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The United States Women’s Soccer team has two heroes today – Hope Solo and Abby Wambach. Each player received widespread attention on Sunday after a thrilling win over Brazil in the quarterfinal round.

WATCH AMY WAMBACH GOAL VS. BRAZIL VIDEO

Trailing by a goal and with time running out in extra time, Abby Wambach with just seconds to spare saved the Americans, and Hope Solo the new hero in the penalty shootout, stopped an attempt by Brazil as the USA came back to win. ... Read More

Euna Lee and Laura Ling greeted by families

In an emotional reunion, journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee step off a plane in Burbank, Calif., after returning from North Korea Wednesday. Laura Ling is the sister of Lisa Ling.

“Now we stand here home and free,” Ling said.

Clinton walked off the private plane a few minutes after the journalists, shaking hands with the families. He said in a written statement that he shares their “deep sense of relief” that the reporters have returned safely.

President Obama said he was “extraordinarily relieved” at their return.

“The reunion that we’ve all seen on television I think is a source of happiness not only for the families but for the entire country,” Obama said.

Ling said Wednesday that she and Lee were “shocked” when they were first taken to a room Tuesday and saw Clinton standing there. She said that just 30 hours ago, the two women feared that they could be taken to a hard labor camp to serve out their sentence at any moment. She said the sight of Clinton gave them great relief.

“We knew instantly in our heart that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end,” she said, thanking Clinton’s “super cool team.”

“The past 140 days have been the most difficult, heart-wrenching time of our lives,” she said. “We are so happy to be home.”

Lisa Ling and sister Laura Ling

The sister of Lisa Ling,  Laura Ling and fellow journalist Euna Lee have been pardoned by North Korea due to the unselfish efforts of former President Bill Clinton.

President Clinton’s Mission to free American journalists  Laura Ling ( Lisa Ling’s sister) and Euna Lee has been accomplished. According to  North Korean media Kim Jong Il has pardoned the two American journalists and ordered their release during the visit of former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Read the following report from Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) – Former U.S. President Bill Clinton made a surprise visit to North Korea and met its reclusive leader on Tuesday to try to win freedom for two jailed American journalists in a move that could re-energize nuclear talks.

Clinton, husband of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, had what North Korea’s KCNA news agency described as an “exhaustive conversation” over dinner with the ailing Kim Jong-il and top North Korean officials.

Euna Lee

Arriving in an unmarked jet on a trip to North Korea he had hoped to take before leaving office in January 2001, Clinton was presented with flowers by a girl dressed in traditional costume before he was led to a black limousine and driven away.

Confusion rose quickly about the delicate diplomatic negotiations he was engaged in. The North Korean news agency said Clinton passed on a verbal message from U.S. President Barack Obama.

“Kim Jong-il expressed thanks for this,” KCNA said of the message. “He welcomed Clinton’s visit to the DPRK (North Korea) and had an exhaustive conversation with him. There was a wide-ranging exchange of views on the matters of common concern.”

But the White House denied Clinton carried a message from Obama. “That’s not true,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters in Washington.

Clinton’s objective was to gain the release of two journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling of U.S. media outlet Current TV co-founded by Clinton’s vice president Al Gore.

They were arrested on the North Korea-China border in March and accused of illegal entry. A North Korean court sentenced both of them last month to 12 years hard labor for what it called grave crimes.