Fraternity at Georgia expels 4 students over racial video

Four University of Georgia students were expelled from their fraternity Saturday after a video surfaced in which one of the students made a mock whipping motion with a belt and shouted at another to “pick my cotton.”

In the video, which was initially posted to Snapchat and then reposted on Twitter, two white students are on a bed, and two others are standing. One student is covered by a comforter, and another holds a belt.

When one of the students says “pick my cotton,” another responds, “I’m not black.” After repeatedly saying “pick my cotton” while making a whipping motion with the belt, a different student says: “You’re not using the right words.” That’s when one says: “Wait, get a video of it. Pick my cotton,” followed by a racial slur.

The students all laugh, the video shows.

The University of Georgia condemned the video. “Racism has no place on our campus,” it said.

Gregory A. Roskopf, the chief risk officer of the fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon, said in a memo that the local chapter was temporarily suspended.

Houston Ship Channel to reopen fully today

HOUSTON — An emergency dike has been repaired and a fire-damaged petrochemical tank stabilized during cleanup of leaking oil products that closed part of the Houston Ship Channel, the operator of the complex said Sunday.

Authorities are trying to determine what caused a March 17 fire at Intercontinental Terminals Co.’s Deer Park facility that left several petrochemical tanks damaged or destroyed.

Some tanks leaked oil products, and a containment area was breached Friday, leading to the mixture reaching the ship channel, said Brent Weber, an ITC spokesman. The channel — one of the busiest commercial waterways in the country — was closed to traffic that day.

Weber said the berm was fixed by Sunday. The Coast Guard hopes to reopen the entire Houston Ship Channel by Monday morning, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Kelly Parker said. company is voluntarily recalling whole avocados over possible listeria contamination.

Henry Avocado, a grower and distributor based near San Diego, said Saturday that the recall covers conventional and organic avocados grown and packed in California. The company says they were sold in bulk in Arizona, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin as well as California.

There have been no reports of any illnesses associated with the avocados.

The company says it issued the voluntary recall after a routine inspection of its packing plant revealed samples that tested positive for listeria.

The company said avocados imported from Mexico and distributed by Henry are not being recalled and are safe.

Listeria is a bacteria that can cause fever and diarrhea, and more dangerous complications in pregnant women.