1
VOL. CLXVIII . . . No. 58,109 © 2018 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2018 U(D54G1D)y+&!=!#!=!: RUTLAND, N.D. — When Sen- ator Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, and her Republican opponent, Representative Kevin Cramer, put Sunday’s annual Uffda Day cele- bration on their schedules this year, they most likely thought they would get an earful from vot- ers about tariffs here in the heart of North Dakota’s soybean belt. But the Scandinavian food festi- val in this town of 155, a fixture on North Dakota’s political calendar, instead served as a snapshot of the nation’s changing electoral landscape, illustrating why the Senate majority leader, Mitch Mc- Connell, was so eager to ram through Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Su- preme Court nomination ahead of the midterm election. Voter after voter brought up the polarizing Supreme Court battle to the two candidates as they made their way around the lefse and other Norwegian delicacies; the comments reflected the coun- try’s divide, with Republicans thanking Mr. Cramer for standing by Justice Kavanaugh and Demo- crats offering hugs to Ms. Heitkamp to show their apprecia- tion for her opposition. The intense interest, even in a farm-focused state far from Wash- ington, reflects the extent to which the partisan divide over Justice Kavanaugh has trans- formed the political debate in just a matter of weeks. With less than a month to go until the election, the battle for control of the Senate has been nationalized by the show- down over the Supreme Court, and for the moment has left Dem- ocrats alarmed and Republicans elated. The news could shift quickly in the month before the election; change is perhaps the only con- stant in the Trump era. But in a year in which crucial Senate races will play out in a series of heavily rural states that President Trump carried, a riveting, made-for-tele- vision clash over gender, politics and privilege is hardly what Dem- ocrats like Ms. Heitkamp had hoped would frame the final stretch of the election. “The smart political vote would have been to vote for Kavanaugh,” COURT SHOWDOWN INVIGORATES G.O.P. IN CRUCIAL RACES DEMOCRATS PUT TO TEST Endangered Senators in Red States Shift Focus to Local Issues By JONATHAN MARTIN Supporters of Heidi Heitkamp at the Uffda Day parade. ANNIE FLANAGAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES Continued on Page A18 SCHOHARIE, N.Y. — The 17 friends had all piled into a white stretch limousine for what was supposed to have been a birthday celebration at an upstate New York brewery. But they never reached their destination. The massive vehicle, speeding downhill on Saturday, approached the intersection of two highways that residents had long warned was notoriously dangerous. And in just a few seconds of ter- ror, their worst fears were real- ized: The limousine lost control, careening through the intersec- tion and striking an empty car. The crash killed all 18 occupants of the limousine, including the driver, as well as two pedestrians, in an accident that left deep tire tracks in the ground and the small town about 40 miles west of Al- bany, reeling. Four sisters, two brothers and at least three young couples were among the dead. “That limo was coming down that hill probably over 60 miles per hour,” said Jessica Kirby, 36, the manager of the Apple Barrel Country Store, where she said customers were hit near the park- ing lot. “All fatal.” “I don’t want to describe the scene,” she added. “It’s not some- thing I want to think about.” Federal investigators arrived on Sunday in the town and were scouring the scene for clues about the cause of the crash. The New York State Police said autopsies were underway on all the pas- sengers and the driver of the lim- ousine, including toxicology, though they cautioned that the in- vestigation was in its early stages. Continued on Page A20 20 DEAD UPSTATE AS LIMO CRASHES ON WAY TO PARTY A NOTORIOUS JUNCTION Speeding Vehicle Barrels Down a Hill 40 Miles West of Albany This article is by Jesse McKinley, Shane Goldmacher and Luis Ferré- Sadurní. Late Edition DAVANT, La. — In the exact spot where Hurricane Katrina demolished the Plaque- mines Parish Detention Center, a new $105 million jail now hovers 19 feet above the marsh, perched atop towering concrete pil- lars. Described by a state official as the “Taj Mahal” of Louisiana corrections, it has so much space that one of every 27 parish resi- dents could bunk there. But on an average day in the first half of this year, more than 40 percent of its 872 beds went unoccupied, making it one of the emptiest jails in the state, records show. And because of its isolated, flood-prone lo- cation, the jail still must be evacuated be- fore any major storm or risk becoming an accidental Alcatraz. There is but one reason the Plaquemines jail was rebuilt on endangered land, with needless capacity, at immense cost: The sheriff wanted it that way. But unlike most new jail construction, his project did not have to be financed through bond sales or other local revenues, with voters able to hold him accountable. Rather, because the old jail was destroyed by a natural disaster, the cost was covered by federal taxpayers, through a Federal Emergency Manage- ment Agency program that is required by law to distribute billions in aid but exerts little control over how the money is spent. FEMA’s public assistance program has provided at least $81 billion in this manner to state, territorial and local governments in response to disasters declared since 1992, according to a New York Times analy- sis of federal data. But an examination of projects across the country’s ever-expand- ing flood zones reveals that decisions to re- build in place, often made seemingly in defi- ance of climate change, have at times left structures just as defenseless against the next storm. Other efforts have required enormously expensive engineering to ensure protec- tion. Yet in some instances, restrictions on construction in flood plains have effectively prohibited FEMA from safeguarding its Ignoring Climate Science, FEMA Is Mired in Cycle of Repairs By KEVIN SACK and JOHN SCHWARTZ The Plaquemines Parish Detention Center was rebuilt on flood-prone land after being destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES Spending Billions, Over and Over, in Vulnerable Areas Continued on Page A14 LONDON — Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi dissident, met two friends for lunch last Monday in London to discuss a newspaper column he had drafted lamenting the lack of free speech in the Arab world. “Everyone is fearful,” he wrote. But Mr. Khashoggi appeared to have little fear about his plans for the next day: to pick up a docu- ment from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He brushed aside warn- ings from his friends that his criti- cism of the kingdom’s rulers had drawn their enmity, making the consulate dangerous territory. The consular staff, he assured them, “are just ordinary Saudis, and the ordinary Saudis are good people,” recalled one of his lunch companions, Azzam Tamimi. On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Khashoggi entered the consulate. He has not been seen since. Turkish investigators say that a team of 15 Saudi agents killed him inside the consulate, several offi- Saudi Critic Went to the Consulate, and Vanished By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and BEN HUBBARD Continued on Page A10 When Charles Myers, the chair- man of a financial advisory firm, hosted four relatively unknown Democratic congressional candi- dates at his Midtown Manhattan home last month, he netted more money than he can remember col- lecting from an event that wasn’t headlined by a presidential candi- date. “More than ever in my 26-year career on Wall Street, donors are willing to look way beyond con- cerns of overregulation from Democrats,” said Mr. Myers, a longtime Democratic fund-raiser. They just want to elect “Demo- crats to serve as a check” on Presi- dent Trump. The stock market may be boom- ing. Unemployment is hitting record lows. Republicans pushed through $1.5 trillion in tax cuts. But despite all that, for the first time in a decade, the broader fi- nancial community is on pace to give more money to Democratic congressional candidates and in- cumbents than their Republican counterparts, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign donations. Some of the same grass-roots energy coursing through the Democratic Party — House candi- dates from Kentucky to Montana Wall St., Booming With Trump, Gets Excited About Democrats By SHANE GOLDMACHER Continued on Page A13 WOUNDED SENATE Assessing the damage of an ugly confirmation fight. On Washington. PAGE A17 Investors in Silicon Valley shunned the nicotine start-up, but have supported others, as they confront a delicate ethi- cal dance. PAGE B1 BUSINESS DAY B1-6 Turning Their Back on Juul The first United States stadium show by the Korean group BTS was a mixture of showmanship and adulation. PAGE C2 ARTS C1-8 K-Pop Fervor and Devotion The specter of harder times hangs over a rural Australian town, and its church. The worst has yet to come. PAGE A4 INTERNATIONAL A4-11 A Pastor’s Drought Struggle The artist shredded his painting to poke fun at excessive auction prices, but now his works’ value may soar. PAGE C1 Banksy’s Prank Jolts Art World Meng Hongwei, the global law enforce- ment group’s president, is being held by the Chinese authorities. PAGE A9 Detained Interpol Head Quits A cluster of activist Democrats has dared to breach what has been an al- most inviolable orthodoxy on both sides of the aisle. PAGE A18 NATIONAL A12-18 Support Israel? No, Thanks The Giants scored 30 points for the first time in more than two years, but Car- olina won on Graham Gano’s long field goal in the final seconds. PAGE D4 SPORTSMONDAY D1-10 63-Yard Kick Beats the Giants Ana Mendieta, a Cuban artist, used materials like blood, dirt and fire. She died in 1985. Here’s an overdue ac- knowledgement of her work. PAGE D12 OBITUARIES D10-12 Her Art Was Feminist and Raw Activists and officials in the state worry that the national party is taking its eye off a heated Senate race. PAGE A19 NEW YORK A19-21 New Jersey Democrats Uneasy How do you count all the Eastern gray squirrels in Central Park? Walk slowly and listen for kuks and quaas. PAGE A20 In Search of Fluffy Tails Charles M. Blow PAGE A23 EDITORIAL, OP-ED A22-23 RIO DE JANEIRO — A far- right candidate who has spoken fondly of Brazil’s onetime military dictatorship came within a hair- breadth of outright victory in the country’s presidential election on Sunday, as Brazilians expressed disgust with politics as usual and endorsed an iron-fisted approach to fighting crime and corruption. Voters handed a first-round vic- tory to Jair Bolsonaro, who had stunned the establishment by ris- ing to the top of a crowded presi- dential field despite a history of of- fensive remarks about women, blacks and gay people. With 96 percent of votes tallied, Mr. Bolsonaro had just under 47 percent of the vote; he needed 50 percent to avoid a runoff. His nearest rival finished far behind, with 28 percent. With the presidency in sight, Mr. Bolsonaro said Sunday night he intended to unite a nation that is “on the brink of chaos” and said, “Together we will rebuild our Brazil.” Brazilians Vent Frustrations in Vote for President By ERNESTO LONDOÑO and MANUELA ANDREONI Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday. He faces a runoff, but earned over 45 percent of votes. EVARISTO SA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES Continued on Page A10 Embrace Lightning Rod of Far-Right Populism Today, damp and misty, cloudy, high 69. Tonight, low clouds, humid, low 65. Tomorrow, partly sunny, show- ers in areas west, humid, high 76. Weather map appears on Page A16. $3.00

ON WAY TO PARTY IN CRUCIAL RACES AS LIMO CRASHES … · 2019-11-11 · ror, their worst fears were real-ized: The limousine lost control, careening through the intersec-tion and striking

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Page 1: ON WAY TO PARTY IN CRUCIAL RACES AS LIMO CRASHES … · 2019-11-11 · ror, their worst fears were real-ized: The limousine lost control, careening through the intersec-tion and striking

VOL. CLXVIII . . . No. 58,109 © 2018 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2018

C M Y K Nxxx,2018-10-08,A,001,Bs-4C,E2

U(D54G1D)y+&!=!#!=!:

RUTLAND, N.D. — When Sen-ator Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat,and her Republican opponent,Representative Kevin Cramer, putSunday’s annual Uffda Day cele-bration on their schedules thisyear, they most likely thoughtthey would get an earful from vot-ers about tariffs here in the heartof North Dakota’s soybean belt.

But the Scandinavian food festi-val in this town of 155, a fixture onNorth Dakota’s political calendar,instead served as a snapshot ofthe nation’s changing electorallandscape, illustrating why theSenate majority leader, Mitch Mc-Connell, was so eager to ramthrough Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Su-preme Court nomination ahead ofthe midterm election.

Voter after voter brought up thepolarizing Supreme Court battleto the two candidates as theymade their way around the lefseand other Norwegian delicacies;the comments reflected the coun-try’s divide, with Republicansthanking Mr. Cramer for standingby Justice Kavanaugh and Demo-crats offering hugs to Ms.Heitkamp to show their apprecia-tion for her opposition.

The intense interest, even in afarm-focused state far from Wash-ington, reflects the extent towhich the partisan divide overJustice Kavanaugh has trans-formed the political debate in justa matter of weeks. With less than amonth to go until the election, thebattle for control of the Senate hasbeen nationalized by the show-down over the Supreme Court,and for the moment has left Dem-ocrats alarmed and Republicanselated.

The news could shift quickly inthe month before the election;change is perhaps the only con-stant in the Trump era. But in ayear in which crucial Senate raceswill play out in a series of heavilyrural states that President Trumpcarried, a riveting, made-for-tele-vision clash over gender, politicsand privilege is hardly what Dem-ocrats like Ms. Heitkamp hadhoped would frame the finalstretch of the election.

“The smart political vote wouldhave been to vote for Kavanaugh,”

COURT SHOWDOWNINVIGORATES G.O.P.IN CRUCIAL RACES

DEMOCRATS PUT TO TEST

Endangered Senators in Red States Shift Focus

to Local Issues

By JONATHAN MARTIN

Supporters of Heidi Heitkampat the Uffda Day parade.

ANNIE FLANAGAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Continued on Page A18

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. — The 17friends had all piled into a whitestretch limousine for what wassupposed to have been a birthdaycelebration at an upstate NewYork brewery. But they neverreached their destination.

The massive vehicle, speedingdownhill on Saturday, approachedthe intersection of two highwaysthat residents had long warnedwas notoriously dangerous.

And in just a few seconds of ter-ror, their worst fears were real-ized: The limousine lost control,careening through the intersec-tion and striking an empty car.

The crash killed all 18 occupantsof the limousine, including thedriver, as well as two pedestrians,in an accident that left deep tiretracks in the ground and the smalltown about 40 miles west of Al-bany, reeling.

Four sisters, two brothers andat least three young couples wereamong the dead.

“That limo was coming downthat hill probably over 60 milesper hour,” said Jessica Kirby, 36,the manager of the Apple BarrelCountry Store, where she saidcustomers were hit near the park-ing lot. “All fatal.”

“I don’t want to describe thescene,” she added. “It’s not some-thing I want to think about.”

Federal investigators arrivedon Sunday in the town and werescouring the scene for clues aboutthe cause of the crash. The NewYork State Police said autopsieswere underway on all the pas-sengers and the driver of the lim-ousine, including toxicology,though they cautioned that the in-vestigation was in its early stages.

Continued on Page A20

20 DEAD UPSTATEAS LIMO CRASHESON WAY TO PARTY

A NOTORIOUS JUNCTION

Speeding Vehicle BarrelsDown a Hill 40 Miles

West of Albany

This article is by Jesse McKinley,Shane Goldmacher and Luis Ferré-Sadurní.

Late Edition

DAVANT, La. — In the exact spot whereHurricane Katrina demolished the Plaque-mines Parish Detention Center, a new $105million jail now hovers 19 feet above themarsh, perched atop towering concrete pil-lars. Described by a state official as the “TajMahal” of Louisiana corrections, it has somuch space that one of every 27 parish resi-dents could bunk there.

But on an average day in the first half ofthis year, more than 40 percent of its 872beds went unoccupied, making it one of theemptiest jails in the state, records show.And because of its isolated, flood-prone lo-cation, the jail still must be evacuated be-fore any major storm or risk becoming anaccidental Alcatraz.

There is but one reason the Plaqueminesjail was rebuilt on endangered land, withneedless capacity, at immense cost: Thesheriff wanted it that way. But unlike mostnew jail construction, his project did nothave to be financed through bond sales orother local revenues, with voters able tohold him accountable. Rather, because theold jail was destroyed by a natural disaster,the cost was covered by federal taxpayers,through a Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency program that is required bylaw to distribute billions in aid but exerts

little control over how the money is spent.FEMA’s public assistance program has

provided at least $81 billion in this mannerto state, territorial and local governmentsin response to disasters declared since1992, according to a New York Times analy-sis of federal data. But an examination ofprojects across the country’s ever-expand-ing flood zones reveals that decisions to re-build in place, often made seemingly in defi-ance of climate change, have at times leftstructures just as defenseless against thenext storm.

Other efforts have required enormouslyexpensive engineering to ensure protec-tion. Yet in some instances, restrictions onconstruction in flood plains have effectivelyprohibited FEMA from safeguarding its

Ignoring Climate Science, FEMA Is Mired in Cycle of RepairsBy KEVIN SACK and JOHN SCHWARTZ

The Plaquemines Parish Detention Center was rebuilt on flood-prone land after being destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Spending Billions, Over andOver, in Vulnerable Areas

Continued on Page A14

LONDON — Jamal Khashoggi,a prominent Saudi dissident, mettwo friends for lunch last Mondayin London to discuss a newspapercolumn he had drafted lamentingthe lack of free speech in the Arabworld. “Everyone is fearful,” he

wrote.But Mr. Khashoggi appeared to

have little fear about his plans forthe next day: to pick up a docu-ment from the Saudi consulate inIstanbul. He brushed aside warn-ings from his friends that his criti-cism of the kingdom’s rulers haddrawn their enmity, making theconsulate dangerous territory.

The consular staff, he assured

them, “are just ordinary Saudis,and the ordinary Saudis are goodpeople,” recalled one of his lunchcompanions, Azzam Tamimi.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mr.Khashoggi entered the consulate.He has not been seen since.

Turkish investigators say that ateam of 15 Saudi agents killed himinside the consulate, several offi-

Saudi Critic Went to the Consulate, and VanishedBy DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

and BEN HUBBARD

Continued on Page A10

When Charles Myers, the chair-man of a financial advisory firm,hosted four relatively unknownDemocratic congressional candi-dates at his Midtown Manhattanhome last month, he netted moremoney than he can remember col-lecting from an event that wasn’theadlined by a presidential candi-date.

“More than ever in my 26-yearcareer on Wall Street, donors arewilling to look way beyond con-cerns of overregulation fromDemocrats,” said Mr. Myers, alongtime Democratic fund-raiser.They just want to elect “Demo-crats to serve as a check” on Presi-dent Trump.

The stock market may be boom-ing. Unemployment is hittingrecord lows. Republicans pushed

through $1.5 trillion in tax cuts.But despite all that, for the first

time in a decade, the broader fi-nancial community is on pace togive more money to Democraticcongressional candidates and in-cumbents than their Republicancounterparts, according to datafrom the Center for ResponsivePolitics, a nonpartisan group thattracks campaign donations.

Some of the same grass-rootsenergy coursing through theDemocratic Party — House candi-dates from Kentucky to Montana

Wall St., Booming With Trump,Gets Excited About Democrats

By SHANE GOLDMACHER

Continued on Page A13

WOUNDED SENATE Assessing thedamage of an ugly confirmationfight. On Washington. PAGE A17

Investors in Silicon Valley shunned thenicotine start-up, but have supportedothers, as they confront a delicate ethi-cal dance. PAGE B1

BUSINESS DAY B1-6

Turning Their Back on JuulThe first United States stadium show bythe Korean group BTS was a mixture ofshowmanship and adulation. PAGE C2

ARTS C1-8

K-Pop Fervor and DevotionThe specter of harder times hangs overa rural Australian town, and its church.The worst has yet to come. PAGE A4

INTERNATIONAL A4-11

A Pastor’s Drought Struggle

The artist shredded his painting to pokefun at excessive auction prices, but nowhis works’ value may soar. PAGE C1

Banksy’s Prank Jolts Art WorldMeng Hongwei, the global law enforce-ment group’s president, is being held bythe Chinese authorities. PAGE A9

Detained Interpol Head Quits

A cluster of activist Democrats hasdared to breach what has been an al-most inviolable orthodoxy on both sidesof the aisle. PAGE A18

NATIONAL A12-18

Support Israel? No, ThanksThe Giants scored 30 points for the firsttime in more than two years, but Car-olina won on Graham Gano’s long fieldgoal in the final seconds. PAGE D4

SPORTSMONDAY D1-10

63-Yard Kick Beats the Giants

Ana Mendieta, a Cuban artist, usedmaterials like blood, dirt and fire. Shedied in 1985. Here’s an overdue ac-knowledgement of her work. PAGE D12

OBITUARIES D10-12

Her Art Was Feminist and RawActivists and officials in the state worrythat the national party is taking its eyeoff a heated Senate race. PAGE A19

NEW YORK A19-21

New Jersey Democrats Uneasy

How do you count all the Eastern graysquirrels in Central Park? Walk slowlyand listen for kuks and quaas. PAGE A20

In Search of Fluffy Tails

Charles M. Blow PAGE A23

EDITORIAL, OP-ED A22-23

RIO DE JANEIRO — A far-right candidate who has spokenfondly of Brazil’s onetime militarydictatorship came within a hair-breadth of outright victory in thecountry’s presidential election onSunday, as Brazilians expresseddisgust with politics as usual andendorsed an iron-fisted approachto fighting crime and corruption.

Voters handed a first-round vic-tory to Jair Bolsonaro, who hadstunned the establishment by ris-ing to the top of a crowded presi-dential field despite a history of of-fensive remarks about women,blacks and gay people.

With 96 percent of votes tallied,Mr. Bolsonaro had just under 47percent of the vote; he needed 50percent to avoid a runoff. Hisnearest rival finished far behind,with 28 percent.

With the presidency in sight,Mr. Bolsonaro said Sunday nighthe intended to unite a nation thatis “on the brink of chaos” and said,“Together we will rebuild ourBrazil.”

Brazilians Vent Frustrations in Vote for PresidentBy ERNESTO LONDOÑO

and MANUELA ANDREONI

Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday. He faces a runoff, but earned over 45 percent of votes.EVARISTO SA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES

Continued on Page A10

Embrace Lightning Rodof Far-Right Populism

Today, damp and misty, cloudy, high69. Tonight, low clouds, humid, low65. Tomorrow, partly sunny, show-ers in areas west, humid, high 76.Weather map appears on Page A16.

$3.00