News
Miss Manners: Should I pretend I haven’t seen the news about their misdeed?
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have seen a close relative in the news for something nefarious.
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I know they must be upset by the reports, and I sincerely feel bad for them, as I know this action was out of character.
Should I acknowledge the incident and comfort them, or just ignore the whole thing? I want to let them know things will be OK but don’t want to embarrass them.
GENTLE READER: Miss Manners notes that the action was not, however, so out of character that you appear to have any doubt about the facts.
The approach to take is to ask how they are doing. You will not need — or want — to mention the incident directly, or even add any special inflection when you ask how they are. Most people are well-informed about their own lives, so they will make the connection and you can then follow that lead.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband died unexpectedly three months ago. It was a shock and I am not OK.
But sometimes I have to go grocery shopping. As I start to move around in the world again, people stop me frequently and ask how I’m doing.
This is difficult to answer, and I understand they are trying to be kind. But then they often go on to share with me painful stories of the spouse, sibling, child or dear friend they lost, and how hard it was for them.
I think this is an effort to show solidarity or demonstrate that I’m not alone in my grief. But it ends up with me shouldering the burden of gathering heartbreaking, sometimes traumatic, stories as I go through my day.
This near-constant reminder of how unhappy people are inside is not making things easier; it’s making me want to go back to hibernating.
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When someone, maybe with good intent, starts oversharing, how do I politely get them to just … not?
I’m sure their pain is real and that they also need support, but I am not the person to give it right now.
GENTLE READER: “Thank you so much for asking. I’m still at that stage where everything reminds me of my loss, which is why I am not going out. I would love to see you again and talk more when I’m able to. Excuse me.” The difficult — but critical — next step is then to walk away.
Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
Today in History: October 8, Pakistan-India border earthquake kills tens of thousands
Today is Wednesday, Oct. 8, the 281st day of 2025. There are 84 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Oct. 8, 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on the Pakistan-India border killed an estimated 86,000 people.
Also on this date:In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire began; more than 300 people died and more than 17,000 structures were destroyed during the three-day blaze.
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In 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5, 2-0.
In 1997, scientists reported the Mars Pathfinder had yielded what could be the strongest evidence yet that Mars might once have been hospitable to life.
In 2002, a federal judge approved President George W. Bush’s request to reopen West Coast ports, ending a 10-day labor lockout that was costing the U.S. economy an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion a day.
In 2016, Donald Trump vowed to continue his campaign after many Republicans called on him to abandon his presidential bid in the wake of the release of a 2005 video in which he made lewd remarks about women and appeared to condone sexual assault.
In 2020, authorities in Michigan said six men had been charged with conspiring to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in reaction to what they viewed as her “uncontrolled power.”
In 2022, an explosion caused the partial collapse of a bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, damaging an important supply artery for the Kremlin’s war effort in southern Ukraine.
In 2024, two pioneers of artificial intelligence — Canadian John Hopfield and American Geoffrey Hinton — won the Nobel Prize in physics for helping create the building blocks of machine learning that is revolutionizing the way people work and live.
Today’s Birthdays:- Actor Paul Hogan is 86.
- Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson is 84.
- Comedian Chevy Chase is 82.
- Author R.L. Stine is 82.
- Actor Sigourney Weaver is 76.
- Musician Robert “Kool” Bell (Kool & the Gang) is 75.
- Producer-director Edward Zwick is 73.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott is 70.
- Comedian Darrell Hammond is 70.
- Actor Kim Wayans is 64.
- Gospel singer CeCe Winans is 61.
- Olympic gold medal swimmer Matt Biondi is 60.
- Actor Karyn Parsons is 59.
- Singer-producer Teddy Riley is 58.
- Actor Matt Damon is 55.
- Actor-TV host Nick Cannon is 45.
- Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is 40.
- Actor Angus T. Jones is 32.
- Actor-singer Bella Thorne is 28.
Morning Update: South Florida’s top stories for Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025
Here are the top stories for Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.
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Broward starts weighing the latest ideas to close schools
Insurance laws will protect us from AI decision making, experts tell panel
Armed investigators visit man who sent postcard critical of Florida CFO Ingoglia
Dave Hyde: A ‘goose-bumps’ Panthers night as banner goes up, new season starts with win
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Miss Manners: We’d been dating for months when I learned the creepy truth
Dave Hyde: A ‘goose-bumps’ Panthers night as banner goes up, new season starts with win
SUNRISE — This never gets old. Never. It even felt better in the repeating late Tuesday afternoon as the “Stanley Cup Champions” banner rose slowly to the rafters, Florida Panthers players watched on the ice with arms locked around each other and the sold-out crowd applauded.
“Goose-bumps,” said Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist.
Yes, this scene never gets old, no matter how many times it might happen, and the fans already were counting ahead.
“We want three,” they chanted in the final seconds of the offseason inside Amerant Bank Arena. “We want three!”
The unimaginable is now imaginable.
“We obviously have the same expectations,” forward Brad Marchand said of a three-peat after the Panthers’ 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the season opener. “But it’s going to be harder than the last two, this season.”
The familiar names returned to their familiar places on this first night to take the first, small step toward that. There was coach Paul Maurice behind the bench, taking a moment to reflect on the two titles and admiring the players putting arms around each other even started analyzing his new lines.
There was forward A.J. Greer reminding everyone how the fourth line matters to this team, picking up some loose change in front of the net and scoring the Panthers’ first goal.
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There was Carter Verhaeghe scoring the second goal past goalie Spencer Knight, the former Panther who did everything to keep Chicago in the game.
Yes, the two-time champs were back for the new season, and so was the old fun, right down to the “Bobby” chants for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, even if there was little of the emotion or consequence of the last time everyone was in Amerant Bank Arena.
There can’t be in Game 1 of the new season. Not when you’ve climbed the mountaintop like the Panthers have the past two seasons. This first game even lacked some big-night drama, because instead of showcasing the two-time champion in a prime-time opener against some Eastern Conference rival, they scheduled a 5 p.m. game against a blah Chicago team that hasn’t spilled any blood with the Panthers.
Not that Panthers need any more drama. Not really. Just reaching this starting line packed too much even without the emotion of the banner going up.
Their star of stars, Aleksander Barkov, was lost probably for the season with a knee injury. Their skating identity, Matthew Tkachuk, is out the first two or three months.
And, as if to show how much space the Panthers now occupy in other team’s heads, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper took everyone back to the 1970s in preseason games against them. Cheap shots. Flying elbows.
“It was over the top,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday at the Panthers game of Tampa Bay’s antics.
The Panthers have won in the gutter in recent years. They’ve won with the depth of their roster coming through like in this opener, too. Mackie Samoskevich, a rookie no more, got his second assist on the night by air-mailing a third-period pass across the middle that Boqvist bunted it in as he skated to the net.
“A great pass,” Boqvist said. “I kind of just skated it in.”
Greer. Samoskevich. Boqvist. Jonah Gadjovich had an assist. That’s how you cover on the first night for the missing star power of Barkov and Tkachuk.
That’s how you write a good ending to a night with a good stat. Aaron Ekblad skated out the Stanley Cup for the pregame ceremony considering Barkov couldn’t.
“It was incredible coming out in front of our fans to be able to hoist it one more time,” Ekblad said at his locker after the game. “But we’re trying to put that feeling behind us and move on to a new season.”
No, it never gets old, that feeling as the banner goes up to the rafters to stay forever. Goose-bumps indeed.
Show Caption1 of 24Jesper Boqvist scores the go ahead goal during the Florida Panthers in their home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)ExpandThe Florida Panthers win home opener | PHOTOS
Show Caption1 of 24Jesper Boqvist scores the go ahead goal during the Florida Panthers in their home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)Expand
Daily Horoscope for October 08, 2025
General Daily Insight for October 08, 2025
Decisions, decisions, decisions! The emotive Moon is at odds with intellectual Mercury, leading us to feel torn between our hearts and heads. Picking either side will be rough, but it’s eased by balanced Venus working with lucky Jupiter at 7:41 am EDT. They offer a planetary insight boost to assist in clearing up the main confusions. Finally, though, the Moon struggles with impatient Mars, again making it difficult to choose for ourselves when the pressure is on. Let’s make any decisions from a grounded, balanced place.
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Your head may demand that you must cling tight for security, while your heart is telling you to let go, because you are already steady. It may feel as though you won’t be supported when you’re not holding on to something or someone, but you can stand on your own and face the world. You have the strength to continue and to make your way forward with no fear. If anyone tries to control you with resources, words, or actions, show them that they can’t.
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
No one can tell you who you are. You know the contents of your soul more intimately than anyone, but that won’t stop some people from painting an inaccurate picture of you — and then trying to convince you that it’s real. They may have had a difficult experience with you, which you will probably have to take ownership of in some way. Still, that doesn’t define who you are. Don’t let an outside perspective prevent you from seeing and expressing yourself.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
What is kept hidden can’t be ruined by prying eyes. You may have someone that’s keeping tabs on you, watching and waiting to see what you do next. Prevent them from looking in by refusing to give away your plans before you’ve put them in motion — that should give you some power back. Plus, it offers a source of excitement that can’t be taken away by those who might judge you. Show the world what you’re working on when you’re ready.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Your dreams might currently need more than passion. Perhaps your passion for something that once set fire to your soul is dimming. It could be due to unforeseen obstacles that have recently arisen, an unusual responsibility in your life taking time away from it, or simple exhaustion leading you to put your energy into other areas. Instead of giving up, remind yourself that it’s okay not to be excited every single day. You’re allowed to have goals that aren’t constantly electrifying!
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
Some gifts are so special that they can’t be bought. There may be someone in your life, particularly a family member, who asks to speak with you or spend time with you. You might have other plans or responsibilities on your plate, but it would likely benefit you to take this time to speak with them. There’s a big chance that they have something important to share with you, or you might enjoy a spirited discussion that you never expected. Hear them out.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
An intriguing chat could have even more to teach you than it seems at first glance. These updates might be unexpected, especially if they come from a close friend or a sibling. While it may be difficult to navigate this conversation, it’s unlikely to be a negative one — just something that you didn’t see coming. Do your best to share your thoughts with them, but don’t give advice unless they ask for it. Be thankful that they trust you enough to share this.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
You’re seeing beneath the surface. On paper, an agreement, contract, or even relationship might sound good, but pay attention to any instincts telling you that you should be hesitant and think about it before jumping in with both feet. You could feel pressured to accept, which may convince you to ignore what your heart is saying in favor of letting the “logical” argument take control. Trust your gut! Even if it isn’t exactly correct, having a conversation about whatever’s bothering you will still be valuable.
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Wearing someone else’s shoes could be necessary at present. Your perspective might be dominating the situation, such that it’ll be difficult to understand the unique ways other individuals see the same scene. You may push harder for your way to be the way everyone goes, but make a point of hearing and contemplating everyone’s ideas before moving ahead. It’s important to come to an agreement that everyone’s happy with, rather than immediately getting your way. Teamwork will benefit you more in the long run.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
You might feel as though your thoughts are wreathed in confusing fog. Making the wisest decisions will be tougher than normal. When you notice that you’re merely going through the motions and not necessarily paying attention to what’s going on around you, do something to wake yourself up. Try drinking some very cold water or smelling a pleasant, strong scent. An absent mind risks causing mistakes in tasks that you do all the time. Being on autopilot is no way to spend your days.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Frustration can complicate fun. You might be going somewhere exciting to spend time with friends or family, but squabbling is endangering everyone’s ability to truly enjoy the moment. Do your best to be the peacemaker and keep people’s minds here and now. You don’t have to (and probably shouldn’t) take any particular side. Just focus on the positive! If you find that you can’t break them out of their dark clouds, then try to have fun on your own or with less combative companions.
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Demands from your responsibilities can make it hard to connect. You may find that you’re being contacted often by your job, or that you continually receive frustrating updates on a project you’re working on, interrupting the time that you could be spending with the people you care about. It can be difficult to be present when your mind has to be in two places, so do your best to carve out time to focus solely on each topic. You shouldn’t have to split your attention.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Knowledge and wisdom are two different things. You may know something to be true, but you’re also wise enough not to let that factor, whatever it is, control your life. Opposingly, someone in your life right now could be attempting to use facts to sway your opinion. Remind yourself that they’re potentially looking at it from one standpoint, without taking into account the multiple other perspectives and influences on the matter. Stay true to yourself and be wise enough to avoid a fruitless argument.
Michigan creates additional marijuana tax to fund Whitmer’s plan to ‘fix the damn roads’
By ISABELLA VOLMERT
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed into law a new 24% tax on marijuana sales between producers and dispensaries, creating revenue to partially fund her long-promised effort to improve the state’s roads.
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Whitmer made road repairs her priority this year. The Legislature’s fiscal agencies estimate the wholesale tax will generate $420 million in new revenue to go towards the annual $1.8 billion road funding plan. But analysts predict the additional tax will inevitably lead to a drop in sales.
“When I took office, I made a promise to fix the damn roads so Michiganders could get where they’re going faster and safer,” she said in a video. Whitmer — long considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate, although she hinted she may not be interested in the job — signed the budget in a closed-door meeting.
The wholesale tax will be levied on the sale of marijuana from growers and processors to retailers.
Adam Hoffer, director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, said the new tax will almost certainly lead to an increase in retail prices and a decrease in sales. The Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency predicted a 14.4% sales decline. Shoppers will still also have to pay a 10% retail excise tax on marijuana, which has been in place since it was legalized in 2018, plus a 6% sales tax.
States that allow the sale of recreational marijuana tax cannabis products at different rates, so it’s difficult to make state-to-state comparisons, Hoffer said. But the wholesale tax will drive the amount of tax on Michigan products from the lower end of the spectrum to the higher. Minnesota, Maryland and Maine also hiked taxes on marijuana products this year.
“This massive tax increase is really going to hurt the legal market in Michigan,” Hoffer said, echoing concerns from critics who say it will encourage illicit marijuana sales.
Stuart Carter, founder of the Detroit Cannabis Industry Association, said the tax will devastate smaller businesses in particular. He called it a “slap in the face” after the tax hike was ushered through the Legislature with little chance for public comment.
The new tax was key in the final negotiations on the road-funding plan. Michigan’s freezing and thawing cycle in the winter creates a continuous need for road repairs and the topic has been an issue for decades. Discussion on where to find the funds has been a source of disagreement; lawmakers usually balk at the idea of raising taxes.
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonpartisan research organization, ranks Michigan 40th in the nation for road conditions and 28th when it comes to funding road improvements.
Whitmer’s first plan — a 45 cent gas tax increase — was rejected by lawmakers in 2019. She turned to a bonding program in 2020 and the state borrowed $3.5 billion to rebuild highways and bridges. The plan created a marathon of new construction projects, but local roads did not benefit and that borrowing is coming to an end this year.
Michigan’s budget for fiscal year 2026, agreed after months of contentious debate, totals $81 billion, according to the governor’s office. Democrats control the Senate and Republicans control the House. The many disagreements between the parties sent the state barreling towards a government shutdown, and lawmakers technically did not pass a budget by the Oct. 1 deadline. But they agreed to a continuing resolution, and the full budget was passed in the early hours of Friday.
About $1 billion of the package has been dedicated to funding local road and bridge improvement projects. In addition to the marijuana tax, it will also be funded by redirecting all taxes paid at the gas pump towards roads. Previously, gasoline sales tax largely went to a fund for schools.
Lance Binoniemi, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, said the marijuana tax is a “nontraditional method” of supporting roadwork funding, but lawmakers recognized the urgency of finalizing a plan.
“We think this is a big step in the right direction,” he said.
Associated Press writer David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Panthers start quest for third straight Stanley Cup with win over Blackhawks
SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers received a request from their fans before beginning the 2025-26 campaign.
“We want three! We want three!” the crowd chanted after the pregame ceremonies ended.
It was not an unreasonable request. The team celebrated its second consecutive Stanley Cup title before the beginning of Tuesday’s season opener against Chicago, raising the championship banner in a pregame ceremony.
“Goosebumps,” said forward Jesper Boqvist, who scored the game-winning goal. “It’s a long way there and a lot of work, but we’ve just got to take it day-by-day and work through towards it.”
Florida opened this season the way it ended last year’s — with a victory, beating the Blackhawks 3-2 in front of a sold-out crowd at Amerant Bank Arena, kicking off the Panthers’ quest for a third consecutive Stanley Cup.
The Panthers started their preseason celebrations on Monday, receiving their championship rings. The ring features a pair of Stanley Cups, the player’s name and number and the phrase “we apologize to no one,” which Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk said at the championship parade in June.
“It was a really nice 24 hours for us because we don’t talk about a bunch,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “You win it, you have the parade, and everybody leaves town, right? It’s gone, and then you come back and training camp hits you. So the last 24 hours, we got to relive it a little bit. It was very nice.”
When they took the ice on Tuesday, the cast of characters was largely the same as the one that celebrated all over South Florida at the start of summer. Veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was back in the net, and stars like Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett, Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad took their usual spots on the ice.
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Brad Marchand also returned to the ice in Sunrise after opting to convert his snowbird status into full-time residency in the offseason, signing a six-year deal with Florida. A former Panther enemy with Boston, Marchand received some of the loudest cheers in pregame introductions.
“It felt great,” Marchand said. “It was a whirlwind, coming down here last year, and I really appreciate the way that fans have embraced me and kind of brought me in and supported me throughout the time here. And it’s great to come back and feel that again. I’m just as excited as they are that it’s worked out the way it has, from the moment I’ve gotten here until now, and the next six years and maybe another six years after that.”
The whole team did not return, though. Center and captain Aleksander Barkov and star winger Tkachuk started the season out of the lineup due to injuries: Barkov is recovering from knee surgery, and Tkachuk is recovering from hip surgery.
The game did not have a storybook start for Florida, as Chicago center Frank Nazar opened the scoring with a breakaway goal. But the Panthers’ luck changed quickly. Center AJ Greer scored the team’s first goal of the season just over a minute later, and Florida took the lead on a Carter Verhaeghe power-play goal later in the first period
Chicago’s Teuvo Teravainen began the second period with an equalizing goal. There were a pair of injury scares for Florida in the period as Reinhart took a puck to the face and Evan Rodrigues went down with an injury, but both returned to the ice.
Boqvist scored the game-winner after he batted a puck out of the air and past Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight — a former Panther — with 10:20 left in the third period.
“We’re going to need other people to fill in for some goals,” Maurice said. “There was lots of good for our first game.”
Show Caption1 of 24Jesper Boqvist scores the go ahead goal during the Florida Panthers in their home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)ExpandGold demand puts Peru’s Amazon at greater risk from mercury poisoning, bishop warns
By STEVEN GRATTAN
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — As gold prices hover at record highs, a leading Catholic leader in Peru’s Amazon is urging countries that are destinations for the precious metal to help stem illegal mining that is poisoning rivers with mercury.
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Miguel Ángel Cadenas, an Augustinian from Spain who has lived in Peru’s Amazon for three decades, said illegal mining has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the Tigre, Nanay, Napo and Putumayo rivers as some areas where communities are at risk.
Tests have found mercury levels in some fish above World Health Organization limits, and hair samples from local residents analyzed by scientists and doctors also showed elevated concentrations.
“We are in a delicate situation,” Cadenas told The Associated Press. “Given that the Amazonian diet is rich in fish, we are talking about food insecurity.”
Mercury is widely used to separate gold during small-scale mining. It contaminates water, accumulates in fish, and builds up in people’s bodies, leading to neurological and developmental harm. Cadenas said the health risks are especially acute in the Amazon, where medical services are scarce.
Research in Peru’s Madre de Dios region found that 43% of women of childbearing age had mercury levels above WHO safety limits, while hair samples in villages along Peru’s Amazon riverways showed nearly 80% of residents exceeded the threshold.
“The majority of people do not understand what is happening. There is barely any information,” Cadenas said. “The state should first provide good information to its own population and then sources of food that allow other alternatives — which do not exist.”
Call for gold traceabilityGold prices are soaring — analysts expect them to average around $3,675 per ounce by late 2025 with possible gains toward $4,000 by 2026, according to JPMorgan.
Analysts say weak traceability systems make it easier for illegally mined gold to slip into global markets. Reports from Switzerland and sustainability researchers focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards say gold tainted with mercury in places like the Amazon is often laundered through refineries before entering jewelry, electronics or national reserves.
Cadenas, who served as a missionary and bishop before being appointed in 2021 to lead the Apostolic Vicariate of Iquitos, stressed that Peru cannot handle the problem alone.
“As long as the price of gold continues to rise, it is very difficult for a national government to manage this situation,” he said. He pointed to gold-buying nations including China, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
“The first responsibility should be that those countries buying gold require traceability, so that it is not possible to pass illegal gold into legality so easily,” he said.
‘Extremely serious’Cadenas also warned of growing violence, especially against local environmental defenders in the Amazon region.
Bishop Miguel Ángel Cadenas speaks while attending an Amazon Water Summit in Iquitos, Peru, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Junior Raborg)Across the Amazon, environmental defenders are frequently targeted — Colombia has led the world in killings for several years, while Peru also ranks among the most dangerous places to speak out against illegal mining and logging.
“There are people who are being threatened with death, and this seems extremely serious to me,” he said, citing reports that illegal miners in remote areas are tied to armed groups, including Colombian FARC dissidents.
Peru has at times tried to rein in illegal mining and mercury use. In 2019 it launched Operation Mercury, a military-police crackdown that sharply reduced deforestation in the La Pampa mining zone, though much of the activity later shifted elsewhere. Authorities also announced record seizures of contraband mercury, including a four-ton shipment at Callao port this year.
Still, Indigenous groups say enforcement is inconsistent, and regional governments across the Amazon warn that cross-border smuggling of mercury continues to fuel illegal mining.
International actionThe city of Iquitos hosted the Amazon Water Summit last week, which the vicariate helped organize. Roughly 400 people from Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil took part in 14 workshops on topics including water and extractivism, climate change and education.
Participants attend an Amazon Water Summit in Iquitos, Peru, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Junior Raborg)Cadenas noted that Loreto, Peru’s largest Amazonian department, has the country’s lowest access to drinking water — with about 60% of the population lacking potable water and sanitation. Peru’s Constitutional Court ruled two years ago that this amounted to an “unconstitutional state of affairs,” but he said the judgment has yet to be fulfilled.
Cadenas, who said he knows Pope Leo XIV — who spent years in Peru as a missionary and later bishop — fears the situation will worsen unless international action curbs demand for illicit gold.
“Every day that passes there are more people dedicated to illegal mining. While there isn’t serious international pressure, it will be very difficult,” he warned.
Still, he directed a personal plea to those driving the destruction.
“Earning money is fine, but it cannot be at the cost of injustice and the lives of the poorest,” he said.
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Australian woman sentenced to life in prison for mushroom poisonings
By ROD McGUIRK
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian judge on Monday sentenced triple-murderer Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms.
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Justice Christopher Beale told the Victoria state Supreme Court that Patterson’s crimes involved an enormous betrayal of trust.
Patterson was convicted in July of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, with a lunch of beef Wellington pastries laced with foraged death cap mushrooms.
Patterson was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, who spent weeks in a hospital.
Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch served to her parents-in-law and her estranged husband’s aunt and uncle at her home.
Murderer robbed her children of their grandparents“Your victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years, as you acknowledged in your testimony,” Beale said.
“Not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents,” he added.
Both prosecution and defense lawyers had agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment for the 50-year-old on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
But defense lawyers had asked for Patterson to become eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Prosecutors had argued she should never be considered for parole because she did not deserve the court’s mercy.
Survivor calls for kindnessIan Wilkinson did not comment on the sentence but thanked police, prosecutors and health services he’d encountered since the poisonings.
“We’re thankful that when things go wrong, there are good people and services and systems available to help us recover,” he told reporters outside court.
“Our lives and the life of our community depends on the kindness of others. I’d like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other. Finally, I want to say thank you to the many people from across Australia and around the world who through their prayers and messages of support have encouraged us,” he added.
Beale said Patterson had also intended to kill her husband if he had accepted his invitation to lunch.
She had pretended to have been diagnosed with cancer as a reason to bring them together. She claimed to have wanted advice on how to break the news to her two children, who were not present at the lunch.
Beale accepted Ian Wilkinson’s account that the guests were served grey plates while Patterson ate from an orange-tan plate. This was to ensure she didn’t accidentally eat a poisoned meal, Beale said.
Only triple-killer knows her motivation“Only you know why you committed them (the crimes). I will not be speculating about that matter,” the judge told Patterson.
Patterson showed little emotion during the sentencing hearing, which took less than an hour. She kept her eyes closed for much or it or stared directly ahead.
Patterson maintained at her trial that she had added foraged mushrooms to the meals by accident.
But she had initially denied to authorities that she fed her guests foraged mushrooms. A drug that is a specific antidote for death cap mushroom poisoning was not initially administered to her dying victims.
Beale told Patterson he inferred “from your pitiless behavior that your intention to kill was ongoing.”
Beale noted that no psychiatric or psychological reports had been provided in her sentencing hearing. He said he had no doubt she had instructed her lawyers not to provide such evidence.
Patterson has been in custody since she was charged on Nov. 2, 2023. Her sentence is backdated until then. She has 28 days from her sentencing to appeal against her convictions and the severity of her sentence.
Patterson, who turns 51 on Sept. 30, will be 82 years old when she becomes eligible for parole in November 2056.
The case has attracted enormous public interest in Victoria, nationally and internationally. Because of this, the Victorian Supreme Court allowed for the first time a sentencing hearing to be broadcast live on television.
Beale accepted that because Patterson was classified as a “notorious” prisoner who had to be kept separate from other inmates for her own safety, her conditions were harsher than those of a mainstream prisoner.
Patterson spends at least 22 hours a day in her cell and has never spoken to the only inmate she’s allowed to. That inmate, who has an adjoining exercise yard that shares a mesh wire fence, has been convicted of terrorism offenses and has attacked other prisoners.
“I infer that, given the unprecedented media coverage of your case, and the books, documentaries and TV series about you which are all in the pipeline, you are likely to remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come, and, as such, remain at significant risk from other prisoners,” Beale said.
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