Plane carrying fashion boss missing

Missoni: Company director Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing off Venezuela Search continues for the plane, carrying six people, which vanished off the coast The plane took off from Los Roques archipelago, north of Caracas, Friday morning Missoni brand has expanded in recent years (CNN) -- A small plane carrying six people, one of them Vittorio Missoni, a director of Italy's famed Missoni fashion house, is missing off the coast of Venezuela, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol Torres said. The search for the missing aircraft continued Saturday, an Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Missoni confirmed in a statement that Vittorio Missoni, son of fashion house founders Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, was on the plane with his wife. "The small plane they were traveling on has disappeared. This is all the information currently available," the company statement said. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2011/09/21/cotd-angela-missoni-fashion.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/110922124324-cotd-angela-missoni-fashion-00001913-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand15Store=mObj; 2011: Rise of an Italian fashion empire Vittorio Missoni, 58, runs the company with his siblings, Luca and Angela. The plane was carrying four Italian nationals who were on vacation, Reverol said in a statement Friday. The Venezuelan Interior Ministry identified the two other Italians as Guido Foresti and Elda Scalveuzi. A pilot and co-pilot also were on board. The plane left Los Roques, an archipelago and resort, Friday morning bound for the international airport outside Caracas, about 90 miles away, Reverol said. Italian authorities are in touch with their Venezuelan counterparts and the families of those missing, said a spokesman in the Italian Foreign Ministry's media office. The ministry called on the Venezuelan authorities to do all they can to locate the missing plane and those on board, he said. Missoni, which boasts such celebrity clients as Katie Holmes, Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie, is a high-end fashion label known for its patterned knitwear and signature zigzag stripe. The private company, based in Milan, has estimated annual sales of between $75 million and $100 million. The brand, first created in 1953 as a knitwear workshop in Gallarte, Italy, has gone on to expand from apparel to housewares, a fragrance line and a chain of hotels. Stefano Tonchi, editor-in-chief of W magazine, called the Missonis "one of the most important Italian fashion families," crediting their move to Milan in the late 1960s with helping make the northern Italian city the fashion hub it is today. Vittorio Missoni and his siblings took over the brand in 1996 with an eye toward marketing to a younger consumer. The fashion house partnered with Target in 2011 to produce a more budget-friendly collection for the discount retailer, which prompted Target's website to crash due to the high demand. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Susannah Palk and Laura Smith-Spark reported from London, and Sarah Aarthun, Alexander Hunter, Mitra Mobasherat, Chandrika Lakshminarayan and Esprit Smith from Atlanta.

Masked robbers hit Radio Shack

Report: Syria's Assad to speak Sunday

NEW: At least 79 people killed Saturday, opposition group says Rebels go after government air bases one by one in the north Syrian troops cut off food, medicine and ammunition to rebels in Damascus Al-Assad plans to deliver a speech on Sunday (CNN) -- Opposition fighters are celebrating success in Syria's north but enduring squalor in and around Damascus, where government forces are cutting off food and medical supplies, a rebel leader said Saturday. Syrian rebels chipped away at President Bashar al-Assad's air power Saturday in Idlib province, where 800 fighters pummeled Taftanaz air base for the fourth day with anti-aircraft guns and tanks. Amid fighting, Al-Assad plans to deliver a speech Sunday on the latest developments in Syria and the region, state news said. Rebels have taken control of 70% of the Taftanaz heliport, rebel leader Capt. Islam Aloush said from Damascus. Militia members killed the head of the base, he said. "There are still about 30 snipers and a few dozen regime forces, but the fight is closing in on them." Al-Assad's forces use the base mainly to launch helicopter attacks on nearby towns. Syrian warplanes dropped cluster bombs on Taftanaz in a raid that led to the destruction of several buildings, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said Saturday. var currExpandable="expand16"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/03/exp-west-concerns-syria-rebels-amanpour.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://amanpour.com'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130103103607-exp-west-concerns-syria-rebels-amanpour-00023101-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand16Store=mObj; Turning off the tap for Syrian rebels var currExpandable="expand26"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/03/exp-tsr-miller-intv-syria-hagel.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130103073013-exp-tsr-miller-intv-syria-hagel-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand26Store=mObj; The U.S. role in Syria var currExpandable="expand36"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/02/seg-syria-toll.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130102063932-seg-syria-toll-00000430-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand36Store=mObj; U.N.: 60,000 killed in Syria Since the rebel push on Taftanaz began, government forces have exacted retribution on the nearby city of Binnish, where amateur video posted on the Internet has shown dozens of smoke plumes marking where ordnance has struck. What's next for Syria in 2013? Aloush said his Liwaa Islam militia and other groups want to target the many military bases in Idlib "to minimize the reach of the regime's warplanes." Opposition and government sources report that the extremist al-Nusra Front, which the United States has designated as a terrorist group, is taking part in the assault on Taftanaz. As al-Assad has lost some ground in the far north, he has tried to maintain the reach of his firepower by launching long-range Scud missiles at towns near Turkey's border. U.S. troops began arriving Friday to operate Patriot missile defense batteries, deployed to intercept any Scuds that might cross into Turkey from Syria. Farther south in the Damascus suburbs, government forces have been cutting off food and, in particular, medical supplies for weeks, Aloush said. "They have sometimes resorted to field executions when they find people smuggling in syringes and other basic medical items," he said. Rebels depend on the medical supply lines because they have to treat the wounded in safe locations inside the country. It is too difficult to evacuate them from the country, he said. Government forces target bakeries, reducing food supplies, he said, and ammunition and money are dwindling. "When we are not taking over regime military posts, we are not getting enough ammo to fight the security forces," he said. In Syria, school opens to displaced children Other opposition groups have also reported the government ratcheting up the battle in the capital. In Daraya, south of Damascus, 1,000 of Aloush's men and other revolutionaries are holding out against a weeks-long offensive by the government, which wants to take the town back. "Daraya is strategically located near very sensitive security buildings and military bases," Aloush said. Syria's opposition still feels deserted by the international community. In an open letter Friday, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, head of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, implored the U.N. Security Council and world leaders to take action. "Our people are subjected to genocide and our country is being destroyed as the international silence is only encouraging the regime to commit more crimes against humanity," he wrote. "Halting massacres in Syria is an international obligation everyone should bear responsibility for." The overall death toll in Syria has surpassed 60,000 people, the United Nations says. At least 79 people were killed in Syria on Saturday, the LCC said, including 35 in Damascus and its suburbs. Eighteen people were killed in Idlib on Saturday, the group said. CNN cannot independently confirm government or opposition reports out of Syria, as the government has restricted access by journalists. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

When food is a weapon

Studies show that many kids with food allergies are bullied About 8% of U.S. kids have at least one food allergy Talk to your allergist to develop an action plan (CNN) -- In kindergarten, Owen Kellogg came home sobbing one day because another boy at school had told him that he had a peanut, and that he was going to force Owen to eat it. Owen, now 7, is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, said his mother, Haylee Kellogg of Cedar Hills, Utah. In reality, the taunting boy did not have a peanut, but Owen didn't know that -- he just knew that eating a peanut could make him stop breathing. It's hard for parents of food-allergic children to keep them safe at school when there are so many opportunities to eat snacks and meals with unsafe ingredients. For some kids, just touching a certain food or inhaling particles of it could cause a reaction. But on top of the safety question is a social one. A study released last week suggests that almost half of children who have food allergies have been bullied -- sometimes by having food thrown at them. "Clearly, it's an issue for these school-aged children in terms of how they interact with their peers," said Dr. Clifford Bassett, an allergist in New York. "Immediately, when there's a diagnosis of food allergy, there's a little bit of a stigma." The new study furthers the mounting evidence that many kids with food allergies may endure social ostracism while also trying to eat safely. A 2010 study in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology said that 35% of kids over age 5 with food allergies have endured bullying, teasing or harassment. Parents of children with food allergies reported in the study that these incidents -- both physical and verbal -- happened because of food allergies. Food allergy is a growing problem in young people. As many as 8% of children in the United States have at least one food allergy, according to research data. There is no cure for food allergies. The only way to stop a life-threatening reaction, called anaphylaxis, is an epinephrine auto-injector, which allergists recommend that everyone with severe food allergies should carry. Allergists offer skin or blood tests to see what specific foods may cause reactions, but they cannot know how severe those reactions will be -- some people may have only mild symptoms, while others may stop breathing. How to ensure no schoolchild dies of an allergy attack Negotiating school safety Owen's family moved nearly 30 miles from Spanish Fork, Utah, to Lehi, Utah, when Owen was in kindergarten, so that they could live in a school district with some peanut-free accommodations. Peanut products aren't sold at lunch at Owen's school, said Kellogg. When Kellogg learned about the peanut taunting incident, she went to see the school principal. The result was that the other boy, who had also been bullying other kids, was moved to a different classroom. At the bus stop, Kellogg met the woman partly responsible for food allergy awareness at Owen's school: Jessica Norton, whose 11-year-old daughter Grace is allergic to peanuts, soy and various kinds of beans. Grace is the only one of three siblings who has food allergies; so is Owen. When Grace was in first grade, she had to eat her lunch in the principal's office on days that the school served peanut butter, to avoid a reaction from coming into contact with it. This solution was not optimal, in Norton's view. She petitioned the school district to stop serving peanut products, and was successful. John and Jessica Norton, with their children Grace, Emma and Jack. Grace, on the left, has food allergies. Like Owen, Grace also experienced bullying because of her allergy. A boy would often chase Grace around with peanut butter in hand -- once, he touched her face with it, making her break out in hives. She only told her parents a couple of months after it stopped happening. These days, she doesn't get picked on that way, Norton said. "I think she can, kind of, stand up for herself now, and will stand up for herself now," Norton said. Standing up to other adults Norton was surprised by the negative reactions reflected in the CNN.com reader comments about provisions for allergic kids in schools. In a story about the recent bullying study, user "Brad Heddan" wrote, in response to one reader, "how about you keep your sickly kid home? That is what homeschooling is for. (...) we don't have to accommodate your sick kid." And "lorie" wrote, "Many allergies can be life threatening. It is completely unfair and ridiculous to expect 400 other families to change their eating habits because you can't teach your kid not to touch someone else's food." These sentiments were also seen on the comment board on a 2010 story about food allergy bullying. At that time, Norton chimed in explaining Grace's school's situation and adding, "My only thought is this, teaching children compassion for others is a good thing. And frankly, it seems a lot of adults that have made comments on here could use a little compassion too.' Norton has not felt that level of backlash from her efforts to keep Grace safe in her own community. A few parents have made remarks of the "Why do we have to accommodate your daughter?" variety, but generally everyone has been kind and supportive. "We're talking about life and death here," says Norton. "If it were their child's life, they would do everything they could to make sure their child's life is protected." Making people understand Communication with teachers, administrators, coaches, and the school nurse is key to ensuring that a food-allergic child does well, in terms of staying safe from allergens and psychologically speaking, Bassett said. It's also important to talk to a child about bullying, which can have serious psychological consequences, such as anxiety, Bassett said. It's harder to get teenagers to not take risks when it comes to avoiding problem foods and always carrying the epinephrine auto-injector, Bassett said. "Unfortunately the adolescent and child psyche is very sensitive to what people think and say and do," he said. Kellogg is proactive about getting Owen's peers to understand his situation. Every school year, on the first day, Kellogg takes a book called "Allie the Allergic Elephant: A Children's Story of Peanut Allergies." The teacher reads this book to the children in the class so that they better understand what it means to have food allergies. She also brings allergy-safe treats to keep in the classroom so that Owen can have them if someone brings in unsafe sweets to celebrate a birthday. He carries an epinephrine auto-injector with him. "School is the scariest thing for me because a lot of people just don't understand how serious it could be," Kellogg said. Norton also has a routine for the beginning of Grace's school year: Talking to the teacher about foods and determining where the epinephrine auto-injector should be kept. The classroom policy is that if kids ate peanuts for lunch, they are supposed to wash their hands. She and her husband John told their son Jack, who is Owen's age, to keep an eye out for Owen when they were attending the same school -- to tell a teacher if he were being teased. Jack and Owen are still friends. "I just didn't want anyone picking on him and if you have friend who will stand up for you, it makes a big difference," Norton said. Food allergy treatment shows promise A table of their own? When it comes to what the best course of action is in terms of protection from allergens, the plan should be individualized, Bassett said. You want to shield children from harm, but you also want to let kids be kids, he said. The Kelloggs moved to Cedar Hills in May. At Owen's new school, there is a special table where children with common allergies can -- in theory -- sit together for lunch, isolated from kids who bring food that would be unsafe for the allergic group. Owen sat at the table for the first couple of days of school this year, alone. Back that the regular lunch table, Owen takes several precautions. He owns his own lunch box and doesn't put food on the table. He has antibacterial napkins so he can wipe contaminants off the area where he sits. And he knows what peanut butter looks like and smells like, so he can avoid it. However, Kellogg said she believes Owen's school can do more to raise awareness and practice caution regarding food allergies. "I'm going to have to be the Jessica Norton in this school, and go in and make it known that they have to do a little bit more to protect these kids," Kellogg said. When Valentine's Day is dangerous for kids Does your child have food allergies? What's your strategy for allergy protection at school? if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

Lawmakers promise action on gun laws

Lawmakers in House introduce multiple bills related to gun violence Gun-control advocates sponsor bills requiring background checks for all gun sales Two GOP freshmen introduce bills to allow more guns around schools Fate of proposed laws depends on getting support from both sides of aisle Washington (CNN) -- Lawmakers began a new session of Congress with the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, still fresh in their minds -- inspiring a new push to pass gun laws that could prevent another tragedy. On Day One, lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced nearly a dozen bills related to gun violence. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-New York, a longtime gun control advocate, led the fight on the Democratic side of the aisle. She's sponsoring legislation that would require background checks for all gun sales -- including at gun shows -- and ban online sales of ammunition. McCarthy is also co-sponsoring a bill to ban high-capacity magazine clips with Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colorado. DeGette's district includes Columbine High School, where two gunmen killed 13 people in 1999, and is next to Aurora, where a gunman killed 12 people in a mass shooting at a movie theater in July. "These assault magazines help put the 'mass' in 'mass shooting' and anything we can do to stop their proliferation will save lives in America," said McCarthy, whose husband was killed and her son critically wounded in a mass shooting on the Long Island Railroad in New York in 1993. "These devices are used to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time possible, and we owe it to innocent Americans everywhere to keep them out of the hands of dangerous people." Meanwhile, two Republican freshmen, Rep. Steve Stockman of Texas and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, have introduced bills that would allow more guns around schools. In the Senate, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein plans to introduce a bill to ban the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of more than 100 firearms. The bill would also ban certain semiautomatic rifles, handguns and shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine, and semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds. The assault weapons ban Feinstein helped pass in 1994 expired in 2004. Feinstein is in the process of gathering support for her bill in both chambers. Marine to Feinstein: 'No ma'am,' I won't register my guns Bills sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, to ban high-capacity magazines and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, to enhance background checks and close the gun show loophole already have counterparts in the lower chamber. But gun control is a heated topic, and any push to restrict access to guns will be met with strong opposition from the 4-million-member National Rifle Association, the nation's most powerful gun rights lobby. The NRA has long blocked efforts to introduce tougher gun laws, arguing Congress cannot infringe on the Second Amendment right to bear arms. In a press conference a week after the Newtown shootings, the group's Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre asked, "Since when did the word 'gun' automatically become a bad word?" He called on Congress to appropriate enough money to put armed police officers in every school in the country. The NRA has also questioned the effectiveness of gun bans, suggesting they could put communities in danger. var currExpandable="expand111"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/05/ac-gun-provision-health-care-plan.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130105024812-ac-gun-provision-health-care-plan-00011912-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand111Store=mObj; The NRA, guns and health care var currExpandable="expand211"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/05/ybl-gun-control-as-a-health-issue-christine-romans-segment.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121218055014-gun-sales-t1-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand211Store=mObj; Gun control and public health var currExpandable="expand311"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/28/exp-erin-gun-control-debate.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121229122418-exp-erin-gun-control-debate-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand311Store=mObj; Mixed messages in gun control debate "Politicians pass laws for Gun-Free School Zones," LaPierre said during the December press conference. "They issue press releases bragging about them. They post signs advertising them. And in so doing, they tell every insane killer in America that schools are their safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk." Gun owners fear new legislation could tread on their rights No gun-control efforts will bear fruit without support from both sides of the aisle, which is by no means a sure thing. So far, no Republicans have come forward to sponsor new legislation restricting gun rights, and several Democrats also speak out in favor of gun rights. "The NRA is the big issue, but I wouldn't say it's on the Republican side only, it's on the Democratic side also. ... fully half of your new Senate has either an A+, A or A- rating from the NRA," said John Gramlich, who covers gun control for CQ Roll Call. "The NRA has said that the answer to Newtown is to put more guns, more police officers in schools, and so if you want anything to happen on gun control, you're going to have at least half of the Senate upsetting the NRA and that's a very difficult proposition." Gramlich said some elements of gun control -- like banning high-capacity ammunition magazines -- could get passed, but more comprehensive legislation faces long odds. Gun-control supporters believe having the support of the highest office in the land could help make a difference this time around. President Barack Obama called for action at a vigil in Newtown after the shooting. "Since I've been president, this is the fourth time we have come together to comfort a grieving community torn apart by mass shootings, fourth time we've hugged survivors, the fourth time we've consoled the families of victims," he said. "Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?" Days later, he announced Vice President Joe Biden would lead a task force to come up with recommendations on ways to reduce gun violence, which is expected to include new gun regulations. Those recommendations are due this month, and the president has said he wants Congress to pass legislation this year. iReport: Why would someone own a military-style rifle? While the politics will be difficult, pro-gun control members believe the 113th Congress could make progress on guns. "We're hopeful that more can get done on this issue now than in many years," said Shams Tarek, McCarthy's communications director. "The climate seems different now, after Newtown, than after other recent mass shootings." They also acknowledge a tough and potentially long road ahead. "There is no more uphill fight than this, the question is do we fight or do we knuckle under and we're not knuckle-unders. We're just not going to knuckle under. It may take a year it may take two it may take three," Feinstein said in December. Analysis: Guns and the law It's also a fight that will have to compete with several other legislative priorities, including the debate over raising the country's borrowing limit, and a deficit-cutting agreement that will avoid steep automatic spending cuts that are set to kick in about two months from now if lawmakers can't make a deal. "There's definitely a question of timing and floor time for these kinds of debates, and then there's also the political question," said Gramlich. "You just had a fiscal cliff deal where the House speaker really alienated a lot of the members of his own party, because he was seen as making too many concessions towards the Democrats, and if you're talking about an issue as powerful and emotional as gun control, is the speaker really going to meet Democrats halfway on something like that and risk offending his own party even more? I think that's a really important question." if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

Politican accused of rape attacked

Fixing debt with $1 trillion coin?