Former Salvadoran General Faces Deportation from U.S. for Role in Killings
A former defense minister of El Salvador is facing deportation from the United States for his role in atrocities during the 1980s, including the murder of Archbishop Óscar Romero and the massacre of more than 1,000 people in El Mozote. Judge Michael Horn found General José Guillermo García helped hide the involvement of soldiers in the 1980 killing of four U.S. churchwomen in El Salvador. At the time, the United States was heavily backing the Salvadoran military. García received political asylum in the United States in 1990.
Electric cars can go only half as far in freezing weather
Testing by AAA has found that how far an electric vehicle can travel on one charge varies widely depending on the weather. Frigid temperatures can reduce that distance by 57%. The research is important to the Automobile Club of Southern California because it maintains mobile recharging trucks for people who misjudge how far they can go in their electric car. The center conducted tests on a 2013 Nissan Leaf, a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiEV and the electric version of a 2014 Ford Focus. The average EV battery range in AAA’s test was 105 miles at 75 degrees but dropped 57% to just 43 miles at 20 degrees. Heat also sliced the cars’ ranges but by not as much: The cars averaged 69 miles per full charge at 95 degrees, 33% less than in 75-degree weather.
Train Carrying Crude Oil Derails, Spills in Virginia
A train carrying crude oil has derailed in Virginia, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and spilling into the James River. The company CSX says 15 tankers broke free of the train near Lynchburg, with at least three catching fire. The oil has spilled for hours into the James River, which is the capital Richmond’s main water supply. It was the second oil train accident for CSX this year and the sixth overall in North America since the derailment that killed 47 people in Quebec last July. Environmental groups have campaigned for a ban on oil train routes through the Richmond area. In a statement, the Sierra Club said: “In the wake of this, and other recent dirty fuel disasters, it’s clear that we must move as quickly as possible to safer, cleaner forms of energy like wind and solar. The safest place for dirty fuels is in the ground.”