THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, ApRIL 1, 2019
WORLD IN BRIEF
Associated press
2 pilots killed in Marine Corps
helicopter crash in Arizona
YUMA, Ariz. — Two Marine pilots have died in a
helicopter crash during a training mission in southwest-
ern Arizona, Marine Corps officials said Sunday.
The AH-1Z Viper crashed Saturday night while
the pilots were conducting a training mission as part
of a weapons and tactical instructor course, according
to the Marine Corps. The cause of the crash is under
investigation.
Capt. Gabriel Adibe, a Marine Corps spokesman, said
the helicopter crashed on the vast Marine Corps Air Sta-
tion Yuma training grounds. The names of the pilots have
not been released pending notification of their families.
The station is located about 2 miles from Yuma and the
1,300-square-mile training ground is one of the world’s
largest military installations. There have been several
fatal crashes involving Marine Corps aircraft near Yuma
over the years.
Grammy-nominated rapper
Hussle shot and killed at 33
LOS ANGELES — Rapper Nipsey Hussle was fatally
shot outside the clothing store he founded to help rebuild
his troubled South Los Angeles neighborhood, police
said, cutting short a career that earned him a Grammy
nomination this year for his major-label debut. He was
33.
Hussle was one of three men shot Sunday outside Mar-
athon Clothing, his store in South Los Angeles; the other
two were in stable condition. A large crowd gathered out-
side the store as night fell. Detectives were canvassing
the area for witnesses and looking to see if any surveil-
lance video captured the shooting. Investigators had not
yet determined a motive or identified any suspects.
Hussle, who had two children and was engaged to
actress Lauren London, was an Eritrean-American whose
real name was Ermias Asghedom.
He was born on Aug. 15, 1985, in the same Crenshaw
neighborhood where he died, and where he had been
working to provide youths with alternatives to the hus-
tling he did when he was younger.
Official: Trump team overruled
25 security clearance denials
WASHINGTON — A career official in the White
House security office says dozens of people in President
Donald Trump’s administration were granted security
clearances despite “disqualifying issues” in their back-
grounds, such as concerns about foreign influence, drug
use and criminal conduct.
Tricia Newbold, an 18-year government employee
who oversees the issuance of clearances for some senior
White House aides, says she compiled a list of at least
25 officials who were initially denied security clearances
last year because of their backgrounds. But she says
senior Trump aides overturned those decisions, moves
that she said weren’t made “in the best interest of national
security.”
Newbold’s allegations were detailed in a letter and
memo released today by Rep. Elijah Cummings of Mary-
land, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform
committee. That panel has been investigating security
clearances issued to senior officials including Trump son-
in-law Jared Kushner, former national security adviser
Michael Flynn, and former White House aide Rob Porter.
The letter comes about a month after The New York
Times reported that Trump ordered officials to grant
Kushner a clearance over the objections of national secu-
rity officials and after Newbold spoke out to NBC News
and other news outlets about her concerns.
Biden says he never meant to
make women feel uncomfortable
WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden
on Sunday defended his interactions with women, say-
ing he doesn’t believe he’s ever acted inappropriately. But
a Nevada politician’s assertion that Biden’s kiss on the
back of her head made her feel uncomfortable prompted
some Democrats to question whether the 76-year-old is
too out of step with his own party to run a successful 2020
presidential campaign.
The episode, recounted by Democrat Lucy Flores,
highlighted an aspect of Biden’s persona that has been
publicly known for years: the affectionate whispers, hugs
and shoulder squeezes he has long doled out to women,
often on camera and at high-profile public events. In a
moment of national reckoning over sexual harassment
and the treatment of women by powerful men, some
Democrats said Biden’s actions have taken on a new light.
“It looks different in 2019,” said Maria Cardona, a
Democratic strategist. While Biden’s behavior is not
automatically disqualifying for the presidency, “it all
depends on how he continues to respond to this. He has
to acknowledge that his behavior made some women
uncomfortable.”
Biden said it was never his intention to make women
feel discomfort and if he did so, “I will listen respectfully.”
Israel, Hamas take first steps
toward Gaza cease-fire deal
A5
By ISABEL DEBRE
Associated press
JERUSALEM — A
cease-fire deal appeared to
take hold between Israel and
Gaza’s Hamas rulers on Sun-
day, with Israel expanding
the permitted fishing zone
and easing some tight restric-
tions on movement through
its two main crossings with
the Palestinian enclave.
Egyptian mediators have
worked in recent days to bro-
ker a cease-fire agreement,
but talks have been repeat-
edly interrupted by Palestin-
ian rocket attacks and Israeli
military reprisals. The vio-
lence has heightened ten-
sions just over a week before
Israeli national elections.
In a sign that Egyptian
efforts have made progress,
the Gaza fishermen’s com-
mittee said Israel would
extend the permitted fishing
zone along the Mediterra-
nean coast to a maximum of
15 nautical miles, up from the
previous limit of nine. Fish-
ing had been off-limits since
Gaza militants launched a
rocket toward Tel Aviv last
week, touching off rounds of
short but intense cross-bor-
der fighting between the bit-
ter enemies.
Israeli officials confirmed
that the reopening of the fish-
ing zone would go into effect
today.
AP Photo/Adel Hana
An explosion caused by Israeli airstrikes is seen in Gaza City last week.
The lifting of some
restrictions on the passage of
people and cargo in and out
of Gaza further indicated a
strengthening of the cease-
fire, which Hamas officials
say would see Israel easing
its blockade in exchange for
guarantees of quiet.
Israeli and Hamas offi-
cials confirmed that the Erez
and Kerem Shalom border
crossings were re-opened, in
a very restricted fashion, for
the first time since violence
flared up last Monday.
The first steps toward
the restoration of calm were
nonetheless punctuated by
exchanges of fire along the
border. Just hours after Israel
announced the re-opening
of its main Gaza crossings
Sunday, a mortar shell was
launched from the Gaza Strip
toward Israel, the army said.
The projectile did not
cross into Israeli territory but
did set off air-raid sirens in
the country’s south.
There was no immedi-
ate claim of responsibility,
and no immediate Israeli
response.
Earlier Sunday, Pales-
tinian militants launched
rockets into Israel during
the night, and the military
responded with tank fire.
Four Palestinians, includ-
ing three teenagers, were
killed by Israeli fire on Sat-
urday as tens of thousands
of people took part in mass
rallies that marked the first
anniversary of demonstra-
tions along the Israel-Gaza
perimeter fence.
Dozens
of
activists
approached the fence during
Saturday’s demonstration,
hurling stones and explo-
sives toward Israeli forces.
Israel says it is defend-
ing its border but has come
under heavy international
criticism for the large num-
ber of unarmed Palestin-
ian demonstrators who have
been shot over the past 12
months.
Nearly 200 Palestinians
have been killed by Israeli
fire, while one Israeli soldier
was killed last summer by a
Palestinian sniper in Gaza.
Agency: County staff added new contract requirements
Continued from page A1
January came at a time when
county leaders were frus-
trated by a lack of transpar-
ency at the private nonprofit.
Questions about the agen-
cy’s management and sta-
bility resurfaced after Baker
was placed on administrative
leave by the agency’s board
in December over her on-call
responsibilities at the crisis
respite center in Warrenton.
She returned to work in Jan-
uary after an internal investi-
gation, but two board mem-
bers resigned in protest.
The public scrutiny of
the agency over Baker’s
leave turned up other prob-
lems, including the disclo-
sure that the state Department
of Human Services nearly
pulled the developmental dis-
ability contract last fall over
the lack of oversight of adult
foster homes.
As part of the bidding
process, county staff added
new contract requirements to
improve transparency. Pro-
viders have to make quarterly
reports to county commis-
sioners, and a county repre-
sentative must be allowed to
attend regular meetings of a
provider’s governing board.
“The interview process
will be an opportunity for us
to address any concerns that
we might currently have,
and what they would do to
improve upon those con-
cerns,” Steele said.
The county anticipated
some competition for the
contracts after other provid-
ers showed interest.
Steele said a provider
from Washington state con-
tacted the county, but wanted
to extend the start date of
the new contract for several
months past July. The pro-
vider, she said, also asked if
the county would separate
some of the services.
“And that wasn’t some-
thing that we were willing to
do,” Steele said.
The behavioral health
contract covers mental health
and substance abuse treat-
ment. The developmen-
tal disability contract covers
care for adults and children
with intellectual and devel-
opmental disabilities, such as
autism, cerebral palsy, Down
syndrome and epilepsy.
Steele said a local provider
asked about submitting a bid
but had missed the manda-
tory preproposal conference.
A separate contract for
the crisis respite center is
also expected to go out for
bid this year. Clatsop Behav-
ioral Healthcare operates
the respite center on behalf
of a coalition that includes
the county, Greater Ore-
gon Behavioral Health Inc.,
Columbia Memorial Hospi-
tal in Astoria and Providence
Seaside Hospital.
Free
Concert
The Daily Astorian and
Liberty Theatre present the
U.S. Coast Guard
Woodwind Quintet
In concert Wednesday, April 3 • 7 p.m.
Liberty Theatre • Astoria
Daily Astorian Subscribers, Liberty Theater members and
Coast Guard active and retired personnel can pick up their
free tickets at the Daily Astorian starting March 11.
Tickets are available to the public beginning March 18.
For more information call 503-325-3211
TICKET HOLDERS PLEASE BE SEATED BY 6:45 P.M.
DOORS WILL OPEN TO NON-TICKET HOLDERS AT 6:50 P.M.