Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/689931
ByEricaWernerand Mary Clare Jalonick The Associated Press WASHINGTON House SpeakerPaulRyansaidTues- day that Donald Trump's comments about a U.S.- born judge of Mexican her- itage are the "textbook defi- nition of a racist comment." The presumptive GOP pres- idential nominee said his re- marks have been "miscon- strued" and he is justified in questioning the legal pro- ceedings. Ryan, the highest elected GOP official, told report- ers that "claiming a person can't do their job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a rac- ist comment. I think that should be absolutely dis- avowed. It's absolutely un- acceptable." Ryan's comments high- light acute GOP divisions around Trump's candidacy, as Republicans squirm over what may be the billionaire's most incendiary stance to date — the claim that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Cu- riel can't preside fairly over a case involving Trump Uni- versity because the judge is of Mexican heritage and Trump wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mex- ico. The flap comes as Re- publicans are struggling to close ranks behind Trump, and complicates those ef- forts. Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, one of the most endangered incum- bents, reversed course and announced that he couldn't support Trump, calling his comments "un-American" and raising questions about the businessman overseeing thenation'snuclearweapons as commander in chief. Hours after the com- ments, Trump responded with a statement, saying, "I donotfeelthatone'sheritage makes them incapable of be- ing impartial, but, based on the rulings that I have re- ceived in the Trump Univer- sity civil case, I feel justified in questioning whether I am receiving a fair trial." He vowed that he would win the case. Ryan endorsed Trump onlylastweekafteralengthy delay, just before the judge controversy flared, and af- firmed that stance again Tuesday even while he was unstinting in his criticism of Trump's comments. "But do I believe Hillary Clinton is the answer? No, I do not," Ryan said. "I believe that we have morecommongroundonthe policy issues of the day, and we have more likelihood of getting our policies enacted with him than we do with her," Ryan said. "But I do ab- solutely disavow those com- ments,Ithinkthey'rewrong, Ithinkthey'rewrongheaded, and the thinking behind it is something I don't even per- sonally relate to." Other Capitol Hill Repub- licans joined Ryan in heap- ingdenunciationsonTrump, yet in some cases continuing to back the billionaire in an awkward, arm's-length em- brace. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only black Republican sen- ator, called Trump's com- ments on the judge "racially toxic" yet said, "He needs to get onto the general election and we need to win." "From what I know about Trump, he's not a racist. But he does make a lot of out- rageous statements. And I think he ought to tone it down a little bit," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, while calling on the media to give Trump "leeway" for what he called a "mistake." "Let's face it, meet the old Trump, just like the new Trump," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has long opposed the billionaire's candidacy. "We've got what we've got. That's not some- bodywhocanwintheWhite House." "Where there's no talk of a convention chal- lenge or anything else, this might spur it," Flake said of Trump's comments on the judge. Democrats immedi- ately ridiculed Ryan for de- nouncing Trump's com- ments as racist yet continu- ing to back his candidacy. "Paul Ryan continues to endorsesomeonewhospews racist rhetoric — the 'text- book definition' of a coward more concerned with parti- san politics than the good of the country," said Meredith Kelly, spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Curiel, who is presiding over a case alleging that Trump University fleeced students, was born in Indi- ana to parents who came from Mexico in the 1940s. Trump has been questioned repeatedly about his stance that the judge's ethnicity makes him unqualified to presideoverhiscase,buthas refused to retract his com- ments, and may not be any more likely to do so in re- sponse to Ryan's complaints. Ryan made his comments at an event in a low-income neighborhood of Washing- ton, D.C., where he was un- veiling new proposals to fight poverty, the first piece in a six-plank governing agenda by the House GOP. But instead of discussing hispoverty proposalshewas forced to deal with numer- ous questions on Trump, il- lustratinganewTrump'sten- dency to create troublesome distractions for members of his own party. The flap over the judge is proving partic- ularly problematic and lead- ing Republicans have taken turns denouncing Trump's comments. While some oth- ers have sought to avoid call- ing Trump or his comments out-and-out racist, Ryan leveled the charge matter- of-factly while still attempt- ing to steer the conversation back to his agenda. "I'm going to defend our ideas, I'm going to defend our majority, and I think our likelihood of getting these ideas into law are far more likely if we are unified as a party," Ryan said. "And so I see it as my job as speaker of the House to help keep our party unified. I think if we go into the fall as a divided party, we are going to lose, and that's why I am going to be focused on these ideas and these solutions and not attempt to defend the inde- fensible." POLITICS Ry an : Tr um p ma de ' te xt bo ok de fi ni ti on o f a ra ci st c om men t' J.SCOTTAPPLEWHITE—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS House Speaker Paul Ryan said Donald Trump's comments about an American-born judge of Mexican heritage are the "textbook definition of a racist comment," during a news conference about his agenda to relieve poverty in America, Tuesday in Washington, D.C. By Mike Stobbe The Associated Press NEW YORK The nation's obesity epidemic continues to grow, led by an alarming increase among women. For the first time, more than 4 in 10 U.S. women are obese, ac- cording to new government health statistics. Obesity rates for men and women in the U.S. had been roughly the same for about a decade. But in recent years, women have surged ahead andnowjustover40percent of women are obese, com- pared to 35 percent of men. The percentages were re- portedbytheCentersforDis- easeControlandPrevention, in two articles published on- line Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical As- sociation. The numbers are based on small government survey that is considered the best measure of the nation's obesity problem. Though it is not alto- gether surprising to health researchers because the na- tion has long been grow- ing more obese, it is "scary" thatthestatistichasreached 40 percent for women, said Dana Hunnes, a dietitian who sees obese patients at Ronald Reagan UCLA Med- ical Center in Los Angeles. "It's a really alarming fig- ure, and it's alarming that it's continuing to go up de- spite government calls to action on weight loss and healthy eating," she said. Why the problem is get- ting worse for women faster than for men remains some- what of a mystery to health researchers. "I don't know if anyone truly knows for sure," Hunnes said. Experts say there are a range of pos- sible explanations, including that many women are satis- fied with a larger body size. The rate of obesity in women is also higher than in men across the world, although far lower overall than in the U.S. According to the World Health Organi- zation, 15 percent of women worldwide and 11 percent of men are obese. Obesity, which means not merely overweight, but se- riously overweight, is con- sidered one of the nation's leading public health prob- lems because it can trigger diabetes and lead to heart disease and other serious health problems. Until the early 1980s, only about 1 in 6 adults were obese. The problem is not in- creasing as dramatically as it was, but the new numbers show it is clearly not im- proving, said Dr. Felipe Lo- belo, an Emory University researcher who focuses on obesityandphysicalactivity. Researchers looked at obesity rates among differ- ent age groups and along racial lines and found wide disparities, mainly ones that have persisted for years. Obesity continues to be most common among black women. About 57 percent of black women are obese. In contrast, about 47 percent of Hispanic women, 38 per- cent of white women, and 12 percent of Asian women are obese. Among men of differ- ent races, obesity rates clus- ter much closer together — at35to38percentforblacks, Hispanics, and whites. The researchers also found: • About 38 percent of all adults are obese. • About 17 percent of chil- dren are obese, which is the same as earlier reports. • Obesity rates have been steadilyincreasinginadoles- centssince1988andnoware at 21 percent, but have been stable in kids ages 6 to 11 in recent years at 20 percent. Obesity is calculated by dividing a person's weight by their height to produce a number called the body mass index , or BMI. A BMI of 25 or greater is consid- ered overweight, and a BMI of 30 and above is obese. A person who is 5 foot 4, the average height for U.S. women, is considered obese at a weight of 174 pounds or more. A person who is 5 foot 9, about the average height for men, is deemed obese at 203 pounds. The findings are from a regular government survey of about 5,000 Americans every two years who are weighed and measured. HEALTH For the first time, more than 4 in 10 American women are obese WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 5 B