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THE FIGHT OVER PAIN
HOW A WORLD CUP QUALIFIER EXPLODED INTO A REAL WAR In the summer of 1969, what should’ve been a sweaty, rowdy World Cup qualifier turned into one of history’s strangest armed conflicts. El Salvador and Honduras, two Central American neighbors with a long history of simmering tension, found themselves lacing up not just for soccer but for war. The fuse? A three-game soccer series, drenched in passion, politics, and pent-up resentment. The first match in Honduras ended with riots. The second, in El Salvador, saw tensions combust into full- blown violence. The third, a tiebreaker in Mexico City, sent El Salvador to the World Cup and straight into a diplomatic meltdown. But let’s be clear: This wasn’t just about the games. Behind the brawls were deep-rooted land disputes, decades of migration, and resentment over Honduran land reforms that displaced many Salvadoran settlers. The soccer field was just the stage for long-simmering tensions. On July 14, El Salvador used that World Cup qualification game to send troops across the border. Blackouts darkened both capitals as air strikes lit up the skies. For four days, just 100 hours, the conflict raged. The war ended almost as quickly as it began, thanks to pressure from the Organization of American States, but the damage lingered. Nearly 3,000 people were killed or injured. It shredded diplomatic ties — and it took 11 years for a peace treaty to be signed. To this day, many Salvadorans regard the “Football War” as a moment of national pride, proof that even a tiny nation can pack a serious punch when pushed too far. So, next time someone tells you sports aren’t political, remind them that in 1969, a soccer ball started a war.
TEXAS LAW JUST RA
When most people think about injury claims, the first things that come to mind are medical bills or paychecks lost during recovery. Those matter, of course, but they are not the whole picture. What about the pain that lingers long after the cast comes off or the hobbies you can’t do anymore? That is where pain and suffering damages enter the picture, and in Texas, those claims have become much tougher to win. The Texas Supreme Court underscored that in Chohan v. New Prime, Inc. The court ruled that juries cannot hand out large awards for mental anguish or physical pain unless there is clear evidence connecting the amount to the injury itself. Put simply, it is no longer enough to say a person hurts. Lawyers must now explain why a certain number makes sense for that specific client. From where I sit, this gives insurance companies another advantage. They already resist paying fairly, and now they can use this ruling as another reason to push back. I have said before and still believe that both the Supreme Court and the legislature here in Texas are steadily closing the door on injured people.
SUDOKU
SOLUTION ON PG. 4
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