Funeral Monday for Rangers fan

Shannon Stone died after falling over railing at Rangers StadiumSports anchor: Accident a reminder of "how fragile human life can be"Outfielder had heard Stone's son ask for ball and pitched one toward himRangers have set up account in Stone's nameRead more about this story from CNN affiliate WFAA.

(CNN) -- Funeral services will be held Monday for a Texas man who died at a baseball game last week.

Shannon Stone will be buried in his hometown of Brownwood, Texas. The 39-year-old firefighter fell to his death Thursday while trying to catch a ball at a Texas Rangers game.

Ronnie Hargis was seated in the stands near Stone and tried unsuccessfully to save him.

"Your first instinct is to reach out and grab him," Hargis told CNN's Don Lemon. "I tried to grab him. I couldn't catch him. He went down. As he went by me I tried to grab him again and I missed and ... it looked like he was in slow motion as he was going to the ground. There was nothing I could do but watch him fall."

In the second inning of the ill-fated game, star outfielder Josh Hamilton tossed a souvenir ball into the stands after a batter hit a foul ball. Stone stuck out his glove and reached for the ball, but lost his balance and flipped over the railing of the outfield seats. He fell about 20 feet and crashed head-first into a scoreboard, suffering fatal injuries. Stone died of blunt-force trauma, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner.

His 6-year-old son, Cooper, witnessed the tragic accident.

"It's just the cruelest of reminders of just how fragile human life can be," said Joe Trahan, sports anchor at CNN-affiliate WFAA. "The mind-boggling thing about this is that everyone's intent was right."

Trahan provided details of the incident for Lemon.

"Josh Hamilton flipped a foul ball up to a little girl an inning or so earlier," Trahan said. "And he heard at that point Cooper Stone ask for a ball. Most of the time, big-leaguers wouldn't even hear that, but he made a note of it, he's trying to do the right thing."

Rangers president Nolan Ryan, a Hall of Fame pitcher, said earlier that the club would review the height of railings at the stadium, even though they currently exceed the city's code limits.

Trahan told Lemon that club management is already working on making changes at their stadium.

"I've spoken to Rangers officials, and they tell me that there are meetings that have already taken place with city leaders, meetings with architects at the ballpark, contractors. They're trying to find a permanent solution, not a stop-gap one."

But fan-awareness also plays a crucial role at stadiums, according to Trahan.

"This is a stark and cruel reminder that (safety) is everyone's responsibility when you go to the ballpark," he said, adding that he was surprised that injuries didn't happen more often, especially "down the first and third base lines ... those are rocket shots coming off those bats."

But Trahan also said that the accident should be kept in perspective.

"We go back to the unexplainable issue of why this happened, because there have been thousands and thousands of balls hit in that area, people with gloves trying to get balls and nothing has happened until now."

The Rangers held a moment of silence before Friday night's game against the Oakland A's. Members of both teams wore black ribbons.

Flags at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington have flown at half-mast all weekend.

The team has set up an account accepting donations in Stone's honor with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. Donated money has been earmarked to help the Stone family. The Rangers have donated an undisclosed sum, according to the team's website, and the A's donated $5,000.

Funeral services will be held at noon ET at the First United Methodist Church in Brownwood.

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Japan PM may set conditions for resignation on Monday: report (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan may announce on Monday that he will resign on condition of key bills passing a divided parliament, Kyodo news agency reported, as the government struggles with a prolonged nuclear crisis.

Kan, already Japan's fifth premier in as many years, survived a no-confidence vote earlier this month after promising critics in his own party he would quit but declined to say when. Opposition parties have declined to cooperate on key bills unless the prime minister keeps his pledge.

Kyodo said that Kan, who has come under fire for his handling of his response to the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years, could announce that he would quit on condition of parliament passing a second extra budget and a bill to issue bonds for this year's budget, Kyodo said.

Hopes have risen that Kan's departure would clear the way for a coalition between the DPJ and its rival Liberal Democratic Party that could break the parliamentary logjam as Japan tries to rebuild from the March 11 quake and tsunami that triggered the nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co's (Tepco) Fukushima Daiichi plant.

In theory, a coalition could also make it easier to tackle longer-term policies including social security and tax reforms, including a sales tax rise, needed to rein in public debt already twice the size of Japan's $5 trillion economy.

But obstacles to any such coalition remain high, and momentum for the tie-up appears to have diminished of late.

Japanese media have said that Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who backs Kan's calls for fiscal discipline, was a frontrunner to replace Kan in a DPJ leadership race that would be held after the premier steps down.

Other potential contenders include former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, a conservative expert on security issues.

(Reporting by Chisa Fujioka and Linda Sieg; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

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NASA fuels space shuttle Endeavour for Monday launch

(CNN) -- The space shuttle Endeavour is set to lift off Monday on its final trip into space.

Forecasts indicate a 70% chance of favorable weather for the scheduled 8:56 a.m. ET launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

An estimated 500,000 people are expected to be on hand, said Michael D. Leinbach, NASA's shuttle launch director.

The mission will be commanded by Mark Kelly. His wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, arrived safely at the space center on Sunday, NASA said, four months after being shot in the head during an apparent assassination attempt at a public event in Tucson, Arizona. After initial treatment in Arizona, Giffords has been undergoing rehabilitation at the TIRR Memorial Hermann center in Houston.

NASA announced her arrival in a tweet, and a similar announcement was posted on her Facebook page.

Giffords, along with President Barack Obama, were in Florida on April 29, when Endeavour was originally slated to launch. But that liftoff was scrubbed because of a problem with a heater aboard the shuttle.

"The system looks good, the weather looks good, and we should be in good shape for launch," Mike Moses, launch integration manager for the NASA's space shuttle program, told reporters. "In our minds, we are good to go."

Farewell, my space shuttle

In a Monday morning tweet, mission specialist Col. Mike Fincke wrote, "Dear God, please bless our crew. Help us in our mission and to return safely home."

Fincke added, "please help me not to mess anything up."

Moses said the heater problem has been fixed. He said that while additional checks will be conducted on the heater and other systems prior to launch, no mechanical problems were anticipated.

With the delay, Endeavour is now scheduled to return to Earth on June 1. That is the same day the space shuttle Atlantis is slated to roll out to the launch pad in anticipation of the final mission in the space shuttle program's 30-year history.

The shuttle program's end --and the uncertainly surrounding the future of NASA and the U.S. space program -- has been a hot topic in recent months. Leinbach acknowledged Saturday that "the mood is a little bit downcast" in the space agency, especially as some NASA employees recently received notices warning that they could lose their jobs.

"The timing is a little unfortunate, but we've all known it's been coming," he said.

Endeavour entered service in 1992 as a replacement for the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger. Leinbach, who was a test director for that inaugural mission, said the orbiter remains in prime condition 19 years later.

"She still looks awfully good out there," said Leinbach. "She's got a lot of life left in her, but that's not meant to be."

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IMF head's arraignment pushed to Monday

The IMF chief is undergoing a physical and forensic exam, his attorney saysLaw enforcement official says victim has Strauss-Kahn in a police line-upStrauss-Kahn's attorney vows to vigorously defend his client, saying he is innocentPolice say Strauss-Kahn was naked when he tried to force himself on a N.Y. hotel employee

New York (CNN) -- The head of the International Monetary Fund was set to answer charges Monday that he chased a housekeeping employee down the hall of his swanky New York hotel suite and tried to sexually assault her.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arraignment was delayed a day after he agreed to forensic testing requested by police, said his attorney, William Taylor. The IMF chief's other attorney, Benjamin Brafman, vowed Sunday to vigorously defend him in court, insisting his client is innocent.

Strauss-Kahn's accuser picked the IMF chief out of a line-up Sunday at a New York police station, singling him out as the man who had sexually assaulted her, according to a law enforcement source who has direct knowledge of the investigation.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was not authorized to release details to the media.

Strauss-Kahn, who has been charged with attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment, willingly consented to a physical and forensic examination that had been requested by police, Taylor said. Those tests were conducted Sunday night.

Police allege Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted the 32-year-old woman Saturday at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan, then quickly headed off to a New York airport to board a Paris-bound flight.

Will IMF sex scandal impact EU bailout?

The world got its first look Sunday at Strauss-Kahn since his arrest as the handcuffed IMF chief was taken by New York Police detectives from a police station to the Manhattan Criminal Court building to await his arraignment.

The arrest of the 62-year-old, widely considered a leading potential candidate for the French presidency, has triggered intense political chatter across the Atlantic.

A former French finance minister, national legislator and economics professor in Paris, Strauss-Kahn became the IMF's 10th managing director in November 2007. He is also chairman of the IMF executive board.

"Mr. Strauss-Kahn has retained legal counsel, and the IMF has no comment on the case; all inquiries will be referred to his personal lawyer and to the local authorities," said Caroline Atkinson, IMF's director of external relations. "The IMF remains fully functioning and operational."

IMF bylaws state that its officials "shall be immune from legal process with respect to acts performed by them in their official capacity except when the fund waives this immunity." Strauss-Kahn's attorneys did not answer questions from CNN about whether he may claim that diplomatic immunity covers such an allegation.

Deputy New York Police Commissioner Paul Browne said Strauss-Kahn does not have diplomatic immunity in this case nor, to the commissioner's knowledge, has he claimed it. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said it was unlikely to apply to Strauss-Kahn, regardless, because violent crimes like this one typically aren't covered under diplomatic immunity.

Mr. Strauss-Kahn has retained legal counsel, and the IMF has no comment on the case
--Caroline Atkinson, IMF's director of external relations

IMF spokesman William Murray said that as far as he knows, Strauss-Kahn was not in New York City for IMF business.

The fund on Sunday postponed an informal session where members were to be "briefed on developments" related to Strauss-Kahn, the IMF said. The executive board meeting was "postponed pending further developments in New York," Murray said in an e-mail to CNN.

At about 1 p.m. Saturday, Strauss-Kahn was in his hotel room when the housekeeping employee came in to clean it, Browne said.

She thought she was alone in the luxury $3,000-a-night suite, but Strauss-Kahn then emerged from a room naked, Browne said.

Strauss-Kahn ran after her down the hallway of the suite, Browne said. The suite has its own foyer, hallway, living room, bathroom, conference room and bedroom.

The woman said Strauss-Kahn pulled her into a bedroom and started attacking her, police said.

She fought him off, she told investigators, but Strauss-Kahn then dragged her into the bathroom and forced himself on her. Police said Strauss-Kahn tried to remove her underwear, but the woman got away.

The employee ran to the front desk, Browne said. Hotel staff alerted the New York Police Department.

By the time officers arrived, Strauss-Kahn had left, leaving his cell phone behind at the hotel, according to Browne.

"The alleged victim was taken to Roosevelt Hospital (in Manhattan) and was treated for minor injuries," Browne said.

Authorities learned the IMF head was on an outbound flight at JFK airport destined for Paris. New York police asked their counterparts at the Port Authority to hold the plane.

Two plainclothes Port Authority police detectives boarded the aircraft "just before the door closed" on the flight, and found Strauss-Kahn seated in first class, said a law enforcement official who had been briefed on the investigation.

He "offered no resistance" when he was led off the plane, after which he was turned over to New York police, the official said.

Strauss-Kahn's arrest has set French political circles abuzz.

While Strauss-Kahn hadn't officially entered the race, recent French opinion polls showed him leading prospective Socialist Party presidential candidates.

The surveys also suggested he posed a stiff challenge to incumbent French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2012 election.

"If the accusations are true, Strauss-Kahn will not be able to run for president," said Jacques Attali, a former top aide to Socialist former President Francois Mitterrand. Attali now serves as political analyst.

Strauss-Kahn became embroiled in controversy soon after joining the IMF, amid reports -- which he later acknowledged -- that he'd had an improper relationship with a female employee. The physical relationship was consensual, an independent inquiry found.

The world body's executive board concluded in October 2008 that "there was no harassment, favoritism or any other abuse of authority by the managing director."

"Nevertheless, the executive board noted that the incident was regrettable and reflected a serious error of judgment on the part of the managing director, as he has acknowledged and for which he has apologized," the IMF said in a statement at the time.

Strauss-Kahn also issued a statement following the closing of the investigation, noting that he had "apologized for it to the (board of directors), to the staff of the IMF and to my family," as well as "the staff member."

Strauss-Kahn is married to French journalist Anne Sinclair. They live in Washington, where the IMF is based.

Deputy head John Lipsky serves as acting managing director while Strauss-Kahn is not in Washington, the IMF said, making him the agency's de facto leader at least as long as Strauss-Kahn is detained in New York. The IMF is a major player in economic inequalities and crises worldwide.

Strauss-Kahn was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Brussels Economic Forum Wednesday. Organizers said Sunday his appearance had not been canceled officially, but that they were no longer expecting him to attend.

CNN's Susan Candiotti, Miguel Susana, Rick Martin and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.

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Endeavour won't launch Monday, NASA says

Photographers check their equipment at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Saturday.NEW: Giffords is back in Houston, will travel to Florida again for the launchThe earliest possible launch date is May 8, NASA saysThe initial launch was delayed for at least 72 hours on FridayThe delay was prompted by concerns over the shuttle's heating system

Kennedy Space Center, Florida (CNN) -- A plan to launch the space shuttle Endeavour on Monday has been scrubbed, and a new launch likely will not come before the end of the week at the earliest, officials said Sunday.

Endeavour's final launch was delayed by at least 72 hours Friday because of concerns about the shuttle's heating system. Monday was the earliest possible liftoff date following the delay.

As part of NASA's examination of the problem, officials said, the external fuel tank was drained of its hydrogen and oxygen propellants Friday night.

A new launch date has not been set, Mission Management Team chairman Mike Moses told reporters Sunday, but "it's not going to be any earlier than the 8th."

The problem has been determined to be "a power problem." he said.

The crew, their families and support staff were being allowed to travel home, Moses said.

The delay postponed what promised to be an emotional moment for the shuttle's commander, Mark Kelly. Kelly's wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, traveled to Florida to watch the shuttle's ascent. Giffords was nearly killed January 8 when she was shot in the head by a would-be assassin at a public event in Tucson, Arizona. She has been recovering at a Houston rehabilitation hospital.

Giffords flew back to Houston and TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital on Sunday, according to a post on her official Facebook page. She will have "a couple days of good therapy" before traveling back to Florida for the launch, the post said.

After the launch, Giffords' office said in a statement that "Congresswoman Giffords is disappointed that Endeavour was unable to launch today, but realizes that mission safety must come first. Launch delays are not uncommon with the space shuttle," the statement said. "We are looking forward to the quick rescheduling of this scientifically important mission. The congresswoman was pleased, however, to have been able to meet with President Obama and the first family."

President Barack Obama and the first lady also went to the launch site, and Obama personally visited with Giffords for about 10 minutes, a White House official said. Obama also met the entire Endeavour crew, including Kelly.

Kelly was tapped to lead a crew that includes pilot Gregory Johnson; mission specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff and Andrew Feustel; and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori.

Endeavour has logged more than 103 million miles in space, blasting off 24 times, but its 25th flight will be its last.

As NASA's shuttle program winds down with the last launch scheduled this summer, many in the astronaut corps are wrestling with what to do next. For the foreseeable future, Russian rockets will be the only way for U.S. astronauts to get to space.

Fincke spent a total of a year in space on the International Space Station, getting there and back twice on Russian rockets. But Friday's delayed flight will be his first on the shuttle.

Four spacewalks are planned for the mission. The space walkers will retrieve experiments, install new ones, refill tanks and lubricate parts at the International Space Station.

In its cargo bay, Endeavour will carry the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. At $1.5 billion, it is the most expensive piece of equipment a space shuttle has ever carried.

The spectrometer is designed to capture space particles like anti-matter and dark matter that scientists know very little about but believe exist in the universe. The spectrometer will be mounted outside the International Space Station. If it's successful, it could lead to a better understanding of how our universe began and evolved.

CNNRadio's Steve Kastenbaum contributed to this report.

"I bet you were hoping to see a rocket launch today," Endeavour's Mark Kelly said to President Obama, who replied, "We were hoping to see you."The president met Friday with shooting victim Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who's awaiting Endeavour's launch with her astronaut husband.NASA's shuttle program accomplished a tremendous amount, but in some ways it fell short of its original purpose.A plan to launch the space shuttle Endeavour on Monday has been scrubbed, officials said Sunday.As Endeavour takes on its final mission, the man who commanded the spacecraft's maiden flight in '92 is nostalgic and hopeful.Astronauts eat pretty well up there: links and eggs, chicken and mashed potatoes, apples and candy bars. But there's a catch.For Endeavour's commander Mark Kelly, there was good news.Today's five most popular stories

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Endeavour won't launch Monday, NASA says

Photographers check their equipment at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Saturday.NEW: Giffords is back in Houston, will travel to Florida again for the launchThe earliest possible launch date is May 8, NASA saysThe initial launch was delayed for at least 72 hours on FridayThe delay was prompted by concerns over the shuttle's heating system

Kennedy Space Center, Florida (CNN) -- A plan to launch the space shuttle Endeavour on Monday has been scrubbed, and a new launch likely will not come before the end of the week at the earliest, officials said Sunday.

Endeavour's final launch was delayed by at least 72 hours Friday because of concerns about the shuttle's heating system. Monday was the earliest possible liftoff date following the delay.

As part of NASA's examination of the problem, officials said, the external fuel tank was drained of its hydrogen and oxygen propellants Friday night.

A new launch date has not been set, Mission Management Team chairman Mike Moses told reporters Sunday, but "it's not going to be any earlier than the 8th."

The problem has been determined to be "a power problem." he said.

The crew, their families and support staff were being allowed to travel home, Moses said.

The delay postponed what promised to be an emotional moment for the shuttle's commander, Mark Kelly. Kelly's wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, traveled to Florida to watch the shuttle's ascent. Giffords was nearly killed January 8 when she was shot in the head by a would-be assassin at a public event in Tucson, Arizona. She has been recovering at a Houston rehabilitation hospital.

Giffords flew back to Houston and TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital on Sunday, according to a post on her official Facebook page. She will have "a couple days of good therapy" before traveling back to Florida for the launch, the post said.

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After the launch, Giffords' office said in a statement that "Congresswoman Giffords is disappointed that Endeavour was unable to launch today, but realizes that mission safety must come first. Launch delays are not uncommon with the space shuttle," the statement said. "We are looking forward to the quick rescheduling of this scientifically important mission. The congresswoman was pleased, however, to have been able to meet with President Obama and the first family."

President Barack Obama and the first lady also went to the launch site, and Obama personally visited with Giffords for about 10 minutes, a White House official said. Obama also met the entire Endeavour crew, including Kelly.

Kelly was tapped to lead a crew that includes pilot Gregory Johnson; mission specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff and Andrew Feustel; and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori.

Endeavour has logged more than 103 million miles in space, blasting off 24 times, but its 25th flight will be its last.

As NASA's shuttle program winds down with the last launch scheduled this summer, many in the astronaut corps are wrestling with what to do next. For the foreseeable future, Russian rockets will be the only way for U.S. astronauts to get to space.

Fincke spent a total of a year in space on the International Space Station, getting there and back twice on Russian rockets. But Friday's delayed flight will be his first on the shuttle.

Four spacewalks are planned for the mission. The space walkers will retrieve experiments, install new ones, refill tanks and lubricate parts at the International Space Station.

In its cargo bay, Endeavour will carry the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. At $1.5 billion, it is the most expensive piece of equipment a space shuttle has ever carried.

The spectrometer is designed to capture space particles like anti-matter and dark matter that scientists know very little about but believe exist in the universe. The spectrometer will be mounted outside the International Space Station. If it's successful, it could lead to a better understanding of how our universe began and evolved.

CNNRadio's Steve Kastenbaum contributed to this report.

"I bet you were hoping to see a rocket launch today," Endeavour's Mark Kelly said to President Obama, who replied, "We were hoping to see you."The president met Friday with shooting victim Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who's awaiting Endeavour's launch with her astronaut husband.NASA's shuttle program accomplished a tremendous amount, but in some ways it fell short of its original purpose.A plan to launch the space shuttle Endeavour on Monday has been scrubbed, officials said Sunday.As Endeavour takes on its final mission, the man who commanded the spacecraft's maiden flight in '92 is nostalgic and hopeful.Astronauts eat pretty well up there: links and eggs, chicken and mashed potatoes, apples and candy bars. But there's a catch.For Endeavour's commander Mark Kelly, there was good news.Today's five most popular stories

CNN

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Obama re-election bid may start Monday

Multiple sources tell CNN that President Obama could announce his re-election campaign as early as Monday. STORY HIGHLIGHTSPresident Obama plans to send supporters an electronic message with the newsThe announcement could come as early as MondaySources say Obama's team also hopes to file with the FEC MondayRELATED TOPICSBarack ObamaElection CampaignsGovernment and PoliticsFederal Election Commission Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama plans to send supporters a text or email message announcing his intention to run for re-election, multiple Democratic sources tell CNN.

The message, which might include a video that would be posted online as well, could come as early as Monday morning. The sources say Obama's team also hopes to file papers with the Federal Election Commission on Monday to launch his 2012 re-election campaign.

The timing of the announcement and the filing could change depending on outside events. The White House is closely watching negotiations on Capitol Hill over the 2011 spending bill, which must be resolved this week to avoid a government shutdown.

This would come more than a week before the president hosts his first re-election fundraiser in Chicago on April 14. These Democrats say no public event is planned because the White House wants to downplay the announcement and minimize the political distraction.

The president is making his campaign official slightly earlier than is typical for an incumbent so he can get a jump on fundraising in a season that's likely to shatter all records. Obama's team has been asking campaign bundlers to raise $350,000 each, no easy task since campaign finance laws limit gifts to $2,500 per donor. Two sources tell CNN the campaign team hopes that in total their bundlers will raise $500 million, leaving the campaign to raise another $500 million and amass a record-breaking $1 billion war chest.

According to these sources, the president has made calls to top donors and conference calls are planned this week to supporters and key Democratic groups. Vice President Joe Biden is already planning to be in New Hampshire Monday and will meet with key supporters in that crucial early voting state. For the past few weeks, Jim Messina, who will manage the campaign, and Patrick Gaspard, executive director of the DNC, have been flying around the country meeting with frustrated donors working to get them re-engaged.

So far no Republican contenders have formally announced. But these days the likely Republican presidential contenders are making endless visits to key early voting states and meeting with supporters across the country.

One top Democrat says, "The Republicans are out there day in and day out beating up on the president -- they're basically running without filing. So to say we're going first isn't totally fair." This person adds, "No one wants to start running now. The president is engaged in the country, this is about getting (campaign) staff up and running."

Additionally, top Democrats say two former White House staffers are likely to set up a third-party outside spending group. Former Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, former aide to then-Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, have been approached by Democratic donors who are concerned about countering the influence of Karl Rove and the Koch brothers in the upcoming 2012 election.

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