Chick-fil-A wades into a fast-food fight over same-sex marriage rights
By Sarah Aarthun, CNN
Atlanta (CNN) - Ordering lunch just got a lot more complicated than deciding how to answer, "Do you want fries with that?"
Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy sparked reactions that were swift and strong after he weighed in on same-sex marriage by saying his company backs the traditional family unit.
Politicians from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum spoke up. Supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage protested. And suddenly, the type of fast-food bag you carry could reveal your views on a hot-button social issue that has split the country.
Some proponents of same-sex marriage have decried Cathy's comments and called for a boycott of the chain, which had annual sales of more than $4.1 billion last year and has more than 1,615 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C., with the strongest concentration in the Southeast.
Photos: Remembering actress Lupe Ontiveros
Actress Lupe Ontiveros, who co-starred in the hit films "Selena" and "As Good As It Gets," has died.
See photos of her, and share your memories in the comments below.
'Selena' co-star Lupe Ontiveros dies at 69
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
(CNN) - Actress Lupe Ontiveros, who co-starred in the hit films "Selena" and "As Good As It Gets," has died, CNN confirmed on Friday. She was 69.
Her publicists told CNN the cause of death was liver cancer.
The Mexican-American actress built her career playing domestic workers, and in a 2009 interview with NPR said she had appeared as a maid more than 150 times in roles on shows like "Who's the Boss." Her near constant gigs made her one of the most recognizable Latina actresses in Hollywood.
Woman who had gay slurs carved in her body speaks out
Omaha, Nebraska (CNN) - An alleged victim of a hate crime in Nebraska spoke out for the first time Thursday, the same day that more than a thousand people rallied in support of the victim that police say was assaulted by masked men who carved homophobic slurs into her body.
"I can't adequately express how much it has meant to me that people are standing with me and people are standing for me," Charlie Rogers, 33, said in an interview with CNN affiliate KETV.
Three masked men allegedly bound Rogers and carved the words into her skin Sunday, police in Lincoln, Nebraska, said. The incident has been classified as a hate crime because derogatory terms for lesbians that were used, said Officer Katie Flood, a spokeswoman for the Lincoln Police Department.
Rogers said she had tried to keep her identity secret after the incident. But she decided to go public Thursday because there have been allegations that the attack did not happen.
"For people to think this doesn't happen here, it does. It did," Rogers told the affiliate.
Rogers' attorney, Megan Mikolajczyk, told CNN Rogers wanted to make it clear it was not "a hoax." Asked if there was anyone specific they were addressing, Mikolajczyk said there was not, but that she wasn't surprised there were naysayers.
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What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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