger elected.

 (Writing by Barry Moody and Philip Pullella; Editing by Louise Ireland and Robin Pomeroy) |||||
A summary of this is?

– Pope Francis officially kicked off his papacy today with a call to protect the planet and its poor, in a "low-key" yet dignitary-stuffed inaugural Mass that installed him as the Catholic Church's 266th pontiff. “Let us never forget that authentic power is service and that the pope, too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross," he told the crowd in St. Peter's Square. His inauguration was a simpler—and shorter—affair than previous ones, Reuters reports. In a sign of the humble and open style the Argentine is expected to bring to the papacy, he shunned the bullet-proof popemobile to tour the square in an open-topped Jeep, emerging to walk among the crowd, shaking hands and kissing babies. As the service began, he received the fisherman's ring that symbolizes the papacy and the white woolen vestment that symbolizes his role as a shepherd for the faithful, the New York Times reports. The square holds around 100,000 people but Italian authorities were predicting the crowd in the area would top 1 million, CNN reports. The service installing Francis was attended by 132 official delegations and religious leaders from around the world, including six sovereign rulers, 31 heads of state, three princes, and 11 heads of government, mostly from Latin America, the AP reports. The pope will meet the government delegations in St. Peter's Basilica following today's service and meet with religious delegations from around the world tomorrow before taking a day off. Reuters adds that Francis surprised his native Argentina with a phone call home.