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Flight attendant charged with opening emergency evacuation chute
From Susan Candiotti, Laura Batchelor and Jesse Solomon, CNN
New York (CNN) - Police arrested a flight attendant Monday suspected of triggering an emergency escape chute on a plane parked at a JFK Airport terminal, a spokeswoman for the district attorney said.
Steven Slater was arrested at his home and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and criminal trespass, said Helen Peterson at the Queens District Attorney's Office.
The incident took place just after the Jet Blue flight landed when a passenger stood to remove a bag from the overhead bin while the plane was still taxiing, a law enforcement source with direct knowledge said. A flight attendant exchanged words with the passenger, and the conversation escalated.
Slater picked up the intercom and used expletives directed at the passengers, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. It is not clear exactly what was said on the intercom. The source said that when the plane at stopped at the gate, Slater then grabbed some beer from the beverage cart before deploying the emergency slide and using it to leave the plane.
New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that it "appears" the flight attendant quit his job in a very dramatic way.
"I know the facts that have been related to me - the plane was taxiing in, some passenger got up to take their bag down, the steward - flight attendant - approached, told him to not do that," said Kelly. "He called him an expletive and apparently hit him or pushed him in some way. The story got on the radio based on a statement that 'I've been doing this for twenty years and I'm out of here.'"
"It's a strange way to quit, let's put it that way," he said. "I don't think he'll be able to come back."
FULL POST
Video: Is opposition to Muslim houses of worship growing?
Akbar Ahmed is a professor of Islamic studies at American University and former Pakistani ambassador to the UK. He just completed a year-long study of Islam in America, visiting 100 mosques in 75 cities. His findings are included in a new book, "Journey into America: The challenge of Islam." Watch 
Freed after Toyota recall
A man who spent three years in prison for a fatal crash is free, and Toyota's massive recall may have helped win his release. Koua Fong Lee was released last Thursday. The accident happened in 2006, when Koua was driving an older Camry, a 1996 model. It was not subject to any of the recent recalls, but the attention from his case prompted the review and turned up new evidence and new witnesses. He joined CNN's American Morning along with his attorney, Brent Schafer Monday.
Wyclef Jean running for President of Haiti
Wyclef Jean is a Grammy winning musician, philanthropist and as of Thursday, candidate for president of Haiti. He spoke about his platform and plans for Haiti on CNN's American Morning Monday. Watch
LIVE Blog: Chat with us during the show
Editor's Note: Welcome to American Morning's LIVE Blog where you can discuss the "most news in the morning" with us each week day. Join the live chat during the show by adding your comments below. It's your chance to share your thoughts on the day's headlines. You have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules: 1) Keep it brief 2) No writing in ALL CAPS 3) Use your real name (first name only is fine) 4) No links 5) Watch your language (that includes $#&*).
First trial of Gitmo prisoner under Obama administration to begin Monday
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (CNN) - The youngest detainee in the U.S. facility Guantanamo Bay is set to go to trial this week, charged with terrorist acts for al Qaeda and the killing of a U.S. Special Forces soldier.
The Pentagon-appointed lawyer for Canadian citizen Omar Khadr said he didn't know whether Khadr would be in court Monday.
The day will be devoted to dealing with motions, said defense lawyer Lt. Col. Jon Jackson.
The panel of 15 members of the U.S. military that will act as a jury will be seated by the end of the day on Tuesday.
Khadr was captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2002 when he was only 15. He is now 23.
The government said late Sunday it expected the commission trial to begin on schedule, and that it could last as long as four weeks.
FULL POST
Al Qaeda's man in charge?
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/08/06/story.adnan.shukrijumah1.fbi.jpg
caption="Investigators allege Shukrijumah is the director of al Qaeda's overseas operations."]
Miami, Florida (CNN) - He was born in Saudi Arabia and spent much of his youth in New York and south Florida. Then he vanished.
Investigators now allege that Adnan Shukrijumah has risen to a key position in al Qaeda's leadership.
The FBI says that after he left America, Shukrijumah started off as an al Qaeda dishwasher, doing menial tasks at training camps.
But he's much more than a dishwasher now, according to investigators. Susan Candiotti reports. Watch
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