The week at a glance...United States

last updated 8 January 2015

Phoenix

Massive dust storm: A 50-mile-wide wall of dust, pushed by gusts of up to 80 mph, blackened the skies above the Phoenix area last week. The storm blotted out skyscrapers and knocked down power lines, leaving thousands of homes without electricity and temporarily grounding all flights out of the Sky Harbor Airport. “I have seen dust storms before, but this was like the old Dust Bowl days,” said one area resident. The dust storm, called a haboob, originated in the Tucson area and swept north across the desert into the Phoenix Valley, said the National Weather Service, reaching nearly two miles into the sky. Haboobs are not uncommon in Arizona, but this storm was of “historic” proportions, said witnesses and weather experts. Last week’s sandstorm marks the beginning of Arizona’s monsoon season, which usually starts in mid-June and continues through the end of September.

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Oil spill on the Yellowstone: An estimated 1,000 barrels of crude oil from a burst pipeline poured into the pristine Yellowstone River, and a record flood surge this week threatened to spread the damage. ExxonMobil told regulators it took them 56 minutes last week to cut off the flow, long enough to send oil at least 30 miles downriver, with some reported sightings as far as 240 miles away. Montana goat farmer Alexis Bonogofsky said the rising river, swollen with record snowmelt from its source in Yellowstone National Park, had spread oil across her pastures and left her overwhelmed with strong fumes. “I want to know what the health impacts are and what’s in the oil,” she said. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer vowed to hold ExxonMobil accountable: “The state of Montana is going to stay on this like the smell on a skunk.”

Minneapolis

Shutdown showdown: Minnesotans found themselves without a functioning state government last week, after Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP lawmakers failed to agree on how to close a $5 billion budget hole. The shutdown threw 20,000 state employees out of work with no idea of when they might return, and closed state offices, parks, highway rest areas, and a state zoo. When negotiations broke down, the two sides were about $1.4 billion apart, with Dayton arguing in favor of tax increases for the wealthy and Republicans opposed. In an attempt to end the impasse, former Democratic Sen. Walter Mondale and ex-Republican Gov. Arne Carlson convened a bipartisan group of officials to hash out a budget proposal. “We need a plan that is slightly distasteful to both sides,” said Carlson.

Syracuse, N.Y.

Biker killed at rally: A 55-year-old motorcyclist died last week while riding in a protest rally against New York’s mandatory helmet law. Riding free of protective headgear, Philip A. Contos lost control of his 1983 Harley Davidson for no apparent reason. The crash launched the biker headfirst over the handlebars and onto the pavement. He was pronounced dead at Upstate University hospital. “He would’ve no doubt survived the accident had he been wearing a helmet,” said state trooper Jack Keller, who spoke to doctors at the hospital. Contos was riding with 550 other motorcyclists in a “helmet protest run” organized by American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, which lobbies for motorcycle safety and education. The group has protested every July 4 for the past 11 years, but this year saw a “weekend of irony and tragedy,” said Clutch and Chrome magazine.

Washington, D.C.

Clemens trial begins: Legendary New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens went on trial in U.S. District Court this week on charges that he lied to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner—and formerly a sure bet for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame—is charged with six counts of obstruction of Congress, false statements, and perjury related to his 2008 House testimony, in which he denied ever using steroids and human growth hormone. Clemens’s former trainer, Brian McNamee, has testified that he injected Clemens with steroids, and has supplied syringes and other evidence to investigators. In what may be the most dramatic moment in the trial, Clemens’s former best friend, pitcher Andy Pettitte, will testify that Clemens confided that he’d used human growth hormone. “Clemens is in big trouble,” said legal analyst Peter Keane. He faces a prison sentence of 30 years if convicted.

Atlanta

Cheating scandal: At least 178 teachers and principals took part in widespread, systematic cheating at 44 Atlanta public schools, said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal last week. A state investigation revealed that organized cheating, which started in 2001, was intended to help students, schools, and districts meet targets required by standardized testing. “A culture of fear, intimidation, and retaliation” kept the misconduct secret, said Deal. Teachers gathered at elaborate “cheating parties” to correct student mistakes and change test results. The investigation found that “thousands of children were harmed” by inflated scores, as they were pushed through the system and denied remedial education in order to preserve the high salaries of teachers and administrators. “There will be consequences,” said Deal, who promised dismissals and possible criminal charges.