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FEDERAL COURT
‘La Barbie’ to plead guilty Drug cartel leader Edgar Valdez Villareal charged in cocaine case By CINDY GEORGE AND DANA SCHILLER HOUSTON CHRONICLE
The U.S. Attorney in Atlanta confirms that Valdez will plead guilty today. The Texas-born gangster who is nicknamed "La Barbie" and became one of the first Americans
to climb the ranks of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels is set to plead guilty to trafficking charges on Wednesday afternoon in an Atlanta court, a Georgia federal prosecutor confirmed. Mexican authorities captured Edgar Valdez Villareal in 2010 as the
United States was offering and an up-to-$2 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He was considered one of the Mexican underworld’s most dangerous leaders. VALDEZ A 2009 nine-count indictment accuses Valdez Two
CUBAN MIGRANT CRISIS
five co-defendants of running a cocaine distribution operation in the Atlanta area from May 2004 to January 2006. Several of those charges carry potential life sentences upon conviction. of the men already
have been ordered by U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey Jr. to spend more than two decades each in prison. Valdez, a former Laredo resident, was returned to the states via west Texas in late September and made his first federal court appearance in Geor-
gia in October. He faces drug trafficking charges in several jurisdictions including Atlanta, which was been a southeastern U.S. hub for cartel cocaine distribution. His prosecution is one of the "notable cases"
See GUILTY PAGE 10A
WASHINGTON
OBAMA ACTS ALONE
Courtesy photo | U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar’s Office
Cuellar traveled last week to the Costa Rican border with Nicaragua to see how Central America is dealing with migrant surge.
Cuellar visits Costa Rica Congressman meets with migrants, listens to their experiences SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
A U.S. delegation, including Congressman Henry Cuellar, traveled last week to the Costa Rican border with Nicaragua to see firsthand how Central America is dealing with a recent surge of Cuban migrants who are trying to make it to the United States by land, mostly through Texas. The majority of the migrants cross through the Laredo area. During their visit, Cuellar, Congresswoman Kay Granger and U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica S. Fitzgerald Haney visited migrant shelters in Peñas Blancas and La Cruz, Costa Rica, at the border with Nicaragua, where as many as 8,000 Cuban migrants have been stranded without money or resources since Nov. 15, when Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala shut their borders to Cuban migrants looking to travel through their territory en route to the United States. Cuban migration to the United States has surged for the past two years, among ongoing
talks between the United States and Cuba to restore diplomatic relations. Due to the possibility of normalizing relations between the two countries, many Cubans fear the end of a special immigration policy given to Cuban citizens under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act. Under the Cuban Adjustment Act and subsequent policy directives those who reach the United States by land can apply for residency, while those who are interdicted at sea are sent back to their country, this is more commonly known as the “Wet Foot/Dry Foot” policy. Thousands of Cubans in the past year have flown from their country to Ecuador and traveled by land through Central America before being stranded in Costa Rica since Nov. 15. An agreement for a pilot program was made by Central American countries last week allows for these migrants to fly from Costa Rica to El Salvador, where they will continue their journey to the U.S.
See CUELLAR PAGE 10A
Photo by Carolyn Kaster | AP
President Barack Obama wipes away tears from his eyes as he speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, about steps his administration is taking to reduce gun violence.
President issues order on gun control By JOSH LEDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Tears streaking his cheeks, President Barack Obama launched a final-year push Tuesday to tighten sales of firearms in the U.S., using
his presidential powers in the absence of tougher gun restrictions that Congress has refused to pass. The president struck a combative tone as he came out with plans for expanded background checks and other modest measures that
have drawn consternation from gun rights groups, which Obama accused of making Congress their hostage. Palpable, too, was Obama’s extreme frustration at having made such little progress on gun control since the slaughter of 20 first-
graders in Connecticut confronted the nation more than three years ago. “First-graders,” Obama said woefully, resting his chin on his hand and wiping away tears as he re-
See OBAMA PAGE 10A
MEXICO CITY
Mayor’s killing a warning By MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — A drug gang killed a newly installed mayor over the weekend as a warning to other officials to reject state police control of local cops and let cartels co-opt low-paid local officers, the governor of Morelos state said Monday. Gov. Graco Ramirez sent a post on his Twitter account blaming the slaying of Temixco Mayor Gisela Mota on the Rojos gang, which has been fighting a bloody turf battle with the Guerreros Unidos gang across the neighboring state of Guerrero in southern Mexico.
Photo by Tony Rivera | AP
A man plays the accordion during the wake of the slain mayor of Temixco, Gisela Mota, at her home in Temixco, Mexico, Sunday. Their rivalry may have played a role in the worst mass disappearance in recent memory, that of 43 stu-
dents in Guerrero in 2014. Some suspects told investigators that Guerreros Unidos mistook the students
for members of the Rojos and used local police under their control to capture them. Without going into details, Ramirez had said at a news conference Sunday that Mota’s killing was tied to his efforts to unify state control of police forces in Morelos as a way to combat corruption in local police forces. Mota had accepted state police control, though she had demanded traffic cops remain under local authority. “This is a message and clear threat to the mayors who have recently taken office not to accept the coor-
See MAYOR PAGE 10A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Wednesday, January 6
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Carson and Barnes Circus from 2-4 p.m. and again from 5-7 p.m. at the Uni-Trade Stadium parking lot, 6320 Sinatra Parkway. Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children.
Today is Wednesday, Jan. 6, the sixth day of 2016. There are 360 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his State of the Union address, outlined a goal of “Four Freedoms”: Freedom of speech and expression; the freedom of people to worship God in their own way; freedom from want; freedom from fear. On this date: In 1838, Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail gave the first successful public demonstration of their telegraph in Morristown, New Jersey. In 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state. In 1919, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, died in Oyster Bay, New York, at age 60. In 1945, George Herbert Walker Bush married Barbara Pierce at the First Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York. In 1950, Britain recognized the Communist government of China. In 1963, “Oliver!” Lionel Bart’s musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist,” opened on Broadway. “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” premiered on NBCTV. In 1974, year-round daylight saving time began in the United States on a trial basis as a fuel-saving measure in response to the OPEC oil embargo. In 1987, the U.S. Senate voted 88-4 to establish an 11-member panel to hold public hearings on the Iran-Contra affair. In 1994, figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the leg by an assailant at Detroit’s Cobo Arena; four men, including the ex-husband of Kerrigan’s rival, Tonya Harding, went to prison for their roles in the attack. (Harding denied knowing about plans for the attack.) Ten years ago: Hugh Thompson, Jr., a former Army helicopter pilot honored for rescuing Vietnamese civilians from his fellow GIs during the My Lai massacre, died in Alexandria, Louisiana, at age 62. Five years ago: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced he would cut $78 billion from the Defense Department budget over the next five years, an effort to trim fat in light of the nation’s ballooning deficit. One year ago: In a blend of pageantry and politics, Republicans took complete control of Congress for the first time in eight years, then ran straight into a White House veto threat against their top-priority legislation to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Today’s Birthdays: Rock musician Malcolm Young (ACDC) is 63. Actor-comedian Rowan Atkinson is 61. World Golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez is 59. Actor Scott Bryce is 58. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kathy Sledge is 57. TV chef Nigella Lawson is 56. Movie director John Singleton is 48. Actor Norman Reedus is 47. TV personality Julie Chen is 46. Actor Danny Pintauro (TV: “Who’s the Boss?”) is 40. Actress-comedian Kate McKinnon (TV: “Saturday Night Live”) is 32. Rock singer Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) is 30. Thought for Today: “A little learning is not a dangerous thing to one who does not mistake it for a great deal.” — William Allen White, American newspaper editor (18681944).
Thursday, January 7 Carson and Barnes Circus from 2-4 p.m. at the Uni-Trade Stadium parking lot, 6320 Sinatra Parkway. Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children.
Saturday, January 9 The Northside Farmer’s Market will be in the parking lot of North Central Park on International at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market will feature free reusable bags and 2016 calendars (as long as they last.) There will also be children’s tent with activities.
Monday, January 11 Chess Club at the LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Free for all ages and all skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. Call John at 795-2400 x2521 for more information. Knitting Club at the LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Learn how to knit scarves, crochet hats and much more. Knit at your own pace. Instruction is available and supplies are limited. Call John at 795-2400 x2521 for more information.
Tuesday, January 12 Computer Basics class at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Rd., from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Classroom B on the second floor. Classes are free. Seating is limited and first come first served. No registration required. Call 795-2400 x2242 for more information. Rock wall climbing at LBV Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St., from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 956-795-2400 x2520.
Wednesday, January 13 The Laredo Vet Center (part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) will be hosting an Open House from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at North Town Professional Plaza, Laredo Vet Center, 6999 McPherson Road, Suite 102. This event is meant to inform the community of mental health services available to eligible veterans and their families.
Saturday, January 16 El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market at Jarvis Plaza from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Every third Saturday of the month, you can find fresh, locally grown produce as well as all-natural Texas products like olive oil and soap. For more information go to www.laredomainstreet.org “The Messenger” screening at 1:30 p.m. Cinemark Theater, Mall Del Norte. Su Rynard’s wide-ranging and contemplative documentary explores our deep-seated connection to birds and warns that the uncertain fate of songbirds might mirror our own. View trailer and purchase tickets: https:// tugg.com/events/81897.
Saturday, January 23 “Leaders: Influencing STEM Futures” educational administration leadership conference at the TAMIU Student Center Ballroom. School administrators, teacher leaders and educational administration students are invited to attend the second annual event.
Thursday , January 28 Spanish Book Club from 6-8 p.m. Laredo Public Library – Calton. For more information please call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. The Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society’s Greet and Meet Membership Drive from 3-5 p.m. at St. John Neumann’s Parish Hall. There will be displays, a presentation on DNA genealogical testing and merienda. For more information, contact Sanjuanita Martinez-Hunter at 7223497.
Friday, February 5 CaminArte at the Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustin Ave. Free art walk every first Friday of the month. Carson and Barnes Circus from 5-7 p.m. and again from 8-10 p.m. at the Uni-Trade Stadium parking lot, 6320 Sinatra Parkway. Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children.
AP file photo
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Texas case could prove historic in determining how far states can go in restricting abortion. State attorneys say lawmakers passed the measure to enhance the safety of abortions and ensure women are getting the highest standard of health care.
Rejecting abortion laws By ALEXA URA TEXAS TRIBUNE
Intervening in what could be a landmark decision, the Obama administration, state and federal lawmakers and medical experts asked the U.S. Supreme Court Monday to overturn Texas’ 2013 abortion law, which could shut down about half of the state’s 19 remaining abortion clinics. In 45 amicus briefs filed to the Supreme Court, opponents of the Texas abortion law known as House Bill 2 argued that restrictions under the law are unconstitutional because they impose an undue burden on women seeking abortions and would do little to improve women’s health. The restrictions “do not serve — in fact, they disserve — the government’s interest in protecting women’s health, and they would close most of the clinics in Texas, leaving
many women in that State with a constitutional right that ‘exists in theory but not in fact,’” wrote U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, Jr. on behalf of the Obama administration. The high court will hear oral arguments in the case on March 2, and a decision is expected this summer. The Texas restrictions under review would require abortion facilities to meet hospital-like ambulatory surgical center standards, including minimum sizes for rooms and doorways, pipelines for anesthesia and other modifications. A separate provision — which has already gone into effect and led to the closure of about half of the state’s abortion clinics — requires doctors who perform the procedure to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of an abortion. The decision could prove historic.
Man arrested in slaying of college student
Advertised babysitter guilty of child porn
Doctors remove hammer after attack
DENTON — Investigators say a suspect has been arrested in Arizona in the fatal shooting of a University of North Texas student on New Year’s Day. Police in Denton, Texas, say Eric Jamal Johnson was arrested Tuesday in Yuma, Arizona, on a murder warrant in the death of 20-year-old Sara Mutschlechner. Denton police didn’t immediately provide details on what led to Johnson’s arrest.
CORPUS CHRISTI — A South Texas man who advertised online as a babysitter faces up to 50 years in prison for molesting a girl in his care and recording the abuse. Daniel Benson Billman of Aransas Pass pleaded guilty Monday to production of child pornography. The 42-year-old Billman last summer was linked to the possible sexual assault of a child.
HOUSTON — Authorities say Houston surgeons removed a hammer from a woman’s head after she was attacked in Southeast Texas. The Houston Chronicle reports that sheriff ’s deputies in Chambers County found 29-yearold Lee Ann Bridges on Sunday afternoon after being sent to investigate an assault in the community of Stowell, located about 60 miles east of Houston.
Woman runs over officer and juvenile DALLAS — A 19-year-old Dallas driver has been arrested after police say she intentionally ran over an officer and a juvenile during a street fight. Dallas County jail records show Alexis Smith was being held Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault against a public servant and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Jail counselor accused of Man arrested in stabbing sexual conduct with minor stepfather to death GRANBURY — A counselor at a Texas juvenile jail has been charged after authorities say she had an inappropriate relationship with a former inmate. KGBT-TV reports that 29-yearold Selena Marie Baxter is charged with violating the civil rights of a person in custody and indecency with a child by sexual contact.
PORTER — Authorities say a 38-year-old Southeast Texas man has been charged in the stabbing death of his stepfather. The Montgomery County sheriff ’s office said Monday that Steven Ellis White II has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of 65-year-old Clarence Ira Lomison. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION ‘Affluenza’ mother agrees to be sent back to Texas LOS ANGELES — The mother of a fugitive teenager known for using an “affluenza” defense in a drunken-driving case agreed Tuesday to be sent from California to Texas to face a charge. Tonya Couch, 48, appeared for an extradition hearing in downtown Los Angeles, where she was flown last week after being deported from Mexico. She said very little, answering “yes” when asked if she is the Tonya Couch wanted by the state of Texas. It’s unclear when she will be sent to the Lone Star State, where prosecutors charged her with hindering the apprehension of a felon. Couch and her 18-year-old son, Ethan, were apprehended last week in Mexico, where authorities believe the pair fled in November as Texas prosecutors investigated whether he had violated his probation in a car crash
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Tonya Couch, left, attends an extradition hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court, in Los Angeles, Tuesday. Couch, the mother of the ‘affluenza’ teen, waved extradition and will be sent to Texas. that killed four people. Ethan Couch was being held at a detention facility in Mexico City after winning a court reprieve that could lead to a weeksor even months-long legal process in Mexico. Tonya Couch’s attorneys re-
leased a statement saying she had done nothing illegal and wanted to get back to Texas as soon as possible. “Tonya did not violate any Texas laws and is eager to have her day in court,” stated her lawyers. — Compiled by AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local & State
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
COMMENTARY
Benito Reyes candidacy By BENITO REYES SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
It is with great pride and honor that I, Benito Reyes, formally announce my candidacy for Zapata County Commissioner, Precinct 3. I was born and raised in Zapata, and I have always called Zapata home. Zapata is where I learned the values that molded me into becoming a public servant — a service that spanned for nearly 30 years. I began my career as a public servant at the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office as a Dispatcher/Jailer. In less than a year, I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Laredo Junior College Regional Police Academy. I successfully completed the training and graduated with honors by earning the Highest Scholastic Achievement Award. After graduating from the academy, I was promoted to Deputy Sheriff and later also served Zapata County in other capacities such as Civil Process Officer, 49th District Court Bailiff, and Communications Supervi-
sor. I continued my career as a public servant into the federal level by accepting a job offer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I began my career with the federal government as a Correctional Officer and earned promotions into other positions such as Senior Officer Specialist, Supervisory Correctional Officer (1st and 2nd line), and Special Investigative Supervisor. I also served as Acting Captain on several occasions to fill in during the Captain’s absence. I later transferred to the United States Border Patrol where I worked as a Border Patrol Agent in Brownsville, Texas until earning my promotion to Supervisory Border Patrol Agent at the Zapata Station. In addition, I served in the capacity of Acting Field Operations Supervisor and Acting Watch Commander on numerous occasions until my retirement in November of 2014. During my tenures as supervisor, I gained extensive knowledge and experi-
ence in working with schedules, projects, and budgets. I am the proud father of Selena Reyes, whom I raised as a single parent since she was only 12 years-old. Selena is a 2010 Zapata High School graduate and is also dedicating herself to public service. Selena is currently a 911 Dispatcher with the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office. With my recent retirement from the United States Border Patrol, I am now able to seek election for Commissioner to once again provide dedicated service as a public servant to the residents of Precinct 3 and Zapata County. I truly believe that with the continuing growth and complex challenges that our county is experiencing, the residents of Precinct 3 deserve to have effective and productive full-time representation. If elected, I will unconditionally dedicate myself full-time to the Commissioner’s post and remain accessible to ensure that the issues and concerns of the
residents of Precinct 3 and Zapata County are fully addressed in a timely and efficient manner. I assure you that with my previous employment experience and my record of proven leadership, I can work effortlessly with other elected officials on any challenges that our county may face. I am hardworking, honest, trustworthy, and very dependable. In announcing my candidacy, I also announce that I have no hidden agendas or other political ambitions. I encourage anyone with comments or questions to contact me through Facebook or via email at seyer9@yahoo.com. If you are ready for a change to a much needed full-time leadership and to see aggressive and positive changes within our community, then you are ready to elect me as your next Zapata County Commissioner, Precinct 3. I respectfully request your support and most importantly your vote in the upcoming election. Thank you.
Poetry book released by Del Alma publications SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
“Cantos del alma y del corazon” expresses feelings and emotions from personal experience. Written by Dr. Ma. Alma Gonzalez Perez, and published by Del Alma, this collec-
tion of 50 poems written in Spanish provides the reader with a sensitive, yet realistic perspective of love, the family, and culture among other topics. The Zapata Chamber of Commerce announced
the book is now available for purchase. Each poem is complemented by a photograph that serves as a scenic backdrop to enhance its meaning. The book also includes an instructional guide of classroom activ-
ities for the teaching and discussion of poetry. The collection is currently available for purchase at www.delalmapublications.com. For more information you can call, 956-451-6964.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Abbott criticizes gun order By MATTHEW WATKINS TEXAS TRIBUNE
Texas’ elected leaders lashed out Tuesday at President Obama’s executive orders prompting more background checks during gun purchases. But those officials offered no specifics on how they planned to fight Obama’s actions, and some gun rights advocates dismissed the president’s proposals as mostly insignificant. While Gov. Greg Abbott said that Obama "trampled" on the Bill of Rights, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the ideas "political posturing and more propaganda." But no immediate official action was announced by state leaders. "Despite the President’s latest attempt to undermine our liberty," Abbott said in a statement, "Texas will take every action to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.” Texas has a penchant for suing over Obama’s executive orders. But it’s unclear whether there are any plans in the works. Any lawsuit would probably be filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Asked if the AG’s office was pursuing one, Paxton spokeswoman Cynthia Meyer said the office was "keeping a close eye on the issue." Paxton said in a statement that he stood ready "to fight back against any overreach that will deny or infringe on" the rights of gun owners. In a post on his Facebook page, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said the announcement showed "why we need to elect a Republican President who will not overstep his authority and who will protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens."
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Living in the age of ‘small terror’ On New Year’s Eve some friends and family members had a drink at a bar in Tel Aviv. The next day a gunman shot up the place, killing two people and wounding at least five. When I heard about the shooting I was horrified, of course, but there was no special emotion caused by the proximity 16 hours before. These days, we all live at risk of random terror, whether we are in Paris, San Bernardino, Boston or Fort Hood. Many of us have had brushes with these sorts of attacks. It’s partly randomness that determines whether you happen to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. But there is something important about the accumulation of these random killing sprees — the way it affects the social psychology and the culture we all inhabit. We are living in the age of small terror. In Israel, there’s the wave of stabbings. In this country we have shooting sprees in schools and in theaters. In cities there are police killings. In other places there are suicide bombings. This violence is the daily diet of the global news channels. Many of the attacks have religious or political overtones. But there’s always a psychological element, too. Some young adults have separated from their parents but they have not developed an independent self of their own. In order to escape the terror of their own formlessness or insignificance, a few commit to some fanatical belief system. They perform some horrific act they believe will give their life shape, meaning and glory. Creeds like radical Islam offer the illusion that murder and self-annihilation is the noblest form of sacrifice. These self-motivated attacks have become a worldwide social contagion. These diverse acts of small terror have combined to create a general state of anxiety. Fear is an emotion directed at a specific threat, but anxiety is an unfocused corrosive uneasiness. In the age of small terror this anxiety induces a sense that the basic systems of authority are not working, that those in charge are not keeping people safe. People are more likely to have a background sense that life is nastier and more precarious — red in tooth and claw. They pull in the tribal walls and distrust the outsider. This anxiety makes everybody a little less humane. In country after country this anxiety is challenging the liberal order. I mean philosophic Enlightenment liberalism, not partisan liberalism. It’s the basic belief in open society, free speech, egalitarianism and meliorism (gradual progress). It’s a belief that through reasoned conversation values cohere and fanaticism re-
“
DAVID BROOKS
cedes. It’s the belief that people of all creeds merit tolerance and respect. These liberal assumptions have been challenged from the top for years — by dictators. But now they are challenged from the bottom, by populist anti-liberals who support the National Front in France, UKIP in Britain, Viktor Orban in Hungary, Vladimir Putin in Russia and, in some guises, Donald Trump in the U.S. The surge of anti-liberalism has meant one of the most important political fissures is now between those who support an open society and those who support a closed society. Back in the 1990s, openness and the withering of borders was all the rage, but now parts of the left embrace closed trade policies and parts of the right embrace closed cultural and migration policies. Anti-liberalism has been most noticeable on the right. Classically liberal conservatives are in retreat, as voters look for strongmen who will close borders and stultify the demographic and social fabric. It’s too soon to tell if the Republican Party will have fewer evangelical voters this year, but the tenor of debate has certainly been less Christian — less charitable, less hospitable to the stranger. It’s up to us who believe in open society to wage an intellectual counterattack. This can’t be done be repeating 1990s bromides about free choice and the natural harmony among peoples. You can’t beat moral fanaticism with weak tea moral relativism. You can only beat it with commitment pluralism. People are only fulfilled when they make deep moral commitments. The danger comes when they are fanatically and monopolistically committed to only one thing. The pluralist is committed to a philosophy or faith, but also to an ethnicity and also to a city, and also to a job and also to diverse interests and fascinating foreign cultures. These different commitments balance and moderate one another. A life in diverse worlds with diverse people weaves together into one humane, multifaceted existence. The rigidity of one belief system is forced to confront the messiness of work relationships or a neighborhood association. The anxiety caused by small terror can produce nasty mental habits. Mental resilience becomes as important as physical resilience. That means remaking the case for open society, open cultures and a basic commitment to moral pluralism. Openness is worth the occasional horror fanatics cause.
COLUMN
Infidelity and country music In our good ol’ boy world of Texiz, a double standard for the sexes has long existed. Equal rights standards notwithstanding, a dominant macho mentality for years steered public thought and even legal ruling in favor of males. It’s the cowboy image, don’t you know. “Come heah, woh-mun!” Try it with the emphasis on the “heah” then a little heavier on the “woh-mun,” and you’ll get an idea. Once you could hear that on a daily basis in the rural, countryloving world in which I grew up. I suppose, if we’re trying to place gender blame somewhere, perhaps we can begin with Hank Williams. Say, whut? You mean the old Hall of Fame country singer, Hank Williams? Yep. Remember “Your Cheatin’ Heart?” (Note to wannabe C&W songwriters: Never put a “g” on a word with an “ing” endin’.) In the interest of public disclosure here, I’m a long time devotee of country music. I was force-fed it growing up in a one-radio home. (Yeah, I grew up before TV.
So?) That was a four-foot tall relic bought from the Western Auto in Teague and every Saturday night it was tuned in to the Grand Ol’ Opry (yep, opera with a “y”). Of course, on Sunday mornings (as noted here before), our single music source household had the Stamps Quartet gospel harmonies, with its country roots, grooved into our ear drums. They’s a reason fer that country music listenin’, you see. We wanted to make fun of them snotty, blue blood, monocled rich folks whose favrit thang was that snooty screechin’ (remember no “g” except in “thang”) stuff they calls opera music. Sophisticated, hmph! I’ll show yew sophisticated AND equal rights. Tammy Wynette spelled that out with: D-I-V-O-R-C-E. And Loretta (Webb) Lynn punctuated it with “Don’t Come Home A-Drankin’ with Lovin’ on Your Mind.” Oh, and for you history and litera-
ture lovers out there, Shakespeare’s momma’s maiden name was Webb. Yes, country music contains a lot of “cry-in-yourbeer” lyrics and most of it is based on “cheatin’.” (Why else would a man or woman cry in their beer?) Now, I didn’t write all of this to suggest that infidelity is most prevalent in the homes of country music lovers. I believe it seems to be prevalent in that music genre simply because it sells in a social order where hard times and great disappointment are daily fare. Perhaps the hard-work, 18-hour-day tough-but-simple life of country folks lends itself to cheating. Hard work, physical absence and romantic neglect will do that. A neglected wife might turn to someone else for attention and affection. As one thing often leads to another, physical acts take place and jealous rage is prevalent with the offended mate. It was once said, and apparently proven for years, that if a good ol’ Texiz boy caught his mate in bed with someone else, he was justified in shooting the intrud-
ing male lover. Annnnd, if the bullet(s) happened to also find his wife and kill her, then it was justifiable homicide in both cases. I actually knew of one case many years ago where a man set his wife up by having someone encourage an interested male to become her lover, then killing both and beating a murder rap with the justifiable homicide ruling. Changes in state laws have thankfully closed loopholes and eliminated any “justifiable legal homicide” rulings in cases of infidelity. Killing another human being, even under such dramatic and disturbing conditions isn’t justifiable. Anyway, at age 78 that’s the least of my worries. Uh, what’s for dinner, dear? “Take out.” Sounds good. “Wanna watch TV?” What’s on the tube? “Good Wife.” Okay by me. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editorpublisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.
COMMENTARY
Trump no longer a caricature By MICHAEL CAVNA THE WASHINGTON POST
So much for so long had felt like sport - like a sideshow before the main event, or a rambling preamble be-
fore the big address. But now, shenanigans get real. When Donald Trump announced his presidential candidacy last summer, visual satirists all along the political spectrum got in
their quick, oft-smirking hits. The Donald, after all, arrived like an old friend/ target, and getting to again have reason to render that beguiling cotton-candy comb-over and Wall Street-
wise, alpha-awning browsquint and that lower lip of protruding swagger - well, it was like revisiting a favorite old haunt till autumn arrived and it was time to say goodbye.
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phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
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ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
Zentertainment
PAGE 5A
New TVs have sharper colors By RYAN NAKASHIMA ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — For years, TV makers have focused on making pictures sharper by squeezing more pixels onto screens. Now, their attention is shifting to improving the way sets display color, with a newish technology called HDR taking center stage. HDR, or high dynamic range, promises brighter whites, darker blacks, and a richer range of colors — at least when you’re watching the few select movie titles that get released in the format. Trouble is, there aren’t all that many of those yet, and other HDR viewing options are likely to remain scarce for the immediate future. Even worse, there are likely to be several different flavors of HDR, just to keep TV buyers on their toes. HDR represents the latest effort by the world’s television makers to goose demand for new sets. Global television shipments are expected to flatline this year, says research firm IHS — and that’s an improvement over 2015, when shipments fell 4 percent. TV makers are still touting the previous new new thing — 4K, or ultra highdefinition, sets, which have four times the pixels of current high-definition screens. While 4K has stopped the bleeding, it hasn’t jolted the TV industry back to life, not least because such high resolution only makes sense if you sit up close and get a very large screen. HDR faces some similar challenges. As with 4K, studios have to release movies and shows in the new format for owners to get the most out of new HDR sets. To date, there have been only a handful of releases, including “The Martian”
Photo by Jae C. Hong | AP
TV makers have focused on making pictures sharper by squeezing pixels, but now they’re improving that with new tech. and Amazon’s original series “Mozart in the Jungle.” More are coming, and Netflix aims to join Amazon this year in streaming some HDR titles, but getting an HDR-ready set still mostly means preparing for the future. It’s the same chickenand-the-egg problem that previously confronted would-be buyers of Blu-ray discs, high-definition TV, 3-D TV and most recently, 4K. Beyond that, there’s the complicated issue of choosing between different versions of HDR. For starters, your version of HDR may look better or worse depending on the kind of set you get. Basically, only two types of TV screens can display HDR: those using organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), now built only by LG; and liquid crystal display (LCD) panels that use quantum dots, which are being made by everyone else. OLEDs are more expensive but provide higher contrast, with truer blacks made possible by pixels that turn all the way off. LCDs, by contrast, will give you a brighter image than OLEDs, but require a backlight that limits just how black its screen can get. (A similar argument over
“true” blacks and higher contrast ratios once raged between proponents of plasma-screen and LCD-screen TVs; LCDs won that round.) Then comes the next wrinkle: a new proliferation of HDR-related marketing labels. For instance, there are actually two ways of defining “premium” HDR technology — one for OLED sets and one for LCDs. The LCD standard allows a brighter screen with less contrast, but the Ultra HD Alliance of electronics manufacturers, studios and distributors says both deserve the tag “Ultra HD Premium.” At least those sets will offer better pictures when you watch HDR-compatible programming. But many lower-end sets will also play HDR-formatted shows, just without the technology’s trademark wider color and brightness range — and they’ll still be able to boast of “HDR compatibility” even if it’s largely meaningless. Confused yet? You probably won’t be alone. “People can understand that more pixels is better than fewer,” says IHS’s TV analyst Paul Gagnon. “When you start talking about color gamut and HDR, people’s eyes start to glaze over.”
Set manufacturers aren’t making it any easier on us. LG, for instance, has three levels of HDR: “HDR Pro” for its top-of-the-line OLED sets, “HDR Plus” for highend 4K TVs with contrastlimited LCD screens, and then a lower level simply called “HDR” that still promises better color display than vanilla high-def sets — for instance, by displaying less “banding” on a sky with complex shades of blue. LG’s director of new product development for home entertainment, Tim Alessi, acknowledges the challenge: “We definitely need to do a good job on educating the consumer on what HDR is all about.” Chinese manufacturer Hisense is putting lowerend “HDR processing” in its 4K TVs, starting at $400 for a 43-inch version, while introducing “ultra smart peaking” in sets that can achieve a brighter picture for better HDR for models priced at $1,000 and up. Competitor TCL is introducing HDR support in partnership with Dolby on its own format called Dolby Vision. Market leader Samsung, which introduced TVs with HDR support last year, is improving this year’s sets by boosting brightness on the top line “SUHD” models by 20 percent, and ensuring the whole line can earn the UHD Alliance’s “premium” label. Joe Stinziano, an executive vice president with Samsung Electronics America, said Samsung wouldn’t muddle the HDR issue, unlike its competitors. “We don’t sell ‘HDR compatible’ sets like some others do,” he said in an interview. “All that means is that the picture will show on your TV ... but it’s not HDR. We never did that and we don’t do that.”
Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision | AP file
Guns N’ Roses are scheduled to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Music lineup ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIO, Calif. — L.A. rockers Guns N’ Roses will headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, along with DJ Calvin Harris and reunited electronic rock band LCD Soundsystem. Passes for the twoweekend festival in Indio, California, on April 15-17 and April 22-24 go on sale Wednesday. The lineup doesn’t indicate which members of
Guns N’ Roses will perform. A representative the band didn’t return messages Tuesday seeking clarification. Although lead singer Axl Rose continues to record and tour, guitarist Slash hasn’t performed with Rose since announcing he quit the band in 1996. The band, whose debut album, “Appetite for Destruction,” sold 18 million copies, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
Sanders vows to break up banks By LISA LERER AND CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Branden Camp | AP
Authorities work the scene of a standoff at the Rite4Us Inn and Suites, Tuesday.
Man stabs himself in the neck By KATHLEEN FOODY ASSOCIATED PRESS
DECATUR, Ga. — A man armed with a knife held 11 children and his girlfriend inside a motel room for five hours before he stabbed himself in the neck Tuesday morning, ending a standoff with police, authorities said. No one else was injured. Authorities had surrounded the motel and tried to negotiate with Korrie Thomas, 36, before a SWAT team eventually stormed the room and found him critically injured, police said. DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James said Tuesday that Thomas should have reported to prison to begin a 15-year sentence in November, after he pleaded guilty last year to armed robbery and aggravated assault. A judge sentenced Thomas to nine years behind bars followed by probation. On Tuesday, police initially responded to the Rite4us Inn & Suites motel about 2 a.m. for a domestic assault. It was not immediately clear who made the call or what happened. A woman and children ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years old were inside the room and Thomas would not allow anyone to leave, DeKalb County police Maj. Stephen Fore said in a statement. Details about the police negotiations with Thomas were not released. Thomas was taken to a hospital. He faces charges of false imprisonment and obstruction. Jail records did not list an attorney for him. County and state officials were searching for safe housing and other assistance for the woman and the children, after determining they weren’t injured or neglected, said DeKalb County Child Advocacy Center director Trenny Stovall. She said authorities believe the woman and Thomas are parents of 10 of the children, while the oldest child is Thomas’ brother. She said the family had been living in the motel, but it’s not clear how long or how many rooms they used. “Our goal is to keep the family together in a safe situation,” Stovall said. “They’re all in school, and we want to be sure they are able to continue. Separation can add trauma.” Online jail records show Thomas had been arrested on seven other occasions in DeKalb County, including charges of battery. Only the 2015 armed robbery and aggravated assault case appears in the county’s online court records. Decatur is about 10 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
NEW YORK — Characterizing Wall Street as an industry run on “greed, fraud, dishonesty and arrogance,” Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders pledged to break up the country’s biggest financial firms within a year and limit banking fees placed on consumers, should he become president, in a fiery speech on Tuesday. He coupled that promise, delivered in front of a raucous crowd just a few subway stops from Wall Street, with a series of attacks on rival Hillary Clinton, arguing her personal and political ties make her unable to truly take on the financial industry. “To those on Wall Street who may be listening today, let me be very clear: Greed is not good,” said Sanders, in a reference to Oliver Stone’s 1980s film, “Wall Street.” “If Wall Street does not end its greed, we will end it for them,” he said, as a cheering audience jumped to its feet. Sanders has made regulating Wall Street a focus of his primary bid, with calls to curb the political influence of “millionaires and billionaires” at the core of his message. But the attacks on Clinton marked an escalation in his offensive against the Democratic front-runner.
Photo by Mary Schwalm | AP
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., poses for photos during a campaign stop, Monday, in Manchester, N.H. Clinton’s policies, he said, would do little more than “impose a few more fees and regulations.” “My opponent says that, as a senator, she told bankers to ‘cut it out’ and end their destructive behavior,” he said, to laughter. “But, in my view, establishment politicians are the ones who need to cut it out,” he said. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have made tens of millions in speaking fees from addresses to Wall Street banks, insurance companies and other financial firms — a fact Sanders alluded to in his speech, saying the banks give “very generous speaking fees to those who go before them.” She also opposes reinstating
the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act, which effectively limited the size of financial companies by prohibiting commercial banks from engaging in investment banking activities. Sanders would re-establish the law, initially repealed during the Clinton administration. Many economists question whether that law would have prevented the crisis, given that many financial institutions that failed, including Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, were investment banks and their failure wouldn’t have been prevented by Glass-Steagall. Sanders vowed to create a “too-big-to-fail” list of companies within the first 100 days of his
administration whose failure would pose a grave risk to the U.S. economy without a taxpayer bailout. Those firms would be forced to reorganize within a year. Sanders also said he wants to cap ATM fees at two dollars and cap interest rates on credit cards and consumer loans at 15 percent. He also promised to take a tougher tact against industry abuses, noting that major financial institutions have been fined only $204 billion since 2009. And he promised to restructure credit rating agencies and the Federal Reserve, so bankers cannot serve on the body’s board. “The reality is that fraud is the business model on Wall Street,” he said. “It is not the exception to the rule. It is the rule.” Analysts say Sanders’ plans to break up the large banks would be difficult to achieve and is not the only way to limit their size or future bailouts. “While it makes for great political theater, there is zero chance of breaking up the large banks,” Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, said. His plans would require agreements from the heads of many agencies and other regulators, which Sanders would appoint, but it would also require approval by the Senate. Nominees that support breaking up the banks would be unlikely.
Health care improves for the poor By NOAM N. LEVEY TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON — States’ Medicaid expansions through the Affordable Care Act are helping low-income patients access medical care and improving hospitals’ bottom lines, according to two new studies that add to growing evidence about the benefits of the health law. Fewer low-income residents of Kentucky and Arkansas, two poor states that expanded Medicaid in 2014, reported problems paying medical bills after the coverage expansions, especially compared with residents of Texas, which has rejected the health law. And hospitals in Medicaid expansion states saw a marked decline in the share of patients without insurance, compared with hospitals in states that have not broadened access to Medicaid, a second study found. "Our findings underscore the significant benefits of Medicaid expansion not only for low-income adults, but also for the hospitals that serve this population," the authors of that study conclude. The two studies, published Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs, come as new states consider Medicaid expansion, a key pillar of the health law that
President Barack Obama signed in 2010. To date, 30 states and the District of Columbia have elected to take federal aid to broaden eligibility for Medicaid to low-income, working-age adults. (The program traditionally limited coverage to vulnerable populations such as poor children, seniors and the disabled.) Several more traditionally conservative states, including Louisiana, South Dakota and Wyoming, are looking into expanding. But many Republican governors and state legislators continue to reject Medicaid expansion, arguing that the program is ineffective and unaffordable. Meanwhile, in Washington, congressional Republicans plan another vote this week to repeal the health law. GOP resistance to Obamacare is already affecting low-income residents of those states, the new studies suggest. In Texas, for example, the percentage of residents reporting trouble paying medical bills, skipping prescriptions or delaying care because of cost barely moved between 2013 and 2014. By comparison, Kentucky and Arkansas saw major declines in all three measures of access to medical care after the Medicaid expansion began in
2014. The share of residents of the two states who reported skipping a medication because of cost fell more than 10 percentage points. And the percentage of Kentucky residents who said they had trouble paying medical bills dropped by more than 14 percentage points, from 42.7 percent to 28.4 percent. Researchers also found major gains in the share of residents who said they had a check-up in the previous year, which increased more than eight percentage points in Kentucky and Arkansas. And they found sizable increases in the percentage of patients with chronic medical conditions who got regular care, which increased more than 6 percentage points in the two states. Texas, by contrast, saw a decline in the percentage of chronically ill residents who got regular care between 2013 and 2014, according to the study, which was based on a telephone survey of 5,665 low-income, working-age adults in the three states. Researchers at Harvard chose the states in part because the three have historically had high uninsured rates and because Kentucky and Arkansas chose different models of Medicaid ex-
pansion. Kentucky took a more traditional approach, enrolling poor adults in a standard government Medicaid plan. Arkansas set up a new system that allows Medicaid enrollees to select a subsidized commercial health plan. The Arkansas system, which was approved by Republican lawmakers in the state, has been held up as a potential conservative alternative to traditional Medicaid. The researchers found little difference in the effect of the two expansions. "Deciding whether or not to expand matters much more than deciding how to expand," the study concluded. "Both Arkansas’ private option and Kentucky’s traditional Medicaid expansion appear to be promising approaches that have thus far generated similar improvements in access care." The researchers found less evidence that the improved access was delivering better health, as residents’ self-reported health changed little in all three states. Dr. Benjamin Sommers, one of the study’s authors, said he hoped researchers would be able to dig into the health effects of the coverage expansions in the future as more data become available.
Oregon occupant ‘on a mission from God’ By TERRENCE PETTY AND MICHELLE RINDELS ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORTLAND, Ore. — The man behind the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge comes from a Mormon family that has been challenging government authority for at least two decades. Ammon Bundy, like his father in previous confrontations, says he is following directions from God and invokes his family’s faith when explaining the antigovernment movement he is attempting to lead. Two years ago, Cliven Bundy was at the center of an armed standoff with federal officials over grazing rights on government land. Federal officials backed away from seizing the Nevada rancher’s cattle, but the dispute remains unresolved, and the Bureau of Land Management says the family has not made payments toward a $1.1 million grazing fee and penalty bill. Now Cliven Bundy’s son has put himself in the spotlight, this time in Oregon in a dispute over someone else’s ranching operation. His armed group is pressing federal authorities to turn over government land to local control. Ammon Bundy came to
Oregon hoping to rally support behind his cause, but his tactics have been broadly rejected by many locals, by the state’s main ranching group and by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which the Bundy family has belonged to for generations. In a statement issued Monday, Mormon leaders said the Oregon land dispute “is not a church matter,” but they condemned the seizure and said they were “deeply troubled” by reports that suggest the armed group is acting “based on Scriptural principles.” The ranchers that Ammon Bundy came to defend rejected his assistance and on Monday voluntarily surrendered to serve a federal prison term on a 2012 conviction on charges of committing arson on federal land. Even some militia groups say Ammon Bundy has gone too far. One of them — the Oath Keepers — was present at the 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff in Nevada. Their leader issued a statement last week saying Ammon Bundy had picked the wrong battle. “We cannot force ourselves or our protection on people who do not want it,” Oath Keeper founder Stew-
Courtesy photos | AP
This is a combo of photos showing the Bundy family from left to right, Ryan Bundy, Cliven Bundy and Ammon Bundy. Ryan and Ammon Bundy are part of a group of protesters who are in a standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Ore. art Rhodes said last week on the group’s website. Speaking through their attorney, Dwight Hammond Jr. and son Steven said they preferred to turn themselves in and serve out their sentence. “And that clear statement of their intent should be the end of the discussion on this,” Rhodes said. Ammon Bundy has said he had never heard of the Hammond case until his father mentioned it to him. The Hammonds were convicted of arson three years ago of setting fires on federal land in 2001 and 2006. One of the blazes was set to cover up deer poaching, according to prosecutors. The men served no more than a year until an appeals court judge ruled that the terms fell short of mini-
mum sentences requiring them to serve about four more years. Ammon Bundy said he prayed about the matter and “clearly understood that the Lord was not pleased with what was happening to the Hammonds.” The Hammonds said they lit the fires to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires. “I did exactly what the Lord asked me to do,” Bundy said in a YouTube video posted last week in which he appeals to like-minded people to join him in Oregon to protest against the treatment of the Hammonds. In the 2014 showdown with federal authorities in Nevada, Cliven Bundy also justified his actions in reli-
gious terms, saying that he decided to challenge federal agents after praying for guidance. Their ideology aligns with a strain of anti-government thinking that was espoused by some church thought leaders during the Cold War. But it is rejected by mainstream Mormons today, according to Matthew Bowman, a professor of American religion at Henderson State University in Arkansas. Still, whether to submit to church leaders or follow a personal conviction remains “a deep and central tension within Mormon doctrine and culture,” Bowman said. The Bundy family’s dispute with federal authorities dates to 1993, when land managers in Nevada cited concern for the federally protected tortoise and capped Cliven Bundy’s herd at 150 animals on a 250square-mile allotment of land. Officials later revoked Bundy’s grazing rights completely. Federal officials’ attempts to round up the cattle from the arid habitat were called off in an effort to avoid bloodshed. The 2014 standoff — and the current one in Oregon — are continuations of a decades-long fight over public lands in the West. Many people living in rural areas
say their efforts to make a living have been hurt by federal policies regulating the use of government lands. Conservation groups counter that federal agencies are a better choice than states to manage public lands. That’s because the agencies can authorize the land for multiple uses, such as mining, grazing or recreation, while many Western states are constitutionally obligated to use lands they manage for the most lucrative purpose — often mining. “Certainly the folks that live close to these places have a very legitimate voice in this debate. But what is unique about this national land system is that everyone gets to participate,” said Jessica Goad, advocacy director for the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities. Many locals agree with Ammon Bundy that the second Hammond sentence was too harsh, considering the crime. But they disapprove of Bundy’s occupation and fear it could lead to violence. Those concerns were shared by John O’Keeffe, president of the Oregon Cattleman’s Association, who said Monday that his group “does not support illegal activity taken against the government.”
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Falling from first to worst
Photo by Tim Sharp | AP
Tony Romo missed 12 games this season after breaking his left collar bone twice, and the Cowboys went 1-11 in his absence.
Finding Romo’s backup highlights offseason priorities for Cowboys By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — Backup quarterback wasn’t on the list of needs a year ago when Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones thought he had maybe his best offseason. Tony Romo’s No. 2 is the top priority now after he missed 12 games with a twice-broken left collarbone in a first-to-worst season of 4-12. It was the biggest dropoff in wins in franchise history following a 12-4 year that included the NFC East title, a playoff win and Jones’ belief that he addressed the biggest weaknesses — pass rush-
ing was the most glaring — coming out of a divisional-round loss to Green Bay. “I’m just really taken aback by the fact that we’re sitting here with four wins after this year,” Jones said following the Cowboys’ worst season since a 1-15 showing in 1989, the year he bought the team. “Last year you guys made me executive of the year. This year, I’m on my way out.” Well, that’s an exaggeration because Jones has always said he won’t fire himself as GM. But the reality is that three different quarterbacks — incumbent Brandon Weeden, followed by in-season
additions Matt Cassel and Kellen Moore — went 1-11 starting in place of Romo. There are three ways Jones can go at quarterback: —A commitment to the future through the No. 4 pick in the draft, although that’s pretty high considering the 35-year-old Romo has at least two years left before salary cap considerations make it reasonable to move on without him. —A veteran along the lines of former Cowboys Jon Kitna and Kyle Orton, who was paid $3 million per year for two years as Romo’s backup before forcing his way out so he could start in Buffalo. Weeden’s base salary was
just $660,000 this season. —A former first-round pick who flamed out early in his first stop, which was the case with Weeden. Yes, this could bring former Texas college stars Johnny Manziel (Cleveland via Texas A&M) and Robert Griffin III (Washington via Baylor) into play. “I think it’s the example that we should make our decisions off of, is the consequences and the impact of losing our starter in Romo,” Jones said. “I think this is a great one to put on the wall and say, ’Now, burn that in your memory, burn that in your thinking,’ when you start thinking about how important
backup quarterback is.” Things to consider with the Cowboys potentially drafting the highest they have since taking Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl winner Troy Aikman No. 1 overall in 1989: THE HARDY QUESTION Jones and coach Jason Garrett were noncommittal on the potential return of defensive end Greg Hardy. He started quickly after his four-game suspension over his domestic violence case, but was quiet late in the season — on and off the field after creating numerous distractions since signing a one-year deal last March.
“Don’t want to get into any personnel decisions right now,” Garrett said when asked if he wanted Hardy back. REST OF THE RUSHERS If Hardy doesn’t return and the Cowboys don’t go after another free agent, they will be looking for an elite rusher among a handful of younger players. Second-year end DeMarcus Lawrence had seven sacks in the final eight games and finished with a team-best eight. Lawrence’s emergence offers hope that Randy Gregory can follow a similar path after going without a sack in an injury-shortened rookie season.
International
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
Haiti runoff election delayed By DAVID MCFADDEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti’s outgoing leader met with election authorities Tuesday in search of a solution to the country’s deepening electoral impasse, after an official said it would be impossible to hold a presidential runoff in time for a transfer of power by the constitutional deadline. President Michel Martelly announced last week that Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council was warning that the runoff must be held by Jan. 17 to fulfill the constitutional mandate of inaugurating a new president Feb. 7. But in a Monday letter to Martelly, council chief Pierre-Louis Opont said more time was needed to organize the already oncepostponed runoff, writing that 12 days of preparation “will not be sufficient.” If there is another delay, a transitional government may have to be formed in the impoverished country where elections are never easy and allegations of vote manipulation are common. The Group of Eight opposition alliance, comprising second-place finisher Jude Celestin and seven other presidential candidates, is demanding members of the Provisional Electoral Council resign over what it says is corruption and vote-rigging. The bloc is calling for a transitional government to complete the electoral process in a fair and transparent way. But the United Nations, the U.S. government and representatives of other nations making up the “Core Group” that monitors Haiti have urged state institutions and political actors to “take all steps necessary to ensure a peaceful transfer of power” by Feb. 7.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
Venezuela opposition takes control By HANNAH DREIER AND JOSHUA GOODMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition took majority control of the National Assembly on Tuesday after years in the political wilderness, setting the stage for a potential power struggle with embattled President Nicolas Maduro. Lawmakers were sworn in during a heated parliamentary session that saw pro-government representatives walk out in protest after pushing their way onto the dais as the new leadership tried to lay out its legislative agenda. It’s the first time in 17 years that opponents of the socialist revolution begun by the late President Hugo Chavez have controlled the legislature, and many leaders seemed rapt in disbelief. The opposition won a two-thirds majority in a landslide election victory last month, giving it unprecedented strength to challenge Maduro’s rule. But that key super-majority is now in doubt after a government-stacked Supreme Court barred four lawmakers from taking their seats at the last minute while it considers allegations of electoral fraud. As a result, only 163 of 167 lawmakers were sworn
Photo by Fernando Llano | AP
Henry Ramos Allup, incoming congress president, is surrounded by media members upon his arrival to the National Assembly building in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday. in during Tuesday’s ceremony. Earlier in the day, hundreds of opposition supporters accompanied the incoming lawmakers past a heavy military barricade to the neoclassical legislature downtown. A few blocks away, a much larger crowd of government supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to lament the inauguration of what they call a “bourgeois parliament” intent on “legislating slavery.” The dueling marches were tame
compared to the chanting and shoving inside the chamber. Reflecting the changing political winds, journalists were granted access to the legislature for the first time in years and state TV broadcast interviews with opposition leaders. Conspicuously absent inside the domed building were the oversize portraits of Chavez giving a salute and independence hero Simon Bolivar that had been a fixture for years. Instead, from the public gallery,
the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez held up a sign reading “Amnesty Now,” referring to what’s likely to be the legislature’s first order of business: a law freeing dozens of activists jailed during anti-government protests in 2014 that resulted in dozens of deaths. “Keep a strong hand!” 65-yearold Mary Mujica shouted as the incoming parliamentary president, Henry Ramos, muscled his way through the crowd. “There’s a criminal conspiracy running the country; you can’t negotiate with criminals.” Opposition lawmakers promise sweeping changes, while the socialists have been equally adamant that the legislature not erode social gains of Chavez’s revolution. The 72-year-old Ramos, a sharptongued, pre-Chavez-era politician who beat out moderates in the opposition coalition to take the president’s gavel, reiterated in his inaugural remarks his commitment to six-month deadline to remove Maduro by constitutional means, echoing demands made by hardliners during the 2014 protests. Moderates have criticized that strategy and instead advocate pragmatic steps to wrench the oil-dependent economy out of a tailspin.
MIÉRCOLES 6 DE ENERO DE 2016
Agenda en Breve IMPUESTO PREDIAL El gobierno municipal de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México, informa que es tiempo de realizar el pago del impuesto predial correspondiente al año en curso. Por tal motivo se estarán ofreciendo descuentos que aplicarán de la siguiente manera: 15% de descuento por pronto pago en el impuesto del corriente año, durante los meses de enero y febrero. 8% de descuento por pronto pago en el impuesto del corriente año, durante los meses marzo y abril. 100% de descuento en los recargos generados en predios que tienen tiempo sin pagar impuestos, durante los meses de enero y febrero, exclusivamente. Representantes de la oficina igualmente visitarán Nuevo Laredo, México, del 25 al 29 de enero a fin de atender a contribuyentes que viven en esa ciudad.
SOCIEDAD GENEALÓGICA La Sociedad Genealógica Nuevo Santander informa que la próxima reunión será el sábado 9 de enero del 2016 a las 2 p.m. en 805 N Main St/ US Hwy 83. El tema será “Texas Land Heritage Award”. La sociedad indica que se invita especialmente a quienes tienen una granja o rancho que ha funcionado más de 50 años.
Zfrontera CONTROL DE ARMAS
Aumentan reglas POR JOSH LEDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Enjugándose las lágrimas de una mejilla durante cierto momento de su discurso, el presidente Barack Obama anunció el martes su plan para reforzar el control de las armas de fuego en Estados Unidos, recurriendo a sus poderes presidenciales en vista de que el Congreso se abstuvo de aprobar los cambios legales por los que imploró previamente. Obama acusó a los defensores de las armas y sus cabilderos de tomar al Congreso como rehén, pero dijo que “no podrán tomar de rehén a Estados Unidos”. Insistió en que es posible apegarse a la Segunda Enmienda de la constitución —que garantiza el derecho a poseer y portar armas— y al mismo tiempo hacer algo para abordar los frecuentes tiroteos masivos en Estados Unidos, que dijo se han convertido en “la nueva normalidad”. “Esto no es una conspiración para quitarle a todos sus armas”, dijo Obama durante la ceremonia en el Salón Este de la Casa Blanca. “Si pasas una revisión de antecedentes, podrás comprar un arma de fuego. El problema es que algunos vendedores de armas han operado bajo un conjunto diferente de reglas”. Obama se enjugó lágrimas al recordar a los 20 niños asesinados en 2012 en la escuela primaria Sandy Hook, en Newtown, Connec-
Foto por Carolyn Kaster | Associated Press
El presidente Barack Obama durante su mensaje en la Casa Blanca, el martes. ticut. Rindió homenaje a sus padres, algunos presentes en la ceremonia, al decir que ellos nunca se imaginaron que la vida de sus hijos sería acortada por una bala. “Cada vez que pienso en esos niños, me da rabia”, dijo el presidente. El núcleo del plan de Obama está en extender la definición de distribuidor de armas de fuego, con lo que la administración espera aumentar el número de ventas sujetas a revisión de antecedentes. Bajo la ley actual, sólo los distribuidores de armas de fuego con licencia federal deben revisar los antecedentes de los compradores potenciales, pero en las ferias de armas, sitios web y mercados de pulgas, los vendedores burlan tales
FERIA DE ZAPATA La Feria del Condado de Zapata elegirá a sus representantes de belleza a inicios del 2016. El Certamen de Belleza para Jr. Royalty se celebrará el 7 de febrero; en tanto que el Concurso para Reinas de la Feria del Condado de Zapata se celebrará el 28 de febrero. Ambos eventos se realizarán a las 2 p.m. en el Auditorio de Zapata HS.
requisitos al negarse a registrarse como distribuidores con licencia. Con el objetivo de reducir ese vacío legal, el Departamento de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos de Estados Unidos (ATF por sus siglas en inglés) emitirá una guía actualizada que dice que el gobierno deberá catalogar como distribuidor a todos los que participen “en el negocio” de la venta de armas de fuego, sin importar dónde las venden. Con ese objetivo, el gobierno considerará otros factores, incluso cuántas armas de fuego vende una persona, con qué frecuencia y si se venden a cambio de una ganancia. La Casa Blanca también dio aviso a los vendedores de que la administración planeaba aumentar
el cumplimiento de las leyes, entre lo que se incluye el despliegue de 230 nuevos examinadores que la FBI contratará para procesar las revisiones de antecedentes. Las medidas anunciadas por Obama fueron recibidas con una predecible división partidista. Los precandidatos presidenciales demócratas Hillary Clinton y Bernie Sanders elogiaron al presidente y se comprometieron a seguir tomando medidas similares si llegan a la Casa Blanca. El campo republicano formó un coro de voces que prometieron anular todo el paquete. El precandidato presidencial Marco Rubio acusó a Obama de estar “obsesionado con socavar la Segunda Enmienda”. En el Congreso, los demócratas y los republicanos se alinearon de manera similar, en lados opuestos. La lideresa de los demócratas en la cámara baja, Nancy Pelosi, dijo que Obama actuó claramente dentro de su autoridad y se sumó a los llamados del mandatario para que el Congreso termine ese trabajo. Por su parte, el presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, el republicano Paul Ryan, pronosticó impugnaciones en los tribunales. “En lugar de enfocarse en los criminales y los terroristas, se enfoca en los ciudadanos, la mayoría de los cuales son respetuosos de la ley”, dijo Ryan. “Sus palabras y acciones equivalen a cierta intimidación que atenta contra la libertad”.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
TAMAULIPAS REYNOSA, México — El domingo 3 de enero, policías estatales rescataron a 45 inmigrantes originarios de Guatemala y Honduras. Ellos se encontraban privados de la libertad dentro de una casa ubicada en el número 105 de Calle Puntal Malcom, de la colonia Puertas del Sol, de acuerdo a un comunicado de prensa del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas. Del grupo, 43 eran hombres y tres mujeres. Entre ellos estaban cuatro menores de edad. Durante el operativo no hubo arrestos de probables delincuentes. El grupo deseaba cruzar la frontera hacia EU. Los emigrantes centroamericanos fueron puestos a disposición del instituto de migración. MATAMOROS, México — Un supuesto delincuente falleció el domingo 3 de enero, cuando elementos militares repelieron una agresión por parte de quienes se cree son integrantes de un grupo delincuencial. El reporte indica que cinco hombres armados viajaban a bordo de una camioneta Nitro, color negra, cuando en el crucero de calles Lauro del Villar y Patriotismo, de la colonia Tecnológico, se encontraron con un convoy militar. Entonces, los sospechosos decidieron abrir fuego mientras intentaban escapar. Entonces inició una persecución, la cual concluyó en calles Lauro del Villar y Teotihuacan, donde cuatro de los agresores descendieron de la camioneta y huyeron a pie. El cuerpo de un quinto sospechoso quedó sin vida en el interior del vehículo, indica el reporte. La víctima no ha sido identificada. Militares decomisaron un arma larga, cartuchos útiles y otros objetos que quedaron a disposición del Ministerio Público de la Federación.
PÁGINA 9A
VOLCADURA
Foto de cortesía | Agencia de Noticias/Oficina de Corresponsales
Una camioneta Dodge Ram 1500 se volcó sobre la Carretera Nacional, el domingo, muriendo Miguel Santiago González, de 6 meses de edad, de San Marcos.
COLUMNA
CORTE FEDERAL
Cometa aviva recuerdos
‘La Barbie’ admitirá culpabilidad
Coloridas, ligeras, surcan los horizontes de antaño las cometas sencillas e ingeniosas.
POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Las cometas, denominadas también volantines, palomitas, barriletes o huilas, pero en México prevalece el nombre de papalote. “Cometa para jugar, armazón ligera, cubierta de papel o tela que se hace volar en el aire”, papalote viene del náhuatl “papalotl”, que significa mariposa, define el “Diccionario breve de mexicanismos”, escrito por Guido Gómez de Silva. “Papalotl” – añade la citada obra – deriva a la vez de “papalli”, hoja, y “otl”, cosa; o sea cosa de hojas. Gregorio Bautista Lara coincide en que “papalotl” quiere decir mariposa. En sus “Etimologías de la lengua náhuatl” complementa: La “mariposa [es un] insecto del orden de los lepidópteros, de anchas alas y rígidas”, por lo general, “de brillantes colo-
res”. Con antiquísimas raíces chinas, la cometa llega en las naves de los conquistadores españoles. Cabe inferir que por hallarla semejante al insecto lepidóptero, la armazón de marras es llamada “papalotl”, mariposa, pues esto debe parecerle a los mexicas. Denominación quizás menos extendida, la de huila presenta análogo origen prehispánico. “Huilotl”, explica Bautista Lara, proviene del idioma cultivado por el poeta Nezahualcóyotl y equivale a “paloma, huilota”. Gómez de Silva lo ratifica; “es ave migratoria”, “cuya carne es comestible”, detalla. Resulta innegable que en gran parte del siglo XIX predominan invasiones extranjeras, conflictos políticos, epidemias, guerras intestinas y fenómenos de equivalente naturaleza. Pero dan algún margen al esparcimiento y las celebraciones. A orillas de ríos, lagunas y arroyos hay carrizos o varas. Tampoco falta tela o papel, engrudo, trapos con que
hacer la cola y cordeles resistentes, capaces de controlar a distancia la estructura. Alrededor de villas, ciudades o pueblos existe campo abierto de sobra. Durante las temporadas propicias del año, sin conflictos bélicos de por medio, verdaderos enjambres de tales bastidores posiblemente dejan verse por los aires. Expedida por el congreso de Tamaulipas, en 1871 aparece la “Ley Orgánica del Régimen de las Municipalidades”. El ordenamiento da paso a los bandos de policía y buen gobierno de cada municipio. Ahí queda prohibido en forma terminante “volar papalotes o cometas con navajas o pedazos de vidrio en la cola”. Para concluir, nos da la pauta el uruguayo Fernán Silva Valdés: “Por ver si le corta el hilo/ a alguna otra cometa,/ en la cola le ato un vidrio/ que brilla como una estrella”. (Con permiso del autor según fuera publicado en La Razón, Tampico, Tamps., 26 diciembre 2015)
POR JASON BUCH SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
Edgar Valdez Villarreal, el narcotraficante originario de Laredo conocido como “La Barbie”, tiene programado declararse culpable en una corte federal de Atlanta. Valdez,quien después de su extradición a los EU el año pasado se declarara no culpable a cargos por conspiración de drogas y lavado de dinero, tiene programada una audiencia para el cambio de declaración, el miércoles por la tarde. La Oficina del Fiscal de EU en Atlanta dijo que espera que admita ser culpable a uno de los cargos. EDGAR VALDEZ La historia de la vida de Valdez, la cual inspiró un guión de película, captó atención internacional debido a su transformación de un estudiante de preparatoria promedio a un poderoso narcotraficante. Se cree que es uno de los ciudadanos de EU que tiene más alto rango dentro de la estructura del cartel de México, hasta su arresto en México en el 2010.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
ROSA DELGADO
GUILTY Continued from Page 1A
Aug. 30, 1947 — Dec. 31, 2015 Rosa Delgado 68, passed away Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 at Heart Hospital of McAllen, Texas. Ms. Delgado is preceded in death by her daughter, Rosa Emilia (Gabriel) Macias; grandson, Gabriel Macias; granddaughter, Cristina Macias and her mother, Emilia G. Andrade. Ms. Delgado is survived by her sons, Miguel A. Delgado, Mario O. (Samantha) Delgado, Juan F. Delgado, Ramiro Delgado; daughters, Ana M. (Juan Rolando) Vargas, Maria (+Jaime) Garza, Azucena (Antonio) Ortega, Laura M. Ortiz, Olga Delgado; grandchildren, Monica Macias, Ricardo Macias, Ashley Delgado, Delissa Meza, Miguel Delgado, Jr., Madison Delgado, Modesto A. Delgado, Faustino Delgado, Ana Vargas, Juan Vargas, Andres Vargas, Jaime Garza, Jr., Eduardo Garza, Luis G. Garza, Mark A. Garza, Issac Vargas, Jacqueline Ortega, Lesley Ortega, Britney Ortega, Alberto Flores, Jr., Kassey Flores, Elijah Flores, Cruz Flores, Dominique Flores; father, Faustino Andrade; sisters, Jovita Ortiz and Faustina Rodriguez and by numerous other family
members and friends. Visitation hours were Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a wake at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. A chapel service was Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at 10 a.m. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, Funeral Director, 2102 N. US HWY 83 Zapata, Texas.
highlighted in the Justice Department biography of U.S. Attorney John A. Horn of the Northern District of Georgia, who signed the original indictment more than six years ago when he was an assistant U.S. attorney. Horn on Tuesday confirmed the plea. Wilmer "Buddy" Parker III, an Atlanta-based defense lawyer representing Valdez, told CNN En Español on Tuesday that his client will admit to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, attempt to import or export cocaine and money laundering. A plea agreement would mean that Valdez, who is in his early 40s, is confirming some of the allegations against him for potential leniency. He could receive increased forbearance if he decides to cooperate with U.S. authorities. After five years behind bars, though, his information from the streets may be a bit stale. Still, he offers U.S. agents a chance to speak with a high-level trafficker who knows Mexico’s underworld
MAYOR Continued from Page 1A dination plan and police framework that we have been promoting,” Ramirez said. Ramirez said the state police plan has led to a decrease in the wave of kidnappings, extortions and drug gang killings that swept the state in recent years. Many critics have questioned whether the unified command will be cleaner or more efficient than the local forces and the state government has struggled to persuade mayors to give up control of officers who are a source of influence, protection and often income from bribes. A local newspaper, La Union de Morelos, cast doubt on Ramirez’s motives in an editorial Monday that accused him of opportunistically using Mota’s killing “to get around the growing opposition to a model of security whose effectiveness is belied by figures and facts.” The biggest holdout has been the recently installed mayor of the state capital, Cuernavaca, former soccer star Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Despite Blanco’s refusal, Ramirez announced he was imposing state command over Cuernavaca’s police, and he suggested dark forces were influencing the pugnacious former athlete, who has never before held public office. “Behind Cuauhtemoc Blanco there are people who want to take advantage of his lack of experience, to allow crime gangs to enter Cuernavaca,” Ramirez tweeted Monday. The Cuernavaca city government said Monday it would continue to oppose the state plan. Public Security Commissioner Alberto Capella told The Associated Press that 25 of the state’s 33 municipalities are now under unified command, including Cuernavaca. He said Morelos received a petition from officers against Blanco’s decision to reject unified command that said, “Don’t leave us out there alone.” Ramirez said some mayors in the state had complained that the two gangs had been extorting money from them. “Some confessed that they had been pressured, some had been kidnapped,” Ramirez said. “They (gang members) picked them up and said they wanted three things. They wanted to choose (municipal) police chiefs ... they wanted the public works contracts, and ten percent of the municipal budgets.” Following Mota’s killing Saturday, two suspects were killed in a clash with police and three others arrested — a 32-year-old woman, an 18year-old man and a minor. Officials gave few other details, though state Attorney General Javier Perez Duron said the suspects had been tied to other crimes.
and speaks perfect English. He is said to have been a standout high-school football player in the Texas-Mexico border city of Laredo, where a coach nicknamed him Barbie like the doll - for his lightcolored eyes and fair hair. Valdez is accused of directing the movement of drugs, guns, ammunition and cash from Mexico through Texas and Atlanta. It is unusual for an American to climb so high in the ranks of Mexican organized crime, but not unprecedented. Texasborn Juan Garcia Abrego was captured in Mexico in the 1990s and sent to Houston, where he was convicted of drug-trafficking crimes as the head of the Gulf Cartel. He is now serving multiple life sentences in the so-called Supermax prison in Colorado. According to the government, Valdez was part of the Sinaloa Cartel before one of its chief leaders established his own organization. That leader, Arturo Beltran Leyva, was killed in
a 2009 shootout with the Mexican military. The death was believed to have left the throne of power to Valdez, but a target on his back in a war with Beltran Leyva’s brother, Hector, for control of the business. Three of the other codefendants in the criminal case have received punishments for their role in the Mexico-to-Atlanta drug trafficking conspiracy. Known as "C-1," Jesus Ramos was arrested in February 2010. He was the first to plead guilty and received several breaks on what could have been at least a decade behind bars. He also was released on bail in November 2010 after admitting to a single count, the overall conspiracy. In January 2011, Ramos was sentenced to eight years under the federal "safety valve," an exception to mandatory minimum sentencing that only applies to first-time, nonviolent drug offenders whose cases do not involve guns. Last November, the government and Ramos’ le-
gal counsel - specifically Horn and Stephanie Kearns, executive director of the federal defender program that represents defendants in the Northern District of Georgia - entered a joint motion asking for even more leniency under recent retroactive drug sentence reductions and a recalculation as low as five years and three months. Duffey cut just five months from the sentence. Ruben Hernandez, whose nickname is "Super," pleaded guilty to two counts in January 2013. He was sentenced to 22 years. Juan Montemayor, known as "Vice," pleaded guilty to three counts in July 2013. He received 21 years and 10 months in prison. Carlos Montemayor, who goes by "Fox" and "The Director," was arrested in September. The six counts against him remain unresolved. Roberto Lopez, known as "Shrek," faces seven counts and has not been apprehended, according to court records.
CUELLAR Continued from Page 1A via bus through Guatemala and Mexico. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, over 43,000 Cuban migrants crossed into the United States in fiscal year 2015, and 28,000 of these migrants, or around two-thirds, have crossed through the Laredo field office on the Texas-Mexico border. That’s more than double the number in fiscal year 2014, when over 24,000 Cuban migrants entered the United States, with over 15,000, about two thirds, entering through Laredo. “As I met with migrants and they were telling me their stories, I asked them where their place of entry into the U.S. will be. Most of them said my hometown of Laredo, Texas,” Cuellar said. “Many connect to relatives and others in the United States via smart phone applications such as WhatsApp while they are making the journey.
Courtesy photo | U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar’s Office
U.S. Congressman Cuellar speaks to Cuban migrants in Costa Rica about the risks they take and their reasons for making the journey from Cuba to the United States. For many migrants, their destination is Laredo. “Migrants buy new SIM cards in each country they travel through so they can keep connected. The 1966 Cuban Adjust-
ment Act, also known as the ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy, is a relic of the Cold War. We should not condone this very dangerous
route that many Cubans are taking, as human traffickers can very easily prey on those who are in need. I believe Congress needs to eliminate this outdated policy. “I thank Congresswoman Granger, chair of the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, and who headed the House Speaker’s Working Group on national security and the humanitarian crisis on the southern border last year, for her continued help on this issue. “In a bipartisan manner, Granger and I helped add $750 million in funding to Central America in the omnibus to implement strategies to help reduce illegal immigration to the United States and bolster regional governance, prosperity, and security. We need to continue to help Central America and Costa Rica to address this situation.”
OBAMA Continued from Page 1A called the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad.” Obama’s 10-point plan to keep guns from those who shouldn’t have them marked a concession by the president: He’ll leave office without securing the new gun control laws he’s repeatedly and desperately implored Congress to pass. Although Obama, acting alone, can take action around the margins, only Congress can enact more sweeping changes that gun control advocates say are the only way to truly stem a scourge of mass shootings. “It won’t happen overnight,” Obama said. “It won’t happen during this Congress. It won’t happen
during my presidency.” But, he added optimistically, “a lot of things don’t happen overnight.” The centerpiece of Obama’s plan is an attempt to narrow the loophole that exempts gun sales from background checks if the seller isn’t a federal registered dealer. With new federal “guidance,” the administration is clarifying that even those who sell just a few weapons at gun shows, flea markets or online can be deemed dealers and required to conduct checks on prospective buyers. Whether that step can make a significant dent in unregulated gun sales is an open question, and one not easily answered. Millions of guns are sold annually in informal settings outside of gun shops,
including many through private sales arranged online. But the Obama administration acknowledged it couldn’t quantify how many gun sales would be newly subjected to background checks, nor how many currently unregistered gun sellers would have to obtain a license. Easily reversible by a future president, the government’s guidance to gun sellers lacks the legal oomph of a new law, such as the one Obama and likeminded lawmakers tried but failed to pass in 2013. The Justice Department said online the guidance “has no regulatory effect and is not intended to create or confer any rights, privileges, or benefits in any matter, case, or proceeding.” What’s more, none of the
steps would have probably prevented any of the recent mass shootings that Obama invoked in the East Room: Aurora, Oak Creek, Charleston, Newtown, to name some. But Obama defiantly rejected that critique, dismissing it as the tired trope of gun lobbyists who question “why bother trying?” “I reject that thinking,” Obama said. “We maybe can’t save everybody, but we could save some.” Hoping to give the issue a human face, the White House assembled a crosssection of Americans affected by searing recent gun tragedies, including former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Mark Barden, whose son was shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School, introduced the president with a declaration that “we
are better than this.” Obama readily conceded the executive steps will be challenged in court, a prediction quickly echoed by Republicans. Chuck James, a former federal prosecutor who practices firearms law at the firm Williams Mullen, said opponents are likely to challenge Obama’s authority to define what it means to be “engaged in the business” of selling guns beyond what’s laid out in the law. The White House asserted confidence Obama was acting legally, and said Justice Department and White House lawyers had worked diligently to ensure the steps were watertight. Other new steps include 230 new examiners the FBI will hire to process background checks.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Oil thrives under energy plan By JENNIFER A. DLOUHY BLOOMBERG NEWS
Photo by Richard Drew | AP
Specialist Ronnie Howard, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday. U.S. stocks are opening modestly higher as trading stabilizes a day after a plunge in China unsettled investors around the globe.
Indexes end higher By MARLEY JAY ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are closing mostly higher after a day of wavering between small gains and losses. The relatively stable trading Tuesday came a day after a plunge in China’s main index set off a bout of selling in global markets. Ford fell 2 percent and General Motors fell 3 percent after the companies reported sales figures that fell short of forecasts. The Dow Jones industrial average gained nine points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,158. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index edged up four points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,016. The Nasdaq composite fell 11 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,891. Gun makers rose after new data pointed to strong sales at the close of 2015. Smith & Wesson jumped 11 percent and Sturm Ruger gained 7 percent.
WASHINGTON — The nation’s biggest fossil-fuel trade group delivered its annual stateof-the-industry report Tuesday. True to form, it included a whack at President Barack Obama’s policies — even though oil and gas have flourished on his watch. U.S. oil production has surged 82 percent to near-record levels in the past seven years and natural gas is up by nearly onequarter. Instead of shutting down the hydraulic fracturing process that has unlocked natural gas from dense rock formations, Obama has promoted the fuel as a stepping stone to a greener, renewable future. The administration has also permitted drilling in the Arctic Ocean over the objections of environmentalists and opened the door to a new generation of oil and gas drilling in Atlantic waters hugging the East Coast. He also signed, with reservations, a measure to lift a 40-year-old ban on the export of most U.S. crude. "Given an administration that was so committed to combating climate change, they have coexisted pretty peacefully with the industry, despite all the protestations," said David Goldwyn, a consultant who for two years served as the State Department’s top energy diplomat under Obama. "And the best metric is just look at the production." That hasn’t stopped the American Petroleum Institute from taking aim at Obama in its annual addresses on the industry — such as the one API president, Jack Gerard, delivered in Washington. Gerard complained about an "already heavy regulatory burden" on the industry, with "almost 100 pending regulations and counting." And he took aim at the Clean Power Plan, which slashes green-
house gas emissions from the power sector. The policy, "under the guise of environmental protection, does in fact, seek to pick winners and losers in the energy market, not based on market conditions, consumer preference or economic reality," he told a room filled with industry lobbyists, trade group leaders and at least one oil company executive. But the Obama administration’s approach to fossil fuels — including his endorsement of natural gas in State of the Union addresses and in a landmark climate change speech in 2013 — has drawn anger from environmentalists. "From day one of the administration and accelerating into the present, this administration and this White House has viewed the natural gas and oil bonanza in this country as an economic opportunity, and they have ridden it and ridden it hard," said Bill Snape, senior counsel for the Center for Biological Diversity. "They greased the skids for too much natural gas, oil and fracking in this country." The administration’s strategy, which Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners, calls a "give-a-little, take-alittle" approach to energy, reflects the president’s conflicted relationship with oil and gas. On one hand, fossil fuels are a major impediment to his green goals and his hope to thwart the worst effects of climate change. At the same time, their production has delivered big economic benefits to the country. Ed Hirs, an energy expert at the University of Houston who is managing director of Hillhouse Resources, an independent oil and gas company, says Obama took a lighter touch on fracking after the worst environmental fears of the process failed to materialize. "No one in the Obama administration can deny the massive positive impact on GDP that oil
from the shale plays has brought," Hirs said in an email. Oil industry leaders say Obama has driven strangling regulation, stifling U.S. energy production and blocking companies from plumbing new areas in search of crude. To the American Petroleum Institute, the domestic drilling boom has happened in spite of the Obama administration, not because of it. "This isn’t happening because of the administration. Prices aren’t down because of the administration," API executive vice president Louis Finkel said in an interview. "This is happening on private land because of thoughtful and balanced state regulatory regimes that balance economic growth and production of oil and natural gas with environmental stewardship. In many ways, this administration has missed the opportunity to seize on that." Finkel cited the Obama administration’s decision to reject the Canada-to-U.S. Keystone XL pipeline, impose stricter ozone limits and clamp down on potent heat-trapping methane emissions that are the primary component of natural gas. "The only reason consumers haven’t been buried by these costs yet is because our industry continues to innovate and increase efficiency," he said. In recent months, market forces have delivered a major blow to the U.S. oil and gas industry in the form of the biggest price slump in decades. That’s resulted in job losses and a downturn in drilling. Spokesmen for the White House, Interior Department and Environmental Protection Agency declined to comment for this story. Gas will take on new importance under the administration’s Clean Power Plan, accelerating a shift away from coal-fired power. The international climate accord reached in Paris last year also sets up a framework for more
Supply still dictates price of oil By DAVID KOENIG ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — A persistent glut of oil is trumping Middle Eastern tension, extending the slump in oil markets into the new year. The price of oil fell 30 percent last year, following a 50 percent plunge in 2014. At below $36 a barrel on Tuesday, the price is down more than 2 percent early in 2016. Even the breakoff of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, two big oil-producing countries, failed to halt the slide. Oil prices are likely to remain about where they are until either production drops or the world economy perks up and drives demand higher. The U.S. Energy Department expects the nation’s production to drop by about 500,000 barrels a day this year, but OPEC has vowed to hold to
Photo by Hasan Jamali | AP file
Oil futures spiked briefly on Monday, after the news that Saudi Arabia would cut diplomatic ties with Iran. existing production levels. The price of benchmark U.S. crude was down 77 cents to $35.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange in afternoon trading after falling 28 cents on Monday. Brent crude, reflecting the price of international oils, was down 2 percent on Tuesday after a smaller drop Monday. New reports indicated that manufacturing is continuing to struggle, with factory activity falling in December for the second
straight month in the U.S. and the 10th straight month in China. Slow growth means that the current oversupply of oil could be more stubborn than expected. Government figures show that the stockpile of U.S. crude oil grew by 2.6 million barrels during the week ended Dec. 25 and was 9.9 million barrels higher than a year ago. Surveys by Genscape Inc. show that stocks of benchmark U.S. crude near the key hub in Cushing, Okla-
homa, are at all-time highs, said Brian Busch, director of oil markets for the energy-research firm. It’s not limited to the U.S. Oil-storage terminals in South Africa are full, and Chinabound tankers have been seen waiting offshore until there is room to offload their shipments of crude, he said. With little reason to expect stronger demand or cuts in production soon, investors seemed to discount the rising tension between the Saudis and Iranians over Saudi Arabia’s execution of an opposition Shiite cleric. Stewart Glickman, an analyst with S&P Capital IQ, said geopolitical risk has lost some of its ability to influence on oil prices. “It is maybe a sense of security from the marketplace that with this seeming glut of crude oil that you can have tensions in Middle East,” he said.
worldwide demand for natural gas. And Obama’s Energy Department has now approved 13 licenses to broadly export 14.04 billion cubic feet per day of liquefied natural gas, despite initial permitting delays. Obama has moved to regulate hydraulic fracturing, the process of pumping water, sand and chemicals underground to unlock oil and gas in dense rock formations, but those efforts have hit roadblocks. His Interior Department imposed new mandates on fracking last March, but the requirements only apply to wells on public land and have since been blocked by a federal court. A 2012 EPA rule to force energy companies to use "green completion" equipment that can pare methane emissions at natural gas wells applies only to new and modified sites — and largely tracks what the industry was doing already. The agency is working to finalize similar requirements for existing natural gas wells and infrastructure. The Interior Department is working on its own plan to crack down on methane released when energy companies burn or vent natural gas flowing from oil wells. "API has plenty to celebrate. The flaring rule is behind schedule, the methane rule is a halfmeasure that covers only new sources, and 2015 ended with the oil lobby notching their biggest policy victory in years with the repeal of the crude oil export ban," said Lukas Ross, a climate campaigner with the environmental group Friends of the Earth. To be sure, the oil industry hasn’t secured everything on its wish list. The American Petroleum Institute has pushed for more territory to drill, both onshore and off. And while a draft plan for selling offshore oil and gas leases from 2017 to 2022 opens the door to eventual Atlantic drilling.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016