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Tuesday
September 5, 2017
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Politics, Marches Dominate Summer’s Last Hurrah on Labor Day

Union workers and minimum wage activists gather for a Labor Day rally in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 4, 2017. Hundreds of people marched through
downtown calling for a $15 minimum wage nationwide and stronger union protection for workers. The marchers held a large banner reading, “America Needs
Unions” as they marched to City Hall while chanting. Some of the demonstrators also wore red shirts that said: “Fight for $15.”
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Page 3

Hurricane Irma Now Cat 4 as it Heads for Caribbean

By DANICA COTO, Emergency officials warned that to move near or over the north- the director of Puerto Rico’s pow-
Associated Press the storm could dump up to 10 ern Leeward Islands late Tuesday er company predicted that storm
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hur- inches (25 centimeters) of rain, and early Wednesday, the hur- damage could leave some areas
ricane Irma grew into a powerful unleash landslides and dangerous ricane center said. U.S. residents of the U.S. territory without electric-
Category 4 storm Monday as it ap- flash floods and generate waves were urged to monitor the storm’s ity for four to six months. But “some
proached the northeastern Carib- of up to 23 feet (7 meters) as the progress in case it should turn areas will have power (back) in less
bean and was forecast to begin storm drew closer. northward toward Florida, Georgia than a week,” Ricardo Ramos told
buffeting the region Tuesday. “We’re looking at Irma as a very or the Carolinas. radio station Notiuno 630 AM.
The storm had maximum sustained significant event,” Ronald Jack- “This hurricane has the potential to The power company’s system has
winds of 130 mph (215 kph) late son, executive director of the Car- be a major event for the East Coast. deteriorated greatly amid Puerto
Monday afternoon, and the U.S. ibbean Disaster Emergency Man- It also has the potential to signifi- Rico’s decade-long recession, and
National Hurricane Center said agement Agency, said by phone. cantly strain FEMA and other gov- the territory experienced an island-
additional strengthening was ex- “I can’t recall a tropical cone de- ernmental resources occurring so wide outage last year.
pected. Irma was centered 490 veloping that rapidly into a major quickly on the heels of (Hurricane) Antigua and Anguilla shuttered
miles (790 kilometers) east of the hurricane prior to arriving in the Harvey,” Evan Myers, chief operat- schools Monday, and government
Leeward Islands and moving west central Caribbean.” ing officer of AccuWeather, said office closures were expected to
at 13 mph (20 kph). The storm’s center was forecast in a statement. In the Caribbean, follow.q