CWSv 5A - Friday, October 31, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Israel closes Jerusalem holy sites after police shooting ERANGAJAYAWARDENA/AP Sri Lankan mudslide survivor, left, who lost her two daughters is comforted by her father as she cries at a relief center set up in a school in Punagala in Badulla district, about 140 miles (220 kilometers) east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday. Sri Lanka says no chance of finding mudslide survivors Tensions increase after violence escalates JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel closed all access to Jerusalem's most sensitive religious site, on Thursday, a rare move that ratcheted up already height- ened tensions following the attempted assassination of a prominent Jewish religious activist and the killing of his suspected Palestinian assailant by police. The Palestinians accused Israel of a "declaration of war," deepening a crisis fueled by failed.peace efforts, continued Israeli settlement construc- tion and months of simmering violence in the holy city. While Israel said it would reopen the site on Friday, the increasingly religious nature of the unrest risked igniting further violence. Both the Israeli and Palestin- ian leaders blamed each other for the tensions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has called for banning Jews from the hilltop holy site, of inciting the violence. "The international commu- nity must stop its hypocrisy and act against the inciters," Netan- yahu said. Abbas, meanwhile, said Jeru- salem is a "red line that must not be touched." The decision to close access to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound was "a dec- laration of war" that "will lead to further escalation and insta- bility," his spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdeneh, said. Abbas made no mention of the attempted killing of the Jewish activist. East Jerusalem, the section of the city captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the Pales- tinians, has experienced unrest since the summer, with Pales- tinian youths throwing stones and firebombs at motorists and clashing frequently with Israeli police. The violence gained steam last week, when a Pales- tinian motorist rammed his car into a crowded train station, killing a 3-month-old Israeli- American baby girl. Much of the unrest has cen- tered on the holy site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanc- tuary. The violence reached a new high late Wednesday when a gunman on a motorcycle shot and seriously wounded Yehuda Glick, a U.S.-born activist who often leads groups of Jews on visits to the site. Glick is a leading voice in efforts to allow Jews to pray on the mosque compound - some- thing that Israeli authorities ban because they fear it would prompt violence. Muslim wor- shippers view Jewish prayer there as a provocation, fearing that Jewish extremists are plot- ting to take over the area. In an interview this week with The Associated Press, Glick warned of the growing violence in Jerusalem and said Jews were increasingly being attacked by Muslims. "The more extreme Islamist organizations are taking over and if we don't stop them early enough, they will take over the entire Jerusalem," he said. "We're calling upon the Israeli government: Stop the violence." He remained hospitalized Thursday in serious condition. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki condemned the shooting and said the U.S. was "extremely concerned by escalating tensions" in Jerusa- lem. "It is critical that all sides exercise restraint, refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the sta- tus quo," she said, adding the U.S. had been in touch with Israeli, Palestinian and Jor- danian officials to calm the situation. Under a longstand- ing arrangement, Jordan holds custodial authority over the mosque compound. Heavy monsoon rains leads to 200 person death toll KOSLANDA, Sri Lanka (AP) - Hundreds of desperate Sri Lankan villagers dug with " bare hands through the broken red earth of a deadly landslide Thursday, defying police orders after a top disaster official said there was no chance of finding more survivors at the high-ele- vation tea plantation. There were conflicting reports of how many people were missing in the slide, which struck Wednesday morning in the island nation's central hills after heavy monsoon rains. Disaster Management Min- ister Mahinda Amaraweera said the number of dead at the Koslanda tea plantation would be fewer than 100. But Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center - which Amaraweera oversees - reported 190 people missing. Villagers, meanwhile, said the death toll could easily exceed 200. "I have visited the scene and from whlati saw I don't think: there wi be any survivors," Amaraweera told The Associat- ed Press on Thursday. "But that number is less than 100." Frustrated relatives who had watched the search from the sidelines tried to follow a politi- cian into the search site but were stopped by police. However, the politician argued with police and took villagers with him who joined hundreds of soldiers searching through the mud for survivors. The search was suspended WHITE From Page 3A on our own endowment to pay for the University's operations because the state appropriation keeps decreasing, it is even more important that we are great stew- ards of that endowment," White said. White estimated the total cost of attendance for each student at the University is $55,000, or the cost of an out-of-state student's " tuition. The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition is supposed to be the state appro- priation, but because this has decreased there becomes a great- er challenge for the University, White said. "We are well aware that you can't charge what it costs to every- body because they can't afford it," White said. "We want to have the best students regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances so we have to come up with ways to make up that gap." One of the key sources of providing funding will be the Victors for Michigan $4 billion fundraising campaign - $1 bil- lion of which will be earmarked for financial aid. White said this effort aims to provide the University financial aid sustain- ability over coming generations, White said. While this is White's third time running, she said she has 4 found continued enthusiasm for the job, particularly with the new leadership of University President Mark Schlissel. "Schlissel is tireless and he is engaged," White said. "I really want to help him be successful." Thursday evening because of heavy rain. President Mahinda Rajapak- sa visited the disaster site on Thursday and spoke to residents who are takingshelter in schools and temples. According to his website, Rajapaksa ordered officials to expedite rescue and relief for the victims. Television reports showed Rajapaksa inspecting the disas- ter from the air and meeting with relief officials. Later he was seen distributing sleeping mats and boxes with essential items to the displaced people and consoling weeping men and women. Amaraweera said the government had asked the National Child Protection Authority to take charge of chil- dren orphaned by the disaster. Many children had left for school before the slide and returned to see their homes buried with their parents. A government minister told Par- liament thatthey have found 75 orphaned children. "The government will be fully responsible for them, we will not give them to anyone other than somebody from immediate fam- ily because they can be sent for child labor," he said. A large number of children in Sri Lanka's tea plantations drop out of school and work as domes- tic helpers or waiters in tea bou- tiques. Many times parents send children to work due to poverty or alcoholism. Displaced people spent their second evening Thursday crammed inside a dark, cold school classroom atop a misty mountain. Government officials had begun a survey of the dead and missing and doctors attend- ed to the sick and wounded. A 48-year-old truck driver who gave his name only as Raja said he lost all five members of his household - his wife, two sons, daughter-in-law and his 6-month-old grandchild. "I left for work early morn- ing and got a call asking me to rush back," Raja said, weeping. "I came back and there was no trace of my home, everyone was buried." A local government officer familiar with the tea plantation said he believes 200-250 people may have been buried, based on the number of people usually in the area at the time. There were many houses, a big Hindu tem- ple, a playground and two milk collection centers where farm- ers brought their milk to sell. The officer spoke on condi- tion of anonymity because gov- ernment rules prevent him from speakingto the media. The tea plantation in Badulla district, about 140 miles (220 kilometers) east of Colombo, was one of many in the higher altitudes of Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon, one of the world's leading tea producers. Most of Sri Lanka has expe- rienced heavy rain over the past few weeks, and the Disaster Management Center had issued warnings of mudslides and fall- ing rocks. The monsoon season here runs from October through December. Vettiyan Yogeswaran, who lives in part of the tea plantation not affected by the landslide, said authorities had warned people that the area was vul- nerable to mudslides and they should move. But he said no housing alternatives were offered. Efforts to enforce Ebola quarantine stall in Maine Nurse insists she is healthy, leaves home for bike ride FORT KENT, Maine (AP) - Insisting she is perfectly healthy, nurse Kaci Hickox again defied the state's Ebola quarantine Thursday by taking a bike ride with her boyfriend, and Maine health authorities struggled to reach a compromise that would limit her contact with others. Hickox, 33, stepped out of her home on the remote northern edge of Maine for the second day in a row, practically daring authorities to make good on their threat to go to court to have her confined against her will. On Wednesday evening, she went outside for an impromptu news conference and shook a reporter's outstretched hand. By evening, it was unclear whether the state had gone to court or whether there had been any progress toward ending the standoff that has become the nation's most closely watched. clash between personal freedom and fear of Ebola. The gover- nor's office and Hickox's lawyers would not comment. Hickox, who returned to the U.S. last week from treating Ebola victims in West Africa as a volunteer with Doctors With- out Borders, has been under what Maine is calling a voluntary quarantine at her home in this town of 4,300 people. She has rebelled against the restrictions, saying that her rights are being violated and that she is no threat to others because she has no symptoms. She tested negative last weekend for Ebola, though it can take days for the virus to reach detectable levels. Her 21-day quarantine - the incubation period for the Ebola virus - is scheduled to end on Nov.10. Gov. Paul LePage said state attorneys and Hickox's lawyers had discussed a scaled-down quarantine that would have allowed her to go for walks, runs and bicycle rides while prevent- ing her from venturing into pop- ulated public places or coming within 3 feet of others. Around midday, however, LeP- age said that the hours of negotia- tions had gone nowhere, and that he was prepared to use the full extent of his authority to protect the public. "I was ready and willing - and remain ready and willing - to reasonably address the needs of health care workers meeting guidelines to assure the public. health is protected," he said. Hickox stepped into the media glare when she returned from Sierra Leone to become subject to a mandatory quarantine in New Jersey. After an uproar, she was released and traveled more than 600 miles to the small town on the Canadian border where she lives with her boyfriend. She said she is following the federal Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention recommen- dation of daily monitoring for fever and other signs of the dis- ease. An unmarked state police cruiser followed Hickox on her hour-long morning bike ride on trails near her home, but police could not take action to detain her without a court order signed by ajudge. "I really hopethat we can work things out amicably and continue to negotiate," she said. Her boyfriend, Ted Wilbur, met with reporters Thursday evening to tell them she was stay- ing inside. Addressing the bicycle ride, Wilbur said they purposefully rode away from town to avoid coming into contact with peo- ple. "We're not trying to push any limits here. We're members of this community, too, and we want to make people comfort- able," he said. Maine law allows a judge to confine someone if health offi- cials demonstrate "a clear and immediate public health threat." Allocating money to help fight SNYDER the spread of invasive species, From Page 3A specifically, Asian carp, into the 2014 budget was another step, along with Snyder's plans Snyder did not state his stance to increase mass transit rail and on same sex marriage then, nor hiking trails. in the conference call. However Snyder was the catalyst for he did say at the time that the reuniting the Council of Great marriages, albeit legal, will not Lakes Governors in 2013, which be recognized in the state of previously had not convened for Michigan. eight years. The Council works He referenced his support for together to make regional deci- the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights sions relating to the Great Lakes Act - which prevented discri- region. mionation toward the LGBTQ Some,however,donotbelieve community workplace in hous- the governor is doing enough to ing and employment. protect the environment. The "I'm being proactive in terms nonpartisan Michigan League of the employment discrimi- of Conservation Voters, which nation issue in part because gives out letter grades to politi- that is something that can be cians for how they vote on envi- addressed from the legislative ronmental issues, gave Snyder a point of view," he said. "C" on their How Green is Your Governor? Midterm Report Environment Card. He received an "A" in the transportation category, prais- Over his term, Snyder said ing his transit rail, but an "F" he has made the environment in toxics and hazardous chemi- a priority. His first move was cals, denouncing his signing of working with universities to Senate Bill450,whichdefunded study and monitor the envi- the DEQ programs that reduced ronment to better assess what the harms of hazardous chemi- precautions should be taken cals, moving that money into air to combat ecological threats. quality control instead. HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE MICHIGAN DAILY! CANDIDATES From Page 2A of affordable housing programs. He said if he becomes mayor, the availability of funds and timing would determine potential proj- ects for affordable housing. "What the city can do is it can make sure that zoning is suitable for residential usage and itccan par- ticipate in the market by support- ing affordability and affordable housing inthe city," Taylor said. Kelly said he believes the city needs more shelters along with substance abuse programs, as he said many of the homeless are substance abusers. He added that government creates the problem of afford- able housing as much asuit solves it because zoning and building codes are not primarily based on the affordability of the housing market. "The best way city government can make housing more afford- able is to cut taxes," Kelly said. "The second is to spur growth of businesses through less restric- tive zoning, i.e. mixed-use or commercial overlay zoning, so that wages rise and people have more money. The third is to pursue a density experiment in downtown and, if possible, else- where. As more options for living space become available, we will see the effects development has on the market." Stadium Boulevard Billboard Kelly said the University undoubtedly benefits the city, largely through the number of people employed by the Univer- sity and the University Health System. However, he also noted that the University acts indepen- dently, citing the fact that the billboard at Stadium Boulevard violates city ordinance. "It's really become the situa- tion where the University throws the party and the city cleans up afterwards," Kelly said. Kelly met with James Kosteva, the University's director of com- munity relations, and discussed the relationship of the city with the University. Kelly said he understood that the goals of the University and the city overlap and that the University only pur- chases properties that are useful to its purposes. He added that the main lesson he took away is that communi- cation between the University and the city is very important and can improve. He said if the University communicated bet- ter with the public, much of the animosity towards its decisions would be solved. "(Kelly) reinforced the impor- tance of communication and the importance of recognizing that there are some mutual interests and that being able to communi- cate and understand each other's interests would be exceedingly important," Kosteva said. Taylor, who has not yet met University President Mark Schlissel but has met with other University officials as a council- member, said the University and the city are bound together and that the two work together well. He also noted that he has long wanted the billboard signs at Sta- dium Boulevard to be removed. "There is no question that the University is a tremendous ben- efit to the city of Ann Arbor. That is a given," Taylor said. "There is also no question that the bill- board on Stadium Boulevard is a distraction and an intrusion and of little utility." r I