Page 11 - IVA

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 9 November 2017

Barack Obama shows up in Chicago for jury duty; not chosen

By DON BABWIN er texted him that Obama
Associated Press would be there.
CHICAGO (AP) — Former For his troubles, Obama is in
President Barack Obama, line to receive $17.20 — the
free of a job that forced daily rate of pay for per-
him to move to Washington forming this civic duty. Hill
for eight years, showed up said that the former presi-
to a downtown Chicago dent would donate it to
courthouse for jury duty on Cook County.
Wednesday morning. Then Obama is the highest-rank-
he heard the words most ing former public official
prospective jurors pray for: to be called to jury duty in
You’re dismissed. Chicago. But he is not the
The 44th president’s mo- first former president to be
torcade — considerably called to jury duty. In 2015,
shorter than the one when former President George
he lived in the White House W. Bush answered the jury
— left his home in the Ken- duty call in Dallas. He was
wood neighborhood on not selected to sit on a jury.
the city’s South Side and And in 2003, former Presi-
arrived at the Richard J. People rush the doors of the jury assembly room as former President Barack Obama departs after dent Bill Clinton reported
Daley Center shortly after being dismissed from jury duty in the Daley Center on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017, in Chicago. For for jury duty in federal court
10 a.m. his time served, Obama is in line to be paid $17.20. in New York City. He also
Obama — wearing a dark (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) was not selected.
sport coat, dress shirt, but erful leader in the world Obama’s experience was them and posed for photo- Nor is Obama the first fa-
without a tie — waved to period, and he was able a bit different than the graphs, Evans said. mous Chicago resident to
people who gathered out- to postpone reporting, ac- others who watched the “Look at this. Did you know be called to jury duty. In
side. cording to his spokeswom- video. When he arrived I was coming?” he asked 2004, Oprah Winfrey was
Shortly before noon, Cook an, Katie Hill. there was a feeding frenzy one man who held a copy on a Chicago jury that con-
County Chief Judge Timo- On Wednesday, Obama as crowds of people in- of Obama’s “Dreams From victed a man of murder. A
thy Evans told reporters did get the prospective side the courthouse took My Father.” decade later, Lawrence
that the former president juror experience of sitting photos and videos of the Thomas Pearson, who took Tureaud, better known as
had not been selected for through a decades-old, former president. As hap- the video and called the Mr. T, showed up to a sub-
jury duty. But Obama was 20-minute video in which pens most days, would-be experience of shaking urban Chicago courthouse
ready to serve if told to do Lester Holt— now the an- jurors brought books, but hands with Obama “the for jury duty, sporting his
so, Evans said. chor of NBC Nightly News on Wednesday some peo- best thing I experienced usual Mohawk, but without
In fact, Obama was also but back then on local ple brought books Obama in my entire life,” said he the gold chains for which
summoned in 2010 but that news —explained the ins- had authored in hopes he wasn’t going to show up he is known. Mr. T was not
was during his most pow- and-outs of jury duty. might sign them. He obliged for jury duty until his moth- chosen to sit on a jury.q

US tightens travel rules to Cuba, blacklists many businesses

By JOSH LEDERMAN ties that have links to Cu- tries to show he’s taking ac- through state-controlled privately owned buildings.
Associated Press ba’s military, intelligence or tion to prevent U.S. dollars corporations. The goal is to “We have strengthened
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amer- security services. And most from helping prop up the encourage financial sup- our Cuba policies to chan-
icans seeking to visit Cuba Americans will once again Cuban government. port for Cuba’s growing nel economic activity
must navigate a compli- be required to travel as Still, the policy is only a par- private sector, said senior away from the Cuban mili-
cated maze of travel, com- part of heavily regulated, tial rollback of Obama’s Trump administration of- tary and to encourage the
merce and financial restric- organized tour groups run changes. Cruise ship vis- ficials, who briefed report- government to move to-
tions unveiled Wednesday by U.S. companies, rather its and direct commercial ers on a conference call ward greater political and
by the Trump administra- than voyaging to Cuba on flights between the coun- on condition they not be economic freedom for the
tion, part of a new policy to their own. The stricter rules tries will still be permitted. quoted by name. Cuban people,” Treasury
further isolate the island’s mark a return to the tough- Embassies in Washington To that end, the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
communist government. er U.S. stance toward Cuba and Havana stay open. Department said it is ex- said. Trump announced his
Now off-limits to U.S. citi- that existed before former The rules are designed to panding and simplifying a new policy in June during a
zens are dozens of Cuban President Barack Obama steer U.S. economic activity license that allows some speech in Miami’s Little Ha-
hotels, shops, tour compa- and Cuban President Raul away from Cuba’s military, U.S. exports to Cuba de- vana neighborhood, the
nies and other businesses Castro restored diplomatic intelligence and security spite the embargo. They cradle of Cuban-American
included on a lengthy relations in 2015. They come services, which dominate include tools and equip- resistance to Castro’s gov-
American blacklist of enti- as President Donald Trump much of the economy ment to build or renovate ernment. q