A5
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019
WORLD IN BRIEF
Associated Press
Feds: Coast Guard
lieutenant compiled
lengthy hit list
of lawmakers
WASHINGTON — A
Coast Guard lieutenant who
was arrested last week is a
“domestic terrorist” who
drafted an email discuss-
ing biological attacks and
had what appeared to be a
hit list that included promi-
nent Democrats and media
fi gures, prosecutors said in
court papers.
Christopher Paul Hasson
is due to appear today in fed-
eral court in Maryland after
his arrest on gun and drug
offenses, but prosecutors say
those charges are the “pro-
verbial tip of the iceberg.”
“The defendant is a
domestic terrorist, bent on
committing acts dangerous to
human life that are intended
to affect governmental con-
duct,” prosecutors wrote in
court papers .
Hasson, who works at
the Coast Guard’s head-
quarters in Washington, has
espoused extremist views
for years, according to pros-
ecutors. Court papers detail
a June 2017 draft email in
which Hasson wrote that he
was “dreaming of a way to
kill almost every last person
on the earth,” and ponder-
ing how he might be able to
acquire anthrax and toxins to
create botulism or a deadly
infl uenza.
In the same email, Has-
son described an “interesting
idea” that included “biologi-
cal attacks followed by attack
on food supply” as well as a
bombing and sniper attacks,
according to court docu-
ments fi led by prosecutors.
Fire guts
ancient part of
Bangladesh’s
capital, killing 81
DHAKA,
Bangladesh
— A devastating fi re raced
through densely packed
buildings in a centuries-old
shopping district in Bangla-
desh’s capital, killing at least
81 people, offi cials and wit-
nesses said.
The fi re in Dhaka’s
Chawkbazar area was mostly
under control after more than
10 hours of frantic fi refi ght-
ing efforts. Some of the about
50 people injured were criti-
cally burned.
The district dating to the
Mughal era 400 years ago
is crammed with buildings
separated by narrow alleys,
with residences commonly
above shops, restaurants or
warehouses on the ground
fl oors. Denizens of the Mus-
lim-majority nation throng
to Chawkbazar each year for
traditional goods to celebrate
iftar, when the daily fast is
broken during Ramadan.
“I was talking to a cus-
tomer, suddenly he shouted
at me: ‘Fire! Fire!’” said
Javed Hossain, a survi-
vor who came to assess the
damage to his grocery store
Thursday afternoon. “I said
‘Oh, Allah,’ in a fraction of
a second the fi re caught my
shop.”
Hossain’s brother took his
hand and they leaped onto
the street before the shop was
engulfed in fl ames.
Evan Agostini/Invision
Jussie Smollett, a cast member in the TV series ‘Empire,’ attends the Fox Networks
Group 2018 programming presentation afterparty in New York.
‘Empire’ actor goes from victim
to accused felon in 3 weeks
CHICAGO — Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says “Empire”
actor Jussie Smollett “took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote
his career.”
Johnson ended a news conference today about the charges against Smollett by
saying justice would be for the 36-year-old actor to apologize, admit what he did
and “then be man enough to offer what he should offer up in terms of all the
resources that were put into this.”
Smollett surrendered today at central booking on a charge of felony disorder
conduct.
Police say Smollett, who is black and gay, paid $3,500 to two brothers who are
also black to help him stage a racist and homophobic attack against him on Jan. 29.
Johnson says investigators think Smollett had hoped that the fake attack would
be captured by one of the city’s many security cameras, but that didn’t happen. He
says the camera at the location where the attack happened wasn’t pointed in that
direction.
President Donald Trump tweeted to Smollett: “What about MAGA and the tens
of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?
#MAGA.”
“transform this evil into a
chance for understanding and
purifi cation,” Francis told the
190 leaders of bishops con-
ferences and religious orders.
“The holy people of God
are watching and expect not
just simple and obvious con-
demnations, but effi cient
and concrete measures to be
established,” he warned.
More than 30 years after
the scandal fi rst erupted in
Ireland and Australia and
20 years after it hit the U.S.,
bishops and Catholic offi -
cials in many parts of Europe,
Latin America, Africa and
Asia still either deny that
clergy sex abuse exists in
their regions or downplay the
problem.
Advocates say
US still separates
migrant families
needlessly
HOUSTON — Months
after the Trump administra-
tion announced an end to
its widescale separation of
migrant parents and children,
the policy remains a heated
issue in the courts and at
the border as critics contend
the government is still need-
lessly breaking up immigrant
families.
The Texas Civil Rights
Project released a report
today that counts 272 separa-
tions at a single Texas court-
house since June, when Pres-
ident Donald Trump issued
an executive order ending
widespread separations amid
public outrage.
The bulk of those cases
involve children who cross
the U.S.-Mexico border with
relatives other than their par-
ents, such as grandparents,
uncles and aunts, or adult
siblings.
Thirty-eight
cases
involved a parent or legal
guardian, the majority of
whom had criminal convic-
tions, the group said.
In a statement, U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection
argued the group incorrectly
categorized cases involv-
ing other relatives because
the Homeland Security Act
“does not make concessions
for anyone other than a par-
ent or legal guardian.” CBP
includes the Border Patrol,
which apprehends people
entering the U.S. illegally.
Democrats
prepare resolution
against Trump’s
declaration
WASHINGTON
—
House Democrats will fi le
a resolution Friday aimed at
blocking the national emer-
gency declaration that Pres-
ident Donald Trump has
issued to help fi nance his
wall along the Southwest
border, teeing up a clash over
billions of dollars, immigra-
tion policy and the Constitu-
tion’s separation of powers.
Though the effort seems
almost certain to ultimately
fall short — perhaps to a
Trump veto — the votes will
let Democrats take a defi ant
stance against Trump that
is sure to please liberal vot-
ers. They will also put some
Republicans from swing dis-
tricts and states in a diffi cult
spot.
Formally introducing the
measure sets up a vote by
the full House likely by mid-
March, perhaps as soon as
next week, because of a time-
line spelled out by law. Initial
passage by the Democrat-
ic-run House seems assured.
The measure would then
move to the Republican-con-
trolled Senate, where there
may be enough GOP defec-
tions for approval. The law
that spells out the rules for
emergency
declarations
seems to require the Senate
to address the issue too, but
there’s never been a congres-
sional effort to block one and
some procedural uncertain-
ties remain.
House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi, D-Calif., seemed to
predict approval, telling col-
leagues in a letter that her
chamber will “move swiftly”
to pass it and “the resolution
will be referred to the Sen-
ate and then sent to the Presi-
dent’s desk.”
Trump-Kim
summit crucial
moment for
Moon’s presidency
SEOUL, South Korea
— South Korean President
Moon Jae-in has staked his
legacy on the stunning diplo-
matic progress he has forged
with North Korea, as well
as the behind-the-scenes
orchestration of the U.S.-
North Korean summits.
But following months of
stalemate on North Korea
nuclear talks, Moon’s pres-
idency faces a crucial
moment, with President Don-
ald Trump and North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un set to
meet for the second time next
week.
Moon, a liberal who took
offi ce in May 2017, is des-
perate for a breakthrough so
he can continue engagement
with the North that has driven
the three-way diplomacy but
is now held back by tough
U.S.-led sanctions against
Pyongyang. There’s hope
among Moon’s supporters
that progress by Trump and
Kim on the nuclear issue will
allow the partial sanctions
relief needed for the Koreas
to resume joint economic
projects that were shelved
during previous standoffs.
But Moon may be disap-
pointed in his push for quick
sanctions relief.
I still have some chapters
left to write, things I want
to do yet. Feel free to take a
vacation. I might do that, too.
Grateful to be here,
Ann
Pope demands
bishops act now
to end scourge
of sex abuse
VATICAN CITY — Pope
Francis warned church lead-
ers summoned today to a
landmark sex abuse preven-
tion summit that the Catholic
faithful are demanding more
than just condemnation of
the crimes of priests but con-
crete action to respond to the
scandal.
Francis opened the four-
day summit by telling the
Catholic hierarchy that their
own responsibility to deal
effectively with priests who
rape and molest children
weighed on the proceedings.
“Listen to the cry of the
young, who want justice,”
and seize the opportunity to
p r ov idenceoregon . org / de a rnorthcoa s t