Tears of joy: Idaho hometown of Bowe Bergdahl prepares homecoming - CNN

• NEW: Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's parents appear at White House with president


• NEW: "Yes, it's a good day," mother tells Obama after exchanging a hug, a kiss


• NEW: Father says his son's recovery will be "a considerable task for our family"


• "We're all just waiting to get eyes on him: that's going to be a topper," friend says

(CNN) -- The locals of Hailey, Idaho, filled Sherry Horton's wine bar and uncorked champagne Saturday in celebration of hometown hero Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's release in Afghanistan after nearly five years in enemy captivity.

"It's very exciting," said Horton, a friend and former roommate of Bergdahl. "We're all still kind of walking around on clouds. We're all just waiting to get eyes on him. That's going to be a topper."

Bergdahl's parents, Jani and Bob, have been crusading online and in Washington, D.C., for years to ensure their 28-year-old son was never forgotten and assert he was an America POW held by the Taliban, though the military categorized him as a missing soldier captured.

Obama address Sgt. Bergdahl release

Whatever the term, Bergdahl is no longer being held.

"His mother was crying when she answered the phone -- and just very excited," Horton told CNN.

Bergdahl's parents appeared with President Barack Obama at the White House on Saturday evening to discuss the release.

"I just want to say thank you everyone who has supported Bowe. He's had a wonderful team everywhere. We will continue to stay strong for Bowe while he recovers," Jani Bergdahl told reporters at the Rose Garden.

Bob Bergdahl extended thanks "around the world" and noted how the presidential called them about the news. He said his son is now having trouble speaking English. The father also spoke in one of the languages spoken in Afghanistan.

"The complicated nature of this recovery will really never be comprehended," said Bob Bergdahl, who has grown a long beard.

"We just can't communicate the words this morning when we heard from the President," he added. "So we look forward to continue the recovery of our son, which is going to be a considerable task for our family and we hope that the media will understand that that will keep us very preoccupied in the coming days and weeks as he gets back home to the United States."

After the couple's brief remarks, they thanked Obama, and Jani Bergdahl and Obama exchanged a hug and a kiss.

"Wonderful. Good day," Obama told her.

"Yes, it's a good day," she told the president.

Earlier in the day, the parents released a short statement.

"Today, we are ecstatic!" the couple said. "We were so joyful and relieved when President Obama called us today to give us the news that Bowe is finally coming home! We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son," the parents said.

A website that has been crusading for Bergdahl's returned posted a note of success: "He's free, he's safe. He will be home soon!"

The Rocky Mountain town of Hailey is just minutes from the renowned tourist destination of Sun Valley, famed for its skiing. Residents didn't have to worry Saturday about adorning Hailey with yellow ribbons because local scouts just put up fresh ones the past week, Horton said.

The hometown crowd was laboring Saturday, however, to erect signs welcoming Bergdahl home, Horton said. "Everybody is celebrating."

The end of Bergdahl's half decade of captivity resonated beyond the valley town.

"We join all of Idaho and America in expressing our joy and welcoming this wonderful news," Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter said in a statement. "Today, Idaho gives thanks. Soon we all will celebrate Bowe's freedom and homecoming."

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the top Senate Democrat, described the moment as "a great day for the United States" and Bergdahl's safe return marks the "nation's commitment to leave no service member behind."

"I commend the diplomats, service members, and others who worked tirelessly to bring Sergeant Bergdahl home, and I commend President Obama for taking decisive action to achieve the agreement leading to his release when the opportunity arose," Reid said.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the "cost of years of captivity to Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and his family is immeasurable."

Not everyone was thoroughly jubilant.

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he was pleased about Bergdahl's release but he was "extremely troubled" by how the United States negotiated with the Taliban to release Bergdahl in exchange for five detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

"This fundamental shift in US policy signals to terrorists around the world a greater incentive to take U.S. hostages," said Rogers, R-Michigan. "Further, I have little confidence in the security assurances regarding the movement and activities of the now released Taliban leaders and I have even less confidence in this Administration's willingness to ensure they are enforced. I believe this decision will threaten the lives of American soldiers for years to come."

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, termed the release "fantastic," but indicated concerns remain about negotiating with the Taliban.

"There are still questions around the entire operation, knowing what it took to make this happen, but at least for today we can be happy that Bowe is back in U.S. hands," Hunter said.

A senior administration official said Bergdahl's release wasn't a concession and was in line with Obama's goal of closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who's chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, supported Obama's decision, "particularly in light of Sgt. Bergdahl's declining health," she said.

"It demonstrates that America leaves no soldier behind," she said.

CNN's Erin McPike, Dana Bash, Barbara Starr, Ray Sanchez and Jason Morris contributed to this report.

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File: White House press secretary Jay Carney (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) - Washington Post (blog)

File: White House press secretary Jay Carney (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Obama announced Friday that Jay Carney will step down as White House press secretary after more than three years and be replaced by his deputy Josh Earnest, who worked on the Obama campaign in 2008.

Carney, 49, a former Time Magazine White House correspondent, joined the administration in late 2008 as spokesman for Vice President-elect Biden. He was promoted to Obama's chief spokesman in February 2011, replacing Robert Gibbs.

Earnest, 39, has been Carney's top deputy and regularly fills in for the press secretary during daily briefings at the White House and aboard Air Force One when the president leaves Washington. Carney said Earnest would travel with Obama to Europe next week, and the press secretary said he would formally leave his job in mid-June.

Carney cited spending time with his wife, television journalist Claire Shipman, and children as a reason for his departure, but he did not disclose future career plans. Obama made the surprise announcement in the briefing room, cutting off Carney during an answer to a question about Ukraine.

"Jay has become one of my closest friends and is a great press secretary and a great adviser," Obama said. "He's got good judgement, he has good temperament and he's got a good heart. And I'm going to miss him a lot. I will continue to rely on him as a friend, an adviser after he leaves to spend as much of his summer as he can with his kids before he decides what's next for him."

Carney developed a reputation among his former peers as a disciplined and even-tempered spokesman who rarely disclosed news by mistake or made mis-statements that were damaging to the White House. Carney sparred with reporters regularly, as they pressed him on camera to respond to world crises, domestic politics and White House scandals.

Josh Earnest speaks during the April 4 daily news briefing at the White House . (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Obama recalled Earnest's work on his 2008 campaign, noting that he served as communications director in Iowa. "In that role, you'd find him spending an extra hour or two helping young staffers make phone calls or knock on doors," the president said. "There was no task that was too small, no detail too unimportant for Josh to attend to."

Earnest is well regarded among White House reporters, and he was long viewed as a likely Carney replacement. Some reporters had speculated last year that Obama might someday replace Carney with Jen Psaki, a former White House deputy communications director and Obama's 2012 campaign spokeswoman who now serves as the State Department spokeswoman. Obama has not had a woman serve in the role of top spokesperson at the White House, although Jennifer Palmieri is the communications director, a top behind-the-scenes position in the press shop.

"More often than not people say to me, 'You have the hardest job or you have one of the hardest jobs,'" Carney said. "And I'm not saying it's easy every day, but I love it. It's an important interaction that takes place here. It's not always pretty. It could certainly be better. But to be a part of it is an honor and a joy for me. So no matter how tough the briefing is, I walk out of here having been glad to stand here."

Brendan Buck, former spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boeher (R-Ohio), often sparred with the press secretary, but Friday he wrote on Twitter that Carney had "a great run. Incredibly tough job, and rarely made a misstep."

RELATED: The Departed -- Carney, Shinseki latest to leave administration

View Photo Gallery —These onetime White House officials and advisers have moved on to other jobs.

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US Soldier Freed From Captivity in Afghanistan - ABC News

The only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan has been freed by the Taliban in exchange for the release of five Afghan detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Obama administration officials said Saturday.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to U.S. special operations forces by the Taliban Saturday evening, local time, in an area of eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. Officials said the exchange was not violent and the 28-year-old Bergdahl was in good condition and able to walk.

"While Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten," President Barack Obama said in a statement from the White House Rose Garden, where he was joined by Bergdahl's parents. "The United States of America does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind."

Bergdahl's handover followed indirect negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban, with the government of Qatar serving as the go-between. Qatar is taking custody of the five Afghan detainees who were held at Guantanamo.

Several dozen U.S. special operations forces, backed by multiple helicopters and surveillance aircraft, flew into Afghanistan by helicopter and made the transfer with the approximately 18 Taliban members. Officials said the commandos were on the ground for a short time before lifting off with Bergdahl.

According to a senior defense official, once Bergdahl climbed onto the noisy helicopter, he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate, "SF?" — asking the troops if they were special operations forces.

They shouted back at him over the roar of the rotors: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time."

Then, according to the official, Bergdahl broke down.

Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, is believed to have been held by the Haqqani network since June 30, 2009. Haqqani operates in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and has been one of the deadliest threats to U.S. troops in the war.

The network, which the State Department designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2012, claims allegiance to the Afghan Taliban, yet operates with some degree of autonomy.

Officials said Bergdahl was initially taken to Bagram Air Field, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, for medical evaluations, and was being transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a military facility in Germany, for additional care before he returns to the United States.

The official said Bergdhal was tentatively scheduled to go to the San Antonio Military Medical Center where he would be reunited with his family. The military was working Saturday to connect Bergdahl with his family over the telephone or by video conference.

The U.S. believes Bergdahl was held for the bulk of his captivity time in Pakistan, but officials said it was not clear when he was transported to eastern Afghanistan.

All of the officials insisted on anonymity in order to discuss details of Bergdahl's transfer.

Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, had been in Washington on a previously scheduled visit when they received a call Saturday from Obama informing them that their son had been freed.

As they stood with Obama in the Rose Garden hours after their son's release, Bob Bergdahl, who grew a long, thick beard to honor his son, said Bowe Bergdahl was having trouble speaking English after his rescue. The elder Bergdahl had worked to learn Pashto, the language spoken by his son's captors, and delivered him a message in that language.

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India gang-rape: Victims' relative calls for public hanging of attackers - CNN

• The shocking attack on the cousins ages 14 and 16 sparks outrage worldwide


• Two police officers and three brothers are arrested


• A total of five men are in custody so far


• "We are scared," says Renu Devi, a woman in the village

Katra village, India (CNN) -- Mourners sat on mud floors at a village in India where two teen girls were gang-raped then found hanging from a mango tree. They wailed and talked of fears of more attacks.

The assault on the cousins ages 14 and 16 sparked outrage in the community in Uttar Pradesh state.

Villagers streamed into the homes of the girls' relatives, weeping behind their customary veils. The mother of one of the girls said her daughter wanted to become a doctor to escape grinding poverty.

The attackers, she said, deserved the same fate that befell her daughter.

"Hang them in public," she said.

CNN cannot identify the relatives or victims under Indian law.

In the northern village where the attack occurred, crowds surrounded the girls for hours after their bodies were found Wednesday. They accused authorities of siding with the suspects and blocked them from taking the girls down from their nooses unless arrests are made.

Authorities arrested five men -- three brothers and two police officers -- who are facing rape and murder charges, said R.K.S. Rathore, a senior police officer.

In addition, the officers face charges of conspiracy in the crime and negligence of duty after villagers accused them of failing to respond when they first pinpointed the suspects.

An autopsy confirmed the girls had been raped and strangled, according to authorities. They were cremated the same day the bodies were found in line with Hindu customs, said Mukesh Saxena, a local police official.

"We are scared," said Renu Devi, a woman in the village where the attack occurred in Uttar Pradesh state.

"If this could happen to them, it could happen to us also."

Police under scrutiny

Devi has reason to fear. The girls were out in the orchard relieving themselves Tuesday night when the attackers grabbed them, authorities said.

Toilets are rare in the village, forcing women to wander away into fields in the dead of night.

"There's no toilet. Where can the girls go?," shouted Jamuni Devi, another woman from the village. "No one has done anything for sanitation."

Indians have more access to mobile phones than to toilets, according to a United Nations report four years ago.

"India has some 545 million cell phones, enough to serve about 45% of the population," according to the U.N.

But it also has the highest number of people in the world -- an estimated 620 million -- who defecate in the open, according to UNICEF.

The lack of indoor plumbing leaves women in rural areas vulnerable to frequent rapes and beatings.

"It is a tragic irony to think that in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones, about half cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet," said Zafar Adeel, who chairs the organization U.N.-Water.

Unable to stop

Some people saw the abduction, but were unable to stop it, police spokesman Saxena said, citing witnesses.

His account echoed that of the father of the older victim, who alleged that a scuffle broke out between a relative and the three brothers suspected of the attack.

"They scared my cousin away with a locally made pistol," he said.

The daughter he lost was his only child.

The victims' relatives accused local police of failing to respond and siding with the suspects when the parents reported the case. The allegations have fueled anger among the villagers.

"If police wanted, my daughter would have been alive today," he said.

'Endemic' violence

This Uttar Pradesh rape is the latest of several that have drawn the world's attention to India in recent years.

The horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi in late 2012 shook India, sparking campaigns against violent crimes against women in the country, the world's second most populous after China.

The case prompted protests in many cities, soul-searching in the media and changes to the law. But shocking instances of sexual violence continue to come to light.

"Laws can only do so much when you have to end something which is as endemic and as entrenched as violence against women," said Divya Iyer, a senior researcher for Amnesty International in Bangalore, India.

The country's new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has said he wants to take steps to ensure women are safe, particularly in rural India. But women's rights groups have criticized what they say is a lack of specific proposals to tackle the problem, suggesting gender inequality doesn't appear to be high on his list of priorities.

CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported from Katra village, and Faith Karimi reported and wrote from Atlanta.

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Spelling bee co-champ: 'It's quite unbelievable' - Fort Worth Star Telegram

By Diane Smith

dianesmith@star-telegram.com

Ansun Sujoe spent Friday morning pinching himself.

The Fort Worth teen still couldn’t believe his new status as the co-champion of the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Md. “I”m still pretty shocked that this actually happened,” said Sujoe, who had been up since 5 a.m. doing media interviews with the likes of NBC and CNN. “I tried to sleep, but I could only get three hours.” Sujoe, 13, was crowned co-champion after he and Sriram Hathwar, 14, of Corning, N.Y., matched each other for 24 words.The co-champions were the last 2 of 12 finalists in the event that was televised live on ESPN2. The last word Sujoe had to spell was feuilleton. Once he spelled it correctly, he was named co-champion because the judges had used up the words on the championship list. It was the first set of co-champions since 1962.“I feel pretty relieved,” Sujoe said when reached by telephone Friday morning. “Shocked. It’s quite unbelievable.”The co-champions’ reactions epitomized the spirit of camaraderie and good sportsmanship.“The spelling bee is not really about beating other people,” said Sujoe, who who will start the eighth grade next fall at Bethesda Christian School. “It’s like a battle against words. We are not really against each other, but against the dictionary.”The winners each take home $33,000 in cash and a trophy. Sujoe will be juggling engagements and media interviews tied to the bee in upcoming days, his parents said. His engagements include trips to in New York City and Los Angeles.“It’s kind of surreal right now,” said Sujoe Bose, Ansun’s father. Sujoe said he owes much credit to his family.“They helped me to study,” Sujoe said. “They helped to keep me on track. God helped me too.”The pride of BethesdaSujoe is the last winner from Fort Worth since Barrie Trinkle won the national bee in 1973. Samir Patel of Colleyville made it to the nationals five times, placing third in 2005.Sujoe’s accomplishment was a point of great pride at Bethesda Christian, where teachers and students followed the competition Thursday night at a watch party.On Friday, the school’s website stated proudly: “BCS Student Earns National Spelling Bee Co-Champion Title.”“I am thrilled,” said Donna Hores, Sujoe’s English teacher. “Super thrilled about what he did and what he accomplished.”Una Davis,Sujoe’s science teacher, said she has seen how the spelling ability helps in the classroom. Often, Sujoe is able to understand the root of science terms because he knows Latin and Greek origins. She said he learns words with a purpose.“He likes to see them come alive,” Davis said.Teachers said not only was Sujoe’s spelling ability on national display, but his humbleness and character was also apparent. Sujoe is known as a gracious student who doesn’t blurt out answers even when he knows them.“Academics and character,” said James Parish, Sujoe’s history teacher. “He really exhibits both of those.”Hores said Sujoe pulled her aside months ago to explain his goal was to make it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She responded that he needed to work hard.“He was diligent in his study,” Hores said, adding that his effort can be an example to all students. “Set a goal. Go for it. Give it your best shot and see what happens.”Future plansSujoe said he prepped for years for the competition.“I’ve been interested in the spelling bee since the second grade,” Ansun said, explaining that he started studying words in the third grade.Sujoe’s upcoming plans include helping his little sister — who will be in third grade next school year — because she has expressed interest in competing.“I’m going to spend some time coaching her,” he said.Sujoe said he can also spend more time gearing up for math competitions, which are another of his endeavors.“Math is my favorite subject in school,” Sujoe said.Sujoe, who wants to study engineering or computer science in college, said he has already been preparing for college entrance exams.Sujoe plays the piano, bassoon and guitar. He likes soccer and basketball. Now, that he won’t be practicing for spelling bees, he said he might have time to play sports.“I might just join a team this year,” he said.This report contains material from the Star-Telegram archives.

Diane Smith, 817-390-7675 Twitter: @dianeasmith1

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India gang-rape: Victims' relative calls for public hanging of attackers - CNN

• The shocking attack on the cousins ages 14 and 16 sparks outrage worldwide


• Two police officers and three brothers are arrested


• A total of five men are in custody so far


• "We are scared," says Renu Devi, a woman in the village

Katra village, India (CNN) -- Mourners sat on mud floors at a village in India where two teen girls were gang-raped then found hanging from a mango tree. They wailed and talked of fears of more attacks.

The assault on the cousins ages 14 and 16 sparked outrage in the community in Uttar Pradesh state.

Villagers streamed into the homes of the girls' relatives, weeping behind their customary veils. The mother of one of the girls said her daughter wanted to become a doctor to escape grinding poverty.

The attackers, she said, deserved the same fate that befell her daughter.

"Hang them in public," she said.

CNN cannot identify the relatives or victims under Indian law.

In the northern village where the attack occurred, crowds surrounded the girls for hours after their bodies were found Wednesday. They accused authorities of siding with the suspects and blocked them from taking the girls down from their nooses unless arrests are made.

Authorities arrested five men -- three brothers and two police officers -- who are facing rape and murder charges, said R.K.S. Rathore, a senior police officer.

In addition, the officers face charges of conspiracy in the crime and negligence of duty after villagers accused them of failing to respond when they first pinpointed the suspects.

An autopsy confirmed the girls had been raped and strangled, according to authorities. They were cremated the same day the bodies were found in line with Hindu customs, said Mukesh Saxena, a local police official.

"We are scared," said Renu Devi, a woman in the village where the attack occurred in Uttar Pradesh state.

"If this could happen to them, it could happen to us also."

Police under scrutiny

Devi has reason to fear. The girls were out in the orchard relieving themselves Tuesday night when the attackers grabbed them, authorities said.

Toilets are rare in the village, forcing women to wander away into fields in the dead of night.

"There's no toilet. Where can the girls go?," shouted Jamuni Devi, another woman from the village. "No one has done anything for sanitation."

Indians have more access to mobile phones than to toilets, according to a United Nations report four years ago.

"India has some 545 million cell phones, enough to serve about 45% of the population," according to the U.N.

But it also has the highest number of people in the world -- an estimated 620 million -- who defecate in the open, according to UNICEF.

The lack of indoor plumbing leaves women in rural areas vulnerable to frequent rapes and beatings.

"It is a tragic irony to think that in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones, about half cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet," said Zafar Adeel, who chairs the organization U.N.-Water.

Unable to stop

Some people saw the abduction, but were unable to stop it, police spokesman Saxena said, citing witnesses.

His account echoed that of the father of the older victim, who alleged that a scuffle broke out between a relative and the three brothers suspected of the attack.

"They scared my cousin away with a locally made pistol," he said.

The daughter he lost was his only child.

The victims' relatives accused local police of failing to respond and siding with the suspects when the parents reported the case. The allegations have fueled anger among the villagers.

"If police wanted, my daughter would have been alive today," he said.

'Endemic' violence

This Uttar Pradesh rape is the latest of several that have drawn the world's attention to India in recent years.

The horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi in late 2012 shook India, sparking campaigns against violent crimes against women in the country, the world's second most populous after China.

The case prompted protests in many cities, soul-searching in the media and changes to the law. But shocking instances of sexual violence continue to come to light.

"Laws can only do so much when you have to end something which is as endemic and as entrenched as violence against women," said Divya Iyer, a senior researcher for Amnesty International in Bangalore, India.

The country's new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has said he wants to take steps to ensure women are safe, particularly in rural India. But women's rights groups have criticized what they say is a lack of specific proposals to tackle the problem, suggesting gender inequality doesn't appear to be high on his list of priorities.

CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported from Katra village, and Faith Karimi reported and wrote from Atlanta.

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Teen celebrates a little too soon at National Spelling Bee - New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV

OXON, Md. (PIX11) – It’s no easy feat making it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

It takes months of studying for the contestants to spell words most have never even heard.

But, Jacob Williamson celebrated a tad too soon when he heard his word in the competition Thursday night: kabaragoya, which is a large monitor lizard.

“I know it! I know it! I totally know it!” the 15-year-old, who had been highly-expressive all night, said at the mic.

But sadly, Williamson didn’t totally know it.

“C-a-b-a-r-a-g-o-y-a,” he said.

When Williamson heard the “ding” signaling that he had spelled it incorrectly, he let out a shocked “What?!”

After hearing the correct spelling of the word, Williamson sulked off stage.

Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, New York, and Ansun Sujoe of Fort Worth, Texas, ended up taking home the top prize.

Better luck next year.

Jacob Williamson, of Cape Coral, Fla., competes in the finals of the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Md., Thursday, May 29, 2014. (Chuck Myers/MCT via Getty Images)

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