The Zapata Times 5/27/2015

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WEDNESDAY MAY 27, 2015

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TEXAS LEGISLATURE

Teacher busted

House threatens gay adoptions

By WILL WEISSERT

ZCISD educator behind bars

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

A former teacher in Zapata arrested on the suspicion of having an improper relationship with a high school student remained behind bars Tuesday, officials said.

Luis Carlos Garza Jr., 24, was arrested last week on charges of possession of

marijuana, harassment and improper relationship between an educator and a student. He has a combined bond of $52,500 at the Zapata County Regional Jail, according to custody records.

Garza, who was initially suspended with pay, resigned from his teaching position at the Zapata County Independent School District following his ar-

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — The Republican-controlled Texas House is poised to consider rules allowing religious child welfare agencies to prohibit gays and same-sex couples from adopting children — a potential major victory for social conservatives that Democrats attempted to block using stall tactics.

The measure protects agencies that object to

rest Friday, district officials said.

Zapata County Sheriff ’s Chief Raymundo del Bosque said similar cases are happening across the nation, where parents don’t feel their children are safe anymore. Del Bosque said he believes suspected child molesters infiltrate the

GARZA

See BUSTED PAGE 11A

such adoptions on religious grounds from being sued. It’s an amendment to a larger bill reorganizing the Department of Family and Protective Services that’s scheduled for consideration Tuesday.

It has the votes to pass easily, but the amendment is attached to a Senate bill. That means it must clear the House by midnight in order to

See ADOPTIONS PAGE 11A

MEMORIAL DAY IN ZAPATA

TREVIÑO BROTHERS HONORED

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Henry Cuellar presents a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol and other honors to Leopoldo Treviño during a Memorial Day Celebration in Zapata on Monday.

Henry Cuellar shakes the hand of Leopoldo Treviño, veteran and the sole surviving brother of the six Treviño brothers who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in WWII in Zapata on Monday.

Congressman Cuellar recognizes six WWII veterans for heroism

By GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO THE ZAPATA TIMES

I

n commemoration of Memorial Day, six brothers from Zapata were honored for their heroic efforts during World War II by Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-La-

redo, as well as county and state officials at a community-wide event held outside the Zapata County Courthouse on Monday morning.

In March, Cuellar recognized brothers Teodoro, Leopoldo, Antonio, Anselmo, Filiberto Jr. and Jose

Manuel Treviño with a speech on floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. He presented six American flags that were flown over the U.S. Capitol to the families of the Treviño brothers who have passed away, and personally pre-

sented one to the last remaining brother, Leopoldo Treviño.

“Nos llamaron y lo contestamos para servir la patria,” Leopoldo Treviño said. “We were called upon and we responded in order to serve our country.”

He added he was “very

happy” to be attending the recognition ceremony and appreciative that his efforts and those of his brothers are still being remembered even 70 years after the end of the Second World War. Standing at about 6 feet tall, in a black suit and tie,

91-year-old Leopoldo Treviño was accompanied by his wife of 63 years Emma V. Treviño and son Leo Treviño Jr. “I’m happy he was able to see this and receive this honor, not only for himself

See BROTHERS PAGE 11A

DEFERRED ACTION FOR PARENTS OF AMERICANS AND LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENTS

Court rules immigration order cannot proceed

By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE

Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman | AP

Alondra Chavez, 17, of Pasadena, Texas, and other immigrant rights activists protest outside the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Texas, on May 19. The group was protesting the Texas lawsuit against the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, also known as DAPA, which would have gone into effect on Tuesday.

Three months after a Brownsville-based federal judge halted President Obama’s executive action on immigration, a threejudge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the White House’s request to let the controversial immigration policy proceed.

The policy, called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, or DAPA, was announced in November. It would have allowed for the roughly 5 million

undocumented immigrants nationwide — including an estimated 1.6 million undocumented immigrants in Texas — apply for three-year renewable work permits and reprieves from deportation proceedings.

The decision marked a victory for Gov. Greg Abbott, who filed suit to stop the program in December when he was attorney general. Twenty-five states have since joined the lawsuit.

“President Obama abdicated his responsibility to preserve and protect the United States Constitution when he issued this executive action, and after months of

obfuscation and stall tactics by his Administration, victory for the Constitution has been awarded and the Rule of Law restored,” Abbott said Tuesday in a statement.

Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office is now handling the case, added: “The separation of powers and checks and balances remain the law of the land, and this decision is a victory for those committed to preserving the rule of law in America. Telling illegal aliens that they are now lawfully present in this

See IMMIGRATION PAGE 11A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Laredo A&M Mothers’ Club is hosting its annual scholarship night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Los Patios, 4653 Casa Blanca Rd. Scholarship recipients from each Laredo high school will be recognized.

Today is Wednesday, May 27, the 147th day of 2015. There are 218 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On May 27, 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, unanimously struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act, a key component of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” legislative program.

On this date: In 1896, 255 people were killed when a tornado struck St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois.

In 1937, the newly completed Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, California, was opened to pedestrian traffic (vehicles began crossing the next day).

In 1942, Navy Cook 3rd Class Doris “Dorie” Miller became the first African-American to receive the Navy Cross for his “extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety” during Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

In 1944, Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist play “Huis clos” (known in English as “No Exit”) was first performed in Paris.

In 1962, a dump fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania, ignited a blaze in underground coal deposits that continues to burn this day.

In 1964, independent India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, died.

In 1985, in Beijing, representatives of Britain and China exchanged instruments of ratification for an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese control in 1997.

In 1995, actor Christopher Reeve was left paralyzed when he was thrown from his horse during a jumping event in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Ten years ago: Speaking out for the first time in favor of controversial base closings, President George W. Bush told the Naval Academy commencement the nation was wasting billions of dollars on unnecessary military facilities and needed the money for the war on terrorism.

Five years ago: On the defensive more than five weeks into the nation’s worst-ever oil spill, President Barack Obama insisted his administration, not oil giant BP, was calling the shots in the still-unsuccessful response.

One year ago: Charting an end to America’s longest war, President Barack Obama announced plans for keeping nearly 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014 but then withdrawing virtually all by the close of 2016 and the conclusion of his presidency.

Today’s Birthdays: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Herman Wouk is 100. Actor Christopher Lee is 93. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is 92. Former FBI Director William Sessions is 85. Author John Barth is 85.

Musician Ramsey Lewis is 80.

Country singer Don Williams is 76. Singer-actress Dee Dee Bridgewater is 65. Comedian Adam Carolla is 51. Actor Paul Bettany is 44. Country singer Jace Everett is 43. Actor Jack McBrayer is 42. Rapper Andre 3000 (Outkast) is 40. Rapper Jadakiss is 40. TV chef Jamie Oliver is 40. Actor-singer Chris Colfer is 25.

Thought for Today: “A man who limits his interests limits his life.” — Vincent Price, American actor (born this date in 1911, died 1993).

THURSDAY, MAY 28 Laredo Border Slam Poetry at Gallery 201, 513 San Bernardo Ave. From 9 to 11 p.m. Speakers have three minutes to perform an original work and there are two rounds. $2 suggested donation at the door.

FRIDAY, MAY 29 Planetarium Shows at TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium from 5 – 7 p.m. 6 p.m.: Stars of the Pharaohs; 7 p.m.: Led Zeppelin. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information, call 956-326-DOME (3663).

SATURDAY, MAY 30 LCC’s Rio Grande Arts Festival from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. at LCC Fort McIntosh Campus West End. This celebration includes contests in playwriting, play production, short film, song writing, battle of bands and dance. Admission is free. Martinez Fine Arts Center at martinezfineartscenter@laredo.edu or 721-5334.

LCC presents “Girl in a Coma” as part of the Rio Grande Arts Festival, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Laredo Northside Market Association is hosting the May “Fifth Saturday Market” at Slaughter Park. Many of the regular Laredo Northside Market vendors will be present, and there will also be activities with prizes for kids.

For more information, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/laredonorthsidemarket.

Polly Heil-Mealey, naturopath and certified iridologist, will be at Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, 8731 Belize Dr at Puig at 7 p.m., speaking on whole body wellness. Admission is free. Call 281-312-2860.

Planetarium Shows at TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium from 1 – 5 p.m. 2 p.m.: Accidental Astronaut; 3 p.m.: Cosmic Adventures; 4 p.m.: Back to the Moon; 5 p.m.: Black Holes.

General Admission is $4 for children and $5 adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information, call 956-326-DOME (3663).

SUNDAY, MAY 31 LCC’s Rio Grande Arts Festival from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at LCC Fort McIntosh Campus West End. Contests in playwriting, play production, short film, song writing, battle of bands and dance. Admission is free. Martinez Fine Arts Center at martinezfineartscenter@laredo.edu or 721-5334.

TUESDAY, JUNE 2 Alzheimer’s support group will meet at 7 p.m. at the Laredo Medical Center, building B, meeting room 2.

The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For information, please call 956-693-9991.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4 Elysian Social Club will be hosting its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Herlinda Nieto-Dubuisson at 956-2853126.

Photo by Prashant Gupta/History | AP

This photo provided by History shows Jeff Fahey, left, as Thomas Rusk, and Bill Paxton as Sam Houston, in a scene from the television series, "Texas Rising." The new show debuted on the History channel on Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Alamo remembered on TV

By JUSTIN WM. MOYER THE WASHINGTON POST

It’s been a battle cry ever since Texas forces were slaughtered by the Mexican army almost 180 years ago: "Remember the Alamo!" But since 1836, it’s not exactly clear what Americans are supposed to remember.

Were those fighting for Texas’s independence from Mexico heroes, a la John Wayne? Or were the Alamo and the Texas Revolution a land grab by white slaveowners who would eventually help make Texas part of the United States?

History — once known as the History Channel — seems to have voted in favor of the former. Its new miniseries "Texas Rising," which premiered on Monday and dramatizes events following the Alamo’s fall, is a love letter to the Lone Star State that some critics say broadcasts conservative politics

Texas Senate OKs wrongful conviction bill

66 pounds of cocaine washes ashore Galveston

10 children treated at hospital after house fire

AUSTIN — The Texas Senate has approved a bill establishing an 11-member commission that will examine wrongful convictions. Tuesday’s 31-0 vote came years after Houston Democratic Sen. Rodney Ellis first tried to pass the measure. The House already approved a similar bill, and both versions may go to conference committee.

The commission is named for Timothy Cole, who died in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of rape.

GALVESTON — A sixth package of narcotics has washed ashore in Galveston the past week. Houston media outlets report 66 pounds of cocaine in 30 individually wrapped bundles were found Monday by the Galveston Police Department. According to authorities, the drugs could have a street value of more than $3.5 million.

The cocaine found Monday was stamped with a dolphin, indicating they belonged to the Gulf Cartel.

HOUSTON — Houston fire officials say 10 children have been taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and smoke inhalation after a house fire.

The blaze Monday on the city’s northeast side was brought under control less than 20 minutes after firefighters responded shortly after 5:30 a.m.

Brian Robertson says he woke to the screams of his wife and the children, ages 4 to 16. Flames were coming from one of the children’s rooms.

‘John Wayne Day’ in Texas Texas Senate votes to honors actor’s birthday tighten teen abortion laws AUSTIN — Wearing a brown plaid coat from the 1945 film “Flame of Barbary Coast,” Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has declared it John Wayne Day in Texas.

Patrick named Wayne, who acted in 180 movies, an honorary Texan.

THURSDAY, JUNE 18 Elysian Social Club will be hosting its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Herlinda Nieto-Dubuisson at 956-2853126.

(Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.)

AUSTIN — After long, passionate debate, the Texas Senate has voted to tighten abortion rules for Texas teenagers who wish to undergo abortions but can’t get the required parental consent.

The Senate preliminarily approved the bill 21-10 Monday.

3 killed in 1-vehicle plunge from bridge HURST — Three people died Saturday when the pickup truck in which they were riding plunged from a freeway bridge near Fort Worth. The crash happened shortly before noon Saturday on Interstate 820 northbound at Texas 10 in Hurst.

— Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE NATION

SATURDAY, JUNE 6 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society meeting with speaker Albino Salinas Arreola on the Founding of Nuevo Laredo at the Laredo Public Library-Calton, from 10 a.m. to noon. Sanjuanita Martinez-Hunter at 722-3497.

First United Methodist Church used book sale from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1220 McClelland. Hardcovers, $1; paperbacks, $.50; magazines, $.25; childrens books, $.25.

and punctures History’s educational veneer.

"Though vastly outnumbered, the Alamo’s 200 defenders — commanded by James Bowie and William Travis and including the famed frontiersman Davy Crockett — held out courageously for 13 days before the Mexican invaders finally overpowered them," according to History’s website. "For Texans, the Battle of the Alamo became an enduring symbol of their heroic resistance to oppression and their struggle for independence, which they won later that year."

Texas was a Mexican province at the time the Alamo fell; Sam Houston, played by Bill Paxton, was trying to defeat a legitimate state. Though the channel’s website offers other perspectives on the Alamo and Texas’s war, including those of Mexicans, Native Americans and slaves, some of these views didn’t seem to make it into "Texas Rising."

Man who killed ex fatally shot outside casino NEW YORK — The New York Police Department has identified the man who killed his ex-girlfriend outside a casino and was shot to death by officers hours later.

Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce says three officers fired more than 10 times at 51-year-old Dalton Branch after he shot at them early Tuesday.

Police say Branch had earlier targeted a man who was with 55year-old Patricia Mohammed outside the Resorts World Casino in Queens. Boyce says he shot Mohammed before driving to Brooklyn.

Nobel Prize up for auction, $325K to start BOISE, Idaho — A retired Chicago physicist has put his 1988 Nobel Prize up for auction.

The minimum bid for Leon

CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Seth Wenig | AP

A police vehicle is parked near the scene of a fatal shooting in front of Resort World Casino in the borough of Queens in New York, Tuesday. The New York Police Department says a man has been shot to death by police.

Lederman’s medal is $325,000.

The 92-year-old says it’s been sitting on a shelf for decades and selling it seemed like a logical thing to do.

The online auction being conducted by Nate D. Sanders Auctions closes Thursday evening

but only when the final bid has stood unchallenged for half an hour. Lederman won the Nobel Prize in physics with two other scientists for discovering a subatomic particle called the muon neutrino.

— Compiled from AP reports

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State

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

Houston paralyzed by rising floodwater

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AND PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON — Floodwaters kept rising Tuesday across much of Texas as storms dumped almost another foot of rain on the Houston area, stranding hundreds of motorists and inundating the famously congested highways that serve the nation’s fourthlargest city.

Meanwhile, the number of people missing in flooding along the Blanco River rose to more than 40, including a group of people who disappeared after a vacation home was swept down the river and slammed into a bridge.

Several more fatalities were reported — two in Houston, another in a vehicle on Interstate 45 and one more in Central Texas. That brought to 16 the number of people killed by the holiday weekend storms in Texas and Oklahoma.

The water continued rising overnight as about 11 more inches of rain fell, much of it in a six-hour period.

The floodwaters affected virtually every part of the city. Firefighters carried out more than 500 water rescues, most involving stranded motorists. At least 2,500 vehicles were abandoned by drivers seeking higher ground, officials said.

“Given the magnitude and how quickly it happened, in such a short period of time, I’ve never seen this before,” said Rick Flanagan, Houston’s emergency management coordinator.

The flooding closed several highways in Houston, and the ones that stayed open became a gridlocked mess.

Interstate 45 near downtown was backed up for miles on Tuesday morning, with a handful of motorists traveling the wrong way on the highway to retreat from high water.

Photo by David J. Phillip | AP

Domingo Molina, right, paddles with his granddaughters Crystal, left, and Alicia, center, down a flooded street in Houston, Tuesday. Heavy rain overnight caused flooding and closure of sections of highways in the Houston area.

The small cars weaved between massive 18-wheelers as drivers stared at them in disbelief. With no end to the backup in sight, some drivers got off the freeway, only to be held up again by water covering nearby access roads.

In the Heights neighborhood about 5 miles from downtown, groups of people roamed the streets after escaping their stalled cars, and police cruisers blocked some roads where the water had caused dangerous conditions.

Some motorists were stuck on Interstate 45 all night, sleeping in their cars until the backup was cleared about 8 a.m.

NBA fans at the Toyota Center, where the Rockets hosted a Western Conference finals game against Golden State on Monday, were asked with about two minutes left in the game not to leave the arena because of the severe weather.

The game ended before 11 p.m., but about 400 people remained in their seats at 1:30 a.m., choosing to stay in

Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Houston Chronicle | AP

A man is comforted after finding out that a relative drowned in her truck at in Houston on Tuesday. A holiday weekend of storms dumped record rainfall on the American heartland, caused major flooding and spawned tornadoes. More than 1,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Texas, and thousands of residents are displaced. the building rather than brave the flooded roads that awaited them outside.

A spokeswoman for the flood district of Harris County, which includes Houston, said up to 700 homes sustained some level of damage.

In Hays County, about 35

miles southwest of Austin, Commissioner Will Conley said authorities were looking for 42 people, including a dozen people who witnesses said they saw in the floodwaters.

The rest may be unaccounted for simply because they are staying elsewhere

or are not at home, Conley said.

Some of the worst flooding damage in Texas was in Wimberley, a popular tourist town along the Blanco in the corridor between Austin and San Antonio. That’s where the vacation home was swept away.

The “search component” of the mission ended Monday night, meaning no more survivors were expected to be found, said Trey Hatt, a spokesman for the Hays County Emergency Operations Center.

One person who was rescued from the home told workers that the other 12 inside were all connected to two families. Young children were among those believed to be missing.

But by early Tuesday, Hays County spokeswoman Laureen Chernow acknowledged discrepancies concerning exactly how many people were in the home.

“We don’t have that certainty,” Chernow said.

Eight of the missing were friends and family who had gathered for the holiday, said Kristi Wyatt, a spokeswoman for the City of San Marcos. She said three more were members of another family in a separate situation. An unrelated person was also missing, Wyatt said.

The Blanco crested above 40 feet — more than triple its flood stage of 13 feet. The river swamped Interstate 35 and closed parts of the busy north-south highway. Rescuers used pontoon boats and a helicopter to pull people out.

Hundreds of trees along the Blanco were uprooted or snapped, and they collected in piles of debris up to 20 feet high.

The deaths in Texas included a man whose body was pulled from the Blanco; a 14-year-old who was found with his dog in a storm drain; a high school senior who died Saturday after her car was caught in high water; and a man whose mobile home was destroyed by a reported tornado.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management also reported four fatalities between Saturday and Monday after severe flooding and reports of tornadoes.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Smoking and vaping

By JOE NOCERA NEW YORK TIMES

"We need a national debate on nicotine," said Mitch Zeller.

Zeller is the director of the Center for Tobacco Products, a division of the Food and Drug Administration created in 2009 when Congress passed legislation giving the FDA regulatory authority — at long last! — over cigarettes. In addition, the center will soon have regulatory authority over other tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, which have become enormously controversial even as they have gained in use.

Through something called a "deeming rule," the center is in the process of asserting that oversight over e-cigarettes.

Opponents of electronic cigarettes, which include many public health officials, hope that the center will treat these new devices like it treats cigarettes: taking steps to discourage teenagers from "vaping," for instance, and placing strict limits on the industry’s ability to market its products.

Proponents, meanwhile, hope that the center will view e-cigarettes as a "reduced harm" product that can save lives by offering a nicotine fix without the carcinogens that are ingested through a lit cigarette. In this scenario, ecigarette manufacturers would be able to make health claims, and adult smokers might even be encouraged to switch from smoking to vaping as part of a reduced harm strategy.

When I requested an interview with Zeller, I didn’t expect him to tip his hat on which direction he wanted the center to go, and he didn’t. Indeed, one of the points he made was that the FDA was conducting a great deal of scientific research — more than 50 studies in all, he said — aimed at generating the evidence needed to better understand where to place e-cigarettes along what he calls "the continuum of risk."

Zeller is a veteran of the "tobacco wars" of the 1990s, working alongside thenFDA Commissioner David Kessler, who had audaciously labeled cigarettes a "drug-delivery device" (the drug being nicotine) and had claimed regulatory authority. Zeller left the FDA in 2000, after the Supreme Court ruled against Kessler’s interpretation, and joined the American Legacy Foundation, where he helped create its hard-hitting, anti-tobacco "Truth campaign." After a stint with a consulting firm, Pinney Associates, he returned to the FDA in early 2013 to lead the effort to finally regulate the tobacco industry.

"I am fond of quoting Michael Russell," Zeller said, referring to an important South African to-

bacco scientist who died in 2009. In the early 1970s, Russell was among the first to recognize that nicotine was the reason people got addicted to cigarettes.

"He used to say, ‘People smoke for the nicotine but die from the tar,’" Zeller recalled.

This is also why Zeller found e-cigarettes so "interesting," as he put it, when they first came on the market. A cigarette gets nicotine to the brain in seven seconds, he said. Nicotine gum or patches can take up to 60 minutes or longer, which is far too slow for smokers who need a nicotine fix. But e-cigarettes can replicate the speed of cigarettes in delivering nicotine to the brain, thus creating real potential for them to become a serious smoking cessation device.

But there are still many questions about both their safety and their efficacy.

For instance, are smokers using e-cigarettes to quit cigarettes, or they using them to get a nicotine hit at times when they can’t smoke cigarettes? And beyond that there are important questions about nicotine itself, and how it should be dealt with.

"When nicotine is attached to smoke particles, it will kill," said Zeller.

"But if you take that same drug and put it in a patch, it is such a safe medicine that it doesn’t even require a doctor’s prescription."

That paradox helps explain why he believes "there needs to be a rethink within society on nicotine."

Within the FDA, Zeller has initiated discussions with "the other side of the house" — the part of the agency that regulates drugs — to come up with a comprehensive, agencywide policy on nicotine.

But the public health community — and the rest of us — needs to have a debate as well.

"One of the impediments to this debate," Zeller said, is that the e-cigarette opponents are focused on all the flavors available in e-cigarettes — many of which would seem aimed directly at teenagers — as well as their marketing, which is often a throwback to the bad-old days of Big Tobacco. "The debate has become about these issues and has just hardened both sides," Zeller told me.

It’s not that Zeller believes nicotine is perfectly safe (he doesn’t) or that we should shrug our shoulders if teenagers take up vaping. He believes strongly that kids should be discouraged from using e-cigarettes. Rather, he thinks there should be a recognition that different ways of delivering nicotine also come with different risks.

To acknowledge that, and to grapple with its implications, would be a step forward.

"This issue isn’t e-cigarettes," said Mitch Zeller.

"It’s nicotine."

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters.

To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The 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 namecalling 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.

COLUMN

‘Smarts’ can be deceiving Everyone knows someone like this person — very bright but not quite as smart as they think they are.

In the early 1970s, I was hired as editor of a sizable twice-weekly newspaper in an area adjacent to Houston, which had begun to grow rapidly with a spillover effect for my new town.

This newspaper was beginning to reap the fruits of that growth and the then-owners decided to sell the paper to an ambitious publishing group. I got to keep my job as editor.

It was my first management job where I didn’t supervise all employees. At this paper, I had immediate supervision of managing editor, sports editor, “society” editor and three reporters — that was larger than my total employees at the little weekly papers I’d edited and/or published.

My immediate trouble spot turned out to be the managing editor.

Let’s name him Ray. You know, to protect the innocent, namely me.

Ray was a very bright guy. He’d landed this job with no newspaper experience, strictly because of his intelligence and ability to write. Well, I also think the fact that his wife was sec-

retary to the paper’s ownership might’ve influenced it. He was also aggressive and against “misbehavior” by elected public officials, which was a particular problem in that town.

Ray didn’t like the fact that the paper was sold and that his connection to ownership disappeared (his wife continued working for the previous owners in other ventures they controlled).

And, Ray obviously didn’t like me. My slow drawl and laid-back manner influenced him to label me “country hick” right off the bat. Additionally, one of the longtime reporters, Harry, was an excellent newsman but had trouble with spelling and grammar. His stories were always written in proper order, but Ray would slash them to pieces with his editing pen, re-write them, then eliminate Harry’s byline and stick his own on the story as if he’d dug it up instead of Harry. A shared byline would’ve been proper.

There was one very ma-

jor story that Harry dug up and wrote. However, Ray edited the story, deleted Harry’s byline and stuck his own on it.

Ray was a big problem. I knew I needed to do something about him, so I began to criticize his obvious mistakes. I explained that he should use editing as a teaching tool. Didn’t faze him. Giving him directions was like trying to keep a leaky rowboat afloat.

A November election provided an easy answer.

The area elected a new congressman, who was impressed with Ray’s intellect and writing ability, offered him a job as his press secretary come January. Ray informed me, but asked if he could stay through the end of the year because he couldn’t survive two months without an income.

Softhearted me agreed for him to stay and do special assignments since I’d already chosen someone to fill the managing editor’s post. I wrote a story about our new managing editor with segments down in the story devoted to Ray’s service and what his future was. As is custom and style, the announcement was attributed to me.

Just prior to press time, a composing room employ-

ee sidled up and said quietly: “You need to look at your story.”

The story led with “Ray Blank announces his resignation…”

I yelled: “Who changed this story?!!!”

I was told Ray beat a hasty retreat to lunch. Upon his return, I told him we’d done him a favor keeping him on the payroll through the end of the year but that he’d disobeyed a direct order, changed my editor’s front page story, and he was terminated for cause as of that moment, which meant no more money. It was probably a bare bones Christmas at Ray’s house.

The next May, our new congressman dropped in, took me off to one side. He informed me he’d fired Ray and asked: “Why didn’t you warn me about him?”

“Congressman,” I said, “you didn’t ask. You hired him without saying one word to me.”

To quote Shelby quoting her dad in “Steel Magnolias,” “An ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure.”

Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.

EDITORIAL

Russian law threatens society THE WASHINGTON POST

A new law threatens to smother what is left of civil society. Russia has just taken another step toward pernicious use of the law to buttress the authoritarian whims of its leader. Both houses of parliament recently passed legislation that would allow the government to label as "undesirable" — in effect, to outlaw — any foreign or international organizations deemed a threat to the "de-

fensive capabilities or security of the state, to the public order, or to the health of the population." President Vladimir Putin then signed the bill into law. This is the legal version of a blank check for repression.

"Repression" sounds like an old-fashioned word. It connotes the Stalin purges, arrests in the middle of the night without cause from which people never returned. That kind of mass repression is not happening in Russia, but the new law

contains an alarming principle drawn from the past.

The language is so vague that it could apply against almost any foreign organization or business operating in Russia. This is the same heinous, arbitrary rule that was behind the Great Terror of 1936 to 1938, when millions of lives were torn apart by false accusations and the whims of Joseph Stalin and his henchmen.

This is just the latest brick in the wall of author-

itarianism that Mr. Putin has been building. Now all he or his cronies must do is to declare any offending group to be undesirable, and the police and prosecutors will move in.

No independent civil society existed in Soviet times because the Communist Party was supposed to take care of everyone’s needs, from cradle to grave. It was a utopian dream that, by the end, had become a colossal failure. Today’s Russia is no closer to utopia.

CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

Mexico

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

Missing family found; tornado toll at 13

By SETH ROBBINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

CIUDAD ACUÑA, Mexico — The body of a baby carried away by a tornado was found in the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Acuña, Mayor Evaristo Perez said Tuesday following a sudden catastrophic storm that killed 13 and destroyed more than 200 homes.

City spokesman Edgar Gonzalez originally said the child’s death added to 13 earlier confirmed deaths, but officials later said the baby — whose body was found amid the rubble of shattered houses — had already been included in the toll of dead.

The baby had been carried off by the force of the tornado, apparently from a car. Earlier reports suggested the child had been in a baby carrier.

Perez also said authorities had located a family of four who had been reported missing. It turned out they had been visiting another town when the twister hit.

The tornado touched down early Monday, and injured about 300 people, destroyed 200 homes and damaged about 800, affecting some 4,000 inhabitants.

Some of the homes were reduced to mounds of cinderblock and rubble, making the search more difficult.

Gerardo Aguinaga and his sister, Perla Isabel, stood in front of a concrete slab where the family’s home and taco business had once stood.

The house had been flattened by the storm, and bulldozers were sent in Tuesday to clear off the rubble and allow the family to rescue any salvageable possessions. Gerardo was able to find only his stepfather’s wallet and a pair of mismatched shoes, all the family had left.

“I don’t have papers, I don’t have anything. There are a lot of people who lost everything,” said Perla Isabel Aguinaga. “We have

AP photo

Damaged homes stand next to others that were razed when a powerful tornado touched down in Ciudad Acuña, northern Mexico, Monday.

The tornado raged through the city on the U.S.-Mexico border Monday, destroying homes and flinging cars like matchsticks. no place to live.”

Their stepfather, Edgar Gerardo Gonzalez, 37, their mother, Alma Isabel, and Perla’s 5-year-old son, Bryan, were in the house when the twister hit.

Alma Isabel and Bryan hid under a bed as the home collapsed around them. She survived with

back injuries and bruises, and Bryan suffered gashes to his head. Both are out of danger. But the stepfather was standing at the back of the house, leaning against a wall that fell on him, injuring him more seriously.

Despite his wounds, the stepfather managed to dig himself

out, rescue his wife and the boy and take them to a neighbor’s house.

Four adjacent houses also were flattened. In three, the only things left standing were the bathrooms, precisely the place where Mexican authorities advise people to take shelter in storms.

The tornado tossed cars like matchsticks, leaving many leaning against the facades of houses. President Enrique Peña Nieto arrived Monday to survey the damage and help coordinate rescue efforts. Bulldozers and cranes worked throughout the affected area, clearing rubble, fallen

light posts and crumpled cars.

Questions began to center on the lack of any warning system, though tornados are infrequent in Mexico.

The last major tornado struck the nearby border city of Piedras Negras, across from Eagle Pass, Texas, to the southeast of Ciudad Acuña, in 2007, killing three people.

Coahuila state Gov. Ruben Moriera said the twister hit too suddenly — it touched ground for a matter of seconds — to give much warning.

“There were no alerts, not from the American side nor from here. There was no time for that, it was terribly rapid,” Moriera said late Monday.

Perla Isabel, who wasn’t home when the twister hit, said nobody saw it coming.

“We never thought something like this would happen,” she said.

Nation

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

Obama urges Senate to renew Patriot Act

By ERICA WERNER ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama called on the Senate Tuesday to extend key Patriot Act provisions before they expire five days from now, including the government’s ability to search Americans’ phone records.

“This needs to get done,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “It’s necessary to keep the American people safe and secure.”

But with the May 31 deadline fast approaching, there was scant evidence Tuesday of a search for a deal on Capitol Hill. The House and Senate stood in recess for the week, and a House GOP leadership aide said there were no talks happening between the two chambers. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity,

because the aide was not authorized to discuss the issue on the record.

The Senate OBAMA adjourned for its Memorial Day break early Saturday after a chaotic late-night session during which senators failed to pass a White House-backed House bill reforming the phone collection program. Attempts by GOP leaders to extend current law also repeatedly fell short, amid objections from presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and others.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is calling the Senate back into session on Sunday, May 31, just hours before the midnight deadline, but it’s not clear lawmakers will have any

new solution.

Back home in Kentucky on Tuesday, McConnell offered no hint of how the impasse might be resolved.

“This is a very big issue that people are divided on.

That’s what we do. So we’re going to work it out in some way and go forward. But there are deep differences of opinion,” McConnell told reporters after addressing the Elizabethtown Rotary Club. “We’ve got to figure some way out of this.”

The House bill, which passed by a wide bipartisan margin, was just a few votes short in the Senate Friday, and House Republicans appear content to hold off on a search for compromise in hopes that pressure will increase on McConnell to accept their bill or see the Patriot Act programs lapse.

McConnell complained

that the House bill waters down the bulk collection program that now exists, but acknowledged, “they passed it by a very large margin. So that makes it pretty challenging to extend the law as it is.”

A few hours earlier at the White House, Obama addressed reporters after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

“The Senate did not act, and the problem we have now is that those authorities run out at midnight Sunday. I strongly urge the Senate to work through this recess to make sure they identify a way to get things done,” he said.

Obama noted that the controversial bulk phone collections program, which was exposed by National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, is re-

formed in the House bill, which does away with it over six months and instead gives phone companies the responsibility of maintaining phone records that the government can search.

But the legislation also includes other tools used by the FBI, including one that makes it easier to track “lone wolf” terrorism suspects who have no connection to a foreign power, and another that allows the government to eavesdrop on suspects who continuously discard their cellphones.

FBI Director James Comey said at a news conference at the bureau’s New Haven, Connecticut, field office on Tuesday that the FBI will be affected in profound and important ways if the provisions are not renewed.

“I sure hope Congress figures out a way to make

sure I don’t lose these essential tools,” Comey said.

Paul was unapologetic about his role in defying fellow Kentuckian McConnell, despite criticism that he’s used the issue to raise money. Paul sent out fundraising appeals after holding the Senate floor for nearly 11 hours last week in what he billed as a filibuster. ‘’I think I’m right in line with what the founders would have fought for, and I’m proud of the fight,” Paul said on CBS’ “This Morning.”

As for his relationship with McConnell, who has endorsed his presidential bid, Paul said: “I don’t think we need counseling yet.”

For his part, McConnell said: “This is not personal.

Rand and I have a good relationship. We just have a difference of opinion on this issue. It’s not a small issue.”

IRS says thieves stole tax info from 100,000

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Sophisticated criminals used an online service run by the IRS to access personal tax information from more than 100,000 taxpayers, part an elaborate scheme to steal identities and claim fraudulent tax refunds, the IRS said Tuesday.

The thieves accessed a system called “Get Transcript,” where taxpayers can get tax returns and other filings from previous years. In order to access the information, the thieves cleared a security screen that required knowledge about the taxpayer, including Social Security number, date of birth, tax filing status and street address, the IRS said.

“We’re confident that these are not amateurs,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “These actually are organized crime

syndicates that not only we but everybody in the financial industry are dealing with.”

Koskinen wouldn’t say whether investigators believe the criminals are based overseas — or where they obtained enough personal information about the taxpayers to access their returns.

The IRS has launched a criminal investigation. The agency’s inspector general is also investigating.

Identity thieves, both foreign and domestic, have stepped up their efforts in recent years to claim fraudulent tax refunds. The agency estimates it paid out $5.8 billion in fraudulent refunds to identity thieves in 2013.

“Eighty percent of the of the identity theft we’re dealing with and refund fraud is related to organized crime here and around the world,” Koskinen said. “These are

extremely sophisticated criminals with access to a tremendous amount of data.”

Congress is already pressing the IRS for information about the breach.

“That the IRS — home to highly sensitive information on every single American and every single company doing business here at home — was vulnerable to this attack is simply unacceptable,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. “What’s more, this agency has been repeatedly warned by top government watchdogs that its data security systems are inadequate against the growing threat of international hackers and data thieves.”

Koskinen said the agency was alerted to the thieves when technicians noticed an increase in the number of taxpayers seeking transcripts.

The IRS said they targeted the system from February to mid-May. The service has been temporarily shut down.

Taxpayers sometimes need copies of old tax returns to apply for mortgages or college aid. While the system is shut down, taxpayers can still apply for transcripts by mail.

The IRS said its main computer system, which handles tax filing submissions, remains secure.

“In all, about 200,000 attempts were made from questionable email domains, with more than 100,000 of those attempts successfully clearing authentication hurdles,” the agency said. “During this filing season, taxpayers successfully and safely downloaded a total of approximately 23 million transcripts.”

The agency is still determining how many fraudulent tax refunds were

claimed this year using information from the stolen transcripts. Koskinen provided a preliminary estimate, saying less than $50 million was successfully claimed.

Thieves can also use the information to claim fraudulent tax refunds in the future. As identity theft has exploded, the agency has added filters to its computer system to identify suspicious returns. These filters look for anomalies in the information provided by the taxpayer.

Until recently, tax refund fraud has been surprisingly simple, once thieves obtain a taxpayer’s Social Security number and date of birth.

Typically, thieves would file fake tax returns with madeup information early in the filing season, before the legitimate taxpayers filed their returns — and before employers and financial institutions filed wage and tax

documents with the IRS. The refunds would often be sent electronically to prepaid debit cards or bank accounts.

IRS officials say new computer filters are helping to stop many crude attempts at identity theft.

This year, the IRS stopped almost 3 million suspicious returns, Koskinen said.

However, old tax returns can help thieves fill out credible-looking returns in the future, helping them get around the IRS filters.

Tax returns can include a host of personal information that can help someone steal an identity, including Social Security numbers and birthdates of dependents and spouses. The IRS said the thieves appeared to already have a lot of personal information about the victims.

The IRS said it is notifying taxpayers whose information was accessed.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: CLEVELAND BROWNS

NBA: HOUSTON ROCKETS

Eyes on Manziel Photo by David J. Phillip | AP

Houston center Dwight Howard won’t be suspended for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals after elbowing Warriors center Andrew Bogut.

Rockets’ Howard won’t be suspended Photo by David Richard | AP

ASSOCIATED PRESS

After entering rehab in the offseason, Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is back on the football field in offseason workouts.

Former A&M QB back on field with Browns

By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEREA, Ohio — Except for sporting a tighter haircut under his orange helmet, Johnny Manziel looked pretty much the same.

He scrambled from defenders and zipped passes.

He talked to his coaches after plays, and joked around with Browns teammates during water breaks.

Manziel is back on the football field, where he built his Johnny Football reputation and where he must now prove he belongs. His comeback — day-to-day — is ongoing.

For the first time since a highly publicized, 10-week stay at a rehab facility in Pennsylvania this winter, Manziel practiced in front of journalists on Tuesday as the Browns moved into the next phase of their offseason program.

The 22-year-old, who played poorly in two starts last season and then sought treatment for an unspecified issue, did not speak with reporters afterward.

However, several of his teammates gave glowing reports on Manziel.

They’ve been impressed

Photo by David Richard | AP

Cleveland quarterback is training with the Browns’ second-team offense in the offseason. with his determination to change a party-boy image following a bad rookie year.

“He understands the mistakes that he’s made, so he’s taken the proper steps to try to keep himself out of trouble,” Browns safety Donte Whitner said. “Now he understands how serious it is. He’ll be all right.”

The Browns can only hope so. They invested a first-round draft pick on the former Heisman Trophy winner and have publicly stated they still believe he can develop into a top-tier NFL starter. Time

will tell, but Manziel is at least showing early signs of an attitude change.

Whitner said when he arrives or leaves Browns headquarters, Manziel’s car is usually in the parking lot.

“If you’re here in the morning, you see who has those first couple parking spots, you know who was here before everybody else,” he said. “So he’s taken the steps that it takes to be a good quarterback.”

Manziel had a few nice moments during 11-on-11 drills. He threaded a strong pass over the mid-

dle to tight end Rob Housler on one play, and rolled right and slipped a sidearmed pass for a completion to wide receiver Darius Jennings. Manziel, who will enter training camp as Josh McCown’s backup, also forced a short throw that was intercepted by K’Waun Williams and returned for a touchdown.

Browns coach Mike Pettine did not grade any of Manziel’s snaps, but said he’s been “very engaged in meetings.”

As for Manziel’s personality, Pettine said the popular QB hasn’t changed.

“I just think he’s probably a little bit more focused now,” Pettine said.

“But it’s something that he knows and he has said, he’ll have to prove it every day.”

McCown has seen it.

The 13-year veteran has only been teammates with Manziel for a short time, but said Manziel just needs to keep stacking up good days.

“His position is very demanding. It’s demanding of a lot of things — emotionally, your time and effort — and I think he’s understanding that and he’s embracing that, and that’s the key,” McCown said.

OAKLAND — Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard will not be suspended for Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors after the NBA decided to uphold his flagrant 1 foul.

NBA President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn says in a statement Tuesday night that Howard was trying to free himself from Andrew Bogut when Howard “recklessly hit him in the face with an open hand.”

Thorn says the contact was deemed unnecessary by game officials and the league doesn’t “see a reason to modify that call.”

Howard received a flagrant 1 foul early in the third quarter after throwing an elbow at Bogut’s head after the Warriors center made contact with him. Howard could’ve been suspended for Wednesday night’s game by accumulation of flagrant foul points if the NBA upgraded it to a flagrant 2.

The Warriors lead the series 3-1.

NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS

Cowboys sign WR Jenkins ASSOCIATED PRESS

IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys have signed receiver A.J. Jenkins, a former first-round draft pick.

Jenkins, who had worked out for the Cowboys last week, was the 30th overall pick by San Francisco in 2012.

Dallas also Tuesday waived injured receiver

Chris Boyd.

Jenkins didn’t catch a pass in three regular-season and two playoff games as a rookie for the 49ers. He was traded to Kansas City during training camp in 2013, then had 17 catches for 223 yards and started only three of the 28 regular-season games he played the past two seasons.

Nation

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

Cleveland, Justice Dept. reach settlement

By MARK GILLISPIE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND — Cleveland agreed to sweeping changes in how its police officers use force, treat the community and deal with the mentally ill, under a settlement announced Tuesday with the federal government that will put the 1,500-member department under an independent monitor.

The settlement was made public three days after a white Cleveland patrolman was acquitted of manslaughter for his role in a 137-shot barrage of police gunfire that left two unarmed black suspects dead in a car in 2012.

Mayor Frank Jackson said the ambitious plan that was worked out over five months of negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department will be expensive and will take years to put in place. But he said he sees it as a chance to set an example for other cities.

The proposed reforms come amid tension around the U.S. over a string of cases in which blacks died at the hands of police.

“As we move forward, it is my strong belief that as

other cities across this country address and look at their police issues in their communities, they will be able to say, ’Let’s look at Cleveland because Cleveland has done it right,”’ Jackson said.

In December, after an 18month investigation prompted in part by the 2012 shooting, the Justice Department issued a scathing report accusing Cleveland police of a pattern of excessive force and other abuses.

The settlement is an expansive list of items aimed at easing tensions between the police and the city’s residents, especially in the black community. Cleveland is 53 percent black. About two-thirds of its police officers are white. The mayor and the police chief are black.

The reforms were outlined in a 105-page consent decree filed in federal court. It calls for new guidelines and training in the use of force; a switch to community policing, in which officers work closely with their neighborhoods; an overhaul of the machinery for investigating misconduct allegations; modernization of police comput-

Photo by Michael F. McElroy/New York Times | AP

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson talks during a news conference about the city’s settlement with the Justice Department, Tuesday. er technology; and new training in avoiding racial stereotyping and dealing with the mentally ill.

An independent monitor approved by the court will oversee the police force’s compliance. Several other police departments around the country, including those in Seattle and New Orleans, are operating under federal consent decrees that involve independent oversight.

The worst examples of excessive force in the Justice Department report involved officers who endangered lives by shooting at suspects and cars, hit people over the head with guns and used stun guns on handcuffed suspects. Only

six officers had been suspended for improper use of force over a three-year period.

The city is still awaiting a decision on whether any officers will be prosecuted in two other deaths: that of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy who was killed by a white rookie patrolman last November while playing with what turned out to be a pellet gun, and that of 37-year-old Tanisha Anderson, a mentally ill woman who suffocated last fall after she was subdued on the ground and handcuffed.

U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach said that the overhaul “will help ensure

Amtrak to install cameras

By JOAN LOWY ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Amtrak said Tuesday it will install video cameras inside locomotive cabs to record the actions of train engineers, a move that follows a deadly derailment earlier this month in which investigators are searching for clues to the train engineer’s actions before the crash.

The Amtrak engineer, Brandon Bostian, suffered a head injury in the accident in Philadelphia and has told investigators he can’t remember what happened. Northeast Regional train 188 accelerated to a speed of 106 miles per hour in the last minute before entering a curve where it derailed. The speed limit for the curve is 50 mph.

The crash left eight people dead and about 200 injured.

The train was equipped with a “black box” data recorder and an outward-facing camera focused on the track ahead, but neither of those devices reveals what was happening inside the cab.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending that the Federal Railroad Administration require passenger and freight train cabs to have audio recorders since the late 1990s.

They revised that recommendation five years ago to include inward-facing sound and video recorders.

Railroad administration officials say they support use of the cameras. In the past year, the agency has told the NTSB that it intends to propose regulations requiring the cameras. However, no regula-

Photo by Joseph Kaczmarek | AP file

In this May 12 file photo, emergency personnel work the scene of a wrecked Amtrak train headed to New York City. tions have been proposed and it typically takes federal agencies many months, if not years, to move from proposals to final regulations.

Joseph Boardman, the railroad’s president and CEO, said Amtrak has supported efforts by a railroad administration safety advisory committee made up of industry and labor representatives to come up with standards for the cameras.

The committee has yet to issue recommendations.

“We’ve been supporting it all the way along,” he told reporters in a telephone briefing. “It’s just a matter of working out some of those details. ... There may be some adjustments we have to make later down the road, but I think it’s time to do it and I’m doing it.”

Besides accident investigations, Amtrak will review the recordings to monitor engineers’ actions, Boardman said.

Unions representing engineers at Amtrak and other passenger and freight railroads have generally opposed use of the cameras.

As recently as 2012, rail-

road administration officials had also opposed requiring the cameras, telling NTSB they were concerned the cameras might lower employee morale and the images might be used punitively by railroads.

Officials for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Robert Mongeluzzi, a Philadelphia attorney representing 10 passengers who were on the train, said Amtrak shouldn’t wait until after a disaster to make safety changes. The railroad has also announced since the crash that it will install technology before the end of the year to automatically stop trains that are in danger of exceeding speed limits.

“Although we approve of Amtrak’s belated decision to install a video camera inside the cab of the locomotive, the question remains, ‘Why wasn’t this done much earlier?” he said.

Cameras will first be installed in 70 new Amtrak locomotives that will power all Northeast Regional and

long-distance trains between Washington, New York and Boston, as well as Keystone Service between New York, Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Most of those locomotives will be equipped with the cameras before the end of the year, and the rest by sometime this spring, Boardman told reporters in a telephone briefing.

Amtrak is developing a plan for installation of cameras in the rest of its locomotive fleet, including Acela Express locomotives, but no time table has been set for those installations. The railroad has about 300 locomotives nationwide.

It’s not unusual for engineers to be killed in train crashes, or to be seriously injured and not remember details clearly. The NTSB first recommended requiring audio recordings of sound in locomotive cabs following a 1996 collision between commuter train and an Amtrak train in Silver Spring, Maryland.

None of the commuter train’s operating crew members survived, and the board was unable to determine their actions leading up to the crash.

The recommendation was revised to include video cameras with sound in 2010 as the board wrapped up its investigation into one of the worst train collisions in memory — a Metrolink commuter train that failed to obey signals and collided head-on with a Union Pacific freight train near Chatsworth, California. Twenty-five people were killed, including the Metrolink engineer, and over 100 injured in the 2008 crash.

the many brave men and women of the Cleveland Division of Police can do their jobs not only constitutionally, but also more safely and effectively.”

Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, said he and the union’s attorneys are still studying the agreement.

“I’m hopeful it has reached some good conclusions,” Loomis said. “But the devil is always in the details for these kinds of things.”

Attorney James Hardiman, chairman of the NAACP Criminal Justice Committee, said his organization is looking at the agreement “with a finetooth comb,” but added: “If I can assume everything I was told is true, it sounds like a pretty comprehensive agreement.”

The mayor said that when the reforms take hold, community policing will become “part of our DNA.” The Justice Department has launched broad investigations into the practices of more than 20 police forces in the past five years, including agencies in Ferguson, Missouri, and, most re-

cently, in Baltimore. Both cities were convulsed by violence and protests in recent months over the police-involved deaths of black men.

Then-Attorney General Eric Holder said in December that the Justice Department has intervened in 15 police departments in the country, including eight that are operating under court-ordered consent decrees.

Saturday’s verdict by a judge in favor of Patrolman Michael Brelo led to a day of mostly peaceful protests but also more than 70 arrests. Dozens of church parishioners also protested the acquittal in a downtown march Tuesday afternoon just before officials announced the settlement.

Cleveland has paid a total of $3 million to the families of the victims in the 2012 shooting, Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams.

They were gunned down at the end of a 22-mile car chase that began when police mistook automobile backfire for gunshots.

Thirteen officers in all shot at the car; Brelo jumped onto the hood and fired the last 15 shots through the windshield.

Shepard arrested for drunk driving

By VIK JOLLY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTA FE, N.M. — Actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard was arrested Monday on suspicion of drunken driving after a Santa Fe restaurant’s security complained about a possibly intoxicated driver.

The 71-year-old Shepard told a police officer that he had two tequila drinks and was planning to drive home, Santa Fe police Lt. Andrea Dobyns said Tuesday. “Our officer could smell alcohol on his breath, and he had bloodshot, watery eyes,” she said.

Shepard was arrested on a charge of aggravated driving while intoxicated outside La Choza restaurant in downtown.

The restaurant’s security called police about 7:45 p.m.

Monday concerned about an intoxicated driver, Dobyns said. The man was trying to leave in the pickup, but the vehicle’s emergency brake was engaged.

Shepherd declined to take a breath test, but he did perform a field sobriety test, which he failed, Dobyns said.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Shepard had an attorney. Santa Fe jail records show that Shepard was released Tuesday afternoon after posting bail.

The office of Shepard’s agent said Tuesday that it had no comment.

Shepard won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for his play “Buried Child.” His film credits, among others, include “Country,” “Baby

Photo courtesy of Santa Fe County Jail | AP

This Monday booking photo provided by the Santa Fe County Jail shows actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard, who was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

Boom,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Thunderheart,” “Black Hawk Down,” “The Notebook,” and “Walker Payne.”

Playing Chuck Yeager in a drama about the birth of America’s space program, “The Right Stuff” earned Shepard an Academy Award nomination. His play “True West,” depicting a rivalry between two estranged brothers, has been revived numerous times and starred high-profile actors over the years.

The Sante Fe Institute, a transdisciplinary research community, lists the actor as a Miller Scholar.

Monday’s arrest appears to be Shepard’s second on charges of drunken driving.

In January 2009, he was arrested on charges of speeding and drunken driving in the central Illinois town of Normal. Shepard pleaded guilty and was fined $600 and placed on 24 months of supervision.

MIÉRCOLES 27 DE MAYO DE 2015

Zfrontera ZCISD

Ribereña en Breve

Bajo custodia

INSCRIPCIÓN A CAMPAMENTOS La Comisión de Parques y Recreación de la Ciudad de Roma invita los Campamentos de Baloncesto Verano 2015. El registro será del lunes 25 de mayo al miércoles 27 de mayo, en horario de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en el Roma Fire Department. La cuota de inscripción es de 40 dólares e incluye una camiseta. Informes con el Entrenador Principal Ríos en el 437-2525.

RECAUDACIÓN DE FONDOS El Boys and Girls Club del Condado de Zapata se encuentra recaudando fondos para sus programas juveniles y eventos programados para el 2015. Interesados en apoyar la causa, la compañía Tupperware se encuentra ofreciendo que por cada producto Tupperware que se compre, un 40 por ciento de las ventas se destinará directamente al club de Zapata. Le meta es recaudar 3.000 dólares. Pida informes llamando al (956) 765-3892.

MERCADO AGRÍCOLA Y DE ARTESANOS

PÁGINA 9A

POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

El ex maestro de Zapata que fue arrestado bajo la sospecha de tener una relación inapropiada con una estudiante de preparatoria, continuaba tras las rejas el martes, dijeron oficiales.

Luis Carlos Garza Jr., de 24 años, fue arrestado la semana pasada, con cargos por posesión de marihuana, acoso y relación inapropiada entre un educador y una estudiante. Tiene una fianza combinada por 52.500 dólares en la Cárcel Regional del Condado de Zapata, de acuerdo con registros de custodia.

Garza, quien inicialmen-

te fue suspendido con goce de sueldo, renunció a su posición como maestro en Zapata County Independent School District, después de su arresto, el viernes, dijeron oficiales del distrito.

El Jefe de la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata, Raymundo del Bosque, dijo que casos similares a éste están ocurriendo alrededor de la nación, dejando a los padres sin la certeza de sentir que sus hijos están a salvo. Del Bosque dijo que él cree que agresores de niños se infiltran en el sistema educativo como maestros y de esta manera ganan la confianza de sus niños.

“Es ahí cuando toman ventaja de (los niños)”, dijo.

LUIS CARLOS GARZA JR.

“Para mantener a todos estos criminales fuera de las calles, todas las agencias necesitan trabajar juntas”.

Oficiales arrestaron a Garza el jueves por posesión de marihuana. Investigacio-

nes llevaron a las autoridades a asegurar la orden de arresto por acoso para Garza, porque supuestamente estaba enviando “contenido de índole sexual a través de Facebook” a una mujer, de acuerdo con oficiales del alguacil.

Mientras se investigaba el caso de acoso, las autoridades del condado, asistidas por la policía de ZCISD, comenzaron a investigar una acusación sobre una relación inapropiada entre Garza y una estudiante de preparatoria.

La denunciante del caso de acoso proporcionó “un mensaje donde el maestro admitió… tener relaciones sexuales con una estudiante

de 18 años de edad”, dijeron los oficiales del alguacil.

Las autoridades dijeron haber encontrado suficientes causas probables para obtener la orden de arresto por relación inapropiada que los investigadores ejecutaron a Garza, la tarde del viernes.

El Superintendente Raul Nuques dijo a través de una declaración el viernes, que el caso fue un incidente aislado. También señaló que “el distrito continuará monitoreando a todos los estudiantes y ofreciendo servicios de asesorías, como se soliciten”.

(Localice a César G. Rodriguez en 728-2568 o en cesar@lmtonline.com)

DÍA DE LOS CAÍDOS

TEXAS

ESFUERZO HERÓICO

Reanudan búsqueda de doce

El Mercado Agrícola y de Artesanos de Zapata se realizará el sábado 6 de junio, de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. en el estacionamiento del Centro Comunitario, 605 N US Highway 83. Pida informes en el (956) 536-7171.

POR SETH ROBBINS Y PAUL J. WEBER

CAMPAMENTO DE VERANO Del 9 de junio al 2 de julio, tendrá lugar un Campamento de Verano, para los estudiantes de ZCISD desde preescolar a quinto año. Las sesiones serán de 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. y de 12 p.m. a 4 p.m.

El desayuno y el almuerzo serán proporcionados. No habrá transporte.

El campamento es gratuito, sin embargo, los estudiantes deberán cumplir con las normativas de fin de año para ser elegibles.

Las solicitudes de ingreso deberán ser entregadas antes del 14 de mayo.

Para más información puede llamar a Gerardo García al (956) 765-6917; a Dalia García, al (956) 765-4332; a Ana Martínez, al (956) 765-5611; o a Marlen Guerra al (956) 7654321.

CAMPAÑA MÉDICO-ASISTENCIAL MIGUEL ALEMAN — Se implementará la primer campaña médico asistencial propuesta por miembros de los ministerios nacionales “Betel” el 11 de junio, de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m.

El grupo de 15 personas, entre médicos y enfermeros, estarán representados por la misionera Deana Gatlin. Además traerán consigo ropa, medicamentos y despensas.

El Presidente Municipal, Ramiro Cortez, informó que los misioneros evangélicos viajarán a las comunidades rurales del sur de Miguel Alemán el 13 de junio.

EXHIBICIÓN DE ARTE El Boys and Girls Club de Zapata tendrá una exhibición de arte, el sábado 27 de junio, de 1 p.m. a 4 p.m.

Los integrantes del club interesados en participar pueden llamar al (956) 765-3892.

La participación es exclusiva para integrantes del club.

Las personas que gusten inscribirse pueden acudir al club o llamar al (956) 765-3892.

DESFILE DE MODAS MIGUEL ALEMAN — Damas representantes de la Fundación “Vive en Paz y Haz el Bien” invitan a un Desfile de Modas que se llevará a cabo el 8 de julio en el Casino Milenium. La fundación que lucha contra el cáncer, espera que con el desfile de modas se recauden fondos que les permitirán continuar con su misión.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Foto de cortesía

El Congresista Henry Cuellar saluda al veterano de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Leopoldo Treviño, durante una ceremonia por el Día de los Caídos en Zapata, el lunes por la mañana.

Reconocen servicio de seis hermanos POR GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO TIEMPO DE LAREDO

E

n conmemoración al Día de los Caídos, seis hermanos de Zapata fueron honrados por sus heroicos esfuerzos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, por el Congresista Henry Cuellar, así como por autoridades estatales y locales, en un evento afuera del Palacio de Justicia de Zapata, el lunes por la mañana.

En marzo, Cuellar reconoció a los hermanos Teodoro, Leopoldo, Antonio, Anselmo, Filiberto Jr. y José Manuel Treviño con un discurso en el la Cámara de Representantes de EU, en Washington, D.C. Él presentó seis banderas de Estados Unidos que fueron desplegadas sobre el Capitolio de EU para las familias de los hermanos Treviño que murieron, y personalmente entregó una al último de los hermanos, Leopoldo Treviño.

“Nos llamaron y contestamos

para servir a la patria”, dijo Leopoldo Treviño.

Añadió que estaba “muy feliz”, se estar presente en la ceremonia de reconocimiento y que sus esfuerzos y los de sus hermanos, aún fueran recordados después de 70 años desde el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

De pie, con un traje oscuro y corbata, Leopoldo Treviño, de 91 años de edad, estaba acompañado de su esposa Emma V. Treviño, de 63 años de edad y de su hijo, Leo Treviño Jr. “Estoy feliz de que pudiera ver esto y recibir este reconocimiento, no solamente para él sino también para sus hermanos que han muerto”, dijo Leo Treviño Jr. Cuatro generaciones de la familia Treviño acudieron a la ceremonia.

David Garza, nieto de Leopoldo Treviño, dijo que lo que le fascinó sobre la historia de su abuelo, es que los seis hermanos Treviño respondieron al llamando.

Mientras Anselmo Treviño Jr., hijo del fallecido Anselmo Trevi-

ño, dijo en su discurso durante la ceremonia, “La vida simple de la familia Treviño fue afectada por la agonía de la espera de los seis hijos que fueron llamados a la guerra, uno después del otro. Para aquellos de nosotros que hemos perdido a un hijo o a una hija, casi podemos visualizar la agonía y el estrés mental al pensar que podemos perder no solo a uno sino a seis hijos. No puedo imaginar cómo vivieron mis abuelos con el estrés por cuatro años”.

Ana González, Vangie Anderson y Vielma Treviño, hijas de Antonio Treviño, dijeron que su padre era su héroe, su “John Wayne”. Él murió en 2011.

González dijo que quería seguir los pasos de su padre y unirse al ejército.

“Mi papá dijo que no quería que fuera después de haber pasado por lo que pasó”, dijo González.

Los hermanos Treviño nacieron del matrimonio de Filiberto y Luisa Cuellar Treviño, en Zapata.

WIMBERLEY— Equipos de recuperación reanudaron el martes la búsqueda de 12 personas reportadas como desaparecidas luego de que la corriente de un río desbordado arrancara un alojamiento vacacional desde los cimientos y lo azotara contra un puente río abajo.

En Houston, las autoridades recuperaron otros tres cuerpos de las aguas — dos de ellos en la ciudad y uno más en un vehículo sobre la autopista Interestatal 45. La cifra de muertos se elevó a 11 tras las tormentas en Oklahoma y Texas.

Las aguas crecieron durante la noche, luego de que cayeran cerca de 28 centímetros (11 pulgadas) de lluvia, durante un periodo de seis horas.

Entre 500 y 700 casas en el condado Harris sufrieron algún tipo de daños, de acuerdo a la portavoz del distrito de control de inundaciones del estado, Kim Jackson.

La alcaldesa de Houston, Annise Parker dijo que las autoridades de la cuarta ciudad más grande del país, están "en alerta" ante el aumento en los niveles de agua en las zonas pantanosas.

La búsqueda de los desaparecidos se reanudó luego de que las tormentas en el fin de semana largo dejaron niveles de agua históricos en las regiones centro-norte y el medio oeste.

En México, las autoridades continúan con la búsqueda de víctimas y evaluando los daños luego de que un tornado azotara la ciudad fronteriza de Acuña, con un saldo de 14 muertos y al menos cuatro desaparecidos.

El gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott declaró zona de desastre en 37 condados.

El peor daño provocado por las inundaciones se dio en Wimberley, un popular pueblo turístico a las orillas del Río Blanco, en el corredor entre Austin y San Antonio.

El “componente de búsqueda” de la misión finalizó la noche del lunes, lo que significa que no se espera que se encuentre a más sobrevivientes entre los escombros de las inundaciones, aclaró Trey Hatt, vocero del Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia del Condado Hays.

COLUMNA

Describe postura de Tamaulipas ante guerra Nota del Editor: Esta es la primera parte de una serie de dos artículos, donde el historiador narra la postura de Tamaulipas y México, ante los conflictos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

POR RAÚL SINENCIO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Tras dar refugio a numerosos perseguidos por condenas a agresiones contra otros países, México mantenía neutralidad ante la II Guerra Mundial. Tamaulipas es víctima de varios ataques, por ende combaten temprano la amenaza del

totalitarismo reaccionario, sentándose para ello las bases en la guerra.

Varias organizaciones participan.

A fines de marzo de 1942 aparece la convocatoria: “El nazifascismo significa negación de las libertades pues encima de todo está la voz del ‘jefe’, a quien se le adjudican mandatos omnipotentes”, señala el documento. “Si cotejamos los principios del régimen nazi en Alemania, […] fascista en Italia […] y […] de [Francisco] Franco en España con los que alienta el Partido Acción Nacional [PAN] y el sinarquismo [aquí], encontraremos tanta similitud […] co-

mo afines son sus ruines propósitos […] porque no se puede ser patriota ayudando al Eje Berlín-Roma-Tokio”.

Panistas y sinarquistas evaden deslinde al respecto.

Ramificaciones “Hemos resuelto [en consecuencia] formar un organismo que […] contrarreste a los enemigos de México […] que tratan de adormecer al pueblo, diciéndole que el peligro está muy lejos”, señalan los firmantes.

Recientemente quedó al descu-

bierto una red de espías y provocadores financiada por el Tercer Reich, con ramificaciones locales.

En Tampico se llama a constituir en Tamaulipas la Unión Nacional Antisinarquista y en Defensa de la Democracia, según el programa, hay sesiones el 11 y 12 de abril de 1942.

Acuden líderes del gobernante del Partido de la Revolución Mexicana, hoy Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), y del Partido Comunista Mexicano.

(Publicado con permiso del autor conforme aparece en La Razón, Tampico, Tamps.)

International

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

Graves dug up at camp

By EILEEN NG ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUKIT WANG BURMA, Malaysia — Malaysian forensics teams exhumed a body from a shallow grave Tuesday at an abandoned jungle camp used by human traffickers, the first of what police predicted would be more grim findings as they search through a cluster of illicit hideouts near the border with Thailand.

Authorities say there are 139 suspected graves in the mountainous jungle where northern Malaysia meets southern Thailand, a remote area that trafficking syndicates used as a transit point to hold migrants and refugees. Most were believed to be members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority and impoverished migrants from Bangladesh.

“Forensics teams have found one human body so far,” said Mohammad Bahar Alias, a senior police official from northern Perlis state. Digging continued at other graves, which police said were marked by sticks or stones. “There are graves all over this area.”

Malaysian police took journalists to one of 28 abandoned camps found after a regional crackdown was launched on human trafficking earlier this month.

The camp, reached after a 2-hour hike up a steep jungle path, appeared to have been abandoned a while ago, police said. A jungle prison remained that included at least two large wooden pens wrapped with barbed wire.

“These structures were believed to be used as hu-

Photo by Joshua Paul | AP

A human jaw is photographed near an unmarked grave in Wang Burma at the Malaysia-Thailand border on Tuesday. man cages,” said Mohammad Bahar. He said the camp may have held up to 300 people. It also contained a watch tower and a cooking area littered with dishes and pots. During the tour, authorities pointed out what looked like the skeletal remains of a jaw on the ground.

“We think it belongs to a human,” said Mohammad Bahar.

A tiny orange slipper was partly buried on a nearby slope, indicating that children were also held at the camp, which could hold at least 300 people, he said. A suspected grave site was about 100 meters (100 yards) away.

The discoveries in the northern Malaysian state of Perlis follow similar revelations earlier this month in Thailand, where police unearthed dozens of bodies from shallow graves on the Thai side of the border.

Thai police Maj. Gen. Puthichart Ekkachan said 36 bodies were found there in seven abandoned camps.

The discoveries have exposed hidden networks of jungle camps run by hu-

man smugglers, who have for years held countless desperate people captive while extorting ransoms from their families. Most of the victims were part of a wave of people who fled their homelands to reach countries like Malaysia, where they hoped to find work or live freely.

Malaysian Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said police are probing the possibility that government officials, including some from the Forestry Department, may be involved in the human trafficking syndicates.

He said several people have been detained and are under investigation, but didn’t provide further details.

As Southeast Asian governments have launched crackdowns in recent weeks amid intensified international pressure and media scrutiny, traffickers have abandoned their camps and boats at sea to avoid arrest.

This month, more than 3,000 people — about half of them from Bangladesh and half Rohingya from Myanmar — have landed in In-

donesia, Malaysia and Thailand, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Thousands more are believed to be trapped at sea in boats abandoned by their captains.

Human rights groups and activists say the area along the Thai-Malaysia border has been used for years to smuggle migrants and refugees, including Rohingya Muslims, a longpersecuted minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

In many cases, they pay human smugglers thousands of dollars for passage, but are instead held for weeks or months while traffickers extort more money from their families back home. Rights groups say some have been beaten to death, and The Associated Press has documented other cases in which people have been enslaved on fishing boats.

Malaysia and Indonesia announced last week that they would provide shelter for up to one year for migrants recently found or still stranded at sea. The U.S. has said it would consider settling some of them permanently.

For the rescue effort, the United States said it has begun military surveillance flights and is ready to conduct more as needed to help locate boats of migrants in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. U.S. Navy P8 aircraft began flying over the weekend with Malaysian government support, said State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke.

The Rohingya, numbering around 1.3 million in Myanmar, have been called one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

Photo by Alessandra Tarantino | AP

An Italian Carabinieri paramilitary police officer stands close to an ancient Etruscan ‘Kalpis’, a vase dated 500 B.C., right, in Rome.

US returns 25 looted artifacts

By NICOLE WINFIELD ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROME — The United States on Tuesday officially returned 25 artifacts that had been looted over the decades from Italy, including Etruscan vases, 1st-century frescoes and precious books that ended up in U.S. museums, universities and private collections.

Italy has been on a campaign to recover looted artifacts, using the courts and public shaming to compel museums and collectors to return antiquities, and has won back several important pieces.

The items Tuesday were either spontaneously turned over to U.S. authorities or were seized by police after investigators noticed them in Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction catalogues, gallery listings, or as a result of customs searches, court cases or tips. One 17th-century Venetian cannon was seized by Boston border patrol agents as it was being smuggled from Egypt to the U.S. inside construction equipment, police said.

U.S. Ambassador John Phillips joined Italy’s carabi-

nieri art police to show off the haul. It included Etruscan vases from the Toledo Museum of Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, 17th-century botany books from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a manuscript from the 1500s stolen from the Turin archdiocese in 1990 that ended up listed in the University of South Florida’s special collections.

“Italy is blessed with a rich cultural legacy and therefore cursed to suffer the pillaging of important cultural artifacts,” Phillips said, adding that Interpol estimates the illicit trade in cultural heritage produces more than $9 billion in profits each year.

Police said several of the items were allegedly sold by Italian dealers Giacomo Medici and Gianfranco Becchina, both convicted of trafficking in plundered Roman artifacts. After the objects were recovered, Italian authorities confirmed their provenance.

Police stressed that most collectors and museums willingly gave up the artifacts after learning they had been stolen.

Gunmen try to kill Libya’s prime minister

By RAMI MUSA ASSOCIATED PRESS

BENGHAZI, Libya — Gunmen tried to assassinate Libya’s internationally recognized prime minister on his way to the airport in the eastern city of Tobruk on Tuesday, a spokesman for his government said.

Arish Said, head of the government’s media department, said that Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni’s motorcade was attacked and one of his guards was lightly wounded but that there

were no fatalities.

“They managed to escape,” Said said.

Prior to the attack, he AL-THINNI said armed men who had been protesting outside a session of the Tobruk government’s House of Representatives tried to storm the building, firing shots into the air and demanding al-Thinni be removed from office.

They were “threatening

to kill the prime minister and force the House to sack him,” Said said. He identified the men as being funded by “corrupted political financiers” linked to powerful Tobruk tribal leaders, without elaborating.

The session was postponed until next week before the attempted assassination.

Nearly four years after the ouster of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Libya is consumed by chaos.

The country split is between an elected parliament and

weak government, and a rival government and parliament in Tripoli set up by the Islamist-linked militias that took control the capital, forcing the government to relocate to the far eastern cities of Tobruk and Bayda.

The turmoil has enabled the rise of an active Islamic State branch, which now controls at least two cities along the country’s coastline.

Before the assassination attempt, a leader from Tobruk’s dominant Obiedi tribe, Faraj Abu Alkhatabia,

Trial of reporter begins

By NASSER KARIMI ASSOCIATED PRESS

TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian security court on Tuesday began the closed-door espionage trial of an Iranian-American reporter for The Washington Post who has been detained for more than 10 months.

Jason Rezaian, the Post’s 39-year-old bureau chief in Tehran, is being tried in a Revolutionary Court on allegations of “espionage for the hostile government of the United States” and propaganda against the Islamic Republic, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.

The IRNA report did not elaborate. Rezaian’s brother, Ali, later told The Associated Press in Washington that the proceeding largely involved him hearing the charges. Rezaian’s lawyer, Leila Ahsan, could not be reached for comment.

The Post has said Rezaian faces up to 10 to 20 years in prison.

Rezaian, his wife Yeganeh Salehi and two photojournalists were detained on July 22 in Tehran. All were later released except Rezaian, who was born and spent most of his life in the United States, and who holds both American and Iranian citizenship. Iran does not recognize other nationalities for its citizens.

Salehi, wearing a traditional black Islamic veil, refused to talk to waiting reporters as she left the courthouse after the hearing Tuesday. She looked upset

Photo by Vahid Salemi | AP file

In this photo April 11, 2013 file photo, Jason Rezaian, an IranianAmerican correspondent for the Washington Post, smiles in Tehran. and covered her face with the scarf as she departed in a yellow taxi, sitting in the back seat next to an older woman. The Post later reported Rezaian’s mother, Mary Rezaian, had accompanied her to court, but also could not attend.

Last week, Rezaian’s lawyer said Salehi, who is a reporter for The National newspaper in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi, and a freelance photographer who worked for foreign media, also will stand trial. The photographer’s name has not been made public.

The Post and U.S. diplomats have criticized Rezaian’s detention and the handling of the case. Salehi has been barred from traveling abroad, the Post said, adding that its requests for a visa for a senior editor to travel to Iran went unanswered.

“There is no justice in this system, not an ounce of it, and yet the fate of a good,

innocent man hangs in the balance,” Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said in a statement.

“Iran is making a statement about its values in its disgraceful treatment of our colleague, and it can only horrify the world community.”

Ali Rezaian said he believed Iranian authorities had two main documents they were using at his brother’s trial.

One was a form letter Rezaian submitted online in 2008 after the election of U.S. President Barack Obama, offering to help “break down barriers” between America and Iran, his brother said. The other was an American visa application he filled out for his wife that asked for it to be expedited at the time because of a looming Iranian election, noting “sometimes it’s not the best place to be as a journalist,” his brother said.

“There are other specific pieces of evidence that we

believe that they are going to use to support the charges, but what I can say is that those are two of the most significant ones,” Ali Rezaian said. “So I think you can see what kinds of evidence they are basing their entire case on, and that’s taken 310 days of my brother’s life.”

U.S. officials repeatedly have pressed Iran to release Rezaian and other jailed Americans, including during talks on the sidelines of negotiations over Tehran’s contested nuclear program.

Iran and world powers hope to reach a comprehensive agreement on the program by the end of June to ease economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange for it limiting its uranium enrichment.

The judge assigned to hear Rezaian’s case, Abolghassem Salavati, is known for his tough sentencing. He has presided over numerous politically sensitive cases, including those of protesters arrested in connection with demonstrations that followed the 2009 presidential elections.

IRNA said Rezaian’s hearing ended after a few hours, and that Salavati would decide on the date of the next one, without providing further details.

His brother said Rezaian just wants to prove his innocence.

“He’d never do anything malicious to hurt Iran, or the United States,” Ali Rezaian said. “And we want to be as loud and clear to everybody in the world.”

threatened al-Thanni on private broadcaster Libya Awalan.

“This prime minister must resign, if he doesn’t I will smash his head,” he said, adding that “either he leaves or we won’t let the house of representatives stay in Tobruk.”

A national security adviser to the Tobruk government, who declined to comment for fear of retribution, linked the threat to powerful Tobruk businessman and oil magnate Hassan Tatanaki, a member of the same

tribe who owns the Libya Awalan television station.

“This morning the prime minster spoke with the head of the house of representatives regarding the pressure applied by Libyan tycoon Tatanaki who wishes to be appointed foreign minister.”

Tatanaki’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.

Earlier Tuesday, Human Rights Watch said civilians were trapped in several neighborhoods in Libya’s embattled eastern city of Benghazi.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015

THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A

Vox Media acquiring news website ReCode

By SYDNEY EMBER NEW YORK TIMES

ReCode, the news website led by the veteran journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, is being acquired by Vox Media, a deal that reflects the turmoil among digital organizations focused on covering the tech industry.

The all-stock deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, would give ReCode access to a wider audience, something it has struggled to build since Mossberg and Swisher split off from The Wall Street Journal about a year and a half ago. Both plan to stay with ReCode after the merger.

The purchase of ReCode is just the latest significant move involving a digital media startup in the past few months. In March, Gigaom, which had been one of the early sites dedicated to coverage of Silicon Valley, abruptly closed after nine years because of financial problems. (It said Tuesday that it planned to

restart in August after being acquired by the startup Knowingly Corp.) Circa, a news aggregation startup, is trying to sell itself to a larger media organization after failing to raise more venture capital, according to two people familiar with internal matters, though recent talks with companies like Twitter have fiz-

zled. And Pando, another technology blog, has struggled to attract a large following despite a splashy introduction announcing prominent writers.

Before its split from The Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones, ReCode was run as a site called AllThingsD, which, since its founding in 2007,

had steadily built a following among technology executives. The site grew out of a popular conference business that became known for hosting tech luminaries like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. The conference business continued to grow and was an attractive part of ReCode’s portfolio for Vox.

Committee, said the sponsor of the original bill, which originated in the House, asked senators for a last-ditch effort to revive it.

Lucio’s committee approved language from the bill by Rep. Cecil Bell, a Republican from Magnolia northwest of Houston, meaning it will likely hit the Senate floor Wednes-

day. Lucio said he supported it as a way to salute the “traditional structure of the family and family values.”

But he also predicted that it would take “magical powers” for the backfrom-the-dead measure to clear the full Legislature.

“Quite frankly, it’s running out of time,” Lucio said.

Authorities said they gathered enough probable cause to obtain the improper relationship warrant, which investigators served on Garza on Friday afternoon.

Superintendent Raul Nuques said in a statement

Friday the case was an isolated incident. He further stated that “the district will continue to monitor all students and offer counseling services, as requested.”

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

ADOPTIONS Continued from Page 1A make it all the way through the legislative process, with Monday’s end of session looming.

House Democrats, therefore, have a chance to run out the clock, and they took the floor to draw out debate on bills being considered ahead of the health agency overhaul proposal.

Fearing that there

weren’t enough hours to tackle it and other top priorities — including a bill to allow licensed Texans to carry concealed handguns onto college campuses — Republicans tried to reorganize Tuesday’s House calendar. But because that required two-thirds support of the chamber, it narrowly failed along party lines, 96-53.

Also Tuesday, a Senate committee revived an antigay marriage bill that failed to pass the House earlier this month and had appeared dead.

It prohibits state, county and local clerks and governmental officials from issuing or recognizing same-sex marriages, even if a U.S. Supreme Court ruling eventually legalizes

them. An amendment to the Texas Constitution approved by voters in 2005 bans gay marriage statewide, but the revived measure seeks to further shield Texas from a high court ruling that could go the other way.

Brownsville Democratic Sen. Eddie Lucio, chairman of the Senate Intergovernmental Relations

BUSTED Continued from Page 1A school system as educators and gain the children’s trust.

“That’s when they take advantage of (the children),” he said. “To keep all these criminals off the streets, all agencies need to work together.”

Deputies arrested Garza on Thursday on marijuana possession. Further investigation led authorities to secure the harassment warrant for Garza because he allegedly sent “sexually-oriented content through Facebook” to a woman, ac-

cording to sheriff ’s officials.

While investigating the harassment case on the woman, county authorities, assisted by ZCISD police, began investigating an allegation of an improper relationship between Garza

and a high school student.

The female complainant in the harassment case provided “a message where the educator admitted … having had sexual relationships with an 18-year-old student,” sheriff ’s officials said.

IMMIGRATION Continued from Page 1A country, and awarding them valuable government benefits, is a drastic change in immigration policy."

The panel rejected the White House’s request in a 2-1 decision. Judge Jerry E. Smith, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, and Judge Jennifer Elrod, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, voted to deny the request. Obama appointee Judge Stephen Higginson was cast the dis-

senting vote.

The Obama administration can appeal to the entire 5th Circuit, or ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the appeal.

Abbott had initially accused the Obama administration of violating provisions of the U.S. Constitution that mandate that immigration laws can only be passed by Congress. He also said the action violates what is called the “take care” clause, which “requires the president to

take care to execute the laws and clearly prevents this type of action the president is trying to undertake.”

In February, Brownsvillebased U.S. District Court Andrew Hanen ruled in Abbott’s favor. He said in his ruling that the Obama administration did not "comply with the Administrative Procedure Act." The Administrative Procedure Act governs the way regulations are made and how much input the public has.

The Obama administration countered after that ruling and told the appellate judges that Texas did not have standing to sue because it could not show it would be irreparably harmed. Attorneys for Texas argued that it would be forced to issue driver’s licenses to the immigrants, which would incur a cost to the state.

In a 68-page opinion issued Tuesday, the 5th Circuit panel agreed. It also rejected the White House’s

request that the program only be halted in Texas, or at least the 26 states that have filed suit.

“But partial implementation of DAPA would undermine the constitutional imperative of ‘a uniform Rule of Naturalization’ … and Congress’s instruction that ‘the immigration laws of the United States should be enforced vigorously and uniformly,’” the judges wrote.

Austin-based immigration attorney Jackie Wat-

son said she was “disappointed” but not surprised at the decision. When Hanen initially blocked the program in February, she said she’d tell her clients to “stay the course” and think positively.

“I know it doesn’t sound like good advice anymore, but this is the way the court system runs. This is exactly how I thought it would have played out,” she said of Tuesday’s decision, citing the makeup of the panel.

Corps for five and a half months before being honorably discharged due to a leg injury. Filiberto Jr. served in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

While at sea, his ship was harassed by German submarines. He was also stationed in England where he unloaded bombs and ammunition from trucks preparing for the invasion of Normandy and was part of the liberation of Berlin.

And Jose Manuel, the youngest of the brothers, served in the infantry and was part of the occupation forces in Berlin that oversaw the liberation of the concentration camps and

the release of the American prisoners of war.”

Cuellar said the brothers’ efforts were a testament to the importance rural communities such as Zapata played in the war.

“These brothers had an immense sense of family and are an inspiration to us all. Their courage and dedication to country are timeless examples of what it really means to be an American. We honor the Treviño brothers today and always for their many sacrifices,” Cuellar said.

(Gabriela A. Treviño may be reached at 956-728-2579 or gtrevino@lmtonline.com)

BROTHERS Continued from Page 1A but for his brothers who have died,” Leo Treviño Jr. said.

Four generations of Treviños attended the ceremony.

David Garza, Leopoldo Treviño’s grandson, said what fascinated him about his grandfather’s story was that all six of the Treviño brothers responded to the call of duty.

As Anselmo Treviño Jr., son of the late Anselmo Treviño, said in his speech at the ceremony, “The Treviño family’s simple life was disrupted by the agony of waiting for their six sons to be called to war, one after one.

For those of us who have lost a son or a daughter, we can almost visualize the aguish and mental stress of the thought in losing not one but six sons. I can’t imagine how my grandparents lived with this emotional stress for over four years.”

Ana Gonzalez, Vangie Anderson and Vielma Treviño, daughters of Antonio Treviño, said their father was their hero, their “John Wayne.” He passed away in 2011.

“When he was in the nursing home, he would pace back and forth down the hallway, and he’d say he

was patrolling,” Anderson said, laughing.

Gonzalez said she had wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the Army.

“It seemed something that would be exciting to me and something that I really, really wanted to do, but because I was a young girl, my dad said he did not want me to go after being through what he went through,” Gonzalez said.

The Treviño brothers were born to Filiberto and Luisa Cuellar Treviño in Zapata.

According to a press release from Cuellar’s office,

each brother served unique and valuable roles in a global context during the war.

“Teodoro Treviño, the eldest, served in the Medical Corps in Bombay, India, as a trained surgical technician and treated wounded American soldiers. Leopoldo Treviño served in the Field Artillery and was stationed in Okinawa while preparing for the invasion of Japan. Antonio Treviño served in the Coastal Artillery and took part in the invasion of Normandy and the invasion of France, Belgium, the Rhineland and into Germany.

Anselmo served in the Engineer

12A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015