WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A school shooting shut down a Winston-Salem high school on Wednesday afternoon.
Mount Tabor High School is on lockdown after one student was injured, according to Winston-Salem police. That student has been taken to the hospital. There is no word on their condition.
Other schools in the area were locked down as well out of an abundance of caution.
Students inside Mount Tabor High School waiting, courtesy of Ben Kirkland
Officers are actively looking for the suspect.
Winston-Salem police have a hazardous devices unit on scene. The Greensboro Police Department is assisting Winston-Salem and Forsyth County agencies.
Parents of Mount Tabor students are asked to go to the Harris Teeter on Peacehaven Road and are advised that busses might be delayed in the afternoon.
Parents were directed by law enforcement to a separate location to pick up their children. FOX8 is not reporting that location at the request of law enforcement.
Dismissals are delayed at other schools in Winston-Salem right now.
A couple at the scene says their daughter was at the school at the time of the shooting. They were able to get in touch with their daughter and confirmed that she is OK.
“Your heart stops for a few minutes until you finally get in touch with them,” the father said.
“For the second time this week, we have seen a shooting in a North Carolina school. Our prayers are with the victims, their families and all the students of Mt. Tabor High School in Winston-Salem. I have been briefed by law enforcement and the Department of Public Safety is ready to provide any support necessary. We must work to ensure the safety of students and educators, quickly apprehend the shooter and keep guns off school grounds.”
FOX8 has crews on the scene and this story will be updated as details emerge.
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1. Huracán Irma se convierte en categoría 3
El huracán Irma ganó fuerza y se convirtió en categoría 3 en el Atlántico, sólo unos días después de que el primer huracán importante de la temporada, Harvey, dejara graves inundaciones en el sur de Estados Unidos, informaron meteorólogos.
Expertos anuncian que es posible que su fortaleza fluctúe, en un sentido o en el otro, pero se espera que Irma siga siendo un poderoso huracán durante varios días.
Huracán Irma se convierte en categoría 3. Ver nota.
2. OCDE pide a México abrir el mercado de Televisa y TV para Telmex
La OCDE puso en la mira los resultados de los primeros cuatro años de la reforma mexicana de telecomunicaciones y encontró que el sector de la radiodifusión se mantiene estático, que poco se ha abierto al cambio y a la competencia.
Esa es una industria dominada por Grupo Televisa y TV Azteca como los dos grandes grupos en televisión y por otros cinco titanes en la radio análoga que vuelven “lento” el despegue del conjunto de misiones que integran la reforma estructural que por ahora mejor deja parado al gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto, muy cuestionado por débiles resultados hasta la fecha conseguidos por otras reformas en energía, salud, educación o trabajo.
OCDE pide a México abrir el mercado de Televisa y TV para Telmex. Ver nota.
3. México alberga el round 2 del TLCAN en medio de las amenazas de Trump
Desde este viernes, México acoge la segunda ronda de renegociación del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) en medio de las amenazas del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump de retirarse del acuerdo.
Representantes de México, Estados Unidos y Canadá se reunirán en la capital mexicana del 1 al 5 de septiembre tras una primera ronda que se llevó a cabo en Washington del 16 al 20 de agosto, en la que los tres países plantearon más de dos docenas de temas que se comprometieron a discutir rápidamente.
México alberga el round 2 del TLCAN en medio de las amenazas de Trump. Ver nota.
4. ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el billón en inglés y el billón en español?
Los números son el lenguaje más utilizado por los economistas y financieros, seguida, seguramente, por el inglés. A los números no mienten, expresión usada regularmente en la estadística para ponderar la veracidad de los datos expresados en cifras, hay que añadir el corolario los números no requieren traducción; y es que una cifra expresada numéricamente es reconocible por cualquiera, independientemente de su lengua materna.
En los medios escritos, y más aún en los especializados en economía y finanzas, es común para los redactores de textos expresar cifras con palabras escritas. Esto implica que debe existir cierto consenso previo para entender, por ejemplo, que un millón equivale a la cifra expresada numéricamente de la siguiente forma: 1,000,000, la unidad numérica seguida de seis ceros. Hasta aquí, todo es comprensible. La complejidad para un redactor adviene con un mundo globalizado en el que se recurre a información generada en otros países en otras lenguas.
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el billón en inglés y el billón en español?. Ver nota.
El 50% de los actuales puestos de trabajo de EE UU podrán ser automatizados en 25 años, según un informe de la Universidad de Oxford publicado en 2013. Una vertiginosa predicción que acaba de cobrar aún más velocidad en el ámbito del periodismo, ya que la agencia Associated Press ha comenzado a utilizar robots para producir noticias automáticamente.
Los robots son en realidad programas informáticos que ya han conquistado otros sectores como el de la atención al cliente, los servicios de venta online o los buscadores de información. Pero su uso en las redacciones es el último reto al que debe enfrentarse el periodismo tras la irrupción de Internet en el trabajo de los medios de comunicación, cambiando para siempre la distribución de las noticias y mermando modelos de negocio basados en la publicidad.
La introducción de robots en las redacciones estadounidenses ha comenzado de manera muy limitada pero constante. El diario The New York Times, faro en el horizonte para las grandes publicaciones, ya produce información deportiva creada por algoritmos matemáticos que incluso valoran las decisiones de los entrenadores de béisbol. En California, Los Angeles Times publicó en marzo la primera noticia creada por un robot, relacionada con un terremoto. Pero la gran pionera en este campo fue Narrative Science, cuyo lema es “descubre las historias escondidas en tus datos” y que ya ha firmado un acuerdo con la revista Forbes.
La última valiente es la agencia de noticias Associated Press. Gracias a su colaboración con la empresa Automated Insights, sus robots escribirán las noticias relacionadas con resultados de las empresas que cotizan en Bolsa. Según el vicepresidente de AP y editor, Lou Ferrara, los periodistas “liberados” de esta tarea se dedicarán a “documentar y escribir noticias sobre lo que significan esos números y lo que dicen las empresas cuando los publican”.
El objetivo de la agencia, como lo fue antes de Narrative Science o como experimenta ahora el Times, es liberar a los profesionales de una tarea tediosa que requiere apenas creatividad y que puede ser reproducida por una máquina con supervisión mínima de un ser humano. Los robots se encargarán de publicar el qué, quién, cuándo y dónde de una noticia. Los periodistas averiguarán el cómo y el por qué.
Las posibilidades de estos sistemas son “ilimitadas”, según defiende James Kotecki, portavoz de Automated Insights. La cantidad de datos que pueden recabar, desde resultados hasta tendencias económicas, no tiene fin. Su impacto tampoco. “A medida que las organizaciones vayan creciendo y las personas obtengan cada vez más datos puros, la necesidad de analizarlos y explicarlos para poder hacer una interpretación irá aumentando”, justifica Kotecki, portavoz de la empresa.
La llegada de estos robots que realizan parte del trabajo de los periodistas, en un momento en el que la profesión apenas comienza a respirar después de una profunda crisis económica en el sector, ha sido recibida con escepticismo. Esa desconfianza de los profesionales hacia esta tecnología hizo que Ferrara defendiese su decisión desde el primer momento de anunciarla: “Esto nos permitirá emplear nuestros recursos humanos de manera más creativa durante la temporada de resultados”, afirmó. “Así descubriremos tendencias e informaciones exclusivas que publicar al mismo tiempo que esos datos”.
El trabajo de los periodistas, la cantidad de textos que producen al cabo del día, y los formatos en que se publican, desde artículos de noticias hasta blogs, mensajes en redes sociales o conversaciones con lectores, ha aumentado en los últimos años por la multiplicación de plataformas en Internet. “Algunos medios han recibido críticas por no hacer suficiente periodismo de profundidad. Estos programas les liberarán”, afirma Arden Manning, portavoz de Yseop, una compañía que desarrolla programas informáticos para la generación automática de contenido.
David Sancha, director de Xalok, una empresa especializada en tecnología para medios con sede en Miami, coincide en que ese es el argumento para ganar la confianza de los periodistas en este tipo de herramientas. “No son buenas o malas en sí mismas, sino que todo depende del uso que se les dé”, afirma. “Automatizar algunas tareas periodísticas básicas permitiría a los redactores dedicar su tiempo a aquellas funciones que realmente requiere la interpretación”.
Desde Yseop, sin embargo, reconocen que todavía no se puede decir que los robots sean capaces de trabajar de manera independiente y autosuficiente. En el sector del comercio online, por ejemplo, los algoritmos pueden recomendar productos tras la pregunta de un usuario, pero aún no han aprendido a explicar qué razones justifican esas sugerencias. “Uno de nuestros retos es enseñar a los sistemas informáticos a aprender de sus propias prácticas con el tiempo”, asegura Manning.
Sancha insiste en que siempre habrá un editor que tenga que encargarse de añadir el “color”, el contexto de una crónica deportiva que no puede carecer del ambiente en el terreno de juego o en la grada. “Es imposible que un robot sea capaz de escribir una crónica de ambiente, un reportaje interpretativo o la noticia de un acontecimiento en el que el periodista ha estado presente, ha recabado información directa y puede aportar su propia experiencia”.
After Donald Trump instructed White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to remove U.S. Secret Service director Randolph Alles from office this week, a new report revealed that the president had soured on the Secret Service director long before his departure from office.
The White House confirmed Alles’ departure on Monday after reports began emerging earlier in the day of his removal. “United States Secret Service director Randolph ‘Tex’ Alles has done a great job at the agency over the last two years, and the President is thankful for his over 40 years of service to the country,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “Mr. Alles will be leaving shortly and President Trump has selected James M. Murray, a career member of the USSS, to take over as director beginning in May.”
Alles’ departure comes amid a shake-up of top staffers in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). After Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen posted her resignation letter to Twitter on Sunday, two other officials, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director Francis Cissna and Office of the General Counsel’s John Mitnick, were also rumored today to be on their way out.
Although Alles’ removal seemed sudden, the New York Times reported the former Secret Service director had fallen afoul of the president after the agency blamed a Mar-a-Lago security breach on Trump’s staffers. Some officials told the newspaper on Monday that although plans had already been made for Alles’ removal before the arrest of a suspicious Chinese woman carrying malware was made at Mar-a-Lago last week, they believe the incident helped accelerate his leave.
Trump had been so frustrated with the retired Marine major general that he nicknamed him Dumbo, a reference to Alles’ large ears, and mocked his appearance before ousting him from office, two officials told the Times.
Murray, Alles’ replacement, is a career Secret Service employee, previously in the role of deputy assistant director of protective operations.
Alles insisted he was not fired in a letter emailed to staffers at the Secret Service on Monday and revealed he was informed weeks ago that the Trump administration intended to execute “transitions in leadership” across DHS. “The President has directed an orderly transition in leadership for this agency and I intend to abide by that direction,” Alles said. “It is my sincere regret that I was not able to address the workforce prior to this announcement.”
Alles added: “It has been my great honor to serve as Director of the U.S. Secret Service. I want to personally thank you all for a job well done.”
The Trump administration did not immediately respond to Newsweek’s request for comment.
Director of the US Secret Service Randolph Alles speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC on October 26, 2018 following the arrest of bombing suspect Cesar Sayoc in Florida. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott’s four medical advisers were not all on board with his move to end the state’s coronavirus restrictions — or even included in the decision.
“I don’t think this is the right time,” said advisor Mark McClellan, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, adding he was not consulted before the decision.
“Texas has been making some real progress but it’s too soon for full reopening and to stop masking around others,” McClellan said in an email.
From the start of the pandemic, Abbott said he would rely on data and doctors to guide state policy. But conflicting opinions from his medical advisers about one of the biggest shifts in state pandemic policy raise questions about how the choice — which has been widely panned by public health experts — was made.
State health commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt on Wednesday didn’t explicitly answer whether he endorsed the plan ahead of time to end the mask mandate and let businesses fully reopen on March 10. Pressed by state lawmakers, Hellerstedt said he “did not have a personal conversation” with Abbott before the decision, but that his agency is in regular contact with the governor’s staff.
A third advisor, Dr. Parker Hudson of Dell Medical School in Austin, has said he was “not involved in this decision.”
And a fourth said he agreed with the decision, explaining it was initiated by Abbott and rested on the governor’s general comfort level with the pace of vaccinations, other medical improvements, and the notion that Texans know to wear masks and will continue to even without a mandate — an idea refuted by public health research.
“He brought it to us, he talked to us about it, he talked through it,” said Dr. John Zerwas, a vice chancellor with the University of Texas System. “And he said, ‘okay, this is when I feel like it’d be a good time to do it’.”
The nation’s top infectious disease experts and President Joe Biden criticized Abbott’s decision to end restrictions next Wednesday, saying it’s premature and warning the move could lead to a new surge in the outbreak that has already killed more than 43,000 Texans.
Former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Tom Frieden said the reversal of the mask mandate was particularly dangerous and could lead to a decline in their use.
“A mask mandate is about you not inadvertently killing someone,” said Frieden, who served during the Obama administration. “There is no argument for not having a mask mandate.”
When asked Wednesday about defying some medical advisers, Abbott said he spoke with Zerwas and Hellerstedt.
“They both agree that because of all the metrics and numbers… now is a very safe time to open,” Abbott said Wednesday during a television interview on KFDX-TV in Wichita Falls. “Texans know how to keep themselves safe and they don’t need government mandates to tell them anymore.”
Abbott’s decision
In making his announcement Tuesday, Abbott offered no one specific reason for the timing of the roll backs; rather he focused in general on increased access to vaccinations, and a recent decline in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19.
Abbott intended to unveil his plan even earlier, on Feb. 22, but was forced to postpone when the winter storm delayed vaccine shipments to Texas, he told a radio host Tuesday.
“All of our decision-making processes hinged to the distribution of those vaccines,” Abbott, a Republican in his second term as governor, said in the interview on KYFO.
Texas is one of several states to lift mask requirements within the last few weeks.
Discussions about the rollback had been ongoing over the last week and a half, said Zerwas, who is a former Republican state representative and an anesthesiologist.
Masks came up as a point of discussion.
Abbott “pushed on it and said ‘Do you really think that a state mandate for masking is the thing that is really driving people to comply’,” Zerwas recalled. “And I said personally, ‘No, I don’t and the people that I’m around on a regular basis don’t even mention that.’”
Zerwas said that Abbott’s statewide order for face coverings last year helped get the message across, and now, citizens of Texas are doing it because they are familiar with the benefits.
Abbott concluded, Zerwas said, that “the heavy hand of the state doesn’t need to be doing this.”
Asked what evidence Abbott’s administration had for that, Zerwas didn’t cite any specific examples.
“I can only speak for myself,” Zerwas said. “I think I’m your regular person out there that is as much tuned into this pandemic as anybody else.”
Freiden, however, said the data shows the opposite. Mask mandates are effective, as are mandates for other safety measures. For example, states have not repealed seatbelt laws because people know the benefits of wearing one, he said.
“Every piece of data we have from public health strongly indicates that ending a mask mandate prematurely will decrease mask use,” Frieden said. “I think that’s a political decision that will result in the loss of lives.”
Enforcement left to businesses
Abbott’s new order leaves it up to businesses to make the public health decision on whether their employees and customers must wear masks.
Some businesses are now only “urging” customers to do so. Others are maintaining a mandate, although without a statewide policy, enforcing it may be more difficult.
“The advantage of a consistent expectation from the state was that it set that expectation for everyone,” said Dr. James McDeavitt, senior vice president and dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine. “We will certainly see people peel off that now.”
As for the timing of the decision, Zerwas said there was no medical threshold or trigger the state had been working toward.
“It’s always been a conversation in progress,” he said. “And where could all of us, when we talk about this, get comfortable with where we were going, what we were accomplishing.”
Late Wednesday, Abbott told KXAS-TV (NBC5) in Dallas that the timing of the rollback was tied to vaccination rates among Texas seniors. People aged 65 and older make up a majority of COVID-19 deaths in Texas and in the nation.
“We wanted to achieve this 50% mark in vaccinations for seniors,” Abbott said. “Once we got the extra doses this past week, and once we saw the vaccination rates among seniors increase, we knew that we would be able to have more than half of seniors vaccinated by the time we opened back up.”
Frieden said many public health experts advocate rolling back restrictions when new daily cases drop to about 1 per 100,000 population. Texas is currently above 25, he said.
Just this week, federal public health experts cautioned states to keep their guard up against the virus. While the pace of vaccinations is expected to pick up over the coming weeks, only about 2.2 million Texans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in a state of 29 million. Others are likely to have some natural immunity if they’ve been infected, but many Texans still have none.
Zerwas said he didn’t specifically recall whether Abbott discussed waiting a few weeks, or months, longer to make the change. But Zerwas recalled mulling over the issue himself.
He remembers asking himself “what are you going to get if you wait, what are you going to get in 30 days?”
“I said ‘yeah, you’re going to put a million more vaccines into people’s arms in a week’,” he said. “That’s a good thing. And in two more weeks after that, you’ll put a couple million more in there.’”
In the end, Zerwas said, the decision was Abbott’s.
“You could make an argument to do it later,” Zerwas said. “But I don’t know that it’s a good argument.”
Masking message
Hellerstedt, who leads the Texas Department of State Health Services that oversees that state’s pandemic response and vaccination efforts, did not appear alongside Abbott at the Tuesday announcement, which was held at a crowded restaurant in Lubbock.
On Wednesday, Hellerstedt stressed the importance of still wearing masks, and said Abbott also believes wearing masks is valuable. Asked by The Dallas Morning News whether Hellerstedt supported Abbott’s decision to repeal the restrictions at this time, a spokesman for the department did not answer directly.
“Dr. Hellerstedt agrees with what the governor said yesterday that COVID-19 is still with us, and people should continue to take public health precautions to slow its spread as more and more people are vaccinated,” Chris Van Deusen said in a statement.
Zerwas said he told Abbott that if he was going to rescind the mask mandate, he needed to emphasize that it was still a good idea.
Although Abbott’s executive order urges Texans to wear masks, the governor didn’t stress it when he announced the changes Tuesday. And Abbott’s social media posts Tuesday emphasized the rolling back of the mandate, not the need to keep wearing them.
The man who surfaced in Kentucky claiming to be Timmothy Pitzen, a boy who went missing at the age of 6 in 2011, was charged Friday with making false statements to a federal agent, according to the FBI.
While Rini was posing as Pitzen, he told authorities, including those who identified themselves as FBI agents, that he had been sexually and physically abused for years while he was being held, said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Benjamin Glassman.
Rini didn’t change his story even after the agents warned him that lying to federal agents is a violation of federal law.
The FBI discovered that Rini had allegedly portrayed himself as a juvenile sex trafficking victim in two prior instances.
Brian Rini Hamilton County Sheriff
He complained of abdominal pain, and was brought to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he refused to be fingerprinted, but agreed to submit a DNA sample, Glassman said. He maintained he was Pitzen until he was confronted by investigators with the DNA results that they had compared with DNA of Pitzen’s relatives.
“He allegedly said he watched a story about Timmothy on ’20/20′ and stated he wanted to get away from his own family,” said a statement from Glassman’s office. “A rerun had aired several weeks ago,” Glassman said during a news conference Friday.
Rini also told investigators that “he wished he had a father like Timmothy’s because if he went missing, his father would just keep drinking,” according to a criminal complaint.
Rini appeared in federal court Friday, and is being held without bond, Glassman said. He is expected to appear at a detention hearing Tuesday.
Rini could spend eight years in federal prison if convicted, the U.S. attorney said.
“As the result of false reporting in cases such as Timmothy’s, it is extremely traumatic to the families of the missing children and diverts resources away from legitimate investigative efforts,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Louisville Robert Brown. “Today’s charge is a reminder that lying to the FBI has consequences and we hold those who attempt to distract us from our important work accountable.”
Brown said about 50 officers and public health officials were assigned to investigate after Rini came forward claiming to be Pitzen.
“While this is not the result that we had hoped for, the outpouring of victim law enforcement and community support gives everyone hope that we will find Timmothy,” Brown said.
Timmothy PitzenWMAQ
Rini was released from jail less than a month ago after serving 18 months in Ohio for trashing a $400,000 model home with a group of friends while holding a “tattoo party.” He pleaded guilty to burglary and vandalism in that incident in January 2018.
Meanwhile, Rini was found guilty in another case on a count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was sentenced to three years of probation, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay $1,750, and other court costs.
But he didn’t pay the fines before heading to jail on the burglary and vandalism convictions.
When he was released from his sentence for those charges on March 7, he was supposed to begin three years of supervision. But when officials attempted to serve him with the bill, which had nearly doubled, they couldn’t find him at his Medina, Ohio, address and the order was “returned not served,” according to court records.
The bill was returned to court on March 26, about a week before Rini was discovered in Kentucky, NBC Chicago reported.
Rini also pleaded guilty in 2015 to passing bad checks and was sentenced to three years of intensive supervision, according to Medina County court documents. He allegedly violated his probation in 2016 and 2017, and was ordered back to court each time.
His estranged brother, Jonathan Rini, told NBC Chicago that the 23-year-old had stopped getting treatment for numerous mental health issues. “I’d tell the family that I’m sorry for what he’s done, but for him, I wouldn’t even speak to him,” Jonathan Rini said.
The family of the boy, who disappeared while on a road trip with his mother, Amy Fry-Pitzen, said Thursday they remained hopeful that he would be found.
“My heart goes out to the family of Timothy Pitzen. I can only imagine the kind of pain they’ve been through and this episode has caused for them,” Glassman said Friday.
“The investigation regarding Timmothy PItzen is ongoing, and law enforcement will do everything in their power to find the actual child,” the prosecutor added.
Fry-Pitzen, 43, is believed to have picked Timmothy up from school, taking him to a zoo and water park before she was found dead by what appeared to be suicide in a motel room in Rockford, Illinois, according to a police report and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Notes she left behind stated her son was safe but would never be found, authorities have said.
Elisha Fieldstadt
Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
Una auxiliar de enfermería, de 21 años, identificada como Arianis Bolaños murió en un accidente de tránsito sucedido en el departamento de La Guajira cuando la ambulancia en la que iba se salió de la vía y se estrelló contra una cerca. El lamentable hecho se registró a las cinco de la mañana de ayer en el kilómetro 47 en la vía entre las ciudades Riohacha y Santa Marta, cuando venían de Barranquilla hasta donde habían llevado un paciente que había sido remitido. La joven víctima era oriunda de San Juan del Cesar, al sur del departamento, hacía donde iban nuevamente. Otra auxiliar de nombre Marilaine Herrera resultó herida y está en el Hospital Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Las autoridades investigan si se les atravesó un animal o el vehículo tuvo alguna falla mecánica.
Capturan a dos por los saqueos en el Festival Francisco El Hombre
La Policía reportó la captura de dos sujetos que habrían sido responsables de los saqueos que se registraron el pasado 23 de marzo, durante un concierto del Festival Francisco El Hombre en Riohacha. Los capturados fueron identificados como Jean Carlos Daza de 19 años y Carlos Andrés Blanco Cantillo de 23 años, quienes tenían una orden de captura por receptación y hurto calificado agravado.
Pescadores artesanales ahora también los cultivan
80 pescadores, entre hombres y mujeres, de los municipios de Mahates y María La Baja (Bolívar) conforman la Red Piscícola del Norte de Bolívar (Repisnobol), en la que no solo se dedican a la extracción primaria de peces en las ciénagas, sino también a la crianza de tilapia, cachama y sábalo, ya casi inexistentes en el afluente. Es la solución que toman ante la escasez de estas especies.
Exparamilitares ayudan a buscar fosas comunes
Personal de la Dirección de Investigación Criminal de la Policía, Fiscalía General de la Nación y el Escuadrón Móvil de Carabineros investigan en el corregimiento Rincón del Mar con la colaboración de exparamilitares para esclarecer varias muertes.
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, dijo que es posible un “gran, gran conflicto” con Corea del Norte en la disputa por su programa nuclear y de misiles balísticos, mientras que China señaló que la situación en la península coreana podría escalar o escapar de control.
En declaraciones a Reuters el jueves, Trump dijo que desea resolver la crisis por medios pacíficos, posiblemente a través del uso de nuevas sanciones económicas, aunque la opción militar no está fuera de la mesa.
“Existe la posibilidad de que podamos terminar teniendo un gran, gran conflicto con Corea del Norte. Absolutamente”, dijo Trump en una entrevista en la Oficina Oval. “Nos encantaría resolver las cosas de forma diplomática, pero es muy difícil”, afirmó.
El ministro chino de Relaciones Exteriores, Wang Yi, dijo que existe el peligro de que la situación en la península coreana pueda escalar o escapar de control. Wang hizo estas declaraciones en una reunión con un diplomático ruso el jueves en Naciones Unidas, dijo el ministerio en un comunicado.
China, el único aliado importante de Corea del Norte, se ha mostrado cada vez más incómodo en los últimos meses acerca de las intenciones nucleares de su vecino y su programa misiles balísticos de largo alcance en violación de las resoluciones de la ONU.
Estados Unidos ha pedido a China que haga más para frenar a Pyongyang y Trump ha elogiado el presidente chino, Xi Jinping por sus esfuerzos, describiéndolo como “un buen hombre”.
“Creo que está haciendo un gran esfuerzo. Sé que le gustaría poder hacer algo. Tal vez es posible que no pueda. Pero creo que le gustaría ser capaz de hacer algo”, declaró Trump.
El secretario de Estado estadounidense, Rex Tillerson, dijo el jueves que China pidió a Corea del Norte que no realice más pruebas nucleares. Pekín advirtió a Pyongyang que impondrá sanciones unilaterales si sigue adelante con sus ensayos, agregó.
Tillerson no especificó cuándo hizo este llamado Pekín. El viernes tiene previsto encabezar una reunión de ministros de Relaciones Exteriores en el Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas, donde indicó que subrayará la necesidad de que los miembros implementen por completo las sanciones en vigor y que se preparen para posibles medidas adicionales.
Preguntado sobre las declaraciones de Tillerson, el portavoz de la Cancillería china, Geng Shuang, declinó entrar en detalles e indicó que “nos oponemos a cualquier comportamiento que vaya contra las resoluciones del Consejo de Seguridad. Creo que esta posición es muy clara. Es lo que hemos dicho a Estados Unidos. Creo que Corea del Norte tiene también muy clara esta posición”.
Pekín prohibió en febrero las importaciones de carbón norcoreano, cortando su exportación más importante, y los medios chinos se refirieron este mes a la posibilidad de restringir los envíos de petróleo al Norte si sigue con sus provocaciones.
Geng dijo que en la reunión del viernes en la ONU no deberían aprobarse nuevas sanciones. “Si el encuentro se centra solo en aumentar la sanciones y la presión, creo que no solo se perderá una oportunidad inusual, sino que podría exacerbar también la confrontación entre todas las partes y dañar los esfuerzos para promover la paz y las conversaciones”, dijo.
En una muestra de fuerza, Estados Unidos está enviando al portaaviones USS Carl Vinson a aguas de la península coreana, donde se unirá al submarino nuclear USS Michigan, que atracó en Corea del Sur el martes. La Marina surcoreana anunció que realizará maniobras con el grupo de combate estadounidense.
President Donald Trump would have been indicted for obstruction of justice in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation if he did not hold the nation’s highest office, more than 400 former federal prosecutors argued in an open letter published on Medium on Monday.
The ex-prosecutors — who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations dating back to President Dwight D. Eisenhower — said Attorney General William Barr’s decision not to charge Trump with obstruction “runs counter to logic and our experience.”
The letter added, “Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice.”
“We believe strongly that, but for the OLC memo, the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favor of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller Report,” the letter continued.
Mueller’s report did not say that Trump would have been charged had he not been the president, but it did cite the longstanding opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel that says a sitting president cannot be indicted. Mueller said that his team “accepted OLC’s legal conclusion for the purpose of exercising prosecutorial jurisdiction.”
The Mueller report, which identified 10 episodes that could be considered potential obstruction of justice, did not come to a conclusion on whether to charge the president. Barr, in a letter to Congress sent before the redacted report was made public, said that he had decided that Trump did not obstruct the probe. Barr said they didn’t amount to illegal activity by the president and that he disagreed with some of Mueller’s legal theories on whether those episodes amounted to obstruction “as a matter of law.”
According to Mueller’s 448-page report, his office weighed charging Trump with obstruction but didn’t in part because “we recognized that a federal criminal accusation against a sitting President would place burdens on the President’s capacity to govern and potentially preempt constitutional process for addressing presidential misconduct.”
Mueller’s report added, “The president’s efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the president declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests.”
The letter’s list of signees — 418 as of Monday afternoon — includes 29 people who have served in the Justice Department under Trump and more than 100 officials who have served in the DOJ for 20 years or more.
It also includes the signature of Jeffrey Harris, who worked for Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani when he was the then-associate attorney general under President Ronald Reagan. Bill Weld, a former assistant U.S. attorney during the Reagan administration running as a Republican against Trump in 2020, also signed the letter.
“All of this conduct — trying to control and impede the investigation against the President by leveraging his authority over others — is similar to conduct we have seen charged against other public officials and people in powerful positions,” the ex-prosecutors wrote.
“Of course, there are potential defenses or arguments that could be raised in response to an indictment of the nature we describe here . . . But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice — the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution — runs counter to logic and our experience.”
Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has former DOJ and White House officials among its staff, organized the effort, according to the Medium post.
In their letter, the former prosecutors cited several instances detailed in Mueller’s report that could, in their view, have warranted an obstruction charge, including Trump telling former White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller, Trump attempting to have former Attorney General Jeff Sessions take over the investigation after he had recused, Trump trying to get Sessions to limit the scope of the probe and Trump attempting to influence the testimony of his former lawyer Michael Cohen and his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Mueller’s 448-page report said, for example, that Trump ordered McGahn to tell Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that “Mueller has to go.” McGahn resisted those efforts despite Trump’s insistence, the report said. But, when news of those events were first reported in The New York Times months later, Trump sought to have McGahn deny it and write a letter “for our records” changing his story.
“Firing Mueller would have seriously impeded the investigation of the President and his associates — obstruction in its most literal sense,” the former prosecutors wrote in the letter published Monday. “Directing the creation of false government records in order to prevent or discredit truthful testimony is similarly unlawful.”
Barr argued in recent congressional testimony that “there is evidence that the president truly felt that the (New York) Times article was inaccurate and he wanted McGahn to correct it.”
“We believe it would be impossible for the government to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the president understood that he was instructing McGahn to say something false because it wasn’t necessarily false,” he said.
“The government has to prove things beyond a reasonable doubt,” he added in response to questions about the president’s actions and intent. “As the report shows, there’s ample evidence on the other side of the ledger that would prevent the government from establishing that.”
Dartunorro Clark
Dartunorro Clark is a political reporter for NBC News.
Netflix removed an episode of a comedy show that criticized Saudi Arabia after the kingdom requested that it be taken down, according to a new report.
Netflix removed an episode of the show “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” from its site in Saudi Arabia after the company received a complaint from the country’s Communications and Information Technology Commission, which alleged that that the episode violated the kingdom’s cyber crimes law, the Financial Times reported.
The episode continues to be available on Netflix’s site in other countries, and is still on YouTube in Saudi Arabia.
The episode, which discusses Saudi Arabia and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, is highly critical of the kingdom and its cozy relationship with the United States and Silicon Valley technology companies.
The host, Hasan Minhaj, enumerated different criticism of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, including his efforts to be named crown prince; the bombing of Yemen; his imprisonment of his mother and hundreds of his cousins; and the imprisonment of critics and political activists.
Minhaj said that as a Muslim, he feels that Saudi Arabia “does not represent our values” and added that the United States should “reassess [its] relationship with Saudi Arabia.”
He also noted that Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in large technology companies, including Uber.
“Tech companies are swimming in more Saudi cash than a Bugatti dealership in Beverly Hills,” Minhaj quipped.
The Saudi Law, which bans “production, preparation, transmission, or storage of material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy, through the information network or computers,” has been criticized by human rights group for threatening press freedom and freedom of speech, according to the Financial Times. Violators of the law may face a fine of up to $800,000 and up to 5 years in prison.
Netflix defended its decision to remove the episode in a statement to the Financial TImes.
“We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and only removed this episode in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request — and to comply with local law,” the company said. Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Activists say, however, that Netflix should have a public policy for dealing with requests from governments, and take steps to assure that governments are not infringing on their citizens’ fundamental freedoms.
“If they are not doing all these things then they are not following established industry best practice for being accountable and responsible in handling government demands to restrict content,” said Rebecca MacKinnon, director of the Ranking Digital Rights project at the New America Foundation, told the Financial Times.
Correction, Jan. 1:
The original version of this story misstated the location where Netflix took down an episode of Hasan Minhaj’s show from its service. It was removed in Saudi Arabia, not everywhere.
Una de las finalistas del Miss Bolivia es víctimas de burlas en las redes sociales por una singular respuesta ofrecida, durante de la ronda de preguntas del certamen. El video del evento está alojado en el portal YouTube.
Las participantes debían responder una interrogante seleccionada por los organizadores. Así llegó el turno de Giovanna Salazar, Miss La Paz, quien tuvo que dirigirse a las personas que critican este tipo de concursos.
“Los certámenes de belleza están hechos para personas que gustan de los certámenes de belleza. Por ejemplo, a mí me gusta el fútbol y no el básquet, gracias”, dijo, según se escucha en el clip de YouTube.
La respuesta robó aplausos entre el público, pero en las redes sociales los usuarios comenzaron burlarse con memes y mensajes irónicos: “El Facebook fue hecho para la gente a la que le gusta el Facebook. Por ejemplo a mí me gusta el sol y no la lluvia”.
El evento estuvo marcado por otras anécdotas, entre ellas la propuesta de Paula Schneider, quien al final se coronó como Miss Bolivia. En las ronda de preguntas, la participante dijo que era necesario una ley que regule la pornografía en Internet para proteger a los menores.
Los detalles del evento fueron compartido en YouTube y otras redes sociales.
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Meyer y Herrera se casaron hace un año, tras conocerse por Facebook.
Se calcula que mil millones de personas vieron hace cinco años el rescate de los 33 mineros chilenos por televisión. De todas ellas, sólo una se enamoró de un rescatado, lo contactó a distancia por redes sociales y terminó casándose con él.
Hoy, Melanie Meyer y Daniel Herrera, conductor y minero –rescatado número 16 de la mina San José–, quienes viven en Chile, esperan en Alemania el nacimiento de su primera hija, a la que llamarán Sofía.
“Sí, me enamoré de él por televisión”, le dice Meyer a BBC Mundo desde Weingarten, una ciudad de 24.000 habitantes en el sur de Alemania donde Herrera acaba de llegar tras participar con sus compañeros en una audiencia con el Papa.
Es la primera vez que el minero vuela sin el grupo de los 33. “No me gusta viajar, no soy de aviones. Con la delegación es más fácil, porque estamos todos juntos. Pero me tuve que venir solo, sin saber inglés. Imagina lo que me costó y lo asustado que estaba. Pero estoy en Alemania y vengo a conocer a la familia”, cuenta.
Una sonrisa que enamora
Cinco años atrás, un 13 de octubre, Herrera salía de la tierra en una estrecha cápsula metálica tras pasar 69 días atrapado.
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Luego de varias visitas a Chile, Herrera le propuso matrimonio a Meyer en televisión.
A 11.523 kilómetros de distancia, Meyer volvía a casa después del trabajo, y veía el rescate en el canal de noticias alemán N24. Vio a Herrera volver a la superficie. Lo vio abrazar a su madre, Alicia Campos.
“No importa mamá, si ya pasó”, se escuchó decir a Herrera esa noche en la transmisión. “Vi la sonrisa de Daniel adentro de la cápsula”, recuerda Meyer. “Era una sonrisa que tenía algo especial, no puedo decir qué, pero era algo que encontré muy interesante. Estaba con mi hijo y mi hermana y les dije que me gustaba”.
En los frenéticos días que siguieron al rescate, Meyer usó el español que había aprendido en el colegio para contactar a Herrera en Facebook, tratar de chatear con él. Él respondía con evasivas o no contestaba. Creía que Meyer era parte de la prensa que por ese tiempo no daba respiro a los mineros.
“Nuestra historia se basa en su persistencia. Mucha gente se me trató de acercar por Facebook, mucha, mucha, mucha gente. Pero ella fue la diferencia. Ella insistió. Yo nunca creí en el amor cibernauta. Pero ella me cambió”, dice Herrera cinco años después.
“Soy muy perseverante”, cuenta Meyer. “Y al principio sólo quería saber si la impresión que yo había tenido de él era la correcta, si no me había equivocado. Y no. Era tal como lo imaginé”.
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption
El papa Francisco habló con los mineros el pasado 14 de octubre en el Vaticano.
Tras algunas visitas a Chile, video llamadas, chat y mensajes, Herrera y Meyer, se casaron en Chile en un programa de televisión.
Herrera fue con cámaras a buscarla al aeropuerto para pedirle matrimonio. Un actor, una modelo, un periodista, una bailarina y un estilista organizaron la fiesta y la ceremonia.
Un grupo de figurantes levantó los carteles en español y alemán donde se leía: “Willst du mich heiraten?” “Dime que sí”.
La conductora del programa hizo el primer brindis.
La madre del novio pidió una buena acogida para Melanie: “Los que son parte de la familia, quiéranla como tal, porque ella está lejos de la suya”.
Nosotros estábamos con ustedes
Tres veces vio Meyer “Los 33”, la película sobre el rescate con Antonio Banderas en el papel principal. “Es muy emocionante”, dice.
Image copyright Getty
Image caption
Este fue el momento en que Daniel Herrera salió a la superficie después de pasar 69 días encerrado en una mina.
“La película está bien hecha, es bonita. Dice la verdad y todo se trató con mucho respeto. La directora quería que se reflejaran las 33 historias canalizadas en los 6 mineros que allí salen. Yo era el operador, el que le estaba enseñando al boliviano”, detalla Herrera.
Casados hace un año, el matrimonio vive en Santa Cruz, al centro-sur de Chile. Herrera, que hizo un tratamiento sicológico y siquiátrico tras el rescate, volvió a la minería. Trabaja al norte del país, en Radomiro Tomic, una de las divisiones de la minera estatal Codelco. De los 33, es uno de los pocos que volvió al rubro.
“Tengo la misma pega (trabajo) que hacía en la San José, pero ahora en la gran minería, con estándares de seguridad. Nada que decir. Aquí el capital humano importa y tenemos la facultad de parar una labor. En San José no podíamos reclamar, había que asumir no más”.
Herrera viaja cada 7 días a la mina. Melanie Meyer, que trabajó por 17 años como secretaria en una empresa en Alemania, dice que le acomoda la vida de la minería.
“Como esposa de minero sabía que pasaríamos un tiempo separados. Pero los días que paso sola los necesito para mí. Los alemanes somos así, necesitamos tiempo para nosotros mismos”, reflexiona.
Hoy existen al menos 7 copias de la Fénix, la cápsula que rescató a los mineros. Una de ellas se encuentra en el Museo de la ciudad de Santa Cruz. A veces llaman a Daniel Herrera para que se la muestre a los turistas.
Image copyright Getty
Image caption
El rescate de “los 33” fue seguido mundialmente hace ahora 5 años.
“Voy cuando me necesitan y hago de guía por el Pabellón del Gran Rescate. Cuento lo que pasó, muestro. La gente me trata con respeto, y se va muy contenta. Me cuentan que estaban con nosotros, recuerdan el rescate. Yo lo hago también para retribuir algo y para que ellos cierren un ciclo de su vida, tal como lo cerré yo”.
Daniel Herrera tenía 27 años el día del accidente. Hoy tiene 32. Y sus sentimientos sobre el accidente son encontrados.
“Tengo recuerdos de los que no me gusta hablar, claro, de lo trágico. Pero es raro, porque también se puede decir que el accidente me trajo cosas buenas. Gracias al accidente tengo una señora, una esposa y estamos haciendo nuestra familia. Mi vida cambió, pero para bien”.
There are new calls to reevaluate whether or not COVID-19 began at the Wuhan Institute of Virology after US intelligence learned three doctors became sick with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 in November 2019 and sought out hospital care, the Wall Street Journal reported.
A report from the State Department was issued during the last days of former President Donald Trump’s administration but officials familiar with the report did not agree on the strength of the evidence found, the Journal reported.
In March, Marion Koopmans, a dutch virologist, told NBC News the illness of lab workers could be attributed to regular seasonal illnesses.
The group said a lab leak was “extremely unlikely.”
The WHO said it also did not have access to all the necessary information. That lack of information has prompted some experts to be wary of the findings and demand more investigations into the virus’s origin, including the possibility that it in fact was leaked from a lab.
November 2019 is also in line with when experts believe COVID-19 began circulating.
China has consistently denied that the coronavirus escaped from a lab. The lab, however, hasn’t released raw data or records on its work with coronaviruses in bats.
A spokeswoman for the National Security Council told the Journal that the Biden administration still has questions on the origin of the virus but plausible theories should be investigated by WHO.
“We’re not going to make pronouncements that prejudge an ongoing WHO study into the source of SARS-CoV-2,” the spokeswoman said. “As a matter of policy we never comment on intelligence issues.”
On Monday, the director of the institute’s Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, Yuan Zhiming, told Chinese state media, the Global Times, that the Journal’s report was “a complete lie.”
“Those claims are groundless. The lab has not been aware of this situation [sick researchers in autumn 2019], and I don’t even know where such information came from,” Zhiming said.
President Donald Trumptraveled to Normandy on Thursday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day and pay tribute to American and allied forces who led the invasion of Nazi-occupied France that was the turning point in World War II.
“You are among the very greatest Americans who will ever live. You are the pride of our nation. You are the glory of our republic. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” the president said, addressing the over 60 veterans in attendance who fought in the consequential battle.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
President Donald Trump speaks at the main ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the World War II Allied D-Day invasion of Normandy at Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2019, near Colleville-Sur-Mer, France.
During his remarks, the president singled out and recognized the contributions of some of the veterans in attendance, retelling their stories and joining the audience in applause for their service.
Alex Brandon/AP
President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, talk to a World War II veteran during a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2019, in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France.
The president and first lady Melania Trump were joined at the commemoration by French President Emanuel Macron and his wife at the American Cemetery in Normandy, where 9,380 American service members lay in final rest. Marcon offered his country’s heartfelt thanks for the sacrifices of allied partners in liberating France, telling the audience, “France has not forgotten those fighters to whom we owe the right to live in freedom.”
Philippe Wojazer/AP
British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a Franco-British ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day landings.
“On behalf of France, I bow down before their bravery, I bow down before their immense sacrifice of those killed and those missing, who died as heroes in Normandy between June and August 1944 and who for many were to rest there for eternity,” said Macron, turning to the remaining veterans and adding: “On behalf of my country, I just want to say, thank you.”
Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images
President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron hug in front of U.S. WWII veterans during a ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, northwestern France, on June 6, 2019.
When Macron concluded his remarks, Trump embraced the French president on stage with an extended handshake and hug.
Macron then awarded France’s highest award for military merit, the Legion of Honour, to several American veterans onstage.
Trump also extended appreciation on behalf of the American people for the French people’s role as caretakers of the American cemetery, with each grave having been adopted by a French family.
“They come from all over France to look over our boys,” Trump said. “Today, America embraces the French people and thanks you for honoring our beloved dead. Thank you.”
Ian Langston/POOL/EPA via Shutterstock
President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron react during the commemoration marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied landings on D-Day in France, June 06, 2019.
Following the ceremony, there was a 21-gun salute from the beach as the two couples walked down to an overlook of Omaha Beach. They observed a moment of silence looking out over the water before the taps was played, and then a show of French and American military jets flew overhead — with the final set of jets leaving red, white and blue streaks in the sky.
After the ceremony, President Trump and his wife visited the graves at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit graves after a French-U.S. ceremony in Normandy, northwestern France, on June 6, 2019, as part of D-Day commemorations.
Trump is just the latest in a long string of U.S. presidents to commemorate the anniversary of the battle Normandy — a tradition that began with Ronald Reagan on the 40th anniversary.
“These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war,” Reagan said in 1984.
President Jimmy Carter visited before Reagan, in 1978, but his visit did not coincide with the anniversary. President Bill Clinton traveled to Normandy for the 50th anniversary, President George W. Bush on the 60th, and President Barack Obama on the 70th.
USC President Carol L. Folt confirmed Wednesday that police investigators are looking into drug overdoses as a potential cause of death among some of the nine students who have died this semester.
While Folt would not elaborate on the scope of the inquiries or circumstances of the individual deaths, citing federal student privacy laws, she said USC is working with the Los Angles Police Department on the cases and “doubling down” on education and outreach over drug abuse.
Three of the nine deaths have been ruled suicides, but the cause or causes in the remaining cases have not been officially determined.
Investigators are trying to determine whether any student deaths are connected with tainted drugs, said sources who spoke to The Times on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. The sources stressed that no links to tainted drugs have yet been confirmed. Autopsies and toxicology tests are still pending in a number of the deaths.
“We’re doubling down on educating [students] about the harm and serious risks associated with all types of drug abuse and substance abuse,” Folt said Wednesday. “And in particular, we’ve been also talking about the real risks of mixing opioids and prescription drugs and alcohol because we are concerned about that.”
In a letter sent to staff and students just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, top USC officials warned against the dangers of drug use — specifically opioids — and the sometimes lethal mixture of drugs and alcohol. The statement further warns about the increase of contaminated drugs.
“We all know that people that get drugs on the street have no idea what is in those drugs,” Fold said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, deaths from drug overdoses have increased dramatically across all age groups over the last decade, with opioids and synthetic opioids — such as fentanyl — the main cause.
Fentanyl is a painkiller often prescribed as a skin patch for cancer patients and is considered 50 times stronger than heroin. Illicit fentanyl, manufactured as a white powder, has infiltrated the drug supply and can be lethal even in small amounts.
Last year, 2,311 people in California died of an opioid overdose, according to the state Department of Public Health. Young people are more likely to die from heroin and fentanyl overdoses than older drug users, who more commonly overdose on prescription opioids, state data show.
In 2017, 4,094 people nationwide ages 15-24 died of an opioid overdose, according to the CDC. That same year, the age group with the highest opioid overdose deaths was 25- to 34-year-olds.
USC Police Chief John Thomas said the university decided to relay the new information to students for their safety. Officials wanted to warn them about the dangers of narcotics and improperly used prescription medications in light of the deaths.
“You [students] may feel invincible, but you are not,” Thomas said. “Please look out for yourself and your fellow students.”
The threat and danger of tainted drugs on college campuses is widespread, according to Dr. Caleb Alexander, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness.
Counterfeit pills often contain fentanyl, which is added to the drugs to give them a stronger high.
In recent years, public health officials have become concerned about what they see as the latest phase of the opioid epidemic: non-opioids, such as cocaine or ecstasy, that contain deadly fentanyl.
While the West Coast has been somewhat spared from the worst of the opioid epidemic, many worry that fentanyl-laced drugs could become a major problem in California because the state’s drug market is dominated by stimulants that could increasingly contain fentanyl.
“The presence of fentanyl in cocaine and other non-opoid drugs represents an extremely difficult and serious problem for public health authorities and for drug users alike,” Alexander said.
Putting fentanyl in a drug like cocaine greatly increases the risk of death, experts say. Last year, three men in Los Angeles died after snorting cocaine that contained fentanyl. And in September 2018, rapper Mac Miller died of an alcohol and drug overdose of cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.
“There are a tremendous number of unanswered questions regarding why and how this is taking place,” Alexander said. “The prospect for fentanyl to further penetrate the non-opioid drug supply is incredibly serious.”
Though little is known about the specific deaths, risk factors for suicides and overdose deaths can be similar, with both often driven by an ambivalence about life, said Dr. Paul Nestadt, a Johns Hopkins psychiatry professor. And suicides and overdoses have been increasing among young people in recent years, he said.
“They’re both kind of going up at the same time, almost twin epidemics,” he said.
Between 2006 and 2016, the rate of drug overdose deaths among people ages 15 to 24 increased more than 50%, according to CDC data. Still, the rate of drug overdose deaths for this age group was lower than all others, except those under 15 and over 65.
And drug use can be further exacerbated by alcohol abuse. Alcohol and opioids are both sedatives, and mixing them can be a dangerous combination, said Alexander. Both substances depress the body’s central nervous system, which can halt breathing and be fatal, he said.
It’s not uncommon to find alcohol in the bloodstream of someone who has died of an opioid overdose, Alexander said.
“The deaths are very alarming. There’s no corner of the U.S. that’s been spared from the opioid epidemic, and college students are clearly vulnerable.”
Among the USC student deaths, all are men. Rates of drug overdose — as well as suicides — are higher among men than women, although experts are not sure why.
USC administrators have been engaged in a delicate balancing act as they notify students about the deaths without overburdening them with information in an attempt to quell rumors, offer mental health resources and also try to avoid triggering anyone who may be in the midst of a mental health crisis.
In the letter sent Tuesday night to USC students, Vice President for Student Affairs Winston Crisp and Chief Health Officer for Student Health Sarah Van Orman addressed the ongoing need for mental health services and noted the university’s plans to increase resources on campus with the addition Monday of a Department of Psychiatry practice at the student health center.
“We will continue to ensure that services are in place for your safety and well-being.”
Brittney Weissman, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Los Angeles County Council, said that emphasizing social connectedness will be essential for the USC community.
In general, support systems are vital because college is a transitional period and people may feel a lot of pressure to succeed, she said. And now, as students are dealing with the trauma of the recent deaths, those bonds are more important than ever.
“I cannot imagine losing nine friends or classmates in the span of months,” she said. “It’s devastating.”
Weissman said that students should pay attention to their anxiety levels and use self-care strategies and that officials should ensure mental health resources are available to students, with no barriers.
Folt said USC has increased the number of mental health professionals by nearly 50% since she arrived on campus in July.
“No death is something we want to live with and no unhappy student that cannot get their work done is what we want,” she said. “So constant, constant attention is needed. “
Officials said additional resources from faculty and counselors at Keck Medicine School and other schools across the university are offering assistance, as the community continues to grapple with the deaths.
Weissman said students who are struggling may become withdrawn or engage in risky behaviors. People may stop their daily routines, such as going to class, showing up to sports practices or brushing their teeth.
Half of a person’s mental health challenges show up by their 14th birthday, Weissman noted, and 75% by age 24. So college can be the perfect time to start seeking help, she said.
“Early intervention is key to a more positive trajectory for your life,” she said. “The earlier, the better.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
OAKLAND — Two California voters are challenging the legality of the state’s recall system less than a month before the Sept. 14 election, echoing concerns from constitutional scholars as Gov. Gavin Newsom fights for his political life.
A complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California argues that the state’s recall provision violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by allowing sitting governors to be replaced by candidates who have received fewer votes. The plaintiffs, Rex Julian Beaber and A.W. Clark, want a court order either prohibiting the recall election or adding Newsom’s name to the replacement candidate list. Elections officials have already sent millions of ballots ahead of a state deadline today.
Gubernatorial recalls in California involve a two-part ballot. Voters are asked whether to recall the sitting governor, then who should replace the governor. If a majority of voters oust Newsom, whichever candidate receives the most votes on the second question would replace him.
That allows a replacement candidate to be elected with a small plurality — and potentially with far fewer votes than the number of votes cast to keep the current governor. While polls show Newsom in a tight race to stay in office, the leading Republican contender to replace Newsom has consistently registered support from a quarter or less of the electorate.
Constitutional law expert Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, raised that precise scenario in a New York Times op-ed last week arguing California’s recall process is unconstitutional. Chemerinsky and law and economics professor Aaron Edlin argued for altering the rules to allow governors stand as candidates on the second question and advocated for a legal challenge compelling the courts to intervene.
“The court could declare the recall election procedure unconstitutional and leave it to California to devise a constitutional alternative,” Chemerinsky wrote. “Or it could simply add Mr. Newsom’s name on the ballot to the list of those running to replace him. That simple change would treat his supporters equally to others and ensure that if he gets more votes than any other candidate, he will stay in office.”
Beaber, a Los Angeles attorney and clinical psychologist, would not say in an interview if he’s a Democrat.
“I would prefer not to say, simply because I think it’s irrelevant,” he said Monday. “To me it would be unfortunate if party politics was the driving force behind the consideration of this lawsuit. This lawsuit seeks on its face to declare a current California remedy as unconstitutional and it would apply regardless of whether it was a Democrat or a Republican already in office.”
“We’re aware of that argument and some of the other concerns and we’ll be making sure we stay abreast of this issue and monitoring it,” Bonta said, adding of the lawsuit, “We’ll be coordinating with the secretary of state’s office to determine next steps.
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