News Tidbits: The Olympics

Can Rio's Crime Problem Be Solved Before The 2016 Olympics?

Just a few weeks ago, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that being awarded the 2016 Summer Olympics was a vindication of Brazil's development. But the elephant in the room - the precarious security situation - made its presence felt on October 17. At least 14 people were killed and eight more were injured in Rio de Janeiro after violent shoot-outs between rival drug gangs careened out of the favela slums and into neighboring communities. In the most spectacular incident, three officers were killed after gangsters shot down a police helicopter (hat tip: Black & Right). The day of violence — a school got hit in the cross fire and more than 10 buses were torched — has underscored the challenge of creating a secure environment for hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists in a state where close to 6,000 people are killed each year, more than 1,000 of them by police. The homicide rate had been falling in recent years, but it is on the rise again. Previous attempts at community policing went wrong after residents accused officers of corrupt practices that are endemic throughout Brazil's police forces. Authorities are hiring rookie cops to avoid the bad habits of veterans and paying them bonuses in the hopes that they won't resort to accepting bribes.

USA: Shani Davis: Better Than Ever Heading Into 2010

Much has changed in Shani Davis' life since the 2006 Winter Olympics. He's a father now. He's settled contentious issues with U.S. Speedskating, looking more like a team player than outcast. He's thrown off the burden of being a racial pioneer. More than anything, he's looking forward to a drama-free Olympics (hat tip: BlackElectorate.com). "There shouldn't be a rivalry that tears apart the team," Mr. Davis said. "If it's negative, it's not good. I feel like in Torino it was really negative, and it shouldn't have been that way."

He's referring, of course, to his much-publicized feud with fellow American Chad Hedrick, two shining stars of the 2006 Olympics whose animosity toward each other became as much a part of the story as their medal haul. Mr. Davis has no regrets about the way he acted, and he'll never be buddies with Mr. Hedrick, but he said their problems "got swept under the rug." Maybe that's because Mr. Hedrick faded away after the Olympics. Mr. Davis, on the other hand, soared even higher after capturing gold and silver in 2006. He's won world championships. He's set world records. Before he's done, could go down as one of this country's greatest Winter Olympians. "I hope they do talk about me some day in the same context they talk about Eric Heiden," the 27-year-old Chicago-area native said. "That would be pretty cool."