The world at a glance...Americas

Philadelphia

Heated debate: After months of largely refraining from personal attacks, Hillary Clinton’s top rivals for the Democratic nomination really let her have it this week. During the seventh in a series of televised debates, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama accused Clinton of inconsistency in her positions on Iraq and Iran and of being beholden to special interests. Edwards said Clinton, who enjoys a big lead in national polls, was a defender of a broken system that’s corrupt in Washington, D.C. Obama chided Clinton for changing positions whenever it’s politically convenient. Clinton appeared beleaguered, saying at one point that while she needed to rebut her opponents, I don’t know where to start. The attacks on Clinton grew so heated that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson intervened, scolding the others for their holierthan- thou attitude toward Sen. Clinton.

Washington, D.C.Phony press conference: The Federal Emergency Management Agency admitted that it staged a press conference on the Southern California wildfires last week, with FEMA employees posing as reporters. The agency had called the press conference with only 15 minutes’ notice. When no reporters showed up at FEMA’s Washington pressroom, stand-ins from the agency took their place. They lobbed softball questions at FEMA deputy chief Harvey Johnson, such as, Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far? Johnson denied any intent to deceive. Our intent was to provide information, Johnson said. The White House expressed its disapproval, and a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA’s parent agency, called it offensive. After the ruse was publicized, FEMA public affairs chief Pat Philbin resigned.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

AtlantaFreed in sex case: Genarlow Wilson, who as a 17-yearold was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual sex with a 15-year-old girl, was freed last week after Georgia’s highest court ruled that his punishment was cruel and unusual. Wilson was prosecuted for aggravated child molestation, a felony, after receiving oral sex during a New Year’s Eve party in 2003. At the time, the crime was punishable by a mandatory 10-year sentence. Following state and national protests over the youngster’s treatment, the Georgia legislature reclassified Wilson’s offense as a misdemeanor. Wilson, now 21, said he was looking forward to enrolling in college and majoring in sociology— because I feel like I’ve been living my major.

PhiladelphiaHeated debate: After months of largely refraining from personal attacks, Hillary Clinton’s top rivals for the Democratic nomination really let her have it this week. During the seventh in a series of televised debates, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama accused Clinton of inconsistency in her positions on Iraq and Iran and of being beholden to special interests. Edwards said Clinton, who enjoys a big lead in national polls, was a defender of a broken system that’s corrupt in Washington, D.C. Obama chided Clinton for changing positions whenever it’s politically convenient. Clinton appeared beleaguered, saying at one point that while she needed to rebut her opponents, I don’t know where to start. The attacks on Clinton grew so heated that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson intervened, scolding the others for their holierthan- thou attitude toward Sen. Clinton.

Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.Fire kills seven students: Seven college students died this week when the beach house where they were partying was gutted by fire. Six other students in the house managed to escape, some by jumping from third-story windows into a canal. All but one of the dead, who ranged in age from 18 to 20, were students at the University of South Carolina; the seventh attended Clemson. Investigators said they did not suspect foul play but are not yet sure how the fire started. The owner of the house, Chip Auman, whose daughter was one of the survivors, described the tragedy as hard to fathom. Said Auman: We’re numb. We’re confused. We’re heartbroken. La Paz, BoliviaSex workers strike: Some 35,000 sex workers in Bolivia are refusing to take government-mandated medical tests, to protest what they call a growing wave of harassment and ostracism. The prostitutes staged their job action after residents of El Alto, near the Bolivian capital of La Paz, burned and looted at least 30 brothels and bars, which citizens say foster crime and underage drinking. Prostitution is legal in Bolivia, and sex workers are required to be tested every 20 days for sexually transmitted diseases. We refuse to be STD-tested until we can work free from harassment, said Lily Cortez, president of the Night Workers of El Alto. In El Alto, 50 prostitutes are staging a hunger strike, with some sewing their lips together to dramatize their protest.

Santo Domingo, Dominican RepublicStorm kills scores: At least 48 people were killed this week by a storm that swept over Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Noel pounded the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the two countries, causing thousands to flee and triggering flooding and mudslides. Collapsed bridges and overflowing rivers have isolated at least 36 towns in the Dominican Republic. In Haiti, residents of the capital, Port-au-Prince, struggled through waist-high waters in the city’s streets. With little ground cover, Hispaniola is extremely vulnerable to floods.