May 29, 2013 - Southwest Journalist

INSIDE: Get lean with turkey burgers, Page 6
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
The University of Texas at Austin
Dow Jones News Fund Center for Editing Excellence
CSX CRASH
LEGISLATURE
Train hits truck, derails
Collision, explosion
cause building damage
and hazmat response
BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press
Patrick Semansky / Associated Press
A fire burns at the site of a CSX freight train derailment on Tuesday,
May 28, in Rosedale, Md., where fire officials say the train crashed
into a trash truck, causing an explosion that rattled homes at least a
half-mile away and collapsed nearby buildings, setting them on fire.
ROSEDALE, Md. — A freight
train crashed into a trash truck
and derailed Tuesday in a Baltimore suburb. The explosion rattled houses and sent a plume of
smoke into the air that could be
seen for miles, officials and witnesses said.
The CSX train went off the
tracks at about 2 p.m. in Rosedale, a Baltimore suburb. Hazardous material teams were on
the scene, but Baltimore County
Executive Kevin Kamenetz said
no toxic inhalants were burning and officials did not order an
evacuation. The truck driver was
taken to the hospital in serious
condition, but the two CSX workers aboard were not hurt, fire officials said.
About an hour after the blast,
the black smoke drifted to Baltimore and covered the eastern
part of the city. The face of one
warehouse near the train tracks
had blown off.
Fire Chief John Hohman said
the explosion damaged two
warehouses and harmed other
buildings, but none collapsed.
Please see TRAIN, Page 2
Giraffe
twins born
in Texas
ranch
T
alk about a rare pair.
Twin giraffes were born
at Natural Bridge Wildlife
Ranch earlier this month, making them the second reported
set of living twins born in the
United States, according to
Laurie Bingaman Lackey, giraffe
pedigree tracker for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Weighing 95 pounds and
standing 4.5 feet tall, Wasswa,
a female, was born first on May
10. Her brother, Nakato, weighing 125 pounds and standing
5.5 feet tall, followed soon after.
The giraffes, the 19th and
20th born at the 400-acre ranch
in New Braunfels, are reportedly
doing well. Because of concerns that the mother would not
be able to produce enough milk
for both, staffers will hand-feed
Nakato to ensure he receives
adequate nutrition. Their mother,
Carol, was born at the ranch in
2005. This is the third time she
has given birth.
Natural Bridge Wildlife
Ranch is currently home to eight
giraffes, including the twins’
10-year-old father Marshall.
Giraffe twins are extremely
rare. Three-quarters of twin
pregnancies abort early or are
stillborn. Wasswa and Nakato
are only the ninth set of living
twins born in zoos around the
world, Lackey said.
—Associated Press
District
maps
likely
to stand
GOP legislators now want
court-drawn districts
to become permanent
PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press
AUSTIN — Texas Republicans
are ready to accept the once hotly
disputed maps a federal court redrew.
After an election cycle thrown
into tumult by legal wrangling over
redistricting maps, Republicans
in the Legislature began a 30-day
special session Tuesday with the
goal of making the court-drawn
voting maps permanent ahead of
2014 campaigns.
Now that he has called lawmakers back, Gov. Rick Perry is expected to give them more to do than
simply hammer out voting maps,
though he said he hasn’t decided
whether to add anything to the
special session’s agenda.
“I’m not going to anticipate anything until we’ve had a chance to
look at all the pieces of legislation,”
he said. “The (legislators) are here,
Please see SPECIAL, Page 2
SYRIA
EU allows
missiles
for rebels
Russia renews promise
to provide weapons
to Assad’s government
JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press
Tiffany Soechting / Associated Press
Nakato, a male twin giraffe, gets his mom Carol’s attention shortly after birth in New Braunfels, Texas.
Officials with the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch say twin giraffes have been born, marking just the
second time such a birth has occurred in the United States. Female calf Wasswa was born first on
May 10, followed by brother Nakato.
BEIRUT — Russia on Tuesday
criticized the European Union’s
decision to allow the arming of
Syrian rebels, saying it undercuts
international efforts to negotiate
an end to the civil war. A rebel general said he is “very disappointed” weapons will not arrive fast
enough to help opposition fighters defend a strategic Syrian town.
The EU’s decision, coupled with
Russia’s renewed pledge to supply
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s
regime with advanced missiles,
could transform the civil war into
an East-West proxy fight. Meanwhile, Israel threatened to strike
such air defense missile systems if
delivered to Syria, portraying them
as a threat to the Jewish state and
raising the risk of regional conflict.
The possibility of an arms race
in Syria overshadowed attempts
by the United States and Russia to
bring representatives of the Assad
regime and Syria’s political oppoPlease see SYRIA, Page 2
ECONOMY
Working mothers fill breadwinner role
Study finds trend driven
by more women with
degrees and in workforce
HOPE YEN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A record
number of American women are
now the sole or primary breadwinners in their families, a sign
of the rising influence of working
mothers, a study finds. Mothers
now keep finances afloat in 40
percent of households with children, up from 11 percent in 1960.
While most of these families are
headed by single mothers, a growing number are married mothers
who bring in more income than
A1-2_052913_SWJ.indd 1
their husbands, according to a are more mothers balancing work
study released Wednesday by the and family these days,” she said,
Pew Research Center.
“but the economic contribuBut as the numbers have shifted tions mothers are making to their
public attitudes
households have
have remained The economic
grown immensemixed regarding
ly.”
working moth- contributions mothers
The trend is
ers’ effects on
driven
mostly
are making to their
families.
by
long-term
Kim
Parker, households have
demographic
associate
dichanges, includgrown immensely.
rector with the
ing higher rates
KIM PARKER of
Pew Social and
education
Demographic
and labor force
Trends Project, said the change is participation dating back to the
another milestone for the trans- 1960s women’s movement. Today,
formation of family structure and women are more likely than men
family dynamics.
to hold bachelor’s degrees and
“The rise of breadwinner moms make up 47 percent of the Amerihighlights the fact that, not only can workforce.
Changes in the ecoonmy have
played a role. The jump in working mothers increased from 37
percent in 1968 to 65 percent in
2011, reflecting in part increases
for those looking for jobs to lift
family income after the recession.
In all, 13.7 million U.S. households with children under 18 now
include mothers who are the main
breadwinners. Of those, 5.1 million, or 37 percent, are married
and 8.6 million, or 63 percent, are
single.
Among all U.S. households with
children, the share of married
breadwinner moms has jumped
from 4 percent in 1960 to 15 percent in 2011. For single mothers,
Please see INCOME, Page 2
Breadwinner moms
Wives out-earn husbands in
more than one in five married
households with children:
Wife earns
more
Husband earns
more
100 percent
80
60
2011:
74.9%
40
20
0
2011:
22.5%
’60 ’70 ’80 ’90 ’00 ’10
SOURCE: Pew Research Ctr.
AP
5/29/13 10:22 AM
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Page 2 —
TRAIN: No unsafe
chemicals burn
—Continued from Page 1
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
ECONOMY
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
— Page 2
Train derailment in
Rosedale, Md.
CSX spokesman Gary Sease
PA.
said in an email that sodium
chlorate is on one of the trains,
MD.
which the Department of Trans- W.VA.
portation classifies as a hazardDEL.
ous material. But Hohman said
Baltimore
Wash. D.C.
the chemical is not in one of the
cars that was still burning into
50 mi
VA.
the evening.
50
km
Photos showed at least a dozen
train cars off the tracks, including
AP
Associated Press
at least one tanker car. Sease said
four of the cars that derailed car- about 70 nearby homes that they
ried terephthalic acid, which is could leave and take provided
used to make plastics and poly- shelter. But no one was being
ester and is not hazardous.
forced to evacuate.
Kevin Lindemann, 29, a salesTawan Rai, a worker at a nearman for an industrial pipe sup- by Dunkin’ Donuts, said he saw
plier near the tracks, said he a fire and flames by the railroad
and about 10 co-workers felt the tracks at first, then felt a thunderRichard Drew / Associated Press
ground shake, ran to a window ing blast that sent smoke pourTraders
work
on
the
floor
of
the
New
York
Stock
Exchange
on
Tuesday.
Stocks
surged in early trading
and saw several cars on their ing into the sky.
following
a
three-day
weekend
after
U.S.
home
prices
rose
the
most
in
seven
years.
MD
TRAIN
DERAIL
052813:
Map
sides and flames, he said, were
“The whole building shook,
locates
site ofwas
a Maryland
50 feet high.
and there
just dust train
every“We kind of panicked prettyderailment;
where,” Rai
adding
that no
1csaid,
x 1 1/2
inches;
with
quick,” he said. “We didn’t waitBC-MD-Train
windows broke.
Derailment; PH; ETA 4 p.m.
around to see what was hapThe National Transportation
pening. So as soon as we saw theEditor’s
SafetyNote:
BoardIt is
and
the Federal
mandatory
to include all
flames, I took a quick picture andsources
Railroad
Administration
plangraphic
to
that accompany this
when
got in my truck and drove away. send teams to investigate.
repurposing or editing it for publication
I wasn’t sticking around for the
Bertha Pressley and her husexplosion.”
band, Tom Brown, said their
Hohman said firefighters had town home about five miles
considered letting the blazes away shook and they initially
Improvements in
burn out but later decided to feared a bomb or other disaster.
Positive signs for the economy
employment, housing
hose them down. Firefight“We felt that big boom,” Brown
Consumer confidence rose to a five-year high and home
ers were informing residents of said. “I felt the house shake.”
market show recovery
High-income consumers
hopeful about economy
prices made their biggest annual gain in seven years.
SPECIAL: Perry could
add tasks to agenda
—Continued from Page 1
and if there are some things that
need to be tweaked, we’ll address
those as we can.”
But even if they focus only on
redistricting, it will still be a dramatic departure for lawmakers
who paid no attention to the issue during the regular session.
Political boundaries are drawn
every decade based on updated
U.S. Census Bureau data. The
2010 count revealed a booming
Texas population driven almost
entirely by minorities.
Redistricting maps drawn in
2011 created only one minority seat of the four congressional seats added. Minority rights
groups said that typified discrimination in new state House
and Senate boundaries.
A three-judge federal panel in
San Antonio ultimately threw out
the Republican-drawn maps
and made its own for last year’s
elections. The court is scheduled to bring state and minority
rights groups back together today for the first time in months.
Now, though, state officials
have shifted their position and
want to see the court-drawn
maps adopted so that future legal battles won’t affect upcoming
elections. Dewhurst said adopting the court-drawn map does
not mean the 2011 Republicandrawn maps were flawed
But Dewhurst conceded that
the GOP risks getting less favorable maps if Republicans don’t
take the one on the table now.
As state Sen. Kirk Watson, head
of the Senate Democrats, put it,
“Texas does not have an enviable
history when it comes to these
things.”
CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON — Home prices
are surging, job growth is strengthening and stocks are setting record
highs. All of which explains why
some Americans are more hopeful about the economy than at any
other point in five years.
Investors on Tuesday celebrated the latest reports on consumer
confidence and housing prices,
which together suggest that
growth could accelerate in the
second half of 2013.
Greater confidence could spur
people to spend more and help
offset tax increases and federal
spending cuts. And the fastest
rise in home prices in seven years
might lead more Americans to put
houses on the market, easing supply shortages that have kept the
housing recovery from taking off.
Surging stock prices and steady
home-price increases have allowed Americans to regain the $16
trillion in wealth they lost to the
Great Recession.
Higher wealth tends to embolden people to spend more. Some
economists have said the increase
in home prices alone could boost
100
May
76.2
80
March
10.9%
15 percent
10
5
60
0
-5
40
-10
-15
20
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
-20
’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12
SOURCES: The Conference Board; Standard & Poor’s
AP
consumer spending enough to of roughly $50,000. For those
offset a Social Security tax increase households, the confidence index
that has reduced paychecks for jumped to 95.1 from 85.3.
most Americans this year.
Michael Quintos, head of a
US ECONOMY 052813: Graphic shows the
The Conference Board consumer
survey Chicago
advertising agency that
confidence index and the
said consumers are also more
op- helps
small
Case-Shiller
home
pricebusinesses
index; 2c x market
3 inches;
timistic about the next six months.
themselves through
social media,
with BC-US--Consumer
Confidence,
That should translate into BC-US--Home
greater sees more
optimism
at work and
Prices,
BC-US--Economy;
consumer spending, substantial
among friends and relatives.
ETA 3 p.m.
growth in hiring and faster eco“A year ago, I had more friends
Editor’s Note:
It issecond
mandatory
to include
all me
sources
that accompany
nomic growth
in
the
half
asking
if I knew
anybodythis
who
graphic when repurposing or editing it for publication
of 2013, said Thomas Feltmate, an was hiring,” Quintos said. “Now I
economist with TD Economics.
have more people who are hiring
The Conference Board found asking me if I know anyone lookthat optimism is growing mostly ing for a job.”
among those earning more than
the median household income
INCOME:
Study finds
working mothers
bring home bacon
SYRIA: Rebels want weapons before talks
—Continued from Page 1
sition to peace talks at an international conference in Geneva next month to end the
two-year conflict.
In Syria, the commander of the main
Western-backed group of rebel brigades
told The Associated Press he needs Western
missiles to prevent further regime gains on
the battlefield. He said the rebels’ weapons
are no match for the Syrian regime’s modern tanks and warplanes.
“We are very disappointed,” said Gen. Salim Idris, the Free Syrian Army chief of staff,
of the EU’s decision not to send weapons, if
at all, until after the Geneva conference.
The opposition’s willingness to attend the
talks is linked to receiving weapons from
Europe right away if the Geneva process
breaks down. Opposition leaders also said
they will participate in talks only if Assad’s
departure from power tops the agenda.
Assad’s regime has provided no sign of any
intent to cede power in Syria.
William Hague, Great Britain’s secretary
of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, said peace talks are a priority and that
“as we work for the Geneva conference, we
are not taking any decision to send arms to
anyone.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced the EU’s decision to lift the
embargo, saying supplying weapons to
nongovernmental groups “goes against all
norms of international law.”
Lavrov’s deputy affirmed Tuesday that
S&P/CASE-SHILLER
HOME PRICE INDEX
Percent change from year ago
—Continued from Page 1
Associated Press
Russia will not abandon plans to send longrange air defense missiles to Syria. It is not
clear if Russia has already sent some of the
missiles, which would be a major boost for
Syria’s defense, including against neighboring countries that oppose Assad’s regime.
U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Washington welcomes the
EU decision as a show of support for the
Syrian opposition. He said the Obama administration will continue to provide nonlethal assistance to the rebels and has not
made a decision on whether to arm them.
Further raising the risk of a regional war,
Israel warned that it was prepared to attack
any such missile shipments. Israeli Defense
Moshe Yaalon said Israel believes the Russian missiles have not yet been shipped but
that the Israeli military “will know what to
do” if they are delivered.
Earlier this month, Israeli airstrikes hit
suspected shipments of advanced Iranian
missiles near Damascus that were purportedly intended for Hezbollah, the Lebanese
militia fighting alongside Syrian regime
forces.
the share has increased from 7 percent to
25 percent.
Though roughly 79 percent of Americans reject the notion that women should
return to their traditional roles, only 21
percent of those polled said more mothers of young children working outside the
home is a good thing for society, according to the Pew survey.
Andrew Cherlin, a professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University, said public attitudes
toward working mothers have changed
little throughout the years. He predicts
the growing numbers will lead to more
women in favor of family-friendly work
policies and safety net policies, such as
paid family leave and child-care support.
“Many of our workplaces and schools
still follow a male-breadwinner model,
assuming that the wives are at home to
take care of child-care needs,” he said.
“Until we realize that the breadwinnerhomemaker marriage will never again be
the norm, we won’t provide working parents with the support they need.”
2013 Dow Jones News Fund Interns
Carrie Blazina
Volume 16 — May 22-31, 2013
Center for Editing Excellence
School of Journalism
The University of Texas at Austin
S. Griffin Singer
Director
UT Center for Editing Excellence
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Assistant Director
UT Center for Editing Excellence
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The Southwest Journalist is a teaching publication of the Dow Jones News Fund and the Center for Editing Excellence
at The University of Texas at Austin. The Southwest Journalist is edited and designed by students attending the
2013 pre-internship training program funded by a grant from the News Fund and news organizations hosting the
interns. Printing of the Southwest Journalist by the Austin American-Statesman is gratefully acknowledged.
5/29/13 10:22 AM
I NTE R NAT IO NA L
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
INTERNATIONAL
— Page 3
SOUTH AFRICA
Chinese baby
found in public
restroom sewer
BEIJING — A newborn’s cries
from a public restroom in a residential building in eastern China
led a tenant to a startling discovery: a baby boy trapped in a sewage pipe beneath a squat toilet.
Firefighters, unable to pull the
baby out, ended up sawing away
an L-shaped section of the pipe
and carrying it to a hospital, where
it was delicately pried apart to
save the infant.
Video of the two-hour rescue
of Baby No. 59 — so named
because of his incubator number
in the hospital in the Pujiang area
of the city of Jinhua — has gone
viral online and across other
media.
The baby, who weighed about 6
pounds, had a low heart rate and
some minor abrasions on his head
and limbs, but was mostly unhurt,
according to Zhejiang Online, the
province’s official news site. The
placenta was still attached.
It was unclear how the baby
ended up in the toilet, but police
said they were treating the case
as an attempted homicide. The
Pujiang county police bureau said
on its official microblog account
that the boy’s mother has been
located and that an investigation
was underway, but it gave no further details.
Polio vaccine program
suspended after attack
PESHAWAR, Pakistan —
Pakistani authorities suspended a
four-day polio vaccination program
Tuesday after gunmen killed a
female polio worker and wounded
another, officials said.
The two women were attacked
Tuesday in Kaggawala village on
the outskirts of the main northwest
city of Peshawar, police officer
Mushtaq Khan said.
Senior police official Shafiullah
Khan said two attackers on foot
fired a pistol at the workers.
Pakistani President Asif Ali
Zardari blasted what he called a
“cowardly” attack and resolved
that “the government will not
permit militants to deprive our children of basic health care.”
EU: Google searches need
changes to avoid monopoly
BERLIN — The European
Union’s antitrust chief said
Tuesday that Google will have to
offer more changes to the way it
displays search results to settle a
pending case.
Google’s search engine enjoys
a near-monopoly in Europe with a
market share of above 90 percent.
The EU Commission, the
27-nation bloc’s antitrust authority,
has been investigating whether
Google is abusing its dominant
market position.
Google Inc. has offered to
more clearly label search results
stemming from its own services,
such as its news, maps, shopping
and flight search functions. It also
agreed to display some search
results from its competitors and
links to their services, the EU
Commission said last month.
Costa Rica hackers indicted
for money laundering
NEW YORK — The founder of
an online currency transfer business was indicted in the United
States along with six other people
in a $6 billion money-laundering
scheme, authorities said Tuesday.
Arthur Budovsky is the founder
of Liberty Reserve, a Costa Ricabased website long favored by
cybercrime scammers. Authorities
say the network processed at
least 55 million illegal transactions
worldwide for 1 million users,
including 200,000 in the United
States. They call the money-laundering case the largest ever.
“The scope of the defendants’
unlawful conduct is staggering,” according to an indictment
unsealed in
federal court
in Manhattan.
In announcing
the case, U.S.
Attorney Preet
Bharara said
the network
“became the
bank of choice
Bharara
for the criminal
underworld.”
Its digital currency service was
designed to shield the identity of
users seeking to launder ill-gotten
gains, he said.
In a statement, Costa Rica
police confirmed that Budovsky
had been arrested in Spain on
money-laundering charges and
that several premises linked to his
company had been raided.
The indictment calls the network
“one of the principal means by
which cyber criminals around the
world distribute, store and launder
proceeds of their illegal activity ...
including credit-card fraud, identity
theft, investment fraud, computer
hacking, child pornography and
narcotics trafficking.”
—Associated Press
A3_052913_SWJ.indd 3
Still from video/The Associated Press
In this May 24, 2013, image
made from AP Video, former
South African President Nelson
Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe
Mandela speaks to the Associated Press, in Johannesburg,
South Africa. Nelson Mandela’s
failing health has kept him from
speaking much lately. She says,
however, that he communicates
in other ways, such as handholding. Makaziwe Mandela also
complained that journalists are
swarming the house trying to be
the first to know he has died. “It’s
not right,” she said. “You will get
the news ... at the right time.”
HISTORIC LEGACY
Mandela remains inspiration to South Africa
CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
dela said May 24 in an exclusive
interview with The Associated
JOHANNESBURG — Nelson Press in her home.
Mandela, in the twilight of life,
One of those bad days was
doesn’t talk much anymore, his April 29, when state television
eldest daughter says. But the for- broadcast footage of a visit by
mer South African president, who President Jacob Zuma and othwrote of his regret at being unable er leaders of the ruling African
to devote himself to his family National Congress to Mandela,
during the fight against apartheid who had helmed the ANC, at his
and afterward, reaches out in an- Johannesburg home. Zuma said
other way.
Mandela was in good shape, but
“It’s the hand that he stretches the footage — the first public imout. It is the touching of the hand ages of Mandela in nearly a year
that speaks volumes for me. And — showed him silent and unrefor me, if you ask me what I would sponsive, even when Zuma tried
treasure, it is this moment that to hold his hand.
I treasure with my father,” said
The broadcasting of the video
Makaziwe Mandela, the oldest of was unfortunate, she said. CritMandela’s three
ics allege the
surviving chilANC was trying
Nelson Mandela has
dren, all daughto score polititers. “It means, (given) people a better
cal points by its
‘My child, I’m
association with
hope that, ‘I can be
here.’ It means
Mandela. The
to me that, ‘I’m somebody. Life today
party
fiercely
here. I love you.
denies it.
can be better than
I care.’”
Makaziwe
Mandela is a yesterday.’
said the “dignity
larger-than-life
MAKAZIWE MANDELA and privacy” of
figure, revered
her father, also a
for his sacrifice
father to the naduring 27 years as a prisoner of tion, is sometimes under threat,.
apartheid and his peacemaking She complained that 20 journalrole in South Africa’s shift to a de- ists one day in May converged
mocracy inclusive of all races.
on her father’s home, where he
“My dad has not been in good, receives medical treatment, after
perfect health over the past an ambulance left to fetch medimonth. And he has good days and cine from a hospital.
he has bad days,” Makaziwe Man“This is really utter madness,”
Associated Press
File /The Associated
Press
In this Jan.
6, 2005, file
photo, former
South African
President Nelson Mandela
talks at a news
conference,
accompanied
by his daughter Makaziwe.
she said. “This thing that everybody has got to be the first one to
hear when Nelson Mandela goes
— it’s not right. All of you will
have your opportunity. You will
get the news from the presidency
at the right time.”
During Mandela’s recent hospitalization for pneumonia,
which ended April 6, Zuma’s office issued brief, regular updates
on his health. On past occasions,
conflicting reports from the government contributed to mistrust
between authorities and the media.
South Africa has held peaceful elections and is a major economic force in Africa, but struggles with high unemployment,
crime and corruption. Mandela
embodies a morality and unity
of purpose that makes South Africans nostalgic for an earlier era
of promise.
“He has something that people
gravitate to, that they can hold to,
that gives them hope,” said Makaziwe Mandela, comparing him to
Mother Teresa. “That’s what Nelson Mandela has done, is to give
people a better hope that, ‘I can
be somebody. Life today can be
better than yesterday.’”
In his autobiography “Long
Walk to Freedom,” Nelson Mandela wrote wistfully of his inability to fulfill his role as a husband
to Winnie Mandela during his incarceration, which ended in 1990.
The couple divorced in 1996.
“When your life is the struggle,
as mine was, there is little room
left for family. That has always
been my greatest regret, and the
most painful aspect of the choice
I made,” Mandela wrote.
TERRORISM
ASIA
Renegade al-Qaida
fighter reprimanded
RUKMINI CALLIMACHI
ber Shura Council, or governing body, the letter describes the
DAKAR, Senegal — After years council’s relationship with Belof trying to discipline him, the moktar as “a bleeding wound” and
leaders of al-Qaida’s North Afri- criticizes his proposal in a recent
can branch sent one final letter letter to resign and start his own
to their most difficult employee. group.
They then begin enumerating
In page after scathing page, they
described how he didn’t answer their complaints against Belmoktar in 30 successive bulhis phone when they
let points.
called, failed to turn
“Abu Abbas is not
in his expense reports,
willing to follow anyignored meetings and
one,” they add, referrefused time and again
ring to him by his nom
to carry out orders.
de guerre, Khaled Abu
The employee, interAbbas. “He is only willnational terrorist Moking to be followed and
tar Belmoktar, quit and
obeyed.”
formed his own group,
First and foremost,
which would compete
they quibble about
directly with his forthe amount of money
mer employer. Within
raised by the 2008 kidmonths, he carried out
napping of Canadian
two lethal operations Moktar Belmoktar
diplomat Robert Fowlthat killed 101 people
in all: one of the largest hostage- er, the highest-ranking United Natakings in history at a BP-operated tions official in Niger, and his colgas plant in Algeria in January, and league. Belmoktar’s men held both
simultaneous bombings at a mili- for four months, and in a book he
tary base and a French uranium later published, Fowler said he did
not know if a ransom was paid.
mine in Niger May 23.
The letter suggests that a;-Qaida
Rudolph Atallah, the former
head of counterterrorism for Af- in the Islamic Maghreb, initially
rica at the Pentagon and one of considered one of the group’s
three experts who authenticated weaker wings, rose to prominence
by bankrolling its
the 10-page letter
operation with
dated Oct. 3, said
(Belmoktar) is not
an estimated $89
it helps explain
million raised by
what happened willing to follow
kidnapping forin Algeria and
anyone. He is only
eign aid workers
Niger.
and tourists.
“He’s sending a willing to be followed
The list of
message directly
slights is long: He
north to his for- and obeyed.
AL-QAIDA’S SHURA COUNCIL would not take
mer bosses in
their phone calls.
Algeria
saying,
‘I’m a jihadi. I deserve to be sepa- He refused to send administrative
rate from you.’ And he’s also send- and financial reports. He ignored
ing a message to al-Qaida, saying, a meeting in Timbuktu, calling
‘See, those bozos in the north are it “useless.” He even ordered his
incompetent. You can talk to me men to refuse to meet with aldirectly.’ And in these attacks, he Qaida emissaries. And he aired
drew a lot of attention to himself,” the organization’s dirty laundry in
said Atallah, who recently testified online jihadist forums, even while
before Congress on Belmoktar’s refusing to communicate with the
chapter via the Internet, claiming
tactics.
The letter shows Belmoktar it was not secure.
The sharpest blow in the letter
stayed loyal to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb until last year, and was the accusation that, despite
traces the history of their difficult this history, Belmoktar and his
unit had not pulled off any attack
relationship.
Signed by the group’s 14-mem- worthy of mention in the Sahara.
Associated Press
AP Photo/Kyoto News
South Korean former sex slaves Kim Bok-dong, center left, and
Kil Won-ok, center right, arrive for a meeting with supporters in
Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, May 25. Kim and Kil, along with
other former “comfort women,” want an apology from the Japanese
government for its treatment of them during and after World War II.
WWII sex slaves ask
Japan to apologize
MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press
OSAKA, Japan — More than
70 years ago, at age 14, Kim Bokdong was ordered to work by Korea’s Japanese occupiers. She was
told she was going to a military
uniform factory, but ended up at
a Japanese military-run brothel
in southern China.
She had to take an average of
15 soldiers per day during the
week, and dozens over the weekend. At the end of the day she
would be bleeding and could not
even stand because of the pain.
She and other girls were closely
watched by guards and could not
escape. It was a secret she carried
for decades; the man she later
married died without ever knowing.
Tens of thousands of women
had similar stories to tell, or to
hide, from Japan’s occupation of
much of Asia before and during
World War II. Many are no longer living, and those who remain
are still waiting for Japan to offer
reparations and a more complete
apology than it has so far delivered.
“I’m here today, not because
I wanted to but because I had
to,” Kim, now 87, told a packed
audience of mostly Japanese at
a community center in Osaka
May 25. “I came here to ask Japan
to settle its past wrongdoing. I
hope the Japanese government
resolves the problem as soon as
possible while we elderly women
are still alive.”
The issue of Japan’s use of Korean, Chinese and Southeast
Asian women and girls as sex
slaves — euphemistically called
“comfort women” — continues
to alienate Tokyo from its neighbors nearly 70 years after the
war’s end. It is a wound that was
made fresh this month when the
co-head of an emerging nationalistic party, Osaka Mayor Toru
Hashimoto, said “comfort women” had been necessary to maintain military discipline and give
respite to battle-weary troops.
His comments drew outrage
from South Korea and China, as
well as from the U.S. State Department, which called them
“outrageous and offensive.”
Hashimoto provided no evidence but insisted that Tokyo
has been unfairly singled out for
its World War II behavior regarding women, saying some other
armies at the time had military
brothels. None of them, however,
has been accused of the kind of
widespread, organized sexual
slavery that has been linked to
Japan’s military.
5/29/13 10:23 AM
CRUISE SHIP FIRE
NAT IO NA L
Page 4 —
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
NATIONAL
Passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas cruise ship (at left) gather at
sunrise after a fire broke out during the ship’s
voyage from Baltimore to the Bahamas. Royal
Caribbean said the fire occurred early Monday
and was extinguished after about two hours.
All 2,224 guests and 796 crew were safe. The
fire-damaged ship (below) is docked in Freeport,
Bahamas, on Monday.
Marc Bell / Associated Press
Jenneva Russell / Associated Press
Fire cuts cruise voyage in half
Royal Caribbean impresses passengers with its preparedness
BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press
BALTIMORE — Passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas cruise that
was cut short by an onboard fire began arriving back to Baltimore on charter flights from
the Bahamas on Tuesday afternoon. Many
are praising the response of the company and
crew.
“I’ll never go on any other cruise line,” said
Craig Dzubak, 26, of Pittsburgh, who was on
his first cruise. “They couldn’t have handled it
any better.” He said he and his wife, Chelsea,
were planning their next cruise while on the
flight home.
Robert Alexander of Hamilton, N.J., said he
was impressed by how well-prepared everyone on board was for emergencies. An actor
from the ship’s theater made announcements
to passengers after they were evacuated from
their rooms, he said.
“It just shows the training they do,” Alexander said. “Our head waiter at our dinner table
was one of the first responders” to the fire.
Meanwhile, Reuben Byrd, the vice president
of the Grand Bahama Shipyard said the cause
of the fire is unknown and the ship would be
repaired at his facility, though a full assessment of damage had not been done yet.
The fire began at 2:50 a.m. Monday and
was extinguished about two hours later, with
RUTGERS SCANDAL
New AD
musters
support
TOM CANAVAN
no injuries reported. Photos show a substan- public relations efforts after the fire. She said
tial area of the stern burned on several decks sending CEO Goldstein to meet with passenof the ship, the length of about three football gers was a “brilliant move.” The company also
fields.
Tweeted a picture of one meeting.
The ship, which left Baltimore on Friday for
“It shows that you’re a responsible compaa seven-night cruise, was headed originally ny. It shows that you care. It’s not just, ‘oh well,
to CocoCay, Bahamas. Royal Caribbean said this incident happened,’” she said. She noted
the ship never lost power and was able to sail that the head of Royal Caribbean’s Azamara
into port in Freeport,
Club Cruises line, LarBahamas, on Monday
ry Pimentel, also met
afternoon. The ship “It just shows the training they
with passengers in
launched in 1996 and do. Our head waiter at our
early 2012 after a fire
was refurbished last
aboard the Azamara
dinner table was one of the first Quest disabled one of
year.
Carnival Corp., also
its engines during a
responders to the fire.
had trouble with fire
cruise in Asia.
ROBERT ALEXANDER
aboard a ship earlier
Mike
Driscoll,
this year.
editor of the IllinoisThe Triumph was
based
publication
disabled during a February cruise by an en- Cruise Week, said Royal Caribbean had the
gine room fire in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving benefit of hindsight and could use lessons
thousands of passengers to endure cold food, from the recent Triumph fire in its response.
unsanitary conditions and power outages He said company took charge of the response
while the ship was towed to Mobile, Ala.
on social media, sending out photos and upFran Golden, a blogger for the cruise maga- dates. He likened it to the company saying,
zine Porthole, said the two incidents are dif- “Hey, we’re not hiding anything.”
ferent.
“I think it’s easier to make people happy
Associated Press writers Kasey Jones in
when they’re not stuck on a ship for four days
Baltimore and Jessica Gresko in Washington
without toilets,” she said.
contributed to this report. Jeff Todd reported
Still, she applauded Royal Caribbean’s
from Nassau, Bahamas.
TORNADO AFTERMATH
Tall debris thwarts Moore
400 workers, 250
pieces of equipment
help remove rubble
TIM TALLEY
Associated Press
Associated Press
NEWARK, N.J. — A high-ranking official at the University of
Tennessee has voiced her support for Rutgers’ incoming athletic director Julie Hermann, who
is facing allegations she verbally
abused players while volleyball
coach with the Volunteers.
Joan Cronan, women’s athletic
director emeritus at Tennessee,
said in a statement released
Tu e s d a y s h e
holds Hermann
in high regard
and that while
the ex-coach’s
tenure in the
1990s “was a
very frustrating
Hermann
time for everyone connected with the volleyball program, I do not recall it being an abusive situation.”
Hermann said Monday she has
not considered resigning following a report that, 16 years ago, she
humiliated Tennessee players.
She denied having knowledge of
a letter players say they submitted to the school. Hermann, 49,
acknowledged she made mistakes but said she has matured
and believes she is qualified to
lead Rutgers, an athletic program
mired in scandal.
“I believe she is well-prepared
for her new role at Rutgers University,” Cronan wrote. Athletic
directors at two prominent Big
Ten schools said the recent problems at Rutgers should not derail
the university’s entry into the
league in 2014.
Michigan’s Dave Brandon and
Ohio State’s Gene Smith each
said while there is concern after
Rutgers fired men’s basketball
coach Mike Rice for physical and
verbal abuse, then forced former
athletic director Tim Pernetti to
resign before the Hermann situation arose, they believe the state
university of New Jersey should
not be judged solely on those
problems.
The Rutgers board of governors is the only group that can
fire Hermann.
MOORE, Okla. —
Before
residents of Moore can rebuild,
they’ll have to deal with the debris from the deadly tornado that
devastated the Oklahoma City
suburb: crushed wood, mangled
siding and battered belongings
that could make a pile reaching
more than a mile into the sky.
“I could be sad about it, but it’s
not going to make anything come
back. It’s just a house. It’s just
stuff. We have each other,” Jessie
Childs said as backhoe operators
reduced her house near the Plaza
Towers Elementary School to a
10-foot pile of rubble.
The school was destroyed in
the tornado that carved a 17-mile
path of destruction on May 20. In
all, 24 people were killed, including seven children in the school.
With each load of debris, Moore
moves a step closer to recovering
from the storm that damaged or
destroyed 4,000 homes and businesses. Against a cacophony of
snapping lumber and crunch-
A4_052913_SWJb.indd 4
Charlie Riedel / Associated Press
Friends and family members carry the remains of a piano through
the rubble at a tornado-ravaged home in Moore, Okla., in this May
25 file photo. Before construction workers can rebuild the town of
Moore, they have to overcome a large pile of crushed wood, shattered glass, obliterated belongings and squished siding.
ing metal, Clayton Powell sorted
through the remains of his home.
“You’re sifting through rubble
piles trying to find that one photo, memories you can’t restore,”
Powell said. “I’m sure there are a
few things I haven’t even thought
of and won’t miss.”
The Oklahoma Department of
Transportation brought in 400
of its workers and 250 pieces
of equipment, including dump
trucks and front-end loaders, to
help with the process, said Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley.
As residents pick through the
remains of their homes for the
few surviving personal treasures, they’ve developed a way
for crews to know when it’s OK
to take stuff away. “If it’s out on
the curb, anybody can come out
and get it,” said Charlie Baker of
Blanchard.
IRS scandal may fuel tax reform
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The storm
engulfing the Internal Revenue
Service could provide a boost for
lawmakers who want to simplify
U.S. tax laws — a code that is so
complicated most Americans
buy commercial software to help
them or simply hire someone else
to do it all.
Members of Congress from
both political parties say the current uproar — over the targeting
of conservative political groups
— underscores that overly complex tax provisions have given the
IRS too much discretion in interpreting and enforcing the law.
“This is the perfect example
of why we need tax reform,” said
Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., a member of the tax-writing House Ways
and Means Committee. “If you
Less than six months after a
gunman killed 20 first-graders
and six educators inside Sandy
Hook Elementary School,
Treehouse Comedy Productions
plans to put on a show at the
Edmond Town Hall in Newtown,
Conn., to benefit those affected
by the massacre. The event,
“Stand up for Newtown,” will be
held June 7.
Treehouse founder Brad Axelrod
said he has produced about a
dozen shows in Newtown during
the years. He thought about doing
a benefit immediately after the
Dec. 14 shooting, but he decided
to give the community time to heal.
Bob Schmidt, a Sandy Hook
resident and mental health counselor, said that time is now.
“Laughter is a great therapy,”
he said. “And after something like
this, we don’t feel like laughing,
but we really need to laugh and
enjoy ourselves again.”
Judge: No mention of drugs
in George Zimmerman trial
SANFORD, Fla. — Attorneys
won’t be able to mention Trayvon
Martin’s drug use, suspension
from school and past fighting during opening statements at the trial
of a former neighborhood watch
volunteer who fatally shot the
teen, a judge ruled Tuesday.
However, Circuit Judge Debra
Nelson left open the possibility
that the defense could try again
later during the trial if it could
show relevance.
George Zimmerman is charged
with second-degree murder in
the 17-year-old’s killing and has
pleaded not guilty, saying he
acted in self-defense. He did not
attend Tuesday’s hearing.
Obama, Gov. Christie unite to
remember Superstorm Sandy
ASBURY PARK, N.J. —
President Barack Obama tried his
hand at arcade football and joked
Tuesday with Gov. Chris Christie,
declaring the Jersey Shore is back
seven months after Superstorm
Sandy bore down on its famed
boardwalks and seaside towns.
The job of repairing the $38
billion in damage inflicted by the
storm is not over, Obama said,
but when all is said and done, the
Jersey Shore will be better and
more resilient than it was before.
Politically, the visit plays well
for both men. Christie, seeking
re-election this year, was able
to stand shoulder to shoulder
with a president popular among
Democrats in a Democraticleaning state. And Obama, dueling
with congressional Republicans
on a number of fronts, got to display common cause with a popular GOP stalwart.
Catholic teacher fired for
pregnancy, breaking contract
TAX LAWS
STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
Man puts on
comedy show
for Newtown
want to diminish and limit the
In a report earlier this year, napower of the IRS, you have got to tional taxpayer advocate Nina E.
reduce the complexity of the tax Olson ranked complexity as the
code and take them out of it.”
most serious problem facing both
There are still
taxpayers and
formidable obthe IRS. People
stacles to com- “If you want to
simply trying to
pleting a major diminish and limit the comply with the
tax
overhaul
rules often make
this year or next. power of the IRS, you
inadvertent erDemocrats and have got to reduce the
rors and overpay
Republicans
or underpay, she
start off with complexity of the tax
said, while othopposite views
ers “often find
code.…”
on whether the
loopholes that
REP. TIM GRIFFIN enable them to
government
should
levy
reduce or elimimore taxes and on who should nate their tax liabilities.”
pay what share. The two sides
The IRS scandal has little, if
also don’t not trust one another, anything, to do with most everymaking it difficult to envision day taxpayers, yet some lawmakagreement on which popular ers hope the attention will help
tax breaks to keep and which to galvanize support for the first
scrap.
major tax overhaul since 1986.
CINCINNATI — A Roman
Catholic archdiocese and two of
its schools violated the civil rights
of a teacher who was fired after
she became pregnant through
artificial insemination, her attorney
told jurors Tuesday.
Christa Dias lost her job for
being pregnant and unmarried,
and it is illegal to fire an employee
for being pregnant, her attorney
Robert Klingler told federal jurors
during opening statements of the
trial.
Dias, who is not Catholic, did
not know that artificial insemination
would be considered a violation of
her contract and Catholic doctrine,
he said.
Steven Goodin, representing
the archdiocese and the schools,
said there was no discrimination.
He said Dias was fired “for intentionally violating a contract.”
Obama could nominate 3 to
court of appeals in D.C.
WASHINGTON — A partisan
showdown is looming over what
is known as the nation’s secondhighest court, with President
Barack Obama poised to nominate as many as three choices
for the understaffed U.S. Court of
Appeals in Washington in the face
of a Republican proposal to distribute its vacancies to other parts
of the country.
The District of Columbia Circuit
has been at the center of years
of wrangling between the White
House and the Senate because
its judges have so much influence
over national and even international matters.
Many cases relate to the balance of power in Washington and
review of actions by federal agencies that affect health, safety and
the environment for all Americans.
The White House is planning to
pair Obama’s nominations with
an aggressive push to get them
confirmed despite a GOP bill to
trim the number of judges on the
D.C. circuit.
— Associated Press
5/29/13 10:24 AM
T E X AS / SO UTH W E ST
TEXAS/SOUTHWEST AUSTIN CONNECTION
— Page 5
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
San Antonio
dumpster fire
strands six
SAN ANTONIO — A fire that
began in a dumpster and spread
to a nearby apartment building
has left six San Antonio families
without homes.
The San Antonio Express-News
reports the fire started Monday
evening in the dumpster before
consuming four vehicles and then
moving to the building.
Authorities said it is not clear
how the fire started but explained
wind gusts helped push the
flames.
The building was evacuated,
and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters rescued three pets
along with a hedgehog and two
reptiles.
A second building was evacuated as a precaution but was not
damaged.
Hacker guilty of swiping files
Chicago man
got $700,000
in data heist
TOM HAYS
Associated Press
NEW YORK — A self-described
anarchist and “hacktivist” from
Chicago pleaded guilty Tuesday
to charges he illegally accessed
computer systems of law enforcement agencies and government
contractors.
One company he hacked was
Austin-based Strategic Forecasting Inc., also known as Stratfor, a
publisher of geopolitical information.
“For each of these hacks, I knew
what I was doing was wrong,” Jeremy Hammond told a judge in
federal court in Manhattan.
Prosecutors had alleged the
cyber-attacks were carried out
by Anonymous, the loosely organized worldwide hacking group
that stole confidential information, defaced websites and temporarily put some victims out of
business.
Hammond was caught last
year with the help of Hector Xavier Monsegur, a famous hacker
known as Sabu who later helped
law enforcement infiltrate Anonymous.
A criminal complaint had accused Hammond of pilfering information of more than 850,000
people via his attack on Stratfor.
He also was accused of using the
credit card numbers of Stratfor
clients to make charges of at least
$700,000. He allegedly bragged he
even snared the personal data of
a former U.S. vice president and
one-time CIA director.
During his guilty plea, Hammond admitted he “took confidential information” from law
enforcement agencies and contractors in several states.
Hammond, 28, once rallied
against plans to hold the 2016
Olympics in Chicago because he
felt it would hurt low-income peo-
UT GRAD GOES BACK TO SPACE
SHOOTING
Marine
may have
killed wife
Gang rape suspects found,
arrested after three months
MADISONVILLE — All but one
of the people suspected of raping a 16-year-old girl have been
arrested, in an apparently drugfueled attack in East Texas that
the local police chief described as
a “hideous crime.”
Madisonville Police Chief
Chuck May said officers had
detained 10 of 11 suspects in the
March attack. Police began making arrests late last week, three
months after the reported gang
rape inside a trailer.
May said the girl was given
methamphetamine and then
assaulted by several of the people
charged.
“We just took it one day at a
time until we had enough to get
indictments,” May said.
The defendants were being
held on $100,000 bond each,
May said.
Fourth Dallas schools admin
leaves, faces federal charges
DALLAS — The chief of staff for
the superintendent of the Dallas
school district has resigned in
anticipation of being named in a
federal indictment.
Jerome Oberlton becomes the
fourth high-level administrator to
leave during the year-long tenure
of Superintendent Mike Miles.
Miles said on Tuesday he was
told a day earlier by Oberlton that
he is expecting to be indicted for
work as chief information officer
for Atlanta Public Schools from
2004 to 2007. Oberlton joined the
Dallas district in January.
Miles said he was “profoundly
shocked” when told of the possible indictment and asked for
Oberlton’s resignation. Miles said
he has asked district trustees to
OK an audit of Oberlton’s work.
He said the district conducted
a background check on Oberlton
prior to his hire and expressed
anger that he was not told of the
investigation until Monday.
Police looking for ‘Big Daddy,’
suspected of double murder
DALLAS — Police are searching for a 25-year-old man they say
shot and killed two half-brothers
during a confrontation at a nightclub.
An arrest warrant affidavit
released Tuesday shows Jerome
Bernard Deamus is facing a
charge of capital murder. He
pulled a handgun during the dispute early Sunday morning with
22-year-old Christopher Ferguson
and shot him multiple times,
according to the affidavit. Deamus
was then rushed by 39-year-old
Cecil Ferguson, who was shot
once in the chest. The affidavit
says Cecil Ferguson died at the
scene and his half-brother later
died at a hospital.
The Dallas Morning News
reports Deamus is a convicted
felon and authorities said his nickname is “Big Daddy.” He has a
back tattoo that reads “Dixon.”
New NMSU president seeks
former competitor for job
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — New
Mexico State University Presidentdesignate Garrey Carruthers may
hire one of the other finalists for
president of the university as its
next top academic administrator.
The Las Cruces Sun-News
reports that the NMSU Faculty
Senate will consider if Carruthers
can waive normal procedures and
hire a finalists as provost.
Faculty Senate Chair Dennis
Clason said the finalists were
carefully vetted during the presidential search process.
Carruthers was named NMSU
president May 6 and officially
begins those duties June 1.
The other finalists were former
Texas Tech University President
Guy Bailey, former University of
Nevada-Las Vegas President
David Ashley, former Texas A&M
University President Elsa Murano
and University of Colorado-Denver
Dean Daniel Howard.
—Associated Press
A5_052913_SWJ.indd 5
ple; another time, he protested
against neo-Nazi groups.
In a 2005 feature article about
Hammond’s hacking skills, he
told the Chicago Reader he could
program video games before he
was 10. A website for supporters,
freejeremy.net, described Hammond as “one of the few true electronic Robin Hoods.”
But prosecutors called him a
menace. Hammond used online
aliases such as “credible threat”
and “yohoho.”
Hammond faces a maximum
sentence of more than 15 years at
sentencing on Sept. 6.
Secret-spilling group WikiLeaks
published much of the material
Hammond is accused of stealing.
Mikhail Metzel / Associated Press
BETSY BLANEY
Associated Press
NASA
The Soyuz rocket lifts off, the crew waves goodbye as they head inside the rocket on Tuesday,
(from top: Fyodor Yurchikhin, Luca Parmitano,
and Karen Nyberg), and Karen Nyberg, a University of Texas-Austin grad, floats in the space
shuttle Discovery during a 2008 mission.
Kiril Kudryavtsev / Associated Press
Shooting for the stars
NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, a University of
Texas at Austin graduate, blasted into space for the
second time early Tuesday, part of an international crew bound for the International Space Station.
The Soyuz space ship carrying Nyberg and two
other crew members launched from a base in
Kazakhstan for the six-hour trip to the ISS, the Associated Press reported. The new crew will spend
six months conducting a variety of experiments.
At UT-Austin, Nyberg earned her Master’s
degree in mechanical engineering in 1996 and a
doctorate in 1998. She previously was aboard the
space shuttle Discovery on its 123rd flight in 2008,
when she spent two weeks in space.
On that trip, she became the 50th woman to
enter space.
The cramped capsule carrying Nyberg, Russian
cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and Italy’s Luca
Parmitano orbited the Earth four times before
docking with the space station less than six hours
after liftoff.
Nyberg, a mechanical engineer by training,
served in various engineering roles at NASA’s
Johnson Space Center in Houston prior to being
selected as an astronaut in 2000.
A native of Vining, Minn., Nyberg earned an undergraduate degree from the University of North
Dakota. Her graduate research was at UT-Austin’s
BioHeat Transfer Laboratory, where she investigated human thermoregulation and experimental
metabolic testing and control, specifically related
to the control of thermal neutrality in space suits.
LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION
CENTRAL TEXAS SCHOOLS
Administrators
get big checks
Nike parts
with cancer
foundation
Associated Press
JIM VERTUNO
Associated Press
Nike, which helped build Lance
Armstrong’s Livestrong cancer
charity into a global brand and introduced its familiar yellow wristband, is cutting ties with the foundation in the latest fallout from the
former cyclist’s doping scandal.
The move by the sports shoe
and clothing company ends a relationship that began in 2004 and
helped the foundation raise more
than $100 million, making the
charity’s bracelet an international
symbol for cancer survivors.
But the relationship soured
with revelations of performanceenhancing drug use by Armstrong
and members of his U.S. Postal
Service team.
Nike it will stop making its
Livestrong line of apparel after the
2013 holiday season.
Foundation and company officials said Nike will honor the
financial terms of its contract until it expires in 2014. Those terms
were not disclosed.
Officials at Livestrong, which
announced the split Tuesday, said
the foundation remains strong
and committed to helping cancer
patients worldwide.
“This news will prompt some
to jump to negative conclusions
about the foundation’s future,” the
foundation said. “We see things
quite differently. We expected and
planned for changes like this and
are therefore in a good position to
adjust swiftly and move forward
with our patient-focused work.”
LUBBOCK, Texas — A Marine
killed after going on a shooting
spree that left one person dead
and several hospitalized in Texas
also is suspected of fatally stabbing
his wife, whose body was found
in a North Carolina motel room
hours after the rampage, police
said Tuesday.
Rubi Estefania Smith of Bakersfield, Calif., was found dead Sunday afternoon in a motel room
near Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville,
N.C., police said in a news release.
She was the wife of Lance Cpl.
Esteban J. Smith, the 23-year-old
Marine who died Sunday in a gunfight with Texas authorities.
Police spokeswoman Beth Purcell said Rubi Estefania Smith appears to have died from a knife
wound.
A veteran of two combat tours
in Afghanistan, Esteban Smith is
suspected in a West Texas shooting
rampage that left one woman dead
and five others wounded.
An assault rifle, handgun and
hundreds of rounds of ammunition were recovered from Smith’s
vehicle.
Smith, who was also from Bakersfield, was stationed with the
2nd Marine Division at Camp
Lejeune.
Base spokesman Master Sgt.
Jonathan Cress said investigators
have determined the firearms
used in the shootings were not issued by the military.
— Michael Biesecker reported
from Raleigh, N.C.
Mark Lennihan / Associated Press
Lance Armstrong, cyclist and Livestrong founder,
attends the Clinton Global Initiative in New York in
2010, wearing an iconic yellow Livestrong bracelet,
the symbol of the cancer research foundation he
founded in 1997 that once bore his name.
The Livestrong Foundation
after Armstrong, Nike
✔✔Armstrong was pushed off the board of
directors in October and the organization
later changed its name to Livestrong.
✔✔Foundation officials say Livestrong is still
on solid financial ground.
✔✔Nike’s contract with Livestrong will
continue until 2014, but the details of the
contract were not disclosed.
✔✔Livestrong reduced its budget nearly 11
percent in 2013 to $38.4 million, but said
Tuesday that revenue is already 2.5 percent
ahead of projections.
✔✔Last month, Livestrong received a four-star
rating from Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities based on financial health,
accountability and transparency.
The number of Central Texas school employees
with salaries in excess of $100,000 has grown dramatically over for the last five years.
The Austin American-Statesman analyzed salaries
at eight school districts, including Austin, Hays and
Round Rock, and reported Tuesday a 78 percent increase in the number of administrators earning more
than $100,000.
Those earning six figures grew at least twice as fast
as the rise in enrollment and school budgets since the
2008-2009 school year.
Most of the earners are administrators and make
more than double the average pay for teachers,
whose salaries range from about $45,600 to $50,200.
Superintendents consistently make between three
and five times the average teacher salary.
For the current school year, the average salaries for
principals in the Central Texas school districts analyzed ranged from $98,407 to $128,961, the newspaper said.
“Our first financial investment should be with our
teachers and our school employees,” said Ken Zarifis, co-president of Education Austin, a labor group
representing employees in the Austin school district.
“They’re the ones working with our kids day to day,
and we need to find a way to pay them before anyone
else.”
Austin’s operating budget dropped by 16 percent
and its total number of employees grew by 3 percent.
Much of the increase in those earning more than
$100,000 was driven by last year’s pay raises.
Susan Holley, associate executive director for the
Texas Association of School Administrators, said
support personnel were the first to be laid off during
budget cuts. Administrators were left doing the work
of two or three people “There may be few administrator positions, and they have more responsibility and
complexity than before,” Holley said.
Bret Champion, superintendent for the Leander
school district, said salaries are “market-driven.” He
said his district competes with high-tech companies
for employees.
5/29/13 10:24 AM
F O OD
Page 6 —
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Matthew Mead /Associated Press
A Greek-style turkey burger with pepperoncini sauce is a healthy alternative to normally fatty beef burgers for summertime grilling.
LEAN ON MEAT
Turkey burgers cut fat, not flavor
SARA MOULTON
Associated Press
S
ummertime is burger time. Nothing
beats throwing a few beef patties on the
grill. Not much is required in the way of
embellishment, yet you still receive a big return.
What’s the magic ingredient? Fat, of course.
Beef burgers are high in fat, which guarantees
flavor and juiciness. And because fat enhances
flavor, it also makes anything else you put in or
on the burger taste better, too.
Heartbreakingly, as you decrease the fat content in a burger, its flavor tends to wane, too.
This is a real problem if you want to dig into
a delicious burger but still want the blood to
continue sailing through your arteries. The solution? Turkey.
I know, I know. You’ve tried turkey burgers
and it was like eating wet cardboard. But you
haven’t tried my turkey burgers.
Let’s start with the basic ingredient —
ground turkey. While researching this recipe,
I discovered that the labels on ground turkey can be quite confusing. You’d figure that
a package labeled “lean” would mean what it
says. Weirdly, it turns out that the calories and
fat in a 4-ounce portion of “lean” ground turkey
can range from 120 calories with 1 percent fat
to 160 calories with 12 percent fat (which is as
rich as a lean beef burger).
As always, it’s best to read labels and not rely
on words such as “lean” or “white meat” when
looking for healthy choices.
Or better yet, grind your own turkey. Start by
buying a small package of turkey tenderloins,
the flap of meat that lies just under the breast.
As little as a 1 ½ pounds of turkey tenderloins
can be ground to produce six burgers.
Cut the tenderloins into 1-inch cubes and
freeze them for 30 minutes. Pop them in a food
processor and pulse until they achieve a medium-grind consistency.
Now we come to the crucial part of the recipe, the part I call Turkey Helper. As the blandest
and driest of white meats, turkey cries out for
flavor and moisture.
Any number of vegetables can answer this
call, including sauteed onions, bell peppers or
mushrooms, shredded raw Napa cabbage, or
carrots.
But I wanted to give these burgers the Greek
treatment, so I moistened them with spinach,
garlic and onions, then seasoned them with
crumbled feta and fresh oregano.
A staple of Greek cuisine, the goat or sheep
milk cheese called feta is so packed with flavor
and saltiness that a little
goes a long way. And if
you’re not a fan of oregano, you can swap in dill
or basil instead.
In search of an agreeable sauce, I built one
out of pepperoncini.
Also known as Tuscan
pickled peppers, pepperoncini are the little green
hot peppers that have
spiced up every Greek For the Greek-style tursalad you’ve ever eaten.
key burger with pepperThey’re briny, too, oncini sauce recipe visit
which is why I added the Southwest Journalsome of their pickling ist at swjournalist.com.
liquid to the yogurtmayo base.
This creamy sauce comprises the last splash
of our Turkey Helper. Nobody in my house
cries “Where’s the beef?” when we pull these
burgers off the grill.
Some thoughts on healthy living from Carol Gooch, Associated Press columnist.
People who have good
emotional health
are aware of their
thoughts, feelings and
behaviors. They have
learned healthy ways
to cope with the stress
and problems that are
a normal part of life.
To have good
emotional health,
it’s important to take
care of your body
by having a regular
routine for eating
healthy meals, getting
enough sleep and
exercising to relieve
pent-up tension.
Sorting out the causes
of sadness, stress and
anxiety in your life
can help you manage
your emotional
health.
When you are feeling
stressed, anxious or
upset, you may not
take care of your health
as well as you should.
You may not feel like
exercising, eating
nutritious foods or
taking medicine that
your doctor prescribes.
Poor emotional health
can weaken your
body’s immune
system, making you
more likely to get colds
and other infections
during emotionally
difficult times.
Longhorn genes ideal for Texas, taste
MICHAEL GRACZYK
Associated Press
PONTOTOC, Texas — A new
genetic study of Texas longhorns
shows the cattle breed — a state
symbol as recognizable as the Alamo and cowboy hats — has maintained a distinct Spanish ancestry
that dates centuries.
The breed has become a favorite for consumers willing to pay
a premium for low-fat beef from
grass-fed animals.
“The animals are very lean by
nature of their evolution,” says
Debbie Davis, whose family raises longhorns in Bandera County
about 75 miles northwest of San
Antonio. “It’s a healthier product
and people on a high-protein,
low-starch diet seek out this beef.”
The longhorn’s roots trace back
thousands of years, and the animal’s direct descendants crossed
the Atlantic with Christopher Columbus. They grew longer horns to
protect against New World predators and even rebounded from a
A6_052913_SWJ.indd 6
Michael Graczyk / Associated Press
A Texas longhorn stands at the Double Helix Ranch near Pontotoc,
Texas. Research shows the breed’s DNA dates back centuries.
post-Civil War beef demand that
decimated herds.
“I think Texans admire a lot of
the characteristics they see in Texas longhorns because it’s some of
the same characteristics humans
had to have to thrive in Texas,”
said David Hillis, a University of
Texas biologist and geneticist involved in the longhorn DNA study.
The study’s authors said the
cattle’s genes create a hardy breed,
independent and well adapted to
the land.
“The ones that had the long
horns were better able to defend
their calves and were able to survive the best,” Hillis said.
Horns now grow 70 inches long
from tip to tip, the result of ranchers selectively breeding cattle with
the best physical characteristics.
Ranchers like Davis and Hillis,
who herds about 50 at his Texas
Hill Country ranch, carefully manage the legendary bovines. Longhorns graze on whatever the rocky
ground and minimal rain allow to
grow.
Researchers confirmed the
longhorns of today are direct
descendants of Spanish cattle
brought by Columbus to Hispaniola in 1493.
“Longhorns are unusual in being an ancient breed,” Hillis said.
“There’s not many of those left in
the world.”
5/29/13 10:27 AM