What we’re reading: Former Vice President dies at 93, Chad President killed on frontlines

By Amanda Vasquez

Published Apr 20, 2021

Vice President Walter Mondale spoke to the U.S. Olympic Committee House of Delegates meeting, Saturday, April 12, 1980 in Colorado Springs and urged them to vote to boycott the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow. The House of Delegates then met in closed session. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Former Vice President dies

Walter Mondale, former Vice President for Jimmy Carter, died Monday at age 93, according to NBC.

Mondale served as Carter’s close advisor from 1977 to 1981 and was a former senator from Minnesota.

In a statement on Monday night, Carter said, “Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country’s history.”

Some of Mondale’s most important efforts as vice president included passing legislation such as the Fair Housing Act and Title IX.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden described Mondale as one of “our nation’s most dedicated patriots.”

Chad President killed on frontlines

After visiting Chadian frontline troops, the president of Chad Idriss Déby died after run-ins with rebels. However, the circumstances surrounding his death are unclear, according to The Washington Post.

The day before Déby’s death, provisional election results predicted that he would serve another term in office. Déby was one of the longest-serving leaders in Africa, according to BBC.

An army general on state TV said that Déby “breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield.”

Déby’s son, Gen. Mahamat Kaka, will now lead the military council for the next 18 months, however, elections will be held once his transition into power is over.

Kaka also announced a 6 a.m. curfew and the closing of the country’s borders.

Two killed in driverless crash in Houston

Tesla crash — Tesla Crash Image ID : 21109570788520 FILE – This Feb. 9, 2019 file photo shows a sign bearing the company logo outside a Tesla store in Cherry Creek Mall in Denver. Federal safety regulators have sent a team to investigate the fatal crash of a Tesla electric car near Houston in which local authorities say no one was behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday, April 19, 2021 it has sent a Special Crash Investigation team to Spring, Texas, to look into the fiery Saturday night, April 17 crash that killed two men. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

A Tesla with no one in the driver’s seat, but one person in the front passenger seat and another in the backseat, was found in a fiery wreck Saturday night. One person was 69 and the other was 59, according to KXAN.

Mark Herman, Harris County Precinct 4 constable, told KHOU-TV he was confident that “no one was driving that vehicle.”

The car was traveling fast when it lost control and swerved off the road hitting a tree. It was unclear if the driving assist or autopilot was in use at the time of the crash.

Tesla has warned customers that autopilot should be closely monitored and be ready to take control when in use. The National Transportation Safety Board reported last year that the system allows drivers to avoid paying attention while on autopilot, however, it “fails to limit where autopilot can be used.”