World/Nation Briefs July 16, 2013
Some see Martin case as a blow to race relations
SANFORD, Fla. - Nearly 70 years after Jackie Robinson was run out of town, Sanford is absorbing what some see as another blow to race relations: the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin.
Some black residents of this community of almost 50,000 people where the shooting took place say that while relations between black and white have improved over the years, progress has been slow and the Martin case demonstrated that problems persist.
James Tillman, who is black, said Saturday's verdict just adds to his mistrust of local authorities, who have been criticized over the years for their handling of other crimes against blacks. Tillman, 47, said city officials try to portray Sanford as a "quiet and laid-back town."
"This town here is one of the worst towns about covering things up," Tillman said, stopping his bike in front of a memorial to the 17-year-old Martin. "When you put something in the closet, it's going to burst back on you."
Sanford, a mostly middle-class suburb of Orlando, about 25 miles away, has reacted somberly - and peacefully - to the verdict. The city was mostly silent the morning after the verdict, in contrast to the rallies that drew thousands not long after the shooting.
Senators try to work out fight over filibusters
WASHINGTON - A showdown looming, Republicans and Democrats struggled without success Monday night in marathon, closed-door talks to resolve the fate of several of President Barack Obama's stalled appointees, a dispute that threatened what little bipartisan cooperation remains in the Senate.
Emerging from the session in the ornate Old Senate Chamber - where the public and media were barred - lawmakers from both parties reported progress toward a compromise and said the party leaders would continue talks into the night.
"We've had a very good conversation," said Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Yet he gave no indication that he planned to seek a delay in a series of roll calls planned for morning on confirmation of seven presidential appointees whom Republicans have so far blocked from receiving yes-or-no votes.
Reid insisted in advance that Republicans permit yes-or-no confirmation votes on all seven of the nominees at issue. If they won't, he declared in a morning speech before the Center for American Progress, Democrats will change the Senate's rules to strip them of their ability to delay.
Diplomat: U.S. does not back a side in Egypt
CAIRO - The most senior U.S. official to visit Egypt since its elected president was ousted said Monday that Washington is committed to helping the Arab country succeed in its "second chance" at democracy, adding this can only happen with the participation of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Deputy Secretary of State William Burns' meetings with Egypt's interim leaders came as thousands of supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi held another mass rally to demand his return to office. The protest turned violent as police fired tear gas at pro-Morsi protesters who burned tires, threw rocks and blocked traffic flow on a main roadway running through the heart of the capital.
The remarks by Burns, the No. 2 American diplomat, signaled that Washington, while calling for an inclusive transition, is moving on from Morsi and his Brotherhood group.
Burns insisted that the United States is not taking sides in deeply polarized Egypt, saying it is not Washington's policy, "as outsiders, to support particular political personalities and particular parties."
Leader of Zetas drug cartel caught in Mexico
MEXICO CITY - Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, the notoriously brutal leader of the feared Zetas drug cartel, was captured before dawn Monday in the first major blow against an organized crime leader by a Mexican administration struggling to drive down persistently high levels of violence, officials announced.
Trevino Morales, 40, was captured by Mexican Marines who intercepted a pickup truck with $2 million in cash on a dirt road in the countryside outside the border city of Nuevo Laredo, which has long served as the Zetas' base of operations. The truck was halted by a Marine helicopter and Trevino Morales was taken into custody along with a bodyguard and an accountant and eight guns, government spokesman Eduardo Sanchez told reporters.
Sanchez said the Marines had been watching rural roads between the Texas border states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas for signs of Trevino Morales, who is charged with murder, torture, kidnapping and other crimes.
Twinkies may be smaller than many remember
NEW YORK - Twinkies are back, but they may be a bit smaller than you remember.
The new boxes hitting shelves this week list the spongy yellow cakes as having 270 calories and a weight of 77 grams for two cakes, or 135 calories and 38.5 grams for one cake.
Right before it went out of business, the predecessor company had told The Associated Press that Twinkies were 150 calories per cake. Photos of past boxes online also indicate the weight to have been 42.5 grams per cake.
A spokeswoman for Hostess, Hannah Arnold, said in an email Monday that the size change was made in "mid-2012" by the predecessor company. That would mean it happened in the months leading up to its bankruptcy, as the company was trying to keep its head above water financially.
- The Associated Press