ALBUQUERQUE – Latino scholars and activists are criticizing Republican Mike Pence for referring to “that Mexican thing,” at the vice presidential debate as he tried to brush aside criticism of Donald Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants. They said Pence's remark was dehumanizing and tinged with sexual innuendo.
Pence’s comment came after Democratic vice presidential Tim Kaine pressed the Republican on Trump’s remarks last year comparing Mexican immigrants to rapists. “Senator, you whipped out that Mexican thing again,” Pence said.
By Wednesday, #ThatMexicanThing was trending on Twitter as Latinos widely made fun of the remark with memes, gifs, and satirical versions of Trump”s “Make America Great Again” red cap.
“Proud to be ‘that Mexican thing!’” Javier Martinez, a New Mexico Democratic lawmaker, tweeted Wednesday.
CHICAGO – The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to create a new agency to investigate police shootings and misconduct allegations even as critics – some on the council – say it’s not strong enough to closely watch a police force long dogged by a reputation for brutality and covering up misdeeds of officers.
Over the objections of some aldermen and several people in the audience who angrily shouted their displeasure, the council voted 39-8 to form a new agency to investigate the police force called the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and create a new deputy inspector whose job will be to monitor the department.
“Obviously, Chicago ain’t ready for reform,” said Alderwoman Leslie Hairston, who voted against the plan after complaining that it won’t have enough funding and independence from City Hall.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Rescue workers in Haiti struggled to reach isolated towns and learn the full extent of the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew as the powerful storm battered the Bahamas on Wednesday and triggered large-scale evacuations along the U.S. East Coast.
Forecasters said the storm could hit Florida – or come dangerously close – Thursday evening and then sideswipe the East Coast all the way up to the Carolinas over the weekend. Matthew could become the first major hurricane to blow ashore in the U.S. since Wilma slashed across Florida in 2005, killing five people.
At least 11 deaths were blamed on the hurricane during its weeklong march across the Caribbean, five of them in Haiti.
UNITED NATIONS – The landmark Paris agreement on climate change will enter into force on Nov. 4, after being pushed past a key threshold Wednesday by a coalition of the world's largest polluters and small island nations threatened by rising seas.
President Barack Obama hailed the news as “a turning point for our planet,” and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the agreement’s strong international support a “testament for the urgency of action.” Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech, called it: “A moment of bright hope in the increasingly discouraging landscape of climate science.”
U.N. Spokesman Farhan Haq said the EU, Canada and Nepal would deposit their instruments of ratification Wednesday, edging the percentage of emissions by ratifying countries past the 55 percent threshold needed for the treaty to take effect.
Associated Press
