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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2018)
6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018 WORLD IN BRIEF ‘Mississippi Burning’ KKK leader Killen dies in prison at 92 Associated Press Trump’s immigration remarks lambasted from left and right WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump today denied using certain “language” during a private meeting with lawmakers as fury spread over his comments about immigrants. But nei- ther he nor the White House disputed the most controversial of his remarks — using the word “shithole” to describe Africa nations and saying he would prefer immigrants from countries like Norway instead. Trump’s comments came during an Oval Office meeting where he questioned why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from Haiti and “shithole countries” in Africa as he rejected a bipartisan immigration deal, according to peo- ple briefed on the extraordinary Oval Office conversation. “The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the lan- guage used,” Trump insisted in a series of Fri- day morning tweets. “What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made — a big setback for DACA.” But Sen. Dick Durbin, the only Democrat in the room, disputed the president’s account. “He said these hate-filled things and he said them repeatedly,” Durbin said, adding “When the question was asked about Haitians ... he said, ‘Haitians? Do we need more Haitians?’” Trump took particular issue with the charac- terization of his comments on Haiti. The Wash- ington Post reported that, during the meeting, Trump said immigrants from Haiti should be left out of any new agreement approved by Congress. “Never said anything derogatory about Hai- tians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up by Dems,” Trump wrote. “I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings — unfortunately, no trust!” Trump’s contemptuous blanket description of African countries startled lawmakers in the meeting and immediately revived charges that the president is racist. “The words used by the President, as related to me directly following the meeting by those in attendance, were not ‘tough,’ they were abhor- rent and repulsive,” tweeted Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake. “I think it was stupid and irresponsible and childish,” said Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. “He’s president of the United States. That’s not how a president behaves.” The comments also threatened to further imperil immigration talks aimed at extending protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants, many of whom were brought to the country as children and are now here illegally. Trump last year ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which provided protection from deportation and the ability to work legally in the country. He gave Congress until March to come up with a legislative fix. Man who aided hospital patient discharged in gown shocked BALTIMORE — The man who said he came to the aid of a woman discharged from a Balti- more hospital wearing only a gown and socks on a cold winter’s night, says he was left outraged and stunned at how she was treated. Imamu Baraka, identified in local reports as the person who sought to help the woman, said he was so angry he decided to record Tuesday night’s events on cellphone video, fearing no one would believe him if he reported a woman being left at a bus stop like that. “I saw the unthinkable: another human in a wheelchair being wheeled out in the dead of cold,” he said in the phone interview Thursday evening. He described frigid temperatures in the 30s and a cold wind blowing at the woman’s hospital gown, exposing her to the elements. As a medical professional, the psychothera- pist said he sought to keep his emotions in check even as he repeatedly challenged those who had wheeled the woman out to the street in the dark. It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to the woman after she was driven back toward the hospital. But the hospital confirmed in a state- ment that the woman was discharged that Tues- day night. Dr. Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of University of Maryland Medical Center Mid- town Campus, told a news conference on Thurs- day afternoon that the hospital had “failed” after the video posted on Facebook showed the unidentified woman mumbling and appearing disoriented in frigid weather outside. Suntha also said there were no excuses for what happened to the woman. “We believe firmly that we provided appro- priate medical care to a patient who came to us in need, but where we absolutely failed, and where we own that failure, is in the demonstration of basic humanity and compassion as a patient was being discharged from our organization after having received that care,” he said. Ex-fighter pilot launches bid to replace Arizona Sen. Flake TUCSON, Ariz. — Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally called on the national GOP to “grow a pair of ovaries” as she launched her Sen- ate bid today, joining the race to replace retir- ing GOP Sen. Jeff Flake by embracing President Donald Trump and his outsider playbook in one of the nation’s premier contests. Chris Pizzello/Invision Gal Gadot reacts in the audience as ‘Wonder Woman’ wins for best action movie at the 23rd annual Critics’ Choice Awards. Actresses, shows about women win big at Critics’ Choice Awards SANTA MONICA, Calif. — It was a good night for women at the Critics’ Choice Awards, which honored women-centered stories like “Big Little Lies,” ‘’The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” “Wonder Woman” was named best action movie and star Gal Gadot accepted a special award for challenging gender stereotypes. Yet the industry’s ongoing sexual misconduct crisis remained an element of the ceremony as James Franco won an acting award early in the evening, hours after a report detailed new misconduct allegations against “The Disaster Artist” star and director. Franco did not attend Thursday’s presentation at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, and his award was presented during a pre-telecast section broadcast only online. Franco won a similar award at the Golden Globes earlier in the week, where most women dressed in black to protest sexual harassment. More women dressed in color on Thursday, but their determination to end gender discrimination remained just as fierce. “I want to share this award with all the women and men who stand for what’s right, stand- ing for those who can’t stand or speak for themselves,” Gadot said as she accepted the second annual #SeeHer award. “My promise to you is: I will never be silenced. We will continue to band together to make strides, uniting for equality.” Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy romance, “The Shape of Water,” was the top film winner with four awards. Del Toro, who was also named best director, closed the show Thursday night by shouting that he’s always believed in the equality of women. “The Shape of Water,” which led all nominees with 14 bids, also claimed the best picture prize, along with score and production design honors. The 51-year-old retired Air Force combat pilot cast herself as a tough-talking outsider as she vowed to work closely with the Republican president to combat illegal immigration. “There should be no sanctuary for anyone breaking our laws and harming our people,” said McSally, wearing a military flight suit as she faced dozens of supporters in a Tucson airport hangar. “You better believe I will keep working with President Trump.” Like few others, the Arizona election is expected to showcase the feud between the Republican Party’s establishment and its fiery anti-immigration wing in particular — all in a border state that features one of the nation’s larg- est Hispanic populations. The race will test the appeal of the Trump political playbook — which emphasizes the dan- gers of illegal immigration and demands border security above all else — in a state where nearly 1 in 3 residents is Hispanic and roughly 1 mil- lion are eligible to vote, according to the Pew Research Center. McSally, a two-term congresswoman already backed by many GOP establishment leaders in Arizona and Washington, first announced her candidacy in a fiery video early today that touched on border security and Sharia law and featured Trump himself. McSally enters a dynamic Republican pri- mary field that features a nationally celebrated immigration hardliner, 85-year-old former Ari- zona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was pardoned by Trump last year after defying a judge’s order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. The primary also includes former state Sen. Kelli Ward, an outspoken Trump advocate who was an early favorite of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. President Donald Trump cheered the announcement with a tweet, saying, “Great news, as a result of our TAX CUTS & JOBS ACT!” White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders later said she would not comment on the Sam’s Club closings but that the wage increases were a sign that the tax measures “are having the impact that we had hoped.” JACKSON, Miss. — Edgar Ray Killen, a for- mer Ku Klux Klan leader who was convicted in the 1964 “Mississippi Burning” slayings of three civil rights workers, has died in prison at the age of 92, the state’s corrections department announced today. The one-time Klan leader was serving three consecutive 20-year terms for manslaughter when he died at 9 p.m. Thursday night inside the Mississippi State Penitentiary. An autopsy was pending, but no foul play was suspected. His conviction came 41 years to the day after James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, all in their 20s, were ambushed and killed by Klansmen. The three Freedom Summer workers had been investigating the burning of a black church near Philadelphia, Mississippi. A deputy sher- iff in Philadelphia had arrested them on a traffic charge, then released them after alerting a mob. Mississippi’s then-governor claimed their disap- pearance was a hoax before their bodies were dug up. The slayings shocked the nation, helped spur passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and were dramatized in the 1988 movie “Missis- sippi Burning.” Trump: No trip to London because of embassy choice LONDON — President Donald Trump has canceled a trip to London to open the new $1 bil- lion U.S. Embassy, avoiding protests promised by political opponents. Some British lawmakers had said Trump was not welcome in Britain after he re-tweeted videos from a far-right British group and criticized Lon- don Mayor Sadiq Khan following a terror attack last year. But Trump said his decision, announced in a late-night tweet, was due to concerns about the embassy’s move from the elite Mayfair district to a far less fashionable area of London. “Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for ‘peanuts,’ only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!” Trump tweeted. While the former embassy sat in a tony area of designer boutiques and expensive restaurants, the new building is in a former industrial area south of the River Thames that is being redeveloped into a new commercial and residential district. app solutely we have you covered Some Walmart employees get raises, others to lose their jobs NEW YORK — For some Walmart employ- ees, the day brought news of a pay raise. Others learned they were out of a job. Walmart said Thursday that it is boosting its starting salary for U.S. workers and handing out bonuses. The announcement came as the com- pany also confirmed it is closing dozens of Sam’s Club warehouse stores — a move that a union- backed group estimated could cost thousands of jobs. The world’s largest private employer said it was closing 63 of its 660 Sam’s Clubs over the next weeks, with some shut already. Up to 12 are being converted into e-commerce distribution centers, the company said. It did not disclose how many people would lose their jobs, but said some workers may be placed at other Walmart locations. Making Change at Walmart, a campaign backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Interna- tional Union, estimates that 150 to 160 people work at each Sam’s Club store, meaning the clo- sures could affect about 10,000 people. Local news reports said Sam’s Clubs stores were closing in Texas, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana and Alaska, among other states. Earlier in the day, Walmart cited the sweeping Republican tax overhaul that will save it money in announcing the higher hourly wages, one-time bonuses and expanded parental benefits that will affect more than a million hourly workers in the U.S. Our e-edition is available 24/7 on any device * EVERYWHERE YOU ARE! Call 800-781-3211 to subscribe T HE D AILY A STORIAN *All apps are free to download. Must be a subscriber to view e-edition.