Nation in brief: Congress passes Peru trade deal
The Senate gave decisive backing Tuesday to a U.S.-Peru free trade agreement, opening the way for expanded economic ties with the Andean nation and giving the administration a boost in its quest to shore up relations with Latin America.
The first bilateral trade deal approved by Congress this year is also the first under a new Democratic formula that requires negotiators to put labor rights and environmental standards on a par with tariff reductions, investor protections and other key elements of the accord.
The 77-18 Senate vote on the bill implementing the agreement followed a 285-132 House vote last month. The agreement will go into effect after the two countries adjust laws needed to abide by it.
U.S. trade with Peru is small scale, about $9 billion a year, but proponents of the agreement argued that it has real political benefits. “There is a growing division in Latin America today,” said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, referring to the anti-U.S. campaign of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. “We ought to help countries like Peru that are not going the direction of Venezuela.”
LOS ANGELES
Rapper Pimp C found dead in hotel
Rapper Pimp C, an influential hip-hop figure credited with helping launch the popularity of Southern rap, was found dead Tuesday morning at an upscale hotel on the Sunset Strip.
Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics responding to a 911 call found the 33-year-old native of Port Arthur, Texas, lying on his bed at the Mondrian Hotel.
“It appears that he died naturally,” said Capt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. “There were no signs of trauma, no signs of drug paraphernalia.”
Pimp C, whose real name is Chad Butler, was a member of the acclaimed hip-hop duo UGK, which scored a No. 1 album earlier this year.
The Mondrain released a statement Tuesday saying it checked Butler’s room after family members called asking for his whereabouts.
Jive Records President and CEO Barry Weiss said in a statement: “We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing Southern rap to the forefront.”