Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/812577
ByKenThomasand Darlene Superville The Associated Press U.S.VicePresidentMike Pence declared Monday the "era of strategic patience is over" with North Korea, ex- pressing impatience with the speed and willingness of the regime to move to- ward ridding itself of nu- clear weapons and ballistic missiles. Pence told reporters near the Demilitarized Zone sep- arating North and South Korea that President Don- ald Trump is hopeful that China will use its "extraor- dinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons. Pence, who has called the North's failed missile test a day earlier "a provocation," said the U.S. and its allies will achieve its objectives through "peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary" to protect South Korea and stabilize the region. Pence visited a military base near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there. The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. His visit, full of Cold War symbolism, and his remarks to reporters come amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula. While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the spec- ter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia. Pointing to the quarter- century since North Korea first obtained nuclear weap- ons, the vice president said a period of patience fol- lowed. "But the era of strate- gic patience is over," Pence said. "President Trump has made it clear that the pa- tience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change. We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the devel- opment of nuclear weap- ons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable." Trump himself asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on "the North Ko- rea problem." His national security adviser, H.R. Mc- Master, said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to re- solve the issues with North Korea. McMaster cited Trump's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable mak- ing tough decisions." But at the same time, McMas- ter said on "This Week" on ABC, "it's time for us to un- dertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peace- fully." The bottom line, Mc- Master said, is to stop the North's weapons develop- ment and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free. "It's clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best in- terest of the American peo- ple," he said. After a two-month pol- icy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed "maxi- mum pressure and engage- ment," U.S. officials said Friday. The administra- tion's immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing. The officials weren't au- thorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested ano- nymity. Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his believe that pressure, not only dialogue, is necessary in dealing with North Korea's missile and nuclear threat. Speaking to a parliamen- tary session Monday fol- lowing North Korea's mas- sive military parade and botched missile launch, Abe said: "Needless to say, diplomatic effort is impor- tant to maintain peace. But dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is mean- ingless." He said "we need to apply pressure on North Korea so they seriously respond to a dialogue" with the inter- national community. Abe also urged China and Rus- sia to play more construc- tive roles on the issue. Pence will be tasked with explaining the pol- icy in meetings with lead- ers in South Korea and Ja- pan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure al- lies in South Korea and Ja- pan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression. A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile ca- pabilities around the birth anniversary of the North's late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula. EAST ASIA Pe nc e wa rn s NK or ea ' er a of s tr at eg ic p at ie nc e is o ve r' LEEJIN-MAN—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS U.S. Vice President Mike Pence looks at the North side from Observation Post Ouellette in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), near the border village of Panmunjom, on Monday. By Kelly P. Kissel and Sean Murphy The Associated Press VARNER, ARK. The Arkan- sas Supreme Court halted the executions of two men originally scheduled to be put to death Monday night, putting another legal road- block in place in the state's plan to conduct eight lethal injections before its supply of a key drug expires at the end of April. Justices in a 4-3 decision granted stays Monday af- ternoon for Don Davis and Bruce Ward. The inmates wanted stays of execution while the U.S. Supreme Court takes up a separate case concerning access to independent mental health experts by defendants. The U.S. high court is set to hold oral arguments on April 24. Three Arkansas justices dissented, with Associ- ate Justice Shawn Womack writing that Ward and Davis "had their day in court, the jury spoke, and decades of appeals have occurred. The families are entitled to clo- sure and finality of the law." The inmates' attorneys argued that their clients were denied access to in- dependent mental health experts, saying Ward has a lifelong history of severe mental illness and that Da- vis has an IQ in the range of intellectual disability. This was just the latest setback for the state's plan to execute eight prisoners before its supply of the sed- ative midazolam expires at the end of the month. If court proceedings are pushed into May, Arkan- sas won't be able to carry out the executions with the drugs it has on hand. The Arkansas high court already had issued one stay for Ward after a Jefferson County judge said she didn't have the authority to halt Ward's execution. Ward's attorneys have argued he is a diagnosed schizophrenic with no rational under- standing of his impending execution. Also, a federal judge has halted all of the planned executions on different grounds. The state has ap- pealed that ruling to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- peals, which hadn't weighed in as of mid-afternoon. Thestatewasstillmoving forward with plans to con- duct the Monday night exe- cutions in the event that all stays were lifted. A spokes- man for Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge had no immediate comment on the latest stays, saying the office was still reviewing the court's order. Meanwhile, the Arkansas Supreme Court also barred a state judge who blocked the multiple execution plan from taking up any death penalty related cases after he participated in a pro- test where he appeared to mimic a death row LEGAL ROADBLOCK Arkansas court halts executions scheduled for Monday night KELLY P. KISSEL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Protesters gather outside the state Capitol building on Friday in Little Rock, Ark., to voice their opposition to Arkansas' seven upcoming executions. By Amy Forliti The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS A doctor who saw Prince in the days before he died had pre- scribed the opioid pain- killer oxycodone under the name of Prince's friend to protect the musician's pri- vacy, according to court documents unsealed Mon- day that revealed nothing about how the pop super- star got the fentanyl that actually killed him. The affidavits and search warrants were unsealed in Carver County District Court as the yearlong in- vestigation into Prince's death continues. The doc- uments show authorities searched Paisley Park, cell- phone records of Prince's associates, and Prince's email accounts to try to determine how he got the fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug 50 times more power- ful than heroin. They don't reveal an- swers, but do shed light on Prince's struggle with ad- diction to prescription opi- oids in the days before he died. Oxycodone, the ge- neric name for the active ingredient in OxyContin, was not listed as a cause of Prince's death. But it is part of a family of pain- killers driving the nation's overdose and addiction epi- demic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 2 million Americans abused or were addicted to pre- scription opioids, including oxycodone, in 2014. Patients who take pre- scription opioids eventu- ally build up a tolerance and need to take stronger doses to get the same ef- fect. In some patients, the cycle leads to dependence and addiction. Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unre- sponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park home on April 21. Just six days earlier, Prince fell ill on a plane and made an emergency stop in Illinois as he was returning home from a concert in Atlanta. First re- sponders revived him with two doses of a drug that re- verses the effects of an opi- oid overdose. AsearchofPrince'shome yielded numerous pills in various containers. Some were in prescription bottles for Kirk Johnson, Prince's longtime friend and associ- ate. Some pills in other bot- tles were marked "Watson 853," a label used for a drug that is a mix of acetamin- ophen and hydrocodone, another opioid painkiller. Last August, an official with knowledge of the in- vestigation told The Associ- ated Press that at least one of those pills tested posi- tive for fentanyl, meaning the pill was counterfeit and obtained illegally. The offi- cial spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. In addition to the dozens of pills recovered, authori- ties also found a pamphlet for an addiction recovery center in California, the documents unsealed Mon- day show. The day before Prince died, Paisley Park staffers contacted the Cal- ifornia addiction specialist as they were trying to get Prince help. One affidavit says Dr. Michael Todd Schulen- berg, a family doctor who saw Prince April 7, 2016, and again on April 20, ac- knowledged to authorities that he prescribed oxyco- done for Prince the same day as the emergency plane landing "but put the pre- scription in Kirk Johnson's name for Prince's privacy." Aut hor it ie s a lso searched Johnson's cell- phone records, to see who he was communicating with in the month before Prince died. Messages left with at- torneys for Schulenberg and Johnson weren't im- mediately returned Mon- day. Schulenberg has an active medical license and is currently practicing fam- ily medicine in Minnesota. MUSICIAN Affidavit says Doctor prescribed Prince meds under friend's name L aw Office of Alessio Larrabee CriminalDefense 1104WalnutSt,RedBluff (530) 526-8796 FormerProsecutor Extensive Trial Experience Free Initial Consultation JuliFoster ExclusiveAgent 250 Walnut Street Red Bluff, CA 96080 Office 530-527-5534 Cell 530-339-1595 Fax 530-527-4808 julifoster@allstate.com CA Insurance License Number OD41159 24-Hour Customer Service ALSCO, INC. Since1948 Lic#381307 www.alscoirrigation.com •PVCPIPE,FITTINGS& HARDWARE • DRIP, MICRO, SOLIDSET SYSTEMS • PUMPS, PIVOTS, WHEELLINES, AG WELL TESTING SERVING CALIFORNIA, NEVADA AND OREGON • DESIGN SALES RENTAL AND LEASING Mon.-Fri.8am-5pm Sat. 8am-12pm (530) 527-4001 535 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff New&ConsignedFurniture,Mattress,&More Redding • 3705 Meadow View Dr. • 530-917-7797 Red Bluff • 616 Cedar St. • 530-917-1138 Wrapped in new plastic Flippable! TWINSET only $ 105 QUEEN DOUBLE PILLOW TOP MATTRESS only $ 230 Mattress ROCK BOTTOM PRICES! FULL SET only $ 135 KING SET only $ 195 QUEEN SET only $ 165 amazingfindshome.com Deliveryavailable FD652 -BurialorCremation - Personalized Services - Pre Planning - Customized Burial Option 816WalnutSt.,RedBluff,CA (530) 527-1174 www.chapeloftheflowers.net Youcanhavepeaceofmindknowing your loved one has rested with dignity. Hoyt-ColeChapeloftheFlowers YourOneStopConvenienceStore ONE STOP E X P A N D E D Craft Beer Section Full Line Of Top Shelf Liquor 5am to 11pm 714 Walnut St., Red Bluff More Than Just a Gas Station! Alloffersforalimitedtime.Notallbuyerswillqualifyforindividualprograms.SeeRedBluffChrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ramforcompletedetailsandvehiclequalificationsforallcurrentlyrunningprograms.0%and1.9%APRfinancingarenotapplicableonthesenewselectedmodels.AllrebatesinlieuofspecialAPRsofferedbyChrysler. All prices plus government fees and taxes, any finance charge, any dealer document, preparation charge, and any emission charge. Subject to prior sales & credit approval. Some vehicle images in this ad are for illustration purposes only and may vary from actual vehicle. Ad expires 04/26/17. Offer not good to dealers. 545 Adobe Rd., Red Bluff 530-366-3166 WWW.REDBLUFFDODGE.COM CHOOSE FROM "1" AT THIS PRICE MSRP $71,255 REBATE - $3,000 BIG DISCOUNT - $8,478 $ 59,777 2017 RAM 3500 LARAMIE DUALLY 4X4 DIESEL VIN# HG14825 AisinBadBoyTransmission,Leather,Navigation,FancyWheels,Sprayin Liner, Remote Start, Auto Level Rear Suspension, Running Boards, Alpine Sound System, This puppy is loaded & what a deal! 0 Money down, No problem O.C.A. Were easy to set along with. Yes4x4-YesDually-YesDiesel! TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 5 B