Sunday March 17, 2013 DRC by Denton Media Company

INSIDE SPORTS

INSIDE

Mitchell expected to announce whether he’ll enter NBA draft Page 1B

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Denton Record-Chronicle

An edition of The Dallas Morning News

DentonRC.com

Vol. 109, No. 227 / 36 pages, 4 sections

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Denton, Texas

One dollar

TODAY IN DENTON

Cloudy and cooler High: 68 Low: 59 Weather report, 2A

LOCAL Blotter: A fire significantly damaged a man’s mobile home late Friday in the Vacation Village area. The blaze was caused by a trash fire left unattended, according to a county official. Page 2A

STATE

Call it much ado about Algebra II. The math class of exponents and imaginary numbers has become a key point of contention as the Texas Legislature grapples with overhauling high school graduation requirements statewide. Page 5A

Easy credit flourishes Apparent need lures lending storefronts to city

FIND IT INSIDE

83197

00021

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Team from UNT to run relay for funds By Rachel Mehlhaff

University of North Texas history professors and students are commemorating Texas independence next weekend with a 200-mile relay that will kick off in Gonzales, where the Texas Revolution started, and end at the San Jacinto battleground in Houston, where Texas won its

2013

ON THE WEB

To support Team TSHA, visit http://supportteamtsha.com.

Staff Writer

le ic

of neighborhood blight around the storefronts with the Denton City Council in December. They requested that Denton adopt regulations similar to those now in effect for short-term lenders in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. Since then, El Paso has also adopted local regulations. In response, the RecordChronicle began an investigation as part of Sunshine Week 2013. Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote public access to government records. The investi-

gation examined both the number of lending storefronts in Denton and public data, both crime and census data, related to neighborhood blight. According to the uniform crime data the city has reported to the FBI, nearly all categories of financial crimes increased in Denton in 2012. Those categories included burglaries, vehicle theft, embezzlement, credit/debit card abuse, forgeries and other fraud. Robberies and aggravated robberies, which had been declining steadily since 2008, shot up nearly 52 percent in 2012. Other thefts and larceny decreased in 2012, but only after rising steadily for the past three years.

Clustered, and increasing

Of the 39 businesses identified,

See LENDING on 3A

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

This is the first in an ongoing series on short-term lending. The Denton Record-Chronicle news staff gathered a number of government records under Texas open-records laws for these stories as part of Sunshine Week 2013. To determine the scope of payday and title lender presence in Denton, we first gathered information from Reference USA, available through the Denton Public Library. That database uses information reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on types of businesses and later confirmed by Reference USA. We checked that data not only by requesting registration and compliance records from the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner — a year-old law requires payday and title lenders to register with the state — but also by driving to listed and known locations. We also requested Uniform Crime Reporting data, as reported by the Denton Police Department to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for 2008 through 2012. We used database and mapping tools to examine the data. Sunshine Week began in 2002 with the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors after the Florida Legislature proposed scores of exemptions in that state’s open-records laws. Since then, Sunshine Week has grown into a national initiative to promote the importance of open government and freedom of information.

Handbook of Texas UNT turns up star power Eagle gets a few legs up Emerald benefit will honor

Record-Chro on n nt

3D 1D 4C 6D 5D 5D 17A 16A 1C 1B 15A 2A

Most of the storefronts have opened in Denton in the past decade, with 14 of the 39 businesses opening in the past five years and half of those operating in the city a year or less. The investigation also found that less than twothirds of those storefronts appear to be licensed with the state. In addition, the storefronts appear to cluster in and near Denton’s poorest neighborhoods. Denton for Fair Lending, a group of concerned residents and nonprofits, shared their concerns

ARTS & COMMUNITY BUSINESS CLASSIFIED COUPLES CROSSWORD DEAR ABBY DEATHS OPINION REAL ESTATE SPORTS TELEVISION WEATHER

Staff Writers

Denton Record-Chronicle investigation has found payday and title lending locations proliferating in Denton near lower-income neighborhoods. At the same time, though a link was not immediately evident, financial crimes in the city have increased, records show.

INTERNATIONAL

It’s been more than six years since a bomb ripped away the eyes from Shams Karim, killed her mother and left the little girl, now 7, blind and disfigured for life. Throughout Iraq there are tens of thousands of victims like her whose lives are forever scarred by the violence of war. Page 12A

By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe, Rachel Mehlhaff, Karina Ramírez and John Harden

DRC/David Minton

ABOVE: Speedy Cash lights up as cars streak past on University Drive on Wednesday.

Aw r s’ C hoice

independence. “We’re retracing the length of the revolution back to San Jacinto, where it ends,” said Andrew Torget, a history professor. Besides professors and students, the team of 12 includes See HISTORY on 14A

famous alumni By Rachel Mehlhaff Staff Writer

The University of North Texas is moving its Emerald Eagle Scholars fundraising event to Dallas and changing the format to mimic the Kennedy Center Honors. In the past, UNT conducted the Emerald Ball to raise money for the program, which

helps academically talented students with financial need pay for their schooling. This year, the UNT Rycroft Fo u n d a t i o n will present “Emerald Eagle Honors: Recognizing a Lifetime of Contributions to the American Landscape” on April 15 at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. The event will feature famous alumni, including

hosts Melissa Rycroft, who won Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars in November, and actor Peter Weller, who starred in RoboCop and Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite. Lynne Richards, director of special events for the UNT Foundation, said the foundation wanted to ramp up the event. UNT is “painting Dallas green for one night,” she said. The event is tailored along the line of the Kennedy Center See HONORS on 14A

V O T E online only

BEST OF DENTON online @ DentonRC.com

Deadline to vote is March 24th ~ Winners revealed on April 19th

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Denton Record-Chronicle

WEATHER IS COLD WEATHER REALLY OVER? The average date for the last freeze in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is March 13, and looking at the weather data for the upcoming week, another freeze is unlikely through Friday. However, a large mass of cold air is building across Canada and will be diving south next weekend. This bears watching since it will bring another freeze to much of the southern U.S. Freezing temperatures have been recorded as late as April 13 in D-FW, so it would not be that unusual if enough of this cold air builds across Texas to drop us to 32°F before the month is out. SOURCE: Steve McCauley, WFAA-TV (Channel 8)

WFAA-TV’S DENTON 3-DAY OUTLOOK WFAA-TV chief meteorologist Pete Delkus (front) with meteorologists Steve McCauley, Colleen Coyle and Greg Fields.

TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

High 68 Winds northwest at 5 to 15 mph

Partly Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Overnight low: 59

High 70, low 50

High 73, low 43

CALENDAR TODAY

EVENTS

1 to 4 p.m. — Pet vaccination and wellness clinic at Beau’s Bath House and Doggie Spa, 1800 Brinker Road, Suite 270. Event includes lowcost pet vaccinations, heartworm testing and other services, free hot dogs, drinks and prizes. Visit www.beausbathhouse.com or call 940-382-9274.

MONDAY EVENTS

1 to 2 p.m. — JOB FIT career guidance at Emily Fowler Central Library, 502 Oakland St. Free. Call 940-349-8752 or visit www.dentonlibrary.com. 4 to 5 p.m. — “Laughs and Crafts” for kindergartners through thirdgraders at North Branch Library, 3020 N. Locust St. Read funny picture books and make fun crafts. Free. Call 940-349-8752 or visit www.denton library.com. 7 to 8 p.m. — Romance in the Stacks Book Club at North Branch Library, 3020 N. Locust St. This month, discuss books by Julia Quinn. Free. Call 940-349-8796 or e-mail kimberly.wells@cityofdenton.com.

TUESDAY EVENTS

Billings

Portland

30s

50s

Casper

Salt Lake City

Denver

San 60s Francisco

70s

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

60s

Santa Fe

Albuquerque

80s

60s

Phoenix

90s 80s

Oklahoma City Denton

80s

90s

Stockdale pop. 1,442

70s

Snow

6 p.m. — The Denton school board meets at the Stephens Administration Building, 1307 N. Locust St. Visit www.dentonisd.org.

WEDNESDAY EVENTS

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Community blood drive at Ryan High School, 5101 E. McKinney St. Contact Scott Spaulding at 940-369-3000 or sspaulding@dentonisd.org. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. — Preschool Play and Read for children ages 3-5 and their caregivers at South Branch Library, 3228 Teasley Lane. Free. Call 940-349-8752 or visit www.dentonlibrary.com. 4 p.m. — It’s a Girl Thing! book club for girls ages 8-12 and their female relative or friend, at South Branch Library, 3228 Teasley Lane. This month, discuss Savvy by Ingrid Law. Call 940-349-8752. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Read-Along Story Time for Beginning Readers at North Branch Library, 3020 N. Locust St. A librarian will read My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems while each child follows along. Best for children in pre-K through second grade. Free. Call 940-349-8752 or visit www.dentonlibrary.com. 7 to 8:30 p.m. — Exploring Philosophy at North Branch Library, 3020 Locust St. Join the ongoing discussions of time-honored philosophical issues with Dr. Eva H. Cadwallader, professor of philosophy. Free and open to the public. Call 940-349-8752.

To tell us about your event or meeting, visit DentonRC.com and click on “Let Us Know” for our online forms; e-mail to drc@dentonrc.com; fax to 940-566-6888; or mail to Page 2 Calendar, Denton Record-Chronicle, 314 E. Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201.

LOTTERY One ticket matched all six numbers drawn Saturday night for the twiceweekly Lotto Texas game, state lottery officials said. The jackpot was worth an estimated $10 million. Wednesday night’s jackpot will be worth an estimated $4 million. The winning Lotto Texas numbers drawn Saturday by the Texas Lottery: 2-8-22-29-35-38 The winning Powerball numbers drawn Saturday: 3-7-21-44-53 Powerball: 16 The winning Cash Five numbers drawn Saturday by the Texas Lottery: 15-17-18-24-27 The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Saturday by the Texas Lottery, in order: Day: 0-5-4 Night: 6-4-6 The winning Daily 4 numbers drawn Saturday by the Texas Lottery, in order: Day: 1-1-2-2 Night: 8-7-7-8 No ticket matched all six numbers drawn Friday night for the twice-weekly Mega Millions game, lottery officials said. The jackpot was worth an estimated $12 million. Tuesday night’s jackpot will be worth an estimated $13 million. The winning Mega Millions numbers drawn Friday: 4-8-17-22-32 Mega Ball: 8 Megaplier: 2

Memphis

Atlanta Birmingham 70s Jackson New Orleans

Charleston

Orlando

Cold front

Stationary front

Warm front

Trough

80s Miami

REACH US

IN DENTON

Members of Denton Off Fossil Fuels will offer a training workshop on the current session of the Texas Legislature from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at Emily Fowler Central Library. Residents will learn how to

find and talk with their representatives and find out more about threats and opportunities that lie in currently proposed legislation, including potential threats to Denton’s newly adopted gas drilling and production ordinance. The training will include breakout sessions for participants to try out newly learned

— Staff report

Managing Editor Dawn Cobb . . . . . . . . . . 940-566-6879 dcobb@dentonrc.com City Editor Matthew Zabel . . . . . . 940-566-6884 mzabel@dentonrc.com Sports Larry McBride . . . . . . . 940-566-6913 lmcbride@dentonrc.com Photography Al Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 940-566-6893 akey@dentonrc.com Newsroom fax . . . . . 940-566-6888 Circulation . . . . . . . . . 940-566-6836 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . 940-387-7755

1500 block of Anna Street — Between 10:30 p.m. Friday and 1:46 a.m. Saturday, a man claims his boat was damaged. Police said a 23-year-old male called after he claimed his boat had been egged. According to the report, the victim’s newly purchased boat was parked on the street when someone threw an egg that broke on the side of the bow. The egg, according to reports, went through the paint and was not able to wash off. Denton police took a criminal mischief report.

service, made six reports, responded to one escort request, issued 13 parking violations, 28 moving violations and made three arrests. From Sunday, March 10, through Thursday: ■ University of North Texas police responded to three theft reports, one harassment call, one medical call, one deadly conduct call, one criminal mischief report, one drug paraphernalia citation, one driving while license invalid report and made two driving while intoxicated arrests.

Roundup

Denton County Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in these or other crimes. Callers will remain anonymous. Call 1-800-388TIPS (8477). Reach the Denton police narcotics tip line at 940-565-5801.

skills, and attendees will learn more about future travel days planned for lobbying in Dallas and Austin. Food and drinks will be provided. For more information, email Tara Hunter at tara hunter@my.unt.edu.

BLOTTER Fire displaces man

A man in his 50s is without a home after a fire overnight Friday. Mark Wilkins, assistant Denton County emergency management coordinator, said Denton Fire Department personnel responded to a call in the 5200 block of Atwell Lane at 11:46 p.m. Friday. A next-door neighbor was burning trash and the fire spread from the trash barrel over to the neighbor’s property, Wilkins said. The fire, Wilkins said, was left unattended and had burned a shed on the same property before causing “significant damage” to the man’s mobile home. Wilkins said the American Red Cross was called and the man was placed in a hotel overnight and given a prepaid debit card for food. Friday, the county wasn’t under a burn ban, but the county still doesn’t allow trash to be burned after dusk, he said. “All trash fires are to be out 30 minutes before dusk sets. Nothing after dark,” Wilkins said. An investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire is ongoing and the neighbor who left the fire unattended may be issued a citation, Wilkins said. All charges, if any, will be decided after the investigation is complete, he added. The area, known as Vacation Village, is located outside city limits, said Brad Lahart, spokesman for Denton Fire Department. Lahart said the department has a contract with the county to provide services to the area. The Sanger Fire Department assisted Friday evening, offi-

cials said.

Other reports

2600 block of South Mayhill Road — A 33-year-old female was the victim of domestic violence minutes before midnight Friday, Denton police said. When officers arrived, one could hear yelling as he approached the home, reports said. The officer was able to look through a window and see the suspect, a 34-year-old male, push the victim and grab a knife. Police said the officer drew his gun and entered the residence and told the suspect to put the knife down. The suspect immediately threw down the knife, according to reports. The man was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault family violence with a deadly weapon. While searching the suspect, police said they found a controlled substance. Possession of a controlled substance less than 28 grams was added to his charges, police said.

From 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday: ■ Forty-seven people were booked into Denton County Jail. ■ Denton police posted eight reports online. From Sunday, March 10, through Saturday: ■ Texas Woman’s University police responded to 54 calls for

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If you missed delivery, call by 10 a.m. daily and noon on Sunday. Monthly subscription rates: • Home delivery $11.95 • Mail delivery: $21 Periodicals posted paid at Denton, TX Postmaster, send address changes to: Denton Record-Chronicle P.O. Box 2463, Denton, TX 76202 Carriers are independent contractors and are not employees of the Denton Publishing Co.

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Mon. - Fri. 7-9, Sat. 7-6 I-35 at McCormick Se Habla Español.

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SCIATIC PAIN?

Tomorrow Hi Lo For 65 38 s 60 32 s 70 48 t 92 46 c 40 18 c 52 23 pc 41 27 r 76 52 s 79 63 s 86 55 pc 45 24 pc 73 56 pc 70 53 pc 28 5 sn 78 57 t 41 34 r 83 63 pc 42 36 r 84 58 s 53 36 c 63 44 pc 60 33 pc 43 42 r

Sunrise today ................................... 7:36 a.m. Sunset tonight ................................. 7:38 p.m. Moonrise today ............................... 11:07 a.m. Moonset Monday ............................ 1:24 a.m.

Ice

BRIEFLY Group schedules training workshop

Year ago 630.82 521.74 535.75 616.85 829.76

SOLAR & LUNAR

80s

The Life of Pi (PG) 12:00, 2:45, 5:30, 8:15

Zero Dark Thirty (R) 2:00, 5:10, 8:20

20s

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T-Storms

Little Rock

Houston

Durango

Rain

Shreveport Austin

70s

Chihuahua

70s

Milwaukee

70s

El Paso Hermosillo

Boston Buffalo Detroit 30s 30s Chicago 50s Omaha Des Moines Indianapolis Cleveland Pittsburgh New York 40s 40s Kansas City Washington Cincinnati St. Louis Wichita Louisville Richmond Tulsa 50s Raleigh 60s

Boise

40s

Yesterday Today City Hi Lo Prec Hi Lo For Albuquerque 72 46 -- 71 41 s Amarillo 61 47 -- 67 38 pc Atlanta 76 52 -- 72 57 pc Austin 83 53 -- 85 59 pc Chicago 33 31 Trace 36 28 c Denver 51 41 -- 58 27 pc Detroit 34 29 0.15 35 26 pc El Paso 87 60 -- 79 54 pc Honolulu 79 64 0.06 80 61 pc Houston 81 59 -- 82 63 pc Kansas City, Mo 48 39 -- 42 33 sn Las Vegas 84 62 -- 78 56 s Los Angeles 68 53 -- 72 51 pc Mpls/St. Paul 27 19 0.01 29 23 pc New Orleans 76 52 -- 76 63 pc New York 38 35 0.11 42 30 pc Orlando 79 41 -- 82 60 s Philadelphia 42 40 0.04 45 32 pc Phoenix 86 61 -- 85 59 s Portland 54 47 0.03 51 36 sh San Francisco 63 48 -- 63 44 pc Tulsa 72 53 -- 52 38 sh Washington, DC 59 43 0.03 46 35 r

10s

Minneapolis Rapid City

7 a.m. today 628.45 516.82 529.42 611.84 820.64

NATIONAL DATA

20s

Fargo

5 to 8 p.m. — Volunteer Income Tax Assistance for low- to moderateincome families at North Branch Library, 3020 N. Locust St. To qualify, annual household income must be $50,000 or less. Free. Call 940-5662688.

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

Ray Roberts Lake Lewisville Lake Grapevine Lake Lake Texoma Lake Bridgeport

Gray bands indicate high temperature zones for the day.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Grupo 18 de Marzo Alcoholicos Anonimos meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 100 W. Oak St. Call 940-231-9759. Heroin Anonymous Denton meets at 11 a.m. at Solutions of North Texas’ Wilshire Hall, 2216 N. Bolivar St. Call 940-898-6202, or visit www.sontx.org or www.soberdorm.org. Marijuana Anonymous 12-step recovery program meets at 8 p.m. at Big Mike’s Coffee Shop, 1306 W. Hickory St. Shalom Today group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. for discussion at 311 S. Locust St. Call 940-3838252. Show Me group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. at 1622 W. University Drive, Suite 104. Call 940-566-9989.

LAKE LEVELS

Forecast for noon, Sunday, March 17, 2013

CLUB MEETINGS

Denton Celtic Dancers meets from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Center for the Visual Arts, 400 E. Hickory St. Beginners’ class starts at 6 p.m. Call 940321-0012 or visit www.dentoncelticdancers.com.

High Low 81 57 PRECIPITATION 24 hours (ending 5 p.m.) 0.00” Month to date - 1.75” Normal - 1.68” Year to date - 7.61” A year ago - 8.72” Denton

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LOCAL

Denton Record-Chronicle

Registered or not?

Not all of the locations found during the Record-Chronicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investigation are licensed with the state. The Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, a state agency that has licensed pawnshops for many years, began licensing payday and title lenders in January 2011. In Denton, just 24 of these 39 businesses â&#x20AC;&#x201D; classified either as credit-access businesses (17) or pawnshops (seven) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are licensed with the state. The credit-access businesses, or the storefronts of the shortterm lenders, can help customers improve credit scores or get a line of credit, or offer advice on both matters. But they are not the lenders. About 70 percent or more of 3,400 to 3,600 short-term lending locations in Texas are controlled by larger corporations, said Rudy Aguilar, director of consumer protection with the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. They set up that way in order to have a storefront that offers unregulated fees, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That storefront is the key to the whole transaction,â&#x20AC;? Aguilar said, adding that the store is the contact point. In addition to licensing, the credit-access businesses are required to report more frequently than the pawnshops and the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other licensees. They must submit an annual report to the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner in January and then a quarterly report every three months. If the lenders are operating as both a pawnshop and payday lending business, they need both licenses. It is up to the licensee whether the business will be conducted as one and not the other, and the licensee will fill out applications accordingly, according to agency

By Ben Baby

pounded over 14 days, brings the APR to a whopping 391.07 percent. The effective annual rate (EAR), a tool that helps compare loans with different APRs that are compounded at different frequencies (annually, monthly, daily, etc.), further illustrates the staggering cost difference: The EAR for the $100 loan is 3,724 percent. A comparison to borrowing with a regular monthly credit card at a department store further illustrates the actual costs of a payday loan. If that cardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s APR is 17 percent, about what most cards are at, then the EAR is 18.39 percent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think payday loans, and again I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to say [they] are the most expensive loan, but they are way up there and, from my perspective, modes of last resort,â&#x20AC;? Sussman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You should not need a payday loan unless you absolutely have no alternative source of capital from somewhere. I would try other means if I could, because those APRs are significant.â&#x20AC;?

Staff Writer

A borrower who needs cash immediately, and knows payday is coming in the next two weeks, may think taking out a quick payday loan is a relatively harmless situation. But a closer look shows that a payday loan rate is substantial and quite costly, according to Eric Sussman, a professor at the University of California at Los Angelesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Anderson School of Management. While the annual percentage rate (APR) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the interest rate charged per period multiplied by the number of periods per year â&#x20AC;&#x201D; on payday loans may seem modest, things change when looking at the rate from a yearly perspective, Sussman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you annualize the rates, you realize that after first glance what appears to be a modest interest rate appears to be fairly onerous,â&#x20AC;? Sussman said. For example, paying $115 for a two-week loan of $100 appears to be a payment of 15 percent interest. But that $15, when com-

ON THE MAP

At least 39 businesses provide short-term loans in Denton, most clustered along Loop 288 and University and Fort Worth drives. To explore the map in more detail online, go to DentonRC.com.

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the investigation found a few that operate multiple businesses in the same location. Others have two storefronts in the city. A handful of short-term lending storefronts are clustered on East Oak and McKinney streets in east Denton. Six storefronts are located on Fort Worth Drive clustered near the intersection with Interstate 35E. Along Loop 288, there were at least nine storefronts, with nearly one in every shopping plaza. More than one-third are concentrated along University Drive, with four in a single shopping center on Sunset Drive. According to U.S. Census data, the majority of the storefronts are clustered near the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poorest neighborhoods, only a few blocks away from neighborhoods with the highest unemployment rates and lowest annual incomes. For example, the six storefronts in southern Denton, along I-35E and Fort Worth Drive, are huddled together near an area where the percentages of families living below the poverty level are some of the highest in the city, according to census data. In the neighborhoods just to the west and to the north of Fort Worth Drive, 34 percent and 26 percent of families live below the poverty level, respectively. And to the east and south, 9 percent of families live in poverty. Three storefronts, located between East McKinney Street to the north and East Oak Street to the south, are located in an area of Denton where 30 percent of families live below the poverty level. Within those same areas, about 8 percent of residents are unemployed and per capita income is less than $20,000 annually, according to the data. In comparison, in northwest Denton, where 60 percent of families make more than $70,000, the unemployment rate is 3 percent, and the percentage of families living in poverty is 1 percent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; there are no short-term lending storefronts. Storefronts for short-term lenders are also more likely to be found near neighborhoods where residents average in age between 19 and 34. Five of the storefronts have been in Denton since at least 1984, the earliest date in the research data.

Actual costs high for payday loans

ES her ma nD r

Lending

Fo rt W ort hD r

From Page 1A

Sunday, March 17, 2013

SOURCES: Reference USA, Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner and staff research Staff graphic

spokeswoman Dana Edgerton. In other words, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unclear how many lenders are operating outside the law, or even whether there are more storefronts offering short-term loans in other locations in Denton. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find out [who payday lenders report to] is scary,â&#x20AC;? said Melanie Vest, chief financial officer with DATCU and a member of Denton for Fair Lending. There is a place for shortterm lenders in the market, she said, but the state needs more rules and regulations. The lender is limited by law to charge a 10 percent or less rate of interest on the loan, but the storefronts also charge a fee, which averages about $20 per $100 of the loan each time it is made or renewed, according to the quarterly reports by the state agency. The bulk of the loanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cost to the consumer comes from the fees, Aguilar said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have control or authority to cap the fee,â&#x20AC;? he said. If a storefront is not licensed, the state agency investigates to see if it is making payday and title loans, he said. If it is, the agency tells the storefront a license is required. The storefront can be fined $10,000 for lending without a license. If the lender still doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t comply, the state agency can issue a cease-and-desist order, requiring the storefront to stop activities and to refund some of the fees it charges.

The business of borrowing

Julie Hillrichs, spokeswoman for Consumer Service Alliance of Texas, a trade association for the storefronts and the short-term lenders, said some people are unable to obtain loans elsewhere and the short-term lenders help fill the

vacuum, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are citizens of communities that have found themselves short of cash in emergency situations,â&#x20AC;? she said. Part of the increase in shortterm lenders is because of the economic downturn, she said. The increase in the number of storefronts also is a popular alternative for borrowers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be shortterm lenders if there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a market for it,â&#x20AC;? Hillrichs said. Late fees on utility bills and overdraft fees on bounced checks can be more costly than a short-term loan, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our borrowers weigh their options and frequently choose to take out a short-term loan,â&#x20AC;? Hillrichs said. According to a 2012 report by the Urban Institute, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Metros Vary Widely in Household Use of High-Cost Alternative Credit Products,â&#x20AC;? researchers found the Dallas-Fort WorthArlington area as having the highest use of high-cost, alter-

Investigators gather evidence after a robbery in March 2012 at the Ace Cash Express location on University Drive in Denton. DRC file photo/ David Minton

native credit, with most as loans given at pawnshops. Overall, however, just 12 percent of U.S. households have ever used alternative credit, and that included not only payday and title loans, but also rent-to-own agreements and pawnshop and refund anticipation loans, according to national survey conducted in 2009 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. While that survey also found that â&#x20AC;&#x153;unbankedâ&#x20AC;? households were more likely to access short-term credit than â&#x20AC;&#x153;bankedâ&#x20AC;? households, the survey counted just 8 percent of U.S. households reporting that they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep their money in a bank. It is unclear how many of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated 114,000 residents are accessing credit through storefronts where such lending is either their primary or secondary form of business. Cody Garcia, manager of McBride Music and Pawn, said interest rates for pawnshops are fixed at an annual rate of 240 percent and they must hold collateral merchandise for at least 60 days. McBride holds its collateral for 120 days, Garcia said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy anything we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make money on,â&#x20AC;? he said. The business is licensed through the state, which requires a report when it renews the license each year in June. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a lot of regulations, but they are strict about those regulations,â&#x20AC;? Garcia said. Pawnshops have a stigma, he said, but not all pawnshops are the same. McBride Music and Pawn has been family owned since 1968. Tax services businesses that offer refund advances are essentially arranging a loan with a bank, Aguilar said, adding that such businesses are affected by electronic filing and direct deposit. They are also registered through the state agency, but they are investigated only when a complaint is brought against them, he said. Denton has 23 banks in 55 locations. Banks donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer short-term loans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The expense to put a file together isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worth it for a oneweek loan or something like that,â&#x20AC;? said Danny Mitchell, president of First Security Bank. Banks are required by law to put up credit reports, he said. Small loans for people who need money before payday arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t considered a â&#x20AC;&#x153;good riskâ&#x20AC;? for a loan, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it [a short-term loan] takes advantage of the lower-income people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which is probably the majority of that going on â&#x20AC;&#x201D; because they do charge quite a bit to do those loans, relative to the loan they put out,â&#x20AC;? Mitchell said. He said there are different reasons people resort to shortterm loans rather than bank loans.

DAVIDGE & WRIGHT, L.P.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tough situation,â&#x20AC;? Mitchell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People that resort to payday lending, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably explored other options.â&#x20AC;? The bank sees people write checks from their accounts to payday lenders, Mitchell said, adding that typically those are people running close on their balance, too. Credit unions will work with customers on smaller loans, said Vest of DATCU. DATCU will offer $200 and $300 loans and has lent $50 before, Vest said, if the customers qualify for it and already have a standing with the credit union. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obviously, your average loan amount is not $50,â&#x20AC;? she said. The problem with shortterm lenders, Vest said, is they offer high interest rates. Someone goes in for $500 and then rolls it into another loan until the debt becomes unmanageable, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It snowballs,â&#x20AC;? she said. Someone may take a loan for $500 and renew a couple times, and then the person owes $3,000, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to see them in these situations that [involve] a $500 loan they can never pay back,â&#x20AC;? she said. Taking out a loan can be an emotionally charged decision, and people in reputable profes-

sions can fall into it, too, she said. Council member Kevin Roden, who works at the University of North Texas and has pushed for local reforms, said he is concerned that some of the lenders may be marketing to students in the way that credit card companies used to paper college campuses in the 1990s. He drove by a billboard near campus where a short-term lender asked â&#x20AC;&#x153;Running on Empty?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It just hit me â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it was geared toward college students,â&#x20AC;? Roden said.

Neighborhood concerns

Dallas passed rules in early 2011 regulating short-term lending storefronts, after residents there complained about blight and crime in neighborhoods where they proliferated. Those complaints had triggered the Consumer Service Alliance of Texas to commission a study in August 2010 by consultant David Kunkle, Dallasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; former police chief. He found no connection between the Dallas storefronts and crime. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not been able to find any case where small shortterm loan institutions raise crime rates or lower property See LENDING on 4A

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LOCAL/STATE

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Denton Record-Chronicle

IN THE SCHOOLS

Chorale members advance to state Liberty Christianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chorale

Academy receives district recognition The Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality recently competed in the SkillsUSA district competition in Waco and received the following awards: Freshman Kehaulani Smith, first place in commercial baking; junior Ashleigh Vrabel, second place in culinary arts and first place in prepared speech; sophomore Tiffany Simmons, third place in restaurant service; sophomore Kyle Chase, first place in job interview; sophomore Julianne Lukens, first place in job skill demonstration; junior Ruben Nunez, second place in job skill demonstration; freshman Raquel Reeves, second place in job skill demonstration; and sophomore Amber

Lending

West Texas sees record-high temps

The West Texas cities of Dalhart, Amarillo and Lubbock posted record-high temperatures for the Ides of March, forecasters said Saturday. Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s temperature in Lubbock reached 88 degrees, breaking the March 15, 1966, record of 86 degrees, National Weather Service meteorologist Charles Aldrich said. Meanwhile, thermometers peaked at 85 degrees in Amarillo, which was 1 degree hotter than last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record,

state tournament in Corpus Christi. Last year, the Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality restaurant management team won first place at the National ProStart Invitational.

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From Page 3A

values,â&#x20AC;? said Hillrichs, spokeswoman for the trade alliance. Denton Police Chief Lee Howell said his department has not received complaints at the storefronts, although one was robbed in March 2012. Three men with guns and an inert hand grenade robbed Ace Cash Express on University Drive, emptying the cash registers and the safe, leaving the grenade behind in the safe. In mapping the crime data, the Record-Chronicle found no immediately apparent connection between the storefronts and the increase in financial crimes. Overall, crime had been trending down in Denton and the North Texas region since 2009 with some categories at 10-year lows in 2011, Howell said. There were increases in 2012 in some categories that brought Denton back closer to the 10-year average. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think a lot of the negative reporting that is being done about small short-term lenders and statistics involving crime and property values is politically motivated,â&#x20AC;? Hillrichs said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty clear that there are consumer interest groups that want to drive the industry out of business.â&#x20AC;? That would start with a rate cap, Hillrichs said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A 36 percent rate cap will drive this industry out of business,â&#x20AC;? she said. Because Denton is smaller and more compact than Dallas, Roden didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think the impact of short-term lending storefronts would concentrate in any one neighborhood. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing on University Drive, it touches on many different types of neighborhoods,â&#x20AC;? Roden said, referring to the mile or so that runs between some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest neighborhoods to a few newer ones â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and that has about 15 different credit-access businesses. Denton community leaders have visited with those in Dallas who got that cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ordinance through. The Denton City Council is expected to take up the matter Tuesday. An ordinance regulating the storefronts, including how much they can charge and how often they can make high-cost extensions, will likely come first, city leaders said. Regulating the storefronts through zoning will likely follow, but that will take longer, Roden said. City leaders know enforcement will be a challenge, Roden said, especially given how difficult it is to even find storefronts that are making loans. However, he thinks local communities are in a better position to protect themselves through their local governments than through agencies in Austin. Moreover, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold out much hope for any tough new laws on short-term lenders from the Texas Legislature. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We told the state we wanted them to get tough and tighten legislation, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost like they throw you a bone â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Look. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting tough. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making them register,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Roden said, adding that he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t surprised not all the storefronts were even registered. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a local policymaker, I found the state registration system unhelpful to me,â&#x20AC;? Roden said.

NORTHWEST ISD

and 84 degrees in Dalhart, which topped last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record high of 81 degrees. Just less than three weeks ago, parts of West Texas were digging out from record snowfalls from a blizzard that blanketed the region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s springtime in the Panhandle,â&#x20AC;? NWS meteorologist Lance Goehring in Amarillo said about the weather swings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually the way it is.â&#x20AC;? Although the snow in late February brought badly needed moisture, the region is still mired in drought and West Texas still has pockets of excep-

tional drought, the most severe classification bestowed by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

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On March 2, Liberty Christian students ranging from sixth to 12th grade competed at the Regional Science Olympiad at North Lake College. Coined the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Exciting Kâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;12 Science Competition,â&#x20AC;? the Science Olympiad began 29 years ago and is now one of the premiere science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to 6,400 teams in 50 states. Science Olympiadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everchanging event line-up of events in all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines exposes students to practicing scientists and career choices,

competed in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regional competition on Feb. 27. Fifteen out of 16 vocal entries advanced to the state competition, set for April 1213 at the First Baptist Church in Belton. Those groups and individuals who scored superior ratings will compete at state. Groups advancing to state include the entire chorale, the girls treble choir, the boys small ensemble and the girls show choir. Soloists who received A-1 ratings and are advancing to state include Grace Dansby, Micah Lawler, Spencer Mackenzie, Brooke Morrissy, Marian Otto, Anna Payne, Malyn Porter, Erin Ramsey, Morgan Smith, and Gibson Terry.

Students flex scientific muscle at Olympiad

and energizes classroom teachers with a dynamic content experience. Liberty Christian ribbon winners from the Olympiad include the following: â&#x2013; Second place â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Megan McDivitt and Lynzi Rojas, Write It/Do It. â&#x2013; Second place â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Todd Deetjen and Grant Widyn, Boomilever. â&#x2013; Third place â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ashton Hutcherson and Jonathan Palmer, Meteorology. â&#x2013; Fourth place â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Natalie Nelson and Gisele Mercer, Gravity Vehicle. â&#x2013; Fourth place â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Brandon Allison and Nevan Simone, Thermodynamics.

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STATE

Denton Record-Chronicle

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Algebra II debate could shape graduation policy By Will Weissert Associated Press

AUSTIN — Call it much ado about Algebra II. The math class of exponents and imaginary numbers — and a potential predictor of a student’s success in college and in life — has become a key point of contention as the Texas Legislature grapples with overhauling high school graduation requirements statewide. Several bills before lawmakers would tweak graduation rules to give students more options in career training and vocational skills, thus aiming to help them land well-paying technical jobs that don’t necessarily require college degrees. But that could mean no longer requiring Algebra II for all students, something opponents say will ultimately produce future Texans who are less prepared for the workforce of the future — not more so. The most high-profile proposal has come from Houston Republican Dan Patrick, who chairs the state Senate Education Committee. His Senate Bill 3 has been endorsed by more than a dozen industry trade groups concerned about a “skills gap” between Texas high school graduates and the technical jobs firms need to fill.

Others in the business community, though, fear watering down academic standards, especially since the bill may no longer require all students to take Algebra II. “Not all students are going to need Algebra II, but we need a lot more than are taking it now,” said Justin Yancy, executive director of the Texas Business Leadership Council. Although Yancy said he didn’t want to be critical of efforts to give high school students more curriculum flexibility, he said “the data shows we’ve gotten less educated with each passing decade as a state.” “That’s not a trend we are going to reverse by lowering expectations,” he said. Current Texas law requires high school students to take Algebra II and to undergo standardized testing in it. That means answering questions such as: “A monthly cellphone plan charges $5 for the first 300 text messages used and $0.15 for each additional message. On this plan, what is the number of text messages that must be used in a month in order to make the average cost per message $0.05?” (Answer: 400) That kind of academic rigor has made Texas a leader nationwide in college and career readiness, but now

that’s in jeopardy, said Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, a Washington-based nonprofit dedicated to strengthening academic standards nationwide. Cohen said he understands that “people worry that if you make kids take more rigorous math, then you’ll lose them.” But he also asked: “What kind of technical training doesn’t require some kind of advanced mathematics?” He said federal studies have found that students who complete Algebra II in high school more than double their chances of earning four-year college degrees. “It’s not like people made up the idea, ‘Let’s all take Algebra II for the fun of it.’ It was looking at what people do after they leave high school, what kind of education and training programs you want to prepare them for,” said Cohen, whose group has pushed for the course’s inclusion in curriculums nationwide. Others say that rather than better-preparing students for future academic success, Algebra II is simply a course that highly motivated students are more likely to take. Indeed, there’s enough doubt on the issue that some are reserving judgment for now, including the Texas PTA.

“Experts are not agreeing whether Algebra I or II provides the best rigor for college and workforce preparedness,” said Kyle Ward, its executive director. Still, both sides of the argument were on display during a Senate Education Committee hearing this week, where Patrick said he’d heard from scores of teachers who point to Algebra II as the reason many students drop out. He added that, “It’s the belief of business that not every student may need Algebra II and they may want to take accounting or business math, or some other course in a career.” Raymond Paredes, Texas’ higher education commissioner, said the state’s default curriculum should include Algebra II and an option to let some students opt out of it, rather than simply letting students choose not to take it from the beginning. He worried that Patrick’s proposal “will not prepare a significant number of students for either technical careers or higher education.” “There are too many, you call them ‘options’ I call them loopholes,” Paredes said. Patrick countered that, “If you require Algebra II for every student, you’re going to see a massive dropout rate.” But Paredes responded that

research shows that “regardless of what students want to go into beyond high school, that a course like Algebra II teaches a higher order of thinking skills, critical reasoning skills, more effectively than just about any

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Four dead in three-vehicle crash

Four people were killed when the car in which they were riding slammed into another vehicle and a semitruck while on the wrong side of an East Texas highway. The crash happened Saturday morning on U.S. 79, a little more than five miles east of Jacksonville. Cherokee County Constable Eddie Lee tells KLTV-TV of Tyler that the vehicle with the four people in it was on the wrong side of the road when it sideswiped a sport utility vehicle and slammed head-on into the truck. No other injuries were reported. No identities have

other course.” “And the number one complaint I hear from potential employers about their potential employees,” he added, “is that they lack critical thinking skills.”

been released. Trooper Jean Dark of the Texas Department of Public Safety says it’s not yet clear why the car was on the wrong side of the two-lane highway.

Houston

Couple accused of health care fraud

A federal grand jury has accused a South Texas physician and his lawyer wife of conspiring to commit health care fraud and illegally sending more than a $1 million of proceeds to Iran. The panel returned a fourcount indictment Thursday against Dr. Kossein Lahiji, a McAllen urologist, and wife Najmen Vahid Lahiji. They’re accused of violating U.S. sanc-

tions against Iran by investing about $1.1 million in Iranian rental properties. The indictment alleges funds came from a scheme in which they submitted fraudulent claims to various insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. If convicted, they’d face up to 10 years in prison on the health care fraud counts and 20 years in prison for conspiracy to violate Iranian sanctions. Trial is set for Oct. 21. The Lahijis have denied any wrongdoing. — The Associated Press

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NATIONAL

Denton Record-Chronicle

Missile plan changes could provide opening for talks By Desmond Butler Associated Press

WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By adding 14 interceptors to a missile defense system based in Alaska and California, the U.S. is abandoning a critical part of a European system strongly opposed by Russia. Yet the decision also could provide a potential opening for new arms control talks. The Obama administration on Friday cited development problems and a lack of money in announcing the cancellation of the interceptors set to be deployed in Poland and possibly Romania early next decade. Russian officials suspected that the interceptors were a counter to their missiles and had indicated that they would not consider further nuclear arms cuts unless their concerns were resolved. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the cancellation was part of an overall restructuring of missile defense plans aimed at stopping missiles from North Korea and Iran. He made no reference to Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objections to the European plans, but said that other parts of program in Europe would move forward and that the U.S. commitment to missile defense in the region â&#x20AC;&#x153;remains ironclad.â&#x20AC;? The restructuring includes spending $1 billion to add the 14 new interceptors to the 26 that are in underground silos in Alaska. The shift in U.S. missile defense plans in Europe is the second major change to the program since President Barack Obama has been in the White House. It could cause unease among some U.S. allies, including Poland and Romania, who see the system as a sign of U.S. engagement in the region and a counterweight to Russia. Missile defense has been a contentious issue since President George W. Bush sought to base long-range interceptors in Central Europe to stop Iranian missiles from

reaching the U.S. Russia believed the program was aimed at countering its own missiles and undermining its nuclear deterrent. Obama reworked the Bush administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan soon after taking office in 2009. He canceled an earlier interceptor planned for Poland and radar in the Czech Republic, replacing the high-speed interceptors with slower ones that could stop Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medium-range missiles. Under Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan, the interceptors were to be upgraded gradually over four phases, culminating early next decade with those intended to protect both Europe and the United States. Russia initially welcomed the changes to the Bush plan, and relations between the two powers improved. That, in turn, paved the way for the New START treaty setting new limits on both countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nuclear arsenals. But Moscow has ramped up its criticism of Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revisions, which are backed by NATO, and claims the fourth and last planned upgrade of the interceptors would be able to stop its intercontinental missiles launched at the U.S. and undermine Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nuclear deterrent. Whether or not it was intended to, the decision to cancel plans for the long-range interceptors will help the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arms control goals. A senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities, said that Poland and Romania were informed of the decision ahead of the announcement, but that Russia was not. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Canceling Phase 4 opens the door to another round of U.S.Russian nuclear arms reductions,â&#x20AC;? said Tom Collina, research director at the Arms Control Association. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We give up nothing since Phase 4 was not panning out anyway. This is a win-win for the United States.â&#x20AC;? The issue is particularly sensitive because Obama was over-

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heard whispering in an open microphone last year telling then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at an international summit that he would have more flexibility on resolving their differences over the missile defense program after his reelection in November. The comment suggested that he might change the plans in Europe. Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision was criticized by Republicans in Congress who have charged that Obama has undermined allies while pursuing his goals to drastically cut nuclear weapons. â&#x20AC;&#x153;President Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reverse course decision will cost the American taxpayer more money and upset our allies,â&#x20AC;? said GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, who heads the House Armed Services subcommittee that oversees U.S. missile defense programs. Hagel said the U.S. remains committed to all the other parts of the plan, including the first three phases. He said the decision was prompted by the need to address faster-than-anticipated progress by North Korea on nuclear weapons and missiles. The changes free up the money to do so, he said. Hagel cited North Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s December rocket launch that put a satellite into space and showed mastery of some of the technologies needed to produce a long-range nuclear missile. He noted that last April, the North Koreans publicly displayed a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, the KN-08. Navy Adm. James Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that missile is believed to be capable of reaching the U.S. The missile defense system was first fielded by the Bush administration in late 2004. It has a spotty test record and has never been used in actual combat. In addition to the 26 interceptors in Alaska, the system includes four interceptors in California. Hagel said the 14 additional

interceptors should be in place in Alaska by September 2017, but not before they have been tested adequately. The European-based interceptors would not have protected the

United States from North Korea. Hagel also noted that the canceled long-range interceptors in Europe had already faced delays because of con-

gressional budget cuts and that there were technical challenges. A slew of recent reports by congressional and defense analysts suggested the interceptors might not work.

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Sunday, March 17, 2013

Obama’s goal: Keep Mideast troubles from boiling over By Julie Pace

AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON — When President Barack Obama steps into the Middle East’s political cauldron this coming week, he won’t be seeking any grand resolution for the region’s vexing problems. His goal will be trying to keep the troubles, from Iran’s suspected pursuit of a nuclear weapon to the bitter discord between Israelis and Palestinians, from boiling over on his watch. Obama arrives in Jerusalem on Wednesday for his first trip to Israel as president. His first priority will be resetting his ofttroubled relationship with now-weakened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and evaluating the new coalition government Netanyahu laboriously cobbled together. The president also will look to boost his appeal to a skeptical Israeli public, as well as to frustrated Palestinians. “This is not about accomplishing anything now. This is what I call a down payment trip,” said Aaron David Miller, an adviser on Mideast peace to six secretaries of state who is now at the Woodrow Wilson International Center. For much of Obama’s first term, White House officials saw little reason for him to go to the region without a realistic chance for a peace accord between the Israelis and Palestinians. But, with the president’s one attempt at a U.S.-brokered deal thwarted in his first term and the two sides even more at odds, the White House has shifted thinking. Officials now see the lowered expectations as a chance to create space for frank conversations between Obama and both sides about what it will take to get back to the negotiating table. The president will use his faceto-face meetings to “persuade both sides to refrain from taking provocative unilateral actions that could be self-defeating,” said Haim Malka, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The trip gives Obama the opportunity to meet Netanyahu on his own turf, and that could help ease the tension that has at times defined their relationship. The leaders have tangled over Israeli settlements and how to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Netanyahu also famously lectured the president in front of the media during a 2011 meeting in the Oval Office, and later made no secret of his fondness for Republican challenger Mitt Romney in last

year’s presidential campaign. Beyond Mideast peace, the two leaders have similar regional goals, including ending the violence in Syria and containing the political tumult in Egypt, which has a decadesold peace treaty with Israel. The president’s trip comes at a time of political change for Israel. Netanyahu’s power was diminished in January elections, and he struggled to form a government. He finally reached a deal on Friday with rival parties, creating a coalition that brings the centrist Yesh Atid and pro-settler Jewish Home parties into the government and excludes the ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties for the first time in a decade. The coalition will be sworn in Monday, two days before Obama’s arrival. White House press secretary Jay Carney on Saturday congratulated Israelis on their new government. He said the president looked forward to working closely with Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to address common challenges and advance shared interests in peace and security in the region. Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, acknowledged that with a new government, “you don’t expect to close the deal on any one major initiative.” But he said starting those conversations now “can frame those decisions that ultimately will

come down the line.” Among those decisions will be next steps in dealing with Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Israel repeatedly has threatened to take military action should Iran appear to be on the verge of obtaining a bomb. The U.S. has pushed for more time to allow diplomacy and economic penalties to run their course, though Obama insists military action is an option. The West says Iran’s program is aimed at developing weapons technology. Iran says its program is for peaceful energy purposes. Another central difference between the allies on Iran is the timeline for possible military action. Netanyahu, in a speech to the United Nations in September, said Iran was about six months away from being able to build a bomb. Obama told an Israeli television station this past week that the U.S. thinks it would take “over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon.” Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., tried to play down any division on the Iranian issue ahead of Obama’s trip. He said Friday that “the United States and Israel see many of the same facts about the Iranian nuclear program and draw many similar conclusions.” Obama’s visit to Israel may quiet critics in the U.S. who interpreted his failure to travel

there in his first term as a sign that he was less supportive of the Jewish state than his predecessors. Republican lawmakers levied that criticism frequently during last year’s presidential campaign, despite the fact that GOP President George W. Bush did not visit Israel until his final year in office. The centerpiece of Obama’s visit will be a speech in Jerusalem to an audience mainly of Israeli students. It’s part of the president’s effort to appeal to the Israeli public, particularly young people. In a sign of the close military ties between the U.S. and Israel, Obama will view an Iron Dome battery, part of the missile defense system the U.S. has helped pay for. Traveling to the West Bank, Obama will meet with

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah. Obama and Fayyad will visit a Palestinian youth center, another attempt to reach

the region’s young people. Obama also will make a 24hour stop in Jordan, an important U.S. ally, where the president’s focus will be on the violence in neighboring Syria.

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Tornado activity in recent years has scientists puzzled By Seth Borenstein AP Science Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY — With the planet heating up, many scientists seem fairly certain some weather elements like hurricanes and droughts will worsen. But tornadoes have them stumped. These unpredictable, sometimes deadly storms plague the United States more than any other country. Here in tornado alley, Oklahoma City has been hit with at least 147 tornadoes since 1890. But as the traditional tornado season nears, scientists have been pondering a simple question: Will there be more or fewer twisters as global warming increases? There is no easy answer. Lately, tornado activity in America has been Jekyll-andHyde weird, and scientists are unsure if climate change has played a role in recent erratic patterns. In 2011, the United States saw its second-deadliest tornado season in history: Nearly 1,700 tornadoes killed 553 people. The Joplin, Mo., twister was the single deadliest in American history, killing 158 people and causing $2.8 billion in damage. The following year, 2012, started even earlier and even busier. Through April there were twice as many tornadoes as normal. Then the twisters suddenly disappeared. Tornado activity from May to August of that year was the lowest in 60 years of record-keeping, said Harold Brooks, a top researcher at the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. Meanwhile, Canada saw an unusual number of tornadoes in

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2012; Saskatchewan had three times the normal number. That year, the jet stream moved north and “essentially shut down” tornadoes in the American Midwest said Greg Carbin, warning meteorologist at the federal storm center. A tremendous drought meant far fewer storms, which not only shut off the spigot on rain but on storm cells that spawned tornadoes. For much of America, tornadoes are seasonal. Typically, there are more during spring, and the numbers dwindle in the worst heat of the summer. Last year “essentially was an extended period of summertime conditions over the U.S.,” Carbin said. “The real question is: What is spring now? Is it February?” “Summer may be happening earlier and may be muscling out what we consider a transition between summer and winter,” he said. The last two seasons aren’t alone in illustrating extremes in tornado activity. Tornado record-keepers tally things like the most and least tornadoes in a month. Records for that category have been set 24 times over the past 60 years. Ten of those records have been set in the past decade — six for the fewest tornadoes and four for the most, Brooks said. Also, the three earliest starts of tornado season and the four latest have all occurred since 1997, he said. What does that mean? “We’ve had a dramatic increase in the variability of tornado occurrence,” Brooks said. The jet stream, a major player in tornado formation, has been in a state of flux, varying wildly in recent years, said

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Chicago, Honolulu vie for Obama library By Josh Lederman Associated Press

Associated Press file photo/Paul Southerland

In this May 24, 2011, file photo, a half-mile-wide tornado moves towards Piedmont, Okla. With the planet heating up, many scientists seem fairly certain some weather elements like hurricanes and droughts will worsen. But as the traditional season nears, scientists are still trying to figure out if there be more or fewer tornadoes as global warming increases. Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann. “It’s hard to predict future tornado seasons when we don’t understand current tornado seasons,” Brooks said between sessions at the National Tornado Summit here earlier this week. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen with the tornado numbers.” A new study in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society looks at all sorts of extreme weather, how it is changing because of global warming and how things are predicted to change in the future. The study says tornadoes and the severe thunderstorms that spawn them are the hardest to predict. Public opinion polls show Americans blame global warming for bad tornado outbreaks, but climate scientists say that’s not quite right. One reason scientists can’t figure out how global warming might affect tornadoes is that twisters are usually small weather events that aren’t easily simulated in large computer models. And records of tornadoes may not have been accurate over the years as twisters twirled unnoticed around unpopulated areas. So Brooks and others are

looking at the ingredients that cause tornadoes. But even that isn’t simple. They look at two main factors: moist energy in the atmosphere and wind shear. Wind shear is the difference between wind at high altitudes and wind near the surface. The more moist energy and greater the wind shear, the better the chances for tornadoes. The atmosphere can hold more moisture as it warms, and it will likely be more unstable so that means more moist energy, several experts said. But wind shear is another matter. Brooks and Stanford University scientist Noah Diffenbaugh think there will be less of that. That would suggest fewer tornadoes. But if there’s more moist energy, that could lead to more tornadoes. One ingredient has to win out, and Brooks says it’s hard to tell which one will. Diffenbaugh says recent computer simulations show the moist energy may overcome the reduced shear and produce at least more severe thunderstorms, if not tornadoes. Given what’s happening lately, Brooks believes there will be fewer days of tornadoes but more twisters on the days when they occur.

WASHINGTON — Where will President Barack Obama put his presidential library? Four years from the end of the Obama presidency, Chicago and Honolulu are ramping up major campaigns to build the center that will house the records of America’s 44th president. In Illinois and Hawaii, the states Obama calls home, universities and community groups are drafting plans and using a mix of public and private efforts to persuade Obama to choose their site for what will be a monument to his historic presidency and an instrument to continue his legacy. It’s an early down payment aimed at influencing a decision that likely won’t be announced anytime soon. “It is a tough choice, but it’s not one that I’ve made yet,” Obama said last month. In December, top officials from the University of Chicago, where Obama once taught law, traveled to Dallas and met with archivists at The George W. Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University. At the meeting was Susan Sher, first lady Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff and longtime friend who’s now a senior adviser to the University of Chicago’s president. University officials declined to comment, other than to say it’s premature to discuss a library. In Honolulu, where the president was born, University of Hawaii officials have visited nearly all the 13 official presidential libraries to talk to officials involved in setting them up. An American Studies professor, Robert Perkinson, is leading a statewide effort coordinated by the university, with

support from Gov. Neil Abercrombie and other state and federal officials. The Legislature has passed two resolutions urging Obama to pick Hawaii. One resolution calls it “a matter of great state pride that President Obama is the first Hawaii-born citizen to hold that high office.” On a rocky peninsula in the last undeveloped part of urban Honolulu sits a $75 million plot of oceanfront property that the state, through the Hawaii Community Development Authority, has set aside in hopes of securing the library, Perkinson said. The state also has identified potential alternatives in case that site is unworkable and is expecting the overall cost, should Hawaii be selected, to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Organizers say they’ve been quietly laying the groundwork for a potential library for years but feel more comfortable discussing it publicly now that Obama has entered his second term. Advocates for placing the library in Chicago speak of Obama’s coming of age as a community organizer in the city and his service in the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate. They say a presidential library on the city’s South Side could revitalize the community and be a force for economic growth. “It’s not for me to say,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff, told AP recently. Hawaii advocates note that Honolulu attracts millions of tourists. They point to Obama’s vaunted pivot to Asia as a foreign policy focus and say a presidential library housed in the nation’s foothold in the Asia-Pacific region would be a powerful symbol.

Aloha Days Deals

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Crowds cheered and bagpipes bellowed during New York City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade Saturday, and people with a fondness for anything Irish began a weekend of festivities from the Louisiana bayou to Dublin. With the holiday itself falling on a Sunday, many celebrations were scheduled instead for Saturday because of religious observances. In New York, the massive parade, which predates the United States, was led by 750 members of the New York Army National Guard. The 1st Battalion of the 69th Infantry has been marching in the parade since 1851. Michael Bloomberg took in his last St. Patrick’s Day parade as mayor, waving to a boisterous crowd as snowflakes fell on Fifth Avenue. Marching just behind him was Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who presented Bloomberg with a historic Irish teapot earlier. “The Irish are found in every borough, every corner of New

York,” Kenny said at a holiday breakfast. “In previous generations they came heartbroken and hungry, in search of new life, new hope; today they come in search of opportunity to work in finance, fashion, film.” Hundreds of thousands lined the parade route in New York, cheering the marching bands, dance troupes and politicians. “We’re crazy, the Irish, we’re funny and we talk to everyone,” said 23-year-old Lauren Dawson, of Paramus, N.J., who came to her first St. Patrick’s Day parade. In downtown Chicago, thousands along the Chicago River cheered as workers on a boat dumped dye into the water, turning it a bright fluorescent green for at least a few hours in an eye-catching local custom. In a sea of people in green shirts, coats, hats, sunglasses and even wigs and beards, 29year-old Ben May managed to stand out. The Elkhart, Ind., man wore a full leprechaun costume, complete with a tall green hat he had to hold onto in the wind. “I’ve got a little Irish in me, so I’m supporting the cause,” he said.

Kenny, who visited Chicago for St. Patrick’s Day last year, was again making the holiday a jumping-off point for an extended trip to the U.S., with stops in Washington and on the West Coast over the ensuing several days. He and President Barack Obama were to meet Tuesday at the White House and Kenny was to give Obama shamrocks, a tradition that dates to Harry S. Truman’s administration. Obama also was slated to meet the Protestant and Catholic leaders of Northern Ireland’s cross-community government, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness. Thousands of revelers gaudily garbed in green crammed the oak-shaded squares and sidewalks of downtown Savannah, Ga., on Saturday, for a celebration that’s a 189-yearold tradition. Led by bagpipers in green kilts, a parade kicked off Saturday morning, hours after customers began lining up at downtown bars. More than 1,000 worshippers also packed the pews of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist for the Mass that traditionally precedes the

Associated Press/Stephen Morton

Gaudy green revelers fill the oak-shaded sidewalks of downtown Savannah, Ga., for Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. The St. Patrick’s Day celebration is a 189-year-old tradition in Georgia’s oldest city. parade. But the Savannah parade went on without Ireland’s No. 2 politician, Eamon Gilmore, who skipped the trip to avoid a dinner where only men are allowed. Gilmore, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told the Irish Times a visit to Georgia’s oldest city would have come with the expectation he attend the annual dinner of the Hibernian Society of Savannah, a private event open

Oxon Hill, Md.

Rand Paul wins GOP preference poll

The auditions have begun. Just two months into President Barack Obama’s second term, Republican leaders are lining up to diagnose the GOP’s ills while courting party activists — all with an eye on greater political ambitions. They have danced

around questions about their White House aspirations, but the die-hard conservatives are already picking favorites in what could be a crowded Republican presidential primary in 2016. Thousands of activists who packed into suburban Washington’s Conservative Political Action Conference gave Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul a narrow victory over Florida

Sen. Marco Rubio in their unscientific presidential preference poll. Paul had 25 percent of the vote and Rubio 23 percent. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was third with 8 percent. The freshman senators topped a pool of nearly two dozen governors and elected officials who paraded through the same ballroom stage over

three days. There were passionate calls for party unity, as the party’s old guard and a new generation of leaders clashed over the future of the wayward Republican Party.

Thessaloniki, Greece

Jews mark anniversary of roundup by Nazis Jewish residents of this

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northern Greek city on Saturday marked the 70th anniversary of the roundup and deportation of its Jews to Nazi extermination camps during World War II. Several hundred people gathered at Thessaloniki’s Freedom Square, where the first group of Jews was rounded up by the occupying German forces on March 15, 1943.

The crowd held a moment of silence, then marched to the city’s old railway station, where the first trains departed for the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp complex. A short ceremony was held at the station and flowers laid on the tracks. Speakers included the city’s mayor, Yannis Boutaris, and Holocaust survivors.

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called people’s parade today, when Ireland’s capital city also intends hold its usual procession of bands and pageantry. In Maine, St. Patrick’s Day prompted Gov. Paul LePage to relent on a vow to veto any bill that reached his desk before lawmakers pass his proposal to pay a state debt to hospitals. He signed a measure Friday allowing bars to serve alcohol a few hours earlier than usual, starting at 6 a.m., on the Sunday holiday.

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only to men. The group’s leader said Saturday that Gilmore wasn’t formally invited but that he would have been welcome. “Count me out — I’m not doing it,” Gilmore told the Irish newspaper. “I don’t believe in segregation either on a gender basis or on any other basis.” In Ireland, Dublin’s five-day St. Patrick’s Day festival was unfolding with a new addition. For the first time, up to 8,000 visitors from around the world were due to march in a so-

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Tornado activity in recent years has scientists puzzled By Seth Borenstein AP Science Writer

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MARSH, PAINE & WADDILL, P.C.

Chicago, Honolulu vie for Obama library By Josh Lederman Associated Press

Associated Press file photo/Paul Southerland

Aloha Days Deals

Associated Press

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Oxon Hill, Md.

Rand Paul wins GOP preference poll

three days. There were passionate calls for party unity, as the party’s old guard and a new generation of leaders clashed over the future of the wayward Republican Party.

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Pope explains name, urges ‘church for the poor’ By Nicole Winfield Associated Press

international anti-money laundering norms. While the Vatican bank passed the first test last year, Moneyval gave the bank several poor or failing grades. Amid the calls for reform of the Vatican bureaucracy that have erupted in recent months, there has been a steadily increasing suggestion in the Italian media that the Vatican could easily do away with its bank, since it can carry out most of its financial activities through commercial banks and thus rid itself of a stain on its reputation. While there’s no indication the Institute for Religious Works will close any time soon, one of Francis’ most eagerly watched first appointments will be that of his secretary of state, who traditionally presides over the commission of cardinals that oversees the bank. For now, Francis on Saturday temporarily named all Vatican officials in their current positions, saying he would decide whether to confirm them or name someone else after a period of “reflection, prayer and dialogue,” the Vatican said. The Vatican also released details of the pope’s week ahead, saying he would meet with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on the eve of his Tuesday installation Mass and then visit Benedict XVI at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo on Saturday. The Fernandez meeting will be sensitive talks, given the

years of open tensions over the then-archbishop’s strong opposition to initiatives that led Argentina to become the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage. He also opposed Fernandez’s initiatives to promote free contraception and artificial insemination. During his audience with journalists Saturday, Francis poured on the charm, thanking

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called not to communicate ourselves, but this essential trio.” In recognition that not all journalists in the room were Christian or even believers, he offered a blessing without the traditional Catholic formula or gesture, saying he would bless each one in silence “respecting your conscience, but knowing that each one of you is a child of God.”

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VATICAN CITY — The focus of Pope Francis’ papacy began to emerge Saturday as he offered some intimate insights into the conclave that elected him pontiff, describing how he was immediately inspired to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi because he wants to see a church that is “for the poor.” His comments provided further evidence that this first Latin American papacy would be one that looks beyond the confines of the church itself to the most disadvantaged, named for a 13th-century friar who renounced a wealthy, dissolute lifestyle to embrace a life of poverty and simplicity and go out in the countryside to preach a message of joy and peace. “Let me tell you a story,” Pope Francis began in a break from his prepared text during an audience for a few thousand journalists and Vatican communications officials in the Vatican’s auditorium. Francis then described how during the conclave he was comforted by his friend, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, as the votes were going his way and it seemed “a bit dangerous” that he would reach the two-thirds necessary to be elected. When the threshold was reached, applause erupted in the frescoed Sistine Chapel. “He [Hummes] hugged me. He kissed me. He said, ‘Don’t forget about the poor!’” Francis recalled. “And those words came to me: The poor. The poor. Then right away, thinking of the poor, I thought of Francis of Assisi. Then I thought of all the wars as the votes were being counted, until the end. Francis is also the man of peace. That is how the name came into my heart: Francis of Assisi.” The pope said some have wondered whether his name was a reference to other Franciscan figures, including St. Frances de Sales or even the co-founder of the pope’s own Jesuit order, Francis Xavier. But he said the inspiration was Francis of Assisi. Sitting in the vast Vatican auditorium, Francis continued: “For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation. These days we don’t have a very good relationship with creation, do we?” he said. “He is the man who gives us this spirit of peace, the poor man.” “Oh how I would like a church which is poor and for the poor!” Francis said, sighing. He then joked that some other cardinals suggested other names: Hadrian VI, after a great church reformer — a reference to the need for the pope to clean up the Vatican’s messy bureaucracy. Someone else suggested Clement XV, to get even with Clement XIV, who suppressed the Jesuit order in 1773. The pope’s admiration for Francis’ simplicity is evident in his own lifestyle: the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would take the bus to work, lived in a Spartan apartment where he would turn the heat off on weekends and cook his own meals. In one of his first acts as pope, Francis phoned the Vatican ambassador in Buenos Aires and told him to put out the word that he didn’t want ordinary Argentines flocking to Rome for his installation Mass,

urging them to use the money instead for charity. Bergoglio never favored liberation theology, the Latin American-inspired view that Jesus’ teachings imbue followers with a duty to fight for social and economic justice, because of its alliances with armed leftist guerrilla movements in the 1970s. But as a priest and later archbishop, he saw to it that every slum in Buenos Aires had a chapel and fostered many outreach programs, supporting former prostitutes and drug addicts and washing the feet of rehab patients. When the economy collapsed in 2001, and Argentines lost faith in their politicians, he denounced capitalist excesses and corruption from the pulpit. His addresses and homilies often circle back to the need for the church to rivet its attention on issues of economic failings, including the growing divides between the comfortable and needy, and the pressures of Western-style capitalism. His election to the papacy has raised questions about how he will translate that message on a global scale, given the global economic crisis and vast inequalities among the rich and poor — and at home, given allegations of corruption in the Holy See’s governance and continued problems of the Vatican’s own bank, the Institute for Religious Works. Under Benedict XVI, the Vatican had sought to put its finances in order and opened itself up to external evaluation by the Council of Europe’s Moneyval committee, which helps countries comply with

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High-ranking Syrian general defects from army By Ben Hubbard Associated Press

BEIRUT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; One of the highest-ranking military officers yet to abandon Syrian President Bashar Assad defected to neighboring Jordan and said in an interview aired Saturday that morale among those still inside the regime had collapsed. In another setback for the Assad regime, a leading human rights group accused Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government of stepping up its use of widely banned cluster munitions, which often kill and wound civilians. The twin blows illustrated the slowly spreading cracks appearing in Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime as well as its deepening international isolation. While few analysts expect the civil war between Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forces and rebels seeking his ouster to end soon, most say it appears impossible for the fourdecade-old regime to continue to rule Syria. Maj. Gen. Mohammed Ezz al-Din Khalouf announced his defection from Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime in a video aired Saturday on the Al-Arabiya satellite channel. It showed him sitting next to his son, Capt. Ezz al-Din Khalouf, who defected with him. The elder Khalouf said that many of those with Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime have lost faith in it, yet continue to do their jobs, allowing Assad to demonstrate broad support. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an issue of belief or practicing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for appearanceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sake, for the regime to present an image to the international community that it pulls together all parts of Syrian society under this regime.â&#x20AC;? He also said fighters from the Lebanese military group Hezbollah were fighting in Syria in â&#x20AC;&#x153;more than one place,â&#x20AC;? but did not give further details. The Syrian government did not immediately comment on the defection. It portrays the uprising as a foreign-backed conspiracy to weaken Syria being carried out by terrorists on the ground. Seif al-Hourani, an activist

from one of the rebel groups that helped get Khalouf and his family out of the country, said via Skype that Khaloufâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son made contact with rebels about six months ago and leaked them information before he asked for help getting the family out of Syria. That process took almost a week because of violence in the southern province of Daraa, the easiest place to shuttle Khalouf across the border, al-Hourani said. Six days ago, rebels smuggled Khalouf, his wife and three of their children out of Damascus to the southern province of Sweida. Two days later, they moved them to Daraa. They waited there until late Friday when it was safe enough to drive them to the border and hand them to Jordanian authorities, al-Hourani said. Like many rebels, alHourani spoke on condition he be identified only by that nickname â&#x20AC;&#x201D; by which he is widely known among his comrades â&#x20AC;&#x201D; because he feared retaliation on his family. Khalouf was chief of staff of the army branch that deals with supplies and fuel. While rebels lauded his defection as a blow to the

regime, it was unlikely to have a significant effect on Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to wage war. Widespread defections among conscripts and low-level soldiers have sapped the Syrian armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infantry, but high-level defections have been rare, and Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s air force and heavy munitions allow the government to pound rebel areas, even if it cannot take them back. Still, cracks continue to spread through Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime as rebel forces expand their areas of control and put increasing pressure on the capital, Damascus. Also Saturday, Human Rights Watch said Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government is killing an increasing number of civilians with cluster bombs. The New York-based rights group said Syrian forces have dropped at least 156 cluster bombs in 119 locations across the country in the past six months. The report said two strikes in the past two weeks killed 11 civilians, including two women and five children. Cluster munitions open in flight, scattering smaller bomblets over a large area. Rights groups say they endanger civilians because they are imprecise and because civil-

ians, mainly children, are often wounded or killed when they find unexploded bomblets. Like all Middle Eastern countries except Lebanon, Syria is not party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty that prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster bombs. Human Rights Watch said it based its findings on field investigations and analysis of more than 450 amateur videos. A senior Syrian government official on Saturday rejected the report, saying many amateur videos were suspect. He spoke on condition of anonymity

because he was not authorized to speak to media. Violence in Syria has killed some 70,000 people and displaced 4 million of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 23 million people, according to U.N. estimates. On Saturday, rebels targeted the tallest building in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour with a two-ton car bomb, setting off clashes with regime troops, state TV and activists said. State TV said rebels stormed the Insurance Building after the blast but failed to seize it from the government. The Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four fighters

were killed in subsequent clashes with regime troops. The Observatory also said at least 12 rebel fighters were killed in clashes near a cement factory in the northern city of Aleppo, and five people were killed when a shell exploded in the Damascus neighborhood of Qaboun. Also Saturday, the head of Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading opposition group issued an anniversary message to Syrians, saying that the uprising has â&#x20AC;&#x153;has taken a long time.â&#x20AC;? The opposition recognizes March 15, 2011, as the start of the uprising.

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Sunday, March 17, 2013

Denton Record-Chronicle

Iraq still grapples with warâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy By Adam Schreck

Associated Press

BAGHDAD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been more than six years since a bomb ripped away the eyes from Shams Karim, killed her mother and left the little girl, now 7, blind and disfigured for life. Psychiatric drugs help control her outbursts of crying and screaming. Throughout Iraq there are tens of thousands of victims like her whose lives are forever scarred by the violence of war. Their wounds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and those of tens of thousands of U.S. and other foreign service members â&#x20AC;&#x201D; may never entirely heal. In Baghdad, life goes on much as it has since the Ottoman sultan ruled these parts. Porters force loaded carts through narrow bazaars as amateur breedersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; beloved pigeons swoop overhead. The calls to prayer from turquoise-domed mosques provide a rhythm to the day. Yet the legacy of a war that began a decade ago remains very much a part of life here too. Bullet holes still pockmark buildings, and towers wrecked by American missiles and tank shells have not fully been rebuilt. Iraqi soldiers in body armor corral cars into roadclogging checkpoints, their fingers close to the trigger, ever wary of the next attack. At 1 a.m., a curfew shuts down the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets, many still lined with blast walls. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard nowadays to find anybody in much of the country who hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lost a friend or relative to the bloodletting that followed the U.S.-led invasion. Shamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mother is buried among the densely packed graves in Najaf, where an ancient cemetery is at least 40 percent larger than it was before the war. Each new bombing sends more coffintopped cars south to the hot,

dusty city of the dead. The Bush administration had hoped the war that began with airstrikes before dawn on March 20, 2003 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; still the previous evening back in the States â&#x20AC;&#x201D; would quickly rid Iraq of purported weapons of mass destruction, go after extremists and replace a brutal dictatorship with the foundations of a pro-Western democracy in the heart of the Middle East. Ten years on, Iraqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longterm stability and the strength of its democracy remain open questions. The country is unquestionably freer and more democratic than it was before the â&#x20AC;&#x153;shock and aweâ&#x20AC;? airstrikes began. But instead of a solidly pro-U.S. regime, the Iraqis have a government that is arguably closer to Tehran than to Washington and that struggles to exert full control over the country itself. Bloody attacks launched by terrorists who thrived in the post-invasion chaos are still frequent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; albeit less so than a few years back â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and sectarian and ethnic rivalries are again tearing at the fabric of national unity. The top-heavy government is largely paralyzed by graft, chronic political crisis and what critics fear is a new dictatorship in the making. The civil war in neighboring Syria risks sowing further discord in Iraq. By the time the U.S. military pulled out of Iraq in December 2011, nearly 4,500 Americans and more than 100,000 Iraqis had lost their lives. No active WMDs were ever found. The war cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars and diverted resources from Afghanistan, where the Taliban and al-Qaida rebounded after their pummeling in the 2001 invasion. In Iraq, the Americans and their allies left behind a broken, deeply traumatized country â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

a land no longer at war but without peace. The toppling of Saddam Husseinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime destroyed not only dictatorship but also the mechanism of law and order, enabling the rise of al-Qaida and the unleashing of sectarian, ethnic and class hatreds long suppressed by a reign of fear. The invasion transferred power overnight to oppressed Shiites and Kurds but left many Sunni Arabs alienated. It established a system of sectarianbased politics that undermined national unity. And it helped trigger a vicious insurgency that ruined countless lives without regard for religion or ethnicity. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to forget about the warâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hardships inside the Haji Zebala juice shop on the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic Rasheed Street, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still serving up fresh-pressed grape juice like they have for generations â&#x20AC;&#x201D; though fear of bombings means customers are no longer willing to wait in line for 15 minutes as they did before the invasion. Black-and-white pictures of old Baghdad cover the walls, transporting visitors to a time before Iraq became a byword for death and destruction. Diaa al-Mandalawi, who works at the juice shop, remembers being surprised at just how quickly American helicopters came to be hovering over his city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thought things would get better because the Americans promised us a lot,â&#x20AC;? he said. But the years of bloodshed that followed the heady days after Baghdad fell have taken its toll, he continued, and it is taking too long for his country to get back on its feet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like building a house, but the process is too slow.â&#x20AC;?

Associated Press/Khalid Mohammed

Shams Karim gets a kiss from her cousins March 9 in Baghdad, Iraq.

See IRAQ on 13A

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From Page 12A

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The United States destroyed the last remaining good things in Iraq. The current situation is definitely not any better than under Saddam.â&#x20AC;?

Iraq

On the bright side, campaign posters once again line Iraqi streets, heralding a new round of voting coming up. In many places they hang alongside banners adorned with the image of revered Shiite saint Imam Hussein â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a public display of faith rare during Saddamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rule. Iraqi citizens today are unafraid to criticize their elected leaders in public â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with some even going so far as to wish Saddam still ruled â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and guests on TV talk shows boldly rail against corruption and other wrongdoing by their elected leaders. There are other signs of progress, too. Fresh investment in the oil sector has pushed Iraq into the No. 2 producer spot in OPEC, boosting the economy. New businesses are opening up, like a popular Baghdad shopping mall and swanky hotels in the capital, southern Shiite pilgrimage centers and the northern Kurdish city of Irbil. At the newly opened Aroma restaurant in Baghdad, waiters take orders for spaghetti and pizza on iPads. Dalia Ayad, a college student eating there with friends, said the new businesses are a sign that Iraq is moving forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a change going on in the country,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not moving fast enough.â&#x20AC;? That is partly because Iraq remains a sharply divided society. Majority Shiites tend to see more reason for hope than Sunnis do. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now people can hold protests against the government and criticize government officials,â&#x20AC;? said Haider Ali Hassan, a government employee in the southern city of Basra. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a lot of shortcomings and problems ... but it is still better than Saddamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time.â&#x20AC;? Saddamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sunni-dominated government ruthlessly sup-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Muhanad Majid, a Sunni coffee shop owner and father of two in the northern city of Mosul

pressed dissent, especially from the Shiite and Kurdish communities where opposition to his rule was more widespread. The U.S.-led invasion upset the Sunnisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; privileged position since Shiites and Kurds were more willing to support the new order. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The United States destroyed the last remaining good things in Iraq. The current situation is definitely not any better than under Saddam,â&#x20AC;? said Muhanad Majid, a Sunni coffee shop owner and father of two in the northern city of Mosul. The American decision to disband the Iraqi military and bar many senior members of the newly outlawed Baath party from public-sector jobs suddenly left many Iraqis without work. The ways the policies were implemented added to the resentment of Sunnis, who were the bedrock of the military officer corps and held many senior posts in Saddamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime. That anger is now reflected in mass anti-government rallies each Friday in western Anbar province, the birthplace of the Iraqi insurgency, and other primarily Sunni areas. The demonstrations present a potent and surprisingly persistent challenge to Baghdad, which must also contend with the ethnic Kurdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; increasing efforts to assert their autonomy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thought the Americans and the United Nations would bring us a democratic system that would provide the country with security, reconstruction and prosperity. But it turned out the only change was to transfer power from Sunnis to Shiites,â&#x20AC;? Ahmed Abu Risha, a

prominent Sunni sheik who once helped Americans battle al-Qaida, complained during a recent interview. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a disappointment.â&#x20AC;? Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malikiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political rivals accuse him of using his office to sideline and intimidate political opponents. Many Arab Sunnis and Kurds believe he is consolidating power to benefit members of his Shiite sect at their expense. He remains directly in charge of the powerful Interior Ministry, giving him control over state security forces. They and the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s military have been unable to thwart frequent mass-casualty attacks that continue to plague the country. On Thursday, attackers unleashed a carefully planned assault with car bombs and a team of gunmen on the Justice Ministry in the heart of downtown Baghdad, killing more than 20 people as hundreds of others crouched terrified in their offices. Al-Maliki, who has held power since 2006, dismisses his critics as out to create divisions and provoke sectarian strife. In a recent interview, the prime minister said he believes the country is moving in the right direction, though he acknowledged that the shift away from a centralized system to a more federal political structure will take time. And he thinks Iraqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ties with America are improving despite concerns about his perceived closeness to U.S. foe Iran. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural to have ups and down in the relationship,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe in the importance and the necessity of hav-

ing relations with America, and we feel that the Americans are content with the results of their sacrifices and efforts in Iraq.â&#x20AC;? The last American combat troops rolled out of Iraq and into Kuwait in December 2011. More than 150 U.S. military personnel remain mainly to provide training and facilitate arms sales â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as is the case in many countries â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but they are an arm of the American Embassy, a sprawling fortress the size of Vatican City. Along with other embassies and Iraqi

Sunday, March 17, 2013 government offices, it is tucked inside the relative safety of Baghdadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heavily fortified Green Zone, which remains a no-go area for most Iraqis. Signs of American influence can be found. Rap has gained a following among Iraqi youth, with young MCs spinning tales of hardship in bilingual rhyme. The ubiquitous police and army soldiers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; some with Oakley-style sunglasses popular with American GIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; cruise the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roads in allAmerican Humvees and modi-

13A

fied Ford pickups. But the American military withdrawal has significantly shifted Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clout in Baghdadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s halls of power. In his final report to Congress this month, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, Stuart Bowen, came to the conclusion that the $60 billion the U.S. spent on rebuilding in Iraq produced too few results. The war itself cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions more.

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14A

LOCAL

Sunday, March 17, 2013

From Page 1A

Honors

Honors presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. UNT will recognize alumni who have made a significant contribution, including “Mean” Joe Greene, former Pittsburgh Steelers player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; the late Roy Orbison, a rock ’n’ roll icon; and Mary Suhm, Dallas city manager. The UNT Foundation decided to have the event in Dallas because many UNT alumni live there, Richards said. “Our idea is to take the message of UNT to Dallas,” she said, adding that UNT hopes to attract a wider audience. The university wants to showcase former students who people may not be aware are UNT alumni, Richards said. The event will also feature the stories of some Emerald Eagle Scholars students. Sarah Collins, director of Access and Success programs at UNT, said the program is an institutional grant that leverages federal and state grants to cover the average cost of 15 credit hours each for the fall and spring semesters for four years. “The goal there is to encourage students to graduate in four years with little or no debt,” Collins said. Emerald Eagle students must maintain a 2.5 gradepoint average during that time. They must also be actively engaged on campus. There are 1,200 students actively eligible, which means they maintain the academic criteria and still have a financial need. Students’ financial circumstances sometimes change during their time in college, Collins said. Overall, 2,400 students have gone through the program since it was established in 2007. This program, as well as other Access and Success programs at UNT, helps fulfill the federal and state initiatives to increase college graduation rates, Collins said. All proceeds from the April 15 event will benefit the Emerald Eagle Scholars program. “That’s the best scholarship program I’ve been associated

From Page 1A

EMERALD EAGLE HONORS

History

When: 7:15 p.m. April 15 Where: Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St. in Dallas. Details: Tickets range from $150 to $300. Proceeds go toward the Emerald Eagle endowment. The event will include a reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. For more information about tickets and sponsorship, visit www.unt.edu/emeraldeaglehonors.

with in my whole career,” said UNT President Lane Rawlins. He said if someone is interested in helping out students with high ability and high need, the Emerald Eagles program is one of the best ways. Rawlins had reservations when the idea for the event was initially presented, but he loves it now, he said. He calls it a “world-class” show, adding that it’s an opportunity to showcase the music department. “First of all, it allows us to do some things we have not done enough of,” he said. “It allows us to take our place downtown.” But Rawlins doesn’t want it to be a replacement for the Emerald Eagle Ball, he said, adding that the events will reach two types of audiences. “I think there is room for more than one support event because we are reaching multi-

Denton Record-Chronicle

ple options,” he said. Besides raising money for the Emerald Eagle Scholars program, the event will be an opportunity for UNT to launch the public phase of its fundraising campaign. UNT recently hired Betheny L. Reid to serve as the capital campaign manager. When her hiring was announced in late February, officials said UNT would make an announcement about its capital campaign at the event. “We don’t have a strong tradition of raising a lot of money at the University of North Texas,” Rawlins said. He’s not happy about the rate of fundraising at UNT, he said. “I’m pleased that we’re making some progress,” Rawlins said. “I want to leave the next president with a new foundation.”

UNT alumni and members of the Texas State Historical Association, which has been housed at UNT since 2008. “We’re all tied together by the love of running and the love of history,” said Torget, who is one of the team captains. Team TSHA is raising money to keep the Texas State Historical Association’s Handbook of Texas Online updated and expanded. Right now the team has raised about $6,000, but its goal is to raise $20,000. Cristina Rodriguez, development coordinator for the association, calls the handbook a

“wealth of information for all Texas.” It has more than 27,000 articles about Texas. “[The handbook] is a great resource for anyone who is trying to do research on Texas,” she said. The money would help ensure that it’s updated and comprehensive, Rodriguez said. Team TSHA will compete in the Texas Independence Relay on March 23 and 24. This is the team’s first time to compete in the 40-leg relay that is divided among the team members. The relay will take them through Gonzales, Shiner, Moulton, Flatonia, Schulenburg, Weimer, Borden, Columbus, Altair, Eagle Lake, Wallis, Orchard, Simonton and

Fulshear. Torget said there are about 100 other teams running. The team’s race starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and ends by 4:30 p.m. the next day. Each runner will run three or four legs of the race. This is going to be a different experience because the team members will run a leg and then sit in the van for several legs before running again, Torget said. The team will have two support vans. Team members will run that distance with very little sleep and no showers, he said. RACHEL MEHLHAFF can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is rmehlhaff@dentonrc.com.

Attend a FREE Men’s Health Seminar: Presented by: Dr. Galen Howard Title: Treatment options for Erectile Dysfunction and Male Stress Urinary Incontinence Date: March 21, 2013 5:30pm- Registration 6:00pm-7:00pm- Presentation Place: Denton Regional Medical Center-Community Room Address: 3535 South Interstate 35, Denton,Tx 76210 Partners and guests welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Space is limited, call to register today. 877-433-2873

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Helping to promote community service events benefiting non-profit organizations in Denton and surrounding communities.

2ndbeneﬁting Annual Rockin’ Roundup Health Services of North Texas

MARCHING FOR HEALTH 5K Fun Run/Walk Saturday, March 23, 2013

At the Good Samaritan Society Denton Village

Activities Begin at 6:30 a.m. Awards Ceremony/Recognition Celebration at 10 a.m. Adults $35 Students (Ages 13-21) $25 Children (Ages 12 and under) $10 Good Samaritan Society Employees & Residents $25 Register today at: www.good-sam.com/dentonvillage For more information contact: Ashley Sellman (940) 383-6339 or at asellman @good-sam.com

Evening at the Frisco RoughRiders Ballpark With

Tuesday, April 2 @ 7 p.m.

Frisco RoughRiders vs. Round Rock Express Tickets are only $30 which includes A ticket in the Homeplate section, A Limited-Edition RoughRiders Hat, $10 Food and Drink Voucher, *Door Prizes and Gifts.

Deadline for orders is Friday, March 22 Proceeds beneﬁt RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) For additional information, call the RSVP @ 940-383-1508 / 972-221-9663 or dmcorona@rsvpserves.org

Denton Beneﬁt League

Friday, April 12, 2013 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

40th Annual Charity Ball

Diamond T Ranch and Arena 6900 E. Sherman Drive, Denton, Texas • Bar-B-Que & Dance • Beer And Margaritas • Bidders Choice Rafﬂe • Children’s Activities Adult Ticket for non-competitors are $25 per person* Child Ticket is $10 (ages under 12)

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.healthntx.org For more information call Kim Davis at (940) 381-1501 or kdavis@healthntx.org

Saturday, March 23, 2013

8th Annual Walk Against Child Abuse “Walking in Love” April 13, 2013 8:00 am - 12:00 Noon TWU Pioneer Woman Statue between the Music Hall and Fine Arts Buildings off Sawyer and Oakland Ave, Denton

Beneﬁting Community Partners of Denton County, Inc. Rainbow Rooms in Carrollton, Denton & Lewisville for Abused and Neglected Children For more information, contact: TWU CAPS and Social Work Dept at mbland@mail.twu.edu or Community Partners of Denton County, Inc - Gwen Gary at gggary@verizon.net or Myekye Hamilton at tandmhamilton@aol.com

Are you a family caregiver of a person with Alzheimer’s disease/dementia?

STEPPING STONES

at TWU offers socialization and adult activities for persons living at home with early to moderate stage of dementia along with a simultaneous support group for family caregivers.

Weekly meetings on Wednesdays between 1:30-3:00 PM MLK Recreation Center For information:

Call: Geri Sams, LCSW, CMC 940 566 0902 or e-mail gerisams@aol.com

6:30 p.m. until midnight Marriott Hotel at Champions Circle

Formal evening with 1920s theme, dinner and dancing to the music of Emerald City. $150 per person

Reservations available at: www.dentonbeneﬁtleague.org or call (940) 387-3311 Proceeds support DBL’s charitable grants

For information on submitting your organization’s community service events within this space, please call Amanda Crocker at 940/566-6809 or e-mail at acrocker@dentonrc.com at least two weeks prior to preferred publication day. This space is provided in every Sunday’s edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle. CQ

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Andy Stanley Winning Huch (TV G) Paid Prog. Sports Stars Sprint Cup Pajanimals LX.TV: Open NHL Hockey Hot On Designing Raceweek Paid Prog. Road to the Final Four Ed Slott’s Retirement Rescue 2013 Reporter Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Queens Fábrica de risas (TV14) Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Pagado Pagado Pagado Pagado Best Docs Best Docs I Love Lucy I Love Lucy Pagado Repo Enfoque Ritmo dep. La carrera de Virginia (2002, Drama) aac (Gabriel Byrne) Arbuckle Arbuckle Fast Girl (2008) ac pqv Pagado Pagado Pagado Pagado A Miracle Carpenter Love Worth In Touch Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog.

Criminal Minds JJ (TV14) Criminal Minds (TV14) Criminal Minds Compromising Criminal Minds Devil’s Night Criminal Minds Middle Man Criminal Minds With Friends Mad Men Far Away Places Killing Orpheus Descending The Usual Suspects (1995, Crime) aaaa (Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne) Hulk (2003, Science Fiction) aa (Eric Bana) Freaky Freaky Untamed and Uncut Dogs 101 Ugly Dogs Dogs 101 Aus. Cattle Bad Dog Doggy Divas Bad Dog! Home Wreckers (5:00) Morning Inspiration Bobby Jones Gospel (TV G) Every Voice Matters Matters Woman Thou Art Loosed (2012) a (CC) LA Shrinks Fear & Loving Real Housewives Atlanta Shahs of Sunset Vanderpump Rules Millionaire Matchmaker Yigit Millionaire Matchmaker Hot 20 Countdown (3:00) CMT Music Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Weekend Sanjay CNN Sunday Morning State of the Union Fareed Zakaria: GPS Reliable Sources State of the Union Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Presents John Mulaney: New in Town (:27) Major League (1989, Comedy) aac (Tom Berenger) (CC) Coneheads (1993, Comedy) ac (Dan Aykroyd) Mickey Doc Mc Jake and Sofia Phineas Gravity Falls Good Luck Jessie The Luck of the Irish (2001) aa pqw (CC) Austin & Ally Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Under Siege: Border Bering Sea Gold Gold Stress Yukon Men Tough Choices How Booze Built America Fashion Police E! News Kourtney & Kim Take Miami The Soup There’s Something About Mary (1998, Comedy) aaa (Cameron Diaz) SportsCenter SportsCenter Outside Sport Rpt SportsCenter from Bristol, Conn. College Basketball Live SEC Storied Miracle 3 Basketball NBA Tonight NASCAR Now Outside Sport Rpt College Basketball Live SportsCenter Boy World Boy World Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009, Fantasy) aaa (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint) pqv The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants aac FOX & Friends Sunday FOX & Friends Sunday FOX & Friends Sunday America’s News HQ America’s News HQ America’s News HQ (DC) Rachael Ray’s Week in Day Giada Home Trisha’s Pioneer Paula’s Best Not/Mamas Guy Bite Sandwich Best Thing I Chef Wanted with Anne Paid Prog. Paid Prog. How Dirk Became Dirk! Paid Prog. Paid Prog. GameTime FOX Sports Car Science Game 365 UIL Spotlight Big 12 Shw 2012 (2009, Drama) aac Man must save his family from catastrophic, natural disasters around world. rsx Death Race (2008, Science Fiction) aac (Jason Statham, Joan Allen) not Pagado Pagado Pagado Pagado Pagado Decorando Casa al día Al sazón Lugares con genio Las Noticias Income Income Income Income Income Income Income Income Property Brothers April Love It or List It Modern Marvels Nuclear American American American American American American American American Counting Counting HLN Weekend Express with Natasha Curry Dr. Charles Stanley Paid Prog. David Jere Joel Osteen Paid Prog. Double Divas Unanswered Prayers (2010, Drama) (Eric Close) (CC) Morning aac World of Jenks Live for Today World of Jenks Teen Mom 2 Future is Now Teen Mom 2 Faded Love Snooki and JWoww Ridiculous Ridiculous OddParents OddParents Samurai SpongeBob SpongeBob SpongeBob SpongeBob SpongeBob Ninja Turtles Ninja Turtles OddParents OddParents Hot Rod TV Gearz Truck U Truck U Two Guys Hot Rod TV SPEED NASCAR RaceDay Bristol Arenacross Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Xtreme 4x4 Horsepwr Trucks! Muscle Car Bar Rescue Blue Frog Sings Bar Rescue Fallen Angels Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Scream of the Banshee (2011) (Lauren Holly) Leprechaun (1992, Horror) c (Warwick Davis) not Home Improvement Improvement Friends Friends Russ Friends Friends Cougar Meet the Browns (2008, Comedy) a (Tyler Perry) rsx (5:00) Hungry Hill (1947) aa u The Fighting 69th (1940) (James Cagney) u Three Cheers for the Irish (1940, Comedy) (Priscilla Lane) u Finian’s Rainbow (1968) aac (Fred Astaire) Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Four Weddings Street Parade Four Weddings Four Weddings Ant Attack Four Weddings Love Hike Law & Order Pledge Law & Order Lucky Stiff Law & Order Illegitimate Law & Order For the Defense Law & Order Shotgun Law & Order Fed Dragons Johnny Test Metal Fury Unova Ben 10: Omniverse Lantern Justice Ben 10: Alien Swarm (2009) (Barry Corbin) Ben 10: Alien When Vacations Attack Mysteries at the Museum Off Limits Under Manhattan Armed Armed Mysteries at the Museum Bizarre Foods America Cosby Show (:48) The Cosby Show Cosby Show Cosby Show Roseanne Roseanne Roseanne Roseanne Roseanne Roseanne Roseanne Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. Paid Prog. NCIS Bete Noir NCIS Heart Break NCIS The Meat Puzzle NCIS Silver War (5:00) Jump Start Hour VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown Best Week The Cookout (2004, Comedy) a (Ja Rule, Tim Meadows) Ink Crew

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